Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Like the air conditioner's blast wasn’t enough to make her shiver, the HR’s gaze definitely had the power to freeze her in place. The longer the recruiter stared, the worse Mia’s anxiety got. She tried to keep her cool, but her mind was already racing with all the possible things this woman might say.

She turned to her assistant, her thick ponytail swaying as she moved. She flashed the paper in her hand and laughed before shifting her gaze back to Mia. Then, with a smirk, she spoke, her tone dripping with condescension. “I have to admit, I’m impressed. Ang kapal ng mukha mo mag-apply kahit wala ka namang credentials,” she scoffed. “Pero kung ako sa’yo, hanap ka na lang ng mayamang AFAM na bubuhay sa’yo. Sayang naman yang ganda mo kung dito mo lang gagamitin.”

With zero hesitation, she crumpled Mia’s resume and tossed it straight into the trash. The document Mia had worked on for hours—just like that, gone. She lowered her gaze, ashamed, fidgeting with her fingers as whispers filled the room. She wished she could disappear.

The HR lady wasn’t done. “Ano? Hindi ka pa ba aalis? Sinasayang mo lang oras namin. Marami pang mas deserving kaysa sa’yo.”

Mia lifted her head slightly, her voice barely above a whisper. “S-Sorry.”

Hands shaking, she forced herself to leave. As soon as she stepped out, one of the other hiring staff sighed. “Sayang ang ganda niya. Bakit ang harsh mo sa kanya?”

The HR lady rolled her eyes. “Exactly. She’s too pretty for this job. Alam mo namang ang ganyang mga itsura, ginagamit lang nila charm nila para umangat. I’ve seen it a hundred times. Hayaan mo na ako ang humawak sa ganyan.”

Mia had no clue why this woman hated her. She never imagined someone would see her beauty as a bad thing.

Back at her tiny apartment, she let out a long sigh. Another rejection. She was so exhausted from all these failed applications. This wasn’t the life she imagined after college. She used to think life would be all rainbows and butterflies. But reality? It was a slap in the face—cruel and unfair. Her classmates all had jobs they wanted. Meanwhile, she couldn’t even land a low-level position without being humiliated.

Her stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence. She pouted and dragged herself to the kitchen, half-hoping for some food to magically appear. But of course, her fridge was as empty as her wallet.

“Right… wala nga pala akong pagkain.” She had already finished her last pack of noodles for breakfast. No dinner. Again. But she couldn’t afford to go to another interview on an empty stomach either. With no other choice, she made herself a cereal drink.

As she sipped, the HR’s words echoed in her mind. “Hanap ka na lang ng mayamang AFAM na bubuhay sa’yo…”

Maybe that’s really how people saw her. Maybe that’s all her beauty was good for—to attract some rich guy who’d take care of her. Her friend had even joked about it before. Might as well, right? People were making money online just by being pretty. No harm in trying. She used to be too shy, but right now, she needed money more than dignity.

Screw it. Mia grabbed her phone and installed Diamond Hub.

As soon as the app finished downloading, she opened it. The Log In and Sign Up buttons stared back at her. She quickly created an account. The app randomly assigned her a username: Dragon Clarinet.

After looking around, she found the live streaming section her friend mentioned. She watched a few streams first—so many gorgeous people, some showing off their talents, taking song requests, dancing. How was she supposed to stand out? All she had was her face. If she had any talents, maybe this wouldn’t be so hard.

Despite being dubbed Campus Belle back in school, Mia still turned on the beauty filter. Her features sharpened, her skin looked smoother, and she appeared a little fairer. She stared at her screen. It was better than looking at her real face. At least this way, no one would recognize her easily.

The solo live began. Even with the filter hiding her identity, her nervousness never faded. It wasn’t just that—she was new. She knew she wouldn’t get noticed right away, even if a few viewers were trickling in.

For a brief moment, the numbers spiked. She smiled, hopeful… but then, one by one, they left.

“Oh,” she mumbled.

She glanced at her phone, propped up on the table. No movement. She sighed and got up to wash her mug.

[Strawberry Lover entered the live chat]

[Strawberry Lover: Where is the host? Why aren’t you in front of the camera?]

She turned around just in time to see the comment. She quickly moved her phone and sat down. “Sorry, may ginawa lang ako.”

[Strawberry Lover: You shouldn’t leave your live for too long. You might get a violation.]

Her eyes widened slightly. “Talaga? Hindi ko alam ‘yan. First time ko kasi.”

[Strawberry Lover: I can tell.]

Then, out of nowhere, he sent her a gift. A yacht animation filled her screen with sound effects blaring. She quickly checked the gift section. The freaking yacht was worth 1,500 coins!

[Strawberry Lover: Here, for starters.]

Her mouth almost dropped. They just met, and he was already sending expensive gifts?!

“Thank you so much, Strawberry Lover!” She made a heart with her hands and smiled. “Ang bait mo naman!”

[Strawberry Lover: Not really, just helping out a newbie.]

She couldn’t stop smiling. Her usually sharp eyes softened.

[Strawberry Lover: Do you have any talents? Sing? Dance?]

Mia shook her head, looking a bit down. “Wala eh. Hindi ako gifted sa ganun.”

[Strawberry Lover: Sayang. You could use that here. But you can also just talk and entertain your viewers.]

She chuckled. “Eh hindi rin ako magaling makipag-usap.”

[Strawberry Lover: Good thing you’re pretty, then. That’ll work here.]

He found her shyness amusing. While she rambled nervously, he scrolled through the gift section, looking for something else to send her.

[Strawberry Lover gifted you a Champagne.]

Her eyes widened again. Another one?!

“Grabe ka! Salamat ulit!” she giggled.

As she basked in his generosity, more people started joining. Some even sent small gifts.

“Welcome po sa mga bagong pasok! Hope you enjoy my live!” she greeted cheerfully.

A few guys started showering her with small gifts, and Mia was all smiles, thanking each of them. She even threw them a few flying kisses.

[Sour Cream Cheese: Sayaw ka naman, Miss Ganda. Bibigyan ka pa namin ng marami! Ano ba gusto mo?]

She read the comment and laughed nervously, shaking her head. “Sorry, hindi ako sumasayaw. Baka may ibang request kayo?”

[Sour Cream Cheese: Pwede ka tumayo tapos mag-pose sa camera?]

That seemed harmless, so she did it. True to his word, he sent more gifts. But some comments turned bitter—kesyo babae raw kaya ang daling kumita ng pera.

Once the crowd thinned out, Strawberry Lover sent another message.

[Strawberry Lover: Next time, don’t do that. They’re just sexualizing you.]

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