"HELLO, so you are Ms. Bernadette Polintan."
She tried hard to smile at the woman in front of her. It had been almost two hours since Esme called Roxanne to inform her that Mrs. Raymundo wanted to meet her. That was after she received the down payment from Roxanne when she visited Andrew at the hospital.
"Yes, I am," she said as she stretched her hand for a handshake.
"What do you want? Coffee, softdrinks or—"
"I'm fine, please don't bother. I won't be long because my son needs me at the hospital."
The woman nodded but still called a waiter and asked for two glasses of iced. She felt a little uncomfortable when Jasmin stared at her whole being when the waiter left them.
"You're very beautiful, Ms. Polintan, way beautiful than the picture I saw."
"Thank you."
"Would you mind if I get straight to the point, Miss Polintan?"
She slowly shook her head. "Please call me Berna. Go ahead, I understand."
"My husband and I need to fly back to Davao next month. We will be busy there so if possible, I would like to start the plan next week."
She calmed herself as she held her breath. "Next week?"
She nodded then handed her a gray folder.
"I believe that you signed the agreement when you accepted the advance payment from Esmeralda. That was just to acknowledge the receipt of the said money. The contract with full details is here with me."
Jasmin placed the gray folder and a ballpen in front of her, but she couldn't move even a nerve to open it. "Mrs. Raymundo, do we really need to hurry—"
"You've already accepted the advance payment, Berna, may I remind you. I hope you don't let me down. Eventually you will do it, so why not do it the soonest possible time?"
"But my son is still in the hospital ..."
"—which is just right on time. Look, if there is another time you need to do it, maybe it is now. Your child is in the hospital. You can tell his doctors to do all the lab tests needed for the operation so he could have it immediately. Don't you realize that? "
She took a deep sigh before she answered. "Okay." Then slowly scanned the pages of the contract. She tried to read everything that was written there even though she knew they would not enter her mind.
"Sign it, Berna. There is nothing there that you will not like," Jasmin said impatiently.
She held the ballpen but still glanced at the letters on the paper a few more times.
"Five sessions for four hundred thousand pesos. Fifty percent more than what I originally offered you. That amount is good for the first month of executing the plan."
'Executing the plan'... That echoed in her mind. Mrs. Raymundo was discussing those things to her without hesitation and reluctance.
"If you will agree, I will set you an appointment with my husband this coming Thursday. You need to know each other so that everything will not be awkward as we go along."
She wanted to contradict what she said. To her, nothing would change even if she meets her husband as often as she wanted. Sleeping with a man you barely know is not simple. She just wondered how Jasmin could let these things happen right before her eyes.
"Five sessions for this month, Berna. I hope you mark your period on the calendar so that everything will be easy—"
"Yes, I got you."
Jasmin smiled widely. "Good. When is your fertility period then?"
She first drank the iced tea served by the waiter and then answered. "Friday next week."
"So that means you really need to see my husband this Thursday. Then he will see you again next week before Friday."
"Is that really necessary, Mrs. Raymundo? I'm sorry but personally, I think it is no longer needed. I will do my job no matter what happens."
The woman looked straight in her eyes. "To be honest, I want my husband to see you early because I want you to attract her."
"What?!"
"Don't be too surprised, Berna! Relax ..." she said smiling. "I know you are a good mom and I can sense that. But I hope you also understand my dream of having a child of my own. And because of that dream, I have nothing else to think about but the welfare of my future child." She sighed again. "If my husband is attracted to you, that means your work will be easier. We may not have to repeat everything next month—"
"Next month?" She violently glanced at the folder she was holding and searched for anything that is related to what she just said.
"If you will not get pregnant next month, of course you will have to repeat the procedure. But don't worry because that means another four hundred thousand pesos in your hands."
"I don't need too much money; all I need is the amount needed for my son's surgery."
"Be practical, Ms. Polintan. Travel with your child anywhere or build a simple house…put up a business for your child's future."
She was shaken. "I will try everything to succeed this month, Mrs. Raymundo. I'm not sure if I can handle another month."
"Well, that sounds good. The earlier, the better, of course. Tell me right away as soon as you get pregnant. I will take care of your check ups and medication. I'll spend for everything you need throughout the pregnancy."
Her mind flew to a scene where she was on her fifth month of pregnancy with the Raymundo couple and having a check up at an OB-gyne. Very awkward but did she have a choice?
"I have some rules, though, Berna ..."
She looked at it.
"Only three rules."
"Go ahead."
She grinned before she continued. "First, you are not allowed to do anything and go anywhere as soon as you conceive if you won't inform me." She waited for her reaction so she was obliged to nod. There was nothing wrong with that. She just wanted to ensure the safety of her future child.
"Second, I'd like to stress that you would never have any right to my child. The contract you hold states that you have no right to the child even when it comes to biological aspects. The child is mine alone; my husband's and mine. Is that clear?"
She nodded again, trying to ignore her objections. Having another child means another Andrew in her life. It was not easy, but then again, she had no any choice.
"And the last rule ..." She saw Jasmin took a deep breath, before she continued. "Never fall in love with my husband. You will just have to make our plan work and every hardship you'll endure will be worth it, Berna. But that's all. I hope you will not have any illicit affair to my husband."
She could hardly believe what she just heard. "The third rule is not necessary, Mrs. Raymundo. It is invisibly written in my head even if you don't say it. Is that all?"
When Jasmin nodded, Bernadette began to sign the contract. She'd just think of all the consequences later on.