One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

Chapter 68: I am no longer your wife!

~~~All the pain and the truth I wear like a battle wound, so ashamed, so confused. I was broken and bruised. Now I'm a warrior, now I've got thicker skin. I'm a warrior, I'm stronger than I've ever been and my armour is made of steel, you can't get in. I'm a warrior and you can never hurt me again.~~~

-Demi Lovato-

-'Ohh...'-

I gulped. I didn't know her words would have a huge impact and a sting in my heart. It was a slap in the face for the two of us to hear those words from our daughter and I couldn't help but blame myself again.

"I'm sorry, baby, I didn't know---" Luke interrupted me putting his hand on mine which at that moment was holding my daughter's hands over the table

"No, Sam, it's me who should apologize. I'm sorry..." He was stopped for a second when I pulled my hand out of his grip. "...for what I did. I'm sorry, my princess for not having been with you all these years, but I want you to know that starting today, daddy will do everything to make you happy and give you the family you dreamed of."

"Luke!" I called him as I didn't like the last line he said. It seemed to me that he was promising her to have a complete family which we both know would never happen.

But he just ignored me.

"I promise to go out with you and your mommy and we will do the things that we haven't done as a family. We will watch movies together, eat together at your favourite restaurant---ouch!"

That was the next word he accidentally added to his sentence as I kicked his leg under the table. He glanced at me but I glared at him.

"Hmm? Why, what happened daddy?" Cali asked him worriedly.

"Oh, uhm... I-I just accidentally bit my tongue, baby."

-'Jeez!'- I just bit my bottom lip to control the smile that wanted to curl up my lips when I heard what he said.

"Does it hurt?"

as I was saying, starting today I will be by your side in every step of your way. I

turned to me when he said the last line, but thanks to my daughter as she was the one who asked

what are

at me instead to

doing them right. Things that I should have done before and now I regret not doing it when I still had time. But I think time will run out if I state them one by one, so I can only share to you one of them and that is

but I can't do anything at the

reaction when she heard her dad's promise was priceless. Happiness and excitement clearly manifested through

the frustrations out of my body and promised to talk to him about

he was the one who helped my daughter eat while I just sat across their seats, ate in silence and smiled every

to come with us. I don't know what's going on in Luke's mind. I have no idea what he was up to and what he was thinking about doing such things. If he's thinking of using my daughter just to get close to me, then that will be

so we stopped and I was forced to have a picture with her dad. We also had a photo as a 'family' as requested by Cali, a photo with the two of us and of course, she and her

the cartoon movies that Cali's like. And inside the cinema, I refused to sit next to Luke, no matter how Cali forced me. Even though I have no idea what the things they talked about before that day, I wasn't that naive not to notice that

Cali's alibis or what she was trying to explain and urged her to sit between me and his dad.

ignore him and kept looking on the screen even though I couldn't really

department store and bought his daughter a lot of dress, shoes, and all the things she asked for her father. I wanted to stop him from doing it, but when I saw my daughter enjoying the attention he's giving her, I

repeating in my head as helped Cali

it may be too much but we can donate them to charities when Cali no longer needs them or when she can not

to the ladies section after this, we will buy clothes for you, shoes,

don't want

besides, it's the

the chance to finish what

do it and to make this thing clear between us, I don't want to get involved with you again. I appreciate the attention and effort you're doing for Cali, for showing your support and fulfilling your responsibility as her father, but just a little reminder, I'm no longer your wife, so

"Sam---"

your partner? I'm sure she would appreciate it. But I'm sorry, I don't know what kind of dress she's wearing, so I

followed Cali into the dressing room just to avoid

"Are you okay, mommy?"