Seph's integrity is definitely rattling Veronica's world! In this chapter, we see a massive clash between Seph's humble "provincial" values and Veronica's "spoiled CEO" lifestyle. The "Nine Pesos" scene is a powerful moment of character development for our lead man.
Here is the English translation for Chapter 3:
Chapter 3
(Seph's POV)
"Shit, Vero, my left jaw is swelling." Theodore moved his jaw around while facing the mirror. "This is fucking ridiculous."
I quickly lowered my head again in shame. "S-sorry. I didn't know."
He shot me a death glare when he turned around, making me bow even lower, eyes squeezed shut.
This is so embarrassing.
"Yeah, you better be sorry! This face is one of a kind—you'll never see this kind of perfection again!" he boasted while still stroking his face.
"S-sorry."
"Sorry, sorry! Tsk!" he muttered. "Talk to my lawyer because I'll sue you for damaging my handsome face."
A wave of fear and shame washed over me at the mention of the word 'lawyer.' I was so disappointed in myself. I haven't even started the job and I've already caused trouble.
Suddenly, a soft pair of hands rested on my shoulders, making me swallow hard. I was truly starting to wonder about my boss's strange behavior.
"Don't be sorry for him, Seph," she encouraged, gently massaging my shoulders. "That's what an asshole gets for being a killjoy."
"Shut up," the guy snapped.
I felt a shiver run down my spine as her hands crawled up my neck toward my jaw. The guy rolled his eyes at us, though one eyebrow remained arched.
"It's alright, honey. Theodore won't mind anyway. He's a killjoy, so he deserved it," she whispered in my ear.
I gently removed her hands from my neck. "S-still, I'm sorry."
I was becoming traumatized by this woman's touching; her hands seemed to wander everywhere, and I was afraid she might grab something else out of nowhere.
We were currently inside her office, and I felt much more comfortable because, unlike our first meeting, it now looked like a normal workspace. The furniture had been replaced with office equipment.
"Tss. At least this newly employed 'boy toy' of yours has some decent manners, unlike you," the guy remarked. My ears perked up at his words.
Boy toy? Me? What boy toy?
"He's not my boy toy. I don't play with 'good boys,' Theo. And excuse me? I'm not a fucking player. I flirt, but I don't do any lewd things with guys—like, ew? They're dirty, you know."
"Whatever."
"Well, anyway," she stroked my back before moving in front of me with a smirk. "I'm so glad you came. I thought you'd ignore the invitation of a beautiful, wealthy young woman like me. And because you are a poor, handsome, obedient employee, I think you deserve a reward."
She giggled, making me swallow hard. There was a strange mix of confidence and insult in the way she spoke. I couldn't tell if she was praising me or insulting me—or maybe both.
"As a reward for being an early bird, I'll give you some 'loose change' (barya)."
I quickly snapped my head up at her words.
Loose change? What change? What for?
"W-what change?" I was completely confused.
"Oh, nothing much. I'll just give you a small amount of money. Think of it as compensation and a reward for being here early, and for waiting such a long time," she said boredly.
She grabbed her designer bag from the desk and sat on the edge of it. Her skirt rode up slightly, so I averted my gaze. She pulled out a large wallet, counted something inside, and then handed me the entire wallet. I looked at her in total confusion.
"W-what am I supposed to do with this?" I held the wallet.
"It's yours now."
I froze. "Huh?"
"Wow. So generous of you, Veronica. Giving away an expensive branded wallet worth thousands without a second thought," Theo said sarcastically, still checking his face in the mirror.
"Of course I'm generous, Theodore. You wouldn't know that because my generosity ends when it comes to you," the CEO snapped back before turning to me with a smile. "Open it, babe."
I swallowed several times. My gaze fell on the large pink wallet. I assumed it was full because of its weight. It was authentic, bearing a luxury brand logo. I guessed it cost a fortune, especially with the small diamonds as decoration.
As Theo said, the wallet was worth thousands—and I suspected the contents were, too.
"Open it, Seph," she urged with a smile.
If I could just remove a few of those diamonds, I could get a huge amount of money at a pawnshop. I could send it to my family to pay for my siblings' education, the hospital bills, and Mom's medicine.
I took a deep breath before handing the wallet back. Her smile vanished, and her friend slowly turned to look at me. Both looked like they were staring at an alien. To me, it wasn't a big deal, so their shock confused me.
"I... I can't accept this."
"What? What are you talking about?" She stood up, hands on her hips. "It's a reward from me. I'm giving it to you."
"Thank you very much, but I cannot accept this."
She stared at the wallet for a few seconds before smiling. "Oh. I see." She chuckled. "How stupid of me! Of course! You're just a poor guy—how could you use a woman's wallet?"
I bit my lip. I wasn't really affected by the subtle insults she kept throwing, but it still felt wrong. She looked down on me so much even though she didn't know me. Is this how rich people are? Is it that easy for them to judge those of a lower status? It's almost funny.
I hid my right hand in the pocket of my old slacks. It was disappointing. Mom told me never to judge others because you never know what they've been through. But how could I stop myself from judging someone who insults me as if she's the one providing my food?
I stared at her. Smiling and poised. Based on her appearance, she seemed to enjoy her wealthy life, though her tongue was a bit sharp—maybe too sharp. She was belittling me to my face, probably thinking I couldn't feel it.
She opened the wallet and pulled out a stack of thousand-peso bills. Without even counting them, she handed them to me. I just stared at them.
"Take this. I know that fifty thousand pesos is a very small amount. This is all I can give you today since I haven't withdrawn more—like, I'm busy." She smiled. "You can buy a new wallet with this. It won't be as expensive as mine, but there's a shop for guys that sells wallets for twenty to thirty thousand made of real crocodile skin. Or you can just ask me for anything you want."
Fifty thousand pesos? A small amount? I wanted to laugh and shake my head.
Money is so hard to earn. In the province, I'd toil all day just to earn two hundred pesos delivering gallons of water. At the convenience store here, I earn enough to help my family, and I'm grateful for every cent. Fifty thousand was the largest amount of money I'd ever seen in my life.
And yet, here she was, calling it "loose change" (barya). She has no idea that her "change" could be the key to a child's education, food for the hungry, or clothes for those who have nothing but rags.
She doesn't know that such an amount could save so many lives.
"You'll give me anything I ask for?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"Anything?"
"I can give you anything," she said boastfully, smirking. "Name it, Seph. I have everything you need."
I held out my hand, palm up.
"Nuebe (Nine)."
"Oh." Her red lips parted slightly. "Nine? As in ninety thousand? Why didn't you say so sooner? That's basic."
"Tss. I knew it," Theo muttered, as if he expected this from me. "You should have made it a hundred thousand, Vero. Guys who do nothing but act—"
"Nine pesos."
Her jaw dropped, and even Theo stood up to face me. Their eyes were wide, as if they thought I was losing my mind.
"W-what? I must have misheard," the guy said, tilting his head and sticking a pinky in his ear. "Did I hear that right? You said nine pesos?"
I nodded and gestured with my open palm. "Give me nine pesos."
"I-I don't... Uhm..." She nudged her friend. "D-do you have some coins?"
"I thought you said you could give me anything?" I asked calmly. "I'm only asking for nine pesos, and you can't even give it to me?"
"Well, y-you see..." She stood up straighter, trying to regain her poise. "I don't carry coins. They're useless to me."
"Useless?" My eyebrows knitted together as my fists clenched. "Coins are useless to you?"
"Yeah. I mean, why would I care about coins when I have bills?"
I took a deep breath. "You can't make a thousand without a single peso. It's like the human body—it can't be whole without tissues. A digital image can't exist without pixels. Fabric can't be made without thread."
I saw her swallow. She was frowning, her lips slightly parted as if she was trying to process my words.
"You're so focused on the size of your wealth that a single peso has no value to you. And that's how you look at me. I'm poor, so you feel you can look down on me."
"T-that's not it—"
"You're comparing me to a peso that has no value to you," I interrupted. "You don't even realize that if it weren't for poor workers like me, you wouldn't be standing where you are today."
They were speechless. I didn't wait for them to respond.
I grabbed my old sling bag from her plush couch and put it on, giving them a small bow.
"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused earlier. I'm leaving now," I said quietly, walking out of her office.
I quickly entered the elevator. As the doors closed, my phone rang. My hands were shaking as I answered.
"Hello? Seph, my son?"
"Mom..."
I couldn't stop the tears from falling as I heard her voice.
"Oh! Son! I'm so glad I caught you! Your siblings and I miss you so much! How are things in Manila? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating on time?"
"Y-yes, Mom."
I looked at my reflection in the shiny metal of the elevator doors.
The polo shirt I wore at my college graduation, now fading. The slacks that were part of my old fast-food uniform. The shoes I'd used since I started college. The worn-out bag given to me by a classmate. The belt I'd literally found in a neighbor's trash so I'd have something to use.
'You're just a poor guy.'
I grimaced. Maybe I am poor, but I'm not just poor.
"Son?"
"Yes, Mom?"
"Are you alright?"
I swallowed hard.
Just a poor guy? Ridiculous. I'm a man with dreams, and my family is the heart of those dreams.
I smiled and wiped my tears. "Yes, Mom, I'm perfectly fine."
(Veronica's POV)
"Wow. Just wow." Theo said in amazement, pointing at the door Seph had just walked through. "Did you hear that? He just flipped you out! He just called out your attitude that gives the devil a run for his money!"
"Shut up."
"What? I don't want to shut up, Satan. Everything he said about you is true!" He smirked, hands on his hips. "It's true that you love insulting people like him. That really hit home, didn't it? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at that—he compared himself to a peso we couldn't even provide," he laughed.
What a hypocrite, Theodore. What a hypocrite.
I took a deep breath, slammed the wallet against his chest, and walked out.
I'm going to follow him, of course! What else should I do? Duh.
Okay, maybe what I said was a bit below the belt, but what can I do? I just wanted to reward him, but it seems to have had a different effect. And he is poor, right? He lives in a cheap shack, wears old clothes with visible stitches... his shoes, bag, belt—everything is overused.
See? He's so poor. I'm just being honest—and isn't honesty the best policy? I didn't know it was an insult to him.
I reached the ground floor via the elevator and looked around, but I couldn't see him.
Shit. I really need a secretary. I'm too lazy to start the hiring process all over again—it's so time-consuming! I have shopping to do later; I need new shoes and clothes. I've already worn this outfit twice, and I never wear anything three times.
My employees were silent as they watched me rush out of the building. They aren't used to seeing me out of my office, especially in the afternoon.
They probably think I'm slaving away in there. Oh, hell no! Theodore, my dear best friend, does all the work as my temporary secretary. Me? I play Mobile Legends. It's a fun game.
That's why I need to find him now. I am not opening a new hiring round! I need to play today because I finally reached Elite III after months of trying.
I stepped outside and scanned the street. Did he take a taxi? How fast was that taxi?!
"Isn't there a store nearby?"
I turned toward the sound of that voice.
There he is! He's talking to my poor security guard.
"None nearby. Why? What do you need to buy?"
He scratched his head. "I was hoping to buy some lunch."
"There's a cafeteria inside?"
I frowned. Yeah, the guard is right! There's a cafeteria inside with cuisines from famous restaurants! Why is he looking for some cheap store? Yuck.
"Ah, the food inside is too expensive. I don't have enough money." He smiled, making me purse my lips.
Hmp. What's so great about talking to a poor security guard? He gave me an intimidating stare just a while ago, but he's all smiles with a guard? That's unfair.
"I thought you said you were leaving?" I walked toward him.
He looked at me. I was about to continue when he smiled so brightly, as if I'd never offended him. I stopped in my tracks and narrowed my eyes at him.
Ugh, my conscience!
"I said I was leaving to get some lunch."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're not quitting? Even though I insulted you?"
He shook his head, smiling for the ninth time.
"No."
I crossed my arms and squinted, scanning his whole "yummy" body.
"I know I offended you. I insulted you. Even though I was just being honest about you being poor, it was still an insult."
"I can't let this chance for a decent job pass me by." He smiled again. Ugh.
He needs to stop. The dimples on his cheeks are trying to seduce me. I want to lick them. Argh.
I gestured. "Fine. Just don't expect an apology because I don't do that gross stuff." I walked closer, grabbed his necktie, and pulled him along. "Come on, my secretary. Your work is waiting. Lunch can wait."
"O-okay."
I started walking back into the building with him following behind. We ran into Theo, who looked at us with an arched eyebrow.
"Seriously? You're still here despite her insults?"
"I... I need a job," Seph answered humbly.
Theo rolled his eyes. "Ugh. Whatever. Let's see how long you last." He waved as he passed us. "Ciao!"
Seph turned to me, looking puzzled.
"W-why? Do your secretaries not last long?" He started sweating.
Oh. He looked so hot—standing straight, hand on the necktie I was holding, face all sweaty. Hmm... so innocent.
I licked my lip before answering. "If I told you a single day is 'long enough' for them to stay, would that be a long time for you, Mr. Lazaro? Hmm?"
He gulped. "A... day?"
"Yes. A day."
"W-why? Do they resign immediately?"
I chuckled. I pulled him closer to my face, my eyes on his pouting, slightly chapped lips and the small mole on the corner of his mouth that made him look so sexy.
"Why don't you just... find out for yourself?"
Let's see how long you can resist me, Mr. Lazaro.