A WORTHLESS MAN

“That was how it all happened,” Jessica concluded and wiped the tears slipping down her face. “I’m really sorry, Daniella. Please forgive me,”

Her emotions were raw as she sniffled and wiped away the tears that kept flowing down her face in a gush.

“So, dad gave up on his love for me, Mom,” Daniella professed, remorse etched across her face.

“He let go the primary reason he left the orphanage home to be with you because you claimed you didn't want to raise a child without a father. Yet, mom, you had the nerve to charge someone like that?”

 Her throat choked up, she had to stop talking and take a deep breath to get herself under control again.

“I won't forgive you if he probably does anything stupid, mom. Trust me, I will hold you accountable if anything bad happens to him,” Daniella deadpanned, her tears breaking loose and streaking down her cheeks.

“No, my dear. Nothing bad will happen to Liam,” Jessica reproached gently, inching closer and reaching out to hold Daniella’s hands and she was damn glad Daniella didn't retract this time.

“Liam will never do something stupid, I trust him,” Jessica asserted, nodding her head positively. “And to prove my sincerity, sweetheart, I’m willing to support your togetherness. I’ll go extra miles for you guys to come together,”

“The close bond between you two is visible for all to see, dear. And I can't be less joyful to know that you're in safe hands. Yes, Ella, Liam has watched over you up until now, undoubtedly, he'll take great care of you even when I'm no more,”

Daniella was still sore but she couldn't stop her heart from fluttering in her chest at her mother’s statement.

Warmth filled her expression against her better judgment as she gazed at her mother with a look that spoke, ‘Are you sure you are really in support and you are not going to change your mind?’

Beaming, Jessica gave a jerky nod as if she could read through her daughter’s mind, “I swear to God, Daniella, I’ll never oppose your togetherness. Trust me,”  

Silence descended like a heavy fog after Jessica’s last statement.

Then, Daniella broke it, “Then who's my real father, mom? Let me guess, Antonio Flores?” she raised her eyes bit by bit and met Jessica’s protruded ones.

  “He's the one who'd sent those flowers, am I wrong?”

Jessica’s jaw dropped to the floor in wonder, and for a long minute, she could only gulp and gulp and gulp while lifting up her fingers slowly and buried them into her hair.

“How did you know this, Ella?” she managed to ask softly after she'd found her voice.

Daniella’s eyes darkened. Rage and sadness filled her. Actually, she had only guessed that Antonio Flores was her father given the fact that her mother had drunk a lot after meeting him a few months ago.

However, Daniella had also considered Jessica was going to tell her that she was wrong and maybe tell her that her father died in a car accident or something.

“Told Theresa to look into the man who'd made you come back home really drunk that day,” she scoffed out her annoyance, staring into the void with her chest heaving.

“Theresa then fed me with his past but there was nothing related to you in his records, mom. It was only then Theresa mentioned to me that she heard a rumor from her blogger friend of how Antonio Flores had used and dumped a woman from his past,” her voice tinged with turmoil, her eyes glistening with tears.

“To be honest, mom. I've had my guess since that moment but it never crossed my mind that he could be my father. Instead, I speculated that you probably cheated on Dad,”

Simultaneously, both daughter and mother broke into tears before the words could even get out of Daniella’s mouth completely.

Jessica stood up from the stool and directly went to crash into Daniella’s embrace.

“I’m so sorry for making such an assumption about you, Mom. I'm really sorry,” Daniella wept bitterly, nestling into her mother’s chest and wrapping her arms around her affectionately.

Jessica kissed Daniella’s hair and said, “No, sweetheart. You owe me no apology for I should be the one apologizing for keeping such a secret about your real father from you and deterred your love life with Liam,”

While lots of hugging and consoling were going on between the mother and daughter, Mandy too was finding solace in Michael’s embrace.

The poor boy’s shirt had become wet from her unstoppable tears. The more Michael whispered soothing words into her ear, the more she cried hard for her dear friend.

In her eyes, it was so painful to deal with at a time.

To discover that the only man you've thought was your father your whole life wasn't your father and to also find out that your real father had ditched your mother and left her completely devastated.

 ************

Mandy stared at her friend’s face and her food. Daniella was still picking on her food while she was almost done eating.

It has been over a week now since the occurrence but Liam has still not been reached. Except for Daniella, everyone else has been trying hard to reach him over the phone but his phone was always switched off.

Daniella refused to be affected as she will always appear strong-hearted like Liam could disappear into the thin air for all she cares.

However, she has lost weight, her face has been swollen for the past few days because of how hard she’d been crying when left alone and her eyes seem to be developing a permanent shade of red.

“Can you please eat your food now? You've been picking on that steak like forever,” Mandy let out softly.

Sighing loudly, Daniella dropped the fork and looked at her friend’s face, “I’m really not hungry, Mandy. I’m okay,”

“No, Ella. Don't tell me you're okay. You are not. We're not okay either but we wouldn't like Uncle Liam to return and meet several corpses,”

Then, she held Daniella’s hand on the table, “Aunt Jessica told me you've not been eating these past few days, Ella. She also told me that you do more crying and staring into space than talking. Do you plan to kill yourself before Uncle Liam’s arrival?”

“I’m hundred percent sure Uncle Liam is looking for the best time to face you, Ella. Or do you think this is easy for him too? Hell, no. Someone who can never go a day without seeing his precious daughter, or should I say his woman now?”

Mandy gave a mischievous wink at her own last words but it didn't alter Daniella’s expression; she was just staring at Mandy as if she had no idea what she's talking about.

 “Ahhhhhh,” Mandy drawled a sigh and slapped her forehead. She hated to see her only friend this way. The helplessness was really killing her.

Silence hung in the air between them only the indistinct chatter from other people in the cafe could be heard.

“Alright then. Can we start going home now?” asked Mandy, grabbing her handbag and standing up.

Daniella nodded gratefully while standing up too. All she wanted at that moment was to be left alone at home.

Getting outside of the lunchroom, Daniella slowly halted her walking, darting her eyes around the school surrounding as if searching for somebody.

Mandy, who had also assisted in looking around but couldn't find anything, “What are you looking for, Ella?”

She didn't know what she was looking for but she could strongly feel herself being watched.

“Nothing. Let's go,” she murmured and started walking ahead.

Mandy twitched her lips and flickered her gaze over to the cafe and everywhere once again before she scooted toward Daniella. “Slow down, girl,”

“Hello, girls. Please excuse me,”

Daniella and Mandy were about to get into the car in the park when a strong masculine voice suddenly stopped them.

They tilted their head ahead and saw Cole standing in front of the car—Mandy’s car actually. She's the one who had brought Daniella to school in the morning.

Mandy thought in her mind that she had not seen the man’s face before and looked over at Daniella’s face to confirm whether she knew the man.

“What are you looking for, man? What do you want from me?” Daniella directed her piercing cold eyes at Cole.

Cole smiled confidently and advanced a step toward Daniella, “I’m sorry, Daniella. But please meet my boss just this once, please,”

“Who the fuck is your boss? And why do I have to meet him?” Daniella asked coldly, eyeing him irritatedly.

“His name is Antonio Flores,”

Daniella’s eyes grew dark immediately while her hands slowly curled up to fists.

Without saying anything, she walked over to Cole and signaled at him to take her to his so-called boss.

“Daniella,” Mandy called out worriedly, following behind them.

Daniella and Mandy followed Cole to where his car was parking in the lot. And as soon as they reached closer, the back seat door opened and a man came down from it.

His powerful and tall body was wrapped in an immaculate business suit. He looked rich and noble.

His glossy brown hair was combed backward but the slow breeze was taking them out of place.

His face had the most perfect contours. Sharp jawline and thin lips.

“Hello, Daniella. It's so good to finally meet you,” Antonio smiled, putting forward two steps.

“You’re wondering who I am, right? I'm An—”

“Antonio Flores,” Daniella completed for him, her jaw clenching.

The atmosphere became thick with tension immediately and Antonio's smile could no longer continue as if sensing what was in store for him.  

“A worthless man who had claimed to love my mom because of her money. He'd used my mom and left her when she needed him the most,” her teeth ground with the words, vomit pooling in her guts while fury spun through her mind.

“Look, I’ll only say this once and I won't repeat myself ever again,” she scowled, “Don’t ever show your face to me again, Mr. Man. I mean, if you think you can earn my forgiveness then you're completely mistaken,”

 Seeing the reproachful look in her eyes, Antonio couldn't help but lower his eyes like a deflated balloon.

“So if perhaps you're here to seek my forgiveness, then go rot in the deepest part of hell!” Daniella blasted and turned away from him immediately.