Chapter 183 The Ring
"Yeah, it's true. Angela was there too. She bought that Patek Philippe men's watch you like. Just wait for your gift, haha," Leo blurted out.
Gabriel felt both surprised and a bit annoyed.
Suppressing his excitement, he tried to stay calm, his voice cold and steady. "Alright, hang up."
He hadn't planned to celebrate his birthday this year, but now it seemed he had to throw a big party. How else could he invite her?
In past years, he always celebrated his birthday with a few close friends. He remembered that before the divorce, Natalie seemed eager to celebrate his birthday, but he thought it would be boring with just the two of them, so he politely declined. However, she seemed to prepare a gift for him every year.
Thinking of this, Gabriel immediately called Brad. "Where are the birthday gifts I got before?"
The sudden question caught Brad off guard. Quickly, he gathered his thoughts.
Brad responded, "Mr. Kensington, the valuable gifts are all in the safe and the display cabinet."
Gabriel felt frustrated, unable to recall what gifts Natalie had given him during those three years.
Gabriel asked, "What about the ones from Natalie?"
Brad paused for several seconds before slowly asking, "Mr. Kensington, which year are you referring to?"
Gabriel's expression turned cold, his voice deep. "All of them."
Brad coughed, clearing his throat to muster some courage. "Mr. Kensington, the first year Ms. Clark gave you a ring, but you lost it."
He mumbled softly, helping Gabriel to remember.
Gabriel's face darkened instantly, his eyes dimming, his heart tightening. Suddenly, he remembered that they didn't even have rings when they got married because he couldn't be bothered with such formalities. She had prepared one. He wore it for a few days, found it uncomfortable, and casually tossed it into a coat pocket. After that, it never appeared again.
Brad continued, "The second year, Ms. Clark gave you a scarf she knitted herself, but you casually gave it to Alyssa, who then threw it away."
Without waiting for Gabriel's reaction, Brad finished in one breath. "The third year, she didn't give you anything."
The silence on the phone was deafening.
Gabriel's heart felt as if it were being torn apart, a suffocating pain enveloping him, his body rigid, his determination crumbling little by little. It dawned on him suddenly that dampening someone's enthusiasm was a common yet profoundly cruel deed. He had personally dampened Natalie's enthusiasm.
So, by the third year, she didn't even bother to give him a gift. The ring and the scarf were things he had received and then lost. At the time, he felt nothing. But today, why did he suddenly feel an unbearable pain?
He didn't want to delve deeper, fearing he couldn't handle the answer.
Throwing down the phone, he frantically ran to the closet, pulling out all his coats and meticulously searching every pocket. The clothes piled up, but he found nothing. He couldn't find that ring! He couldn't possibly have kept clothes from years ago, and the housekeeper wouldn't have ignored it while cleaning.
He didn't want to believe in those neglected days. It felt like a piece of his chest was missing, empty, with nothing to fill it. That ring! The ring Natalie gave him, with how much courage and hope she had overcome the despair he brought her to place it in his hand? And he lost it.
After a long while, Gabriel walked out of the closet and found Natalie's number. As he waited, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
"Tell me, how much is the repair cost?" Natalie, suppressing her impatience, got straight to the point, skipping any pleasantries.
Gabriel's heart pounded violently; he felt he might be going crazy, but his voice remained calm and composed. "Natalie, tomorrow is my birthday. You must come."
It was the first time he had ever invited someone to his birthday party, and his heart tightened instantly. The few seconds of silence from Natalie were his most agonizing moments.
Suddenly, he heard Natalie's laughter on the phone. "Mr. Kensington, have you forgotten? We're not friends."
