DARK CHOCOLATE SERIES 3 - LUSCIOUS SINS, LOVE AFLAME

Prologue - Mrs. Filomino

There's nothing in the world so demoralizing as money.

- Antigone

Sophocles

In many ways, money is so much like love. People do horrible things for the two. The two make the world go round. Wars have been waged, people have died and suffered, countless of men and women lost themselves to the two.

What's life without them?

In a neighborhood like that of Sweet Homes Residential Community, a visitor could easily arrive at a conclusion that everyone who lives there has no problem whatsoever with money. The well-manicured lawns, the big, colorful houses, the expensive cars, the overall atmosphere of the place were clear indications that it was for the privileged ones.

In my years there I had been a part of some of the residents' lives. Aside from my husband, those who missed me the most were the fine ladies who used to share afternoon teas with me: Shelley---a lovely woman who used to be a model and so very much in love with a man named Marcus; Alexandra---a stay-at-home mom with three sons and a baby girl; Jaye---a hardworking no-nonsense woman; and Lulu---a sweet lady with a kind heart.

Most of the residents knew Lulu and her family did not belong there. They owned the smallest house in Dark Chocolate One Street, the one beside the biggest house in Sweet Homes, which was owned by the Whartons, the name behind Sweet Homes and Power Properties, a top real estate company of the country.

Lahat ng taga-Sweet Homes ay alam kung ano ang trabaho ni Lulu. Mahusay siyang manikurista at mapagkakatiwalaang kasambahay. Unang kita ko pa lang sa kanya ay magaan na kaagad ang loob ko sa kanya. Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit ko siya kinuhang tagalinis sa amin.

Kung alam ng lahat kung ano ang trabaho ni Lulu, wala naman ni isang taga-Sweet Homes ang nakakaalam kung ano ang trabaho ng kapatid niyang si Katalina.

Even I never asked her what Katalina did for a living. I only assumed it was a job that earned her a lot of money for her family to be able to live in Sweet Homes. Everyone was too polite to ask Lulu what Katalina did for a living.

Everyone except Mrs. Gracia Lopez, of course. Gracia Lopez was the gossip of Sweet Homes.

She had asked Lulu the question quite a few times and she never got a response for Lulu didn't know the answer as well. All that Lulu knew was that her sister's job was not something she could be proud of.

And she was right.

Katalina did almost every crime for her family to survive. She started young, had her own father as her trainor. Bawat trabaho ay nakapagpatibay sa kanyang sikmurang parati niyang ihinuhuli sa pagkalam. Una muna ang kanyang pamilya bago siya. She was the classic example of a person who had forgotten to put her name on her list. She took care of everything but herself.

In so many ways, she was like Beatrice Vivar, the woman behind Power Properties. She fell in love with John Wharton, they got married, and started Power Properties.

The initial high of love quickly faded for her. She had never loved any other man but her husband but she failed to notice that while Power Properties was climbing up the ladder of success, her marriage was slowly falling apart.

She was one tough woman, John was a sweetie pie. She made the decisions for them. And when she told John one son was enough, John thought she would change her mind in a couple of months, maybe a couple of years.

He was wrong.

Beatrice became a slave to Power Properties, thinking it was her and her husband's legacy that they will pass on to their only child, Gabriel.

And though John loved her so, he could not help but feel neglected. Beatrice stayed late in her office though he told her several times they should both retire. Everyday, he would wait for her in his office, feeling worse and worse each minute.

He regretted letting his wife go on like that without telling her he needed her.

He found comfort talking to a new employee. A smart young woman who cleaned his office every afternoon. He became friends with the woman, laughed with her, felt like he was young once again, and saw her like the daughter he might have had if only he exerted more effort in convincing Beatrice they needed another child.

The companionship he yearned to get from his wife, he got from the young woman. He gave her gifts, shared meals with her, laughed with her.

Until the day Beatrice came to his office raging mad. She had a subpoena in hand. The young lady filed a sexual harassment suit against him, to his horror.

He told Beatrice he never touched the girl. Beatrice did not seem to find his explanation important for she had decided to pay off the young woman. She said if someone else knew about it---though he swore it was not true---Power Properties would suffer.

Beatrice retired after that, so did John. But their marriage became worse for Beatrice looked at her husband differently since then. John told her he was only looking for some attention. He said he missed himself. He said he missed having a life. And that woman helped him have those things back in a way.

John did not have any idea he broke Beatrice's heart more with what he said. For Beatrice found it hard to accept that he found all that in another woman. And not her.

That young woman was no one else but Katalina. She conned John Wharton and got one great deal for it, including a house in Sweet Homes Residential Community.

17081@c\)