Clara was a young woman full of dreams, yet trapped in the prison of poverty.
Her father had fallen into a deep addiction to gambling, racking up a debt of 50 million pesos. And the man he owed?
None other than Don Sebastian “Baste” Montemayor.
Don Baste was well-known across the nation—not only for his wealth but also for his appearance.
He weighed nearly 300 pounds (about 140 kilograms). Obese, constantly perspiring, with scars on his face, and always seated in a motorized wheelchair because, as rumors went, his size made it impossible for him to walk.
Behind his back, people mockingly referred to him as “The Billionaire Pig.”
The Deal
One evening, Don Baste’s men arrived at Clara’s house.
“Pay the debt—or go to prison,” they threatened her father.
“We don’t have the money!” her father protested. “B-but I’ll give you my daughter! Clara! She’s young, beautiful, and hardworking! Marry her, Don Baste, and I’ll clear the debt!”
Clara’s eyes widened in horror. “Dad?! You’re selling me?!”
But with no other choice, Clara agreed to marry the man everyone feared in order to save her father’s life.
The Wedding
On the wedding day, the whispers were impossible to ignore.
Clara stood breathtakingly beautiful in her gown—radiant and graceful—next to Don Baste, who was drenched in sweat, gasping for air, with a spaghetti stain on his tuxedo.
“Poor girl,” someone murmured.
“She’s only after his money.”
“She must be disgusted just being near him.”
Clara heard every word.
But she held her head high.
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 saw none in her eyes.
Only compassion. Only care.
“Water,” he rasped.
Throughout the ceremony, Clara stayed by his side.
When it came 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 once inside the bedroom.
“I’m too big—you’d be uncomfortable on the bed. And one more thing…
Clean my feet before I sleep. And feed me.”
Baste was testing Clara.
He pretended to be lazy, messy, rude, and cruel.
“The food is terrible!” he shouted, throwing his plate.
“You’re too slow! Wipe my back!”
For three months, Clara became his caregiver.
But she never complained.
“I’m sorry, Don Baste. I’ll do better next time,” was always her response.
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 harsh because people have hurt 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 exterior, his heart slowly softened.
The Ball
The night of the Grand Charity Ball arrived—the first time Baste would introduce Clara to high society.
He dressed Clara in a stunning red gown and lavish jewelry.
Baste himself wore a tuxedo, still tight on his massive frame.
All eyes were on them as they entered the ballroom.
A woman approached—Vanessa, Baste’s ex-girlfriend from before he became “fat,” according to rumors. In truth, Vanessa was the reason Baste lost his trust in women.
“Oh my God, Sebastian,” Vanessa laughed.
“You’ve gotten even bigger! And this is the wife you bought? How much did she cost? She looks like a gold digger.”
Vanessa’s friends joined in.
“Perfect match. The Beast and the Paid Woman.”
Baste lowered his head.
He waited for Clara to cry.
To step away.
To feel embarrassed.
But he was wrong.
Clara released the wheelchair and stepped forward.
“Excuse me,” she said firmly.
“Don’t 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—yes, I admit that. But I stayed because in three months, I saw the kindness you’re blind to because you only see appearances.”
Clara placed her hand on Baste’s shoulder.
“I’m proud to be Mrs. Montemayor. And I would rather spend my life with this ‘pig’ than with people like you.”
The entire ballroom fell silent.
Vanessa was humiliated.
Baste looked at Clara—and saw courage, sincerity, and love.
This 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 had changed.
It was no longer hoarse or raspy—it was deep, smooth, and unmistakably seductive.
“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 smiled.
He turned toward the mirror and reached behind his neck, pulling at a thin strip of silicone.
Clara’s eyes widened.
Slowly, Baste began to peel away his disguise.
He removed the prosthetic mask that made his face look scarred and bloated.
He took off the 50-kilogram fat suit wrapped around his body.
He removed the bald wig.
Within moments, the “Billionaire Pig” was gone.
Standing before Clara was a man in his early thirties—tall, muscular, with striking features.
Sebastian Montemayor.
His true self.
Clara collapsed onto the bed in shock.
“W-who are you?”
Sebastian knelt in front of her and took her hands.
“It’s still me, Clara. Baste,” he said softly.
“B-but why? Why pretend?”
“Because I was tired,” Sebastian confessed.
“Every woman I met loved me for my looks and my money. When Vanessa betrayed me, I swore I’d 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 wanted to find a woman who could endure my smell, my weight, and my temper. And that woman was you. You defended me tonight. You loved me when you thought I had nothing to offer.”
“Sebastian…” Clara cried.
“You won the game, Clara. And as your reward, I give you all of me—my wealth, my heart, and my true face.”
Clara embraced her husband.
Not because he was handsome.
But because their love had proven real.
Epilogue
The next morning, news broke about Don Baste’s “miraculous transformation.”
The world was stunned to see the handsome billionaire standing beside his simple wife.
Vanessa—and even Clara’s 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 testament that true beauty is not seen by the eyes, but felt by the heart.