Chapter 1: The Introduction

Saglit akong tumalala sa screen ng monitor at napa-buga ng hangin. Sinuklay ko ang buhok at mahinang sinabunutan ang sarili. Just this day, five problems to the company are reported and most of them are problems in factories. Just this day!

"What am I supposed to do about this?!" I grunted to myself.

Napakagat ako sa ibabang labi kasabay ng pagbukas ng pinto ng office. Ngumuso ang lalaki kong secretary at nagpilit ng ngiti. "Your father is calling you. Hehe."

"Alright, alright," sagot ko kay Hector at tumayo sa swivel chair. "Please keep the whole department maintained and working."

Tinanggal ko ang pagkaka-cross arms pagkarating sa office ni daddy. It's either he'll scold me or give me thousands of orders because of the problems. I already ordered every head of departments on what they should do.

"I just heard about it this morning. Four problems in four different warehouse factories. A consumer just complained about our product and the case is already solved, easily."

Tinangala ako ni daddy habang nangungulangot, he's embarrassing. "How about the factories?"

"I think over 10 of our machines brokes due to lack of viscosity causing friction. The operator should be blamed shortly. We have to buy new machines. Halos kapresyo niya lang naman daw daddy yung maintenance. Might as well buy a new one."

"Our machines are all personalized. An engineer designed it."

I frowned. "Our engineer died last year, the one who designed all our technological machines."

"Hay nako, Levi..."

Nalukot ang mukha ko. He died because his time has come, it's not my fault. Kung talagang oras niya ay oras niya na talaga, ang hindi ko lang nagustuhan ay nag-iwan pa siya ng komplikadong makinarya na siyang pinoproblema namin ngayon. But, that shouldn't be a problem for someone like me. There's a lot of engineers in this world, it's an easy problem. 

"He died, I can't do anything about it," I whispered. "I can't even bring him back to life or talk to him through phone call."

Napahawak si daddy sa sintido niya at malalim na nag-isip. "Since when our machines started getting destroyed one by one?"

"Last week?"

"Why did machines start getting destroyed one by one ?"

Kakulit naman ni daddy.

"Due to lack of viscosity causing them to stop working, friction of inner materials are the problem."

"Ahh. Kulang sa langis kaya hindi na gumagana? Nasisira kasi nagkaproblema sa mga engines?"

Tumango-tango ako. "Yes, that's the main problem."

Napatalon ako nang pabiro niyang hinampas ang isang folder sa table niya. "Iyon na yon?! Walang kwentang problema naman pala. Bumili ng langis, iyon lang."

"Crude oil from the store wasn't enough for just one machine. Our devices are beyond complicated, it needs one gallon of oil per month, for every machine."

"How about our oil supplier?"

"They stopped their business. Nalugi sila, malaki po kasi yung tax sa mga producer ng ganoon."

"Find another supplier."

Bumagsak ang balikat ko. It is not that easy to find oil supplier. The oil we need is beyond complicated, the production of it was complicated. There's a lot of factories in this world. Kaunti lang ang mga nagnenegosyo ng ganoon dahil sa laki ng tax.

"There's no other supplier than... Zillanide." Napangiwi ako habang sumasagot. "Dad! They don't really want to supply us enough oil. And they're selling their products overpriced! Those cruel people!"

"Try to force them again. Offer everything we could offer, huwag mong pahintulutan ang malaking pera. They want three factories? I'll let them handle and operate as well."

What's the point of those big offers? Pakiramdam ko ay hindi rin nila pauunlakan iyon. To maintain our factories operation, we need to risk a lot of things. We need to add more engine for our factories since our product became in demand these days. Ewan ko, pakiramdam ko ay mababaliw ako sa sitwasyon ko ngayon.

"Daddy alam ko na!"

Walang gana siyang tumingin sa akin. "Ano, anak?"

"Our engineer who died, let's find his team so we'll be able to produce exactly the same engines," paliwanag ko.

"His team?" tanong pa ni daddy, I nodded. "His team is now in Zillanide."

Napakurap ako at halos matawa. Seriously?

"I have to go, dad. Ewan ko, magpakamatay nalang tayo," biro ko at nagpaalam na. Negosyo lang naman ito, hindi naman siguro nakakamatay.

Pabagsak akong umupo sa swivel chair. Sumandal at ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko. The President agreed to our partnership. But the CEO brainwashed them. That stupid CEO, Danillo Zillan. Why did he become that company's CEO? He is totally useless, our lives would be easier if he's not the CEO.

Natulala na naman ako. That night...

That stupid night keep repeating itself on my head. I badly want to forget it, I don't even know what happened that night. Paunti-unti nang nasisira ang mga makinarya namin noon at desperada na talaga akong mapapayag siya sa partnership, hindi ko alam kung bakit ayaw niya, kung bakit ayaw ng kompanya niya. Ngayon ay sunod-sunod na ang pagkasira ng mga makinarya namin at ayoko nang madagdagan pa iyon.

That's what I want, right? Should I use the bait now? Our situation is now critical and it has become worse. I know it will be the riskiest decision I'll make in my whole life just to fill our family's greediness.

I bit my lower lip and drived calmly. Tanghali at abala ang mga tao sa bawat building na nadaanan ko. The building of Zillanide is near our building but it seems quite far because of the traffic.

Taas noo akong naglakad sa loob ng building. I went to his office and approached her secretary. Abala ito sa pagtitipa sa laptop at mukhang may minamadali pa. Her desk is right in front of that Zillan's office. Tumikhim ako.

"I'll talk to the CEO, once again."

Tumayo ito at nag-bow saglit sa akin. "I'm sorry, Miss Levi. He doesn't want anyone to disturb him. Kung pwede ay sa chairman muna ho kayo makipag-usap."

Prente kong isinandal ang kamay sa desk ng secretary niya. "Does he seem strange today?"

Napaisip siya saglit. "He looks normal, Miss."

"Your boss is not a normal person, though." I faked a laugh. Nagpilit ng ngiti ang secretary ni Zillan. This is unbelievable. What am I even doing here? I was supposed to be in our company solving our own problems.

"Can't I really disturb him now? It's an emergency. Karapatan niyang malaman ang mga bagay na ganoon at hindi ko kailangan na magpaligoy-ligoy. This is much important than this company, a child is more important than this company. Can you ask him to let me disturb him? Ilang minuto lang naman ang kailangan ko, eh."

I let out a sincere smile when the secretary slowly nodded. "Sige, ma'am. Ako po ang bahala."

"Thank you."

I unconsciously tapped my heels while waiting. Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga. Whatever it takes, I'll do it. I'll make our partnership happen, they'll be our company's supplier, I'll get our engineers to build our machineries. I have a perfect plan.

Di nagtagal ay lumabas na ang secretary ni Zillan. Ngunit ito sa akin, "He said I'll let you in."

Nagpasalamat ako sa kanya. Muli akong huminga nang malalim bago buksan ang pinto. The smell of his wide office welcomed me. It's the most minimal office I saw, the interior looks very modern, malawak ang area ngunit ang desk niya lang ang nasa loob at coffee table sa gilid na may ilang libro. This isn't my first time here. But the whole sight gives me chills, this is so him.

Natigilan ako sa gitna ng paglalakad papalapit sa kanya. Nakapamulsa siya at nakatalikod sa akin, nakaharap sa glass wall ng office niya. Nanlalamig ang mga kamay ko, parang pinagsisisihan ko na ang pagpunta dito. I feel so stupid for going here.

I'm not sure but I badly need to do this. Hindi ko alam kung totoo ang sasabihin ko o hindi. Siguro nga ay may nangyari noong gabi na iyon, ngunit hindi ako sigurado sa aaminin ko sa kanya. I'm a very greedy person but this decision scared me. Paano kung totoo nga ang sasabihin ko? Paano naman kung hindi? Hindi ko alam kung paano akong maapektuhan ng sa kung ano ang lalabas na katotohanan.

"What is it? What's your reason of coming here?" kalmado niyang tanong, napalunok ako dahil sa kaba.

"I don't know if it's necessary to tell you this. I just want you to know..." Napayuko ako. "You have your child inside me."

I bit my lower lip to prevent it from trembling. Kinikilabutan ako sa pinaggagagawa ko. I didn't even test myself, I don't even know if something happened. I usually remember everything. Hindi ko alam.

Naramdaman ko ang unti-unting pagharap niya sa akin. I see how his single step made our distance closer. He didn't say any word, I could feel his gaze on me. Mas lalo akong kinabahan. Bahala na.

"I'm carrying your child."