To Gain a Winner's Love

Step 1: Lose

Leni Robredo's hand was intertwined with Risa Hontiveros' while they were watching the unstable race of the vote count between the outgoing vice president and the current Senator Bongbong Marcos for the 2022 presidential race.

Ever since her campaign started, she doubted her chances of winning against the son of the most influential family in politics, but looking at how their votes were going against each other, she suddenly saw a spark of hope.

"Lens," Kit Belmonte, her bestfriend, called from the other side of the table.

They were at restaurant owned by Kris Aquino who had been sponsoring her campaigns since 2016 elections. The venue was decorated specially for that occasion. Most of the Liberal Party members were there to watch the vote counts.

She gave him a soft smile and squeezed Risa's hand for emotional support.

After a short period of Leni on the lead, Bongbong's vote count was able to regain its momentum and get back to the first place. That was the time when the faces of each candidate were flashed on the screen.

Risa jerked her elbow towards her rib when Bongbong was shown on the screen. She blushed.

Leni had always liked Bongbong Marcos.

Since she was a kid and he was the son of the president. Despite the allegations being thrown at his family, Leni could not help but admire the young man he was when she was also a young lady. She watched him bear the pain of the People Power and rise up from their family's downfall.

She admired him more than anyone could imagine.

~Flashback~

"Pa, sa'n tayo pupunta?" 8-year old Leni asked while following her father inside a huge mansion he called the Malacañang.

"We're going to meet the first family. So, behave ka lang ha?" Her father explained and ruffled her hair with his hand.

They arrived at a huge living room filled with exquisitely carved long couches and settees. A group of five people stood to greet them. Leni found out that the older man was the president of the Philippines at that time. He was oozing with authority while his wife radiated elegance.

With them were three of their children from ages 7 - 14.

"Leni, say 'hi' to them." Her father instructed.

And so, she did with a handshake that was too firm for her age. It was something that she learned while coming with her father in his formal meetings.

"I'm Bongbong." The young lad introduced with a smile — extending his arm.

~End of Flashback~

That was when she first experienced that certain rush of dopamine in her nerves. She did not know what it was then but as she grew older and kept on seeing him on broadsheets, she finally was able to recognize the feeling.

But, Leni Robredo was smart.

She was the daughter of a teacher and a judge. She, herself, became a public attorney. Knowing that it was wrong to have those feelings, she tried to let go of it.

That was until Risa discovered it.

During the 2016 elections, Bongbong was her biggest rival on the Vice Presidential race. Despite that, she took the chance to steal pictures of him on stage and offstage. Risa saw them when she once borrowed her phone to take a picture of some documents.

The senator ended up swiping instinctively causing her to accidentally see the pictures Leni had been hiding. Of course the then vice presidential candidate denied her conclusions but she could not hide things from someone as persistent as Risa.

"Ang pogi ng chinito mo." Risa commented — whispering to avoid any attention.

She just smiled while her eyes were on the screen which was then blocked by the view of Kit who had his hands on his waist.

Kit never liked Bongbong. Being her bestfriend, of course the congressman had an idea of her feelings for the son of the former dictator.

"Ayan ka nanaman." He said in a worried tone.

Leni sighed and grabbed his arm and made him sit beside her. "Sorry."

She knew how concerned he was for her especially when it comes to her rivalry with the Marcoses. If he was to choose, he would not allow her to go against them in the first place.

"Hay nako." Risa chimed in — grabbing her hand from Kit's arm. "Hayaan mo nga 'yan si Belmonte." Her eyes squinted towards the congressman before speaking. "Nagseselos ka nanaman kay Marcos. Alam kong masakit, BBF. Pero s'ya ang mahal ng kaibigan natin." She said almost exaggeratedly.

Leni laughed and slapped her arm playfully. "Rissss!"

Risa sighed and held her hand tightly. "Pero seriously, mare. After nito, sorry to say, mukhang wala ng pag-asa yung sa inyo."

Leni looked at the tiled floor beneath her feet. "Wala naman talaga una palang." Her heart sunk — knowing that it was the sad reality.

"Mare," Risa said worriedly looking at the vote counts on the live coverage.

When Bongbong's votes went up dramatically, Leni accepted that she lose both the chance to be the president and to be his first lady. It broke her heart but she had more things to think about.

Sitting at the edge of the venue, she turned her face on the wall and started composing her speech. She wanted to express her appreciation towards her supporters.

While typing, she could not help but think about Bongbong and the chance she lost. She went to her albums and swiped at his pictures — eyes welling up.

He could not remember her.

After all the people he met with all the meetings he was able to attend to, she knew that he never even thought of her after that moment.

And here she was, his biggest rival and yet she was still thinking of him.

I should have been your first lady instead.