Chapter 32 Chapter 32 lawyer David and Gabriel
Gabriel's POV
If life had been different, if I were the happy husband with a happy wife, I would be home right now, sleeping soundly in our bed. But life wasn’t different, and here I was.
As confusion swirled in my head, I answered Lawyer David’s suggestion with urgency.
“Can we meet now?” I asked, not minding what it was by the time.
David hesitated. “Uh… now? Well, okay… ”
In the background, I heard a woman’s voice, Lola, David’s wife. “You’re not going anywhere, David. It’s midnight!”
Of course. Which happy wife would let her husband leave their bed for someone else at this hour? Her resistance was understandable, but I couldn’t wait.
“I have to go, love. I’ll be back soon,” David reassured her before returning to me. “St. Louis Café. Now.”
The call ended, and I didn’t waste a second. Grabbing my keys, I headed to my car. Waiting any longer wasn’t an option, not when my life felt like it was crumbling by the second.
When David arrived at the café, his eyebrows lifted slightly, surprised to see me already seated. I sipped from a glass of water and motioned for him to join me.
“You’re quick,” he remarked, sliding into the seat across from me.
“I couldn’t wait.”
David glanced at his watch and leaned forward. “I don’t have much time, so let’s get to it.”
We ordered water to avoid being kicked out of the café for loitering, and as soon as the waiter left, David got straight to the point.
“Mr. Moretti,” he began, his tone somber. “Your situation is more complicated than you think. As I mentioned earlier, your secret changes everything.”
My stomach twisted at his words, dread creeping up my spine.
David continued. “If Emmanuella decides to bring up your past, what you did she could use it against you during divorce proceedings. She could claim that her affair was a response to your actions, making you look like the cause of the marital breakdown.”
I clenched my fists under the table. “That’s ridiculous. She’s the one cheating!”
David raised a hand to stop me. “If Emmanuella frames her affair as a reaction to your actions, the court could side with her. She could take your assets, win the case, and worse, bring up your past to push for jail time.”
“What?” I exclaimed, my voice louder than I intended. A few patrons glanced in our direction.
David leaned in, his voice firm but low. “That’s the law in Mandena. You should know this already.”
I leaned back in my chair, overwhelmed. “So what am I supposed to do? I can’t let her keep making my life hell!”
David sighed, rubbing his temples. “If you want to avoid jail, you don’t have much choice. You’ll need to endure the marriage and keep her happy.”
“For how long?” I interrupted, desperation seeping into my tone.
“Until she decides to let you go,” David replied. “She’s having an affair now, right? Eventually, she might tire of you and want a separation. But until then…”
I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. “Emmanuella? Get tired of this power she holds over me? That’ll never happen.”
David checked his watch and stood abruptly. “I have to leave now. Lola’s waiting for me.”
I nodded, masking my frustration with a forced smile. “Thanks for your time.”
After David left, I waved to the waiter. “A bottle of beer, please.”
For thirty years, I’d worked tirelessly; sacrificing, strategising, and making ruthless decisions to build everything I had. And now? Was it all going to slip through my fingers because of her?
The waiter returned with my beer. “Here you go, sir.”
“Thank you,” I muttered, popping the cap and downing it in one long gulp.
I raised my hand again. “Three more bottles,” I said flatly.
The waiter hesitated for a fraction of a second, her eyes widening slightly before she nodded and hurried off. This was a café, not a bar, and I knew getting drunk here was frowned upon, but I didn’t care.
When she returned, I noticed her glancing at me nervously as she placed the beers on the table. Her unease didn’t go unnoticed, but I ignored it.
By the time I finished the second bottle, I felt the alcohol dulling my senses. My vision blurred slightly, and my limbs felt heavy, but it wasn’t enough to drown the turmoil inside me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the waitress whispering into a phone. She covered her mouth, her eyes darting toward me like she didn’t want me to notice.
“Hey!” I slurred, rising to my feet unsteadily. My voice carried across the café.
The waitress froze, her eyes wide.
“Did you call the police on me?” I pointed at her, but my hand shook so much that I couldn’t tell where she actually stood.
“Sir, I…” She started, but I didn’t wait to hear the rest.
Dropping a crumpled wad of cash on the table, I staggered toward the exit. The cool night air hit me like a slap, but it wasn’t enough to sober me up. My mind spun with David’s words, Emmanuella’s threats, Rebecca's moves, and the weight of my own mistakes.
Was this really my life now? A prison of my own making?