Skeletons in the Chamber

Dictator's Daughter

Just when Reese thought her day couldn't possibly get any worse.

As a Deputy Minority Leader, Reese juggled back-to-back committee hearings, rarely finding a moment to grab a snack or sip her coffee. Although the increased membership of the Minority Bloc usually resulted in someone else representing the bloc, Reese preferred attending the hearings to ensure her questions and concerns resonated with the committee.

At first, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. The meeting came and went, the usual for the first committee meeting.

That was until he fucking arrived.

There he loomed, the absolute bane of Reese's existence, known to her colleagues as Leon. His smug expression grated on her nerves, and his fragrance was so vile it made Imee Marcos's signature scent seem like a breath of fresh air. With an attitude of entitlement, he swaggered into the committee room, expecting everyone to bow down before him solely because he had previously held the position of Vice President.

Oh, how Reese's heart swelled with joy at the prospect of dealing with him again.

Just what I needed—a generous dose of arrogance and entitlement to brighten my day.

It wasn't just the grating sound of his voice that set Reese's teeth on edge. It was the way everyone in the room seemed to gaze up at him as if he were the show's undisputed star. Never mind that there were 23 other senators in the Senate because everyone else's presence paled compared to his supposed greatness.

You're in the Senate, Sen. Gerona, not your damn runway.

Yet what truly irked Reese was how Leon effortlessly navigated the treacherous political waters. It was as if his fancy new packaging could make their colleagues conveniently forget that he had once been on the opposing side, criticizing them with every ounce of his being. And let's not even mention how they all conveniently looked the other way when Leon became the target of numerous fake news channels.

Pero I kept defending you even if I detested your guts. And this is how you pay me back?

After a slick senatorial campaign, he was able to charm the pants off of everyone and have them bow beneath him. He just got away scot-free while Reese nursed her broken heart and attempted to put the pieces she shattered as soon as he slammed the door last 2016.

Of course, it had to be Leon, the epitome of arrogance and self-importance, who dominated the room. There he sat, pompously delving into obscure provisions to prove how intelligent he believed himself to be.

Reese couldn't help but notice that while acknowledging the presence of the presiding chair, he didn't spare her.

The frustration gnawed at Reese. Did she not deserve a modicum of respect? Was she invisible to him?

I'm not expecting an apology, but not even an acknowledgment of my existence? Ganun-ganun na lang ba?

It seemed that for Leon, she was nothing more than an insignificant speck in his grandiose vision of himself.

And that, quite frankly, infuriated her.

Two hours later, the medieval torture chamber, or rather the committee hearing, had been adjourned. Reese felt an immense sense of relief as it finally ended. Escaping the clutches of Leon's self-aggrandizement, she eagerly made her way to the lounge, craving the scent of Imee's perfume as a reprieve from the plebeian sacrifices demanded at Leon's metaphorical altar.

However, upon entering the lounge, Risa immediately sensed something peculiar. Taking a moment to ponder what was amiss, she took a deep breath and realized the distinct absence of that suffocating perfume that had plagued the Senate's common areas for far too long.