Chapter Text
“What’s the score between you and Robles?”
The question brings commotion to the group at Maloi’s table, she rolls her eyes at their collective exclamations of ‘oohs.' Are drunk people really this dramatic over relationships that don’t concern them? This would be her first time knowing, and observing. For all of her twenty-one years on earth, tonight is the first time she goes against her parents’ wishes (publicly) after all.
The vainglorious, hard-to-reach, heiress to the Ricalde fortune has had enough of the sterile white walls of her homestead and chooses to ruin her reputation—possibly her life—by going out without permission to drink at some lowly club instead of drinking herself to death per usual in the family pantry.
In any other situation, Maloi wouldn’t even allow herself to be within a kilometer of this place, especially not with the likes of these people. They look at every shot of cuervo with reverence and drink it as if they were never going to live another day. Not that Maloi wasn’t familiar with the vice, but really, over cuervo?
She prefers her alcohol rough and vicious, the kind that leaves a trail of cruelty down your throat and has your entire body reeling. Maloi has a preference for things that are hard to swallow—like an entire bottle of everclear, the unappealing texture of escargots, her pride.
And—
Maloi throws back another shot.
If you were to ask her under oath what the most difficult thing to endure was, it wouldn’t be her pride or expensive alcohol. These are tolerable pains, striking but momentary. However, this—
What’s the score between you and Jhoanna?
The truth? The hardest thing Maloi’s ever bore to suffer through is how Jhoanna Robles does not give a fuck about her in the slightest.
Oh the two of them paint a pretty picture.
Her, the favored second daughter of a large conglomerate; and Jhoanna, the only living legacy left of the Robles clan. She was a firework and Jhoanna is comparable to the night sky, allowing Maloi to disrupt her life but never letting her forget that she can stand alone without the added color.
Maloi needs Jhoanna more than Jhoanna needs her. It’s a mutually beneficial agreement but she would be lying if she said the gains were even—their company is breaking apart internally, this thing between Jhoanna and her, this marriage (her face sours, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she takes another shot) is the only way her father could secure the authority he has, cultivate a perfect picture of stability. It’s a pathetic last card and Maloi’s the unwilling pawn in all of this, after all, she is the prettiest of three daughters.
Porcelain doll with unblemished skin. Everybody’s eye candy. The trophy everyone wants to take home.
Maloi didn’t grow up, she was molded. Like a twisted form of God and man with clay, made in her mother’s own image and likeness.
Ruthless, irresistible, and every bit the woman everyone would kill to have on their arm.
But still, even then, her fiancé isn’t captivated by her at all.
That is to say, Jhoanna does not see anything beneficial out of Maloi. To the world, Maloi is something they all want to witness; here, in this disfigurement of a relationship, Jhoanna sees her as nothing but a nuisance.
The other girl wants nothing to do with her, never mind the marriage contract that’s been drafted years before they were even born, nor the impending deadline of their freedom with a wedding date drawing closer and closer.
Kulang nalang sabihin ni Jhoanna mismo na ayaw niya kay Maloi, that she hates her with every fibre of her being. Maloi can feel it, but Jhoanna’s too much of a perfectly trained grandchild to show it outwardly. Prim and proper to Maloi’s brash and reckless.
It’s an exercise in futility if she tries to get on her good side. This is just business after all.
But like all things difficult, she pursues her. Because Maloi Ricalde is never one to back down from a challenge, especially if it has a pretty face and an even prettier attitude that she wants to see get nasty.
Where’s the fun in always being handed things on a silver platter anyway?
“Where’d that come from?” She asks the girl who raised the question; she’s wearing a dark-green leather jacket, eyes assessing Maloi like a serpent waiting to strike. The light catches on her hoop earrings. Saint Laurent. Ah. Socialite.
“Nowhere,” The woman shrugs. “I’m new to town, just trying to get to know people. Nakita ko siya kanina sa Dela Fuerte function. She was pretty.” She eyes Maloi. “You’re pretty too. It wouldn't be impossible if you two have a thing, the crowd’s reaction seemed to hint at something.”
“Kasi malisyosa sila,” Maloi scoffs. “Everyone who’s ever been near me has always been linked one way or another. The tabloids have nothing to talk about and I’m their favorite filler because they wish they knew me. Who I eat brunch with, who I stand next to. Malay natin, baka bukas pangalan na’ting dalawa ang bubungad sayo sa diyaryo…” She draws it out, waiting for the girl to supply her name. She’s such a pretty face, a definite stand-out amongst the usual crowd goers, but Maloi could not put a name to her sharp-slanted nose and doe eyes. She’s sure if she knew someone like this existed, Maloi would’ve forgotten all about getting under Jhoanna.
(She’s lying.)
“Aiah.” The girl introduces herself, extending a hand. “Nice to meet you, Mary.”
“Ew.” Maloi scrunches her nose at the name and Aiah laughs. She accepts the hand. “Maloi nalang. Mary is what they call my mother, and my sisters. I’d rather not be lumped in with the Virgin Mary club.”
“Why? Not ‘good’ enough to earn the moniker?”
She laughs.
“Something like that.”
It’s 11PM, by now her phone should have vibrated with Jhoanna’s usual (bossy) nightly reminder for tomorrow’s shared schedule, or lack thereof. It was her one chance everyday to annoy the living shit out of the girl and she loathed to admit how much she looked forward to it; but the message never came.
Maloi frowns.
“Not liking the drink?”
Nandito pa rin yan?
The same pretty eyes pay her attention and Maloi finds it hard not to give in. She’s selective with who she spends time with, sure, but like everyone else in the world she’s weak when it comes to an attractive woman. Like the one who hasn’t messaged her at all. Kaya nga kusa siyang umalis ng bahay nang hindi nagpapaalam because she was counting on her parents to send Jhoanna to reach her.
She’s blocked everyone in her contacts tonight except the girl.
Pero wala.
“Cheap liquor rarely catches my fancy.” She pulls out a flask from her handbag ang knocks it back twice. What’s Jhoanna playing at anyway? As far as she remembered there should be something held tomorrow to discuss their union. She told Gwen to move their dress appointment at an earlier date and she was told it was either happening tomorrow or the day after.
That’s two reasons for the girl to contact her.
Kaya bakit wala pa rin ‘tong kibo si Jhoanna?
“May I?”
She hands the flask to Aiah and watches as she drinks from the steel case, face wincing but still retaining that same pretty halo. Aiah drinks again. Maloi’s interest is piqued.
Fine. If Jhoanna wouldn’t be able to entertain her tonight she’ll find someone else to take her place temporarily. Where did this girl say she was from again?
“You’re new right?”
A cough. “Yeah—grabe, what’s in this? You like this?”
Maloi smiles.
“I like other things too.”
“Is that an invitation?”
The clock strikes 12 and Jhoanna’s message is still missing. At the very least, Maloi muses, she got to know how Aiah’s lip balm tastes exactly like her favorite fruit in the back of an old Mustang.
—
“You are a child!” There’s a metaphorical glass shattering against mahogany, but in the enormity of this conference room, it’s the sound of her father throwing a folder harshly on the table, palm flat against the surface.
“Hindi ka nag-iisip, Loi! Bedding a random woman at night and taking her home? Hindi ka ba natuto sa dami-dami ng inatennan mo na klase? Sigurado akong hindi kami nagkulang sa pagpapalaki sayo pero lumaki ka pa ring ganito, nakakahiya ka. You are such a di—” Her father inhales and the vein on his temple looked close to bursting. “Swerte ka at napigilan ‘to ni Jhoanna before it reached Garcia’s desk because God knows that woman is looking for a smudge of dirt to filthy our names. I’m well-aware of how you’ve kept your insolence far from the media’s eyes for years but if you slipped up now—”
Jhoanna is here.
When Maloi entered the conference room she was already sitting down on one of the long table chairs, face impassive—even now, with her father shouting expletives and turning red with anger, Jhoanna does not look like she cares. She’s been avoiding Maloi’s gaze ever since she entered. Nakakainis. She was the one to bring this to attention but she wasn’t even considerate enough to grace Maloi with a warning? Couldn’t even be bothered to say a small fucking ‘hello’?
Maganda nga siya pero putangina gusto ni Maloi pumatay.
“Alam kong labag sa loob mo ang pumasok sa kasalang to—”
Maloi’s eyes pierce Jhoanna but the girl doesn’t budge, she sits observing a painting on the wall like she couldn’t wait for this entire thing to be over with. Na para bang walang timbang sa oras niya ang nangyayari.
“—but our reputation isn’t the only one on the line. What do you think Jhoanna’s parents would say if they caught wind of my daughter, their to-be in-law, kissing someone else outside a nightclub? You’d have blown the entire merger in our faces! Swerte ka at mabait si Jhoanna,”
Swerte, swerte, swerte. That’s all she hears from her parents ever since this arrangement was brought to light. Maloi doubts it’s true, there’s a devil underneath that sheepskin Robles wears.
“If I see you around this woman again so help me, Mary Loi, ikukulong kita sa kwarto mo hanggang sa araw ng kasal ninyo.”
A few minutes after her father leaves she sees Jhoanna get up to do the same.
But Maloi’s quicker. She swiftly blocks Jhoanna’s way and locks the door, she automates the smart glass walls and they turn opaque, effectively blocking anyone’s view from the outside. It gives them the privacy to strip the carefully calculated outer persona of poised heiresses and shout at each other, get physical, and most importantly—
“Putangina mo, Robles.” She whispers, venomous.
“Move.” Jhoanna’s tone was clipped. “If you have time to philander, I don’t. Unlike you, I have important things to attend to, so please, umalis ka sa harapan ko bago pa kita alisin diyan mismo.”
“Ikaw? Aalisin mo ako dito? You—” Maloi’s inches closer, head held high, demeanor testy. Her nose brushes the tip of Jhoanna’s, an inch closer and they’ll be touching lips. Jhoanna remains indifferent to their close proximity and it pisses Maloi off more. “—won’t be able to remove me from this fucking door no matter how hard you try cause you can’t even stomach the thought of touching me, Robles.”
“I said, move.”
“No. What we’re gonna do is talk about your runaway mouth and why you’re always in my business when you claim to have no time for things outside managing your company. Putak ka ng putak na busy ka sa trabaho pero may oras kang guluhin buhay ko—patawa ka?”
“Is it my fault your bad decisions always find a way to reach me? You should be thanking me, Ricalde. If I didn’t intercept that news article from reaching The Star’s editor edi pinagpyestahan ka na ngayon.”
“So what? What’s it to you? It’s my reputation, not yours or your family’s. That bullshit my dad said kanina? Alam mong walang kwenta ‘yun lahat kasi walang ni isang tao labas sa pamilya nating dalawa ang may alam sa kontrata. It wouldn’t have damaged anything but me, because the world doesn’t know of my unfortunate luck with you.”
Jhoanna scoffs. “Unfortunate?”
“Very. Kasi ang mapapangasawa ko, isang malaking pakialamera, shit-stirrer, and prude .”
“You were with a writer —a struggling journalist who was eager to get a shot at destroying your image for their own selfish benefit but you didn’t even know, did you?” Jhoanna sneers and it frustrates Maloi because the action looked attractive when it shouldn’t have. Kasi kahit nagmiminaldita si Jhoanna, ang ganda niya pa rin tignan. Maloi wants to scratch her face. “Because you are a teenage boy, a dog with a bone, you see a pretty face and you give chase. Hindi ka mapakali at rinding-rindi na ako sayo.”
This was a first.
“Oh I tolerate you, Ricalde,” Jhoanna takes a step forward and leans her face closer, Maloi’s back hits the door. “I could care less about who you sleep with, who you kiss, or who you decide to ruin your life for—but the minute it threatens my standing, my image, and everything I’ve worked hard to build, then yes, I’ll be the worst shit-stirrer you’ll ever witness and upend everything in your comfortable, moneyed, spoiled life.”
“Putangina mo.” Maloi whispers.
The side of Jhoanna’s lips lift into a mean, mocking, and pitying smile.
“Aw, nasaktan ka ba kasi sinigawan ka ng daddy mo?”
There’s a cold hand against her chin, caressing the skin softly before it grips her jaw—not strong enough to hurt, but firm enough to tell her that Jhoanna meant every word she was going to say next.
“Wala yan sa impyernong ipaparanas ko sayo kapag inulit mo ang kagaguhan mo. Your father held back because you're his daughter; to me, you’re nothing but a name on paper. I have no reservations for you, Ricalde, so piss me off again and see if you like where that takes you.”
Ang ganda mo nagagalit ako.
Maloi expects the hint of self-satisfaction pooling in her stomach. She’s supposed to be angry, and she is, but never intimidated, not in the way Jhoanna wants her to be. On the contrary, she was thrilled because underneath all of that vexation is a smugness brought about by finally witnessing Jhoanna Robles lose it.
Even if it’s only this much, she was willing to take it.
And really, Jhoanna should’ve known better than to provoke her.