Bits of Secrets (Cynthia's POV)
1612 Words
“Ma, narinig mo ba ‘yung part na sinabi niyang ‘non-disclosure renewal’? Parang may contract sila na dapat i-renew bago mag-implant.”
Nakaupo ako sa likod ng van na hiniram namin ni Mateo mula sa isang shady rental sa Quezon City—tinted windows, no plate recognition, parked sa madilim na likod ng isang abandoned warehouse malapit sa Pasig River. Hawak ko ang phone, speaker on, habang si Mateo sa harap, nakaupo sa driver’s seat pero hindi nagmamaneho. Tahimik siyang nakikinig. Jaw clenched so tight na kita ko ang muscle twitch.
Mama’s voice crackled through. “Oo. Narinig ko. At ‘yung twenty million pa. Hindi biro ‘yun, Cynthia. Kung totoo ‘yang donor protocol, ibig sabihin may legal agreement na sila. Hindi basta-basta sperm donation. May involvement si German na ‘yun.”
Mateo finally spoke. Low. Controlled. “Henry Blackthorn. Shipping magnate. Multi-billion. Walang public record na connected siya sa fertility clinics dito. Meaning private arrangement. Off-the-books.”
I turned to him. “Paano mo alam ‘yun?”
He didn’t look back. “I did my homework nung una pa lang niyang binanggit ‘yung Germany trip niya last quarter. Thought it was business. Turns out… personal.”
Mama cut in. “Kailangan nating malaman kung kailan eksakto ‘yung procedure. Kung next week na, wala nang oras para magdesisyon. Leak natin ‘yung audio fragments ngayon din. Just enough para mag-panic si Ysabel. Para magkamali siya ng galaw.”
“Hindi pa,” sabi ko agad. “Kailangan ko munang marinig ulit. Full context. Baka may ibang detalye na hindi natin nakuha.”
Mateo turned the seat around. Faced me fully. “You’re going back in?”
“Hindi na sa penthouse. Mas delikado na. Pero may access pa rin ako sa old employee server portal. May backdoor ako na hindi pa nila natanggal. Pwede kong i-pull ‘yung call logs, email threads, calendar entries. Lahat ng connected sa kanya nitong nakaraang buwan.”
His eyes narrowed. “At paano kung may audit trail na naka-flag na? Baka ma-trace kaagad.”
“Then I do it fast. VPN. Burner laptop. Walang personal device.”
Mama sighed. Loud. “Cynthia, alam mo bang ang risk nito? Kung mahuli ka, hindi na ‘to company violation lang. Cybercrime. Hacking. Pwede kang makulong.”
I laughed. Short. Bitter. “Mas matagal na akong nakakulong sa buhay na ‘to, Ma. Sa pagiging second best. Sa panonood habang kinukuha niya lahat. Kung kailangan kong maging criminal para makuha ang nararapat sa akin, gagawin ko.”
Silence sa phone.
Then Mama: “Fine. Pero text mo ako kapag tapos ka na. At kung may problema, tawagan mo agad si Mateo. Huwag kang mag-isa.”
“I won’t.”
I ended the call.
Mateo stared at me. Long. Hard.
“You don’t have to do this alone.”
“I know. Pero kailangan ko. Kasi ikaw… ikaw pa rin ang may alam kung paano siya magmahal. At ‘yun ang pinaka-nakakasakit—alam mong hindi mo na siya mahal nang totoo, pero handa ka pa ring magdusa para sa kanya.”
He flinched. Barely. Pero nakita ko.
“I’m not suffering for her anymore.”
“Then prove it.” I leaned forward. “Help me get inside the server. Right now. Dito. Sa van na ‘to.”
He hesitated. One second. Two.
Then he pulled out his own laptop from the glove compartment. The one with the encrypted partition.
“Give me the old credentials.”
I recited them. Old employee ID. Backdoor password na ginamit ko noong IT audit last year.
Fingers flying on keys. Screen lit his face blue.
“Connected. Pero may new firewall layer. Two-factor. Tied to her phone.”
My stomach dropped. “Shit.”
He glanced at me. “Unless… may way para ma-bypass ‘yun.”
“How?”
“SIM swap. Pero kailangan natin ng access sa kanyang number. Or spoof her location para ma-send ang OTP sa burner natin.”
I shook my head. “Too risky. Baka ma-notice niya agad.”
He closed the laptop. “Then we do it the hard way. Social engineering. Call the IT helpdesk. Pretend to be her. Say you lost your phone. Need reset.”
I stared at him. “You’re asking me to impersonate her. Over the phone. Sa sarili niyang company.”
“Yes.”
My heart raced. Not from fear. From thrill. From the twisted satisfaction na ako na ngayon ang gagawa ng ginagawa niya sa akin palagi—magpanggap na mas mahalaga.
“Okay.”
He handed me a burner phone. Already set to spoof caller ID as Ysabel’s line.
I dialed the internal IT hotline. Deep breath. Mimicked her voice. The calm, commanding tone na lagi kong kinaiingitan.
“IT Support, this is Ysabel Montoya. I’m locked out of my executive portal. Can you reset the 2FA to this number? +63 917 555 0123.”
The agent paused. “Ma’am, protocol requires voice verification and security question.”
My palms sweated. “Ask away.”
“First pet’s name?”
“Shadow.”
“Mother’s maiden name?”
“Sandrino.”
Pause. Typing sounds.
“OTP sent to the new number. Please confirm receipt.”
I looked at the burner. Message popped.
OTP: 749281
I read it out.
“Verified. Access restored. Anything else, Ma’am?”
“That’s all. Thank you.”
Hung up.
Mateo’s eyes were wide. Impressed. Maybe scared.
“You sound exactly like her.”
“I’ve been practicing for years.”
He reopened the laptop. Logged in.
Search: calendar entries, last 30 days. Keyword: Henry. Blackthorn. Clinic. Implant. Donor.
Results loaded.
One entry: “HB – Arrival confirmation. NAIA private terminal. 2200H. Discreet pickup.”
Another: “Fertility Partners Manila – Procedure scheduling. March 15. 0900H. Final payment wired.”
And emails. Encrypted. Pero may subject lines.
“Final Sperm Sample Clearance – Blackthorn, H.”
“Embryo Transfer Consent – Montoya, Y.”
My hands shook as I scrolled.
Mateo leaned closer. Read over my shoulder.
“She’s doing it next week. March 15. That’s ten days from now.”
I felt something hot burn behind my eyes. Not tears. Rage.
“She’s really going to have a baby with him. Not you. Not even pretending.”
Mateo’s voice cracked. First time I heard it break like that.
“I was never going to be the father anyway. She just needed my name on paper until the baby was born.”
I turned to him. “And you were okay with that?”
“No.” He looked away. “I thought I could change it. Make her love me enough to want it real.”
I grabbed his chin. Forced him to look at me.
“She never did. And you knew. Deep down. You stayed for the money. For the power. Just like me.”
He didn’t deny it.
Instead, he kissed me.
Sudden. Rough. Like he was drowning and I was the only air.
I kissed back. Bit his lip hard enough to taste blood.
When we pulled apart, both breathing heavy.
“What now?” he asked.
“We don’t leak yet.” I closed the laptop. “We wait. Let her think everything’s fine. Then, on the day of the procedure, we make sure it never happens.”
His eyes searched mine. “Sabotage the clinic?”
“Or expose it publicly. Right before she walks in. Let the board see. Let Mama see. Let the whole f*****g world see what kind of monster she is.”
He exhaled. Shaky.
“That would destroy her.”
“Good.”
Silence stretched.
Then he spoke again. Quiet.
“If we do this… we’re burning everything. Including us.”
I cupped his face. Soft this time.
“Then we burn together.”
He nodded. Once.
“Okay.”
I leaned back. Looked out the window. River dark. Reflecting city lights like broken diamonds.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
Audio clip. 12 seconds.
Ysabel’s voice. Clear.
“…Henry, I can’t wait anymore. I need this baby inside me before my birthday. Before anyone suspects. Promise me you’ll be here when it happens.”
Henry’s reply. Low. Possessive.
“I’ll be there. And after… you’re mine. Not his. Never his again.”
The clip ended.
I played it again.
And again.
Mateo listened. Face pale.
Then he whispered:
“She’s already replaced me.”
I looked at him. Tears finally falling.
“Not replaced. Erased.”
He pulled me into his arms.
We stayed like that. In the dark van. Holding each other like two people about to jump off a cliff.
Then my phone buzzed again.
Same unknown number.
Text only.
“Want more proof? Meet me tomorrow. 3AM. Roof deck of the old Ortigas building. Come alone.”
I showed Mateo.
He read it. Then looked at me.
“Whoever this is… they’re watching her too.”
I typed back. Fingers steady now.
“Who are you?”
Reply instant.
“Someone who wants her to lose everything. Just like she made me lose mine.”
I stared at the words.
Then at Mateo.
“Anong gagawin natin?” tanong ko.
He answered without hesitation.
“We go. And we take whatever they’re offering.”
I nodded.
“Together?”
He squeezed my hand.
“Together.”
Pero sa isip ko, may ibang tanong na hindi ko sinabi.
Kung sino man ‘yung nasa likod nito… bakit parang mas kilala niya si Ysabel kaysa sa atin?
And what if the trap isn’t for her…
…but for us?
- Writer
