“I’m looking for the president, why you?”

The day Ramon was appointed Assistant Vice President at a corporation in Makati, he returned home with a proud face. But that joy was not for Isabella – the wife who had been with him through the difficult years since they rented a small house in Quezon City.

That night, when Isabella had just set the table with his favorite sinigang, Ramon coldly threw the divorce papers on the table.

– “You are no longer worthy of me. I need a woman who can stand by me at every party, every conference. You are not that person.”

Isabella was stunned, her hands trembling so much that the rice bowl fell and shattered on the tiled floor. She could not believe that the man who had sworn to live and die by her side could now be so cruel. Before she could recover, she discovered that Ramon had someone else – a young girl, the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Makati, ready to go abroad with him.

Ramon left Isabella with a bleeding heart, leaving with a new man as if there had never been a marriage.

Dark days

Isabella had once collapsed. She locked herself in a small room, living like a shadow. But when she looked in the mirror, seeing a haggard woman, her eyes losing all light, she suddenly realized. If she collapsed, no one would stand up to help her.

Isabella started from zero. She applied for a job in Makati, doing the smallest jobs: answering the phone, drafting contracts. Her colleagues looked down on her, mocking her because she was a “left-over woman”. But Isabella swallowed her tears, gritted her teeth and worked, studying day and night in evening classes.

No one expected that it was this perseverance that helped Isabella quickly advance. She was smart, decisive, and more importantly – never gave up. After a few years, Isabella became the CEO, then opened her own company.

Step by step, her small company grew into an international corporation, signing a series of million-dollar contracts with Singapore, Japan, and the United States. From an abandoned woman, Isabella became the President of a famous corporation in the Philippines.

7 years later – the fateful meeting

One morning, Isabella received a meeting schedule with an important partner. When she saw the name of the company representative, she paused for a moment: Ramon Dela Cruz.

The next day, when the door to the conference room at the 5-star hotel in Makati opened, Ramon walked in. He was still polished, but no longer had the arrogant air of the past. Instead, his face was clearly marked by the wrinkles of failure.

Ramon was stunned when he saw Isabella sitting in the chair. He stammered, his voice choked:

– “I… I’m looking for the President. Why is it… you?”

The whole room fell silent. The eyes of the international directors were all on Isabella. She raised her head and smiled confidently:

– “Yes, I am the President you are looking for.”

Ramon was stunned. He remembered the harsh words he had said: “You are not worthy of me anymore!” Now, he was the one who was not worthy to stand before her.

A late proposal

After the meeting, Ramon tried to find Isabella. He choked up:

– “Isabella… I was wrong. Over the years, I have not had a single happy day. The woman I chose left when my company went bankrupt. I lost everything. But you… you have succeeded to the point that I cannot believe it. How about… let’s start over?”

Isabella looked straight into his eyes. Memories flooded back: the hard days, the silent sacrifices, and the cruel betrayal. But in her heart now there was only peace.

She shook her head slightly:

– “Sorry, Ramon. The woman who once knelt down for you is dead. The person standing before you today is President Isabella Santos, not the resigned wife of the past.”

Ramon turned pale, taking steps back.

Unexpected ending

At that moment, a foreign man walked over, kindly put his coat on Isabella and said in a gentle voice:

– “Honey, the car is ready. Let’s go, our son is waiting at home.”

Ramon was stunned. He saw the warm gaze Isabella gave the other man – the gaze that he once had but had lost with his own hands.

Isabella turned to Ramon gently, her voice calm:

– “This is my husband, also the person who has trusted and accompanied me all these years. Ramon, I hope that in the future you will learn to cherish what you have.”

Having said that, she held her husband’s hand and walked down the wide corridor of the hotel, leaving Ramon with a dull, bitter look in his eyes.

At that moment, he understood: what he had lost, he could never get back in this life.

The Fallen and the “Iron Lady” of the Philippines
Ramon’s Downfall

After meeting Isabella again in Makati, Ramon was like a lost soul. He sat for hours in his cheap rented apartment in Mandaluyong, empty liquor bottles strewn across the floor. His old company had gone bankrupt two years ago due to a wrong deal in Singapore. His wealthy lover had run away with another foreign businessman, leaving Ramon with a mountain of debt.

His family had turned their backs on him, his friends who used to cheer for him now avoided him. Every time he stepped out, Ramon was a “shadow” of himself – a failed man, heavily in debt, no one respected him anymore.

From a man who once arrogantly declared his wife “unworthy”, Ramon now had only a damp rented room, a few worn-out clothes and a broken phone full of debt collection messages.

Isabella – the Iron Lady

In contrast to Ramon’s miserable life, Isabella is now respectfully called by the media: “Iron Lady of Philippine Business”.

Her Santos Holdings has expanded its branches across Asia. The image of Isabella in a modernized barong tagalog, standing confidently in the middle of international halls in Tokyo, New York, Singapore has appeared continuously on the covers of business magazines.

She is not only a successful businesswoman but also an inspirational face for thousands of Filipino women. Isabella established a scholarship fund for poor children in Mindanao, invested in a community hospital in Cebu, and spoke at many major forums on women’s rights.

With extraordinary determination, Isabella turned pain into strength – affirming that a woman who has been betrayed can also stand up and become a legend.

The Last Encounter

On a rainy evening in Manila, Ramon, drunk, left a roadside bar and happened to see a giant LED screen in the center of Ayala Avenue. On it was a picture of Isabella – in a luxurious white suit, introduced as “The Most Powerful Woman in the Philippines in 2032”.

Ramon looked up, the rain mixed with tears. He staggered as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. The woman he had abandoned years ago was now a national symbol. As for him – there was only emptiness and bitterness left.

He tried to enter the lobby of the building where Isabella was holding a party to celebrate the founding of the group. But the security guard coldly stopped him:

– “Sorry, your name is not on the guest list.”

Ramon bowed his head, trembling, his fingers tightly gripping his old ID card. He looked through the thick glass, seeing Isabella radiant with her husband and son, amidst the sparkling flash.

At that moment, Ramon understood:

There are mistakes that, once made, cannot be corrected for a lifetime.

The tragic end

Ramon left the building, his figure collapsed under the Manila rain, dissolving into the bustling crowd. He was just a forgotten name, a man who once had everything but lost it because of arrogance and betrayal.

Meanwhile, Isabella stepped onto the stage, raising her glass to celebrate amidst thunderous applause. Her voice was proud, her eyes shining:

– “I want to send a message to all Filipino women: No matter who has ever knocked you down, remember that you are the one who decides your future. Stand up, and the whole world will bow to your willpower.”

Cheers echoed throughout the auditorium.

Isabella smiled, continuing on the path of an “Iron Lady”, leaving behind a lonely and tragic Ramon – as a reminder that life is always fair to those who know how to cherish and fight for their happiness.