Chapter 156 Once Divorced, Let's Not Be Friends Anymore
Gabriel?
Was that him?
Wasn't he in Seabrook Valley?
How did he come back in the blink of an eye?
"You..." Shocked, Jessica blurted out a word. Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Gabriel's tall figure had already entered.
"Why didn't you tell me you came back alone?" Gabriel's eyes were fixed on her.
Jessica was taken aback by his directness.
After a pause, she raised her face to meet his gaze and calmly stated, "Mr. Walton, if I recall correctly, we finalized our divorce a few days ago. We are no longer husband and wife, I think I don't have an obligation to inform you."
Jessica's words caught Gabriel off guard.
He stood there, mouth agape, at a loss for words.
'Yes, Gabriel, you gotdivorced.
'How could you forget that you were already divorced?
'Strictly speaking, you have no relationship with Jessica anymore.'
But, Gabriel being Gabriel, ever so quick-witted, quickly responded with perfect excuse, "You're right, we are indeed divorced, but does that mean we can't be friends?"
Jessica laughed as he finished speaking.
In her lifetime, she could be friends with anyone, except him, Gabriel.
She couldn't do it.
They said you couldn't be friends with someone you truly loved, and in that moment , she truly comprehended what that saying meant.
"No." Jessica looked at him and gave a firm answer.
Gabriel didn't expect her to respond like this and was taken aback. "Why not?"
"No reason. I just think it's better to keep a distance after the divorce. Plus, Mr. Walton, you and I are worlds apart. Your life is all about glamour and high-end luxury, whereas I'm just a regular person. I'm not wealthy nor am I from a rich background. All I want is a simple, normal life."
"If it weren't for Xavier, we would have remained in our two different worlds. Now that Xavier has passed away, we should each go back to our own paths," said Jessica.
At the mention of Xavier, Gabriel's eyes darkened, and he immediately said, "You're right. Even though we are divorced, you were entrusted to me by Xavier. Don't I have a responsibility to you?"
Jessica smiled gently. "That's really not necessary. Gabriel, since we are divorced, let's part amicably."
"And it's late now, it's not appropriate for us to be alone together. Please leave, Mr. Walton."
Jessica's rejection was ruthless.
Gabriel clenched his fists, asking, "Jessica, do you have to be like this?"
"Please, Mr. Walton!" Jessica repeated.
Seeing her determination and firm attitude, Gabriel didn't want to make their relationship too tense.
Although he was reluctant, he stood up and left.
Just as Jessica reached out to close the door, Gabriel's hands pressed against the door, his deep eyes looking at her. "Jessica, whether we are divorced or not, you are still a part of the Walton family. I have to take care of you and be responsible for you. Don't be angry, I'll come find you in a few days."
The door closed.
In an instant, the door separated Jessica and Gabriel.
It was only then that Jessica, pressing her hand to her chest, took a deep breath.
If it had taken any longer, she wouldn't have been able to keep her composure.
The next day, Jessica was preparing for her new job.
Kathleen had contacted her, saying she would be returning home next Monday which meant that she would officially report to the hospital by then.
Although she had a mentor's recommendation, on such an important day, she had to be well-prepared to leave a good impression on Kathleen.
Meanwhile, in the Walton Group's office building, Gabriel was busy as soon as he started work, with the meeting lasting a full four hours.
From eight in the morning to twelve noon.
As soon as he arrived at the office, Oscar walked over with a delicate box in his hand.
Gabriel felt a sense of familiarity when he looked at the box.
"What's in there?" he asked.
Oscar respectfully placed the box on Gabriel's desk. "Mr. Walton, this is from Mrs. Walton."
Halfway through, Oscar quickly corrected himself, "Ms. Morgan asked me to give it to you because you suddenly went on a business trip and it was delayed until today."
Gabriel casually opened the box, but the moment he laid eyes on its contents, his expression darkened instantly. And then, it darkened even more rapidly, becoming visibly intense.
"Are you sure she asked you to give this to me?" Gabriel spoke, almost through gritted teeth.
Oscar knew his boss was angry, but he dared not lie, so he nodded and truthfully replied, "Yes, Ms. Morgan insisted that I personally hand it to you, saying she felt guilty."
"What else did she say?"
"Ms. Morgan said 'return these things to their rightful owner' and asked you to keep it safe."
Before Oscar could finish his sentence, Gabriel had already rushed out with the box in hand.
He drove straight to Jessica's place.
When he arrived, he rang the doorbell forcefully.
Jessica had been tidying up until noon, too busy to even make lunch, so she had ordered takeout.
Hearing the doorbell, she didn't think much of it and assumed it was the delivery, so she opened the door directly.
The next moment, she saw Gabriel standing at the door, looking angry and unfriendly.
"You said you wouldn't come to see me for a few days?"
Just as Jessica finished her sentence, Gabriel slammed the box onto the table and opened it forcefully, declaring, "Oscar said you asked him to give me these things."
"Yes."
"Jessica." Gabriel clenched his fists, his eyes slightly red, staring at her angrily. "Do you have any conscience at all? Do you know the value of these things and what they mean?"
"I do."
Jessica reached out, picked up a necklace from inside, and frowned. "Gabriel, we were married for two years, and for every holiday, you almost always prepared gifts for me, and they were all quite expensive."
"But not a single gift was prepared by you personally. They were all ordered by you, and Oscar prepared them. Do you think I want these kinds of gifts?"
"Anyway, discussing this now is meaningless. I've always wanted nothing material from you in this marriage. These jewels are priceless, each one very expensive. I can't afford to keep them, so it's better to return them to their rightful owner."
"Fine, let's say it's like that," said Gabriel.
Suddenly, he picked up a jade bracelet and a pair of jade earrings, placing them in front of Jessica, "These two, one was given to you by Xavier, and the other was given to you by Ximena. You don't want them anymore?"
"I didn't discard them, I just returned them to their rightful owner," Jessica reasoned.
Gabriel sneered, "These were originally gifts from Xavier and Ximena to you. Now you're giving them back to me, how is that any different from discarding them?"
"Gabriel, stop making trouble."
"Besides," Jessica's voice lowered, and she said seriously, word by word, "Xavier and Ximena gave them to me, but they were more of gifts for the future Mrs. Walton. We are divorced now, so these two pieces of jewelry no longer belong to me. I don't have the right or the status to possess them."
