My name is Alejandro Reyes, I am 41 years old.
CEO.
Rich.
Everyone admires me—
except one person:
Lina, my most timid and loyal maid.
He is quiet.
Respectful.
Never rude.
He doesn’t speak unless it’s necessary.
And in the two years he worked at my house in Quezon City…
Never, not once, did he look me directly in the eyes.
But there’s something different about her—
a kind of kindness I could never explain.
And since I had already been hurt many times by people who only pretended to be nice,
a question began to haunt me:
Was he truly loyal?
Or was it all just an act?
That’s when I created a plan
I should never have made.
The scam I thought would be simple:
I prepared the plan for an entire week.
I would fake a heart attack.
I would fake fainting.
I would fake stopping breathing.
I wanted to see their real reaction.
I wanted to know if he would take care of me…
or if he would run away like almost everyone else.
Pain?
Fear?
Screaming for help?
Or…
nothing at all?
One afternoon, I finally succeeded.
I threw it on the living room floor —
motionless, silent.
And I waited for Lina to come in.
The reaction I never expected: When he
opened the door,
he took off his slippers as usual, sweeping
silently.
But when he saw me lying there…
The broom fell from his hands.
He ran to me.
He fell to his knees.
And before I could react,
her tears fell onto my cheek.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
The tears were real.
The fear was real.
Her trembling voice was real.
Lina:
“Sir… Sir… please, not now…
Please, don’t leave me… please…”
She was sobbing like a frightened child.
He didn’t call me “Mr. Reyes” as usual—
just “Sir,”
filled with pain, fear, and pleading.
And maybe…
that must have been the moment I told him the truth.
But I didn’t.
I wanted to see what he would do next.
The truth that shook me to the bone:
He called an ambulance—
his hands trembling.
Running back and forth through the house,
not knowing where to find the strength.
He held my hand.
And he spoke softly.
Lina:
“If I had known, sir…
How kind you’ve always been to me, even when I didn’t realize it.
If I had known how much…
I appreciate it.”
