The sun is shining brightly and everyone is busy at St. Jude Medical Center. Outside the hospital, a new wing is being built, which is why the sound of machines and hammers is loud. Amidst the dust and heat, there is a man who stands out for his diligence. His name is Caloy. He is muscular, dark-skinned, and although his pants and shirt are covered in cement, his face is serene. Every day, during lunch break, he rushes to wipe off his sweat, wash himself, and buy a snack at the cafeteria. Not for himself, but for Ara, the nurse he loves.

Ara was known in the hospital not only for her beauty but also for being picky. She dreamed of marrying a rich man—a doctor or businessman who would lift her out of poverty. That’s why when Caloy started courting her, she became a target for temptation. “Ara, there’s your ‘Prince Charming’ again,” her fellow nurses would shout as they peered out the window. Ara looked at Caloy waiting in the lobby, carrying a bag of food, and she winced in embarrassment. “Please, don’t tease me about him. It’s embarrassing,” Ara snarled.

One afternoon, Caloy mustered up the courage. It was his payday. He bought special noodles and a bouquet of flowers. He entered the hospital lobby, even though he knew that the guards and patients were staring at him because of his safety vest and muddy boots. He saw Ara at the nurses’ station, laughing with a handsome resident doctor. Caloy approached. “Hey, good afternoon. I brought something for you,” Caloy greeted with a smile.

The surroundings fell silent. The doctor looked at Caloy, then at Ara, with a mixture of judgment. Ara blushed with anger and shame. She felt her coworkers look down on her because of her “dugyot” lover. Instead of accepting the flower, Ara grabbed it and threw it to the floor. “Caloy! How many times do I have to tell you not to bother me at work?!” Ara shouted. Her voice echoed throughout the lobby.

“Ara… I just wanted to give this to you…” Caloy replied weakly, surprised by the girl’s reaction.

“I don’t want your food! I don’t want your flowers! And I don’t want you even more!” Ara yelled. She approached Caloy and pointed at it. “Look at yourself! You’re just a construction worker! You’re filthy! You stink! Do you think we’re compatible? I’m a nurse, Caloy! I’m a professional! What I need is a man who can be proud of himself, not a cement mixer with no future!”

“My job is honorable, Ara,” Caloy defended, although his voice trembled with pain. “I’m trying.”

“Trying hard? That’s all you’re going to get! You’ll never get anywhere! So please have mercy on me, just let me go. You’re embarrassing my coworkers! Security! Let this man out!”

Caloy’s heart was broken. He picked up the wilted flower from the floor. He stared at Ara for the last time—the woman he loved despite her behavior. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, Ara. Remember, cement hardens, but the heart is wounded,” Caloy whispered before turning around and walking out, carrying her dignity trampled in front of so many people. The other nurses laughed. Ara flipped her hair and went back to talking to the doctor, as if nothing had happened.

A week passed. Caloy didn’t show up. There were no more “construction workers” waiting outside the hospital. Ara’s life became peaceful, or so she thought. One morning, the Hospital Director called an emergency meeting. There was a big announcement. “Velasco Builders and Development Corporation,” the largest construction firm in the country, was about to formally begin construction of the hospital’s new 10-storey building. And the CEO and owner of the company himself was coming for the Groundbreaking Ceremony.

“Girls, we need to look good today,” said the Head Nurse. “I hear the owner of the construction firm is a billionaire. Young, handsome, and single!” Ara’s eyes lit up. This was her chance. This was the kind of man she had dreamed of. She retouched her make-up, fixed her hair, and made sure her uniform was perfect. They lined up in front of the hospital to welcome the VIP guest.

Around ten o’clock, a convoy of three black luxury SUVs arrived. It stopped in front of the red carpet. Bodyguards in barongs got out. Everyone was silent, waiting. The door of the middle vehicle opened.

First came a pair of shiny black shoes. Next came a man in a dark blue Italian suit, sunglasses, and a posture full of power and authority. He took off his glasses and smiled at the Hospital Director.

When Ara saw the man’s face, it felt like her heart stopped beating. Her eyes widened. Her hands went cold. He grabbed the arm of the nurse next to him to keep from falling.

The billionaire… the CEO… was none other than CALOY.

Caloy, whom he called a “construction worker.” Caloy, whom he had chased away.

Caloy walked toward the entrance, shaking hands with the doctors and officials. “Good morning, Engineer Velasco! Welcome back!” the Director greeted. “Thank you, Doc. I just wanted to make sure everything was in order before we start,” Caloy replied in a formal and educated voice, far from the voice of the simple lover of the past.

He and Ara stared at each other. Caloy stopped in front of Ara. Ara’s eyes were filled with fear and confusion. “C-Caloy?” he whispered.

Caloy smiled. Not with an angry smile, but with a smile mixed with pity. “Engineer Carlos Velasco,” he corrected. “And don’t worry, Miss Ara. I’m here to build a building, not to interfere with your work.”

Everyone found out the truth that day. Caloy was not a simple laborer. He was the owner of the company. He just wanted to “immerse” or mingle and work with his staff to feel their hardship and ensure that the work was done properly. He pretended to be an ordinary worker when he was courting Ara because he wanted to find a woman who would love him not because of his money, but because of who he was. And unfortunately, Ara failed that test.

As the ceremony was going on, Ara was restless. He wanted to take everything back. He wanted to explain. After the program, he approached Caloy as he was getting into the car. “Caloy! Wait!” Ara shouted. Calo turned around

“Caloy… Engineer… I didn’t know,” Ara said tearfully. “I’m sorry for what I said. I was just stressed. But I still love you. Can we talk? Can we start over?”

Caloy stared at Ara. He saw the regret on her face, but he also saw the reason for the regret—because he found out that she was rich.

“Ara,” Caloy said gently. “When my hands were dirty, when I was sweaty, when I only brought noodles… I wasn’t enough for you. You stepped on me. Now that I’m wearing a suit and carrying a million, you suddenly love me?”

“Not like that, Caloy…”

“That’s right, Ara. True love doesn’t choose status. True love doesn’t hate. I’m grateful for what you did. Because if you hadn’t pushed me away before, I might not have known that what I loved wasn’t the woman in front of me, but just the image I had built in my mind.”

“I’ve met someone else,” Caloy admitted. “A woman accepted me when she thought I was just a loader at the site. She’s the one who deserves to be Mrs. Velasco.”

Caloy got in his car and drove away. Ara was left on the side of the road, in tears, and full of regret. Her dream of becoming rich and marrying “big time” was right in front of her, knocking on her heart with noodles, but she threw it away just because of her misconceptions and judgmental eyes.

Since then, Ara’s waste has become the talk of the hospital. Every glance he takes at the new building under construction serves as a reminder of his mistake. He learns the hard way that a person’s true wealth is not seen in the clothes they wear, but in the purity of their heart. And opportunity, sometimes comes wrapped in dirt and sweat, just waiting to be loved and appreciated.