Chapter 48 You Won't Find Happiness Together
Diana shook her head in denial, biting her lip. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at Gabriel, her face the picture of woe. The kind of sight that would soften any man's heart and fill him with guilt.
"I'm sorry, Diana. I've let you down," Gabriel said with a hint of guilt in his tone.
"If you know you've let me down, then why are we breaking up? I need to know why. I won't just walk away without understanding," Daina said, visibly upset.
Gabriel found it hard to look at her, his conscience torturing him.
Diana wiped her tears and reached for Gabriel's hand desperately, "Please, tell me the reason. I have the right to know. I need to know."
"Do you need to know that badly?" Gabriel asked, hesitantly.
"Yes, I need to know," Diana insisted.
Gabriel sighed heavily, his voice strained as if it pained him to speak, "Xavier's gone. Though it was liver cancer that took him, if I hadn't been so insistent on the divorce, defied him that day, he might still be here."
"Diana, I've wronged you and I've wronged Xavier... Jessica is my wife now, and I can't wrong her too," Gabriel explained.
"No," Diana protested frantically, her head shaking in disbelief, "Gabriel, it's not like that."
"Xavier didn't leave because of you, and you can't carry all the blame on your shoulders.
"It breaks my heart to see you like this. With Jessica, it's only a sense of duty, not love. A marriage without love won't bring happiness."
"The one you love is me; the one you want to spend your life with is also me. Please, Gabriel, let's not part ways." Diana's crying grew more desolate with each tear rolling down like beads off a snapped string, her eyes swollen and red with sorrow.
Gabriel, unable to contain his empathy any longer, tenderly wiped the tears off her face, "Diana, enough. My mind's made up."
"You could go abroad, like before, and never have to see me again, or you can stay here. But from now on, I am just Jessica's husband, nothing more between us," Gabriel said with finality.
"Does it have to be this way?" Diana shook her head desperately. "No, I can't accept this. I can't stand to lose you, to be just strangers."
"I've said my piece. Jessica's waiting for me at home; I should get going." Gabriel stood up and left without looking back.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed behind him.
"Ah... it burns, it hurts so much!" Diana's pitiful voice filled the air; she had knocked over the coffee in front of her on purpose.
An obvious ploy to keep Gabriel from leaving. Suppressing the worry in his heart, Gabriel kept walking.
Diana, refusing to give up, raised her voice again, "It hurts, so much! Are you truly going to leave me here all alone?"
Hearing her pained cries, Gabriel couldn't walk away. He turned around and approached her.
Upon seeing him return, Diana's heart leaped with hope, and she quickly embraced him, seizing her opportunity. "Please, don't go."
"I love you. I've loved you so deeply all these years You're the only man I've ever loved. Are you honestly going to leave me to marry another man?" Diana declared.
"I know you feel guilty, and I understand your pain and remorse, but guilt isn't love, and you don't love Jessica," Diana said, pushing her luck.
Gabriel's voice was deep and stern, "Diana, let go."
"No, I won't! I love you, and I'll never let go, not in this lifetime." Clutching his waist tightly, Diana cried as if she were made of tears.
"I've already made it clear—Jessica is my wife, and I won't tolerate any disrespect towards her." With that, he pried Diana's fingers away, one by one, from his body.
Naturally, Diana resisted letting go. But how could her strength ever compare to Gabriel's? Within mere minutes, her hands had completely slipped from around his waist.
This time, Gabriel marched on without a second glance at her. Diana, in her wheelchair, sped after him frantically.
Suddenly, the wheelchair came to a halt.
She looked up to see a stunning woman in sunglasses block her path, clad in black jeans that showcased her striking figure.
"Excuse me, move aside," Diana demanded with an air of superiority.
"Sorry, but I really can't do that," the lady’s voice said.
"Are you crazy, why are you blocking my way like that?" Diana said, impatient and annoyed.
Grace shifted to the side, her gaze following Gabriel and Jessica. "See that? They're the real deal, actual husband and wife, legally recognized and all. And you? At best, you're just a sideshow."
"Diana, it's better to have a little self-awareness. This desperate clinging will only cheapen you," she said coolly.
Diana clenched her fists and bit her lip in anger.
Jessica, her again. It was always her. If it wasn't for her, she and Gabriel would have been inseparable, with a whole brood of kids by now.
Meeting Jessica there was a surprise for Gabriel.
"Finished filming and she asked to meet here for coffee, didn't expect to run into you," Jessica explained with ease.
"Like the coffee here?" Gabriel asked.
"It's hand-ground, has a rich flavor and a great texture," Jessica replied honestly.
Gabriel took her hand and led her to the counter, then turned to ask, "What's your favorite flavor?"
"Cappuccino!" she beamed.
It was the same flavor she and her friend adored.
Gabriel slid open his phone, set it to a specific screen, and handed it to the barista. "Take down this address. Deliver a freshly ground cappuccino every day along with some pastries."
Jessica was stunned, grabbing Gabriel's arm, "But they don't deliver."
"True, they don't deliver. But I'm the exception," Gabriel said confidently.
"What? Why?" Jessica said, dumbfounded.
"Because I had Oscar open this place up," he nonchalantly replied.
Jessica paused, and then it clicked — he was the CEO behind the business. No wonder he was so confident.
After they got their coffee, the pair headed towards the door.
Jessica noted that from the beginning to the end, Gabriel never gave Diana another look.
She paused and turned to Gabriel, "You don't have to say it—I know you can't let her go. Gabriel, you still have a chance to think it over. I don't want to force you into a decision."
"I'm giving you five minutes," she said with quiet firmness. "If you come out the door and meet me, we remain husband and wife; if you don't show up, then tomorrow I'll go with you to the Marriage Registry Office, and we'll end our marriage."
She had placed the final decision in his hands. She hoped he would think it through carefully, not just act on impulse. With that, Jessica turned and walked towards the door alone.
But after just a few steps, she felt a warm grip enclosing her hand. She looked down to see that Gabriel had taken her hand firmly in his, his eyes locked on hers with certainty. "No need to think. I've made up my mind a long time ago."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
