When The Poor Girl Suddenly Became Rich

It started with the doorbell.

Well—three doorbells, to be exact. Ringing one after another like it was a fiesta. Followed by a chorus of:

"Good afternoon, food delivery!"

Bella peeked from the living room. "Kuya… there's milk tea at the door…"

Then two more riders arrived.

"Pizza," said one.

"Seafood bucket," said the second, drenched in sweat and holding a two-liter bottle of soda.

From the kitchen, Gesly slowly turned around, spatula in hand. "We don't have guests… do we?"

Bella blinked. "None…"

They both looked toward the living room, where Andi—in her home skirt, loose tank top, messy bun, and (still) a dab of cheek tint—sat gloriously unbothered, scrolling through her phone and fanning herself with a floral abaniko.

She didn't even glance up. "Oh, perfect timing. Let's eat."

Bella looked at the seafood bucket being opened. There were crabs. Shrimp. Mussels. Garlic butter that looked criminal in oil content.

"Ate, what is this?" Gesly was now standing like a market auntie, hands on hips.

"What? I just wanted to eat," Andi replied, calmly pouring herself a glass of soda like this was totally normal.

"SINCE WHEN DO YOU WANT TO EAT THREE MAIN COURSES AT ONCE?! AND JOLLIBEE TOO?!" Gesly opened one of the boxes. "How many Chickenjoys is this—twelve?!"

Bella, already halfway through her milk tea, piped up: "Ate… are you pregnant?"

Silence. Even the crabs stopped sizzling.

Andi froze mid-bite. "EXCUSE ME?!"

"I mean... aren't these cravings? I saw on TikTok that when you get sudden, random cravings for weird food combos, it could be—"

"BELLA!"

Gesly pointed dramatically. "Ate, when was your last period? Is something going on with you and Alonzo?!"

Andi nearly threw her abaniko at both of them. "I DO NOT HAVE A BABY! NOTHING IS GOING ON! I'M JUST CRAVING! I'M HUMAN!"

"You could've just told us you were stress eating," Gesly muttered, now stealing a slice of pepperoni. "We almost had heart attacks."

Andi flopped dramatically onto the couch, a plate balanced on her stomach. "Calculus is stressful. My crush is making me feel things. Cramps are painful. And being an ate is exhausting. So yes—I wanted Chickenjoy. Now everyone, please shut up."

Bella giggled and plopped down beside her. "Next time just tell us, Ate. I thought you were getting married."

Gesly rolled his eyes. "I thought I'd be baptizing my first nephew already."

Andi lifted her abaniko and smacked them both. "You two are too much. Just eat."

---

That night, they had the most chaotic family dinner:

Bella with crab hands, Gesly dancing with a Chickenjoy drumstick, And Andi, laughing despite the oil stains on her top and the ketchup on her cheek.

Pregnant? No. Just tired. Stressed. A little in love. And very, very deserving of every damn bite.

---

It all started with a phone call.

"Hello, is this Miss Andrea Navarro?"

"Yes, speaking."

"This is from the Guidance Office of San Rafael High School. Your brother, Gesly, was... involved in a riot. Could you come here as soon as possible?"

Pause. Deep breath. Then came the calm, sugar-sweet voice of a woman who wore long skirts and didn't flinch during family trauma:

"I'll be there in ten minutes. Kindly keep him alive.

Ten minutes later, a soft knock echoed in the Guidance Office.

The counselor looked up to see a young woman in a beige skirt, white blouse, kitten heels, and a small sling bag—clearly secondhand but still classy. Her hair was in a neat low bun, minimal makeup, and of course—she was fanning herself with a baby pink abaniko.

"Good afternoon," she said with a polite smile. "I'm Andrea Navarro. Gesly's sister. I believe you called me about a… 'geng geng'?"

The counselor blinked. "You mean… gang war?"

Andi nodded, still smiling. "Yes. That thing."

Inside the room, slouched like a guilty cat caught stealing leftover adobo, was Gesly Navarro. Bruised cheek, half-zipped jacket, ID crooked like it had been yanked during a fight.

Next to him sat three of his friends—one with a busted lip, one with a scraped elbow, and one calmly eating fish crackers like it was just a regular Tuesday.

Andi walked in like a breeze—elegant, soft-spoken, deadly.

She didn't raise her voice. Didn't even glare. Just sat beside her brother, placed her abaniko on the table, and crossed her legs like a auntie at a village hearing.

"Can you tell me what happened, Mr. Counselor? I'd like to hear the official version before I… react."

The counselor cleared his throat. "Well, according to reports, there was an altercation behind the gym. At first we thought it was gang-related, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. Some students from another section thought your brother was part of a rival group. A punch was thrown, and well…"

He gestured to the wounded peanut gallery. "They fought back. It wasn't premeditated—they just reacted."

Andi tilted her head.

"So… my brother got punched. And he… punched back?"

"Yes."

"Noted."

After a few more formalities, verbal warnings, and a signed incident report, the boys were free to go—with the usual stern "next time, there will be suspension" speech.

They stepped into the empty hallway.

And that's when it happened.

"GESLY."

Her voice wasn't loud— But it cut like a knife.

"If you're going to start a fight, why did you let yourself get caught by the guidance office?"

"Ate—"

"No. No explanations yet. Just stop right there. If you're going to play G.I. Joe, you could've at least gone full gear—helmet, pads, and a proper ID lanyard. Gang war and you got punched? Where's the badass part in that?"

"Ate—I'm telling you—"

"And I'm telling you," she snapped open her abaniko like a sword, "if you're going to get into trouble, don't get caught. Second, don't get involved in issues you don't even understand. Third—WHAT EVEN IS 'GENG GENG,' GESLY?!"

His friends were trying very hard not to laugh.

"They thought I was part of Junior's crew! We just look alike! Someone punched me, so I punched back."

Andi looked him up and down slowly.

"Good. At least you know how to defend yourself. But next time, if you can't stop your fists, don't stop your brain either. Use both. Understood?"

"Understood..."

"Good." She smiled again, sweet and composed, abaniko now folded back into its innocent shape. "Have you boys eaten? You all look hungry."