The Campus Nerd is the Billionaire's Daughter

Chapter 1

"Promise Isay? Babalikan mo ko dito? Tapos di ka na ulit aalis?" sabi ng batang lalaki

"Promise Dave. Babalikan kita at di na ko aalis ulit." sabay pinky swear ng dalawang bata.

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Isabel's POV

"Isabel! Come on! You'll be late!"

"Im awake nay. I'll take a bath first then i'll go downstairs."

I'm Aliyah Isabel Smith. 18 years old. Daughter of Isaac and Alison Smith. One of the billionaires worldwide. Yeah, i'm one of the lucky daughters who have a billionaire parents. *insert sarcasm here*

We're currently here at New York. I'm a pure Filipino. As well as my parents. Napepeke lang ng apelyido namin ang maraming tao. Akala nila mayaman na kami ever since. Pero mali sila.

Naging boss ni Papa ang isang American businessman na walang pamilya. He didn't get the chance to build his own family. Masyado siyang naging busy sa pagpapalago ng business niya kaya nawalan siya ng time para sa pagbuo ng sarili niyang pamilya. Only child din siya kaya wala na siyang ibang kapamilya. Yung mga kamag-anak naman niya, hindi niya alam kung nasaan.

He had an acute illness. Papa is the only one he can trust for his company. So he signed the document saying that papa will inherit all of the things that he'll leave including the company, his houses, cars, everything. He was a billionaire.

But money cannot buy health. Yes he can buy medicine or pay the doctors to help him make his life a little longer, but he can never buy the years that had passed by. So he died.

We ended up being the billionaire instead. Lucky huh? In terms of money, yes. But as we become billionaires, our family wasn't the same anymore. Dati, sabay sabay kaming kumakain habang nagkkwentuhan, nagdadamayan sa oras ng problema, every sunday lalabas kami bilang isang pamilya, every event sa school lagi silang present, but now, business na lang ang inaasikaso nila. Nakalimutan na ata nilang may anak sila na dapat ding asikasuhin.

I rather have a normal way of living with a happy and contented family than a filthy rich living with a family who doesn't have time for each other.

A while ago, i've dreamt of my past, again. No, let me rephrase it, i always dreamt of my past. It was me when i was still a kid. Yon pa yung time na nasa Pilipinas kami, yung time na normal lang yung buhay namin.

I had a boy bestfriend. We always played together, laugh together, we are always together. He was my only friend. Nag-aaral ako noon sa private school. Honor student ako at may kaya naman ang pamilya namin noon kaya ako nakapag-aral sa isang private school. All of the student there was from rich families except me. Sabi nga nila noon, "You don't belong here. You're just a commoner.".

They bully me just because i'm a commoner. But then my knight in shining armor came, Dave. He always save me from those bullies. Naaalala ko pa nung first time na niligtas niya ko. Pinagtanggol niya ko sa mga batang pinagbabato ako ng kung anu-ano. Doon kami nagkakilala. Inabutan niya ako ng panyo at doon na nagsimula ang pagkakaibigan namin.

Siya palagi ang nagtatanggol at nagpprotekta sakin. Siya lang ang naging kaibigan ko. Pero nagkahiwalay kami dahil nga naging tagapagmana si Papa ng isang billionaire. Kailangan namin mag-migrate dito sa New York dahil dito ang main company ng boss ni Papa. Kailangan niya mameet yung mga stockholders. We migrated 13 years ago, but before we left, i made a promise to Dave that i'll be back. Yung scene na palagi kong napapanaginipan.

I badly wanna go home. Pero ayaw ng parents ko. Everyday ko silang kinukumbinsi na payagan akong umuwi. Pero ayaw talaga nila akong payagan, but i won't give up. I'll convince them until they say yes. It's been 13 long years. I need to fulfill my promise to Dave. How i wish that he's still waiting for me.

Sa totoo lang kasi, hindi ko alam kung anong buong pangalan ni Dave. I just know that his name is Dave and he's a year older than me. Dumb huh? Sa sobrang gaan kasi ng loob ko kay Dave, hindi ko na naisip pang tanungin ang mga bagay tungkol sakanya. Basta masaya ako tuwing kasama ko siya. Yon lang ang nasa isip ko ng mga oras na yon. I was too overwhelmed by the feeling of having a friend.

Bata pa lang ako mahina na ko, physically. Hindi ko kayang ipagtanggol ang sarili ko. Kaya hanggang ngayon binubully parin ako ng mga classmate ko, pero iba na ang dahilan ng pambubully nila ngayon. Binubully nila ako dahil daw nerd ako at panget ako. What's wrong with wearing an eyeglass? What's wrong with wearing long sleeves? What's wrong with wearing a long skirt? Eto ako eh. Pero walang kayang tumanggap sakin.

Kahit magulang ko, pinapagalitan ako sa suot ko. I'm more comfortable with these clothes. Ayoko gumaya sa mga tao dito, kulang na lang mag h***d sa suot nila. If being true to yourself means having no friends and being plastic means having tons of friends, i rather choose being true to myself. When the time comes, we all will grow old, and beauty will fade. But, personality doesn't fade.

Mas maganda ng totoo ka sa sarili mo kesa makipaglokohan ka sa mga magiging kaibigan mo. Naniniwala parin akong may mga tao pang mas gugustuhin kang kaibiganin dahil sa ugali mo, hindi sa itsura.

Kaya eto ako ngayon, handa nang kumbinsihin ulit ang magulang ko para payagan akong umuwi ng Pilipinas. Papunta na ako ng dining. Sigurado akong nandon sila. Kailangan ko na silang makumbinsi.

"Good morning Papa, Mama." sabi ko sabay upo ng silya ko.

"Good morning anak." sabi ni mama

"Good morning baby." sabi ni papa. Baby niya parin daw kasi ako.

"Pa, Ma, gusto ko na talagang umuwi." panimula ko

"You're already home here baby." simpleng sagot ni Papa

"Pa, you know what i'm talking about."

"Yes Isabel, i know what you're talking about and you already know my answer."

"Pa, i really wanna go back. I'll do anything that you want me to do. Just let me come home." naiiyak kong pahayag

"Why are you so desperate to go back? Our life is much better in here."

"No pa. Our life is way much better when we we're there."

"What do you mean?"

"13 years ago, we we're just a simple family, yet, a happy one. We always have time for each other. Our daily problem is how to budget the little money you've earned. Now, yes, we're one of the billionaires.. Money is not our problem anymore.. But what happened to our family? Both of you had been busy on that business.You barely have time for your own daughter. How i wish this was just a nightmare. I miss the old us. If i get to choose, i want our old family back.Not everything is about money." i said then ran back to my room

'Di ko na napigilan yung sarili ko. Ayoko ng ganto. Mas gusto ko pang mabuhay ng simple. Oo, nakukuha mo nga lahat ng materyal na bagay na gusto mo, pero unti-unti nang nawawala yung pamilyang lagi mong karamay. Naiiwan ka na lang mag-isa. Nawawalan na sila ng oras para sayo. Pamilya pa ba ang maitatawag don?

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"Isabel.." it's papa

"Please pa, try to understand.." i said crying..

"Okay, then let's have a deal."

Lumingon agad ako sa pwesto ni Papa ng sabihin niya iyon.

"Anything pa, just let me go back."

"I'll let you go back and do whatever you want.. But, we won't give you what you'll be needing. Your on your own. You should find a way to have shelter, food, clothing, all of the things that you need. I'm giving you one year to prove to me that you can be on your own now. If you can do that, Me and your mother will also come back to the Philippines."

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"Deal." i said without a doubt.

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Chapter One: The condition