Chapter 336 Gabriel Carefully Read Every Word Jessica Typed on Instagram
Jessica dropped an Instagram update right at 4 PM. No one knew if it was planned or if she just nailed the timing.
Jessica: [About the photos leaked yesterday, I have a few things to say. I won't be giving any more interviews or comments on this. First, the little girl in the photos is my daughter. She'll be five next month. She's sweet and well-behaved, and I hope the media will leave her alone. Second, I am married. My husband and I divorced because of career differences. Just before my daughter was exposed, he came back from abroad wanting to reconcile. For our child's sake, I'm considering it. Third, I'm an actress. My main job is to act and study scripts. Being married and having a child isn't a stain; it's just a different life choice. I hope everyone can be kind and not harm an innocent child. Lastly, the truth is out. Any more lies or rumors will be met with legal action.]
This post blew up in minutes, trending with the hashtag #Jessica Admits Marriage And Child# and a big "explosive" tag.
Gabriel read every word Jessica wrote on Instagram. His face stayed the same, but a cold glint appeared in his eyes.
Jessica's fans flooded the comments, showing their support. They couldn't control what was said on other accounts or entertainment news, but at least under Jessica's post, they wanted her to see their backing.
As a mom, not denying her child was the right thing to do, and they admired Jessica's bravery.
Jessica was right; having a kid wasn't a stain for an actress. Plenty of women in the industry got married young and still came back to acting. It wasn't a big deal. Plus, Jessica had always been an actress, not some unmarried young girl image. She never hyped up her persona, so she did nothing wrong.
Meanwhile, seeing Jessica's post, Mackenzie thought she'd made up the husband and marriage — it made no sense.
The kid was hers, but she had never been married, not here or abroad. She had no marriage history.
Knowing Jessica, admitting Danielle's existence was a given. Since it was out, she wouldn't lie and say she had no daughter.
But Mackenzie couldn't wrap her head around the second part of Jessica's response.
Jessica wouldn't invent such a lie just to hide having a child out of wedlock.
This clearly shut down any future between her and Gabriel. What was Jessica thinking when she posted this?
How could Gabriel not know if she had been married?
By shutting down any future with Gabriel, had she thought about his feelings?
The "daughter issue" was solvable. If Mr. Harriman claimed Danielle publicly after the exposé, it would be a win-win.
But Jessica went ahead and said she was married.
Was she out of her mind?
Where did that leave Gabriel?
Jessica's phone was unreachable, and Mackenzie had been trying to contact all of Jessica's close colleagues and friends. They all said Jessica hadn't reached out to them. Since yesterday afternoon, Jessica hadn't responded to any of their messages.
It wasn't until around 6 PM that Gabriel finally got through to Jessica's phone.
When the call connected, Gabriel didn't speak right away. He heard a man's voice on the other end. "Hello? Who is this?"
Gabriel's eyes turned icy. "Can't Jessica answer her own phone?"
The man's voice sounded puzzled. "Who are you to speak so rudely to my wife?"
An eerie silence filled the air.
The call was abruptly disconnected, leaving a cold busy tone.
On the other end, Kevin handed the phone back to Jessica, looking at her emotionless face. "I'm helping you, but I still don't get why you're pushing yourself so hard."
Jessica didn't answer, just smiled at him. "Your acting was good, and your voice was disguised well. No wonder you do your own voiceovers in so many shows. Impressive."
Seeing she had no intention of explaining, Kevin didn't press further.
After leaving the set today, no one could reach Jessica, but she suddenly contacted him for help.
When he found out the person on the other end was Mr. Harriman from the Harriman Group, Kevin's voice and acting didn't falter. But now he realized Jessica was not someone easily understood.
She seemed pure but wasn't truly simple. She appeared strong, yet when she asked for help, her red-rimmed eyes betrayed hours of hidden tears. i
After Kevin left, Jessica sat on the couch, facing Danielle.
Danielle looked at her with big eyes. "Mommy, are we going to live here?"
Jessica glanced at the familiar furnishings.
This was her old apartment. She wasn't planning to live here again; she just wanted to pack up the remaining things. When she moved out, she only took the essentials, but there were still many belongings of hers and Danielle's left behind.
Due to the inadequate security, which she felt compromised Danielle's safety, she planned to sell the apartment and never return.
Although it was an old apartment, its layout, size, and location near but not too far from Xyleria made it quite sellable. She would list it with a real estate agent to help sell it.
Yesterday afternoon, Jessica received several calls, some from partners asking about the leaked photos and the child.
She even received a call from Imogen in Country Y.
It was easy for Imogen to get her number. Given Imogen's hostility towards her, Jessica could guess what questions and accusations would come the moment she heard her voice.
But what made Jessica decide within a few hours and take this sudden step wasn't Imogen.
It was someone else.
