1

"Isabel Vergara, are you sure you're okay?"

Carl, her best friend, asked with furrowed brows while staring at her intently.

Izzy forced a smile and quickly nodded.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Izzy, do you even look in the mirror? Can you still see yourself? You look like a corpse with how pale you are."

Carl said with a pout, making Izzy laugh.

"Wow, a corpse? That's a bit much! I'm really fine, promise! By the way, thanks for the free coffee. That's why you're my favorite best friend!"

She joked with a teasing grin, making Carl roll his eyes before pushing a plate of muffins toward her.

"You're such a freeloader. As if you have another best friend besides me—I'm the only one who puts up with your stubbornness."

Izzy pouted at his grumpy tone but still accepted the snack he offered.

It was just past 3 PM, and they were at the coffee shop where Izzy worked as a waitress. Fortunately, Carl arrived just as she was on her break.

"Why are you so grumpy today? Are you on your period?"

"Shut up, Izzy. You can see I'm a full-grown man, yet you're asking me that? And I'm not grumpy! Anyone would be annoyed seeing you looking like that."

He said with a frown.

"Ouch! When it comes from you, it sounds like I'm the ugliest person alive."

She smirked at him.

"I'm not saying you're ugly, Izzy. I'm just saying you look like you've lost all your blood. Do you even rest? You're overworking yourself with your job and studies. You're only twenty-two, but you look thirty and married."

Carl lectured her, making Izzy force another smile.

"I have to, and I do get some rest! After work, of course."

"By the way, do you know any job openings? Maybe you can come with me?"

Izzy suddenly asked, making Carl frown even more.

"Since you have a car, I’d save on transportation fare."

She wasn’t shameless—she just needed help, and she knew Carl was used to it.

They had been best friends for almost seven years, but the difference was that Carl grew up wealthy while she was raised in a squatter area.

"Izzy, you already have two jobs. After this, you work until 2 AM, and then you have class at 6 AM. Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Carl asked, his eyes full of concern.

"Carl, I know it's exhausting—I'm the one working, after all. And you also know how much I need this. If I could go without resting, I would."

She said with a forced smile, making Carl shake his head.

"I know. Your mother is sick and needs expensive medication. But still, you shouldn't overwork yourself. If you push too hard, you might get sick. You need to take a break, Izzy."

Izzy gave a bitter smile upon hearing Carl state the painful truth.

Her mother had cancer. She knew that working nonstop without rest might cause her to collapse before her mother did.

She took a deep breath and forced another smile.

"I can do it, Carl. Even though it's exhausting, as long as I can, I won’t stop fighting for my mom’s life.

I'll do anything, even just to extend her life a little longer."

Izzy said seriously, meeting Carl’s worried gaze with determination.

"Izzy, Sir Pete is calling you to the office."

Izzy immediately stopped wiping the tables when she heard her coworker’s words, feeling a sudden, inexplicable nervousness.

"I-I'm not getting fired, am I?"

She asked without thinking.

She had too many responsibilities—losing her job wasn’t an option.

Her two part-time jobs weren’t even enough to support her mother.

"Hey, relax! Maybe he just has something important to tell you. Don’t overthink it. Now go, he's waiting for you."

Chris said with a smile, making Izzy move quickly.

She hesitated outside the boss’s office, debating whether to knock. The nervousness wouldn’t go away.

She kept wondering if she had done something wrong or messed up at work—but she couldn’t think of anything.

Taking a deep breath, she finally mustered the courage to knock.

"Come in."

She heard from inside before she turned the doorknob.

"You called for me, sir? Is there a problem?"

Izzy asked worriedly. Her middle-aged boss smiled at her, and she exhaled in relief when he shook his head.

"No problem. You just have a call here. I think it's important because they called directly to my office. You should call back."

Her boss said with a smile before handing her the phone.

He even dialed the number himself.

Izzy fell silent when she heard it ringing.

"Hello? Izzy, is that you?"

Her heart pounded in her chest when she recognized her Uncle Oscar’s voice on the other end.

"Y-yes, it's me. Is something wrong? How's Mom?"

"That's why I called, Izzy. We rushed your mother to the hospital."

"Which hospital, Uncle? I'm on my way!"

Izzy asked, holding back tears.

She didn’t waste another second after hearing the hospital’s name.

Thankfully, her boss immediately allowed her to leave.

Izzy half-ran as she searched for a jeepney, not caring where she stepped in her rush.

She gasped when a fancy car honked behind her. Before she could react, its bumper hit her hip, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Ouch..."

She groaned softly and tried to stand up, but before she could, she saw the driver step out of the luxury car.

"F#ck, are you okay? Why the hell weren't you watching where you were going? You were in the middle of the damn road, miss!"

The man, who looked to be in his thirties, snapped at her. He wore a black tuxedo, and with his sharp features and expensive-looking clothes, he was clearly someone important—and undeniably handsome.

"S-sorry, I was in a hurry... I know it was my fault. I’m okay—"

"Well, then, get the f#ck up already. I’ll be late for my mee—are you sure you're okay?"

His annoyed expression shifted to concern when he saw her struggling to stand. She winced in pain.

Before she could react, the man carefully lifted her up.

"No, you're not okay. And I’m sorry, miss. I need to take you to the hospital."

He said firmly before placing her inside his car without a second thought.

"I-it's not necessary. But... can you take me to the hospital? I’m in a hurry."

Izzy asked, still wincing.

The man stared at her for a moment before speaking.

"Well, if you insist. Which hospital?"

Izzy quickly mentioned the name. He simply nodded, got in, and drove off.

"My name is Seth Santiago. Sorry for hitting you. I was in a hurry, too. I didn’t mean to be rude. I forgot to check if you were hurt—and clearly, you were. Are you sure you don’t want to be treated?"

He asked seriously, keeping his eyes on the road.

Izzy looked up and shook her head.

"I-I'm fine. I don't need a doctor. I’m Izzy Vergara."

She introduced herself.

Seth suddenly stiffened and turned to look at her.

"D-do you know me?"

She asked uncertainly.

"No. Are you famous?"

He replied indifferently before looking away.

"N-no. You just looked at me like you already knew my name."

She said shyly, wincing when her side throbbed again.

"No, I don’t know you."

That was all he said before falling silent.

Minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. Izzy quickly reached for the door but realized it was locked.

"You have a patient here or something?"

Seth asked. Izzy nodded hesitantly.

Without a word, he handed her a small card.

"W-what’s this?"

She saw him clench his jaw before looking at her intently.

A gaze so intense she had to look away.

"That’s my calling card. Since you refused treatment, call me if you need anything."

He said expressionlessly.

Then his next words left her speechless.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Izzy Vergara. See you around."