Chapter Two
"Ate, it's horrible in there." Umiiyak na sabi ko. Good thing I had one of those minty vapor rubs in my pocket. I dabbed a little under my eyes para hindi na ako mahirapan mag-iyak-iyakan. "There were lots of roaches tapos may mga naglalaro pang daga sa tabi ko kanina. Paano kung kagatin ako ng mga yun habang natutulog ako? Paano kapag nagka-leptospirosis ako?"
"You have to face the consequence of what you did. Mama and Dad have already had enough of your antics. Kaya hindi ka nagtatanda dahil alam mong hindi ka namin matitiis but not this time." Ate sighed heavily. "You're already twenty-four, Ronnie, and you still act like a kid."
"Ugh! Ate, stop. Na sermonan na ako ni Mama, Dad, Kuya Coco, at Kuya Miggy. Pati ba naman ikaw?" I rolled my eyes. "Akala ko tayo ang magkakampi?"
"You need to stop all these." She shook her head. "You were locked up in jail for leading a protest at Sybarite's cover party. And then you covered Mr. Lazaro's mansion with pig's blood. Ngayon naman ay tinapunan mo siya ng sperm ng kabayo. Sperm ng kabayo, Veronica! Who in the right mind would do that?"
"Dapat naiintindihan mo ako at ang mga pinaglalaban ko, Ate. If we're not going to stand up for ourselves then who will? Wyatt Lazaro and his company are devaluing us women, they are objectifying and sexualizing us. The Sybarite mansion is literally just a glorified whore house. Ginaya pa nila yung Playboy mansion." I snorted in disgust.
"You have to understand that some things are not going to go your way no matter how bad you fight for it. Wyatt Lazaro is laying a serious charge on you. Noong mga una, napapaki-usapan pa siya ni Dad but now he doesn't even want to talk to Dad. This is going to go on your permanent record, do you know that?"
"If fighting for women's right is a crime then I am guilty."
"Here's your things. Mama and I packed this for you. Nandyan na yung mga damit mo at toiletries mo." Ate Drey handed me a small travelling bag. "Pinabibigay ni Mama yan kasi sabi niya hindi niya kayang makita ka sa ganitong sitwasyon. This is for your own good, Ronnie."
"Are you serious?" I looked at her, unbelievingly. I felt like my whole world had collapsed on me. "Huwag ka ngang magbiro ng ganyan. May bail naman ito! Hindi naman ako nakapatay ng tao!"
"Take care of yourself, okay?" Ate Drey kissed me on the forehead.
"Ate, huwag mo kong iwan dito. Promise, if you bail me out of here forever na akong magiging Yaya sa mga anak mo. And I'll walk Ringo every morning." I wrapped my arms around Ate's waist. Ringo was the boys' chocolate labrador.
"Ronnie..." Ate Drey pried my arms from her waist. "You're not going to learn kung palagi ka naman pagbibigyan. You'll just do this over and over again."
"Ate! Ayokong makulong!" I faked crying. "Please, don't leave. Wala na ba talaga kayong pakialam sa akin? Hindi niyo ba talaga ako mahal? Alam mo iniisip ko minsan, totoo yung tukso niyo sa akin noon ni Kuya Coco, na ampon lang ako. Bakit ba ganito kayo sa akin?"
"Ronnie, kilala kita. Hindi mo ako madadaan sa mga ganyan mo." Ate sighed, rolling her eyes. "The boys' are waiting for me. I need to go."
Wala na akong nagawa habang pinapanood ko si Ate na umalis. The police ushered me back to my cell and I sat on the corner, hugging my bag.
Wyatt Lazaro sat on the seat across from mine, a smug smile playing across his lips as he looked at me. I wanted to lunge at him and claw his face off. My fingertips twitched at the effort to stop myself from doing so.
"How's life in here so far?" He asked.
"Why are you even here? Ano'ng kailangan mo sa akin?" I cocked a brow, crossing my arms over to my chest.
He shrugged and leaned comfortably against his seat.
"I want to see you." He grinned.
"I don't."
"Why do you hate me so much, Ms. Cordova?" He asked.
"Because you're a chauvinistic pig." My eyes narrowed into slits. "You are objectifying women and turning them into virtual prostitutes!"
"Do you think all those women who posed for my magazine were forced at gunpoint to do the photoshoot?" He cackled loudly.
"I- well, no... But those women are much more than what they are depicted in your disgusting magazines! At yung Sybarite Mansion mo, pinasosyal na cabaret lang yun! The bullshit you and your magazines get away with is just mindblowing!"
His eyes widened and so did the amused grin on his face. "Oh! A woman using her body as a sex object and somehow that's my fault? Those models knew what they were getting themselves into and they are all grown ass women."
"You don't get my point!" I banged my fists on the table.
"I don't think you get yours either. You don't want those women to be sexualized but where is the argument when that's clearly what they want? Whatever happened to 'my body, my rule'? If you're going to preach about how women can do whatever they want with their bodies, then don't be the same hypocrite who complains about women who willingly posed for my magazine." He let out a deep, bored exhale. "I probably don't have to tell you this but sex sells, Ms. Cordova. It is not men's job to apologize to you for finding sexual nature interesting and entertaining."
"The thing is we're not talking about sex, we're talking about oversexualized image of women to sell your magazine. You're turning women into symbols, into commerce. You're creating an image that turns us into some kind of commodities can be bought and sold. It's unbelievable how you don't think what you're doing is wrong. Just to remind you, Mr. Lazaro, you came from a woman! It's so sad for your mother to carry you for nine months just for you to grow up like this and disrespect women. I bet you have a tiny, noodle penis."
"Now if I were to talk about your vagina..." He rubbed his chin and his eyes grazed down my body. "So is your pussy still tight or is it already loose?"
I could feel blood boiling to the top of my head. I was so close to exploding. This man was just impossible.
"Bastos!" I knew I was as red as a lobster right now. I felt like a kettle pot, ready blow at any time now. "Napaka-walang modo mo! You are a hopeless case, Wyatt Lazaro!"
"I rest my case." He smiled, triumphly. "You talked about my cock and I said nothing. I talked about your pussy and you started going off at me like I'm Hitler. Where's the equality in that? You know, you don't really want equality. You want entitlement."
"Get out of here! Out!" I said, standing up from my seat and pointing my finger to the exit.
"I came here to bail you out of jail, Mr. Cordova." Sabi niya habang prente pa rin nakaupo sa silya sa harap ko. "I'm going to give you an offer you can't refuse."
"I don't want to hear it. I'd rather rot in jail than make a deal with a devil."
"Every party in my business voluntarily participated. I don't understand why you keep demonizing me." He shook his head. "I want you to pose for my magazine, Ms. Cordova. Iuurong ko ang kaso laban sa'yo at palalayain kita ngayon din."
My eyes formed a harsh squint. "You're crazy if you think I'd accept your offer."
"Wait, hear me out on this one." His smile grew wider. "I want you to pose nude for the cover of Sybarite."
"Not going to happen. Nag-aksaya ka lang ng panahon. Get out. Out! Now!" I told him.
"I'll let you write your own article. I don't care how many page it takes. I don't even care if you take up the whole magazine. Pwede mong ilabas lahat ng ipinaglalaban mo doon. My target audience are men. Make us understand what you're fighting for." He said.
I suddenly paused. I swallowed, looking at him. He wore his signature smug smile that made me want to slap the hell out of him. He wiggled his brows at me as if to taunt me.
Right there and then, I was made to sign an agreement that I'd be posing for his magazine. It was so hypocritical of me to do this but this was just a small sacrifice for the benefit of womankind. When I signed the agreement, I knew there was no turning back.
"I'm excited to work with you- Can I call you Veronica?" Nakangising sabi ng gago.
"No." I apathetically answered.
"Okay." He shrugged. "I'm very excited to work with you, Ms. Cordova."
"I'm not." Diretsang sabi ko. "You are a pig!"
"Don't make it seem like I forced you into this. You are in control of your own objectifion, if that's what you think it is." He shrugged.
"I'm only doing this because I want men to know what we're fighting for."
"Well, good luck with that." He patted my shoulder.
"Keep your hands off me." I hissed.
"Okay, my hands are off." He raised both his hands up as if surrendering. "Need a ride home?"
"I'd rather walk." I spat.
"Your call." He said, still with a wide smile as he held the contract in his hands. "I'll let you know when the photoshoot will be."
Umalis na siya at naiwan kong nakatayo doon. What I had done had finally sunk into my head. I knew I'd always been impulsive. Questions and doubts started swarming in my mind. Was that just an impulse decision? Would I be regretting what I did? I'd be posing nude for a magazine I hate with burning passion. What have I done?
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