One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

Chapter 111: Recalling the past

~~~I can hold my breath. I can bite my tongue. I can stay awake for days if that's what you want. I can fake a smile. I can force a laugh. I can dance and play the part if that's what you want. I can do it. But I'm only human and I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human and I crash and I break down. Your words in my head, knives in my heart. You build me up and then I fall apart, 'cause I'm only human~~~

-Christina Perri-

"Well, I just thought it to be funny because these past few days I've always had a passenger with almost the same expression when they told me to take them to that company. So I wonder, what's in that building that makes almost all my passengers haggard and stress?" I just gulped but didn't answer his question.

"Uhm... do you also work in that company?"

I let out another sigh after hearing his question. Deep in my mind, I also wonder if when can he notice that I want to have a quiet and peaceful ride?

"Nope." I chose to answer while facing the window.

"Ahh..."

"My husband owned that company."

"Huh? Your husband owned that comp---" Surprised was laced in his voice and from the corner of my eyes, I saw the way he covered his mouth in surprise, but I chose to ignore him.

I emphasized the word husband and I don't care whatever he might think after that, I just hope he won't open his mouth again.

And when the atmosphere inside the cab became quiet, I leaned against my seat and closed my eyes. What happened inside the coffee shop and Gerry's revelation came back to my mind.

***

FLASHBACK...

"W-What? What the hell are you talking about? W-What do you mean the room has a hidden camera that night?" My eyes went wide as soon as Gerry, the bartender told me that there was a hidden camera installed in the room where the incident happened a few years ago.

I haven't heard all the details yet, but beads of cold sweats have started forming all over my body and my inner guts already telling me that the next words he's going to say are something I wouldn't want to hear.

We are inside the cake shop and sitting in the far corner, where he took us earlier to talk.

"I'm sorry, Sam, I didn't know there was a hidden camera---"

whispered-yelled as I don't want to catch everyone's attention. I tried to

scene and the worst-case scenarios started to dance in my head. "W-What happened

watching something weird on his laptop and I was shocked when I saw it was a video, a sex video to be exact and it was you and that man you told me to put a sleeping pill on his drink---" "But you put a sex-enhancing drug instead! Do you even know what happened that night?" I gulped at the sudden anger surged

nodded, lowering his head. "I

took me a few seconds to catch my breath again. It's so embarrassing to talk about

to that footage, I mean, to that fucking video?

that suddenly took

when he recognized who the man was, he used it to blackmailed him and demanded

mean to say your friend recognized Luke Williams

"I've already warned him what might happen to him if he continued his plan but he didn't listen to me. He carried out his plan,

"Why? What happened?"

accessory to the crime." He stopped for a few seconds and looked at me. "But he escaped. He

suddenly knitted in

you just mention the

he your husband? I remember he told me

it all this time?"

I found out you

didn't get the chance to continue what he was about to say when I slammed my hands over the table. I looked at him with fierce eyes as if I wanted to tear off all

about

that happened! He

a week

a

pretended as if he didn't know anything! He blamed me and loathed me for what happened

screamed at the shocked bartender with unshed tears around my eyes. I've already lost care if all the people stared at me and wondered if I was some kind of a

right now." Francis opened his mouth for the

me. I've already made up my mind.

Where are you going?" He asked and

him and kept going until I got to the entrance and made my way towards the street. END

we've reached

my attention. I immediately looked out of the window to check if we were already in front of the building and

my wallet

the change," I said as I placed the dollar