The Billionaire's First-Born

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

How does living in a wealthy family feel? How does it feel when you get everything you want that other people just dream of? How does it feel to have a luxurious life?

Some people think that you can do the things you want if you are rich. Some people think that you can handle other people if you are rich. They think that, for them and in their eyes, a person has no right if they have no money.

That's how our lives are. Everything in this world revolves around money. I mean, there’s nothing in this world that money can’t buy. Most of the people I talk to have no other complaints other than money problems and obsessions with so many vices that cause them to run out of money that they had saved for a long time.

That is one of the reasons why I'm here. That is one of the main reasons why I have to leave my family just to pay our debts. That is one of the reasons why I am here in this house, where everyone who resides here belongs to the richest clan in the Philippines.

Before my mother put me into this job, I tried to do some research about their family. Just as I expected, I got information about their first-born, their second-born, and then the third-born.

They come from the Moreno clan, which is among the wealthiest clans in the Philippines. Their father is half Filipino and half Spanish, while their mother is purely Filipino. I saw an article in the magazine that I had read that their mother was not from a wealthy or middle-class clan. The article says that their mother is from the poorest family in their province, and her marriage to the billionaire Mr. Montero seemed to be controversial.

The article says that they didn't really love each other back then, and it became a puzzle for everyone how they liked each other even though they belonged to different families.

"This is Heather, and she will teach you everything you need to do," Marjorie said before she pointed at the girl who was now raising her eyebrows while looking at me. "I won't be able to accompany you at all because I have an errand later."

I nodded at her before I followed Heather, who was now looking at me strangely. She had furrowed brows and the confusion was still visible on her face. I felt like she was already confused based on the way she turned to look at me.

Marjorie told me that Heather is kind and approachable, but seeing her gaze at me made me uncomfortable a bit. She's not that kind to me, and I can say that she's not that approachable, just like what she said. Seeing her staring at me now made me confused and annoyed at the same time.

I'm confused because why is she like that when she looks at me? The way she looked at me, I felt like I had committed a great sin against her. I feel like I did something embarrassing to her. Why is she like that when she looks at me? I know that she's confused that I'm here, so instead of asking me, why does she have to stare at me?

Did I do something wrong against her?

"H-Hi..." I greeted her when we were now walking upstairs.

Just like what she did a while ago, she slowly turned to look at me while raising her brows in confusion.

"Don't stare at me like that," I said, but I didn't expect that her brows would furrow even more because of what I said. "I mean, there's nothing w-wrong with that, but... your stares bothered me a lot."

She scoffed, which made my brow furrow a bit. "Is that so?"

"Y-Yes, please."

"Sorry," she apologized before she shrugged. "This is my way of welcoming our guest."

A method of welcoming them?

She burst into laughter when she saw the confusion plastered all over my face. I felt like she was tripping on me, and I felt annoyed about it.

Some of my friends told me before that I get annoyed quickly. Sometimes, some of our cousins always teased and annoyed me for having a weird face among my siblings, and it made me mad. Some say that jokes are half meant, but it doesn't mean that they're applicable all the time.

Teasing me was the reason why I always frowned when I was young. I was also often annoyed back then whenever they teased me for being adopted, even though it's not. My parents don't have any evidence that they are my real parents, but they always explained to me that they were my parents and they always made me feel that they loved me.

There's nothing wrong with me even if they admit that I'm adopted and I'm not their real child. Whether they admit it or not, my opinion of them will not change. They were my parents, and that thing will not change.

I hope so... I really hope that they were my real ones.

"This will be your room," Heather said before she motioned for me to enter the vacant room.

It's not that big, and it's not that small. I feel like two people can fit in here if I ever have someone else with me.

"Am I the only one who will use it?" I asked curiously before I turned to look at her.

I saw her furrowing her brows while looking at me. "Of course, you're with me," she said, before she jokingly rolled her eyes. She leaned against the door while her hands were crossed above her chest. "Basilio wasn't here. You met Conrado before, right?"

I nodded at her before I hovered my eyes across the room.

"Conrado is their family driver, while Basilio is their gardener. You, Conrado, and Basilio are the same age, while me, on the other hand, may have looked young, but I'm a year older than you," she said, which made me nod. "You're probably wondering why there aren't too many maids here..."

I pursed my lips. It seems like I already knew what she was going to say, but I chose to shut my mouth and change what she was going to say.

I replied, "Maybe they're just saving their money," which made her chuckle a bit. "Why? I don't have any idea why no one lasts here."

She shook her head, while the smile remained etched on her lips. She said, "They don't hire maids aside from me because they're not that quick to trust other people."

Well, it seems like I was wrong in what I thought.

"And their first-born doesn't want a crowded place," she added, which made me purse my lips. "Shaun is quick to get annoyed. You know... menstruation. "

"Is she a girl?" I asked, even though I already knew that he was a man.

Heather looked bored, and it seemed like I was the reason for her impatience. I saw how her eyes narrowed a bit, and it seems like she's just stopping herself from complaining because I'm new here.

"Shaun Andrei Montero is a male's name," she said before she shifted in her posture. "I suggest that you can now fix your things here as well. You can use the vacant cabinet near the window because I don't use it anymore." I nodded at her and carried my bags nearby. "Shaun is coming soon. He may be a bit busy these days because he will take over their company, but I'm sure you'll meet him eventually, especially now that you'll be working in this house."

Heather smiled genuinely at me, which I reciprocated. She turned her back on me and left me alone. It seems like she's just giving me my time to prepare for myself because our boss may be here soon.

I hope he's okay. I hope I can get along with him quickly, and I hope he won't be the reason for me to leave here.

I should stay here no matter what to pay off our debts to his family as soon as possible. I should focus on my goals while I'm working here. All I need to think about is my studies.

I don't want to see my batchmates graduate without me with them. Not for being selfish, but... I don't know. I just feel envy towards them. They're so lucky. They never had to work hard for their studies. They no longer have to work hard for their tuition fees. They are so lucky because they have the ability to educate themselves, while me, on the other hand, don’t have any idea how I’m going to start everything.

I want to study, and I want to help my parents pay for their expenses as well, but because of my financial constraints, I have to choose between the two: me or my family.

Do I need to choose my studies and forget about my family, or to help my family but forget myself?

How can I choose between two things if neither of the two choices will lift me from hardships?

"Is life really like this?" I whispered to myself before I sat on the vacant bed and closed my eyes to wish for myself.

Even before I could open my eyes, I heard someone chuckling near where I was. I hurriedly opened my eyes and I almost jumped into bed when I saw a man my age laughing at my reaction while sitting next to me.

I didn't even feel him sitting on my side!

"Who the hell are you?"

That was not supposed to be the word that came out of my mouth, but because of shock, I did not realize that it came out of my mouth on purpose.

Instead of replying to me, he just smiled and chuckled when I didn't reciprocate his smile.

Later on, he just stretched his hand in front of me, which I stared at for a couple of minutes before I decided to accept his hand.

"I'm Basilio, and you are?" he asked.

I puckered my lips, which made him smile. "I'm Solanna."

"The new maid?"

My brows furrowed a bit before I nodded at him. I asked, "How did you know, Basilio?"

He chuckled while still looking at me. "Conrado told me about you." I nod at him. I almost stepped back in my seat when he whispered to my ears. "Shaun is a spoiled brat, so don't expect too much from him."

"What are you talking about?"

Instead of replying to my question, he just shrugged and stood up from his seat. My eyes almost fixated on him when he put his hands on his waist while hovering in the room where we were.

"Heather told me to look for the grass cutter. Do you know where her cabinet is?"

I pointed at the other table that I knew belonged to Heather. Basilio smiles widely at me before he nods and approaches the cabinet I pointed to. I watched him grab two bags of candy bars—wait...

"I thought she was asking for the grass cutter." I said while looking at him.

He smiled evilly at me before he left the room where I was while carrying the bags of candy bars that he picked from Heather's cabinet. I tried to call him back, but instead of listening to me, he ran away.

Is he stealing something from her? Wait. Is that called theft? I should ask Heather about this...

"You gave him my things?" she asked, a bit mad because of what Basilio did.

I puckered my lips before I bowed my head to apologize. I said, "I thought you ordered him to pick up those bags."

She put her hands on her waist. "I want to beat that wrench," she said, which made me purse my lips. She turned to look at me with disbelief in her eyes. "Did you know he always does this to me? This is the fourth time today that he has robbed me."

"F-Fourth time?" I asked, a bit shocked at what she said. "How did he—?"

"He always does that all the time," she said.

I couldn't do anything but listen to her rants about Basilio. That's the least thing I should do now while waiting for Shaun to come home.