The article is soon published the following day. People are gathering to get a copy of our paper. So, the people are indeed interested in the life of Rex de la Rama. I thought he was just some heir that will inherit a fortune soon. Though Mateo risked the chance, I was proud that we managed to do it. The boss called Mateo and me to his office for some quick notes and comments about our work. I feel confident in what we did. This shall be the beginning for me.
"Rosanna, I would like to congratulate you and Mateo for a well-done job," he says. "For your story, I suppose I can now put you on the field. Who knew that the heir to a real estate fortune is betrothed to the heir to a telecommunications fortune? The oligarchs will truly do everything to keep their fortunes in the family. Find me news for within this week. Great work."
We went out of the office after the event. Getting yourself out of being deskbound is easy. Staying that way would be difficult. You need to find a sensible story each time the boss requests it. We are journalists. We need to uncover the truth.
Suddenly, I heard my phone rang. It was an unregistered number. That was odd. I wasn't expecting anyone to call at this time of day. I answered the call hesitantly. This is strange. Who is this?
"Hello?" I say to the caller.
I can only here breathing sounds but no one is speaking. What is going on? I know that the caller is there, but why is he/she not speaking?
"Hello," I say once more. "Are you there?"
"Ah, yes, miss," the caller says.
"How can I help you?" I ask.
"Miss, I say this to you right now," she says. "Are you still in the search of that third lover?"
"Pardon?" I say out of surprise.
"You know what I'm talking about, miss," she says.
Hmmmmm... maybe this is Mary the maid. The question is how did she get my number? This is freaking me out. The voice of the caller sounds unfamiliar. I cannot pinpoint who this person is.
"Not at the moment," I say. "I am currently taking care of matters here for the paper. Usually, Eloisa and I would stage the search on a weekend."
"Ah, you are quite the workaholic, aren't you?" she says. "Anyway, I must warn you, miss, you ought to stop that search. Some things are ought to remain a secret and not be brought to light."
"Miss, what do you know?" I say.
"Don't mind what I know," she says. "I mind you and your friend! I must warn you, miss, you have only been through the surface. You are walking on thin ice. One misstep and you will fall. This is dangerous, miss."
"And, what, miss?" I say. "Are you some kind of angel that tries to warn of impending danger? I tell this to you right now! By God, that little girl is a fool and wretched to keep that third lover of hers a secret from me! God knows whether she is hiding more! I shall bring this to light whether you or some kind of your minions stop us! Good day!"
I hang up out of anger. How dare she? I get the feeling that this is one of the people that want to keep that man's identity a hush-hush thing. Well, I don't care!
"What is your problem?" Mateo asks after the call.
"A lady asks to stop the search," I say. "I don't know who, but she is determined to hide the identity of the third man."
"Well, if someone is determined to stop the search, then shouldn't we hurry up," he says. "We are racing against time, you know. Every minute, Emma, your friend, and sister, is dying. If they want so much to keep that man a secret, then certainly there is something they don't want us to know. And certainly, once this is over, it will be a great story for the paper. Don't you want that?"
I would say she only has a month to live. The words echo in my head. I remember what the doctor said to me. We only have 25 days. We are racing against time.
"Alright, what do we do?" I ask.
"We just need to ask Carlos who it is," he says. "Then, perhaps, we can know the reason why she hides it."
"For one thing, Mister de la Rama said that he is a peasant," I say. "Maybe that is the reason why. Also, I admit, this is a great story for the paper, but it will cause a havoc within her father's company. Without the certainty that the wealth will pass on, his employees will grow anxious for a new heir. They have known all their life that Emma is the heir. She has trained her whole life for when the time came that her father shall die, the company will pass on peacefully."
"Well, sooner or later they will know," he says.
"They will know what?" the boss interrupted.
"Nothing, sir," I say.
"Actually it is something," Mateo says. "It is about the dying heir."
"Oh, right, that one," the boss says. "Well, what are you waiting for? You should make a story about that!"
"But, sir, it would cause unease in – "
"Rosanna, a dying heir is the worse news for everything," the boss says flatly. "And that makes it great! Don't you want to be great, Rosanna?"
I could accept having to interview Mister de la Rama but making a story out of my friend's eventual death? That I could not accept! I sneaked out of the office by lunch break to inform my boss' plans to Emma. I took a bus ride to the hospital. When I got down from the bus, I saw Eloisa walking her way to the lobby. I ran to catch up to her. What is up with her?
"Eloisa, are you off to visit Emma?" I say after I catch up with her.
"Yeah, who else," she says flatly. "While you are out picking your nose on other people's business, I actually visit her every day and keep her company."
"I had to do it!" I exclaim out of defense. "You know that, and I thought you were on our side since you said everything to Mateo!"
"I said everything to him in the hopes that he might at least know what will become of his ex-girlfriend," she says steadily. "I told everything so that he might help us and give our friend, our sister, a peaceful death. I did not tell him everything so that you, two, would publish a story and make her life public! Goodness knows that every elite household talks about Emma and Rex's engagement."
"You lie!" I exclaim. "You were high and drunk when you told Mateo everything!"
"That was the first time," she says. "I was conscious the second time. That was the time I told Mateo what you saw on the last night we visited Emma. I swear, I had not touched a drug or alcohol since that day I promised to remain sober. It is hard for me. Call me a fool or however you like, but it does not change you still have no respect for our friend. And, I suppose you are here to tell the world about her illness, aren't you? "
"I had no choice!" I said in my defense.
"Right, and I suppose you had no choice but to eavesdrop on other people's conversation," she says. "You shameless wretched girl!"
"You have been getting yourself high, haven't you?" I say. "Normally, a sober Eloisa would speak bible verses and goodness while you seem to be loco. So, what is it today? Cocaine? Heroin? Marijuana?"
"I do not need to be high to be furious with you," she says. "I am sober. Go ask a doctor. Let him examine me. I know that people think me a nun, but for what I saw from you, I don't think I can find the bible verse to help my anger."
"Well, speak for yourself, Ms. Opulent," I say spitefully. "You wouldn't have the slightest idea about doing everything to succeed in life. You had your prospects all your life. You have a great inheritance and – "
"Do you think it's that easy for us?" she says. "You always think that life is easy for us! You think it's easy for me! I have prospects, yes, but I have to work my own bones to get somewhere. It was all well until my parents decided to get an annulment! They never even cared for me! Do you think I would inherit their fortune? No! When they decided to get an annulment a few years ago, they never even considered that I would be declared as an illegitimate daughter.
"I no longer have the rights to the fortune I was once the heir to it. No more. I am a bastard. And you think it is easy for me? Both of them are too prideful to discuss what to do with me. I mean, one of them could adopt me as their own daughter, but the other would have to renounce their parentage over me.
"Or, take a look at Mateo. He is a disgrace that is why his prospects and inheritance went swiftly away as he was about to inherit them. You may have forgotten about our sister, Emma. She's lying on a bed and apparently, her betrothed's father will sue her father for being unable to fulfill the contract!
"Do you think this is easy for us? No. You are the lucky one. You are not a bastard, a disgrace, or betrothed. You are free as a bird, can't you see? When you reach too high, you are bound to fall down. That is what I warn you. God made us all different. We all suffer different kinds of tests. Our situation is never the same to one another. You have no rights to judge. Remember that, dear sister."
And, the nun is back. I know it was wrong from the very beginning, but I had no choice. I just can't make her see that the world runs on ambitions and greed. I have two sisters for nuns. Though, I come to realize that being a member of the elite is not all caviar and diamonds. I was wrong again. I never felt what they suffer. I suffered too, but it is all different for all of us.
I say no more. I only lead the way to Emma's room where we found her lying on her bed reading a book entitled "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". She is indeed the little bookworm. She always finds herself doing things that are always contrary. She is torn between chastity and lust, love and wealth, obedience and defiance, and faith and sin. I cannot understand her, truly. She chose a commoner over a man that would secure her wealth.
"Good afternoon, Emma," I say after Eloisa and I entered the room.
"Great story," she says simply.
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"You think I have not heard?" she says. "Even the nurses are a bit of a gossip. My dear maid, Mary, is also one. The truth is, I read your paper and you went out to the world and declared my betrothal. I should have known that you would meet up with him and make a hash about my life."
"I have asked for Mister de la Rama's permission to publish the story," I say steadily.
"And you have not asked mine?" she says. "Don't make me laugh, sister."
"I apologize," I say.
"Don't," she says. "I'm not mad. I am disappointed. You did not even say that I am ill and will soon die. You should have also said that since I am bound to this hospital, I cannot marry him and therefore, not fulfilling the said contract. It's enough for him to sue my father. Go ahead, publish that too."
"Are you being sarcastic?" I ask.
"Alas, dear sister, you cannot even tell the difference between sarcasm and declaration," she says.
"You have to rest," Eloisa says to break the heated atmosphere.
"I've rested enough," she says dismissively. "It's not like I have been doing anything. I am bound to this bed until my breath takes me away!"
"Then you are happy now at the end of your days?" Eloisa says.
"No," she says flatly. "I can never be happy. There are too many secrets, Eloisa. There are enough to make Rose ensure her success."
"I had to do what I must to succeed," I say in my defense.
"And what of me?" she asks. "I am nothing. I am no heiress and I am only living off people's charity."
"Quit the drama," I say. "Sister, you are your father's only heir."
"Am I?" she says. "Am I my father's only heir? I have no prospects. Lord knows that. Now, I'm paying for the sins of my wanton mother."
"Emma, don't – "
"What?" she says. "It's true. Do write that down, Rose. Lerine Concepcion, the current governor, is wanton and promiscuous. Turns out, she conceived me with another man. Liars. . . Such liars!"
"Do you desire to know the truth?" I ask. "Don't you want, you know, to see your lover?"
"Oh, who told you about a lover?" she asks.
"Nobody," I say as I protect her maid, Mary. "I just thought that since you do not want to marry Mister de la Rama, surely you must have another person in mind."
"No," she says flatly. "I have no one in mind. You should not have come here.