A regular customer at work said, “GIVE BIRTH to me with a son to carry on the family line, and you will have ₱700,000 (seven hundred thousand pesos), and you can start your life over again.”

I, Lourdes Anne “Lani” Dela Cruz, had just turned 18 years old, and I packed my bags and left my hometown of Leyte for Manila with the dream of changing my life. My hometown was poor, my father had died early, and my mother had worked hard to raise three children by selling kakanin. I didn’t want my mother to suffer any more, so I decided to go to the city and work as a dishwasher for a small mami & siomai karinderya in Pasay. The work was hard, and I was covered in grease every day, but I gritted my teeth and endured. “I’ll just have to work hard for a few years, save enough money, and open a small tailor shop to bring my mother up,” I told myself.

Six months passed, and I gradually got used to the rhythm of life. One day, he showed up. The man named Adrian Navarro, about 38 years old, came to the shop every Saturday morning, ordered a bowl of rare beef mami, ate slowly and elegantly. He was tall, had an expensive suit, and a sparkling watch. Regular customers said he was a real estate tycoon, with dozens of apartments for rent throughout Metro Manila. Every time he came, his eyes were glued to me, his half-smile full of mystery.

One night, when I was wiping the table at the end of my shift, Adrian suddenly sat down and called me out to talk. He went straight to the point:

“Lani, you are young and beautiful, but life is not easy. I have a proposal: Give birth to a son for me to carry on the family line. I will give you ₱700,000 — enough for you to start your life over. A house, a car… anything you want.”

His words were like honey poured into my ears. ₱700,000! With that amount of money, I could pay off my mother’s debt, open a tailor shop, and send my youngest brother to college. I hesitated, but his cold eyes and authoritative voice made me unable to refuse.

“Okay, I agree,” I replied, my heart pounding.

Adrian quickly rented me a condo in Makati. My life changed dramatically: from a hot rented room, I entered a luxurious world with leather sofas and cool air conditioning. He provided me with pocket money and nice clothes — but in return, I had to “serve” him whenever he wanted. During the long nights, lying next to him, my tears fell silently. I consoled myself: “Just give birth, and I will have everything.”

Part 3: Tragedy Strikes

Nine months later…..

nabuntis ako. Tila nasiyahan si Adrian, inalagaan niya ako ng mabuti, ngunit nagsimula akong makakita ng mga kakaibang palatandaan. Madalas siyang mawala ng isang buong linggo, hindi available ang phone niya. Minsan, narinig ko siyang nagsasalita, nanginginig ang boses: “Hindi niya dapat alam, talagang hindi!” Na-curious ako, pero hindi ako naglakas-loob na magtanong.

Noong araw na nabasag ang tubig ko, dahil sa sakit ay tinawag ko ang pangalan niya sa kawalan ng pag-asa. Dinala ako ni Adrian sa isang pribadong ospital sa Makati, hinawakan ang aking kamay, nangako: “Pagkatapos manganak, magkakaroon ka ng lahat.” Pero nang magising ako pagkatapos ng cesarean section, nawala na ang magandang baby boy na nakahiga sa tabi ko, si Adrian. Walang paliwanag, walang text message. Tinawagan ko, blocked ang number niya. Pagbalik ko sa condo, nag-panic ako — wala na yung mga gamit niya.

Niyakap ko ang anak ko, humihikbi. Pagkatapos ay isang babae ang nagpakita sa ospital. Inangkin niya na siya ang legal na asawa ni Adrian, ang kanyang mga mata ay kasing lamig ng kutsilyo:

“Sa tingin mo ba mahal ka talaga ng asawa ko? Iligtas ng batang ito ang anak ko — kailangan niya ng bone marrow transplant. Tool ka lang!”

Matagal na pala itong pinagplanuhan ni Adrian. Ang kanyang panganay na anak ay may leukemia at nangangailangan ng kapatid na may kaugnayan sa dugo para sa bone marrow transplant upang mailigtas ang kanyang buhay. Ang ₱700,000 ay isang palusot lamang, isang walang laman na pangako para akitin ako. Hindi ako ang una, kundi ang pangatlong biktima na sinamantala niya. Nasa kamay na nila ang batang dinala at ipinanganak ko, at ako ay pinalayas sa condo, na walang ni isang sentimo sa aking bulsa.

Bahagi 4: Ang Pangwakas na Pagkabigla

Bumalik ako sa Leyte, hawak-hawak ko ang hindi maipaliwanag na sakit. Tumingin sa akin ang aking ina, tanging ang alam ko lang kung paano umiyak. Sinubukan kong magsimulang muli, ngunit gabi-gabi ang mga alaala ni Adrian at ng batang dinala.

Makalipas ang isang taon, nakita ko siya sa telebisyon, sa isang ulat tungkol sa mga real estate tycoon sa GMA/ANC. Matingkad siyang nakangiti kasama ang kanyang asawa at mga anak; ang sanggol — ang aking anak — ay naglalaro sa tabi nila. Masaya silang namumuhay, at isa lang akong blot na nabura sa buhay niya.

Tumayo ako sa harap ng salamin, tinitingnan ang aking haggard na mukha, nagtataka:
Makakahanap pa ba ako ng hustisya? O tuluyan na akong magiging biktima ng pangakong ₱700,000?