Marrying Mr. Stranger

Chapter 2

MY name is Damarah Perez, 29, CEO of Damarah Cosmetics distributing locally and abroad, and has been recognized as one of the most promising business women in the country.

Despite all of the things I've worked hard for in my name, most people confine me as the illegitimate daughter of the business tycoon Henry Perez, and as the wife of the CEO of Allmark Group of Companies, Antonio Salazar.

Being an illegitimate daughter of one of the prestigious families in the country, many times I've wished I was born into a normal and simple one. 

I have two older siblings, an older brother and a sister, from Henry Perez's legal wife, while I was born from a former secretary whom the old man had an affair with. Sumalangit nawa ang kaluluwa ng aking ina.

Bata pa ako nung pumanaw ang aking ina. Mula nang siya'y mawala, kinupkop ako ng pamilya Perez. My innocent self then had thought I had a family after all. But for once, di ko yun naramdaman.

I was provided with everything but was never treated as a family. Unti-unti, naintindihan kong isa lamang akong anak sa labas at banta sa pamilya nilang tinitingala ng publiko. 

Tinanggap ko na lang ang ganoong sitwasyon at pinagbuti ang sarili upang makatayo sa sariling paa at mamuhay nang mag-isa at matiwasay balang araw.

After finishing college at age 20, I worked in a pharmaceutical company abroad for five years. When I came back to the Philippines, that's when Damarah Cosmetics was born. 

I personally formulated the skincare na pumatok sa merkado. I hired chemists and other employees at unti-unti, napalago ko ang kumpanya and made a mark in the business world.

Unfortunately, di laging panalo sa negosyo...

My company faced issues due to complaints from a few customers saying our product was causing harmful side effects. Matagumpay naming pinabulaanan ang isyu na yun knowing that we're following high standards in our production. Napatunayan na hindi ang produkto namin ang nag cause ng ganoong side effects sa balat nila kundi allergy lamang mula sa kanilang nakain. 

However, the image and reputation of our company had been tainted. Nawala ang tiwala ng customers and our sales had significantly declined.

That's when Henry Perez called to meet me...