Chapter 171 Are You Pregnant Again?
The speed was excessive, but traffic was heavy. Gabriel weaved through lanes with expert precision, overtaking cars left and right, the constant swerving making even Arabella—who rarely got carsick—feel violently nauseated.
Finally, she couldn't hold back a dry heave!
Gabriel's brow furrowed deeply as he glanced back, asking with disbelief, "Are you pregnant?!"
What?
Arabella went cold with shock, whipping around to stare at him with wide eyes.
Gabriel took her stunned reaction as confirmation that he'd hit upon her secret!
The emotions churning in his chest could no longer be described as mere fury!
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, cut across lanes, and slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the roadside.
The sudden stop threw Arabella forward violently before the seatbelt yanked her back—and that was the final straw. Her roiling stomach could take no more. She frantically pushed open the car door, turned, and vomited.
Gabriel watched her heaving, convulsing form with no intention of showing care or concern. His eyes boring into her were sharp as knives.
When she finally finished and sat up, he ground out each word through clenched teeth, "If you dare to be carrying his child, I'll kill you!"
Arabella had never even considered this possibility!
But Gabriel's wild accusation suddenly made her remember something odd about her last period a few days ago.
That cycle had come early, with only light bleeding that lasted just three days before stopping entirely.
So much had happened recently—the divorce proceedings, the severe flu, launching her business—her body had been pushed to exhaustion. She'd assumed the stress had affected her cycle and hadn't given it much thought.
But thinking back to the night before she'd moved out of the mansion, that bastard Gabriel had kept her up all night. They'd used protection at first, but later...
If she was pregnant, many women experienced irregular bleeding in the very early stages. Those who didn't know they were pregnant would mistake it for a period.
Those who did know would see a doctor about it, who would call it threatened miscarriage and recommend bed rest.
But in reality, many such cases didn't need special intervention—they resolved on their own after a few days.
Her mind raced chaotically through these thoughts, and the more Arabella considered it, the more suspicious it seemed!
So was she carsick and vomiting, or was she actually pregnant again?
If she was carrying a child at this critical juncture, Gabriel would never agree to divorce—he'd die first!
Arabella panicked, so much so that she couldn't keep her composure. Her eyes were filled with chaos and fear.
Please don't be pregnant... don't be pregnant...
Gabriel watched her completely stunned reaction and angrily slammed his fist against the steering wheel before pulling back onto the road, heading straight for the hospital.
At the hospital, Arabella was still lost in terror at the possibility of pregnancy, her responses sluggish and delayed.
Gabriel yanked open the car door, his face demonic as he ordered her out.
She moved slowly.
Gabriel told her to register for emergency care, to have a doctor examine her nose.
She moved slowly.
When the doctor pressed down on her nasal bridge, she screamed in pain—finally snapping her drifting consciousness back to reality.
"Suspected nasal fracture. We need X-rays to see the extent of the break," the doctor said after examination, giving his preliminary assessment.
Hearing "fracture," Gabriel was immediately filled with guilt.
"Come on, let's get those X-rays first." He helped her up from the chair, his tone finally somewhat gentler.
But this gentleness only lasted as long as he could force himself not to think about her possible pregnancy.
The moment that thought surfaced, he wanted to explode! He wanted to wrap his hands around her throat!
After taking Arabella for X-rays, during the wait for results, Gabriel dragged her to get blood drawn.
"I won't do it! I'm not pregnant, so why should I get blood drawn for no reason?" Arabella knew his intention and immediately objected.
She'd thought it through carefully and still believed pregnancy was unlikely.
And even if such an accident had occurred, she didn't want to verify it!
Not knowing meant she could pretend ignorance and not let it affect the divorce proceedings!
The court date was tomorrow—she'd finally made it this far and couldn't afford any more delays or missed opportunities!
But Gabriel wouldn't give in to her wishes.
"What are you afraid of? Scared you're carrying Manuel's child and even you find it shameful?" Gabriel moved closer, his lips against her ear as he questioned her coldly.
He clenched his fists, not daring even in his dreams to imagine that Arabella was really pregnant!
"Arabella, you've got some nerve! In my entire life, I've never met someone who dared humiliate me like this! You're really something!" His voice trembled with rage, his lips brushing her cold, delicate earlobe. He wanted to bite down hard.
Arabella shook her head, her mind in chaos. Not caring about anything else now, she looked at him and confessed, "Manuel and I don't have anything... We're completely innocent, just ordinary friends. He only came to take care of me because he felt sorry for me being sick..."
Gabriel turned to look at her, his eyes showing a moment of surprise before turning coldly indifferent.
"You think I believe you? Even a blind person could see he has feelings for you. You think he doesn't have ulterior motives?"
"No, it's not like that..." Arabella shook her head repeatedly, explaining again, "Really, there's nothing... Not only do I have no romantic feelings for him, but even if I did, I would never do anything with him while still married..."
Her upbringing and moral values made it impossible for her to commit such scandalous acts.
But Gabriel still didn't believe her.
"What, afraid they'll find you're pregnant and I'll force you to abort? Want to keep his child? Saying this now—only a fool would believe you!" Gabriel grabbed her and dragged her forcibly to the nurse. "Hurry up, draw her blood!"
Arabella resisted, tried to escape, but he trapped her in his arms and brought her before the nurse.
"Gabriel! I hate you!" She turned to look at the man, tears streaming down her face as she whispered her accusation.
Gabriel ignored her completely, restraining her as the nurse drew blood.
The moment the needle went in, Arabella flinched in pain.
Gabriel held her tightly against him and naturally felt her reaction, his nerves involuntarily tensing.
To say he felt no heartache would be a lie, but along with the pain came resentment.
How could she do this to him!
What was more hateful was that even after she'd treated him this way, he still couldn't bear to let go!
After the blood draw, Arabella pushed him away with red eyes and walked off.
Gabriel didn't chase after her, instead going to collect the X-ray results.
Sure enough, it was fractured.
"From the X-ray, it's a simple, non-displaced fracture. The external shape of the nose and nasal breathing haven't been affected. So no special treatment is needed—just let the injury heal naturally. But during this time, be careful never to press on the injured area again. Pain is inevitable, but you can apply ice gently," the doctor explained the care instructions after reviewing the films.
Gabriel frowned, glancing at the tearful Arabella with concern. "Just leave it exposed like that? Are you sure that's okay?"
The doctor explained, "Nasal fractures are difficult to stabilize, so this is the only way to handle it. But I'll prescribe some medication to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling. If she's sensitive to pain, I can also prescribe pain relievers."
"Thank..." Arabella stood up, thinking this treatment plan was fine and about to thank the doctor before leaving, when Gabriel suddenly asked, "Do these medications affect pregnant women?"