Ignorance

Chapter 1

"Ano na balita, Betty Mae?"

            The two are at the salad lane in the office cafeteria, shoveling greens onto their plates. It had been a week since the news broke out that Eduardo Buenavista, and his cousin and colleague, Diego Buenavista, might visit Manila for a working holiday. The company was abuzz with excitement, either because of the allure of new faces in their workspace, or because Eduardo and Diego are the finest specimens of a man to grace the godforsaken publishing world.

            "Ayun," she says noncommittally. "Sabi nila last week, mga isang linggo bago dumating. Pero malamang, as we can see, wala pa sila. Ano na tayo, 'no? Tameme lang sa kaiintay. Hay nako. Paasa naman sources natin."

            "Sus," Amor chides. "Di mo naman kailangan ng Eduardo o Diego makahanap ng bago, Betty Mae. Dami diyan o."

            At that moment, Claudia Zalameda walks into the cafeteria, her heels clacking behind her. Amor and Betty Mae stifle their urges to roll the eyes into kingdom come.

            Claudia is the manager of the satellite branch in the Philippines. That's a fairly big deal, given that her counterpart in New York was literally Eduardo himself. They all wouldn't have minded Claudia as their boss if she isn't such a disagreeable person to be with. Everything about her made everyone want to hate her: the way she spoke to her employees, that air of arrogance she carries, the aura she brings to every place she goes. One would think that a woman like her deserved her position; on the contrary, it was her father, Enrique, who set up the whole thing with Eduardo's mother, Benita. Nepotism at its finest. But that's besides the point.

            "Amor, Betty, di talaga kayo mapag-hiwalay 'no?" Claudia comments as she passes the two. Why she chooses to antagonize them constantly is totally beyond Betty Mae and Amor. "I presume narinig niyo na yung balita?"

            "Tungkol saan, Madam?" Amor says, sugarcoating her words and feigning polity.

            "Hmm," Claudia hums, giving Amor a look from her head to her toe. "I guess mababalitaan niyo na lang sa taas. Kasi nasabihan na kami ng board e... Oh well. Makakarating din."

            Claudia turns on her heel, sashaying her hips as she went. Amor nearly chokes on her own bile. She knows hate is such a strong word, but damn, did she hate Claudia Zalameda, and that rotten attitude.

            "Bayaan mo na yang si Claudia, Amor," Betty Mae says, chucking an iceberg between her teeth. "I bet si Eduardo lang naman yung pinag-uusapan niya. Sus. Old news naman lola mo, di marunong."

            Amor purses her lips, and forces a shred of lettuce between them. "Di ko lang gets kung bakit kailangan niya tayo ganunin e," she comments. "Pero bahala na. Inggit lang yun."

            "Totoo," Betty Mae says around laughter. "Uy, pero may bago akong balita. Reliable na yung source, right from someone who directly worked with Eduardo in New York. Handa ka na ba?"

            "Basta di pa alam ni Claudia, handa ako."

            Betty Mae leans close, and mutters, "Masungit daw. As in, saksakan ng sungit. Pag dumating yun, tapos ginalit mo, hindi na kayo magkakasundo hanggang umalis siya. It's either you get on his good side, or you get away from him talaga. Pogi nga, pero demanding, hindi pa natutulog dahil sa trabaho, Parang buong buhay niya talaga, nakalaan na sa kumpanya ng nanay niya. Ang sabi nila, he's trying to prove a point. Gets nga naman: ang yaman na, and gwapo pa. Dapat mapakita niya na may silbe siya beyond his good looks and fortune. Sa'n ka pa? Nuanced ang Eduardo Buenavista."

            "Ano ba namang info yan, Betty Mae," Amor answers. "Aanhin ko yun kung di naman kami mag-uusap at all during his stay here? I mean, why would he spend time with a sales distributor? If anything, dapat dumaan pa 'ko kay Claudia bago man lang malaman ni Eduardo na may nag-iisang Amor de Jesus sa company niya."