pinalayas ang asawa dahil lang nagbigay ng ₱500 sa Nanay niya, pero dalawang oras matapos, nang hanapin ng mister ay muntik siyang himatayin sa nakita…

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.

— “₱500! Alam mo ba kung gaano kahirap kitain ‘yon? Tapos ibibigay mo lang sa Nanay mo?” – Jun shouted, his face red with anger.

Lani stood leaning against the kitchen cabinet, her voice calm but her eyes full of fatigue:
— “Masakit ang likod ni Nanay, kailangan niya ng gamot. ₱500 lang ‘yon, hindi ikakabagsak ng pamilya natin.”

Jun slammed the cup on the table, the porcelain pieces flew everywhere:
— “Hindi ikakabagsak? Subukan mong lumabas sa init at magbanat ng buto, para maramdaman mo gaano kahirap kumita ng ₱500!”
He pointed straight at the door:
— “Lumabas ka! Mag-isip ka sa labas. Come on sumunod kang sumunod, saka ka bumalik!”

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.”

Dalawang oras pagkatapos…

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:

“Eto. ₱200,000. Galing kay Nanay – so we can start over. Pero hindi para kontrolin mo at tratuhin ako na parang palamunin.”

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

“Anak, kunin mo damit mo. Lilipat muna tayo sa bahay ni Lola.”

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

“Ano’ng ginagawa mo? Saan nanggaling ang perang ‘yan?”

Lani looked straight into her husband’s eyes, her voice cold:
— “Binebenta ng Nanay ko ang isang lote sa probinsya, binigyan niya ako ng parte para may seguridad. Akala mo ba wala akong kakayahang kumita? Pinili kong manatili sa bahay para alagaan ang anak natin, dahil nagtitiwala ako sa’yo. Pero ngoong pinalayas mo ako just for ₱500 para gamot ng Nanay… hindi ako mananatili sa isang tahanan kung saan ang tiwala at respeto trampled.”

The man accompanying him spoke up:
— “Ako ang pinsan ni Lani. Kaninang umaga tumawag siya, umiiyak. Ako ang naghatid sa kanya para kunin ang pera galing sa Nanay niya. Pinag-isipan niyang mabuti bago gumawa ng desisyon hey.”

June stammered:
— “Lani… pasensya na. Nainit lang ang ulo ko. Gusto ko lang magtipid para sa pamilya…”

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

— “Magtitipid ay mabuti. Pero pagiging maramot at pagtrato sa asawa na walang halaga – iyon ang tunay na sumisira sa pamilya. Kapag natutunan mong rumespeto, saka natin pag-usapan ulit.”

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:
— “₱10,000? 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?