Chapter 45 Leave Early So She Can Find Someone New While She's Still Young
"She went home," James answered casually.
"Home? Then who's going to take care of me tonight?" Gabriel demanded indignantly.
James's expression darkened. "She still has to take care of Henny and Isabella. How could she stay here to look after you?"
Gabriel fell silent.
Seeing James's attitude—clearly defending Arabella in his words—Joanna looked suspicious and lowered her voice, "What did you say to her? Don't you dare coddle her! She doesn't know her place!"
"If she doesn't know her place, how much better can Gabriel be?" James rarely interfered in Gabriel's romantic affairs, but now that they'd reached the point of divorce, he, as a father, had no choice but to speak up.
Chastised by James, Joanna's arrogant demeanor deflated as she grumbled, "What's wrong with Gabriel... We've given her the best of everything, and he's never done anything to hurt her. She's just ungrateful, constantly threatening divorce. Who is she trying to scare?"
Looking at his biased wife, James's anger flared, "With an elder like you around, it'd be hard for her not to want a divorce! Your son may not have physically cheated, but don't you know who he's thinking about every day?"
Joanna fell silent.
Gabriel lay in the hospital bed, his face sullen and expression cold, also saying nothing.
James looked at Gabriel, composed himself, and instructed, "Since you two really can't make it work, there's no point forcing it. Now that your grandfather has passed away, you don't need to compromise anymore. Find time to finalize the divorce proceedings with her. Let Arabella find someone new while she's still young—don't keep dragging this out and ruin her life."
Gabriel never expected his father, who usually stayed out of his affairs, to suddenly give him such a direct order.
He glanced at his father and refused without hesitation, "We're not getting divorced."
"Then what are you planning to do! Haven't these recent scandals been embarrassing enough?" James suddenly raised his voice.
Joanna jumped, quickly turning to gently stroke James's chest, complaining, "Don't get worked up! Don't you know your heart can't handle it? Our son is sick and hospitalized—you can't collapse too, or I'll really lose my mind!"
James was angry and ended up taking it out on Joanna, "It's all because you spoiled him! Look at his current state—he doesn't even have basic principles anymore!"
Gabriel was suffering from stomach pain and hadn't eaten, so he had no strength left. Plus, with his father's poor health, he couldn't fight back directly. Finally, he simply closed his eyes and ignored everything.
Joanna looked back and forth between them, sighing helplessly, her face filled with helpless sorrow.
————
Gabriel spent the night in the hospital room, barely sleeping, making his mood even worse the next day.
Though the previous scandals had been overshadowed by explosive entertainment industry news and the heat had died down, there was still considerable attention.
News of his hospitalization had somehow leaked, leading media outlets to swarm the hospital.
Fortunately, he was in a private room with stricter security, preventing those unscrupulous reporters from barging into his room.
Arabella had originally planned to visit him early at the hospital, but hearing that media reporters were staking out the area, she was afraid of being recognized and delayed leaving home.
But Emily didn't think that way.
Learning that Gabriel was sick and hospitalized, she was worried and anxious, immediately rushing over from the Davis Villa.
Seeing the media reporters, she cleverly switched coats with the housekeeper beside her and, carrying an insulated food container, successfully made it through the lobby in a crowd of family members and took the elevator up.
In the hospital room, assistant Ralph was reporting work to Gabriel, but Gabriel wasn't in the mood to listen.
Waiting and waiting for a certain someone who never came, his temper was reaching the breaking point again.
Suddenly, the hospital room door was pushed open. He looked up hopefully, thinking Arabella had finally arrived—but when he focused, it was Emily instead!
Disappointment immediately filled his heart, along with an inexplicably resistant feeling!
Resistance? Realizing this emotion, he was shocked again.
When had seeing Emily stopped bringing him joy and affection, replacing it with this subtle resistance and rejection?
"Gabriel..." Emily entered carrying the insulated container, calling out with heartbreak in her voice upon seeing Gabriel.
Gabriel snapped back to reality, looking at the oversized, worn coat she was wearing with a strange expression, "Whose clothes are you wearing?"
Emily looked down at herself, walked to the bedside to set down the container, then immediately took off the coat.
"These are my housekeeper's clothes. I saw reporters downstairs and was afraid of being recognized, so I changed clothes."
Gabriel said nothing.
"How... how are you? I heard you fainted and lost consciousness yesterday and had to be brought to the hospital by ambulance. Such a serious incident, and you didn't even tell us. I only found out from online news." Emily looked him over, not only showing heartbreak on her face but speaking with the kind of pity that wished she could suffer in his place.
But Gabriel's response was indifferent, "It's nothing, just stomach pain. An old problem."
"Knowing it's an old problem means you should be even more careful! It's been getting colder these past few days, with sudden temperature changes, and you've been so busy lately—you definitely haven't been taking care of yourself."
In the past, Gabriel would have appreciated Emily saying such things.
But now hearing it, he felt nothing—if anything, it seemed a bit nagging.
Ralph stood nearby, seeing that Gabriel now had absolutely no mind for work, and started packing up the documents.
Gabriel noticed and instructed, "These non-urgent matters don't need to come to the hospital. Wait until I'm discharged in a few days and handle them back at the office."
"Understood."
"Also, have..." He frowned, about to give another instruction, but stopped mid-sentence.
Ralph picked up his briefcase, seeing his boss hesitate, and respectfully asked, "Mr. Sterling, do you have any other instructions?"
Gabriel's frown deepened, "Never mind, it's nothing."
When Ralph reached the door, he suddenly said coldly, "Send Evelyn next time."
Ralph was confused, awkwardly opening the door and leaving.
In the hallway, he thought hard but couldn't figure out how he'd offended Gabriel, feeling wronged as he called Evelyn.
Evelyn asked detailed questions about the whole situation, then laughed, understanding, "Mr. Sterling is annoyed that you can't read his mind."
Ralph humbly asked, "What mind? He likes Ms. Davis, so I immediately left to give them private space—isn't that right?"
Evelyn groaned in frustration, scolding, "Ralph, thank God you don't have a girlfriend, or you'd just be wasting some poor girl's time!"
Ralph felt wronged again—was he really that hopeless?
Evelyn instructed, "Call Parkside Estate right now and have them urge Mrs. Sterling to come to the hospital immediately. I don't know what to do with you! If Mr. Sterling weren't sick and weak, you'd definitely get scolded to tears!"
Listening to Evelyn's arrangement, Ralph finally began to understand, "You mean... Mr. Sterling wants to see Mrs. Sterling but is too proud to ask directly, so he wants me to pass the message."
"Well, you're not completely beyond hope!"
Ralph remained silent.
In the hospital room, after Ralph left, Emily felt much more at ease.
"Gabriel, I feel like you've been particularly cold and distant toward me lately. I know you're being cautious because of those online incidents, but after all these years of friendship, are you really going to let it be destroyed by those baseless rumors?"
Emily looked pitiful, and before she'd even finished speaking, her eyes were already beginning to redden.