“I DID A WOMAN WHO WAS ANGRY WITH HER EMPLOYER — SHE DIDN’T KNOW, I WAS THAT EMPLOYER.”

I am  Ethan Dela Vega , CEO of  VegaTech Solutions , one of the largest IT companies in the country.
At the age of thirty-two, I have almost everything — money, respect, and power.
But despite all that, something is still missing.
Until  Lara , a smart, hardworking employee, came along… but I fired her — the same day I met her.

THE WOMAN WHO SPOKE THE TRUTH

The first time I saw Lara, we were in a meeting.
She came in late, out of breath, sweating.
One of the managers complained:

“Ma’am Lara, how many times have you been late?”

But he stood up and said directly:

“I’m sorry, Sir. But maybe being late wouldn’t be a problem if I worked overtime all night yesterday to fix the project that someone else left behind.”

The whole room was silent.
Everyone was shocked.
I smiled.
I had courage, I had heart.
But… at that very moment, I had to make a decision —  there was a restructuring at the company, someone had to be laid off.
And on the list, his name was included.

That night, I signed the paper.
And at that moment, I didn’t know that  that decision would change my life.

THE REUNION

A month after that, I went to a small café near the terminal.
When I entered, I saw her — Lara.
She was wearing a hat, an apron, and was setting tables.
She didn’t recognize me.
Maybe it was because I was just wearing a simple t-shirt, no watch, no car, nothing to show that I was “Sir Ethan.”

As he approached me, he smiled.

“Good morning, Sir! Coffee or sandwich?”
“Both… you made it.”

He smiled again, the smile I will never forget.
And that’s when the game of fate began.

HUMILITY

I come back to the café every day.
We become friends.
I help him wash the dishes, joke around while I arrange the chairs.
No one knows who I really am — not even him.

One night, while it was raining, I sat next to him outside the café.

“Lara, why did you leave your old job?”
“I didn’t leave. They blamed me.”
“Why?”
“They say I’m too brave. But really, I’m just saying what’s right.”

I smiled.

“If I were your boss, I wouldn’t fire you.”
He looked at me, his hair wet from the rain, but a smile on his lips.
“If all bosses were like you, maybe it would be easier to love.”

I don’t know if it was fate or karma — but at that moment, I fell for him.

LOVE THAT IS TRUELY PURE

Weeks passed.
I got to know her better — a woman who was not materialistic, not judgmental.
She was happy with simple tea, conversation, and the hope that one day, she would be able to return to work.
She never asked if I was rich.
And most of all —  she never asked if I could love her.

THE REVELATION OF THE TRUTH

Until the day came when I had to go back to the office — there was a big contract that needed to be signed.
Before I left, I left him a small piece of paper.

“Lara, I’m just taking care of something.
Don’t be surprised by what you see next.”

The next day, the café owner called him.

“Lara, someone is looking for you — Sir Ethan Dela Vega of VegaTech.”

His eyes widened.
When he arrived at the office, the secretary greeted him.

“Ma’am Lara, go ahead. Sir Ethan is waiting.”

When he entered the office, he was stunned.
It was me — in a coat, serious, sitting in front of the desk.
Our eyes met.
Silence.

“E-Ethan… you… you are Sir Ethan?”
I nodded.
“It’s me. I’m your boss who fired you.
But I’m also the man you fell in love with at the café.”

Her tears flowed.

“Why did you do this? Why did you cheat on me?”
“I didn’t cheat on you. I was just trying to see if you could still love me even though I had no name, even though I had no money.”

THE LOVE WITHOUT A NAME

She was silent for a moment.
She looked at me, crying but with a smile.

“Ethan… I didn’t love Sir Ethan.
I loved the man who knew how to wash dishes, the man who knew how to laugh even when he was tired, the man who knew how to listen.”

I couldn’t hold it anymore. I went over and hugged him.

“And that woman… she was the one who taught me to be human again.”

THE CHANGE

A few months later, I opened the doors of VegaTech again.
But this time, I had a new partner — Lara.
Not as an employee, but as a  partner, and wife.

And on his first day in office, he told people:

“A person’s worth is not measured by position, but by the goodness of the heart.”