Chapter 178 Gabriel's Pain
Gabriel had noticed Arabella's thoughtful expression as she stared at the test results the night before, but when he'd asked, she'd remained silent.
Now, with her complex emotions and his persistent questioning, Arabella couldn't help but feel irritated. "If you don't understand, can't you just look it up online?"
Gabriel was taken aback by her sharp retort, his expression darkening, though he chose not to argue.
This time, Arabella cooperated willingly with the blood draw, no coercion from Gabriel needed.
After the blood was taken, they both waited for the results to come back, neither leaving.
Gabriel pulled out his phone to research what a "chemical pregnancy" meant, while Arabella tapped away on hers, discussing work matters with Ella.
Ella had assumed she'd be in court for the divorce proceedings today, so when she learned Arabella was at the hospital instead, she immediately called.
"Are you sick again? Why are you at the hospital? Wasn't the court hearing today?"
Not wanting to discuss this in front of Gabriel, Arabella stood and walked a few steps away, lowering her voice. "There was a minor incident. The court hearing was postponed."
"A minor incident? What happened?"
"I might be experiencing a chemical pregnancy. I'm at the hospital getting tested now."
"Chemical pregnancy?" Ella had been through childbirth herself and was somewhat familiar with the term, though not extensively. "That's when the fetus doesn't develop properly and miscarries naturally?"
"Something like that..."
Ella was startled. "Is it your husband's?"
"He won't be my husband much longer..."
"I know what you mean, but I'm asking if this could be... someone else's?" Ella's question wasn't unreasonable—Arabella had been living separately for some time, and given how bitter their relationship had become, it was odd they'd still be intimate.
Arabella understood her meaning and couldn't help blushing as she gripped her phone. "Of course it's his... I never expected this to happen..."
"You two..." Ella didn't know what to say, laughing helplessly with a sigh. "Honestly, I don't think you'll ever actually get divorced."
If they were still being intimate, it meant they were still attracted to each other. What kind of divorce was that?
Arabella didn't want to explain further, simply telling her she'd return to work later before hanging up.
As she turned around, she saw Gabriel walking toward her with the test results.
Last night had seen a similar scene, except then he'd approached with a menacing, predatory demeanor—now, he was frowning, his face grave, the light gone from his eyes. He looked like someone who'd experienced great joy only to be suddenly plunged into despair.
And indeed, it was despair.
Gabriel had looked up what "chemical pregnancy" meant online, and comparing it with the test results in his hand, he could see that the HCG levels had dropped since yesterday. This strongly suggested it was indeed a chemical pregnancy.
His dreams of becoming a father again were shattered—how could he be happy about that?
Moreover, with the pregnancy ending this way, he knew Arabella now had solid grounds for proceeding with the divorce, which made him even less pleased.
"What do the results say?" Arabella could guess from his expression, but still reached for the paper.
As expected, the levels had dropped.
Normally, HCG levels should increase daily after conception, sometimes even doubling.
"No pregnancy. False alarm," she said, accepting the reality with cool composure, though feeling a faint chill in her heart.
Gabriel corrected her assessment. "You were pregnant! You just couldn't keep the baby because you didn't take proper care of yourself!"
Arabella didn't want to argue with him, taking the results to find the doctor.
Gabriel followed behind her, clearly dejected.
Dr. Turner examined the results and gave a clear conclusion. "It was a chemical pregnancy. What you thought was your last period wasn't actually menstruation. A chemical pregnancy is actually better for you—it causes minimal physical harm. Just take care of yourself and don't worry too much."
Before Arabella could respond, Gabriel jumped in. "Why did this happen?"
Dr. Turner understood Gabriel's feelings and patiently explained. "A chemical pregnancy occurs when sperm and egg form a fertilized embryo, but it fails to implant in the uterine cavity, or implants briefly before naturally deteriorating due to various factors and can't continue developing. This commonly happens due to chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo, defects in the fertilized egg, or insufficient luteal function in the ovaries. Essentially, it's natural selection—survival of the fittest. If it didn't survive, there was likely an underlying problem, so there's no need for regret."
Gabriel's expression grew more dejected as he looked at Arabella. "It must have been because of that severe cold you had—your body was too weak, and you took all kinds of medication."
Seeing him blame her, Arabella couldn't help defending herself. "I didn't want to get sick! How is that my fault?"
Though she spoke defensively, she secretly felt a small sense of relief.
If not for that severe cold, perhaps this baby would have survived.
It had only been six months since she'd given birth to the twins, and her body hadn't fully recovered yet. Another pregnancy would have been incredibly taxing.
Moreover, if she'd remained pregnant, Gabriel definitely wouldn't have agreed to the divorce.
So while she felt some regret, everything had worked out for the best.
Gabriel could sense her relief and ground his teeth in frustration, though there was nothing he could do about it.
Turning back to the doctor, he still cared about her health. "Is there anything she needs to be careful about in the near future?"
Dr. Turner replied, "If she feels physically fine, she can live normally. This is essentially like having a menstrual period—it's not really a miscarriage. If you hadn't happened to do blood work, you never would have known this occurred."
Learning that there were no negative effects on her health, Gabriel felt somewhat reassured.
Arabella noticed he'd thought to ask about this, glancing at him with slight surprise in her eyes.
But this small gesture of consideration was no longer enough to move her.
When they left the hospital, Arabella's mood was much brighter, while Gabriel's expression remained dark and emotionless.
Walking out of the medical building, Arabella headed straight for the exit. Gabriel snapped back to attention and called out coldly, "Where are you going?"
The woman stopped and turned back. "I'm going back to my place!"
Gabriel approached with a stern expression, his heavy brows raising slightly. "Are you that eager to be rid of me? What did you tell the children when you left this morning?"
Arabella couldn't respond, her eyes dropping with shame.
When leaving that morning, Isabella had clung to her, refusing to let go. She'd coaxed her for a long time, promising that mommy would be back soon to stay with her baby.
Lying to innocent infants was unforgivable.
But despite her overwhelming guilt, she felt helpless. After a brief moment of loss and internal struggle, she still said resolutely, "I'll try to spend as much time with them as possible, but not at your place. And... I'll reapply to the court to schedule the hearing as soon as possible. I hope you won't keep stalling and will end this quickly."
After saying this, she didn't dare look at his face, turning and walking away.
Gabriel stood frozen in place, his burning gaze fixed on her retreating figure, his back molars grinding audibly.
His phone rang, and he took a sharp breath to suppress the anger in his chest before answering.
"Hello..."
"Mr. Sterling, about that woman you asked me to investigate—there's news. She's currently in Luminara and has filed a missing person report with the police. Based on the description of the person she's looking for, she appears to be searching for Mrs. Sterling."