Secret Obsession With My Dad

Chapter 1 Last Moment

NATHALIE WAS IN THE GROCERY STORE when her sister Vanessa called her.

She answered the phone"Hello—?."

"Our Grandpa— he is in the hospital," Vanessa said as her voice was trembling.

She was stunned for a few seconds as her heartbeat started beating fast. She felt nervous and fearful at the same time. Fear that she might lose the only person who considered her family, "I don't want to lose him. I don't know how can I live without LoloDad", she thought even though she knew that her Grandfather was hiding something from their family.

A few minutes had passed before she could speak "W-here?!" she stuttered.

"MC Hospital" Vanessa replied sparingly.

Nathalie immediately turned off the call and left the food Cart she was pushing.

"Jojo at MC Hospital!" sambit niya ng makalabas siya sa grocery store.

Jojo just nodded in response and immediately drove the car to MC H.

Habang nasa daan ay hindi nawala ang kanyang pag-aalala at takot, hindi siya mapakali sa kaniyang kinauupuan. "Jojo, please hurry up."

Pagdating sa MC Hospital sumalubong sa kanya si Vanessa.

"Ate Nathalie" Vanessa looked at her with tears in her eyes. When she saw Vanessa's reaction she became even more nervous.

"Nasaan si LoloDad?!" Tanong niya. They immediately get in the elevator.

Vanessa could no longer speak and the worry and fear she had both felt before— she could see it in her sister's face.

So Nathalie didn't ask any more questions.

Vanessa just guided her to their Grandpa Dad's hospital room.

She was at the door, and unable to step into her Grandfather's room because can't bear to see her grandfather weakening.

She knew that this time would come but she didn't expect it to be that fast.

Nathalie had known for a long time that her grandfather had cancer but he didn't want to let them know, so she just kept silent.

Last night she went to his doctor to find out about her grandfather's condition. And it says that Don Lazaro's condition is getting worse, so when Van said that their LoloDad was in the hospital, it was like millions upon millions were piercing her heart out of fear.

"Ate?" there was a question on Vanessa's face as to why she wasn't moving to her stand to see their grandfather.

Nathalie closed her eyes suddenly and took a deep sigh. "Relax Nathalie kailangan ka ni LoloDad," she thought.

Napaatras siya kinaroroonan at bahagyang sumadal sa hamba ng pinto "I can't Van" She looked at her stepsister.

"You are so cowardly!— That's why Mama oppresses you so much because she knows you're a coward that you can't fight her back!!. Ate please, for once, be brave for Grandpa" Pangreareal talk ng kanyang kapatid.

Nathalie was too stunned to speak, 'cause everything she said was true. She is a coward, but there is a reason why she chose to be like that.

"Ohh, God!" Vanessa exclaimed and just pushed her inside. When she saw Don Lazaro's condition, her heart pounded with pain when she saw him lying on the bed. Unconscious, while there's a life machine that is connected to his body.

Nathalie's knees weaken as she steps onto his bed. The doctor came in with her Mom so she immediately stepped back and went next to Vanessa.

The Doctor sighed and looked sadly at them "Ms. Samantha, I know I don't have permission from Mr. Salazar. But I think you need to know this now... Mr. Salazar has stage 4 cancer, and is sad to say that there is no way to cure the cancer cells that had already spread in his body."

Samantha almost fell to the floor... She would have liked to support her mother but she knew it would only make her angry. Fortunately, Vanessa was there.

Nathalie just stayed behind like she wasn't part of the family. "I am attacked again by the thought that I have no right to cry and intervene because their blood does not flow through me", she thought.

She wants to get closer to her, LoloDad, but she's afraid of her mom. She was afraid of what her mother would do because every move she makes that her mother doesn't like, ends up in a fight.

The doctor left and there were only four of them left inside, including her LoloDad, who was still unconscious. "Buy us food in the cafeteria— hurry up!!" Her mother commanded.

Nathalie just nodded and went out, she leaned against the door for a moment and sighed deeply. Even before she left, Nathalie heard Samantha and Vanessa talking.

"Why is she here?— that splinter!! " it was as if Nathalie's heart was being squeezed when she heard from her mother that she called her a splinter.

"I called her mom, grandpa was looking for her earlier before fainting" Vanessa replied.

"I already told you! Don't ever call that disgraced woman. We don't need her" Samantha said emphatically.

Nathalie's hand clenched, and tried to calm her heart.

"Sorry Mom, but I'm just worried about Grandpa" Vanessa's voice was soft, which calmed her mother.

"Fine baby. Anyway, are you hungry? Tired?— If you wanna go home and rest I will call Jojo to take you home."

Nathalie could no longer cope with the pain and jealousy she felt. Her tears almost dropped as she rode the elevator... She went to the Cafeteria and bought something to eat. Then she immediately delivered the food to her grandfather's room.

She saw her Mom come out of the room with Attorney Sun Delvaje... When they are gone, she immediately went inside and saw Vanessa sleeping on the couch.

Nathalie laid the food on the small table by the side of the sofa, and no longer bothered to wake Vanessa.

She sat on the side of her grandpa's bed and sadly stared at his face. "LoloDad pagaling ka agad ha?. I don't want to lose my ally. Diba you promised me that we would go to El Nido? Gagawin pa natin 'yon. Lumaban ka LoloDad— i-kaw lang ang meron ako." Little by little, her tears flowed so she wiped away her tears, then fixed her grandpa's blanket.

Her Grandpa's hand moved slightly and gradually woke up

"Grandpa? Are you all right?" Nataranta si Nathalie at hindi alam kung anong uunahin.

"How are you?— I'll call the Doctor." She was about to stand up when her grandfather stopped her and held her wrist.

''Stay here Nathalie'' he said.

Nathalie averted her gaze to hide her emotion and simply sighed "I'll just call the doctor Grandpa". She didn't know how to talk to her grandpa in that state. The pain of seeing him lying in bed and fainting... She couldn't stand it anymore.

"No need honey, Just sit next to me."

Nathalie sat on the edge of the bed as her LoloDad gently caressed her face. "My baby is a woman now, you won't need me anymore" His voice was weakening. "Isa lang ang ihahabilin ko— be strong even if I am no longer beside you."

Her tears started to fall and she couldn't help but sob "Why do you seem to be saying goodbye?" she said tearfully. "You won't leave me, right? We will fight this together LoloDad. You will live long, remember? You are such a weed.''

Lazaro just smiled then shook "I'm weak and I know that Doc Aliyah has already told you what my illness is... Just live your life, Anak."

Nathalie was trembling and crying. "LoloDad p-lease Don't leave me" she pleaded as she continued to cry.

Don Lazaro tapped Nathalie on the shoulder three times, "I'll just take a rest— for a while" he said, then gradually closed his eyes. Suddenly, the multi-parameter monitor attached to her grandfather rang and gradually straightened the line.

"No!, LoloDad! Doc! " her tears flowed and begged to keep her grandfather alive. "Lolo Dad! Please!."

Nathalie was so scared and didn't know what to do. Vanessa woke up because of her sister's scream so she immediately called a doctor.

"Don't leave me LoloDad!— don't leave me!!" She didn't stop begging until the doctor came.

Pinalabas sila ng mga nurse, habang pabalik balik sa paglalakad at hindi mapakali si Nathalie "I can't lose the person who is important to me. He was the only one who cared about me" she thought.

Finally, the doctor came out. "Doc? how's my Dad" Samantha said in her husky voice.

The doctor sighed sadly. "Sorry, but he didn't make it. I'll leave you to give you privacy... I'm so sorry Ms. Salazar."

Nathalie seemed deaf and unable to move... she doesn't know what to feel. Her heart tightened while her mom was sitting on the floor and crying. Vanessa did the same as she hugged their mother.

Nathalie was at the door looking at the nurses covering her Grandpa's body with a cloth. She couldn't move from where she was, holding onto her chest while leaning against the door jamb and sliding down to the floor.

"I-lost my LoloDad— w-hy is the world so cruel to me. What I'm experiencing is pure misfortune. Nawala na ang nag-iisang tao na nagmamahal sa akin and I don't know— I don't know what will happen to me now" she thought as she couldn't stop her whole body from shaking.

She tried to get up and went inside where her grandfather's cold corpse lay. Her knees were weakening as she stepped into her LoloDad's place.

Her hands are trembling as she holds her mouth while taking off the white blanket that covers his face. She held tightly to the side of the bed for there to draw support, "L-oloDad ? w-ake up" she begged.

She didn't realize that her mother was behind her. At agad siyang hinila paatras na naging dahilan upang mawalan siya ng balanse at bumagsak sa sahig.

"You!!" Sam pointed her finger at Nathalie. "You have no right to cry!" dinuro duro siya nito. "Until the final moment of his life, you are still what Dad cares about!. Ano bang meron sayo? huh?. Tell me!!?. No matter what I do—" she grinned sadly "To make Dad love me, it is still not enough... It is all because of you!!— because you came into this family. Dad lost interest in me even more because of you!!. I hate you so much!!— Get out of my sight!" her voice was furious.

"Mom, not now please—" she begged and look at her Mother.

"Don't call me Mom!!— hindi kita anak!" she exclaimed "Sana hindi ka na lang dumating sa pamilya namin!" madiin nitong saad at nanginginig sa matinding galit.

"Mom please stop, let's just respect Grandpa's Death" pang-aawat naman ni Vanessa.

Nathalie couldn't stop answering back because her mother was exaggerating again, ''What have I done to you to be so mad at me?!. Dahil ni isa!— wala akong alam na naging kadalanan ko!."

"You were born 'wrong', Nathalie!. You are a disgrace to this family—"nanggagalaiti ang boses ng kaniyang Ina.

"Bakit ako na naman?!... I just want to live!. Why am I always the one at fault even though I'm not doing anything?" Nathalie said bitterly while sobbing in pain.

Vanessa suddenly interrupts to stop the two of them. "Please!, Ate?, Mom?. This is not the right time for you to fight again!— Please?!."

Nathalie calmed down a bit, she didn't want to argue with her mom anymore, so she ran out of the room and walked away. Magpaoalamig muna siya upang pawiin ang galit ng kaniyang Ina. Pilit niya na intindihin ang lahat, ngunit sa pagkakataong ito ay tila sasabog na siya sa matinding emosyong bumabalot sa kanyang katawan.

Samantha P.O.V

I couldn't help but be angry with Nathalie. I was so jealous of her. She had all of Dad's love and attention as if he had forgotten that I was also his daughter.

I talked to Dad's attorney and he read in front of me the last will of my Dad. And I found out all the inheritance would be left to Nathalie. Kahit sentimo ay walang mapupunta sa akin.

"I, Lazaro Nathaniel Salazar, bequeath to Nathalie Salazar all my property, vacation houses, beach resorts, branches of N.A.L Apparel, Baguio Strawberry Farm, winery, and my dearest Company. I am permitting my daughter Samantha Salazar to manage my company while my youngest daughter is not ready to take over my business. I left a box inside the vault in my room for Samantha Salazar. Please read that, there is everything I will do for you. Please treat Nathalie well and guide her as your younger sister. She needs you. Please take care of everything I left."

Iyan ang nakatala sa huling habilin niya.

Ganun na ba siya kawalang pakialam sa akin?.

Hindi ko maiwasan na mag-overthink. I did not ask for an inheritance, ang gusto ko lang ay makaramdaman ng kaunting pagmamahal sa akin ang aking ama. All my life I have been begging for his love, but even in Dad's last moments, his beloved Nathalie was still what he worried about. How about me? I am also his daughter. And even though I feel resentment right now, it still hurts to lose a father. Even though I never feel like he cared about me, I still loved him dearly. That's what it should be... I couldn't bear the pain, jealousy, and hatred— I exploded in anger.

When I got home, I went straight to Dad's room and opened the vault. Do you know what hurt me even more? The password for the vault is Nathalie's birthday!. When I opened the vault, I picked up the box and threw it in my anger and didn't bother to open it and just left it on the floor and went out.

Nathalie hasn't come home since I drove her away from the hospital.

"Am I being too cruel to her?."

Nathalie's POV

"Come out, Nathalie, baby."

"Baby,"

"Come,"

"out,"

"Baby—" his voice echoed.

I took a deep breath when I woke up.

I'm having nightmares again... I hear his frightening voice over and over in my dream— I was terrified to sleep because my dark past always haunts me in her dreams.

I held my chest as my heart was tightening. I was gasping for breath while my whole body was sweating in fear, and my jaw was trembling. I pulled up my blanket to cover my body, I was terrified as I hugged my pillow tightly.

''LoloDad, I need you,'' I whispered.

I couldn't breathe properly— I was being attacked again by my arrhythmia. I was chasing my breath while looking for my inhaler.

Arrhythmia plus Asthma is not a good combination. I might have a heart attack, stroke, or even suffocation.

Finally, I found my inhaler. When my heartbeat returned to normal, I rested for a while and then took my medicine. Afterward, I took a bath and dressed up.

End of POV

NATHALIE was at the N.A.L Hotel, where she was staying while appeasing her mother's anger.

This is how she used to be, ayaw niya salubungin ang galit ng kanyang Ina kaya mas minabuti niya na umalis na lang at babalik na lang kung kailan humupa na ang galit nito sa kanya.

Today is the funeral of her grandfather Lazaro, so she quickly rode the Mercedes Benz and went to the cemetery where her grandfather would be buried.

When she arrived at the cemetery, the mass had already begun. She saw her mom standing next to Vanessa but she was afraid to come near, so she just stayed at the back.

All relatives and employees of N.A.L Company are here to sympathize.

Kahit na nasa likuran na siya at nagtatago sa kaniyang Ina, ramdam niya pa rin ang mga mata na nakatingin at hinuhusgahan ang pagkatao niya.

Even though they have judged her a few times, she's still not used to it. It still hurts to be scolded and trampled on, so she just looks down to avoid their judgmental eyes.

"All family members, you can come here and offer a prayer for the dead," the priest said.

Nathalie was about to walk when she heard them grossing about her existence again.

"Isn't she the adopted one?".

Nathalie just ignored them and still walked closer to her grandfather's coffin. She stayed behind her mom so she wouldn't notice her.

"I didn't want to make a scene," she thought.

The priest began to share a prayer, inevitably shedding her tears.

Nathalie couldn't look at the coffin, "I'm so sick of this incident. I can't help but think that I'm the only one in life. I already missed him," she thought.

Her knees are weakening, "I have nothing to lean on to keep from falling." Her asthma is attacking her again.

She held so tightly to her chest, and her vision began to roll. Muntikan na siyang bumagsak buti na lang may brasong sumalo sa kanya.

Nathalie could no longer speak, while the man guided her to the other side to sit "Are you okay?" His voice was full of worry.

Nathalie looked at him. She didn't know him but she had a strange feeling. "Argh" Nathalie groaned in pain.

"Blaze?" She heard her mom say.

The man let her sit in the chair, as her Mother approached where they were.

Sam looked sharply at Nathalie, "Why are you with her?" her mother asked the man named Blaze.

"I saw her almost fall earlier, so I helped her."

Samantha nodded in response, then looked sharply at Nathalie. "Why are you here?" her voice was very cold. "You are not welcome here!. Dad is gone, so you shouldn't be here", Sam mumbled emphatically as she pointed her index finger at Nathalie. "Diba si Dad lang naman ang dahilan kung bakit ka nagpupumilit ka sa pamilyang ito?."

"Mom?!, For God's sake!— please stop. Nakakahiya" ani Vanessa.

Nathalie just looked down in shame. She gave one last glance at her LoloDad's coffin and said "I love you Grandpa" then sadly walked away while trying to cope with the chest pain caused by her mother's painful words.

Her tears were dripping while riding her car, she slammed the steering wheel because of hatred. "Ahhhhhh!!!" Nathalie screamed as her jaw tightened. She leaned her face in the steering wheel and cried bitterly.

"What did I do to punish me like this?" Nathalie gripped the steering wheel tightly and then turned the car on. And just drove until she landed at a place she didn't know.

Unfortunately, her car stopped so she had to get off. When she opened the bonnet, the smoke coming out of the broken machine spread.

Nathalie kicked the car tire with anger "Augh!— Ghad! bad luck!". She sat down on the road and little by little her tears flowed again.

"Are you okay?" A man was standing in front of her and she didn't even notice that there was a car stopped in the rear.

He is the man who helped her earlier.

Nathalie immediately wiped away her tears— she stood up and looked away. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Come with me, I'll just take your car to the mechanic," the man said.

She just ignored him and slammed the car bonnet shut, then kicked the car tire. "f**k! f**k! Goddamn useless"Nathalie was shouting in irritation.

"Chill baby" she heard the man say.

Nathalie stared in fear at him ''W-hat did you just say?'' she stuttered and her phobia attacked.

"Are you okay? You look so pale" the man said worriedly.

She just nodded and immediately got in the car. Nathalie was so scared— that rape— every stare and growl, as well as his laughter and the way he called her "baby" were still imprinted on her mind.