Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Family Meeting
Gabriel's POV
I couldn’t say it enough—I regretted divorcing Rebecca. She was everything a good woman should be, and I was a fool for not realizing it sooner.
If I could turn back time, I’d do whatever it took to have her back. Right now, though, this very second, I was trapped—ensnared by the witch who held my darkest secret over me. The secret I couldn’t afford to let slip.
I stumbled out of the house, needing air to clear my thoughts. The night was cool, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside me. Aunt Racheal—my rock since childhood, the woman who raised me after my parents died—was in that house. And she’d just been humiliated by the woman I married.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Emmanuella was supposed to be my partner, my equal—not my tormentor. I paced back and forth on the sidewalk, my mind racing. Aunt Racheal must be seething in the guest room, hurt and furious. And she had every right to be.
I couldn’t let this slide. I had to do something—anything—to fix this. Grabbing my phone, I dialed Luke.
“You fucking need to act fast!” I barked the moment he picked up.
“Excuse me?” Luke shot back, his tone sharp. “You don’t get to yell at me, Gabriel. What the hell is going on now?”
“It’s Emmanuella,” I snapped. “She’s out of control. I need to end this. I need her out of my life.”
“Yeah? And you think that’s easy? I can’t just rush to do this. She’s got leverage on you, remember? If we make a wrong move, you’ll regret it.”
“Don’t lecture me, Luke!” I yelled, my frustration boiling over.
“Gabriel, listen to yourself,” he shot back. “You’re spiraling. This isn’t something we can rush. I already told you we need a month. If we’re going to do this, we need a solid plan. I need a reason to get close to her, something to justify my involvement. Then I’ll take the motherfucking action.”
I ran a hand through my hair, breathing heavily. Deep down, I knew he was right. This was a delicate situation, and one wrong move could cost me everything. But I didn’t have time.
“No,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I can’t wait anymore. She’s turning me into... into a weak man in my own home!”
“Then figure it out, Gabriel,” Luke said bluntly. “I will let you know when I set on the move. I am creating fake dollar bills for now. You say she likes money? I will make her think I am the richest man in the world."
He hung up, leaving me staring at the darkened street.
I clenched my fists, the resolve building inside me. I wouldn’t let Emmanuella win. Taking a deep breath, I headed back inside.
The house was eerily quiet. As I stepped through the door, I froze.
In the kitchen, Emmanuella was dumping the rice and chicken Aunt Racheal had cooked into the trash.
“What the fuck?” I muttered under my breath, my heart pounding with rage.
“Emmanuella!” I barked, my voice sharp and loud enough to echo through the house.
She turned, her expression as cold as ice. Without a word, she scooped the trash bag and marched outside through the back door.
Through the kitchen window, I watched as she tossed the bag into the dumpster, brushing her hands off like she’d just taken out something rotten.
“If you want to eat, don’t bring another woman into my home,” she hissed as she reentered. “Cook for yourself or buy your food elsewhere.”
My fists clenched so tightly that my nails bit into my palms. I wanted to scream, to grab her, to shake some sense into her. Instead, I forced myself to breathe.
“Emmanuella,” I began, my voice low and measured, “that wasn’t just ‘another woman.’ That was my aunt. The woman who raised me. My second mother.”
She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “And how was I supposed to know that? You’ve never introduced me to her before.”
Her indifference stung, but I knew she wasn’t entirely wrong.
“You need to apologize to Aunt Racheal,” I demanded. “This marriage can’t survive if you keep doing things like this.”
She scoffed, her lips curling into a sneer. “This marriage? Don’t make me laugh, Gabriel. I’m going out. I’ll be back in two hours. If she’s still here when I return, you’d better be ready to pack for jail.”
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. I didn’t need her to spell it out—I knew what she was threatening. The secret she held over me was the only reason she could get away with this, and she wasn’t afraid to use it.
She grabbed her keys and brushed past me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience.
I stood there, frozen, the weight of her words suffocating me. My mind raced. Two hours. I had two hours to fix this.
I knocked on the guest room door.
“Go away!” Aunt Racheal’s voice was sharp, filled with anger and hurt.
“Aunt Racheal, please,” I said, my voice trembling.
“No! I don’t want to talk to you, Gabriel. You’ve humiliated me enough.”
I hesitated, then pushed the door open. She sat on the bed, her arms crossed, her face a mix of fury and betrayal.
“Aunt Racheal, I need you to leave,” I said, the words bitter in my throat.
“What?” she exclaimed, her voice rising. “You’re throwing me out because of her?”
“No,” I said quickly, stepping closer. “I’m asking you to leave because I need to keep you safe. She’s... she’s dangerous, Aunt Racheal. Please, just trust me. I’ll fix this. You can come back soon—stay as long as you want. I just need you to leave now.”
Her gaze narrowed, disbelief clear in her eyes. “What is she threatening you with, Gabriel? What aren’t you telling me?”
Before I could answer, Emmanuella’s voice cut through the room like a blade.
“I think he’s said enough.”
We both turned to see her leaning against the doorway, her phone in hand, a smirk on her lips.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped, stepping in front of Aunt Racheal protectively.
“Making sure you follow through,” she said, casually waving her phone. “You wouldn’t want me to make that call, would you?”
“What call?” Aunt Racheal demanded, her brows furrowing.
“Oh, don’t worry, dear Auntie,” Emmanuella said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “It’s nothing to concern yourself with. Just a little matter Gabriel and I need to settle. Isn’t that right, Gabriel?”
I felt my stomach churn. She was playing a dangerous game, hinting at the secret she held without revealing it outright.
“What are you talking about?” Aunt Racheal asked, her tone sharp. “If you’re threatening my nephew—”
“Threatening?” Emmanuella interrupted with a mock gasp. “No, no. I’m simply making sure the law is on my side if... certain truths come to light.”
Her thumb hovered over her phone’s screen, and my chest tightened as I saw the number displayed: 911.
“Stop this,” I said, my voice low and pleading. “There’s no need for this, Emmanuella.”
She raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening. “Then get her out of my house, Gabriel. You’ve got five minutes, or I’ll let the authorities know everything. I’m sure they’d love to hear about... your little indiscretion.”
Aunt Racheal’s face twisted in confusion. “What is she talking about, Gabriel? What have you done?”
“I’ll explain later,” I said quickly, turning back to her. “But for now, please—just go. I’ll make this right, I promise.”
“You’re just going to let her bully you like this?” Aunt Racheal demanded, her voice rising with anger. “This isn’t the Gabriel I raised!”
“I’m still that man,” I said, though the words felt hollow even as I spoke them. “But I can’t fix this with you here.”
Emmanuella chuckled darkly. “Tick-tock, Gabriel. The clock’s ticking.”
Aunt Racheal hesitated, her eyes darting between us. I could see the hurt in her gaze, the disbelief at what was happening. Slowly, she grabbed her bag and moved toward the door.
“I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into,” she said, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sadness. “But this isn’t over.”
The door clicked shut behind her, and the silence that followed was suffocating.
Emmanuella lowered her phone, her smirk turning into a triumphant grin. “Good boy. Maybe you’re not entirely useless after all.”
I stared at her, my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned white. She’d won this round, but I couldn’t let her keep the upper hand forever.
"Motherfucking Luke needs to act fast." I muttered angrily. "He needs to pluck her head from her neck fast." I thought.
Her laughter echoed as she walked away, leaving me alone in the wreckage of my choices.