They call her RED for a reason. Ang iba pa nga, evil red queen. The hallways would go eerily quiet once they hear the sound of her heels against the tiled floors. Madalas siyang makikitang nakapulang dress, matched with any designer red heels and red lipstick.

Regina Ecaterina Domingo is her name, the heiress. Red to her subordinates. Regine to her family. Bruhang nakapula to her jeje enemies.

"Morning, Red," bati sa kanya ni Vico, ang assistant niya.

She didn't stop to smile or greet him back. Instead, she removed her white coat and handed it to him, along with her Prada bag and Chanel sunglasses.

"Where's my coffee?" tanong niya rito.

"It's on your table already. Pour-over black, like you asked."

"I didn't ask. I ordered." Naningkit ang mata niya rito. "For how long?"

"Kalalagay ko lang," he assured her.

"It better be hot, Vico."

"It is!" Then with a low voice, Vico added. "Mapaso sana 'yang dila mo."

"What did you say?"

Ngumiti ito sa kanya. "Nothing. You better get to it, baka lumamig na sya kapag nagdaldalan pa tayo rito."

Tiningnan niya ito mula ulo hanggang paa. Si Vico naman ay mas lalong nilaparan ang ngiti. She raised one eyebrow and continued walking.

Nang pumasok si Red sa office niya, unang hinanap ng mata niya ang kapeng inihanda ni Vico. It was on the table, like he said, still steaming.

She sat on her chair and kicked the heels off. Saka niya kinuha ang kape at uminom. Nailayo niya kaagad ang bibig nang mapaso ang dila niya.

"Vico!" pasigaw niyang tawag sa assistant.

Natataranta itong pumasok sa office nya.

"Yes, Red?"

Padabog niyang inilapag ang tasa ng kape sa lamesa. "May plano ka bang pasuin ang dila ko?!" mataray niyang tanong.

Tumingin si Vico sa kape, tapos ay sa kanya, saka ito ngumiti.

"I'm sorry. Is it too hot?" malambing nitong tanong.

She glared at him. Ngali-ngali niya itong sakalin gamit ang sarili nitong shawl. But Vico is her cousin and her father would not want him harmed. But that doesn't mean that she could not make his life miserable.

"Make me another one or I swear I'll make you drink this down with one gulp!" she threatened.

"Fine." Kinuha nito ang tasa mula sa lamesa. "Anything else?"

"Pumunta ka sa Glorietta. Go buy me a book."

"Sarado pa ang Glorietta, Red."

"So? E di hintayin mong magbukas!"

"Okay."

"Huwag kang magta-taxi ha."

Napanganga ito. "What? Paano ako makapupuntang Glorietta nito?"

"Maglakad ka." Maghuhuramentado na sana ito nang magsalita siya ulit. "I want you to take a video of yourself while walking. Back and forth ha. I'll expect you to be back here by 10:05."

"Are you kidding me?! Alas dyes pa sila magbubukas! How the hell can I walk back here in five minutes?"

"Aba malay ko!"

"Red naman e..."

"Gagawin mo ba o gagawin kitang floor manager for a month?" mataray niyang tanong.

Pulang-pula na ito sa inis. Gusto niyang matawa but she was wary of the coffee in his hands. Baka ibuhos nito sa kanya.

"Fine, be here before 10:30," she amended.

"Okay!"

Pabalabag nitong isinarado ang pintuan ng office niya on his way out.

Nagsisisi si Vico kung bakit nya pa nabanggit ang mga katagang 'anything else'. Nakalimutan na yata niyang may pagka-demonyo ang pinsan niyang si Red. Not that it's possible. May boyfriend kasi ito ngayon kaya akala niya'y mahahaluan naman ng kaunting kabaitan ang budhi nito. He should have known better.

Every time that he would ask her if there is anything else she wants him to do, she will give him the most difficult thing she could think of, just to piss him off.

He hates Regina and she feels the same towards him. All because he stole her lipstick back in high school. Kahit magpinsan sila, he wasn't allowed to call her Regine. She said that he would just demean the name.

Padabog niyang itinapon ang kape sa sink saka niya itinapon ang mug. Regina likes to use a different cup every day. Kapag nahalata nitong nag-recycle sya ng tasa, babasagin nito iyon sa harap niya. She would make him clean, the Cinderella way. Hands and knees on the floor. And worse, she would force him to use his scarf or shawl to clean up her mess.

Nataon minsan na ang scarf na bigay ng boyfriend niya ang ipinagamit nito sa kanyang pamunas. Hindi niya napigilang umiyak habang nililinis ang sahig.

Regina is evil. Everybody thinks so. Her dad made her the Vice President of the Human Resource department habang ang isa naman nitong anak, si Vincent, ang VP ng Operations. Vincent is the only one who can level with Regina. But he's currently in Malaysia for a business trip.

Kapag nasa kumpanya si Vincent, even the employees from HR would run to him for help. He was well-loved, kahit pa ampon lang ito. Kung gaano niya kinamumuhian si Regina, ganoon naman ang pagkagusto niya kay Vincent. There was even a time when he thought he was in love with him. But Vincent already rejected him, so that's old news.

Now, he's happy with his current boyfriend. If only he could get out of Regina's claws, then his life would be perfect.

But he still needs to be with her for three more years before the debt was paid. May pagkakautang kasi ang pamilya niya sa pamilya nito. And his parents, having no money left, gave him to his uncle as payment!

Parang isang telenobela ang buhay niya. He didn't even think that they could do it until it's done! Lucky for him, his uncle is a good man. Instead of enslaving him, pinag-aral pa sya nito at binigyan ng trabaho. Dalawang taon na siyang nagtatrabaho sa kumpanya as Regina's assistant. Three more years... tatlong taon na lang, laya na siya.

He'd probably live with his boyfriend by then. Ayaw na niyang balikan ang mommy at daddy niya. Hindi pa rin niya napapatawad ang mga ito dahil sa ginawa ng mga ito sa kanya, even though that turned out to be a good thing.

"Sir Vico."

"Yes?" Bumalik siya sa pantry nang may tumawag sa pangalan niya.

"Follow up daw po sa coffee ni Ms. Red," sabi ng isang empleyado.

Naawa naman siya sa hitsura nito. The poor girl was shaking! Siguro ay ito ang unang nakita ni Regina pagkabukas nito ng pintuan ng office.

"Okay. Tell her it will be ready in a few minutes."

Nag-alangan ito, parang ayaw nang bumalik.

Napabuntong-hininga sya.

"Never mind."

Nagpasalamat ito sa kanya at saka umalis. Ngayon, kailangan na naman niyang ulitin ang metikulosong proseso ng paghahanda ng kape ni Regina. Kasalanan din naman kasi niya. Nataranta siya kanina kaya basta na lang niya ibinuhos ang mainit na tubig over a cloth containing freshly brewed coffee.

Pour-over coffee is not something that he could do in two minutes. May kung anu-ano pang cheche bureche na kailangan niyang isaalang-alang bago niya makuha ang tamang timpla ng kape. And to top it off, nakalimutan nyang lagyan ng sugar yung kape kanina.

Blessing in disguise na rin siguro at napaso ang dila ni Regina.

Iritadong-iritado si Regina dahil fifteen minutes na e wala pa rin ang kape niya. She can't start her morning right without coffee kaya tumawag na lang siya ng isang empleyado para magpabili ng kape. She can't stand the taste of Starbucks or Figaro coffee. It's not because they're not delicious. It's just that she prefers something specifically made just for her.

Mas gusto niya yung kapeng kinalakihan niya. Her mom would always make aa perfect cup for her every morning. Well, that is, before she passed away. Maybe it's because she misses the taste, or she simply misses her, kaya pinakuha pa niya ng ilang lessons ang pinsan niyang si Vico para matutunan lamang kung paano magtimpla ng kapeng kagaya ng timpla ng mommy niya.

But now, he's still in the pantry, probably with his head stuck in the brewer.

She took two sips of the café latte with pumps of Irish cream before throwing it in the garbage. She wrinkled her nose and looked out the window, hoping that the skylines would shift her mood.

"Sorry kung natagalan," she heard Vico say.

Paglingon niya'y inilalapag na nito ang kape sa lamesa niya.

"What took you so long?!"

"I was preoccupied."

"With what?!" Pinamay-awangan niya ito. "Umayos ka, Vico, ha! Binabayaran ka rito para magtimpla ng kape ko, hindi para makipagtsismisan!"

"Yes, Red," sagot naman nito.

Sumalampak siya sa upuan at saka hinila ang tasa na nakapatong sa mamahaling saucer.

"Pwede na ba akong magsimulang maglakad papuntang Glorietta? It's almost 9:30," tanong nito.

She shook her head.

"Change of plans. You're going to the airport instead."

He gaped. "You'll make me walk to the airport?!"

"Bakit? Gusto mong maglakad?" taas-kilay niyang tanong. "Try mo. Good luck sa 'yo!"

Agad itong umiling. "Nagtatanong lang naman."

"Bring the company car. Nagpapasundo si Vincent."

Hindi ni Vico napigilan ang isang kilay sa pagtaas. Alam naman niyang hindi magkasundo sina Vincent at Regina pero bakit kailangang siya ang susundo? Vincent is one of the vice presidents. Surely, may sundo naman itong sadya?

"Bakit sya nagpapasundo? Di ba may sundo naman na sya?"

"Aba malay ko. Why don't you ask him when you see him?" pabalik nitong tanong.

"Bakit hindi ikaw ang sumundo? Ikaw ang tinawagan, di ba?"

"Busy ako."

"Doing what?"

Ni hindi pa nga nakabukas ang computer nito.

"Sipping coffee," she answered. "Now, go away before I change my mind and make you walk to the airport."

She did not need to tell him twice.