The Billionaire's Daughter (Valeria Series 1)

TBD 10

Abyss of despair

"Oh, himala at nagpakita ka sa akin, Merida?" sabay kain ko ng salad ko, sinubukan kong ipahiwatig ang aking pagkamangha.

"Sorry... Alam mo naman kasi na busy na ako sa kaka-practice, diba?" sagot ni Merida.

Oo, isa nang trainee si Merida sa isang sikat na star producer ng Go Entertainment. Kaya minsan lang talaga kami magkita.

"Hmp..." Pero natutuwa ako para kay Merida dahil natuto na siyang mag-ayos at tumataas na rin ang kanyang self-confidence level. Hindi na siya masyadong nahihiyang makihalubilo sa ibang tao.

"At saka, hindi ka naman nag-iisa kasi kasama mo naman si Blade, ah?"

"Hey, guys." Speaking of...

"Hey, that's my food!"

"Oh, 'yan, sayo na."

"Eww, sayo na 'yan! May laway mo na. Nakakadiri ka talaga, Blade!"

"Sus, arte arte," saka niya kinain ang salad ko. Hay nako.

RING! RING! RING!

Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata kaya nag-peace sign ito.

"Sorry na, Hannah! Tumatawag na kasi 'yung manager ko. I gotta go, bye, guys!"

"Bye..."

RING! RING! RING!

Napatingin naman sa akin si Blade.

"Yes, mom?"

[ Go home right now. ]

Kinabahan naman ako nang binabaan ako nito ng tawag.

Now what?

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Home."

PAAAAAAK!

Nanlaki ang mata ko at napahawak ako sa pisngi ko.

WHAT THE HELL IS HER PROBLEM?!

"Anong ibig sabihin nito, ha!?" Kunot-noo kong pinulot ang tinapon niyang papel.

"MY GOD, HANNAH! 50/100!? SERIOUSLY?" Napayuko ako nang pinalo niya ako paulit-ulit sa braso.

"I told you to study! Study! At anong ginagawa mo? Isa ka pa ring pabaya! Hinayaan kita kasi sabi ng dad mo malaki ka na at hindi mo makakalimutan ang mga responsibilidad mo! Pero eto?" At pinulot niya ulit ang test result ko at sinampal sa mukha ko.

"Eto ang ibibigay mo? Simula ngayon, ayaw na kitang makikitang kasama ng pag-aalala ang Blade at Merida na 'yun! Dahil kukuhanan ulit kita ng tutor at mag-aaral ka lang kahit walang pasok! Naiintindihan mo?"

"Bigyan mo pa ng kahihiyan ang pangalan natin at makikita mo, ipapatapon kita—"

"Ma'am Valeria."

"Oh, bakit, Gardo?"

"Gusto ho kayong makita ni Donya Valeria..." Hindi ko alam kung ako lang ba o talagang namutla si Mama.

"Okay." Huminto ito at hinarap ako ulit.

"Wag mong bibigyan ng kahihiyan ang mga Valeria."

Nanginginig na napatingala ako sa kanya at napaupo sa sofa.

Damn it.

Bumaba ang tingin ko sa test paper ko.

Fuck!

After wiping away my tears, I sat on the edge of my bed, feeling the weight of disappointment and frustration settling heavily on my shoulders. The words of my mother echoed in my mind, each syllable piercing through me like a dagger. I knew I had let her down, let myself down.

I glanced at the test paper lying on my desk, its stark red markings mocking me. How could I have let my grades slip like this? I used to excel in my studies, but lately, everything seemed to be falling apart. The pressure to perform well, coupled with distractions from friends and social activities, had taken its toll on me.

I stared blankly at the closed door of her room. It had been three long days since my mother had locked me inside, insisting that i needed to study and reflect on my recent academic failures. At first, i had tried to reason with my mom, pleading to be allowed out even for just a short break, but my pleas fell on deaf ears.

The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in on me with each passing moment. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions - frustration, anger, and above all, a deep sense of despair. I felt trapped, imprisoned by my mother's expectations and my own perceived failures.

With a heavy heart, i buried my face in my hands, the weight of my despair pressing down on her like a ton of bricks. I had always been a diligent student, striving for excellence in everything i did. But lately, no matter how hard i tried, success seemed to elude in my grasp.

The silence of the room was deafening, broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing. U longed for the familiar sights and sounds of the outside world - the laughter of my friends, the warmth of the sun on my skin, the freedom to simply be myself.

But here i was, confined to the four walls of my room, cut off from the outside world and forced to confront my own shortcomings. It was a bitter pill to swallow, and i couldn't help but feel a sense of hopelessness..

Hours turned into days, each moment stretching out into eternity as i grappled with my inner demons. I tried to bury myself in my studies, but my mind was clouded with doubt and self-recrimination. No matter how hard i tried to focus, my thoughts kept returning to the same painful question - was i destined to be a failure?

As the hours ticked by, i felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of despair. I longed for a glimmer of hope, a ray of light to pierce through the darkness and show me a way out of the darkness that threatened to consume me.

But for now, all i could do was wait, trapped in my own personal purgatory, longing for the day when will i be free to spread my wings and soar once more.