Her husband was kicked out just because he gave her $8.88 USD, but two hours later, when the husband searched for her, she almost died of what she saw.

That day in Tanghali, the hot sun shone down on the narrow alley in Quezon City. In the fourth level bahay apartment, the sound of arguing rang out continuously.

— “$8.88 USD! Do you know how hard it is to earn that? Then you just give it to your mother?” – Jun shouted, his face red with anger.

Lani stood leaning against the kitchen cabinet, her voice calm but her eyes full of fatigue:
— “Mom’s back hurts, she needs medicine. It’s only $8.88 USD, and our family won’t be able to afford it.”

Jun slammed the cup on the table, the porcelain pieces flew everywhere:
— “Not to be knocked down? Try to get out of the heat and stretch your bones, so you can feel how hard it is to make ₱500!”
He pointed straight at the door:
— “Get out! Think outside. Come on next, and then come back!”

Lani said nothing more. She took the old tote bag, quietly walked out. There were only a few hundred pesos left in the bag.

Jun slammed the door, sat down on the chair. He opened his phone to surf the internet, still resentful: “Matigas ang ulo, hayaan ko muna sa labas para matauhan.”

Two hours later…

The little child woke up, trotted out and asked:
— “Tatay, nasaan si Nanay?”

The question made Jun feel uneasy. The sun was blazing hot, and Lani was in poor health… His heart suddenly beat hard, and he felt uneasy.

He quickly ran to the alley to look for her but couldn’t find her. He asked a few kapitbahay (neighbors), and they all shook their heads. He went around the palengke (market), then to the jeepney stop, but she was still nowhere to be seen.

Just then, a taxi stopped in front of the gate. The door opened, and Lani got out. She was wearing a sun-protective shirt, carrying a black maleta that was puffy. Behind her was an older man, dressed elegantly.

Jun was stunned. Lani opened the maleta, took out a thick stack of money, and slammed it down on the table:

“Here. ₱200,000. From my mother – so we can start over. But it’s not for you to control me and treat me like a spoiler.”

Jun stared, before he could react, Lani turned to her son:

“Son, get your clothes. Let’s go to Grandma’s house first.”

The boy was bewildered, then ran into the room. Jun stood in front of the door:

“What are you doing? Where did that money come from?”

Lani looked straight into her husband’s eyes, her voice cold:
— “My mother sold a plot in the countryside, she gave me a piece of land for security. Do you think I can’t afford it? I chose to stay at home to take care of our child, because I trust you. But you sent me away for $8.88 USD for my mother’s medicine… I won’t stay in a home where trust and respect are eroded.”

The man accompanying him spoke up:
— “I am Lani’s cousin. This morning she called, crying. I took her to get the money from her mother. She thought it through before making a decision.”

June stammered:
— “Lani… I’m sorry. I’m just having a headache. I just want to save for the family…”

Lani put the maleta on her shoulder and held her son’s hand:

— “Saving is good. But being rude and treating your spouse as worthless — that’s what really destroys the family. When you learn to be respectful, let’s talk about it again.”

The door closed behind her and her mother. Jun slumped down in his chair, his eyes glued to the ₱200,000 left on the table. The painful question echoed in his head:

“Maraming for a… for a while, will you still be able to get the money?”

Part 2: The Bitter Condition

That night, Jun couldn’t sleep. The echo of the door closing behind Lani and their son tormented him. Her cold words rang in his mind: “When you learn to respect, we’ll talk again.”

The next morning, Jun traveled all the way to Cavite, where Lani and their son were staying at her mother’s house. He stood at the gate, sweat dripping down his face. When Lani came out, holding their boy’s hand, her expression was calm, almost indifferent.

Jun’s voice broke:
— “Lani… forgive me. I was wrong. I lost my temper. I should never have driven you away… especially not over just ₱500.”

Lani looked at him for a long moment, then gave a bitter smile:
— “Jun, it wasn’t about the ₱500. If you knew respect, even without money, we’d still be whole. But you treated my help for my own mother like a crime. That’s not a partner I can trust.”

Jun dropped to his knees on the ground:
— “What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything, just come back.”

The Bitter Condition

Lani’s eyes hardened:
— “If you want to prove yourself, from today, you will send ₱10,000 every month to my mother. You don’t need me to remind you. Not because I demand it, but so you learn that caring for parents is not a burden, but a duty. Do it consistently for one year, and I’ll consider coming back. If you fail… don’t expect to see us again.”

Jun’s face went pale:
— “$177.6 USD? Lani… that’s nearly a third of my salary…”

Lani cut him off, her voice sharp:
— “For vices, you have no problem spending. For nights out with friends, you never complain. But when it comes to family responsibility, suddenly every peso feels heavy? Ask yourself, Jun — do you really deserve to be called a husband, a father?”

Their little boy tugged at Jun’s shirt, his innocent eyes wide:
— “Tatay… will you come home with us?”

Jun hugged his son tightly, tears burning his eyes. But Lani’s gaze was unwavering — cold, determined, leaving no room for weakness.

End of Episode

Jun stood frozen in the courtyard, his arms around his son as tears streamed down his face. He realized: this time, apologies alone would never be enough.

To win back his family, he would have to change from the ground up. Or else… he would lose them forever.

And in his mind, a single haunting question echoed:

Does he have the strength to let go of his pride, in order to hold on to the woman who once sacrificed everything for him?