Chapter 108 The Greatest Support
Arabella had been busy all day, and as quitting time approached, she received a call from Manuel.
"How have you been these past few days?" Manuel's voice carried its usual warmth, with a gentle smile evident in his tone.
Arabella thought about their trip to Whispering Pines and Gabriel's excessive behavior, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. She spoke hesitantly, "I've been okay... just going to work every day, keeping busy."
"That's good. I was worried Gabriel might give you trouble."
"No, he's been busy too."
Manuel's real intention in making this call was to ask if she had any plans for divorce, but it seemed impolite to bring it up directly, so he kept dancing around the subject.
However, Arabella could sense he had something to say, so she decided to be direct, "Manuel, whatever you want to say, just say it."
Manuel chuckled and praised her, "You're still as sharp as ever—you can tell through the phone that I have something on my mind. I wanted to ask if you've seriously considered my suggestion from last time? About divorcing Gabriel and starting fresh?"
"I..." Arabella hesitated, unsure whether to share.
She had been seriously considering it these past few days.
Divorcing Gabriel would likely be impossible to resolve amicably—it would probably have to go through litigation.
But finding a lawyer had become the biggest problem.
Zachary was definitely out of the question. He was no match for Gabriel, and she didn't want him to get dragged into this mess again.
Besides him, the only friend she had who could help and had real influence was Manuel.
He moved in high circles with extensive connections—he surely knew capable attorneys.
The question was whether top lawyers would even take on a divorce case like hers.
Hearing her hesitate, Manuel sensed her unspoken concerns and inquired even more gently, "What's wrong? You can tell me about any difficulties you're facing. I'll help however I can. Your grandparents were so kind to me when I was young—if you're in trouble, I'll do everything in my power to help you."
This reassurance worked. Arabella bit her lip and said in one breath, "I do want a divorce, but Gabriel won't agree. I hired a lawyer but couldn't match his power, so now everything's at a standstill."
"Really? You've already discussed this with him?" Manuel sounded somewhat surprised.
"Yes, even before you returned to the country, I brought up divorce with him, but..."
"I understand. He's using his influence to pressure you—you're definitely no match for that." Manuel pondered for a moment, then comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll figure something out regarding lawyers. However, since you've decided on divorce, shouldn't you move out first? At least getting away from his control would help you protect yourself better."
The deeper meaning behind these words was understood by both of them without explanation.
Manuel had always felt that Gabriel was keeping Arabella trapped, using her as an outlet for his frustrations, treating her like a caged bird to torment.
"That... I have been considering it. I'm looking for an apartment and will move as soon as possible."
"Good. If you run into any difficulties, you can tell me about those too."
"Alright, I'll try to find something myself first."
Unless absolutely necessary, Arabella didn't want to trouble others too much.
Her struggle with Gabriel was about breaking free from being a man's appendage and becoming self-reliant.
If she had to depend on another man for everything, it wouldn't be much different from staying with Gabriel.
She had no close relationship with Manuel, and as a divorced woman with children, she had little to offer in return. Better to owe as little as possible.
Manuel was a perceptive man who probably guessed her concerns, so he didn't press further.
After all, she wasn't divorced yet. At this stage, she needed to maintain distance from other men, otherwise Gabriel might use it against her, putting her at an even greater disadvantage.
Near the end of the workday, Ella messaged her on Facebook, asking her to meet at the coffee shop across from the office after work for about half an hour to discuss some Medium business.
Arabella gladly agreed to go.
Ella offered her a sponsored content opportunity, asking her to write a promotional piece.
"If you write it well and the product sells well, your commission will be higher too, so give it your best effort." Ella was straightforward—since she recognized Arabella's talent, she was naturally willing to compensate her fairly.
Arabella was thinking about needing money to rent an apartment and move out. This freelance work gave her more confidence about her future, and she nodded eagerly, "Yes, I'll definitely work hard."
Sophia called, asking if she'd gotten off work yet. She'd found a nice small apartment with good layout and location, and wanted to know if Arabella had time to take a look.
After a slight hesitation, she agreed, "Sure, send me the address and I'll head over."
After hanging up, Ella put down her coffee cup and glanced at her, "You're looking to rent a place?"
"Yeah." Arabella looked embarrassed, unsure whether she should share her personal affairs since they weren't that close yet.
Seeing her expression, Ella seemed to understand and asked carefully, "Will the children be living with you?"
She smiled helplessly, "I have two babies—I can't manage to care for them, so they won't be staying with me."
"Two? You already had a second child?" Ella was shocked.
Although they got along well, they had only discussed work-related matters and never talked about their families.
So Ella didn't know Arabella had twins, and Arabella didn't know why Ella was a single mother.
"They're twins—a boy and a girl." Seeing her surprise, Arabella smiled and explained.
"My goodness... that's incredible." Ella stared at her, even more shocked. After a moment, she said, "And even that couldn't hold a man's heart?"
She instinctively assumed that if Arabella's marriage was in trouble, it must be the man's fault.
After all, women were naturally tender-hearted. If she was willing to have children, it meant she wanted to settle down and live a stable life. Unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn't abandon newborn babies—especially two of them.
Moreover, she knew Arabella had married a wealthy husband. Given most people's assumptions about rich men, Ella was even more convinced the man was a scoundrel who had failed his wife and family.
"No wonder you had to come out to work... You're right though. Nowadays women can only rely on themselves for real security. No matter how sweetly men talk, once the novelty wears off, they're all bastards." Ella seemed to be speaking from experience, suddenly launching into a tirade against men.
Arabella smiled, not knowing what to say. Given Gabriel's special status, she didn't want to discuss too much with outsiders.
"Let me know if you need any help. If you can't find a suitable place, I can help you too." Ella was remarkably straightforward and tactful—she didn't ask inappropriate questions but offered help where she could.
Arabella was deeply grateful, "Thank you. Let me check out the place my friend found first. If it doesn't work out, I'll ask for your help."
"Sure, take a look first. Contact me anytime if you run into any difficulties—don't be shy about it."
"Thanks, Ella!"
The two young, attractive women smiled at each other, raising their coffee cups in a toast to their growing friendship.