THE DEAL
One night, Don Baste’s men arrived at Clara’s home.
“Pay the debt—or go to prison,” they threatened her father.
“We don’t have the money!” her father cried.
“Then I’ll give you my daughter! Clara! She’s young, beautiful, and hardworking! Marry her, Don Baste—take her in exchange for my debt!”
Clara’s eyes widened in terror.
“Dad?! Are you selling me?!”
But Clara had no choice.
To save her father’s life, she agreed to marry the man feared by everyone.
THE WEDDING
On the wedding day, the guests couldn’t stop whispering.
Clara stood glowing in her wedding gown—radiant and composed—beside Don Baste, who was drenched in sweat, gasping for air, with a spaghetti stain on his tuxedo.
“Poor girl,” someone whispered.
“She’s only in it for the money.”
“She must be disgusted at the thought of sharing a bed with him.”
Clara heard everything.
But she lifted her chin with pride.
She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Don Baste’s forehead.
“Are you alright, Don Baste?” she asked softly.
“Would you like some water?”
Don Baste froze.
He had expected disgust — but instead, he saw compassion.
Care.
“Water,” he whispered.
Throughout the ceremony, Clara stayed by his side.
When it was time for photos, she didn’t step away.
She held his hand—large, rough, and trembling.
