Chapter 14 Playing Favorites, Gabriel
Blinking away the sting of tears, Jessica forced herself to catch up to them.
The hospital room was serene, its deluxe suite decked out with only the finest comforts.
Gabriel sat by Diana’s side, clasping both her hands with an intensity matched only by his fervent gaze like a smitten young lover completely enraptured.
“I need to talk to you about some—” Jessica tried to continue.
The chill in his voice sliced through my words. “Keep it down, will you? Wait for me outside.”
That "outside" held Jessica captive for a good ten minutes. The cold seeped into the hallway, numbing her hands until they blushed with the sting. When Gabriel finally emerged, she was rubbing them vigorously for warmth.
“Speak now,” he commanded, his eyes devoid of warmth, his expression steely.
“I got the license plate number and the description of the man,” Jessica blurted out. “Here's the info for the hit-and-run drunk driver. You handle the police report.”
With that, she spun on her heel, her resolve crumbling with each step away from watching Gabriel's affection for another. She didn't want to witness it; knowing was painful enough.
Why should she endure the torture firsthand?
But after just a few steps, his voice stopped Jessica dead in her tracks, “Is that all you’ve got to say regarding Diana?”
Jessica halted, knowing full well the answer Gabriel yearned for. Yet, she could not bring herself to utter even a single word.
‘Faultless in this affair, why should Diana’s misfortune prompt my apology?’ she thought, frustrated by his biased treatment. Whether she was right or wrong, Gabriel wouldn’t be easily convinced.
Facing him, her eyes were clear and calm, Jessica tossed the question back, “And what, in your eyes, should I say?”
Self-mockery tinged her laughter. “Should I apologize, admit some wrongdoing, or perhaps grovel for her forgiveness?”
“Isn’t that what you owe her?” he retorted.
Tears threatened as her laughter turned hollow. “Gabriel, one can have their favorites, but this... this is too much.”
“And remember, we’re not divorced yet. I’m still your wife, legally. In your heart, is she always right and I was always wrong when I stand against her?” Jessica reminded him, bitterness etched in her tone.
“What if I’d been the one hit by that car? Gabriel, would you demand her to apologize to me?” she asked, wondering if he would ever do the same.
A minute passed, only a chasm of silence remained between them.
Another three minutes ticked by, but all Jessica got in return was his silence. Perhaps it was a mistake to ask.
In her heart, she already knew the answer. So, why indulge in make-believe?
"There are no 'what ifs,' Jessica. Diana is the one who was in the accident, it's her dealing with the injuries. All you owe is an apology, and that's far from unreasonable."
‘Unreasonable, huh?’ she thought in disbelief.
"Really?" She let out a scoff, a hollow, bitter laugh, and walked away without a backward glance.
Back at home, Jessica ordered a feast—the kind you'd dream of on your lowest days. After all, isn't there an adage about sadness being appeased by the comfort of good food?
But the moment the aromas hit her nose nausea followed. Before she knew it, she wished she could lock herself in the bathroom, draped over the sink, retching her regrets into the basin.
When she emerged, completely drained, she had the rich and heavily aromatic dishes removed. Instead, Jessica managed a few spoons of plain white porridge and some pickled radish.
After her meager meal, a hot shower, and she collapsed into bed, sleep claimed her the second her head hit the pillow.
But early nights often lead to untimely awakenings. Sure enough, around 3 AM, her eyes flickered open to darkness so thick it felt like spilled ink.
Reaching out almost by muscle memory, she felt the chill of the empty space beside her. Just like her heart; it was cold, because of course, he hadn't returned home.
It made sense. With Diana injured, he would be at the hospital by her side. Why would he come back?
'Get real, Jessica. You knew better,' she chided herself, yet the hope was still there, silly and unfounded.
Rising, she wrapped a thin shawl around her shoulders and stood by the window. Suddenly, the sky ripped open with lightning, followed by the thunderous wrath of the storm. The heavens unleashed a wild downpour, raindrops slapping furiously against the windowpanes.
Jessica scampered back to bed, curling up with the covers tight around her, trembling a little. She had always been terrified of thunderstorms, especially ones with lightning.
As a child, her mother would usually work night shifts as a nurse, and she often had to sleep alone. Her dad, a hot-tempered gambler, was seldom home. He was either away for months at a time or coming back just to demand money from her mom or passed out drunk on the floor.
So, when it stormed, with her mom at work, Jessica was left alone. Locked herself inside while the strikes of lightning and claps of thunder seemed like monsters out to get her.
She'd switch all the lights on, hiding under the covers, reciting the multiplication tables over and over until her voice was hoarse.
As she grew, singing became her anthem against fear. Years had passed and she had grown up, but her fear of thunder and lightning remained as raw and real as ever.
Thunder rumbled, growing louder by the second. Lightning slashed across the sky like a gleaming broadsword, threatening to cleave the heavens in two.
Jessica was petrified. She hugged herself tightly and scurried to switch on all the lights in her room. The warm glow of the bulbs offered a little comfort, finally easing her anxiety, somewhat. Crawling back into bed, she wrapped herself tightly in the blankets, curling into a tight ball.
The scene that greeted Gabriel upon entering was exactly this; lights ablaze and Jessica burrowed under the covers like a frightened kitten, tucking in all the corners securely. He reached out, tugging at the blanket.
Jessica, thinking it was her imagination, quickly yanked the blanket toward the middle of the bed. But the blanket seemed to be pulled again from the other side.
‘Was someone in her room? A burglar or a robber, perhaps? In the dead of night, what dire intent did they harbor?’ The more Jessica thought, the more frightened she became. She pulled the covers over her head and shrouded her entire being.
In a trembling voice, muffled by the blanket, she whispered, "I'll have you know that I've got neither money nor looks. If that's what you're after, you're going to be sorely disappointed."
Gabriel suddenly felt playful and altered his tone, saying, "Living in such a grand mansion and you expect me to believe you've got no money?"
"I'm not lying to you; I'm really broke. I'm on the verge of a divorce and I'll be left with nothing. My pockets are cleaner than your conscience, I assure you. Just go, and as long as you don't harm me, I'll pretend this never happened," she said with a tremble in her voice+.
"That won't do. To rob a rich lady like you, I expect to have whatever I ask for. Your hubby will surely pay up nicely." As he said this, Gabriel reached for Jessica's blankets.
But Jessica clung on with such fervor that it took considerable effort for him to pull them away.
With her eyes squeezed shut, Jessica sat trembling on the bed. Fear had seized her so completely that her voice nearly broke into tears, "Please... I beg you, don't hurt me, I'll give you anything..."
Before she could finish, she found herself suddenly and firmly enveloped in a commanding embrace.
