The Catastrophic Wager

Prologue

"Ma'am Heloise, may naghahanap po sa inyo sa baba."

I looked at Jenny, one of our maids, full of terror. "Sino raw?"

Malakas pa rin ang kabog ng dibdib ko. Alam ko na dapat wala akong katakutan. Hindi ako dapat matakot. I'm safe now. Wala nang makakapanakit sa'kin.

"Hindi ko po alam, ma'am. Mga pulis po."

I sighed in relief. Tumayo ako saka bumaba palabas ng bahay. The guard opened the gate when he saw me approaching.

The police officers looked at me saka nagtinginan sa kapwa police nila, "Sigurado ba kayo na ito yung babaeng yon?"

The other officer glanced at me and replied, "Parang hindi naman po sir. Mukha naman pong inosente si ma'am."

I cleared my throat to get their attention, "Is there a problem?"

They all stood straight and looked at me. "Are you Doctor Heloise Clove Benavidez y Zamora?"

Kumunot ang noo ko, yet nodded. I was about to ask them why nang bigla silang magsalita.

"You are under arrest for the murder of your boyfriend, Mister Dexter Santistevan."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. I knew that he would die sooner or later but I didn't expect it to be this soon! "I think you're mistaken."

"You can identify the victim yourself, ma'am." Akmang hahawakan nila ako pero mabilis kong iniiwas ang braso ko. I can't handle someone touching my skin again. I'll lose my mind completely from the trauma... hindi ko na kaya umulit sa ganon.

"I'll take my car, take the lead," Nagtinginan naman ulit sila. "Two of you can take my other car to trail me. Or place a gps inside my car or whatever, just let me see him," I offered when I saw them hesitating.

Pumayag naman sila kaya binigay ko sa kanila yung susi ng Everest. I went inside my Porsche saka pilit na pinakalma ang sarili ko. Maybe they were mistaken. They should be mistaken. I didn't even got the chance to tell my dad yung kademonyohang ginawa sa'kin ni Dexter, tapos malalaman ko nalang bigla na patay na siya? No. You're playing unfair, Dexter.

Kahit na masakit yung tiyan ko dahil sa saksak ni Dexter kagabi, pinili ko pa rin sumama.

***

"No. This isn't real," I shook my head while saying those words repeatedly. I covered my mouth and sat on the floor when I saw Dexter's body laying on the cold piece of metal in a morgue. His neck was slit, showing his larynx, and half of his face was burnt.

I loved him. Kahit gaano siya kademonyo, minahal ko pa din naman siya. Or maybe it was just pure infatuation?

The officer was about to touch me when I jolted, "Don't touch me!!" Kanina ko pa sinasabi na huwag. How stubborn are they? Hindi ba sila nakakaintindi?

I heard footsteps approaching, "She's coming with me."

Bumilis agad ang tibok ng puso ko.

He shouldn't be here...

He shouldn't see me in this state...