Kabanata 2

Habang nakaupo sa loob ng kotse ni Sophia, ramdam ko ang bawat kabog ng dibdib ko. The city lights of Makati blurred past the window like streaks of neon paint. Sophia was driving fast, her hands steady on the wheel, but she kept glancing at me. Alam kong naguguluhan siya. This wasn't the Elena she knew.

“Elena, are you sure about this? You look like you’re ready to burn the whole world down,” untag niya sa akin.

“I’m not burning the world, Soph. I’m just taking back what’s mine,” malamig kong sagot.

Bago kami makarating sa bar, bumalik sa isip ko ang nangyari kaninang hapunan—the final dinner before the "Big Announcement." It wasn't a family dinner; it was a summit. Isang pagpupulong ng dalawang makapangyarihang pamilya kung saan ako ang pangunahing putahe.

Sa mahabang mahogany table ng aming dining room, nakaupo kami ni Papa katapat ang mga Monteverde. Julian was there, looking bored as usual, scrolling through his phone habang sinesermonan siya ng tatay niya tungkol sa bagong logistics terminal sa Batangas.

“Our legal teams have already finalized the pre-nuptial agreement,” ang boses ni Don Manuel Monteverde ang bumasag sa katahimikan. He was a man who smelled like expensive tobacco and arrogance. “The Dela Vega shares will be locked for five years, ensuring that our partnership remains solid.”

“Excellent,” my father replied, raising his wine glass. “And the wedding date?”

“Next month. The faster, the better. We need the public to see that the two giants are now one.”

Buong oras na nag-uusap sila, walang nagtanong sa akin. Walang nagtanong kung handa na ba ako, o kung ano ang gusto ko. Para akong display display sa isang museum—maganda tignan pero walang boses.

“Julian,” tawag ni Don Manuel sa anak niya. “Put that phone away. You’re sitting in front of your future wife.”

Julian looked up, his eyes scanning me with a look that wasn't love or even interest. It was ownership. “She’s beautiful, Dad. She’ll look good on my arm during the galas. That’s enough, right?”

Tumawa si Papa at Don Manuel. Isang tawang parang may halong bakal.

Doon ko naramdaman ang lalong paghigpit ng lalamunan ko. I wasn't just being sold; I was being gifted to a man who saw me as an accessory—isang relo o isang mamahaling sasakyan na pwedeng ipakita sa publiko pero itatabi lang kapag wala nang nakakakita.

“Actually,” singit ko, ang boses ko ay nanginginig sa pigil na galit. “I was thinking of finishing my Master’s degree before the wedding.”

Tumigil ang tawanan. The silence that followed was suffocating. My father’s grip on his wine glass tightened.

“Master’s?” Julian smirked. “Bakit pa, Elena? You don’t need a degree to manage a household and attend charity balls. My wife doesn't need to work. She just needs to represent.”

“My daughter is just being modest,” mabilis na bawi ni Papa, his eyes shooting daggers at me. “She knows where her priorities lie.”

Priorities. Ang priority ko ay ang pangarap nilang dalawa. I wanted to scream that I had a brain, that I had ambitions that reached beyond being a socialite. Pero sa harap ng mga kontrata at pirmahan, walang silbi ang diploma ko. My worth was calculated by the number of shares my last name carried.

Pagkatapos ng dinner, hinarap ako ni Papa sa library. His anger was quiet but deadly.

“Don’t you ever embarrass me like that again,” he whispered, his face inches from mine. “You are a Dela Vega. Your only job is to ensure that this contract goes through. I have sacrificed everything to keep this company afloat. Ang hiningi ko lang sa’yo ay ang pirma mo at ang pagsunod mo.”

“Sacrificed?” I laughed bitterly. “You didn’t sacrifice anything, Papa. Ako ang isinasakripisyo mo. You’re selling me to pay for your debts and your pride!”

A loud slap echoed in the library.

Nanigas ako. The side of my face stung, but the pain in my heart was much worse. My father had never raised a hand to me before. Until tonight. Until I threatened his business deal.

“Go to your room,” he commanded, his voice cold and devoid of any regret.

“And don’t come out until you’re ready to be the daughter I raised you to be.”

Balik sa kasalukuyan, hinawakan ko ang pisngi ko na tila nararamdaman ko pa rin ang hapdi ng sampal na 'yon. That slap was the final signature on my own contract of rebellion. He wanted the obedient daughter? Fine. But that daughter died in that library.

“We’re here,” Sophia announced, pulling up in front of a high-end, underground bar in BGC. The entrance was discreet—just a black door with a small neon sign that flickered like a warning.

I looked at my reflection in the car’s vanity mirror one last time. The red lipstick was bold, the silk dress was provocative, and the look in my eyes was something I didn't recognize. I wasn't Elena the Daughter anymore. I was Elena the Stranger.

“Soph, whatever happens tonight, don't judge me,” I said as I opened the car door.

“Judgment? Girl, I’m your accomplice. Go in there and show them that you’re not for sale.”

I stepped out of the car, my heels clicking against the pavement. The bass of the music inside the bar vibrated through the ground, matching the frantic rhythm of my heart.

I was walking into a place where boardrooms didn't exist. Where contracts were replaced by glances, and where my future wasn't a business deal, but a choice I was finally about to make for myself.

Every step away from the car felt like I was tearing a page out of my father’s ledger. I wasn't a Dela Vega tonight. I was just a woman looking for a way to break the chains that were forged in silk and gold.

I pushed the heavy black doors open. The smell of expensive cologne, smoke, and alcohol hit me instantly. This was it. The beginning of the end of my obedience.

I didn't know that inside this bar, someone was already watching the door. Someone who lived in the very shadows I was trying to hide in. Someone who didn't buy people with contracts—but owned them with a single look.