It was already 10:20 in the evening, according to Sean’s watch.

Recto Station in Manila was the last stop of the LRT Line 2 before turning back to Santolan in far-off Pasig City. Around this time, the station becomes busy as the last few batches of passengers come and go.

The station was swarming with commuters on their way from school or work. The throng that alighted the previous train have already made their way to the turnstiles. The last commercial train of the day was expected to arrive soon with people just as eager to end their day.

The other side of the platform was empty, and once the last train arrives and empties itself of its passengers, the station would close in a few minutes.

The flurry of activity left a lot to the imagination, but not for Sean, who felt alone amidst it all.

The small bouquet of flowers by his feet rustled as a soft wind blew past the tracks. His backpack lay undisturbed beside him.

Sean combed his flat-top hair while glancing at the mirror above him. He fidgeted on his cellphone, thumbing on its keypad as he eagerly looked left and right, and shook his legs to relieve the tension mounting in his body.

He had never been this impatient in his entire life. He knew it was time to go, but he was unwilling to leave. At least, until he has accomplished what he had come for.

He was waiting on the platform for one goal alone, and he was afraid he would fail.

-------------

Sean and Betty met online three months ago, when she stumbled upon his profile in a travel group. He thought at first that she was an auto-liker, because all of his posts had her likes in them.

She initiated the conversation between them. They first chatted in a thread on summer vacation spots, and soon enough, they began conversing in their own window. They chatted every night, talking about work and random matters about their lives.

He introduced himself as a broker from Miami, 39 years-old. He loved beaches, jazz music, and the night life, and he never shied away from the impression that he was single and looking for love.

She, a daytime call center agent, was only 26, working in Manila while her family lived far away. She loved watching Korean drama series, and was working hard for her future.

Sean was easily drawn to Betty. Perhaps it was her red-brown hair, her tantalizing brown eyes, or her round cheeks that captivated him, or maybe it was her frequent quotes about love and freedom. She struck him as a free spirit, eager for adventure and romance.

What attracted Betty to him was none of his concern. She just liked him because she felt he was “special”, and that was all he needed to know.

Hearing her voice over the phone for the first time excited Sean more. Her voice was sweet and soothing, like that of an angel, for lack of a better term.

“We look good together,” she said in one message. “It’s a blessing for me to share my life with someone as special as you.”

The naughty messages from Betty soon came in. She sent him pictures of herself in various forms of undress. It was her first time posing sexily for a man, she said. Her sultry voice narrating how often she thought of him made his blood boil and drove his imagination wild.

The exchanges went on and on, each message more provocative than the last. When Sean asked why Betty was doing this for him, she only replied, “Because you’re special.”

The two met face to face when Sean made a personal trip to Manila. It took a lot of convincing for Betty to agree to see him. Sean was insistent. He had flown far just to see her, after all.

It was a Wednesday night, and they agreed to meet at the LRT2 Recto Station at 10:30 in the evening, when the last train arrives.

She was shy around him at first, but after a sumptuous dinner and drinks at a restaurant of her choice in Malate’s red light district, she became more affable, more talkative, and fonder of him. She had an eye for fancy places, and knew all the posh and trendy nightspots in Manila. She loved partying as much as he did.

Betty was an angel online, but Sean never expected that she showed a fiery side. She was good with her fingers and her tongue, and the way she moved and cried out his name brought him to great heights of pleasure. And she was glad to pleasure him back so much. He was special to her, after all.

-------------

The lights of the station flickered one by one, signaling that the area was closing soon. Sean looked around him, and noticed that there was nobody else in the platform. Until the last train arrives, at least.

His cellphone vibrated in his pocket. As soon as he opened the text message, he heaved a loud sigh as his face wrinkled in exasperation.

------------

A distressing message came from Betty. Her mother fell sick, she told him. It was kidney failure, and her earnings were just enough to cover the initial treatment. On top of that, her father lost his job, and suffered a heart attack. She was, in effect, the only remaining breadwinner left in the family.

She was ashamed to talk about it, especially to someone she had just met. She didn’t want to sound like a desperate beggar. But Sean was quick to oblige. He had the means, after all. He saw nothing wrong with helping someone close to him, even though they’ve only met online.

He sent via money transfer twenty thousand pesos, an amount she was reluctant at first to accept. But accept the amount she still did, and when they talked via video chat that night, she was half-choking in tears.

“I knew I could count on you,” Betty said. “That’s why you’re special to me.”

She asked for another twenty thousand pesos two weeks later, saying her paycheck was late and she couldn’t pay for her parents’ medicine. She was crying on the phone when he called her about it. It was quite sudden; even so, Sean didn’t hesitate to help her. He didn’t want to see her suffering.

Sean was back in Manila a few weeks later, and Betty agreed to meet him at the Recto Station the same way before. He meant to ask her about her parents, hoping that he could help them get better treatment. But she was hesitant to talk about them.

“I want to forget, even just for tonight,” she said to him. “I want to think more about spending time with you.”

Since then, Betty averted every mention of her family, choosing instead to take Sean around more nightspots, and act cheerful and playful around him. She even took him to a night market and begged him to buy her new clothes and accessories.

Again, Sean obliged, if only to comfort her somehow. Seems she couldn’t spend for herself anymore.

They came to each other for hours that night. She was wild and eager with him, as if she wanted to channel all of her anxiety and pain into sex. She made sure he would enjoy every inch of her, and she did not fail to deliver.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she cried out. “I don’t want you to go. You’re special to me. Don’t leave me.”

Sean felt himself bursting with want at Betty’s words. But as he looked into her lust-filled eyes, he felt some sort of deep-seethed disquiet.

-------------

Sean looked at his watch again. It was almost 10:30 p.m., but the last train has not arrived yet. He noticed the guards have not signaled for him to leave the platform. He can still wait a bit longer until the station closes.

Deep inside, he felt more alone and lonelier by the minute. He wished all of this would be done and done with.

-------------

Betty went offline a day after Sean’s previous date with her. She would not answer any chat messages. Her phone was unreachable too. None of the friends in her list would tell him about her or where she could be contacted.

An inexplicable fear crept in Sean’s mind. Why would she want to cut off ties with him, after all the time they’ve spent together?

His answer came a few hours later in the form of a message from an unknown user in his inbox.

“We know you’re seeing that whore,” the message from a Filipino-looking man with an obviously fake name said. “We know a secret that will ruin her. If you want to protect the bitch, you will do as we say.”

Extortionists, huh. This must be why Betty had been anxious that time. But he was hesitant whether to confront the suspect, or to find another way to contact her and find out what’s going in.

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Everything seemed to fall into place.

She was in deep trouble with her parents, he thought. Now she’s the target of extortionists. Not to mention she owed him money. They must have known about him, and how many times he gave her money for her parents.

No, no, the money’s got nothing to do with this. She was in need, and he helped her because he cared for her.

Sean received another message the next day, this time from Betty. She apologized for not answering his messages. Her mother had complications, she explained, and she had to take out a loan to pay for an operation. She was in a direr need of money than before.

He heaved a sigh of relief as her phone rang.

“Are you all right? Are you hurt?” Sean immediately asked.

“I’m okay,” Betty replied on the line. “Is it all right then if I ask you for…”

“Are you being threatened? Why is someone targeting you?”

“Targeting me? I don’t understand. Look, about my mother…”

“Why is someone trying to ruin you before your family?”

“Sean, I really don’t understand what you’re saying,” Betty replied, now in an annoyed tone. “Now, I know I’ve asked too much, but please, could you-“

“Why won’t you come clean, Betty?” Sean said, raising his voice. “You’re in trouble, your parents are sick, you’re strapped in cash, and now, someone is threatening you…”

“Why aren’t you listening to me? I get it, then… You don’t care about me! You don’t trust me at all!”

The line went dead right afterwards.

Great job, Sean thought to himself. Now she hates you.

He stared at his inbox, pondering what to do with Betty’s situation.

…hates me for what?

-------------

Sean left a message at Betty’s inbox the next day, saying he was about to send her the money she requested. He also asked where she was so he could call her.

Her response was almost immediate. “I’m still at work,” she replied via chat. “I’m sorry for getting mad at you. I’m sorry for being a burden. I owe you so much, and you mean so much to me. You’ll always be special to me.”

“Is your mother all right now?”

“Yes. About the money, could you…”

Betty’s message was lengthy and detailed, but Sean was too distracted to read it. His attention was on the romantic scene at the other side of Recto Station. It was a young woman in jeans and a plain fitted shirt, locked in a playful embrace with a foreign-looking man.

-------------

The last commercial train arrived at 10:34p.m., a few minutes later than usual. A small crowd alighted from the train, quickly scattering towards the exit. In a few minutes, the platform was empty, save for Sean and a few janitors.

Sean was becoming impatient. The train was late, the station was closing, and his objective was behind schedule. But he refused to let his annoyance get the better of him.

The sound of hurried footsteps approaching him caught his attention.

A young woman in jeans and a fitted shirt soon came half-running towards Sean, her hair nearly untangled from its ponytail. She stopped right before him, heaving heavily as she caught her breath.

“I-I’m sorry!” Betty said in between gasps. “I was at the other end… I thought I wouldn’t spot you around. I was about to call you… I thought you’ve given up on me.”

Sean shook his head, clutching his backpack near his shoulder. “I was waiting for you here all this time, Betty,” he replied. “I thought you wouldn’t show up anymore.”

She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a smack on the lips. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. You’re special, after all.”

Sean offered the bouquet of flowers, which she gaily accepted. “I knew you’d say that,” he said. “That’s why I prepared this surprise for you.”

“You surprised me, all right. Why didn’t you tell me that you’re coming to Manila? I would have made arrangements for us.”

“You don’t have to. I only wanted to make sure I could see you again. And I’m glad to see you’re fine now.”

Betty’s eyes widened, sensing a chill running up her spine. She draped her arms around her body as she looked at Sean. His face was stern and cold, and his voice hinted of pain. His eyes gazed straight at her as if she was being probed.

“Sean? Sean, is something wrong?” Betty nervously asked.

The man only shook his head. He pulled out an envelope from his pocket, and gingerly handed her the envelope. “I have something that I meant to give you. Remember?” he simply said.

He could see the flash of excitement in Betty’s eyes as she opened the envelope. It contained a total of fifty thousand pesos in cash, which she carefully counted before him. The young woman smiled impishly, feigning surprise, upon confirming the amount.

After inserting the envelope into her bag, Betty grabbed Sean’s arm and leaned on his shoulder. “So, what would you like to do tonight?” she asked. “I may know a good place that you’d like. But how about we go to The Fort for a change? There’s a nice Japanese restaurant I’ve heard about there.”

Sean shook his head, and led her to the train station’s exit leading back to Recto Avenue. His lips pursed as the woman rattled off her recommended night spots.

“I already have a place in mind,” Sean then suggested, pointing to the exit.

Betty let out an ear-piercing shriek as she recognized the lights shining before her. She pushed away Sean and scrambled back to the stairs, only to meet a pair of uniformed policemen leading two men in handcuffs by the arm.

She tried to run to the streets, but she was already surrounded by another group. A cop in casual clothes with a police ID around his neck grabbed her from behind and handcuffed her as well.

“Betty Ligaya, or rather Analiza Magnaye, you’re under arrest for estafa,” the plainclothes cop pronounced.

Another man with reddish hair and semi-formal office attire approached Sean and tapped his shoulder. “Good job convincing her to show up,” he said. “That woman has been on our wanted list for months now. I’m glad that you agreed to help us corner her.”

“I was worried at first that you were extortionists,” Sean replied glumly. “I was pretty convinced that she was in trouble. That message of yours was pretty threatening. I didn’t realize I’m the one being victimized.”

“We contacted you when we confirmed you were dating the suspect. The other victims learned about you and hoped you’d turn the tables on her somehow. All they could do was fill us in.”

“I just can’t believe everything she did… The sick parents, her stories… She sounded so real. And to think we’ve gone all the way.”

“She’s a pro-dater. She and her cohorts targets single foreigners like you. Her modus operandi is to seduce you, and then make you shell out as much money on her as possible. Food, merchandise, financial aid… She’ll milk you dry, then leave you brokenhearted and penniless.”

Sean did not reply, and instead approached Betty – Analiza – just as a cop was about to shove her into a police car. She looked at him with teary, pleading eyes.

“How could you do this to me?” she asked in a sad tone. “I loved you. That’s why I showed up. I would have run away with your money. I was glad that you came for me. I didn’t really want to do this, you know?”

“I was convinced that you were,” Sean replied bitterly. “How many more of us have you tricked with those words?”

“No, Sean! I meant everything I said! ‘It’s a blessing for me to share my life with someone as special as you,’ remember? You’re the only one for me! We’ve been together for so long! We’ve even made love many times! Sean, why would you do this?”

The man coldly gazed straight back at the scammer. “Because you’re special.”

The woman’s once forlorn face curled in anger. Her eyes blazed with disgust towards Sean. She shouted invectives left and right, cursing him and everything he’s worth. She tried to charged towards him, her handcuffed arms raised in fury, but the cops were already all over her and dragging her back to the police car.

Sean looked around him as he leaned on the wall in resignation. His mind was tired from everything he went through with that woman. He felt empty; if not his pockets, then at most his heart.

He could only watch blankly as police led away the woman he thought he loved. By then, the train station was swarming with cops and kibitzers, but he felt alone amidst it all.

-30-