Chapter 25 — So He's Alive?

Dana POV:

A Week Later...

"I have good and bad news about your dad Dana," Blake mutters nervously over the phone.

"You found him already? Is he alive? What's the bad news?" I ask hurriedly.

"Actually Dana, your dad is very much alive and well, but I don't think you'd like to hear this," he replies, muttering the last part of his statement.

"Just tell me everything Blake. I promise I can take it," I assure him, mentally trying to prepare myself for whatever bomb he is about to drop on me.

"Your dad actually stays at Claremont, here in LA and he lives there with his wife and two children," he says, and I deadpan.

My mind immediately goes blank for the first few minutes because I cannot believe what I just heard. Blake had to have heard wrong or found the wrong person cause what I just heard can't possibly be the truth. Dad can't possibly have two kids and a side when he has us. It can't be.

"Uhm, B-Blake, I th-think you got the w-wrong p-person. Dad can't possibly have a wife and two children. That is just ridiculous. How about you tell your investigators to do a little more digging, huh? I'm pretty sure finding him won't be easy cause he is an immigrant without any official identification so please tell them to keep looking because they got the wrong person," I stutter nervously, not buying such a ridiculous conclusion.

Dad can't have a wife and two kids. It doesn't even make any sense.

"Listen Dana, I need you to sit down for a bit and then check the picture attachment I sent to you in your mail. The investigator sent it to me earlier and I really think you should see it for yourself," he says, and I briefly hang up to catch my breath first.

"Is something wrong? Is your dad okay?" Jason asks and I stare up at him with teary eyes.

"Blake says my dad has another family and is living with them but I don't believe him. It's not possible. I know they're mistaken cause dad couldn't have possibly left me with two minors just to go raise another family somewhere else. It doesn't even make any sense," I tell him nervously, floundering as I try not to lose my balance and fall.

"Did he send anything so you can confirm?" he asks, and I quickly opened up my mail and handed the phone to Jason since I didn't think I had the courage to open the message and the picture attachment myself.

"You…you've seen a picture of my dad, right? I th-think you should confirm, I can't do it," I tell him honestly, waiting to hear what he'd say next.

I let out several shaky breathes as I pondered on whether or not it would turn out to be him and how I would have to respond if by chance Blake isn't wrong. What would I even say to Ximena and Carmen? How would I gather the courage to tell them the truth and most importantly, how in the world will I react to the reality that my siblings and I were actually abandoned by our father?

"Dana," Jason's voice calls out as he points the phone towards me, showing me the picture Blake had sent and the minute my eyes met with the familiar face in the picture, I unconsciously let out a loud cry without even realizing it.

I can't believe it. Dad has another family. Even after letting my mom die without taking proper care of her and even after that he still left us his kids to fend for ourselves while he just got drunk and did nothing else and yet, he has the audacity to be out there, living his life with a wife and two kids? He is one sick bastard, I must say.

"Are you okay Dana?" Jason asks, squatting beside where I sat and taking my hand in his.

"Listen Dana, I don't know what to say to you right now because I can't even imagine how hurt you must be feeling and how confused you are, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you're a strong and a smart woman especially for your age. I'm pretty certain that this can't break you. If you want my advice, I think you should listen to everything Blake has to say, and you shouldn't let Ximena be the only one to meet him. I think all four of you need an explanation from him and you should all meet with him together," he advises.

At first, I thought taking Carmen along wouldn't be a good idea. I thought pretending he didn't exist would lessen the pain and the anger for my sisters and I, but as it turned out, Ximena hasn't been one hundred percent herself since he left, and it could be the same for Carmen as well.

"You know what, Jason? You're right. We all deserve to hear an explanation from him because this still doesn't make any sense to me. But before we get to that, I need to speak to Blake first," I reply, and he immediately helps me dial Blake's number before handing the phone over to me. Blake picks up almost immediately.

"Did you confirm his identity?" he asks, and I let out heavy sigh before responding that I did, although a tiny part of him was still hoping I was wrong and that maybe, just maybe, dad had an identical twin he wasn't aware of somewhere in the States and he's probably the one that was found and not dad. Foolish thought, am I right?

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Well, I will be eventually," I reply.

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to tell you, Dana because I know this will probably hurt your feelings, but I think you deserve to know what to expect," he says.

"Just tell me, Blake. I'm ready to hear it," I demand in a slightly hasty tone.

"Well, the thing is, the investigator thought finding your dad would be a lot harder since he isn't exactly a citizen, but to be sure, he decided to confirm if your dad's information was registered. He found out that your dad has been registered and he acquired his citizenship when he married his current wife eight years ago," he explains. My heart drops to the lowest pit of my stomach.

"My dad has been married to someone else for eight years. How is that even possible? He was with us eight years ago and mom was still alive so he was still married to her so why would he married someone else when he is in fact, a married man? That doesn't make any sense Blake," I retort sharply, not understanding how anything he just said made any sense at all.

"Listen Dana, I know it's hard to make sense of, but your parents weren't legally married in the United States because they were illegal immigrants. It's not impossible for your dad to marry a legal citizen and be given a citizenship for that reason. Also, according to the investigator, your dad's other children were born two years after the marriage, which is exactly the year your mother passed away. I don't exactly know just how much you can remember but try to put the pieces together.

"Think back to when he started to change. How he started to react to you guys, how he reacted to your mother before and when she passed, how he treated you after her passing, how often he was home and what time he would show up before he eventually just stopped coming. I need you to think back a little, and maybe, just maybe, some of this will make sense to you. That man, your father, has been living as a completely different person with another family, and from what I hear, he's living quite comfortably," he explains, and the little hope and trust I had left in me immediately died.

It all started eight years ago. His dismissive attitude, his sudden habit of always drinking, how he would suddenly leave home for days without coming back and when he did, he'd claim he was working and that his work sometimes required him to stay out for a few days. While we were believing him and buying into his lies, dad had married someone else and started a family with her whilst leaving my mother to die a lonely and painful death.

About two years ago, everything got worse with him. He would sometimes disappear for over a week and when he came back, he would come back drunk and aggressive. I should have known better than to think he was just being a useless father. He isn't just a useless father, he's a heartless one.

"You're right, Blake. It all finally makes sense to me. He deceived us and lied to us all these years and I didn't even realize it. You know what, Blake? Please send me his address as soon as possible. I no longer have questions to ask, nor do I need any answers or explanations because I don't think anything justifies this at all. The only thing I want is to see him and say goodbye to the dead with some flowers," I mutter through gritted teeth as I picture myself throwing flowers in his face and telling him to rest in peace.

I know I've always claimed he was dead to me but that was simply my anger talking because I felt abandoned, but at this point, it's not just my anger because he isn't even worth it.

"How about I come with you to see him? I'll fly back tomorrow, and we'll go see him together," Blake offers and I politely refuse. The last thing I want is to burden him with my problems and disrupt his work. Besides, I'm too embarrassed to have someone like Blake meet a shameless bastard like him.

"If you won't allow me to come with you, then at least let Jason come with you. I really don't think you and your siblings should go all the way there by yourselves," he insists. After a long talk, I eventually agree with him and promise I'd let Jason come with us.

We wrap up the conversation and I hang us quickly to check out the address he had sent. I let out a frustrated sigh, before looking up at Jason, who surprisingly pulls me in for a hug that strangely comforted me.

"Thank you for everything so far Jason and I'm really sorry I have to burden you this way," I say to him genuinely sorry and at the same time grateful that he was here with me. I doubt I would been myself all this while if he hadn't been an awesome support system.

"There's no need to thank me, Dana. It's what any reasonable person would do for a friend," he replies with a short laugh, and I mentally replay the word 'friend' in my head. It feels good to hear him outright call me his friend, but at the same time, it feels weird and false.

I push my thoughts away and smile a little at him before getting up.

"I'm going to go get some rest now because tomorrow will most likely be the longest day of my entire life. I think you should too. I'll have to be shameless and ask for your help again tomorrow," I say to him.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, and trust me, I'm always happy to help," he assures me, and I smile again before heading upstairs and back to my room.