Chapter 33 Scandal Exposed
Arabella was somewhat surprised.
In the past, whenever Gabriel was with Emily, no matter what they did or whether others were present, he never mentioned a word about it when he came home.
But now, he was voluntarily confessing these things.
"Mr. Kingsley is the same age as you, and he's not young anymore. He still doesn't want children?" Arabella asked curiously.
"Well..." Gabriel nodded with a low sigh. "It's probably because Kingsley Group still requires a tremendous amount of energy investment right now. He's stretched thin and probably wants to wait a couple more years."
"That's what he thinks, but neither set of parents would agree, right? Besides, abortion is quite harmful to the body. Ms. Davis doesn't need to suffer through that."
Arabella wasn't sympathizing with Emily specifically; she was simply speaking from one woman's perspective about another's situation.
From this angle, Emily's life wasn't as glamorous and enviable as it appeared.
She couldn't even fulfill her desire to have a child.
"That's their business. Let them deal with the headaches of deciding what to do." Gabriel slowly responded, his gaze fixed on Isabella's chubby little face, his eyes unmoving.
Arabella felt somewhat awkward.
She couldn't tell whether he was looking at the baby or at her.
Although she was wearing a nursing top with a well-designed zip front that wouldn't expose too much, if he was staring, he could still see something.
Their relationship lately had been strange—they couldn't call it loving, but it wasn't exactly a cold war either, with occasional moments of ambiguous intimacy.
This made her feel that covering up would seem affected, while not covering up seemed too casual.
Her face flushed as she racked her brain for something to say, "Could you get me a pillow? Isabella's getting heavier, and my arm gets sore holding her for too long."
As soon as she spoke, Gabriel suddenly blinked and quickly withdrew his hand, grabbed the pillow behind him, and handing it to her.
Watching Arabella place the pillow under Isabella to relieve the strain on her arms, he cleared his throat awkwardly, "You've raised both children very well. You're a good mother."
What? Arabella was shocked, looking at him with puzzled eyes. What was behind this sudden compliment?
Originally, he had been firmly opposed to having the children, and even after the two kids had been born for so long, he hadn't shown any excitement or joy.
Why was he suddenly saying this today?
Gabriel knew her mind was full of questions, but male pride prevented him from expressing his complex emotions. He could only stand up and say, "Come eat dinner after you finish nursing. Everyone's waiting."
Arabella watched his somewhat hasty retreat, feeling even more confused.
Could it be that Emily's pregnancy had affected him somehow?
A servant came knocking, reminding them that the dinner had begun.
Arabella didn't have time to think more. Seeing that Isabella had almost finished eating, she quickly tidied herself up and went out with Gabriel.
When the couple appeared together, everyone outside couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.
Lydia's expression was odd as she muttered, "Arabella really knows how to endure. Even after Gabriel did all that, she could still keep her composure."
Someone nearby whispered, "Money! It's all about money! If it were me, I could endure it too."
Just as Gabriel and Arabella sat down, Joanna approached with a grim expression and touched his arm.
Gabriel looked back, met Joanna's gaze, understood immediately, and got up to follow her.
The mother and son walked to a quiet side room, where Joanna lowered her voice, "Let me ask you something! Emily's baby—it's not yours, is it?"
Gabriel's handsome face nearly lost its composure upon hearing this!
"Of course not! Where did this rumor come from?" He had never imagined being misunderstood in such a way!
Joanna was still suspicious, "Really not?"
"I'd have to be completely insane to do something like that!" Gabriel declared righteously, his chest full of anger.
If he could catch whoever was spreading rumors, he'd make sure they regretted ever opening their mouth!
Although he had loved Emily for many years, he had never crossed any lines.
Besides, Emily loved Dominic – how could she possibly get involved with him?
Moreover, he wasn't someone without moral boundaries. Even during these past two years when he and Arabella lacked marital affection, he had never cheated.
Seeing Gabriel's reaction, Joanna breathed a sigh of relief but frowned in confusion, "That's strange then... If the baby is Dominic's, why won't he keep it?"
"What do you mean?" Gabriel didn't understand.
Joanna explained, "I told Emily's mother about this, and she was thrilled too. But not long after, she told me that Dominic refused to keep the baby. She said Dominic and Emily had a huge fight, even to the point of discussing divorce. She's on her way to the hospital now to take Emily home to look after her."
Gabriel frowned, feeling uneasy.
He hadn't expected Dominic to be so resistant to having children. Emily must be heartbroken.
Understanding his mother's implication, he felt speechless, "So you thought the baby was mine, which is why Dominic wouldn't keep it?"
Joanna gave him a look and muttered, "Who told you two to be so close?"
Gabriel couldn't respond, never having imagined that his own mother would be the source of the rumors.
Too lazy to engage further, he simply stepped past her and walked out of the side room.
Neither of them noticed that behind the door leading to the back garden, one of Gabriel's relatives had been about to enter, heard the conversation, and was now hiding behind the door.
After that night, the rumors gradually began to spread.
To make matters worse, the next morning, while Arabella was still sleeping, her phone chimed several times, waking her from her dreams.
She reached for her phone and saw messages from a friend.
[Arabella, this is your husband, right?]
[Wasn't yesterday Mr. William Sterling's memorial service? Why would your husband be accompanying someone else at the hospital?]
[These tabloid stories are so awful, saying your husband is with a married woman, that they're deeply in love.]
[They're even saying your marriage was an arrangement by your elders, and now that the elder is gone, your husband doesn't even bother pretending anymore!]
Before Arabella could click on the links, she read through all her friend's messages first.
Her foggy brain suddenly became crystal clear!
Clicking on the link, she found paparazzi photos from an entertainment magazine: Gabriel carrying Emily into the emergency room, the two of them gazing silently at each other by the hospital bed, and Gabriel helping Emily up into a wheelchair.
She felt overwhelmed, unsure what to think for a moment.
After hesitating for quite a while, she struggled to organize her words and replied: [The reporters are spreading lies. Emily fainted yesterday, and Gabriel took her to the hospital. When he came home, he told me all about it.]
After this reply, Sophia called directly.
"Arabella, are you okay? Your husband really told you everything? He didn't do anything to betray you?"
Arabella sighed inwardly and said quietly, "Yes, he told me everything. He and Emily are childhood friends with years of history. It's normal for them to look out for each other occasionally."