Chapter 37

Rhiana hugged him tight and our eyes met. I know she did that because she knew I was listening here and yes, she won because all my steps that was about to forward towards him suddenly retreated and stepped backward.

"You will choose me and my baby right?" She asked with her trembling voice as she stare at me.

He didn't answer her, even he cannot move as if he's in a state were he was in a dilemma of what to choose.

"I . . . I will jump off the bridge if you . . . you didn't choose us. You . . . you will lose me and your baby at the same time." She threatened.

"I will take care of . . .  our baby." He uttered as if those words were hard for him to say.

No . . . I can't make my baby as his option. I don't want my baby to experience the same treatment of favoritism I've experienced. I can't bear seeing her to be just a choice, it'll hurt her even more if she came into the realization her worth isn't enough to be chosen by her own father.

She'll be in pain and it'll be a torture for me as her mother. I think it would be better— best, for the two not to meet.

I turned my back on them and started walking the opposite direction from the two with my heavy steps.

I'm sorry, my baby kel . . . but you won't be able to meet your father on your birthday.

I'm doing this not just for her but for Aiden's baby too . . . for my baby's stepsister. I won't be impulsive as I know two lives will be at stake if I .  . choose to be selfish.

I thought I would be able to escape the pain quickly but then one pull from behind made me step a meter close to him as I meet those blue eyes now frantic with worry.

"Miracle . . ." He paled.

I didn't know my tears were dropping as I look at him. He was about to wipe those tears caused by him but I dodged my face away from him and wiped it using my own hands.

"You . . . you he-heard it?" He stuttered as his grip on me tightened.

I looked at Rhiana behind him who's on her knees now as she sob loud but Aiden seemed to ignore her loud sobs as he was too occupied looking at my tears.

"What are you doing?!" I spat with anger.

"I-I'm so—"

"How irresponsible are you, Aiden? Why are you here in from of me? Can't you see her? She's pregnant!" I pushed him away from me, urging him to go to her.

"But, Mira—"

"I hate irresponsible fathers, Aiden!" I warned him.

He shook his head, paled. He looked at Rhiana and immediately shifted back to me as if he's having a hard time but  in the end, he still chose to step forward me but I stepped backward.

"Stop stepping forward or you'll disappoint me, Aiden. You know I was raised by an irresponsible father and you saw what I've been through right? I thirst for father's love, I did rebellious things just to grab his attention, I was a disappointment and a disgrace to the family and I suffered so much. Do you want your child to feel the same way I felt, Aiden?" I asked him seriously.

"I-I can be a father but you don't have to leave—"

I scoffed with disbelief.

"You think I'd settle for less? You think I would want a single father? Oh please, Aiden. You know how selfish I am for a responsibility with your child." I shook my head as I mock a smirk.

He didn't get to talk as if he realized what I said was right.

"Take care of her." I said before turning my back on him.

This is what you called the person who victimized and manipulated you, Aiden, huh?

I didn't know how I managed to go inside my unit with the absence of my mind because all I know was that I was calling my daughter.

"Mommy?" She yawned, she was was obviously sleeping when I called.

"Oh! I'm sorry, my baby. Did I wake you up?"

"Why mommy?" She asked.

I gulped.

"About your birthday gif—"

"Will I be able to meet my father, mommy? I can't wait! I prepared a tea party! I wanna see him, mommy! We'll play!" She giggled, excited with the way she cut me off.

My lips parted but I couldn't utter a word. I hate to disappoint her but it would be a torture if she meet her father knowing Aiden will choose Rhiana— no, he need to choose them for his baby's safety.

"He . . ." My eyes played. "Di-Died," I added, breathless.

She didn't talk for a while. I looked at the phone's screen but it still is going, she's still on the line.

"Ba—"

"Liar!" She ended the call.

For a minute, I couldn't process what she just did. She . . . shouted at me. She shouted at her own mom. I looked at the phone screen, appalled, as I call her back again.

"Fuck." I grasped my hair and tried to wait for her to answer.

But she ended the call.

My daughter's mad at me! Fuck! This is the first time!

I panicked and didn't hesitate to pack my things up. I don't care about the few scenes left to retake! I'll go back! I don't care if they lessen my salary! My daughter is important more than anything else!

Even if my body wants so bad to rest from the long day of shooting, I book a flight.

Phone ringing, I immediately opened the gate of my mansion and ran towards my house. It's already morning when I came, I know I look like hell, my eye bags are probably showing but who would care.

No one's in the living room nor in a kitchen when I looked. I immediately ran towards her room, worried she might be crying.

"Ke—"

"Mom! Stop!" Heard her giggle inside her room.

My hand that was about to open the door was left hanging.

"Such a cutie Piper! I will stop attacking you if you tell me why you're crying."

My daughter squealed as her laughter echoed around the room. Even if I was hurt for unknown reason, I can't help but to smile bitterly knowing she's fine, I worried for nothing, besides, she look more happier with Ms. Pia than with me.

"Okay! Okay! I will tell!" She still cannot stop laughing.

"Tell me, Piper. Mom's listening." Her voice became gentle.

I heard my daughter sniffed.

"Mommy don't love me. You said if you lie, you don't love the person. She doesn't love me! She lied! I hate her!"

My heart clenched as it throbs in pain with every word that hit me.

"Shh. It's okay. Mom's here. I love you more than her, okay?" She said.

I couldn't take it anymore, I opened the door. The two jolted out of shock and immediately got shock at my presence.

"Ke—"

She immediately stood and ran towards the bathroom, banging it loud.

"Fuck." I silently cursed and tried to open the door but it was locked! "Kel! Open the door!" I knocked at it consecutive times.

"Why are you here? Go away!" Her shout echoed around the bathroom.

"Kel! I'm your mother!" I started to grow impatient of her disrespecting me.

"No! Mom's my real mom! You're fake! You're liar!"

"Kel! Watch your words!" I shouted in rage as I try to open the door with force.

"I think you should—"

"This is your fault!" I shouted to Ms. Pia out of anger.

Her brows met.

"Wha—"

"Did you tell her her father's alive?!"

"Yes." She said with her impassive expression.

I shouted in frustration and threw the vase and telephone on Kel's night stand out of my rage towards her.

"Why did you tell her?! Who are you to tell her such things?!" I fumed at her.

But she wasn't fazed, she even looked at me with her cold eyes.

"I want her to know the truth."

I scoffed in disbelief and tried my best not to hurt her out of rage but then when she passed by me, I lost it all.

"Piper, open the door for mom—"

I pushed her with my strength out of anger.

"You're not her mom! Stop acting like one! I'm her real mom and the fuck I care if your Pixie's mother! I'm going to fire you!"

"Mom!"

I didn't notice my daughter already opened the door. My lips parted and I immediately stepped backward when I realized the thing I just did because of my uncontrolled anger, but still, I was panting to calm myself down especially with the sight my own daughter's crying while hugging Ms. Pia.

"Ke—"

"You hurt mom! You're terrible! Get out!"

And that certain part of my left sanity exploded.

"Stop!" She cried when I pulled her up.

"We're going out of this house! Away from her! She's not your mom!"

I pulled her away from Ms. Pia and carried her as I walk outside her room but she was resisting that she almost fell if I didn't give up and put her down on the floor.

"I love her more than you!" She shouted with full of anger as she ran upstairs.

That made me stop. Until the door banged loud, I was still immobile and couldn't move nor process the words that hit me not just in my mind but also in my heart.

"My Kel . . ." I whispered, breathless.

My tears cascaded down. I immediately went down and picked my phone. I need to call Pixie or anyone else to solve my problem.

"Racle! Did you forgot your shoot today is ear—"

"I'm back in Canada! My daughter's mad at me because I didn't introduce her to Aiden! Your mom, Pixie! She's making me frustrated!" I can't help but to say those words as I panic.

She became quiet on the line, gauging my emotions.

"I have the right to be Kel's mom! But she's acting like she's the one! What am I going to do?!"

She sighed on the line.

"I get it. I'll call you back." Her tone was impassive, I couldn't paint.

"What—"

"Don't worry, I'll solve the problem. Just calm down. I'll go there and I'll talk to mom personally."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"Please hurry up. I don't want my daughter mad at me"

She sighed hard.

"I'll go now." She ended the call.

I nodded even if she couldn't see me. When she ended the call, I didn't hesitate to call Jake with how nervous I am.

"Jake!" 

"Hello?" It was a girl's drowsy voice . . . a familiar one.

"Ms. Pro?" I asked.

"Who's that?" I heard Jake on the line.

Ms. Pro didn't answer me, she became quiet until I heard Jake's voice.

"Why? Are you okay?" He asked with worry, he knew something's important if I call him abruptly.

"Can we talk privately, Jake?" I asked.

"Oh . . ." It was a long silence, "Okay. I'll go outside for a while."

I heard him kissing her on the line before hearing his footsteps until the door closed on the line.

"What is it, Racle?"

"My daughter, Jake . . ." I trailed off, he knew about my daughter.

"Why? What's wrong with her? Is she okay? Do you want me to go there?" His voice was dripping with worry.

"She shouted at me! She shouted at her own mom! What do I do? I don't know what to do! Should I . . . scold her? But what if she gets mad at me?! She'll rebel! What will I do, Jake?!" I asked panickly. 

I'm not a good mom. I don't know how to be one. I can't even scold her properly nor give her advice! I always forgot her school's family fun day programme or even the date of their recognition but she never did get mad at me for that! This is the first time!

Jake sighed on the line.

"Don't worry, I'll go and talk to her." He assured me.

"Yes, please." I bowed my head.

Kel knew Jake. Jake's like a father to Kel and I was thankful that because of Jake, she didn't ask questions regarding the truth . . . not until now.

I decided to change my clothes first while waiting for my daughter to go down. I opened my luggage and rummaged the clothes to find a decent cloth to wear, I threw all the clothes I don't need on the sofa or ground until I found one. When I was done, I left the living room even with my clothes all over there since I need to do something more important.

I'll cook! I'll cook her a breakfast! This will be the first time I'll cook her one and hopefully, she'll forgive me!

I opened the fridge and saw tons of foods I can cook but I stared at it for a while, not knowing what should I cook.

What's my dughter's favorite food?

I grunted and decided to cook a fried chicken . . . only to end up a mess. Excess of flours on the floor and kitchen table, table spoons scattered on the sink, oils spilling over the gas stove, tissues and wrappers littered on the floor and burned fried chicken!

"Ma'am, let me coo—" 

"No! I'll do it! This is my duty" I cut Ms. Pia off.

"Mom! My uniform isn't ironed yet!" I heard my daughter shouted.

"O—"

"I'll do it!" I shouted, cutting Ms. Pia off. "Just stay in your room, Ms. Pia. I can do all this as her mother." I said to her before running upstairs.

I grabbed my daughter's uniform hanged in her closet room, Kel's on the bathroom, using the dryer alone, I can't believe she can do it alone, she's used to being independent because her mother isn't a good one but I'll try my best to be one.

"Fuck!" I silently cursed when her uniform got burned by the iron because I put pressure on it too much!

"Mom! Where's my hairbrush?" Kel shouted inside the bathroom.

"I'll find it!" I shouted and left the iron on Kel's uniform for a while before running towards the bathroom.

Kel's just quiet as I try to search for her hairbrush. Internally cursing where the hell is her brush, I rammaged all her things inside the bathroom or even in her room—

"It's here, Kel! Come here! I'll comb your ha---" 

"I'll do it!" I shouted and immediately went outside where Ms. Pia was standing.

I grabbed the hairbrush off her hold but she didn't talk, I know I'm being rude for that.

"Mom! Something's burning!" Kel shouted.

I panicked when I remember I left the iron on her uniform! I immediately ran towards the spot and it is burning! The temperature was too high I didn't notice that, I pulled out the wire and couldn't help but to get disappointed at myself for seeing how burned her uniform is, she cannot wear this in school!

"I'm hungry, mom!"

"I'll coo—"

"I cooked fried chicken!" I happily said, trying my best not to get mad and frustrated.

"She don't eat chicken in the morning. She prefer a bake one rather than rice, but don't worry, I baked one for her." Ms. Pia said.

My shoulder's fell. Kel looked at her burned uniform and grabbed it, her body was just covered with towel from shoulder.

I bit my lower lip, afraid I might see the disappointment face of my own daughter.

"I-I'll—"

"I'll just wear a jacket." She said and ran towards her bathroom to change.

I looked at Ms. Pia outside Kel's room.

"Are there any—"

"The left pairs of her uniform are still about to be wash." She sighed as she shook her head.

I didn't get to talk when she ironed Kel's skirt uniform. I'm afraid if I do that, I'll burn it again so I dug my nails on my skin and decided to prepare for her lunch box.

Disappointted at myself when I go down, I saw how a mess the living room was because of my clothes, even Kel's room was a mess because of me. I gulped and went to the kitchen only to see how untidy it is, I don't even know if Kel can eat her breakfast properly considering how messy it is.

And seeing all these things, I realized that . . . without Ms. Pia, I wouldn't be a good house mom. I've never felt how horribly awful of a mother I am not until now, now I realize how different I am from the other mothers, I couldn't even do multiple tasks nor remember the important events of Kel's life because all I could think of is December 27 as her birthday nothing but that, I don't know why does my brain kept on telling me her birthday is December 27 not any date other than December 27 as her birthday because that's what it wants to believe.

I don't know how the left hours went by with my daughter in her school, all I did was to talk to the director and producer about the sudden absence I did, thankfully, even if they're mad at me for that they let me.

The door opened, I immediately stood from sitting on the sofa and put down my phone on the table, waiting for Kel to arrive.

"Kel—" My smile dissipated when I expected her to be with Ms. Pia but it was different now.

My greatest fear came into reality.

"She's my daughter too, Miracle." Aiden's grip on her hands tightened.

______________________________

Celestial Aurora