The Billionaire I Married By Mistake [Filipino]

5. HOME

|Katherine|

“Where is he?” I asked as soon as I stepped out of the cab. Mabilis na kinuha ni Noel ang hila-hila kong maleta.

“He’s in the VIP room,” tugon niya habang tinatahak namin ang daad patungong elevator.

The hospital was alive with urgency. White coats swept past us in a blur—doctors with furrowed brows, nurses pushing carts or guiding patients down the corridor. I caught sight of someone slumped in a wheelchair, their eyes vacant. Another patient limped along, clutching an IV pole as if it were the last thing tethering them to the earth.

The sterile scent of antiseptic filled my lungs, grounding me in a reality I wasn’t ready to face. The clinical coldness of it all made my heart sink lower into my chest. I felt it there, the fear, coiled tightly and growing heavier with each step we took.

Tuloy-tuloy ang lakad namin patungong sa elevator. There were other people inside, but we managed to stand at the back. Nang sumarado ang pintuan ng elevator, doon ako muling nagsalita.

“H-How about his condition? Is h-he alright?” I asked. Hindi nakatakas ang panginginig ng boses ko.

Noel heaved a deep breath, which made me glance in his direction. Seeing his cold expression made my heart skip a beat.

“Inatake siya bigla sa puso, ilang oras lang ang pagitan ng huling tawag niya sayo,” Noel started. “And according to the doctors, it was due to stress and lack of sleep. It was a good thing that we arrived here at the right time. If we were a second late…” hindi niya tinapos ang sasabihin, but I already know what he meant.

My heart hammered so hard inside my chest that it hurts. Parang gusto kong bilisan ang pagbukas at pagsarado ng elevator kada floor para lang makarating kami sa palapag kung saan naka-admit si grandpa.

“Though he’s already in good condition right now, Miss Kat. Hindi mo na kailangang mag-alala lalo,” I don’t even know if I should be relieved with his news. But the most important thing to me right now is to see for myself that my grandpa is indeed in good condition.

Kaya mabilis akong nakabuntot kay Noel nang lumabas na kami sa elevator. We turned corner after corner, the hum of the hospital around us a distant blur, until at last, we stopped.

Room 904.

I saw him through the vertical glass of the door, and I slowly pushed it open. And when I got to see him in a clear view, my entire world seemed to lurch sideways.

There he was, lying motionless on the bed, as if frozen in time. A tangle of IV tubes fed into his arms, and a monitor beeped rhythmically at his side—a cruel reminder that machines were keeping him steady. Stable, Noel had said. But what I saw was a man who looked nothing like the invincible figure I had always known.

“Grandpa.” Nanginginig ang boses ko habang tinatawag siya, as if he could hear me despite his eyes closed. Dahan-dahan akong lumapit sa kanyang kama. And every step I took, and had a clear view of his face, my tears started to pool in the corner of my eyes.

Suddenly, I felt so regretful. This is my first time seeing him in this…condition. Nangangayayat siya and he really looked sick. For me, my grandfather was always proud and strong. Kaya ang makita siyang ganito ay nakakatakot sa akin. Na para bang…maaaring kunin din siya sa akin ng walang pasabi.

Just like how my parents were taken away from me in the blink of an eye.

I lost my parents in a car crash when I was still just a kid, far too young to understand the full weight of what death really meant. The news hit me like a detonation the moment I stepped through the front door after school. I still remember the way the maids looked at me, their eyes brimming with sorrow, their words slow and hesitant. I didn’t believe them. How could I? My world didn’t make sense without my parents in it. Their absence was too sudden, too unreal.

But then I saw it on the news.

Their names flashed across the screen, followed by the wreckage of what used to be our car. And in that moment, my world cracked open. The truth didn’t just sink in—it collided with me like a wave crashing against brittle glass. Ang mas lalo pang sumampal ng reyalidad sa ay ang makita na nasa…kabaong na silang dalawa.

I was young, but I could still remember that pain. I was devastated. Knowing that I would grow up without my parents broke my heart. I loved my parents dearly. Though I was hard-headed and spoiled because I am an only child, never once did my parents lacked in showing me their affection.

Mahal na mahal ko sila.

I couldn’t even remember how I managed to move on from the loss and pain after they died. Though, I remember skipping a year in school.

Yeah, I skipped school.

And it was my Grandpa who had forced me to go back to studying the next year. Thankfully though, he enrolled me in a different school in Manila. Dahil pakiramdam niya, masyadong naging traumatizing ang pagkawala ng mga magulang ko at baka palagi ko iyong maaalala kapag nanatili ako dito sa Iloilo.

And so, after I transferred, hindi na ako muli akong umuwi ng Iloilo. This is my first time going back…after so many years.

My grandpa would visit me in Manila anyway, kaya wala na rin akong naging rason para umuwi pa dito.

And so…how ironic that after going back, ang dahilan pa ng pag-uwi ko ay dahil sa kalagayan ni grandpat. At hospital pa ang unang lugar kong… pinuntahan.

Nanatili ako sa tabi niya buong magdamag. I eat and take a bath here inside my grandfather’s room. If it wasn’t for Noel, I wouldn’t even remember the day and how long I was staying by my grandfather’s side. Gusto kong nasa tabi niya ako kapag nagising siya.

But then…I thought my silent days while watching over my grandfather would continue. Not until Noel revealed something from me. Or should I say…he couldn’t handle the matter alone anymore, so he finally decided to tell me everything.

“Ano?!” I exclaimed as I heard the truth from Noel. Dinala namin ang pag-uusap sa labas ng kuwarto ni grandpa. As much as I want to stay inside and stay by his side in case of emergency, ayaw ko rin naman na baka anong may mangyari sa kanya dahil maingay kami ni Noel.

Noel only gave me a serious and cold look, as if he had already expected the disbelief I was feeling.

“Pinagsabihan ako ng lolo mo na huwag itong sabihin sa’yo, Miss Kat. Dahil ang sabi niya, siya na daw ang magsasabi sa’yo. But I couldn’t handle the situation anymore. The press is demanding a conference, and the remaining board members are threatening to withdraw. I can’t further make an excuse to them about Mr. Lopez’s condition. At ang mas lalong hindi ko na kayang i-handle ay ang…mga naapektuhan sa disgrasya. Nagsasampa isa-isa nang nagsasampa ng kaso ang mga naapektuhan kay Sir Anton, Miss Kat.”

For a second, the world just… stopped.

My heartbeat stalled. My lungs froze.

“W-What do you m-mean na may nagsasampa sa kanya ng…kaso? ” I asked, horrified.

Noel heaved a deep breath once again before he dropped the news. “Isa sa mga proyekto natin ay gumuho, Miss Kat. At nangyari lang din ang pagguho ng gusali sa araw na inatake sa puso si Mr. Lopez.”

My lips parted upon hearing that. And suddenly, I remembered all those times Grandpa had scolded me for my careless spending, him almost begging me to come home.

Damn it…

So, he wasn’t just scolding me for…nothing?