Chapter 186 Bite Him Hard
After accidentally striking Arabella, Gabriel was consumed with panic and regret, desperate to rush forward and check on her, but Manuel kept backing away protectively with her behind him.
"Manuel, our marital affairs are none of your business!" Gabriel's fury reached a boiling point. The humiliation he'd endured in his first thirty years combined couldn't match even a tenth of what he had suffered today!
The world had gone completely insane. The woman he'd once loved deeply and protected with everything—she'd become his most hated enemy, the one who had stabbed him in the back most viciously!
Arabella stood dazed behind Manuel's protection, a persistent ringing echoing in her ears.
Her nose, which Gabriel had accidentally injured before with a minor fracture, had only recently stopped aching. And now today, he'd struck her again.
Perhaps God himself was warning her—she couldn't keep meeting Gabriel, or she would just keep getting hurt.
"Mr. Sterling, you two—" Manuel started to argue back, but Arabella stopped him.
Seeing she was about to speak, everyone present turned their attention to her.
Arabella endured the buzzing chaos in her head, shook it to clear her thoughts and smooth her disheveled hair, then looked at Gabriel with dead eyes. "Whether you actually cheated with her or not, it can't change the fact that I want a divorce. Gabriel, I've been trying for an amicable divorce this whole time. For the children's sake, to maintain at least surface harmony. But you insist on being this stubborn—are you trying to drive me to suicide?"
She wasn't speaking in momentary anger.
During this divorce ordeal, her emotions had been all over the place, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted. Sometimes she truly did have dark thoughts.
She had researched it herself—it might be postpartum hormonal changes combined with marital stress causing psychological issues.
She had tried her best to self-regulate, guiding herself toward positivity and optimism. But whenever she came into contact with him, these negative emotions would take over again.
If this continued, she couldn't guarantee that the delicate thread of balance in her mind wouldn't suddenly snap—
At these words, Gabriel's face went rigid.
He stared intensely at her, his pupils contracting uncontrollably, his hanging hands trembling as they clenched into fists, his entire body radiating intense yet directionless helplessness.
This wasn't what he'd intended.
He had been sincere about reforming, sincere about wanting to live well with her. He missed coming home to find her presence filling the house.
Why couldn't she just give him one chance?
The prolonged silence was broken when the recess ended.
Both parties returned to the courtroom to continue the proceedings.
Gabriel's mood plummeted drastically. He was no longer as aggressive and serious as before, simply staring motionlessly at Arabella across from him, his mind in complete chaos.
Having reached this point, he knew there was no going back, but he remained unwilling to let go, unable to accept it.
Arabella's lawyer made a big deal of his earlier violence, arguing he might have violent tendencies and that continuing the marriage could threaten the plaintiff's personal safety.
The situation was somewhat unfavorable for Gabriel.
However, considering the twins were only six months old and still nursing, the court's first ruling still denied the divorce, hoping both parties would communicate again to find a better solution.
Though Arabella had expected it wouldn't go smoothly, hearing the verdict still left her spirits at rock bottom.
Leaving the courthouse, Arabella walked quickly. Gabriel caught up and grabbed her arm, but before he could speak, she lowered her head and bit down hard on his hand.
This scene shocked Manuel and both lawyers.
Gabriel hadn't expected her to suddenly bite him. When the sharp pain shot through his hand, he instinctively drew a sharp breath, his brow furrowing deeply.
Even so, he didn't resist, letting her bite down hard.
Arabella maintained that bent position, her entire body tensed with effort, her delicate teeth seeming ready to tear off a piece of flesh, firmly and persistently clamped onto the man's hand.
Emily, who had followed them out, rushed over and yanked Arabella away.
"Are you insane? You've injured his hand!" Emily held Gabriel's hand, shouting angrily.
Indeed, there were deep bite marks on his hand—two rows of teeth marks, blue-red and purplish, shocking to behold.
Emily was defending him, but Gabriel didn't appreciate it at all. He directly shook off Emily and extended his hand back toward Arabella, asking calmly, "Do you feel better now? If not, keep biting. I won't blame you even if you bite it off."
If he couldn't keep her, then at least he would have marks she'd left on him.
Gabriel figured he must be mentally ill.
Arabella looked at his outstretched hand and saw the deep, horrifying bite marks, but in her current fury, she felt nothing.
She lifted her gaze to meet his, asking in an ice-cold, alien tone, "What exactly will it take for you to agree to divorce?"
Gabriel didn't answer. His low voice remained equally calm: "Tomorrow's the weekend. If you're free, come home to see the children. Or if you don't want to come back, arrange a time and place with Mary to meet outside."
Arabella's eyelashes flickered as she looked up at him in surprise.
What did this mean?—Suddenly offering to let her see the children?.
Gabriel didn't explain further. He withdrew the hand she'd bitten and gave a faint, bitter smile. "Except for divorce, I'll agree to any request or condition you have. Someday, you'll understand my feelings."
With that, he brushed past her and strode down the courthouse steps.
At the courthouse entrance, Ralph stood by the car. After his boss got in, he blocked Emily from following.
"Gabriel, I need to talk to you!" Emily pleaded desperately with the person in the car.
Gabriel didn't turn around, sitting there with his profile cold and hard as carved ice. "Emily, whatever bond existed between us is completely over. From now on, try not to appear in front of me again. Otherwise—that slap I held back earlier, I might deliver it at any time."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ralph slammed the car door shut and drove away efficiently.
Emily stood on the sidewalk, tears of rage welling in her eyes.
Manuel accompanied Arabella out of the courthouse, noticing Emily was left stranded there, looking rather pitiful.
"Ms. Davis, would you like us to give you a ride?" Manuel offered politely.
Emily quickly turned away to wipe her tears, then turned back still maintaining her prideful princess demeanor. "Who are you people? I don't know you!"
Arabella remained expressionless, saying nothing.
Manuel simply smiled and said gratefully, "Regardless, Ms. Davis, thank you for testifying in court."
"Please. I was only fighting for what I deserve—it has nothing to do with you!" Emily glanced at Arabella with extreme disdain. "You've found yourself a nice new lover. He's completely devoted to you, and he's young and wealthy too. I just feel sorry for the children at home. But don't worry—when I become their stepmother, I'll definitely treat them well."