One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

"Aren't you going outside, mommy?"

"Yeah, I'm going out with you, baby, | just have to check smessages."

| smiled at her and she sat down next toon the couch, waiting forto be finished with what | was doing.

"Let's go, baby," | took her hand and walked out the door hand in hand. We went directly to the counter where

we saw Dana preparing orders for the customers. "Tita Dana," Cali greeted her with a cheerful smile.

"Oh, hi, my beautiful pamangkin (niece), are you done playing your favorite game?" Dana asked her while her

hands were busy on the coffee machine.

"Yup," she nodded. "How can | help you, Tita Dana?"

"Whoa... you're so sweet, bunny." Dana kissed her on the forehead. "You can cwithwhen | bring these

drinks to our customers and say hello to them. You can thank them for coming to our coffee shop and hope they

enjoy the food and drinks, how's that, sweet bunny?" She softly pinched her chin.

"Yeah, I like that!"

And that's what my daughter did, that's why she found out that her father has arrived from his business

meeting.

"Daddy!" | heard her scream and excitedly ran in her father's direction.

| almost rolled my eyes when | saw how the bitch touched my daughter's hair and kissed her on the cheek. And

since | have customers too near their table, Cali sawand ran to me. She askedto cand say hello to

Luke, which she didn't know I've already encountered a while ago.

We were in a 'convincing conversation’ when Lucy stood up and walked over in our direction. Having the sweet

fake smile on her face, she greeted Cali and asked her to cwith her to their table but she refused, so she

turned to me.

"This is your fault! What did you say to the kid?"

| blinked at her question. Cali was now busy talking to the two elderly customers who | had just given two cups of

coffee, so she didn't hear what Lucy was asking me.

"What do you mean?" | asked, suppressing my smile. I'm sure this woman had no idea that I'm Cali's mother and

I'm so excited to see her reaction if ever she finds it out.

"What did you say to Cali? Did you brainwash her or something?"

"Hey! Why would | do such a silly thing? And by the way, please watch your language!" | warned her in a calm

tone, so everyone won't notice us.

"And what are you going to do, huh?"

| don't know but her question madesuddenly smile. | just shook my head and was about to turn around but

she grabbed my arm.

"I'm still talking to you, so don't you turn your back on me!"

"| don't care about you and your issues, bitch!" | whispered-yelled, taking my hand out of her grasp. "Can't you

see how busy | am attending to our customers' needs? If you have nothing important to say, you better shut up

or if you have nothing to do with your life, you better go before I finally lose my temper and you'll just find

yourself lying in a hospital bed!" Finally, my words seemed to have struck her as her face turned pale as if it had

suddenly drained of blood.

"What's going on here, mommy?" Maybe Cali had noticed us and ran to me, taking my hand.

"M-Mommy?" Lucy asked, her eyes were moving fromto Cali. "Why did you call her, mommy? She's not your

mom, you shouldn't call her that!"

"She's my daughter, what do you want her to call me?" | couldn't help but chuckle at her stunned reaction.

That's what I've been waiting for.

"No, you're not, liar! You're just doing this to seduce her father!" Her voice ca bit loud that caught the

attention of sof the customers near our spots.

"Huh! Oh, my--- why would | do that?"

"I don't know, maybe you're desperate enough to get Luke!"

"Oh, my God, Lucy, | pity you for having the luck of information aboutand for having a mental illness... tsk.

tsk. tsk." I grinned, shaking my head.

"How dare you!" | noticed how she formed her fists and maybe she was thinking of hittingif Cali wasn't just

watching her. "Cali, don't call this desperate woman your mom, because she's not your mom!"

"Huh? But she is my mom, she's my mother! And why are you calling her desperate? She loves my dad!" |

gasped at what Cali had said and immediately grabbed her shoulder to stop.

"Cali---" | was about to say something when | got interrupted by Luke's presence.

"What's going on here, girls?" Luke asked and | couldn't help raising an eyebrow at him.

"This woman is so desperate to get you!" Lucy replied with a smug smile playing on her lips.

-'Huh! For your information, he is the one desperately trying to get me... to getback and not the other way

around!'- | mentally chuckled.

"And why do you say so?" Luke asked her and based on the expression he has on his face, | know he's enjoying

the little show in front of him.

"Because she's pretending to be your daughter's mother!"

Cali and | shared glances and she giggled.

"But she is!" He shrugged.

"What?" Lucy frowned.

"I mean, she really is my daughter's mother. Why, do you have a problem with that?"

"H-Huh?" And again, her eyes moved fromto Cali and then to Luke. "You're just lying, aren't you?"

| bit my bottom lip to suppress my smile.

"Why would | do that? What would | get if | lied about my family?"

"Then why didn't you tell me---"

"Because | don't owe you an explanation nor do | owe you any information about my life. You are just my

employee and although your father and | are good friends, still, you are just my employee as you are working

under my supervision. And one more thing, I'm not disclosing my personal life to anyone unless she or he is my

family or someone very close to me."

"L-Luke..." Shock and hurt immediately registered in her face because of Luke's words.

"Sam is not lying nor pretending to be my daughter's mother because she is my wife."

And that was the moment that my smile had vanished.

"Eherm! Ex-wife, Mister, we filed our divorce papers ---"

"Yeah, ex-wife, I'm sorry." He interruptedafter closing his eyes. He seemed hurt by the way | corrected him,

but that's the truth. | don't want any false information circulating about me, so it's better to correct him right

away. "This is insane!"

| gasped when the bitch threwa death glare before marching back to their table. And when | thought she

would turn to her seat, well, | was wrong as she took her bag immediately ran out of the store.

"Thanks, daddy," Cali said, tugging on her father's hand.

"Why are you thanking me, princess? | mean, what are you thankingfor?"

"For defending my mom against Lucy."

"Of course, because she's your mom and she's... (He paused and stared at me)...she's important to me."

-'Ouch!'- | gave myself a mental slap and after composing my sanity, | rolled my eyes at him and decided to

leave them as | have to continue helping Dana and our staff assist our customers.

A smile formed on my lips the moment I turned around, but | quickly made a poker face when | noticed that Dana

was giggling atat the counter.