After a passionate night, the tycoon left the poor college girl one million pesos and vanished. Seven years later, she finally learned why she was “worth” that much…

After a passionate night, the tycoon left the poor college girl one million pesos and vanished. Seven years later, she finally learned why she was “worth” that much…

“That night, after the haze of drunken passion, the poor student woke up next to a stranger. On the table was a thick envelope with a number that made her tremble: one billion dong. He disappeared as if he had never existed, leaving behind a haunting question: why was I given such a price? Seven years later, the truth finally came out…”

Lan was a third-year economics student from a poor countryside. Her parents were farmers, scraping together every penny to send her to the city for school. But tuition, rent, and food constantly kept her on edge. On top of that, she had the pressure of sending money home to support her younger brother’s high school education.

One evening, after finishing her part-time shift at a café, Lan’s friend invited her to a birthday party at a luxury restaurant. Lan hesitated, but her friend begged, saying she might get a side job serving at events, so Lan agreed.

At the party, Lan accidentally drank several glasses of strong liquor. Her body was already weak, and she hadn’t eaten since morning. She grew dizzy and lost control. When she opened her eyes, Lan found herself in an unfamiliar hotel room beside a mature, wealthy-looking man. The shock left her panicked. But what stunned her more was the envelope on the table containing one million pesos in cash and a note with just a few words: “Consider this fate. Don’t look for me.”

Lan was confused, ashamed, and felt like she had been treated as an object. Yet the money was enormous to her. After days of torment, she decided to use it for tuition, family support, and her studies. Still, her heart carried the question: Who was that man? Why did he do this?

With the one million pesos, Lan’s life changed. She no longer worried about daily meals and could focus on her studies. She sent money home, repaired her family’s house, and supported her younger brother’s path to university.

For herself, Lan vowed not to rely forever on this “fateful money.” She studied diligently, took on internships early, and later secured a job at a financial company. Intelligent, quick, and determined, Lan rose swiftly from contract employee to team leader.

Although her life had stabilized, the memory of that night still haunted her. To her, it was a scar that could not be erased. Each time she recalled it, she felt both humiliated and grateful that the money had given her a way out. Strangely, for seven years, the man never returned.

Lan once tried to inquire, but the only clue was a blurry face in her memory. Eventually, she accepted that perhaps it was just a fleeting encounter, and she had to move on.

Just as Lan began thinking about marriage, an unexpected twist occurred: during a meeting with an important partner, she locked eyes with a familiar gaze—it was the man from seven years ago! Yet he showed no sign of recognition, remaining calm and polite. Lan was shaken, her heart pounding, but she managed to hide it.

From then on, she began observing him and slowly uncovered the truth.

The man’s name was Minh—a well-known real estate businessman, nearly twenty years older than her. He had endured family tragedies: a wife who passed away early and a daughter born with a heart defect that required costly treatments.

To Lan’s surprise, seven years ago—at the very time he met her—he had been at his lowest point. The one million pesos he left was not meant as “payment for her body” but rather… a form of penance. That night, he had been pressured by friends to drink heavily, lost control, and unintentionally wronged her. When he sobered up, he was overwhelmed with guilt, too ashamed to face her, and could only leave the money as compensation before disappearing.

Seven years later, upon seeing Lan again, Minh realized she had become successful and independent, not reliant on the money he left behind. He quietly watched her, torn between wanting to approach and fearing the past would resurface.

When Lan finally learned the truth, she felt both anger and relief. The “price of one billion” she had tortured herself over was not an insult, but the regret of a man who had made a terrible mistake.

In the end, Lan chose forgiveness. She told Minh: “You’ve already paid for your mistake. The rest, let it stay in the past.”

The story closed with Lan confidently moving forward in life—not as the poor student haunted by a fateful night, but as a strong woman in control of her own destiny.