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Chapter 1

Heart estimated how her body moved as she opened the door to her manager’s office. A blast of cold air hit her as she entered, courtesy of the powerful air conditioning inside. Along with it came the pleasant scent of her manager’s perfume from the restaurant.

Vandros Montero was sitting in his chair, holding a cigarette in his hand. His face had an unreadable expression. And she was on the verge of crying, even before speaking. Heart had barely crossed the threshold of the open door.

Vandros looked at her and motioned for her to come in. He remained expressionless. Vandros was a serious person. He didn’t smile and his demeanor was unsettling, but beneath that, he was kind. He never yelled at them or treated them badly. He always spoke to them with respect and professionalism, but in return, he expected their loyalty and dedication to their work, as his true nature might occasionally reveal itself if they don’t abide.

Heart did as she was told. She closed the door and started rubbing her palms on the sides of her skirt, trying to calm her overwhelming emotions as she walked towards the man. She was nervous, but she also had another motive. Biting her lip, she knew it was a long shot to ask her manager for money, even though the reason he called her was because of her mistake with a customer earlier – a man who had stared at her intensely, as if he could consume her in whole.

“Hi, Heart,” Vandros smiled when he said her name, but she couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not.

She stood in front of his desk, giving him a light smile in return.

“What happened? I need to know the reason behind it,” he said to her in a gentle voice, taking a drag of his cigarette.

She knew he was referring to the incident where she accidentally spilled food on the rich man’s table earlier.

That man didn’t say anything. She wasn’t scolded or belittled with hurtful words that would make her feel like an idiot in front of everyone, like she was just a brainless servant. She had been wiping the man’s trousers when he had signaled for her to stop. She was surprised and followed his command.

After apologizing profusely, the man and another person at the table had left. Maybe they were having a business meeting, or maybe one of them was gay. She didn’t know. They both appeared to be men, but there were many like that nowadays. Men dressed like men but with gentle hearts.

She snapped out of her daze when those customers left. Her performance had been affected by the weight of the problem. She was sorry, but she wasn’t wealthy enough to not care about losing five hundred thousand pesos for an operation. And the thought that her father could pass away at any moment only made everything more burdensome. She knew that if her father suffered, she would be the first to suffer.

“S-Sorry, Sir Van,” she apologized with a bow, her hands clasped in front of her, “I received bad news from the province, which is why… I-I wasn’t myself,” she added as an explanation.

“Do you realize that they didn’t pay for the items they ordered because of what you did? That means it’s a loss for the restaurant you work for. Your mistake also affects your co-workers. Expenses will increase due to the wasted food, with no income to compensate for it.”

She bit her lip when he mentioned that.

“The cost of the food on that man’s table is thirty-two thousand pesos. When you signed your contract here, did you read the policy?”

She hadn’t read it because it was too long and there were too many clauses. She had trusted that there was nothing detrimental in it since it had been drafted by the restaurant’s management. Vandros had already been the manager when she joined over a year ago.

“Your salary will be deducted now, Heart,” he said, causing her to raise her gaze and look at him.

Soon enough, she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. The realization hit her hard. She relied solely on her salary, and if it was further reduced, what would happen? She wouldn’t be able to afford her father’s operation anymore, and she wouldn’t be able to send money to her siblings either.

Will her sacrifices to send her twins to school be in vain because if she doesn’t stop working, they might not be able to finish high school.

“Sir…” she sobbed.

Vandros raised an eyebrow.

“I was just confused. My father is in the hospital and will undergo heart surgery. I wasn’t myself earlier, that’s why it happened. M-Maybe they can deduct it from my future salary. Just not now, sir,” she pleaded with tears, “I’m already troubled. I even want to ask for an advance on my salary—”

“That is not possible.” Heart gathered her courage and sat in front of Vandros’ desk.

“Sir, Van, please. Even if I’m the one who talks to Senyora Carmen. Even if it’s just a hundred thousand down payment. Please, sir,” she begged with teary eyes. As far as she knew, Carmenzita Montesalvo was kind.

She had only seen the woman once and it hadn’t been repeated, but she was smiling and mingling with the staff. Maybe she would have pity on her and allow it.

“Do you know who you spilled food on earlier? He wears a Brioni or Armani suit almost every day. He's Senyora's grandson."

Oh my god.

Heart closed her eyes. She had no hope left in this situation. Maybe she should just end her life because of everything happening in her life. It felt like she couldn’t handle it anymore. She didn’t want to.

“Please ask them not to fire me. Sir, you know that this is my only job. I hope they can forgive me this time. It was my first mistake,” she pleaded, “And maybe they can allow me to borrow.”

Borrow? Borrow that large sum of money? She bowed her head again, feeling defeated. Who among the wealthy would lend her that much?

For the rich, it might be just spare change, but for her, it was significant.

“When does your father need the operation, Heart?” Vandros changed the topic.

She shook her head. Vandros knew her father. He had visited him in Manila and at work. The meal at the restaurant had been free. Once a year, family members of employees could visit and get free meals for two days.

“P-Probably until tomorrow or the day after. I need a down payment. If not, they will send my father back home and there’s nothing we can do.”

“What about the hospital bill balance? For sure they will not permit your father to leave until the bills are fully settled.”

She shook her head again. She didn’t know, that’s why she cried.

“I-I don’t know, sir. I don’t know,” she seemed to lose all hope and couldn’t do anything except cry.

“Go home, Heart. I’ll see what I can do. I’ll talk to someone. I’ll call you. Leave me your number.”

She felt a flicker of hope, and she nodded repeatedly. She quickly wrote her number on a sticky note that Vandros handed to her.

“Whatever work or side job, or whatever Senyora Carmen wants me to do. I hope you can convince her to give me the money right away for my father,” she said as she returned to the manager.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, sir,” she softly replied. The manager’s words were enough to give her a little bit of light in her dark situation.

She stood up to leave. There was no reason to stay any longer. Hopefully, Vandros could persuade the owner to wait to confront her about the mistake she made earlier.

Hopefully, they wouldn’t add to the difficulties of her life right now. Even just that would ease her mind.

After leaving the office, she went straight to the locker room to get her bag. That’s what Vandros said, to go home for now. Maybe, out of foolishness, she might repeat what happened earlier and cause harm to someone again. Instead of saving for her sick father, she might be saving up to pay for the damages she caused because of her confusion.

Damn it. Why is it that out of all the people in the world, it had to be her own boss that she spilled food on earlier? It’s like she’s getting hit hard right now. Her problems and worries are piling up in her mind.

“How are you?” Gigi suddenly asked her by the door.

Gigi is her best friend and childhood friend. They both traveled to Manila together. They have the same fate of being friends, the only difference is that Gigi was able to continue her college education while she was left behind. Gigi doesn’t have any support, she doesn’t have any siblings.

“What happened?” Gigi asked Heart, fishing for more information. “Sir Van sent me home. I have no idea what’s waiting for me, Gi.”

She looked at the plate she was carrying. It’s their lunch break and they have to take turns eating. All the servers in the restaurant can’t eat at the same time.

“What do you mean? Are you going to get fired because of what happened? Who invented numbers 9 and 6 anyway, I should eliminate them? You got confused.” She laughed a little. Gigi is really crazy.

“I hope not,” she replied sadly.

“What really happened? Tell me now while it’s still my lunch break. I know something happened. You haven’t been like this at work before. You were awarded the most outstanding waitress of the year. You’re the best among us. You know that. Why did you act that way earlier, Heart?”

She paused closing her bag and her shoulders shook again. She couldn’t stop herself from crying again.

“Hey…” Gigi hurriedly entered the room to comfort her.

She placed the plate on the table and immediately embraced her friend. She hugged her tightly.

“It’s my father…”

“Oh my God! What happened to your father?” Gigi asked in shock.

“He needs to undergo surgery and the expenses are not a joke. Five hundred thousand, Gi. Where will I get that? We don’t have any wealth.”

She almost collapsed from sobbing. It’s so hard to be poor. It feels like the world is unfair to Heart.

“Take a deep breath. I know it’s hard to say but we will find a way. Tomorrow, I will ask for help from our off-duty employees. I will send them to government agencies. Then, I will ask for their assistance. Even though it’s difficult to raise five hundred thousand, we will manage.”

Oh, my God. How will we manage? She doesn’t know. She’s not losing hope but she knows how things work in the world. It’s not easy to live as a poor person.

“I asked for help from Sir Van. I’ll wait for a call if Senyora Carmen agrees to a salary deduction.”

“Yes, yes,” Gigi also teary-eyed and wiped her tears.

She is strong but when it comes to her family, she is very weak. She loses her strength immediately when her family is affected. She has nothing except her family. The thought of losing her father is very painful for her.

“We’ll talk when I get home, okay? My break time is almost over. Take care, alright?”

She nodded as she wiped her tears. There’s nothing she can do now but wait for Vandros’ help and as the moments pass, she feels even weaker.

She watched her friend leave the locker room. Gigi even looked back and smiled at her, full of sympathy. She finally slipped her bag on and headed home. Even she wants to go home to focus on finding a solution to the problem. She shouldn’t have to be at work while her mind is completely occupied with the problem.

As she walked out of the restaurant, a coworker approached her. She asked her to send money via Eagle Express for her parents in the province. She accepted it because she had nothing else to do. It’s good that she will be distracted by walking along the roadside, thinking, on her way to Eagle Express. She just has to make sure not to lose herself and get hit by a car or accidentally bump into one due to her foolishness.

She held onto her bag and walked slowly when someone suddenly snatched it from behind, prompting Heart to fight back.

The man suddenly burst into laughter and let go of her bag when she turned around.

“Heavy, huh!” Franco said, causing Heart to take a deep breath.

“I thought it was someone else,” she lazily retorted.

She caught sight of the man. He was carrying a bag.

“Where are you going, my baby?”

She felt taken aback by the term he used for her, but she wasn’t in the mood to argue. She already had too much on her mind to deal with Franco Rodriguez.

He lived nearby. They were neighbors, with his apartment right next to hers. They lived rent-free while he paid for the small room he occupied. Franco worked in an accounting firm.

Franco was nice and helpful, but he could be quite arrogant, especially when it came to stories about women. He would share stories about the women he had been with, whether they were girlfriends or one-night stands. Heart didn’t know if these stories were true, but who cares?

She, on the other hand, patiently pursued Franco. He claimed that he pursued her because she was different. And if she were to agree to be with him, he would introduce her immediately to his parents from Laguna.

She looked at his face. Franco was handsome. He looked Indian but not fully Indian. He said his mother was Indian, but when his parents separated, he ended up in his father’s custody, and that’s where he struggled in life. His mother allegedly rejected him, which is why he harbored a strong hatred towards women who liked wealthy men just for their money.

What if she were to say yes to him so she could ask for help for her father?

She blinked and smiled.

He suddenly wiped his face, saying, “You really are beautiful. What’s the problem, Heart? You seem lost.”

She started walking again. “My father is in the hospital and needs surgery.”

“Ha? Where are you going now?”

“To Eagle Express, Aiza has something to send to her family. What about you?”

“Same. I also have to send payment for some documents. Looks like you need a lot of money, Heart.”

She nodded sadly.

“Do you still have money?”

She didn’t know how to answer it. Yes, she had money, but it was barely enough.

“I have savings,” she said, but quickly shook her head.

She didn’t want to accept it. She would just find someone else. She felt that if she accepted his offer, she would be buried in a debt of gratitude, and she wouldn’t be able to reject him anymore.

“N-No, Franco. You need it,” she replied softly.

“Oh, come on. It’s just what you need.”

Her eyes wandered.

“You feel like I’m going to demand something from you.”

“N-Not like that, Franco. It’s just embarrassing.”

“Why would you feel embarrassed? You need the money. What’s wrong is if you don’t take it. I’m not asking for anything in return. It’s just a debt.”

She remained silent and turned her gaze back to where they were heading. She was really desperate. If only she could sell her soul a hundred times over to earn money, she would have done it already. The thought had crossed her mind, to be honest. Maybe she’d become a GRO (Guest Relations Officer) if she had nowhere else to turn.