~False Desires~

6

Natalie immediately stood up. She knew that her grandmother could be very violent, both physically and verbally, if she wanted to.

"How dare you fill her mind with such bullsh*t!?" Sasha roared. The scene was similar to that of a mother bear protecting her cub. But in this case, the mother bear was trying to drown her cub in a pond. 

Daniel stood still. Natalie tried to get her grandmother to shut up, "Grandma, please-"

"Get out boy! Get out now! If I ever see you near my granddaughter again..." She threateningly stepped towards Daniel. "I will gut you myself." She finished her sentence.

Natalie shivered. So did Daniel. He knew that it was better to leave. Fighting with a crazy, drunk woman was no better than barking alongside a dog. 

Natalie looked at him helplessly as he turned his back towards her and left. Probably forever. "After all, what kind of a sane man would want to spend the rest of his youth with a girl who had a maniac for a grandmother." Natalie thought.

"Now, you." The wild woman turned to look at her quivering granddaughter. "How dare you even talk to that boy? You're practically engaged! How would you fiancé react if he knew what you were up to?" 

Maybe it was only in the moment, but Natalie was assured that her grandmother was insane. 

"He would've thrown a fit! Probably never even married a disgusting girl like you. You should be thankful and worship me! I set you up with a rich man. That good-for-nothing boy would've left you at the very sight of a pretty woman."

Natalie never knew that a human was capable of this much hatred towards one whom he or she was bound to by blood. Her grandmother had been abusive towards her but had never spoken words that degraded Natalie or shamed her. 

Natalie gathered up whatever courage and dignity she had left. She poured her heart out. "For the past sixteen years, I've only heard you call me useless and a burden. You could've let me go to university. A few years later, I would have found a job and left you alone. But you didn't let me! The money mom and dad had left for me was more than enough. They made sure that you wouldn't have to spend a single penny out of your pocket. And now, you sell me off to some random people for money! What type of a person are you!?"

There was silence for a moment. 

Then, the devil scoffed.

"You think you're the only one who has suffered? You think you're an exception!? Well, let me break the news to you- you're not! I was forced into marriage when I was twenty. Guess what? It was a good decision, even though it was forced. I had a stable and happy life before your grandfather died. Then, I was left all alone. All my children left me. The babies I had raised, they just left as nasty adults..." Sasha trailed off.

For once, Natalie genuinely felt bad for Sasha.

"The useless kids. I was silly to have ever thought that they'd stick by me! And a month after Harold's sixth death anniversary, I received a call. A call which I will remember till the day I die. That my son and his wife were dead. And I was left with their three year old. At that point of life, I was just done with everything. I didn't even want to live anymore, let alone raise a child." She rolled her eyes and collapsed on the dirty couch. "Now that you're all grown up, you have a suitor. A rich one. In a few months you'll be his responsibility and I will be in Italy, enjoying the gelato."

Sasha clearly didn't deserve sympathy.