Chapter 8
“Do you love books?” Vindicta asked Kyle. His head was resting on her thighs. She just let him be because he was sick and of course, because she was guilty.
Vindicta pointed to a hanging cabinet full of books with her lips when Kyle knotted his forehead as if he could not understand the sudden question.
“Oh, those? They were not mine. She forgot to bring it with her so I just let them stay where they were. I am not fond of books with endings.”
“Why? And who is?”
“Because I hate endings. I don’t like when something that makes you happy just ends like that.”
Vindicta laughed. “Joining the bandwagon, Sir? What did they call those kinds of lines? Emotional quotes?”
Kyle laughed. “Wait, can you please stop calling me Sir? I told you about that even before but you never listened. I am your suitor outside working hours.”
“O-okay.”
“And I think we should know each other more. I want to know a lot of things about you. Like where’s your parents? Why are you alone at your apartment?”
Vindicta looked away. She cleared her throat before answering. “I am an orphan. C-car accident. I don’t have siblings, that is why I am alone at home,” she lied about everything but being an orphan.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry, it’s okay. It happened a long time ago.”
“How did you manage living alone?”
“Well, I don’t have a choice. I worked while studying. You know, my life is boring. Let’s not talk about it,” she said then faked a laugh.
“It must have been hard for you.”
“It is. But what is important is now, right? The woman I have become because of those hardships. Let us leave all those in the past.”
“Next question,” Kyle said instead. “How many boyfriends did you have?” he asked, grinning.
Vindicta shook her head. “I never had one.”
“What?” Kyle asked, shocked. “What planet did you come from and are the people there blind?”
Vindicta laughed because of his joke. “I am too busy to have a boyfriend.”
“Okay, so you have suitors but you don’t have time for them?”
“I don’t have suitors. You’re the first.”
“Seriously, Veronica?”
“Yeah, I am serious,” she said then smiled.
Kyle smiled too. “Well, I need to court you well so you won’t be disappointed. Don’t worry, when I feel better, I will show you my expertise on courting.”
Vindicta just smiled and shook her head lightly. That would be exciting and romantic. But she was sure that would never happen.
“Wait, aren’t you going to ask anything?”
“Well, I guess I would know details about you while being with you frequently, right? I mean it takes time to know somebody.”
“Or you are not just interested in knowing me,” Kyle said with a grimace.
What if he knew that she didn’t need to ask because she knew a lot about him, that he was under her surveillance all the time, that she was watching him every day without him knowing?
“It’s not like that,” she denied. “I just can’t think of a question right now.”
“Okay, fine, then I'll just ask you again. What is your ideal type in men?”
“Physically? I am not demanding,” she said then smiled. “I just want someone who can accept me for who I am. Someone who can love me sincerely despite everything.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“He doesn’t have to be good-looking and rich?”
“That’s not important to me.” Oh, I have a lot of money, Kyle. I can even buy a man if I want to.
“You’re really different, Veronica, that’s why I’m admiring you more and more.”
“Wait, you didn’t answer my question a while ago,” Vindicta said when she remembered she asked who the books on the wall belonged to. “Who is the owner of those books?” She pointed the books with her lips again.
It took a few seconds before Kyle answered. “My ex-fiancée.”
“Oh,” Vindicta reacted. She didn’t know what to say. “Not over her yet?” That was the first thing that came to her mind. Was that a bad question?
“I am over her,” he said. “It has been a long time since we last saw each other so I guess I am okay now.”
“What if you see her again?”
“I am over her, I am sure of that. I won’t fall in love with you if I am still in love with her. I know my heart, it only beats for one woman. And right now, it is beating for you.”
***
“I wished the time I gave you to be with Kyle was enough for you to do your job,” Allison welcomed Vindicta.
“Why are you grumpy again?” she annoyingly asked Allison. She was ruining her almost beautiful day. It was late in the afternoon when she left Kyle's house and the whole time that she was there, he just kept on telling stories about him and it was a good thing because she knew him more. The information Allison gave her was nothing compared to everything told her about himself. He said she didn’t want to ask about him so he volunteered.
Instead of answering her, Allison gave her a cellphone that was connected to a voice changer device. She looked at Allison as if asking her what she wanted. “I already sent Kyle the videos and pictures. I am sure that he will call anytime soon. Unless, he is sleeping and hasn't seen the stuff I sent him. Talk to him. Blackmail him. Just convince him to back out so the videos and pictures won’t leak to the public.”
“Why don’t you do it yourself?”
“You know that was not my forte. I am expecting Roma to do this negotiation but I can’t get a hold of her. We don’t have a choice.”
Vindicta shook her head. She picked the cell phone then went up to her room. She wanted to bump her head on the wall. Or maybe it was a better idea if it was Allison’s head that she’ll bump to that wall. She knew that Allison was purposely doing all that to torment her.
Vindicta closed her eyes firmly when the phone in her hand rang. She activated the voice changing device before she pressed the answer button.
“Who the hell are you?!” Kyle shouted from the other line. Mad was an understatement.
“Is that important?” She used a man’s voice.
“What do you want? Why are you doing this? What the hell did I do to you?”
“Can you relax?”
“How can I relax when a psycho is ruining my life?!”
“Fine. Scream if you want. Do you think that can solve your problem?”
“What do you want?” he asked in a calmer manner. “Money?”
“I have a lot.”
“If that’s the case, then what?”
“Retreat from the election, mayor wannabe. It won’t do you any good.”
“So, you are one of my rival’s dogs. Who paid you to do this? How much did he pay you to ruin my life like this? I can pay you double or triple, just leave me alone.”
“I don’t work like that, Mr. De Dios.”
“Wait, are you Vindicta?”
Vindicta became a mute for a while. How did he know about her? Was he one of their clients before?
“Hey! I’m right, right? You are this Vindicta who will do anything for money. I have a lot of money, just tell me how much you need.”
“I don’t need your money. You know what I need? It’s for you to back out on that election.”
“I won’t do that! I won’t back out just because you told me so. I will never be defeated by someone like you.”
“Then, I will post this to all social networking sites I know. Good luck with your candidacy, Mr. De Dios.”
“Vindicta!”
“You already made up your mind? You’re quitting, right?”
“No. I am not guilty; I haven’t done anything wrong so why would I be afraid? You know what? If there would be someone peeing his pants right now, it’s you and the people who paid you to do this because for sure the devil is already preparing your VIP room in hell.”
“I’m giving you a week to decide.”
Vindicta threw the cell phone on top of the bed after she cut her conversation with Kyle. She wanted to scream but she didn’t want to catch the attention of Allison and Ria. She could not think straight. Her heart was telling her to back out already but she was a woman of her words. She promised to set aside her emotions while doing her mission.
She thought hard about giving up on Kyle. Her pride on honor would not choose him. But her stupid heart… Oh, her stupid heart. It was not letting her mind win without a fight.
***
Kyle could not put his eyes off from the bracelet on his palm. He got that from his room. That was not his but he was sure that he already saw that before. He was racking his brain to remember who owned it. Whoever owned that bracelet was the one responsible for blackmailing him.
He closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. His heart was blazing with fire. It had just been a few hours since he talked to his blackmailer. His gut was telling him that it was all Vindicta’s doings because based on Ramius, she was the only one that his rivals could pay to ruin his image. She was the only one who could do that job, putting him to bad situations to make him look dirty. Because as far as he was concerned, he always tried to be a good man.
He quickly stood up when he heard the ringing of his doorbell. He was expecting a visitor, his cousin, Ramius, because he called him right after he received the malicious videos and pictures.
“You told me that you can’t remember everything from that night, right? Then, today, somebody sent you this stuff?” Ramius said after seeing the pictures and videos.
“Yes.”
“You must have been drugged.”
“I’ve thought about that too.”
“But if you can’t remember anything, it is possible that this thing really happened,” Ramius said with a knotted forehead.
“Well, maybe it was true that this girl is here that night,” he said while pointing at the girl in the picture. “But nothing happened to us!”
“How about the video?”
“Did you hear my voice? Did you see me move? Ramius, it is impossible for me to have sex with a minor!”
“I know, but how can you think straight when you’re drugged? If I am not mistaken, they used a date-rape drug to sedate you that’s why you can’t remember anything. At this point, you can’t trust your memory.”
“So, what am I gonna do? They didn’t want my money.”
“Just comply with them so they would stop ruining you. Fighting is not worth it anymore. You’re still young, you can still run at the next election,” Ramius advised him.
“But how can we be certain that they will stop ruining me? What if they use this bullshit again in a different situation, if I plan to run again next time?” he asked frustratedly.
Why did all those things happen to him? He already wanted to question God’s plan. His intentions were pure so why was He making it hard for him. But of course, questioning God would be a sin. At the middle of that crisis, he would remain faithful. He will believe that He has a greater plan. Maybe he can’t see it at the moment because his mind was clouded with doubt, anger and frustration.
“It’s up to you, okay? Think wisely.”
“I can file a case. Right, I can go to the police—”
“And let them see these malicious files? What do you think will they tell you? We should handle this quietly.”
“Damn, Ramius! I wanted to wring the neck of my blackmailer!”
“You still have a week to decide, right? Let’s use that time to investigate secretly. Just like you, I am thinking that this all Vindicta’s doing. Let’s make a way to get her loyalty. I know it sounded impossible but we don’t have a choice right now. Tomorrow morning, I will let the CCTV in front of your house be checked. Don’t worry, I will help you by all means.”
“Thank you, Ramius.”
“You know what? This is partly your fault. I told you to put CCTVs in your place but you are so hardheaded.”
“You know the reason why,” Kyle replied then shrugged his shoulders.
“The problem is you’re too trusting. Not everyone in this world is like you. Remember that. I hope this will be a lesson to you. Do not let your guard down. From now on, anyone can be your enemy. Please, be careful.”
“IT WAS seen on the CCTV that the girl from the picture came into your house that night. Eight forty-five in the evening. She came out around ten o’clock. She was alone, we didn’t see anyone but her. If ever she had an accomplice, that one didn’t use the front gate. Why don’t have any CCTV in this house?” Ramius asked Kyle frustratedly.
“My head is aching, Ramius, please stop with the sermon.” It was already eight in the morning but he was still not ready to go to the office. He had not slept last night because he kept on thinking how he could surpass that situation.
“You look like a panda. Did not sleeping help you at all?” Ramius asked sarcastically.
“Do you think I can fall asleep soundly in this kind of situation, while there are people out there ruining my reputation?” He got crazy the other night thinking what really happened between him and the teenage girl but he could not remember anything. Everything was hazy and unclear.
“I emailed Vindicta. We both know that she would never reactivate the number she used calling you before, right? Well, I’m just thinking that maybe she can reply to me.”
“And what will change if she answers you? We both know that she is evil. She was even our suspect from Uncle Macario’s viral video. We should learn to play her game. We need to find her. She will not come to us just because we asked her.”
“Do you think that’s possible? We don’t know her name, her whereabouts, or even if she's a she or a he.”
“He sounded like a boy to me when we talked last night.”
“Have you ever heard of a voice changer?” Ramius asked sarcastically. “Of course, she used that to hide her real voice! Her voice sounded like an old woman when we talked last time.”
“Meet her. Let’s have an entrapment operation for her.”
“She is not a drug pusher that we can trap with marked money, Kyle. Do you think she didn’t know that I am your cousin?”
“So, what are we going to do?!” Kyle asked angrily. It was all too much. The situation was too much. Vindicta was too much. Everything was too much for him to handle.
“I will think of a way. For now, calm down. Being on beast mode will not help us think of a way out of this. I think it is better for you to go to work now, if ever she changes her mind and asks for millions of pesos, you can pay her.”
Ramius left after all the scolding and sarcastic remarks. Kyle was left at home looking like an idiot. It was a good thing that he remembered the bracelet. He just had to remember where he saw it and who was wearing it for him to know who was behind that ridiculous situation. “Oh, my God…” he whispered when he remembered who was wearing that bracelet.
***
“Sir,” Vindicta greeted Kyle. Kyle was late and she was not surprised. The skin beneath his eyes was dark, and his face looked serious. Well, what did she expect? It was not as if sleeping soundly would be the best choice after what he had gone through the other night.
Kyle tried to smile anyway but it did not reach his eyes “Veronica, what time is it?” he asked her instead.
She raised her right arm to check her wrist watch. “It is already ten o’clock, Sir.”
“Oh, I am so late. I guess I need to start working. Care to join me for lunch later?”
“Sure, Sir.”
Vindicta can’t keep her eyes on the door that Kyle went into even if that was shut a few minutes ago. She tried to touch her bracelet but she was not wearing it. She forgot about the bracelet because there were lots of things running on her mind. Maybe she left the bracelet at home.
“Vindicta, stop staring at the door. Are you waiting for something?”
“Will you stop mocking me?” she whispered to Allison angrily. Allison was too much.
“I’m not, okay? I’m just asking.”
“We both know that wasn’t true. Can’t you just stop?” She lost her patience already. And it was not good timing either.
“I don’t want to fight with you this early. Maybe it’s best if you just talk to Roma. Wait for her call any minute now.”
She annoyingly deactivated her earpiece because she didn’t want to talk to Allison for the next few hours. She would not even answer her calls no matter what. She had enough of her. She understood that she could not relate to her, she never fell in love but she could not stand her being insensitive.
Roma called her during her break time. Luckily, Kyle cancelled their lunch because he was too busy with work. He just asked her to order food for him.
“Stop the mission,” Roma suddenly said from the other line.
“What?” Vindicta asked, confused.
“I don’t know if I can explain it clearly here, Vindicta. I think it is better if we just meet in Calvento. For now, stop the mission. Stop torturing De Dios. Don’t call to blackmail him. Allison told me about it. It is such a relief that you haven’t posted those pictures and videos on the internet yet.”
“What are you talking about, Roma?”
“See me at Calvento as soon as possible.”
“As in right now?”
“Yes, if you can. Go, think of an excuse.”
“Okay, I’ll just make an excuse and call this a day. I will handle this. See you in Calvento.”
After buying food for Kyle, she told him that she had an emergency to attend to.
Kyle looked at him as if examining if she was telling the truth. “Emergency? Family?” he asked.
She had no choice but to nod.
“I thought you were an orphan?”
“Yes, but my parents have families. What’s wrong with you, Sir?” she asked. She was getting confused with his questions and actions since that morning.
“I’m sorry. I think I am just exhausted because of work. Anyway, you can go. I hope everything is just alright with your family. Take care.”
Vindicta just nodded and didn’t say anything anymore. Roma was already at Calvento when she arrived and she was shocked seeing her without the usual cover on her face.