Chapter 177 The Child is Gone!
Gabriel listened to her bitter words, then picked up Isabella and approached, studying Arabella's icy expression. Suddenly, he smiled enigmatically. "You still have your uses. I'll let you keep breathing."
She shot him a withering glare.
Gabriel's smile deepened. "Got any more? Your daughter needs to nurse."
Arabella's heart clenched with frustration. Looking at her little girl's expectant face, guilt washed over her, and she mumbled reluctantly, "There's nothing left..."
The bastard was right, unfortunately.
Ever since her severe cold, her milk supply had indeed decreased. She needed to calm down, rest properly, and improve her diet to return to her previous levels.
Gabriel said nothing more, simply turned with their daughter. "Then hurry up and get washed. Come downstairs for breakfast, then we're going to the hospital."
"What about court?" she called after him.
She wanted this divorce finalized now! Not a moment's delay!
Gabriel was already walking out the door with Isabella, his voice floating back from the hallway. "I called my lawyer first thing this morning. The hearing's postponed. Your attorney should get the notification shortly."
Arabella instantly flared with anger. "What gives you the right to make that decision!"
She'd waited so long for this day!
He didn't respond, but her phone rang right at that time.
She reached for it and saw, predictably, Manuel's name on the caller ID.
She quickly adjusted her clothes and shifted Henry to a vertical position against her shoulder, freeing one hand to answer.
"Hello, Manuel..."
The moment she spoke, Manuel's urgent voice came through, "Arabella, the court notified us about the postponement. They said it was the defendant's request—did you get the message?"
Arabella felt mortified.
She'd been declaring daily that she wanted this divorce, that she couldn't spend another moment with Gabriel, yet somehow she kept getting tangled up back here with him—even spending the night!
And Manuel had genuinely helped her, working tirelessly for this case, investing both money and effort, only to have everything change at the last minute on the day of the hearing.
It was too embarrassing to explain...
"Manuel... I just found out too. Gabriel postponed the hearing—" She couldn't bring herself to admit she'd spent the night at Gabriel's house, so she avoided the topic entirely.
Manuel actually knew everything, but seeing she wasn't ready to discuss it, he tactfully Pretended to be ignorance and focused on the legal matter itself. "Do you know why he wanted the postponement? If he simply fails to appear, that would actually work in our favor."
"I know..." Arabella had researched this thoroughly and had been hoping Gabriel would be a no-show, which would result in a default judgment.
But who could have predicted he'd use his influence to get the court to delay the proceedings entirely?
"I... I have something today. I need to go to the hospital later, so... I can't make it." Unable to provide a reasonable explanation, Arabella used this as an excuse.
Manuel immediately became concerned. "Back to the hospital? What's wrong? Is your nose fracture still causing pain?"
"Mm-hmm..." She couldn't bring herself to mention the unexpected pregnancy.
"Are you going alone or is he taking you?"
"I... I'll call a friend to go with me."
Once you tell the first lie, you need countless more to cover it up.
Arabella now felt like a terrible person, completely unworthy of Manuel's care and assistance.
Manuel hesitated several times, seeming to want to say something.
Actually, after learning about Arabella's nose fracture last night, he'd been worried sick. Later, he'd driven back to her apartment building, intending to wait for her return to check on her condition.
But he'd waited until dawn without seeing her come back.
He knew she must have been taken away by Gabriel.
Now, seeing her struggle to hide the truth from him, Manuel wasn't angry. He understood her embarrassment and difficulty, knowing she was too proud to admit it.
Both fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Arabella realized Manuel probably saw right through her lies but was tactfully not calling her out to save her dignity.
This thought made her feel even more ashamed, and she hurried to say, "Manuel, I..."
Manuel understood what she wanted to say and interrupted before she could finish, "You don't need to apologize. You're not feeling well—you shouldn't push yourself. We'll discuss this after you've recovered."
Arabella had indeed been about to apologize and confess her deception, but Manuel had thoughtfully given her an out, sparing her further humiliation. The gesture warmed her heart unexpectedly.
"Thank you for caring, Manuel."
"Don't mention it."
After hanging up, Arabella stood with her son in her arms, guilt still weighing heavily on her heart.
If only she'd reconnected with Manuel two years earlier.
He was a gentleman—young, capable, successful in his career. He was every woman's ideal man.
But sadly, she'd been too late.
————
After breakfast, Arabella had no choice but to let Gabriel drag her to the hospital for prenatal tests.
It would be good to hear what the doctor had to say anyway.
She'd been troubled by that HCG reading on yesterday's test results, suspecting it might indicate abnormal fetal development.
If that were the case, this pregnancy definitely couldn't continue—otherwise, even if carried to term, it might end in tragedy.
Women were naturally tenderhearted, especially regarding their own flesh and blood.
Though she was determined not to keep this baby, if everything was developing normally and she terminated it, she'd feel some pain and regret, a sense of sin.
But if there were problems with the fetus, she could abandon it with a clear conscience.
Neither spoke during the drive. At the hospital, Gabriel got out and waited for her, then naturally placed his hand at the small of her back as they walked, the picture of a loving couple.
Arabella felt uncomfortable and subtly distanced herself from him with a cool glance.
Gabriel had specifically arranged to see the obstetrics specialist who'd handled Arabella's previous delivery—someone trustworthy he felt comfortable with.
But when the expert examined the pregnancy test results, her expression immediately turned serious.
Seeing the doctor's furrowed brow, Arabella's heart tightened. "Doctor, is something wrong with these numbers?"
The specialist didn't answer immediately, instead asking about her menstrual cycle and whether she'd experienced any recent abdominal discomfort. Upon learning about the irregular period she'd had recently, the expert formed her assessment.
"Let's do another blood draw and see today's results."
Gabriel's face darkened. "Dr. Turner, what do you mean? Is there something wrong with the baby?"
Dr. Turner, the obstetrics specialist, adjusted her glasses and spoke directly, "These levels are too low. I suspect there may not be a viable pregnancy at all."
"What?" Gabriel was stunned.
Though he hadn't paid much attention to Arabella's previous pregnancies, he'd picked up some basic knowledge about pregnancy.
Rising HCG was supposed to indicate pregnancy.
"Could it just be early pregnancy, making the levels low?" He refused to accept the doctor's assessment, searching for alternative explanations.
Dr. Turner shook her head. "In my experience, this is most likely a chemical pregnancy. Let's do another blood test to see if today's levels are even lower than yesterday's. If so, it's definitely a chemical pregnancy."
"Chemical pregnancy?" Gabriel stared at this strange term with obvious confusion.
Though Arabella was also surprised to hear about the chemical pregnancy, she felt a huge wave of relief.
If it really was a chemical pregnancy, that would be perfect—no need to undergo the ordeal of an abortion, and no guilt about ending a tiny life.
On their way to the blood draw, Gabriel pressed close behind her, demanding answers, "What's a chemical pregnancy? Did you suspect this all along?"