Clara was a young woman full of dreams, yet imprisoned behind the bars of poverty.
Her father had fallen into a gambling addiction and sunk into debt amounting to 50 million pesos.
And the man he owed?
None other than Don Sebastian “Baste” Montemayor.
Don Baste was known across the country not only for his wealth, but for his appearance.
He weighed nearly 300 pounds (around 140 kilograms).
Morbidly obese, constantly sweating, scarred across the face, and always seated in a motorized wheelchair because, according to rumors, his weight made it impossible for him to walk.
Behind his back, people cruelly called him “The Billionaire Pig.”
THE DEAL
One night, Don Baste’s men arrived at Clara’s home.
“Pay the debt—or go to prison,” they threatened her father.
“We don’t have the money!” her father cried.
“Then I’ll give you my daughter! Clara! She’s young, beautiful, and hardworking! Marry her, Don Baste—take her in exchange for my debt!”
Clara’s eyes widened in terror.
“Dad?! Are you selling me?!”
But Clara had no choice.
To save her father’s life, she agreed to marry the man feared by everyone.
THE WEDDING
On the wedding day, the guests couldn’t stop whispering.
Clara stood glowing in her wedding gown—radiant and composed—beside Don Baste, who was drenched in sweat, gasping for air, with a spaghetti stain on his tuxedo.
“Poor girl,” someone whispered.
“She’s only in it for the money.”
“She must be disgusted at the thought of sharing a bed with him.”
Clara heard everything.
But she lifted her chin with pride.
She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Don Baste’s forehead.
“Are you alright, Don Baste?” she asked softly.
“Would you like some water?”
Don Baste froze.
He had expected disgust—
but instead, he saw compassion.
Care.
“Water,” he whispered.
Throughout the ceremony, Clara stayed by his side.
When it was time for photos, she didn’t step away.
She held his hand—large, rough, and trembling.
THE TEST
After the wedding, they were taken to Don Baste’s mansion.
“You’ll sleep on the sofa,” Baste ordered inside the bedroom.
“I’m too big—you won’t be comfortable in the bed. And one more thing…
Clean my feet before I sleep. And feed me.”
Don Baste was testing her.
He pretended to be lazy.
Messy.
Rude.
Cruel.
“This food is awful!” he shouted, throwing his plate.
“You’re too slow! Wipe my back!”
For three months, Clara became his caretaker.
And yet, she never complained.
“I’m sorry, Don Baste. I’ll try harder tomorrow,” was always her gentle reply.
Every night, while Baste slept—or pretended to—Clara softly spoke as she massaged his swollen feet.
“I know you’re kind,” she whispered.
“Maybe you’re hurt because people wounded you with their words. Don’t worry. I’m here. I’m your wife. I won’t leave you.”
Baste heard every word.
And beneath his thick “skin,” his heart slowly softened.
THE GRAND CHARITY BALL
The night of the Grand Charity Ball arrived—the first time Baste would introduce Clara to high society.
He dressed her in a stunning red gown and expensive jewelry.
He himself wore a tuxedo, still tight around his massive body.
All eyes turned toward them as they entered the ballroom.
A woman approached—Vanessa, Baste’s former girlfriend from before he became “fat,” according to rumors. In truth, Vanessa was the one who shattered Baste’s trust in women.
“Oh my God, Sebastian,” Vanessa laughed.
“You’ve gotten even bigger! Is this the woman you bought? How much did she cost? She looks like a gold digger.”
Vanessa’s friends laughed.
“The perfect match—the beast and the paid woman.”
Baste lowered his head.
He waited for Clara to cry.
To step away.
To feel ashamed.
But he was wrong.
Clara released the wheelchair and stepped forward.
“Excuse me,” she said firmly.
“Do not call my husband a monster.”
Vanessa froze.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes, he’s big. Yes, he’s not as polished as your husbands,” Clara said loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“But this man has a heart bigger than all of yours combined. I married him because of debt—I admit that. But I stayed because for three months, I saw the kindness you’re blind to because you only see appearances.”
Clara placed her hand on Baste’s shoulder.
“I am proud to be Mrs. Montemayor. And I would rather spend my life with this ‘pig’ than with plastic people like you.”
The entire ballroom fell silent.
Vanessa stood humiliated.
Baste looked at Clara—and saw courage, loyalty, and love.
She was the woman he had been waiting for.
“Clara,” Baste whispered.
“Let’s go home.”
THE TRUTH
Back at the mansion, Clara guided Baste into the bedroom.
“Shall I prepare your tea, Don Baste?” she asked gently.
“No,” Baste replied.
His voice changed.
It was no longer hoarse or raspy—
it was deep, smooth, and undeniably captivating.
“Clara… look at me.”
Slowly, Baste stood up from the wheelchair.
Clara gasped.
“Y-you can stand?”
“There’s a lot I can do, Clara,” he said with a smile.
He turned to the mirror, reached behind his neck, and peeled away a thin strip of silicone.
Clara’s eyes widened.
Slowly, Baste began removing his disguise.
He took off the prosthetic mask that made his face look scarred and swollen.
He removed the 50-kilogram fat suit wrapped around his body.
He pulled off the bald wig.
Within minutes, the “Billionaire Pig” was gone.
Standing before Clara was a man in his early thirties—
tall, muscular, sharp-featured, and breathtakingly handsome.
Sebastian Montemayor.
His true self.
Clara collapsed onto the bed in shock.
“W-who are you?”
Sebastian knelt before her and held her hands.
“It’s still me, Clara. Baste,” he said gently.
“B-but why? Why pretend?”
“I was exhausted,” Sebastian confessed.
“Every woman I met loved me for my looks and my money. When Vanessa betrayed me, I swore I would never marry again until I found someone who loved my soul—not my skin.”
Tears filled his eyes.
“So I wore a mask. I became a monster. I searched for a woman who could endure my smell, my weight, my anger. And that woman was you. Tonight, you defended me. You loved me even when you thought I had nothing to give.”
“Sebastian…” Clara cried.
“You won the game, Clara. And as your reward, I give you all my wealth, my heart, and my true face.”
Clara embraced her husband.
Not because he was handsome.
But because their love had proven itself real.
EPILOGUE
The next morning, news exploded about Don Baste’s “miraculous transformation.”
The world was stunned to see the impossibly handsome billionaire standing beside his simple wife.
Vanessa—and even Clara’s own family—tried to approach them for money, but security stopped them.
“The doors of this mansion are open only to those with genuine hearts,” Sebastian said in an interview.
Clara and Sebastian lived happily ever after—
A living proof that true beauty is not seen by the eyes,
but felt by the heart.