Truly Yours

“Clean up this mess you’ve gotten into Santina, or else you’ll lose your job, I’m serious,” said Mr. Pecullain a thundering voice. All the heads that had appeared above the half-size walls of the office cubicles to see what the commotion was vanished again, when Mr. Peculla walked out of the landscape office. “I hate that old bastard. Argh!”said Trina irritated. “What are you doing hiding there?”Santina asked Trina, when she saw her friend standing behind the old filing cabinet. “Duhh! I been here since that boss of ours, aka the old bastard, came and bawled you out. Good thing that he didn’t notice me hiding here. My God! I almost became a part of that dusty old cabinet!”Trina carried on complaining,while dusting the cobwebs out of her hair, so all the office girls started laughing. “What are you doing there anyway?”Santina asked. “I just came for a chat, when I noticed that old bastard Peculla stomping into the office, so I hid behind the filing cabinet,” Trina explained,still trying to brush the cobwebs off her dress. “Tsk! You shouldn’t be so nosey you know. You might get into trouble,” Santina said. “Why was Peculla mad at you anyway? Is it about the exclusive interview with Ferreira?”Trina asked eager to hear some gossip. “Yes. Like what he said–I’ve messed it up,” Santina said grimly. “Ooh. What did you do? Did you kick him in his crotch with your Louboutin atilettos?”Trina asked, her face one big question mark, while she was sitting on Santina’s office desk with her slim legs crossed. “Uh uh. It’s a long story,” Santina said. “For real, girl? Wow you’re really amazing!” Trina laughed so loud that the other girls in the office started to pay attention to the intriguing gossip. “Your voice!” Santina warned her friend, “Mr. Peculla has ears like a bat.” “He looks like a blood-sucking Dracula bat too,”Trina said giggling. “Guys, Santina kicked the very famous Ferreirain the balls with her high heels,” Trina humorously and loudly informed the fifteen other girls in the office, about how Santina had dealt with the big-time client. The girls started giggling at such news, wishing they also had the balls to kick some self-important rich people in the balls. Santina was their secret heroine! Santina Dimantagworks in Esperanza Street, in Makati, Manila, as a writer for a very prestigious magazine, “Famous People”. It is one of the best-selling international celebrity magazines, specialising in newsand exclusives about the richand glamorous. She is one of the top writers. She had been given a top assignment. However, little did she know that the job would awaken a ghost from her past. She had kept her deepest secret hidden. She had suppressed it, and pushed the anxiety-provoking memory out of her mind. What was this memory she had suppressed? It was none other than Jameson Ferreira, who is the CEO of the Metropolitan Bank, and is one of the most eligible men of the decade here in the Philippines. Santina had been given the assignment of interviewing him, for a story that would be published in the next month’s edition. Mr Peculla, the boss, was very happy that they had caught this celebrity on the hook. He’s known for being very elusive and has never been interviewed by any magazines or appeared on any TV celebrity shows. He’s a multi-billionaire who has inherited the major shareholding of one of the largest international banks. However, he is also of great interest to the magazine, because he is a so-called hunk-of-a-man and still a bachelor, although there are rumours that he has a ‘hidden past’. The Filipina women dream of catching such a giant fish on their hooks, and will buy any celebrity magazine with tit-bits about him –thus, the magazine needed to boost their sales by getting such an exclusive interview, which would titillate their readers. “How come you were able to stiletto his balls? He must have about twenty bodyguards at least?” Trina asked excitedly, waiting for more gossip. Santina stopped what she was doing and looked nervously at her friend. She had been her best friend for almost five years already. Santina didn’t really want to be an office gossip, but this was different –she needed someone to talk to. “It’s not what you think. I can’t explain it here. Let’s eat together this evening, and I’ll explain the whole thing,” she said. “Okay?” Trina looked confused. She hadn’t expected this to be some major intrigue about her friend’s life, but Santina bore a very serious expression and had spoken in a subdued voice. Later that evening they met at a restaurant in Makati, “Lorenzo’s Way”, in Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati. “Spill the beans frenny,” Trina said, as the waiter walked away to attend to their orders. Santina swallowed hard. She didn’t quite know how to start to tell her friend the biggest secret of her life. “What? You’re quiet all of a sudden,” Trina said impatiently. “Ehermm eherm,” she coughed and got ready to tell her all about it. “What? If you won’t tell me, I’ll make you pay for this dinner you know Santi,” Trina said jokingly. “He’s my husband,” Santina said almost under her breath. “Who is it? You’re married?”Trina looked confused,as she looked around the restaurant to see if she could spot the husband her friend was talking about. “Jameson Ferreira,” she answered. “What? Can you please elaborate?” Trina asked irritably. “Jameson Ferreira is my husband,” Santina said.Trina’s eyeballs almost fell out of their socket sat this news, and she laughed loudly and incredulously. “What!?” She exclaimed. The other diners turned round and gave the two young women a wondering look. “Wow! That’s a good one, Santi–pull my other leg –it’s got bells on! Now tell me what you really wanna talk to me about?” “Do I look like I’m joking?” Santina said pissed. Trina looked at her friend horrified and stunned. She thought Santina had flipped. “No one is going to believe me,” thought Santina to herself. After all, I’m just anordinary Filipina girl who has to work like a slave just to make ends meet. Of course, no one could imagine that I would be married to a noble prince like Jameson Ferreira who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. He doesn’t need to work,and probably sleeps on a mattress stuffed with $1000 bills. “Hey snap out of it Santina –are you dreaming?” her friend asked, as Santina was going through these thoughts in her mind. “Is it for real?”Trina asked, with a look of shock. “I know I’m joking sometimes, but I’m serious now –although I know you can’t believe it,”Santina replied, so that her friend almost collapsed in her seat. Santina continued, “I know it’s difficult to comprehend that the biggest secret of the centuryis true.” “Oh My God!” Trina exclaimed.“And you’d better shut up about this, b***h–you’re the only one apart from my local who knows I’m married to Jameson Ferreira!” “How come? What happened? Did it really happen?” Trina continuedasking her friend. “I can answer all your questions one by one. But I can’t answer all your questions atthe same time, you know?” “So spill the beans. I can’t wait anymore,” Trina said excitedly.“Okay.” “Eight f*****g years ago! Sit back and I’ll tell you what happened at that time.” “At that time, I was attending classes at The Lyceum, when I was a little late one day.”