Chapter 57 Someone's Outside the Window!
At that moment, Emily, who had already gone to bed at home, was awakened by her phone ringing. Seeing Gabriel's name on the caller ID, her eyes immediately became alert and clear.
But before she could speak, familiar wailing sounds came through the line.
She instantly understood that Dominic was drunk again and having another meltdown.
Every word drilled into her ears, causing ripples to spread across the calm surface of her heart.
They had been fighting for so long now. Although she had been the one to initiate the divorce, her heart ached even more than Dominic's.
After all, she had been chasing after Dominic since childhood—she had loved deeper and more completely.
She also knew clearly that Dominic would never treat her as well as Gabriel did.
But people were just naturally self-destructive that way, always reaching for what was beyond their grasp. The more someone ignored you, the more defiant your heart became.
She had persisted for so many years. She had finally gotten her wish and married Dominic, thinking that once her dream was fulfilled, the rest of their days would be filled with happiness. Who could have known that after barely over a year of marriage, they'd reached the point of divorce?
She hated Dominic, but wasn't hate just love transformed? The deeper the hatred, the deeper the love had been.
On the other end, Dominic continued his drunken accusations, slurring, "Emily... you're not being fair... why should you get to leave whenever you want while I... I won't divorce you... it's all because you've been spoiled, throwing tantrums every single day, all because Gabriel spoiled you rotten!"
Emily's heart had been softening with emotion, but hearing these words immediately reignited her fury.
"Dominic! You're such a bastard! You're my husband, yet you don't treat me half as well as an outsider does, and you think you're in the right?!" she screamed into the phone, completely ignoring the feelings of the other person present.
Gabriel heard that phrase "an outsider" like a small knife piercing precisely into his heart.
So this was what all those years of care and devotion had earned him—the label of "an outsider."
A self-mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He felt like such a fool.
Here he was in the middle of the night, not staying home with his own wife and children, but running out to meddle in this mess, only to be dismissed so completely.
In the backseat, the disoriented Dominic suddenly sat up upon hearing Emily's voice. "...Emily?"
He looked around in confusion, slurring, "Gabriel... did you... did you bring Emily too?"
Gabriel rolled his eyes, his expression dark as storm clouds, and said mischievously, "Yes, look outside—she's standing by the car window watching you."
Dominic actually believed him and turned to look out the window. After staring for a long while, he mumbled thickly, "You're lying... there's no one outside the window, no one..."
The next second, he raised his voice and shouted, "Emily! Where are you? Come back! Come home! If you want to have the baby, then have it... just have it..."
At those words, Gabriel's expression shifted again.
Was he actually giving in?
On the other end of the phone, Emily heard those words too.
Her heart suddenly warmed, as if news she'd been desperately waiting for had finally arrived. She should have felt excited and thrilled.
But thinking about all their recent conflicts, remembering the pain her husband had caused her, her stubborn streak kicked in again.
"Just because you tell me to come home, I should come home? That place isn't my home anymore!"
"It is your home! You married me, you're Mrs. Kingsley, that is your home!"
"No! I only have one home, and that's the Davis estate!"
The two began arguing like children, and Gabriel felt utterly exasperated listening to them.
"Emily, you're still at the Davis Villa?" Unable to stand it anymore, he interrupted.
Emily replied, "Yes, I'm still staying with my parents."
Gabriel felt conflicted, "Then what about Dominic? He's severely intoxicated—he needs someone to look after him tonight."
Emily was still sulking and said indifferently, "That's his problem. I'm not taking care of him anyway. My parents are already asleep, so don't you dare bring him here."
"Just take him back with you. When he sobers up tomorrow, he can go wherever he wants."
Before Gabriel could respond, he heard retching sounds from the back seat. His scalp tingled as he quickly pulled over. "Dominic, don't you dare throw up in my car!"
But it was too late.
By the time he got out and opened the rear door, the drunk man had already made a complete mess, ruining his expensive, handmade suit.
Gabriel stood by the car door, one hand pressed to his forehead, filled with both rage and helplessness.
He had originally planned to take Dominic back to Parkside Estate, but now, fuming with anger, he refused to deal with this mess.
So Gabriel took him to the most luxurious hotel owned by the Kingsley family, booked the presidential suite, called Dominic's personal assistant to come take care of him, and then headed home.
Arabella had woken up from sleep and just finished feeding the baby when she heard a car in the silent night.
Gabriel must be back.
She immediately tensed up, instinctively turning to face away from the door and closing her eyes.
Only by pretending to sleep could she act like she knew nothing and avoid having to interact with him.
Gabriel returned home and went upstairs, deliberately keeping his movements quiet to avoid waking his sleeping wife and children.
When he reached the master bedroom door, he raised his hand to turn the handle, then suddenly thought of something, frowned, and lowered his hand.
He bent his head to smell himself, his frown deepening.
Dominic had thrown up in the car. Although he'd driven home with the windows open, he was still reeking of alcohol.
This late at night, entering the master bedroom would wake her, and the alcohol fumes would be overwhelming.
So after a brief moment of self-disgust, Gabriel turned away from the master bedroom and headed to the guest room where Arabella had been sleeping some nights ago.
Inside the bedroom, the wide-awake Arabella clearly heard Gabriel's footsteps approaching and stopping. Her breathing stopped, too.
However, after a few seconds, the expected sound of the door opening never came. Instead, Gabriel's footsteps gradually moved away.
Arabella suddenly opened her eyes, a flash of confusion crossing her mind, followed by deep, bitter coldness.
After visiting Emily, he wouldn't even come into their bedroom.
Was his heart still so occupied by Emily that he instinctively rejected other women? He couldn't even bear to see his own wife.
Her eyes pathetically began to moisten. She slowly drew a breath, forcing herself not to think about these things. Sleep! Just sleep!
In order to divorce as quickly as possible and regain her freedom, Arabella spent several days running around with Sophia, looking at apartments.
After seeing place after place, she found all the rents too expensive.
Only then did she understand the deeper meaning behind Gabriel's recent words about her being naive and having no idea how difficult survival in modern society really was.
Sophia had wanted her to live in the same complex, but the $2,000 monthly rent made her shake her head vigorously.
"I've been submitting résumés online these past few days, but because I have no work experience, the salaries are incredibly low. There's no way I could afford to live in your complex."
After viewing another apartment, the two sat in a dessert café eating while Arabella sighed with worry written all over her face.
Sophia was looking after Lily and glanced at her upon hearing this, advising, "If that's the case, either don't get divorced at all, or if you do divorce, take some compensation for emotional damages without guilt. With your husband's net worth, the settlement he'd give you would be enough for you to start retirement right now."
Arabella smiled bitterly, "If I did that, he'd think I was only pushing for divorce for the money."
"What's wrong with doing it for money?"
After Sophia finished speaking, her phone rang. It was her husband, Zachary, calling.
"Your clients got poached again? How is this happening? Have you offended someone recently?" She answered the phone, and after hearing what Zachary said on the other end, her face showed great shock.