Chapter Ninety Seven

Chapter Ninety Seven
Gabriel 
Six weeks later
Walking out of the High Court with the knowledge that in a few weeks I would be a single man again had me grinning from ear to ear. For months, I had dreaded this process, wondered if the judge would see through Lucille’s theatrics, and finally, he had. 

He had listened to both sides of our story, and even as Lucille laid it thick with her tears, hoping to sway his decision, he hadn’t fallen for it. He declared our marriage irretrievable. It wasn’t his final decision yet, just a decree nisi, but that alone was enough for me. 

For the first time in years, freedom was tangible, close enough to touch. I wasn’t bound to her anymore—not really—and that thought alone felt like oxygen filling my lungs after being underwater for too long.

I had wanted Arian inside the court with me, but she refused, saying the place reminded her too much of her own divorce. I hadn’t pressed her; I understood that kind of pain too well. Still, seeing her waiting for me on the steps of the building filled me with a happiness so raw, it almost startled me. 

My smile widened when she looked up and saw me. She was my safe place, the one steady presence after all the chaos Lucille had dragged me through.

“How did it go?” she asked.

“I’ll be a single guy in a few weeks,” I replied, almost savoring the words. “I don’t know why he didn’t just grant a decree absolute instead of a decree nisi. It’s all good, though. I finally beat Lucille at her own game. She won’t be Mrs. Cruz for much longer.” 

God, it felt good to say that out loud. I’d carried the burden of her name attached to mine for too long, and now the chain was breaking.

“It’s fast,” she remarked. “Mine took a total of six to eight months. It was contested, but Diane, my lawyer, helped me win the case.”

“Kary will be so happy to hear this,” I said. “We should celebrate, don’t you think?”

“We should,” she agreed with a smile.

“Congratulations on your win,” came Lucille’s voice from behind me.

I turned, a triumphant smile already etching itself on my face. She was back to her old snotty self despite having cried buckets inside the court. Most people pitied her for those tears, but I knew better—they were crocodile tears. The woman could put on a performance worthy of an Oscar, but not with me. Not anymore.

“Yes. The best man won,” I nodded coolly. “You’ll be free to ruin other men’s lives from now on. I heard your father disinherited you. Is that true?”

“For now. It’s not like he’s going to live forever, right?” she snorted. “I’m his only child, and he’d never let his family inherit his wealth. So everything will be left to my mother. Once he’s dead, we’ll both share his properties.”

“I feel very sorry for your father right now,” I muttered. Disgusted, more like. That she could speak so casually about her father’s death said everything about the kind of woman she was.

“When’s the wedding?” she questioned suddenly.

“What wedding?” I frowned, confusion knotting my brows. “Is someone getting married?”

“You,” she said flatly.

I exchanged puzzled glances with Arian, trying to make sense of her insinuation. Surely the law didn’t allow a divorced couple to remarry until months after the dissolution. Trust Lucille to try and throw another jab, to stir chaos even when the gavel had already fallen in my favor.

“Are you fishing for an invitation?” I asked with a dry smile.

“Maybe.” She shrugged.

“Sorry to disappoint you, soon-to-be-former Mrs. Cruz, but we’re not getting married,” Arian answered for me, her voice sharp with finality. “It’s too early.”

“Anyway, I hope your relationship lasts.” Her words dripped with sarcasm as she sauntered down the steps, her hips swaying deliberately. She made her way to the parking lot, but I barely spared her another glance. My attention was on Arian, where it belonged.

“Since Kary is over at my parents’ house, why don’t we go home and celebrate?” I asked her, letting my voice dip into something suggestive. “Our own way?”

“Can we get takeout first? I’m suddenly craving that jam donut from our previous date,” she said with a grin.

“Sure.” I took her hand, warmth spreading through me as I led her toward my car. Lucille was the past—cold, toxic, suffocating. But Arian… she was proof that after ruins, something good could still grow. And damn if I wasn’t ready to nurture it.
\~~~~~
Two days later 
“Sir, you have a visitor,” Kim informed me, looking uncertain. “It’s your best friend, Mr. Wilson.”

“Former best friend,” I corrected sharply. “Tell him I’m busy.”

“He said he wouldn’t take too much of your time,” she replied hesitantly.

I let out a beleaguered sigh and nodded, deciding to get it over with. I knew Simon well enough—he wouldn’t leave until he talked to me, even though I wanted nothing to do with him anymore. 

Once upon a time, I trusted him more than anyone. Now, even the mention of his name left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The door opened, and Simon walked in, dressed neatly in a blue shirt tucked into black dress pants, his black leather shoes polished. But none of that mattered compared to the hollowness in his cheeks and the shadows under his eyes. 

For a fleeting moment, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. I sat with a stoic expression while he looked contrite, devastated even. Where was this remorse when I needed him most?

“You have five minutes,” I told him. “Go straight to the point.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, and the apology almost caught me off guard. “I’m sorry for everything I did to you, Gabe. I should have done better as your best friend… but I didn’t.”

“It’s two months too late,” I rumbled. “Is there any reason for this apology?”

“Gabi… Gabi… she lost the baby.” His voice cracked with raw emotion. “She bled out before I could rush her to the hospital. There was so much blood everywhere.” His brows furrowed. “The doctor told us she was healthy, no reason for her to have a miscarriage…” His voice trailed off.

I fell silent, letting the words sink in. Gabi—my twin, my other half no matter how much I tried to deny it—must have been shattered. She had been so ecstatic about that pregnancy, surprised but thrilled. 

And now… it was gone. I knew how much she had wanted that child. Hearing it was gone felt like a kick in the chest, even if I was still furious with her.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said finally. “How is she?”

“Devastated. She thinks it’s punishment for what she did to you,” Simon admitted. “She sent me here to tell you she’s sorry.”

“It’s all in the past. Let’s move on from it,” I said with a shake of my head.

“Can you find it in your heart to forgive me, Gabe? For not standing up for you?” he asked softly. “I’ll understand if you can’t.”

“Everything goes to show that nobody can be trusted—not even the guy you once called a brother from another mother,” I muttered. “It’s forgiven and forgotten, but we can’t go back to being friends. Tell Gabi I’m sorry about her baby, and that no matter what, I’ll always love her. She’s just not my other half anymore.”

“I understand,” he nodded and rose. “Thank you for… being my friend. I hope that one day, we’ll be able to rekindle our friendship.”

“We’ll see,” I murmured noncommittally.

“Have a nice day,” he said as he walked to the door.

“You too.” I watched him leave and the door shut behind him. I leaned back in my seat, thoughts heavy. Gabi had been many things—stubborn, infuriating, even cruel—but she was still my twin. Her pain was mine, whether I wanted it to be or not.

I pressed the intercom to call Kim, and she appeared almost instantly, as though waiting. I got to my feet, grabbed my suit jacket, and shrugged it on.

“Something came up. I have to leave for a few hours,” I told her. “Reschedule my meetings, forward important calls to my personal phone, and handle the rest yourself.”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded, then frowned. “Is everything okay? Mr. Simon looked like he was carrying the weight of the world.”

“Gabi lost her baby,” I replied flatly.