Nigel was looking at Manila Bay through the glass wall of his office in Pasay, Manila, but his attention wasn’t actually on the view. His mind was occupied by the raging hate and bitterness inside his heart by the thought of Vanessa; his wife – or former wife, rather.

　　Where did they start? He would still remember. Vanessa was one of their employees in a garment factory that imports for an international clothing line. He was twenty five then, and helping his father run the office and factory at the same time. His father was a good businessman and he taught him everything he had to learn. They have thousands of employees from two different branches but one particular face caught his eyes and his heart. Vanessa Madrid.

　　She was a simple clerk, helping in Logistic Department with paperworks and answering calls from time to time. She was twenty three and already finished her college degree of Business Administration. He was taken by her charm and good looks. A face that could launch a thousand ships, as they say. He pursued her and in six months’ time, she finally said yes to him.

　　That was one of the happiest days of his life. Or so he thought. The other one was when she said yes again when he proposed after their three years of being together. He gave her a dream wedding in Japan, a two thousand dollar wedding ring, and a yacht as a wedding gift. He was ecstatic at that time and he thought that their happiness will never end. But as soon as she became rich by his wealth, she started to change. She started partying, shopping non-stop, even tried a modeling career, and later on found her passion in traveling. Nevertheless, he allowed her to do her passion and explore herself and what will make her happy. And that was the biggest mistake of his life. Vanessa found another man and before he could save their marriage, she got pregnant with her lover and travel buddy.

　　He was devastated and was lost for months that even his father couldn’t do something to cheer him up. He stopped living for a while. He gave her the world, but she left him wounded and empty. After almost a year of living in the dark, he finally stood up again but the scars in his heart wouldn’t seem to heal.

　　Even until now.

　　Three months ago, he received a call from her asking for a divorce because the father of her child wants to marry her finally. He couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t accept how life seemed easy and happy for her after ruining his life, while he can’t even try to find his own happiness even with all the wealth he has. Two f*ucking years. Yet, he was still in that dark side of their past.

　　Someone knocked at his office door and he turned to see who went inside. His secretary handed him a brown envelope that according to her was from his father. He knew what was in the envelope. As soon as the secretary went out his office, he opened the envelope and started to scan the profiles of the women his father had chosen – A wife for sale. That was what he just needed.

　　Vanessa is now based in Singapore with his still unlawful husband but will be coming to Manila to finally arrange her divorce with him. His pride couldn’t take for her see that until now he hasn’t moved on. He had no time to look for a new girlfriend because hatred for love and women settled in his heart. He became cold and distant with every woman he meets. If not for Vanessa, he wouldn’t care anymore if he would live the rest of his life alone. He could bed someone for few hundred bucks and that was it. Intimacy and commitment was not his cup of tea anymore.

　　As soon as he reached the middle part of his scanning, he found a photo of a young woman with innocent eyes. The photo was a bit dull and it seemed that the photo was taken a year ago or so. He read her profile; twenty years old, a college undergraduate and a farmer. She lives in the province of Isabela . He took her file and throws away the rest of the files in the nearest trash bin. This girl is exactly what he was looking for. He thinks that she was the most submissive, obedient, and less complicated woman from the rest of them.

　　Cassandra Casimiro.

　　He instantly called his father and gave her name so he can meet her at this moment. Five minutes later, that particular woman knocked on his door. He opened it and found those innocent eyes staring at him like a scared cat. Who wouldn’t be? At her age, he would know that her parents were the one who sent her in that situation. No one would want to marry someone she hasn’t seen in her entire life. And even if he was the President’s son, a twenty year old virgin would not want to marry at all. Yes – Virgin. It was particularly written in her profile; maybe to attract him to choose her over the others.

　　“Come in, Miss Casimiro,” he said. She walked towards the room and sat on the receiving chair with her hands intertwined. She was small; might be 5’2” in height, with slender body and fair complexion. Her waist-length hair in the photo was now shorter, and he was right – the photo was a little younger compared to the woman in front of him; but twenty years old, nevertheless.

　　“Do you know why you are here, Miss Casimiro?” He intently gazed at her and saw how uneasy she was.

　　“Y-yes,” she answered in almost a whisper.

　　“And that is to what?” he asked again.

　　“T-to marry you,” she answered again with hesitation in her voice. She wasn’t scared though, or she was trying to hide her fears from him.

　　“Do you want to?” He leaned his back on the leather seat and waited for her answer. She said yes again, and for a moment he was just staring at her beautiful face.

　　“In that case, we will have to set rules even if we will marry later on,” he talked after a while. “As I paid you to be my wife, I want to discuss with you my conditions which you need to obey. First, you will never tell anyone about you being sold to me. Second, you will only be entitled to what I will give you – nothing more and nothing less. To give you the details of what you will receive; you will be receiving thirty thousand pesos monthly, a condo unit, and a car with a driver in case you want to go to groceries or go shopping.”

　　“You already paid my family in advance. There’s no need to pay me more.” There was a conviction in her voice.

　　“I am not paying you more. Everything you need will be provided by me as your husband. When you marry me, I will not allow you to work anymore. Meaning, you will have to stay in the house the whole day every day until the rest of your life.”

　　“That’s absurd,” she objected.

　　“Yes, my future wife,” he said in a sarcastic voice. “You will never meet another man in your life once you marry me.”

　　“I don’t need to meet another man,” she answered in her lower voice. He noticed that in her since she opened her mouth the first time; softly spoken and pleasant to the ears. But he can’t be fooled anymore.

　　“I don’t think you will still tell me that after a year, because even if we are married, I will never touch you nor have sex with you. There will never an intimacy between us.”

　　Confusion was in her eyes as he told her those last words. He reached for the intercom and asked the driver to come to his office. Minutes later, the driver knocked at his door and opened it by himself.

　　“Bring Cassandra to the house and tell the maid to let her stay at the guest room as she waits for me to come home,” he commanded. Cassandra followed the driver and he gave her the last look as she walked through the door.