2

“Tiyong, how is Nanay doing? Have you spoken to a doctor? Is someone looking after her?”

Izzy fired off one question after another to her uncle, Oscar, her mother's younger brother, as she found him standing in front of the hospital ward where her mother was.

“The doctors haven’t said anything yet, Izzy. They’re still inside treating your mom—”

Izzy didn’t let her uncle finish speaking. Instead, she hurriedly tried to enter the room, but before she could, her Uncle Oscar quickly stopped her.

“You know we’re not allowed inside, Izzy. It’s the usual protocol, right? We have to wait out here.”

His voice was gentle as he reminded her. Feeling defeated, Izzy just sat down on the hospital's marble floor.

“M-my mom is going to be okay… right, Uncle?”

Izzy asked, her eyes brimming with tears. Her uncle forced a reassuring smile before replying.

“Of course, Izzy... I’m sure Ate Hilda will be fine. Didn’t your mother promise you that she would be there for your college graduation?

She may be weak now, but later, she might start cracking jokes again, just like she always does whenever we bring her here.”

Despite her overwhelming worry, Izzy managed a small smile. She hoped it was true. She wasn’t ready to lose her beloved mother.

Especially since it was just the two of them now. Izzy was an only child. She was seven years old when her father died in a road accident, and now, her mother was the one who was sick.

“I hope so, Uncle… I really do…”

Izzy whispered, and all she could do was silently cry.

They had been waiting outside the ward for almost half an hour, anxiously awaiting news from the doctors at the public hospital. Every passing minute felt suffocating to Izzy, her fear only growing stronger.

Please be okay, Ma…

Please be okay, Ma…

She silently prayed, still seated on the floor.

Her throat ached from holding back her tears. Unable to take it any longer, she quickly stood up and tried to peek inside the room. But she couldn’t see or hear anything, making her even more anxious.

She nearly jumped in shock when the door suddenly opened, and a doctor stepped out.

Izzy’s heart sank when she saw the look on his face.

“Izzy…”

The doctor called out to her. She knew him well—he had been treating her mother for nearly four years.

“D-Dr. Martin, how is my mother?”

Izzy asked, her voice full of concern. The doctor looked at her with an expression that seemed to say there was bad news. Izzy tried not to think negatively, but she couldn’t help it.

“Come with me to my office, Izzy. Let’s talk there.”

The doctor spoke gently. Izzy quickly nodded in agreement.

“For nearly four years, we’ve managed to extend your mother’s life with expensive treatments. Her illness has been severe, and you know that, Izzy, don’t you?”

Izzy took a sharp breath upon hearing the doctor’s words. But she chose to stay silent and nodded slowly.

“We’ve given her additional medication along with the chemotherapy she’s been undergoing for the past months. However, I regret to inform you that the treatments are no longer working. The cancer cells have spread throughout her body, Izzy.”

Izzy felt her world crumble upon hearing those words. She didn’t want to lose hope. She would fight for her mother as long as she could.

“I-if that’s the case, Doctor, what else can we do for my mother?”

Izzy asked, holding back her tears. Her Uncle Oscar remained quiet in the corner, listening intently.

“There is only one option left: your mother needs surgery. But the problem is, our hospital doesn’t perform that kind of operation. We need to transfer her to a larger, more equipped hospital. However, the cost will be significantly higher.”

Dr. Martin said it bluntly. Izzy felt as if her ears were ringing from what she had just heard.

She had barely managed to afford her mother’s expensive medications…

“How much will it cost, Doctor?”

Her Uncle Oscar finally spoke up, stepping forward.

Izzy felt even weaker when she heard the doctor’s response.

“W-where on earth are we supposed to find that much money, Izzy?

Five thousand pesos is already hard to come by—how are we going to raise one and a half million for Ate Hilda’s operation?”

Her Uncle Oscar asked, full of worry.

Izzy sighed and stared at the cup of coffee in front of her.

“I-I don’t know, Uncle… but I’ll find a way…”

“Just make sure that whatever you’re planning won’t put you in danger, okay? It’s bad enough that your mother is in the hospital—we don’t want you ending up there too.”

“I-I’ll be careful, Uncle. Honestly, I have no idea what to do yet… but I’ll figure something out.

For now, let’s just focus on Mom.”

Izzy said, deep in thought about who she could ask for help.

Then, a name suddenly came to her—her best friend, Carl Medina. If there was anyone she could turn to, it was Carl.

She quickly reached into her pocket for her old cellphone, intending to call her best friend. But just as she pulled it out, a small piece of paper fell to the ground.

Seth Santiago – President

Santiago Industries

She read the name written on the card. Below it was a phone number and an email address.

“Santiago Industries?”

Izzy mumbled to herself.

“What about it? Did you get a job there? It’s hard to get into that company, Izzy.”

Uncle Oscar suddenly spoke, making Izzy look up at him.

“N-no, Uncle… I didn’t even know this company existed.”

“What? After years of job hunting, you’ve never heard of Santiago Industries? It’s a huge company, Izzy.

Not many people get in because of how strict their hiring process is.”

He explained, clearly knowledgeable about the company.

But that wasn’t what Izzy was thinking about.

‘So the man who bumped into me earlier… is the president of a big company?’

“Since you don’t want to be treated, call me anytime if you need anything.”

His words echoed in her mind.

She took a moment to collect her thoughts, then quickly picked up the business card.

“Where are you going, Izzy?”

“I-I just need to make a call, Uncle. If Mom wakes up and asks for me, please tell her I’ll be back soon.”

She said before running out of the hospital.

Izzy sat at a small eatery across from the hospital, staring intensely at the business card in her hands as if it would melt from her gaze.

“Should I call?”

She asked herself like a fool.

“But if I do, what am I even going to say?”

She sighed.

Wouldn’t it seem shameless of her to ask for help from someone she barely knew?

“But I have to be bold, Izzy. This is for Mom—you have to do whatever it takes.”

She reminded herself, taking a deep breath before dialing the number on her keypad.

She inhaled sharply before finally pressing the call button.

After just one ring, she nearly trembled when she heard the deep voice on the other end.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“H-hello? Is this Mr. S-Seth Santiago? T-this is Isabel Vergara, the one you bumped into earlier.”

Izzy stammered, her nervousness overwhelming her.

“Yes, this is Seth Santiago. What do you need?”

His tone was sharp, as if questioning why she had the audacity to call him.

Despite that, Izzy forced herself to push forward.

“C-can I talk to you about something important? I-I have a request—”

“Where are you?”

He cut her off abruptly. Izzy quickly told him her location.

“Okay, stay there. I’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

And with that, he ended the call.

Izzy blinked in surprise, suddenly flustered.

Why was this man so quick to respond?

Before she could process it, her phone rang again. It was Seth Santiago.

“Actually, no. If you can travel, take a cab and meet me at my condo—it’s close to where you are. I’ll text you the address.”

Toot-toot.