The Perfect Tandem

Kabanata 10

Matapos ang pasabog niyang tanong, walang nagsasalita sa'min. Di ko alam kung nagbibiro ba siya, basta't hindi ako naka-react.

Then he explained. "It's either I get married to their daughter to merge or I give them 61% ownership. Fuck."

There's this big company that his Lolo wants him to get. Bago ito mamatay, he told Thanatos to merge or swallow the company of Ardous Holdings. Mayroon kasing pagmamay-ari ang mga ito na hindi nila makuha-kuha.

Bandang Visayas ay may private island ang mga Ambrosia. Sa tabi nito ay may isa pang abandonadong isla. Pagmamay-ari iyon ng pamilya Herrera, ang may-ari ng Ardous Holdings.

Hindi naman ito nagagamit kaya't inaalagaan na rin ito ng mga Ambrosia. Napagkakakitaan na nila iyon. Ang kinakatakot ng mga Ambrosia ay maaaring magsampa ng kaso ang mga Herrera. Malaki ang nabibigay na kita ng islang iyon, at matagal na nilang gusto maangkin.

Medyo masakim, diba? Tuso ang Lolo nila. Malayong-malayo sa anak nitong Hades. Mabait si Chairman eh.

Pero si Sir Thanatos, mukhang may pinagmanahan.

"Well... why don't you just marry their daughter?" I bit my lip. Parang sa mga pocketbook. Parang sina Hermes.

Fixed marriage.

Where they eventually fell in love.

He shook his head. "I'd rather marry you than that girl."

Napalunok ako. "You.. met her already?"

"Yes. She's a model as well, probably knows Hermes' wife."

"But what?"

"No buts. I just don't want her. I don't like her."

"What am I use of? Isn't it better to choose?" garalgal kong tanong.

"I have to introduce a wife. They haven't seen or known you yet. I'll take care of the rest."

Niluwagan niya ang tie niya sa inis. Ramdam ko 'yung pagkapikon niya. He's used to leave people with no choices, not the other way around.

He looked at me with that determined look in his eyes. Iyon ang mga mata niya whenever he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You're the one who can understand me most, Aleera."

~•~

Hindi ako nakatulog.

"ARGH!" Ginulo ko ang buhok ko sa inis.

"Pero girl, never pumasok sa utak mo, talaga? Not even once?"

Nasa pantry room kami ni Shani. Nakwento ko sa kaniya kasi hindi ko na talaga alam ang gagawin ko.

I laughed at what she's thinking. "It doesn't happen in real life, Shan. Sa mga palabas lang 'yan."

I continued making coffee. Bumalik ang isip ko sa proposal niya.

I scoffed inside. Maybe ganun lang siya kaapektado sa problema ng kompanya. I know he's desperate for a solution pero hindi maganda ang ginawa niya.

Mapait akong ngumiti. Makakahanap din naman 'yon nang mas maganda at mas better na papayag sa kaniya. At 'yung ka-level niya. It was just a lapse in his part to ask me.

Bwisit. Sana hindi mapait 'tong kape na ginagawa ko.

"Geez, it's 2020! Office romance is just an entertainment in companies now. Di na siya ganon ka-issue. Landiin mo na! Kahit what-ifs wala?" pagkulit pa niya.

And then I was lost in a trance. I remember all the sparks I felt, on how awkward it was for me whenever he's around. I still feel that electricity until now. And I had been so good at burying the what-ifs.

He was always next to me and I didn't want to compromise my job.

Baka pag inisip ko... malunod ako. Yung what-ifs, baka hindi ako makaahon. And I know him. He would never prioritize this kind of thing.

His standing in life slaps me every day. No matter how near he can be, he's unreachable.

"I just don't want to entertain the idea, at all."