Sold To The Devil (Tagalog)

Kabanata 7

The few weeks went on with me being locked inside my bedroom as my punishment. Three marriage contract had been ripped and crumbled in the trash. The phone I requested was ignored and the clothes inside my closet were still the same.

Wala akong ibang kalibangan kundi ang tumambay sa balcony para panuorin ang boring na sinaryo ng garden. Ang paglipad ng mga paro-paro at pagdapo nito sa mga halaman at ang paglakbay ng mga ulap sa asul na kalangitan.

Nasa couch ako nang bumukas ang pintuan, hindi ako nagulat sa presenya ni Zaccheus sa itim niyang tuxedo at kulay pulang necktie. Nakagawian niyang magtungo rito bago siya umalis papunta sa illegal niyang trabaho. Napairap ako sa hangin nang makita kong may dala siyang panibagong kontrata.

Lumapit siya. "Anong ginagawa mo?"

Tinigil ko ang paggunting sa tuxedo niya, iyong tux na pinahiram niya sa akin noong bilhin niya ako sa club.

"I'm bored," was my only reply.

"That costs more than what your previous owner bought you."

Napahinto ako sa ginagawa, binitawan ko ang gunting sa tabi. "Paano mo nalaman 'yon?"

Umupo siya sa kama ko nang nakaharap sa akin. "I hired a PI, you were bought 37 times, two of your past owners were killed by you. You're an orphan, no parents or any relatives."

"Wala akong pakialam kung wala akong mga magulang o kamag-anak. It doesn't bother me, I don't think about it." I grumbled, huffing and folding my arms over my chest.

He seemed like he wasn't finished yet, so he continuted. "Unfortunately you don't have any documents. No birth certificates, identification cards or whatever, you have no surname most importantly. It's like you never actually existed."

Nagkibit-balikat lang ako, pinulot ko ulit ang gunting at pinaglaruan ang patalim nito. Hinihiling ko na sana ibaba niya na lang ang topikong iyon. Masama ang loob ko na pinaimbestigahan niya ako, pero naisip ko na wala naman akong buhay para magalit sa kaniya. The only thing he'd find about me was all the man who bought me and I had s*x with, and the my two owners whom I killed.

"Hindi lang naman ako nag-iisa, kahit ang mga kasamahan ko sa club. 'Yung iba ay galing sa ampunan, 'yung iba naman ay galing sa lansangan tulad 'ko."

Ang posisyon niya ngayon ay tulad ng posisyon niya noong binili niya ako. He was sitting on the bed with his legs apart and his hands clasped lazily between them, elbows resting on both thighs. He pulled up his body to pull his necktie and straighten his already straighten collar. I couldn't help but admire how handsome he looked today, for a moment there, you'd be fooled that he's just a normal businessman running a completely legal business.

Then you'd look at his face. Don't get me wrong, he's really handsome and attractive, everything about his facial features were flawless and perfectly symmetrical. Though that's the point, he's perfect, and the definition of perfect was evil. For all I know, he's secretly Satan turned into his human form.

"Why are you here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm still not going to sign that contract. Ilan bang copy meron ka n'yan at hindi ka maubusan?" Inirapan ko siya.

"Don't roll your eyes at me," he warned.

The tone he used made me shiver. Sick enough, I always had a thing for authority and dominance when having s*x. This was the first I survived long without having any s****l intercourse, and the feeling was weirdly relieving. Walang pumipilit sa akin at hindi rin ako napipilitan na makipagtalik.

"Kung wala ka talagang planong basahin ang kontrata, I will read it to you instead."

"What makes you think I didn't read the contract?"

"Because if you read the contract, you wouldn't be acting like a little b***h you are this past few weeks and have already signed this contract without any doubt."

Iniwas ko ang tingin ko sa kaniya. "Fine, read it to me then. I assure you, nothing will ever change my mind."

"Have a seat closer to me, Mildred."

Bumuntong hininga ako, padabog kong binaba ang gunting at tumayo, kinuha ko ang upuan sa tapat ng vanity mirror at pinuwesto ito malapit sa kaniya. Para galitin siya ay umupo ako nang malapit na malapit sa kaniya, nakaupo sa harap niya at nakapasok ang isang tuhod sa gitna ng hita niya. Given that, his knee was also between mine.

I think I just saw him roll his eyes.

"Go on, read." I challenged him, my eyebrow twitching like I just made a point just now. "Page one is the introduction, so we'll just move on to page two. The assets—when we get married, I will share to you all my wealth."

"Hindi ako interesado sa pera mo."

"The third page is the continuation, about income. I will be the one working between the two of us, and our accounts will be joint. Alam kong na wala kapang bank account, kapag pinirmahan mo ito, you will have access to my bank account. Katulad lang din sa ikalawang pahina."

I sighed. "Hindi nga ako interesado sa pera mo."

"Fouth section is about debts and expenses. I don't have any debts to pay, I trust you don't have any either?"

Umiling ako.

"Then we skip to the fifth. Child support."

I laughed, throwing my head back. "You just lost me at that."

"No, I didn't."

"Enlighten me, please."

"You will give me a child, that's your only responsibility for me. Kapag napalaki na siya nang maayos, malaya ka na."

Tatangi pa sana ako pero nakuha ako sa terminong 'malaya.' Malaki ang mga mata kong nakatitig sa kaniya, naging tuwid and pag-upo ko at bumilis ang kabog ng puso sa dibdib.

"Malaya? There will be an annulment?" I asked in a whisper.

"I just want a child, Mildred. I'm the only Gonzales in the country, I need a heir or heiress. I don't care about the gender. Of course, there will be an annulment once you outdone the reaponsibilty that's given to you." He explained, I'm glad he wasn't talking to me like we're doing a business deal and agreement.

"Anong klaseng kalayaan 'yong sinasabi mo?"

He flipped another page. "Section six, if we ended our marriage, I will give you the freedom you always wanted. You'll be free."

"Free... like, free like normal people?" I asked, my lips quivering and my mouth salivating in desire. "I can do whatever I want outside? If that's the case then I will be rich once we get a annulled, right? Because I was married to you? What happens to our joint account then? The wealth that you share with me?

"My wealth will be parted half-half for you and to mine."

I was speechless. My heart was beating too fast inside my chest, my eyes focused on the marriage contract he was holding.

"But you won't be allowed to see the child anymore.

Wala akong pakialam duon, wala akong hilig sa bata. Pero kung tatanggapin ko ang agreement na ito, ibig sabihin non ay magdadalang tao ako. Wala akong plano sa buhay na magkaanak at maging ina, natatakot din ako na magkaroon ng baby sa loob ng tiyan ko. Malay ko ba kung ano sa pakiramdam iyon, iniisip ko pa lang ay nagsisitayuan na ang mga balahibo ko.

At kung lalabas na ang bata, paano iyon magkakasya sa maliit na butas ng ano ko?

But for freedom...

"Babasahin ko na 'yong kontrata," mahinang saad 'ko. Nakalobo ang pisnge ko habang nakanguso, nahihiya na hinihingi ko na ang kontrata sa kaniya eh ilang beses ko na ngang pinunit ito.

Inabot niya sa akin ang folder, binuklat ko ito at binasa ang unang pahina.

"What's in it for you? The egreement?"

"The child. I only want a child."

"If I marry you, will I be allowed to leave the house?" I raised my head and looked at him in the eyes. He looked bored, he kept looking at my bedroom door like he was waiting for me to dismiss him so he could leave.

"No."

"No?" I whined.

"The deal is that you will have your freedom after we get an annulment. Habang kasal ka pa sa akin ay mananatili ka rito sa bahay, malaya mong magagawa lahat ng gusto mo rito. Hindi pa ba 'yon sapat?"

"Why am I not allowed to leave the house?"

"For the child's safety, and I don't want you sleeping around while you're married to me. I have a reputation, I don't need you ruining that."

"Dalawang araw sa isang Linggo, pwede ba 'kong lumabas? Kahit may kasama pa akong guard, gusto ko lang magshopping kasi ayoko ng mga damit sa closet ko. You can put a tracker in my phone, I don't care."

Tumagilid ang ulo niya at tumaas ang isang kilay. "Pipirmahan mo na?"

"If you accept that condition. Pero syempre, babasahin ko muna lahat."

Tinulak niya ang upuan ko palayo nang paa niya, tumayo siya at inayos ang nalukot na damit sa matagal niyang pag-upo.

"Good, I gotta leave for work now. I'm expecting the contract to be signed when I return back home later for dinner. I want you to join me so we can discuss more about our arrangement."

I only nodded, too busy understanding the contract I'm reading. He left the room and I was still reading every page, making sure not to miss anything important.

Holy s**t, why the f**k did I rip those contracts?

Wala ako sa birth control, tanging nagpi-pills lang ako, hindi rin ako nagpapagalaw kapag walang condoms ang lalaki para mas maging ligtas. Ilang araw na akong hindi nakakakonsumo ng pills, hindi ko alam kung fertile ba ako at hinihiling ko na ngayon palang na sana ay madali lang akong mabuntis. The sooner I become pregnant, the quicker I would be free.

I laughed at myself. I haven't even signed the contract, yet I was already planning ahead about getting pregnant sooner.

Damn, I will be free. Not only that, I will be rich as f**k.

...

But would I really trust Zaccheus? Would I allow myself to trust the devil and make a deal with him? He was persistent that I should sign the contract, that meant he was serious about it and he did not plan to fraud me.

Dinaldahan na ako ng lunch, bigla na lang akong nagkaroon ng gana sa pagkain dahil kakaylanganin ko ang lakas sa pag-uusap namin mamaya ni Zaccheus tungkol sa magiging arrangement namin— iyon ay kung pipirmahan ko ang kontrata.

I would most likely sign that contract though, but I gotta pretend I'm still hesitant in front of him. Ayokong isipin niya na isang madali lang akong babae, saka nakakahiya rin ang ilang Linggong pagtanggi ko sa kaniya tapos ngayon naman ay naaatat akong makauwi siya. Nagdadalawang-isip pa rin naman ako, natatakot ako na baka niloloko niya lang ako.

Will I really make a deal with the devil?

"Anong ginagawa mo rito sa kusina ko?" tanong ni Sienna pagkapasok na pagkapasok ko sa kusina.

Nagluluto siya kasama ang tatlong maids, natigilan ang mga ito sa ginagawa. I swear, one of them glared at me and rolled her eyes. I guess they still hadn't forgiven me about what I did to them, I would do the same so I'm not going to blame them.

"I'm having dinner with Zaccheus."

Tinigil niya ang ginagawa, pinahid niya ang kamay sa apron na suot niya at lumapit sa akin.

"Sa labas nga tayo mag-usap, may trauma na 'ko sa ginawa mo." Pinatalikod niya ako at tinulak ako palabas, dinala niya ako sa silid hapag-kainan. "Tama ba pagkakarinig ko? Mag-didinner ka kasama si Zaccheus?"

"Hindi na naka-lock kwarto ko at nakalabas na 'ko, I hope that answers your question." Lumapit ako sa table, tinambol ko ang dalawang hinalalaking daliri rito habang tumitingin sa paligid.

"Akala ko ba ayaw mo sa kaniya?" tanong niya pa.

"I think I'm going to sign the marriage contract," I spilled the tea without hesitation. "I want to know from you if he's trustworthy, matagal ka nang nagtatrabaho para sa kaniya 'diba?"

"Pagdating sa pakikipag-deal, matapat si Master Zaccheus at mapagkakatiwalaan. Iyon ay kung hindi ka niya maisipang barilin na lang bigla dahil nabibwisit siya sa'yo."

Napailing ako. "Ang brutal mo naman."

"Huwag ka ng pumirma, feeling ko hindi ka makaka-survive ng matagal dito. Ilang Linggo ka palang dito bwisit na bwisit na sa'yo si Master."

"Talaga ba?" Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "Baka mainit lang ulo mo sa akin lasi hindi ka pa nakaka-move on sa ginawa ko. You want me to apologize?"

Ginantihan niya ang mapang-asar ko na mga tingin. "Kahit na mag-sorry ka, hindi pa rin ako magiging boto sa'yo para kay Master."

"What's the commotion all about?" Someone entered the dining room from the living room, I was surprised to see that it was Adam in a suit. It looked like he just got home from work, I was not sure of Zaccheus was with him but I found myself hoping that he's already home.