Kabanata 1

Ang puting gown na nakasabit sa tapat ng aking full-length mirror ay tila isang multong nagbabantay sa bawat galaw ko. It was a masterpiece of lace and silk, a Vera Wang original that cost more than a luxury car. Sabi ni Papa, it’s the perfect dress for a perfect bride. Pero para sa akin? It looked like a very expensive shroud. Isang telang pambalot sa bangkay ng kalayaan ko.

I reached out and touched the cold fabric. My fingers trembled. Sa loob ng tatlong araw, isusuot ko ito. I will walk down the aisle, look into the eyes of a man I barely know, and say "I do" to a life of misery.

“You’re doing it again, Elena.”

Napaigtad ako at mabilis na binawi ang kamay ko nang marinig ang boses ni Papa mula sa pinto. Alberto Dela Vega stood there, looking sharp in his charcoal-gray suit. Walang lukot ang suot niya, tulad ng buhay na binuo niya para sa akin—plantsado, kontrolado, at walang puwang para sa pagkakamali.

“Doing what, Papa?” mahina kong tanong, hindi tumitingin sa kanya.

“Staring at that dress as if it’s a death sentence. You should be grateful. Half the women in the country would kill to be in your position. Julian Monteverde is a prime catch. His family owns the largest logistics empire in Southeast Asia.”

I bit my inside cheek to keep from screaming. A prime catch. Julian was a known playboy whose face was more frequent in tabloid scandals than in business journals. Pero sa mata ni Papa, hindi tao si Julian. He was a set of assets. Isang merger. Isang pirma na magliligtas sa bumabagsak na stocks ng Dela Vega Shipping.

“Grateful?” mapait kong bulong. Humakbang ako palapit sa bintana ng kwarto ko, tinitignan ang malawak na hardin ng aming mansion. “Papa, I’m twenty-three. I have a degree. I have plans. Bakit kailangang dumaan sa ganito? I don’t even like him. Heck, he doesn’t even know my favorite color.”

“Love is a luxury for the poor, Elena,” Papa said, his voice dropping into that boardroom tone—the one he uses when he’s closing a deal. “In this family, we don't marry for love. We marry for stability. For power. This merger is the only way to solidify our legacy. Don't be selfish.”

Selfish. The word hit me like a physical blow. Simula bata ako, naging masunurin ako. I followed every rule. I went to the schools he chose. I befriended the children of his associates. I was the "Golden Daughter." I gave up my dreams of being an artist to study Business Administration dahil iyon ang kailangan niya. And now, even my own body, even my own future bed, ay ipinamimigay na rin niya.

“Is that all I am to you, Papa?” Lumingon ako sa kanya, basag ang boses. “Isang kontrata? Isang pirma sa dulo ng isang business proposal?”.

Hindi man lang nagbago ang ekspresyon niya. He looked at me with the same coldness he treats his competitors. “You are a Dela Vega. And a Dela Vega always puts the family first. The engagement party is tomorrow night. Make sure you look your best. Ayokong mapahiya sa mga Monteverde.”

Nang lumabas siya ng kwarto at malakas na isinara ang pinto, tila gumuho ang huling pader ng pasensya ko. I grabbed the crystal vase on my vanity and threw it across the room. The sound of shattering glass felt so good—it was the only thing that felt real in this house of lies.

“I hate this!” I screamed, but the thick walls of the mansion just swallowed my voice.

Napaupo ako sa sahig, sa gitna ng mga bubog. I felt a stinging pain in my palm; marahil ay nasugatan ako, pero mas masakit ang dibdib ko. I realized right then that my future was decided in a room full of old men smoking cigars and drinking expensive scotch. They traded my life over a mahogany table while I was out buying shoes..

The resentment that had been simmering for years finally boiled over. Parang lason na kumalat sa mga ugat ko.

If I was going to be sold like a commodity, then I shouldn't have to be the "good girl" anymore. Bakit ko pa kailangang protektahan ang dangal ng pamilyang ito kung sila mismo ang unang nagbenta sa akin?

Tumayo ako at pinunasan ang luha sa mga mata ko. I looked at the wedding dress again. It looked so pure, so virginal. It represented everything they wanted me to be: an obedient, untouched prize for Julian Monteverde.

Isang mapait na ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi ko.

If I’m going to lose my freedom, I might as well lose it on my own terms.

I walked to my walk-in closet and pushed aside the conservative floral dresses and the elegant gowns my father approved of. Way back in the corner, hidden under a pile of scarves, was a dress I bought months ago but never had the courage to wear. It was a black, silk slip dress—short, backless, and dangerous.

It was the dress of a woman who didn't care about boardrooms.

Kinuha ko ang cellphone ko at mabilis na nag-text sa kaisa-isa kong kaibigan na nakakaunawa sa akin.

Elena: "Sophia, pick me up at 10 PM. Don't ask questions. Just take me to the loudest, darkest bar you know."

Sophia: "OMG. Is the Golden Girl finally breaking out? I’ll be there in 30 minutes. Wear something that would make your father have a heart attack."

Elena: "Oh, I'm way ahead of you."

I started to strip off my "obedient daughter" clothes. Inihulog ko ang suot kong beige dress sa sahig, tila ba tinatapon ko na rin ang lahat ng mga inaasahan nila sa akin. I put on the black silk. It felt like a second skin—cold, smooth, and rebellious.

I applied deep red lipstick, looking at my reflection. My eyes weren't the eyes of a victim anymore. May apoy doon. May galit.

I was tired of being the currency in my father's business deals. I was tired of being a pawn. Tonight, bago ako tuluyang maging pag-aari ng mga Monteverde, I wanted to feel what it was like to be mine.

I wanted to do something that couldn't be undone. Something that would stain the "perfection" my father worked so hard to build.

The plan was simple: go to a bar, find a stranger, and give away the one thing Julian Monteverde and my father thought they had the right to trade. My innocence. I wanted to walk into that wedding knowing that I had already cheated the contract.

I grabbed my clutch and my highest heels. I didn't look back at the white wedding dress.

"You can have the name, Papa," I whispered to the empty room. "You can have the merger. You can even have the wedding. But you won't have the girl you think I am."

The resentment was no longer just simmering. It was a wildfire. And as I sneaked out of the back exit of the mansion, feeling the cool night air for the first time in what felt like forever, I knew there was no turning back.

I was stepping out of the boardroom and into the shadows. And for the first time in twenty-three years, I was actually excited to see what was waiting for me in the dark.

I didn't know that the dark had eyes. I didn't know that some shadows were more dangerous than the life I was running from. But at that moment, nothing mattered except the thumping of my heart and the neon lights of the city calling out to me like a forbidden prayer.

This was the start of my ruin. And God, it felt so much better than being a bride.