Chapter 8 Stranger's Child 2

• “Hey, Alice! I am talking to you.” I blinked a couple of times before coming back from my reverie. My eyes first landed on Coreen, leaning in my table with her brows knotted.
• “Are you talking to me?” I asked, clueless.
• She smirked. “Naah,” she curtly answered but with a hint of mockery in her voice. “Of course, I am talking to you. I've been standing here but you are so dumbfounded ever since you came out from the boss' office.”
• I bit the bottom of my lips, scratching my left brow. “Uh, sorry…what is it again? Do you need anything?”
• “I need the report I asked you to keep last time. Where is it now? The new head of finance needs it right away.” I didn't waste time. I tugged out the folder containing the report she's talking about from my shelf. And then I faced her again.
• “Here. Sorry for the delay,” I apologized before she walked out.
• As soon as Coreen was out of my sight, I heaved a deep sigh. Resting my head on my palms as I stared at my boss' office.
• What should I do now? The CEO is replacing by his son who happens to be my daughter's father. My God! Why on earth this is happening to me… I don't know what to do! Should I tell him about our child or not? But on my second thought, why I am worrying too much when it seems like he didn't recognize me?
• Instead of being paranoid about the recent surprise in my life, I focused on my monitor. Finishing those tasks that are still untouched just to stop my mind from thinking of that man. When I felt tired, I stretched out my limbs. Leaning on my swivel chair while my eyes shut closed. I am even yawning but immediately get stopped when I suddenly heard a man's cough. Mr. William appeared in front of me which sent me into shame. I hastily stood up causing him to slightly chuckled. I smiled shyly at him before asking, “What can I do for you, Sir?” I bit the inside of my lips.
• He fixed his not-crooked tie. “My son is inside my office and asking for the latest reports as well as my upcoming schedules. Can you give it to him, Alice? I am a bit in a hurry.” he said before leaving me.
• I wanted to shout in protest but I just can't do that unless I want to lose my job. Letting a deep sigh, I stared in disbelief at the boss' office. It took me how many minutes before I finally have the guts to walk through the office. And as I walked, all I can hear was the heartbeats coming from me, covering the sound coming from my heels. I gulped hard when I reached the doorknob and twisted it to open. I was silently cursing continuously and when the door clicked open, I caught my breath.
• “Put it on my table and leave fast,” he commanded in a hard tome without even facing me. I rolled my eyes but cheered at the same time. At least on his way like that, I wasn't able to meet his blazing orbs that gave me chills without even doing anything.
• Just like what he has said, I put the folder on his table and leave the lion's territory as soon as possible. I clutched on my chest as I finally let out the breath I didn't notice I am holding earlier.
• “Calm down for goddamn sake, Alice!” I scolded myself silently before walking back to my table.
• After office hours, I hurriedly drive home. Up until now, I can't move on from what happened to me to this day. First, I came to the office late that perhaps disappointed my boss, Mr. William. Second, he dropped the bomb that has a connection to my past. And lastly, sooner or later, whether I like it or not, I will be working for my daughter's father. My God! I think my brain will explode from different thoughts filling my mind.
• “Welcome home, Mommy!” I kneeled as soon as I stepped inside my unit to hug my four years old daughter who is hurriedly running towards me.
• I catch her with my open arms and planted a kiss on her temple. “How was my baby, huh? Does your tooth still aching?” I asked afterward. Aisle pulled out from our hugs
• “I am okay now, Mommy.” She paused, showing her teeth on me. “ The doctor healed my toothache, Mommy. At first, I am afraid because of the needle but just like what you always remind me of, I should have been brave. I didn't cry. I'm a big girl!” she added, proudly.
• I was about to answer her when Helena came out from the kitchen with an apron laced around her not-so-thin waist. “Our daughter is such a brave girl, Alice. I bet she will grow up like you someday. By the way, change your clothes now. Aisle and I are preparing the table for our dinner.” Aisle run towards Helena.
• Before they went back to the kitchen, Helena then looked at me again. “Is it okay if I stayed here for a night, Alice?” she asked.
• I simply nodded. “Yeah, sure. You are on time anyway. I wanted to tell you something, badly.”
• Her brow rose then stared at me skeptically for a short span. “I smell something fishy, Alice,” she chimed.
• “Uhuh! Really fishy as I caught a big fish earlier,” I joked before stepping inside my room.
• I took a bath first before going to the kitchen to join Helena and Aisle on the dinner. I wore my night sleep pajamas and blow dry my hair and headed outside. In the kitchen, I saw Aisle who is helping her Mama Helena with preparing the table. That made me stop and lean on the door frame with my hands crossed around my breast. Then suddenly, as I watched my daughter genuinely happy about what she is doing, my boss' son flashes through my mind.
• His exact face that looks like my daughter… our daughter. How is he going to react if times have come that I introduce Aisle to him? Will he accept my daughter? Will he accept Aisle as his child? Or he will not? Will he break my daughter's heart as he broke mine too knowing that my child's father can't accept her?
• I hope he will… I really hope that perhaps, he will accept his child. That he will acknowledge Aisle as part of him.
• “Mommy, why are you staring at us? Come on, join us here!” I was dragged back to my senses when Aisle pulled my hand, pulling me towards the dinner table where dishes they prepared are located. When I glanced at Helena, she is looking at me with her you've-got-something-to-tell-me look.
• I chuckled inside. Of course, I really need to tell her about my child's father. I can't bear it alone so I really need to share it with her.
• I pulled for my seat after I settled Aisle on her seat beside me.
• “Let's eat! Baby Aisle, show your Mom how good chef you are,” Helena broke the short silence engulfing the scene.
• “Yes, Mama Helena!” Aisle giggled before putting a slice of tuna on my plate. “Taste it, Mommy. I help Mama Helena on cooking that one,” she paused, “it is a bit different from the rest because I am the one who tried to cook that,” she shyly added.
• I felt being touched on the warmest way as I heard her. Aisle, compared to those kids on her age is different. At her age, some kids are quiet, they are not into socializing while Aisle, she's the opposite of those kids. I could still remember how she uttered her first word. It was ‘mommy’… during her one-year-old, she called me Mommy which brings me into tears.
• “So, what is it, Alice? Shoot it.” I glanced at Helena while am leaning on the couch with Aisle on my lap—sleeping.
• I took a deep breath, summoning my courage to tell her about my boss' son. “I saw him…” I trailed, locking my eyes on Aisle.
• “You saw who?” Helena asked, confused.
• “I saw that man again, Helena. After several years, I saw him again and I don't know what to do.”
• “You mean… you saw Axel again? You saw him again?” I leered at her.
• “Silly,” I hissed. “He is not who I am talking about. You know that Axel is already living with his wife in States so how the hell our world will cross again?” I added, still leering at her.
• Helena groaned. “He can come here anytime he wants, duh! But going back to our topic. Who are you talking about? Is he one of your ex–”
• “Aisle's father,” I flatly cut her off that made her eyes popped out.
• “You got to be kidding me.”
• I rolled my eyes. “I hope I am,” I replied, sighing.