WANTED: THE BILLIONAIRE BOYFRIEND (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1

A loud bang on the roof of our house woke me up. I immediately got up to look at it. It was only five in the morning, and I had only slept for two hours because of my work.

"Xheree! Wake up!" shouted the landlady I was renting from.

I hesitated. If I opened the door, Mrs. Chan would charge me for the rent. I had no money to pay.

"Xheree, open the door!"

I opened the door and saw the furious Mrs. Chan. "Good morning, Mrs. Chan."

She frowned. "What's good about the morning? It will only be a good morning if you pay the rent."

I smiled. "I don't have any money yet, maybe I can pay next week."

"You've said that a hundred times! If you don't pay next week, I will throw away your belongings!" she said, and then she left.

I sighed. I had to pay my debt because otherwise, my brother Xeldon and I would end up sleeping on the road. I went back to my bed to sleep. I had to wake up at ten o'clock.

"Sister," I heard my thirteen-year-old brother call me. He was standing in front of me, and his face was sad.

I walked towards him. "Why are you awake?"

He rubbed his eyes. "I heard Mrs. Chan being noisy, so I woke up."

I sighed. "Ignore Mrs. Chan, go back to sleep."

Xeldon looked at me. "Sister, when are we going to pay the rent?"

"Maybe I can pay next week."

"One day, someone showed interest in renting this house," Mrs. Chan informed the prospective tenants, "we are planning to move out."

I smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'll find a way to pay the rent."

Xeldon nodded. "Sister, I still have to pay for a school contribution. I'm the only one who hasn't settled it yet."

"How much is it?"

"Two hundred pesos."

I retrieved my wallet from the cabinet, took out two hundred pesos, and handed it to Xeldon. "You can pay it later when you go to school."

He smiled. "Thank you."

I sighed. I was only fifteen years old when Xeldon and I became orphans. Our Aunt Nette took on the role of our parent. I finished high school, but I couldn't go to college because Aunt Nette passed away. I took on the responsibility of caring for Xeldon. I worked as a saleslady at a small burger house near us, and at night, I sold cigarettes and candy on the street. I had to work hard to meet Xeldon's needs. But it still wasn't enough.

"Why don't you eat, sister?" my brother Xeldon asked me.

He only ate the five pieces of bread I bought because I only drank coffee.

I smiled at him. "I'm still full. Eat it all," I made an excuse.

My brother Xeldon stared at me. "Are you sure, sister?"

I nodded and forced a smile. I couldn't eat. I just didn't want my brother to go hungry.

"Eat all that bread so you won't be hungry at school."

"I promise you, sister, when I finish school, you won't have to work anymore. I'll buy you a big house with a swimming pool," he said.

I couldn't hold back my tears. "That's right, study hard." I turned my back to him and quickly wiped away my tears.

I took Xeldon to school and then went to Mrs. Tan's store to borrow rice and canned food. I had no money left because I gave the rest to my brother.

"Mrs. Tan, can I borrow some rice and canned goods? I'll pay you back when I have money."

"Xheree, I'm sorry, but you already owe me a lot. I can't lend you rice and canned goods anymore."

I sighed. "I understand, thank you."

I left with a heavy heart. What would I feed my brother when he came home later?

I went to my friend Lyka's house. Lyka was my high school friend and also my neighbor. She was my constant refuge whenever I needed help.

"Xheree, come inside," her mom said.

"Thank you. Where is Lyka?" I asked.

"She's in her room, just go on," her mother replied.

"Thank you, where is Lyka?" I asked.

"In her room just go," replied her Mother.

I smiled and thanked her, then I went to Lyka's room. I saw Lyka busy talking while facing her laptop.

I approached her and waited for her to finish her call. Lyka's mother came with a snack. She knew I wasn't eating well.

"Xheree, did you see the person I was talking to?" she said to me after ending the call on her laptop.

She handed me bread and a soft drink. "Here."

"Thank you," I replied.

She smiled. "You're welcome. I know you don't eat much. Anyway, what do you think of the older man?"

"Yes, is he your relative?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, he's not my relative. He's my boyfriend," she said with a smile.

"Isn't he old?" I asked. I thought he was her relative because the person she was talking to was sixty years old.

She nodded. "Yes, he's old but rich. He always sends me money even when I don't ask for it." Lyka tapped me on the shoulder. "If you want to escape poverty, find a rich man who can easily provide a better life for you."

"Isn't that wrong?" I asked.

"Why is it wrong? It's just being practical. Love an old rich man. Don't look for a handsome man with no money."

Lyka had a point. Why should I look for a handsome man if he can't give me a good life?

"How?" I asked.

"I will create an account for you on TheBachelor.com site. Many foreigners are looking for Filipino women there."

I nodded at her. She created an account for me on that site. "What should I post first?" she asked me after creating the account.

"You post, 'Wanted: The Billionaire Boyfriend,'" I replied.

"I've already posted it. Let's wait a few minutes to see if someone responds to your post," she smiled.

"Thank you," I said.

"What time do you start your work?" she asked me.

"I will work this afternoon. Do you know anyone who's looking for a laundrywoman? I only need to do laundry. I don't have money to buy food."

Lyka stood up, took her purse from the cabinet, and handed me a thousand pesos. "Pay it back when you have money."

"I owe you a lot," I said.

"Don't be shy, just accept it."

"Thank you," I accepted the money.

"Xheree!" Lyka shouted, even though I was standing close to her.

"What is it?"

"Someone replied to your post. He also sent a personal message," Lyka looked at the account and realized it was also a new account.

"Do you want him? He's from Manila, but he doesn't have a photo on his account yet," Lyka said.

"Tell him that if he's willing to pay my fifteen thousand peso rent debt, I will accept him as a boyfriend."

In just a few seconds, the man replied on Bachelor.com.

"He is willing to pay your debt," Lyka said with a smile.

"What should I say?" I asked Lyka. I didn't know what to say.

"Have a meet-up with him so you don't have to waste your time if he's not rich," Lyka suggested.

"Alright, it's up to you to reply to him."

"Xheree, he is willing to meet you tomorrow. Be ready for tomorrow," Lyka said to me.

I nodded. I decided to meet my chatmate tomorrow. I was willing to do anything for my brother.

I went to the grocery shop after leaving Lyka's residence to buy canned goods, rice, and coffee. These were the essentials for Xeldon and me. He was surprised to see how many groceries we had.

I arrived at work around five o'clock in the afternoon. My salary was low because I was only there for four hours. As a result, at night, I sell cigarettes, chicharron, coffee, and balut. These are my daily activities to support my brother Xeldon and myself.