One More Chance
Chapter 42: Are you cheating on me?

~~Say you'll keep me in your heart, promise me will never part. I can only love you so much more 'cause you are all I'm living for. And the only thing I'd do is to give my love to you. And forever you'll be in my heart the way I've always loved you from the start...~~~ -Rachelle Ann Go-

Days... weeks... and a month have passed and the fear I felt for a certain thing to happen slowly creating its way to reality.

We never went back to what we were three months ago. The joy and happiness we had, the intimate moments we shared seemed to be fading away and I don't know if they will simply turn into memory or just be part of the happy memories we have had. He's changed.

He has changed in just one night. A night where until now he has never shared to me what happened. There were times when he wasn't changing the topic, he got mad easily to avoid the topic, so sometimes, we ended up in a fight every time I asked him about it.

He always gives me a lame excuse for not being with me every time I ask him for some intimate bonding, or when I invite him to watch a movie, to go to the mall with Cali or with our family.

I was hurt and I admit, it hurts me a lot every time he ignores me. He has stopped being a husband, he has also stopped being a friend and I don't know if one day he will also stop being a father.

I wasn't born yesterday not to notice his cold treatment and I wasn't born in just a second to not feel that he now have someone else... but the problem is that... I'm stupid. I love to swallow the pain by continued denying the truth in myself.

Everybody knows we're okay. In everyone's eyes, we're a perfect couple who are really in love with each other. A perfect family with a wealthy businessman father and a loving and caring mother for an adorable daughter. But what they didn't know... our little family that seemed to be perfect in their eyes now becomes a lie.

***

"Can we talk?" I asked Luke one morning when I found him in the kitchen. He's eating breakfast and I know he's in a hurry to go to work... or maybe, he's in a hurry to avoid me.

"I don't have time, Samantha." He answered shortly that brought a sarcastic smile to my lips.

"That's what you've always told me every time I ask you the same question."

He stopped from bringing the glass of orange juice in his mouth and looked at me... well, not after putting the glass down with a thud.

"Are you ignoring me?"

Tsk. Tsk. I don't know why I'm still asking this question when I know it already has an obvious answer.

"What are you talking about?"

"Fine! Let me change the question, are you avoiding me, Luke?"

"You haven't actually changed the question! It's just the same!"

"Oh, then answer me." I urged him with a shrug.

"You know I'm always busy, Samantha. I'm a businessman and every minute in the office is important, that's why I'm always tired when I get home, but that doesn't mean I'm ignoring you!" He stood up, taking his jacket from the back of the chair. "Really? So can you explain why you're sleeping in your room again and why you suddenly turned back to the old Luke I knew?" I followed him when he used the back door to the garage.

"Jesus Christ, Samantha! I only have 15 minutes to get to the office! Let's just talk some other time, can we?"

"No! We will talk right now and we will discuss what's going on with you!"

But instead of answering back, he kept walking until he reached his favorite car... ignoring me.

"Oh, yeah, you're busy!" I screamed before he could open the door to his car. "I just don't know if you're busy with your family's business or you're busy doing someone else's business." That made him stop and turned to me with a frown.

"What the hell are you implying?"

"Tell me, Luke Marcuz, are really busy doing business in your office all day or are you just busy doing private business in a private room?" I went up to him. "Are you cheating on me, my dear husband?"

"Where the hell did you get that idea? I don't know what you're talking about, Samantha Soriano---"

"Williams! I can't believe you forgot that your last name was tied to my name! I'm telling you, Luke Marcuz Williams, don't do anything that will break your daughter's heart or else I would do something you would never want!"

"Then do it! And don't accuse me of doing something I don't do, unless you have proven it!"

He turned around and opened the door to the driver seat while I immediately wiped the tears that fell on my face and screamed in his back...

"Yeah, you're right! So far I have no proof here and I hope I couldn't find one, Luke."

"Tss!" He sneered, shaking his head before getting into the car.

That's how we ended our conversation... 'again'. I watched his car going to the huge black automatic gate until it disappeared from my sight.

I sighed, wiping away the tears that flowed freely when he left. I love him, I really do and sometimes I don't understand why I keep acting strongly and independently in front of him, but what he doesn't know and what others don't know, I'm weak and too frightened inside.

***

That was just one of our short conversations... which ended only with 'nothing'.

After three days when I found him in his study room, I got the chance to talk to him, but like what always happens, I only got two of his favorite lines...

First... "What do you want?" and

Second... "I'm busy, let's just talk some other time."

But since I was born stubborn, I haven't left the room without hearing his answer in which he ended raising his voice. We stopped only when suddenly Cali came out of nowhere with shocked eyes that moved from me to her father and then back t me again. "Mommy, Daddy are you fighting?"

We both turned to her and shared glances before I decided to speak first.

"Ahm... no, baby, your daddy and I are not fighting." I smiled, shaking my head and then turned to her father. "Right, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, don't worry, my princess, we're not fighting." He smiled and nodded, but I mentally scoffed as I saw him force a smile.

But then an idea came to my mind.

"Actually, I was just asking for a kiss from your dad," I said, not looking at my daughter, but at her father.

"A kiss," Luke repeated with a chuckle.

"Yup." I nodded.

Luke was about to say something but he was interrupted by his daughter.

"Ohh... daddy, my mom is your wife, isn't it?" She asked, walking towards him.

"Y-Yeah---"

"Then why don't you give her a kiss? I want you to kiss your wife, daddy."

I bit my lip to suppress my laughter. How I wish we were in a different situation so I could laugh freely at my daughter's smart mouth. She easily agreed with me as if what I said was as simple as I was just asking for a piece of candy. "Fine." He breathed. "I'll kiss your mom."

"Yehey!"

Raising an eyebrow, I took a step towards my husband and before he could even move, I immediately grabbed his face and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.

"Thanks, sweetheart, I love you," I said with a wink and a winning smile.

But as usual, he didn't return those words to me.

He clenched his jaws, taking the black handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his lips as if he seemed disgusted with my kiss. I felt hurt by his action but I maintained a smile. I don't want him to know how bad it hurt me.

Cali hadn't noticed his action, but even though she did, I'm sure she still has no idea what's going on between her parents.

***

Everything went so fast. Days have gone with me having no idea of what's going on with our marriage. It's slowly falling and I don't know what to do to save it.

Ten days before Cali's birthday, Luke told me he had to go back to Thailand for an important meeting. Honestly, I was surprised that he thought of telling me about his out of town business trip which he forgot to do or that he hasn't done in these past months. "You have an Asian meeting again for two weeks?" I asked him, but he only nodded and continued packing some of his personal things. "But it's Cali's birthday next week."

"I know." he turned around to get his laptop.

I felt annoyed by his simple answer, so I followed him.

"So what are your plans for her birthday? Actually, by now, we should start preparing for her party next week---"

"Look, Samantha, this meeting is important and I can't let this go, I can't cancel this meeting!"

"Yeah, I know that's important, but I was just asking about your plans for her birthday. Besides, I didn't tell you to cancel your appointments!"

He stopped zipping his suitcase and took something from his pocket.

And my eyebrows crunched when he handed me his card.

"What am I going to do with this?"