Xylia Victoria Margaret Oligario's Point Of View
What's it like to spend years studying the rules of law, only to discover the countless ways it can be manipulated?
They say studying law isn't for everyone. It's like fighting a battle where you might be defending the very thing that could bring you down. There's no room for error; this isn't a game where you can afford to stumble. One misstep can have catastrophic consequences.
And honestly, I never wanted this. If anyone asked, this isn't the path I'd choose. It's their desires, not mine.
"Victoria? How's your studies?" I came back to my senses when I heard my Dad's voice.
"T . . . They're good, Dad." I said, forcing a smile as I cut my meat.
"You should be, after all you're gonna be the next politician in our family, right?" His words hung in the air, heavy with expectation. I nodded, the familiar weight of his unspoken demands settling on my shoulders. Disagreement was a luxury I couldn't afford.
"There are so many benefits to a political career. After graduation, you should immediately run for mayor or governor," he suggested, his tone brooking no argument.
"Dad…." I began, my voice barely a whisper, "I was thinking of becoming a public lawyer first. I don't want to run for office without experience."
His eyebrows furrowed. "Public lawyer? Really? You could work at my friend's firm. It's private, lucrative."
"Actually, Hon. Victoria's idea is good, I mean. . . It can help to boost our image knowing our first daughter is a public lawyer, they can see that our family is deserving to become a leader not only in our community but in our country." Mom said and smiled at me.
"Fine, whatever. But make sure that after a year of serving in public, you will shift into my friend's law firm and starts your journey as a politician."
"Yes, Dad." I nodded.
"I just want the best for you, Victoria. You know, my friend's son—he's only four years older than you—is already a famous and successful lawyer. Do you remember him? He was in the Top 10 of the Board Exam, and now, many firms are chasing after him. He's already won several cases. That's the kind of success you should aim for."
Here we go again. Our conversations never end without him comparing me to someone else.
"Imagine the impact on our family's reputation if you made it into the Top 10 of your Board Exams. Even without starting as Mayor, you could go straight to the Senate. Your Uncle Roger and I will handle everything else."
He never stops pushing that idea. Even back in college, he always talked about me going into politics.
But the truth? I never wanted any of that. How can I solve the country's problems when I can't even fix my own?
"Are you listening, Victoria?"
"Yes, Dad. I promise I'll be in the Top 10. I won't… disappoint you."
"You'd better. You chose this path over running the family business, remember? So you need to commit. It was the right decision—I'm confident you won't let us down, unlike your brother who only cares about partying."
"Hon," my mom said softly, trying to calm him down.
"What? I'm just telling the truth. Where is that good-for-nothing Chase now? Probably at some club again."
I sighed and quietly went back to slicing my food.
"You need to keep an eye on your brother, Victoria. He can't keep being a disgrace to this family. Didn't he almost get into a fight the other day? We were lucky we settled it and paid the guy off. If not, we'd be all over the media."
"Yes, Dad… I will," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
After dinner, I retreated to my room, the weight of my father's expectations heavy on my shoulders. I took a half bath, trying to wash away the frustration that lingered from our conversation. Once finished, I grabbed my books and began annotating—my only escape from the looming pressure of becoming the next politician in the Oligario line.
Today is Saturday and we don't have physical classes today, only some readings that need to be recital next monday.
It is really sucks to become a law student, we need to recite cases for straight week. Different Cases in different days.
But it was interrupted when my boyfriend, Razen, called. I answered his FaceTime call.
"Hi, Babe. What's up? Were you about to sleep?" He said, and I shook my head.
"No, Babe. I'm studying for our recitation next week." I showed him the book on my study table.
"Oh, sorry. Did I disturb you? I just wanted to check up on you." I smiled.
"No, Babe. What's up? I'm good, don't worry. I just finished dinner; how about you?"
He's been my boyfriend for almost three years. We started dating when I was in my second year of college, meeting at my Dad's meeting de avance. His dad and mine were good friends, both in politics. Since I always got bored at my Dad's political events, he was always there to accompany me.
We're also at the same school, Ateneo de Manila, but in different courses. His is Legal Management, and mine is Political Science (pre-law). We went on similar paths, but after college, we went our separate ways.
I continued studying at Ateneo de Manila School of Law, while he transferred to the University of Santo Tomas due to family reasons. I let him, as long as he still has time for me.
"I just got home; we had a meeting earlier at the Municipal Hall."
"Oh? How was it?"
"It was good but kind of tiring; we discussed the activities for next month's event. Anyway, how was your day?"
"Nothing new here," I replied, a wry smile on my face. "Just endless cases. No rest for the wicked."
"You should rest, Babe," he said gently. "It's bad for your health."
"I will," I promised, but the promise felt hollow, even to me.
"I missed you so much, Babe. Can we hang-out tomorrow?"
"Sorry, Babe. I'm swamped today, I'm stuck with all my readings. Maybe next time? Sorry." He smiled and nodded
"It's okay, Babe. No worries, I understand."
We talked for a while, a brief respite from the pressure. But at 10 pm, I had to end the call. I still had mountains of reading to do.
TIME SKIPS
As I yawned for the seventh time and checked the clock, It was 2 in the morning—I closed my book, placed my glasses on the bedside table, and switched off the lamp, hoping for sleep to bring some relief.
But just as I began to drift off, my phone buzzed. A notification from David pulled me back into reality.
david: Hey, have you seen this?
David sent a link.
I clicked the link, my eyebrows furrowing as rumors about my father's illegal activities filled the screen. . . Or are they still just rumors?
Scrolling through the article, I was met with a torrent of emotional reactions from netizens, their disdain palpable.
chen_: The Oligario family's governance is truly disgusting. The system is rotten.
user092221: That explains why his wife only knows shopping and partying, it's obvious that it's our money.
user982201: Senator Oligario should be impeach in the Dominion House.
It was full of hate comments.
Being the daughter of a corrupt politician is exhausting. Fighting for justice… while my family's legacy is built on its antithesis.
david: Is this true? Or…
david: I mean, don't get me wrong… this issue is coming out of nowhere. Maybe it's some kind of fakes news, right? To ruin your family's reputation?
I typed a reply:
xylia: I don't give a damn, let them.
I switched off my phone and placed it back on my bedside table. What's the point of defending netizens' rights if your father, the one supposedly helping them, is secretly abusing them?
Screw his actions.
I was about to fall asleep when I heard multiple knocks on my door. Confused, I got up and opened it.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry, Victoria. Did I wake you?" she asked, her voice nervous. "Your dad was talking with his friend, and… he said Chase got into trouble again."
I frowned at her words, but before I could respond, Dad stormed in, clearly furious.
"Can you call your brother? I've been trying to reach him—nothing."
"He's causing trouble again, for Pete's sake—right when I'm presenting a project to the council!"
I rushed to grab my phone from my room.
He didn't pick up.
"Dad, he's not answering."
"I don't care! Keep calling him!" he shouted, making me flinch. I redialed immediately. Dad stormed off, and Mom followed, trying to calm him down.
Damn it, Chase… Pick up.
After several rings, he finally answered. There was shouting and loud noise in the background.
"Hey, Sis! What's up?" he said casually.
"Come home, Chase. Do you even know what time it is? Dad is furious—you've gotten into trouble again."
"I can't. I'm at the police station. They won't let me go, even though I told them I'm the son of a senator. I think the cop who arrested us is new."
I facepalmed.
"Whatever. Stay there, I'll talk to Dad about that." I hung up and went downstairs.
"Dad, Chase is at the police station. They won't release him."
"I told you so," he muttered, grabbing his keys and coat. "Come with me, Victoria. Call your Uncle Mike and tell him what happened."
Uncle Mike is the Director General of the PNP. I sent him a quick text, and he immediately called Dad. A few minutes later, we were in the car—Mom in the front seat, me in the back—as Dad drove straight to the police station.
There he was. Sitting with his friends, laughing like it was no big deal.
"Chase," I called.
He turned, smiling. Obviously drunk. "Hey, Sis. What's up?"
I sighed. Dad gave him a sharp glare before walking over to speak with the Police General. It only took a minute before they let Chase go.
That's how the system works when you've got connections.
When we got home, we were just about to head to our rooms when Dad suddenly punched Chase in the face. He fell, blood dripping from his lip, and Mom rushed between them.
"Hon, please stop," she pleaded.
"I told you, didn't I?" Dad shouted. "I let you go out, party, live your life—but don't you ever do anything that could ruin our reputation!"
I dropped to the floor, holding Chase as he groaned in pain.
"You're such a disappointment, Chase. You should be grateful I gave you a chance to manage our business after graduation. You should be thanking your sister for saving your ass—not wasting our money on your vices!"
He grabbed Chase by the collar. Mom kept pleading, trying to pull him away.
"Fix yourself, young man," Dad growled. "If you still want a place in this family." He let go and stormed off.