Chapter 8 That's Nonsense! Gabriel Isn't That Kind of Person!
Having just given birth recently, with all her hormones still out of balance, getting pregnant again would truly be a miracle.
Arabella snorted coldly, her expression half-mocking, "Who knows? Anything's possible."
Seeing him fall silent in apparent shock, Arabella felt inexplicably satisfied and became even more sarcastic, "Don't worry. Even if I do get pregnant again, we're still getting divorced. I won't try to trap you with it."
Gabriel pressed his lips together, his expression utterly speechless.
Arabella grabbed her robe and threw it on, then headed toward the door.
Gabriel watched her retreating figure, lost in thought, when he suddenly called out, "Are you sure you want separate bedrooms?"
Arabella didn't turn around. "Having second thoughts, Mr. Sterling?"
Gabriel laughed with complete disdain, saying coolly, "If the staff finds out we're sleeping separately, word might get back to Grandfather."
Arabella opened the door and, as she slipped out, tossed back, "Then you'd better figure out how to keep them quiet! If you can't handle such a small matter, that would be truly disappointing!"
Gabriel's face turned ashen, once again left speechless.
Going to the guest room and lying down, Arabella let out a long breath, feeling as if years of pent-up grievances had finally been released, leaving her feeling lighter from head to toe.
Since they were getting divorced anyway, what was there to worry about? Might as well tear off the mask completely and stop caring what anyone thought!
Originally, she'd wanted to mention her credit card spending from today, but he'd been so infuriating that she'd nearly lost her mind with anger and almost wanted to hit him.
Forget it—a few hundred dollars was pocket change to him anyway. She couldn't be bothered to explain.
As drowsiness overtook her, she yawned and quickly drifted off to sleep.
But in the master bedroom just one wall away, Gabriel, who'd been thoroughly dressed down by her, had the entire king-size bed to himself yet couldn't find any sleep.
Gabriel stared at the ceiling in the darkness, Arabella's voice echoing in his ears over and over, gradually forcing him into self-reflection.
Had he really wronged her?
Rolling over, he forced himself to close his eyes and stop thinking about it.
But the more he tried to suppress these thoughts, the more his mind seemed determined to analyze everything.
He really couldn't be blamed for doubting Arabella's character.
In their two years of marriage, whenever she encountered William, Gabriel invariably found himself on the receiving end of William's lectures.
William would scold him for being ungrateful, for not following William's arrangements, for not knowing how to cherish a good woman, for surely regretting his attitude someday.
William even knew about their plans to divorce eventually.
If she hadn't been stirring up trouble behind his back, how would William know about their private affairs? How would Gabriel end up getting chewed out every few days?
The reason she was pulling these tricks behind the scenes was clearly to use William's authority to pressure him into investing more in their marriage.
Arabella wanted to turn their fake marriage real and become his wife permanently.
After all, such illustrious family status and inexhaustible wealth were honors that most people wouldn't dare dream of achieving in several lifetimes.
Especially given her previous poverty, tragic background, and complete lack of family support.
Someone like that, once they grabbed hold of a chance to change their fate, would never let go.
After mentally convincing himself with this reasoning, the turmoil in Gabriel's heart gradually subsided.
Yes, that was it. That was exactly the kind of person she was.
With William's illness, the entire Sterling family was on edge.
People came to visit and keep William company in an endless stream.
Gabriel had a reserved personality and wasn't particularly close with his parents, but he was very close with his grandparents.
However, his grandmother had passed away relatively early, and he hadn't been able to show her much filial devotion, which remained a constant regret in his heart.
So he was especially attentive to William.
This was also why, two years ago, when William was diagnosed with cancer and expressed his wish to see Gabriel settle down and ensure his war buddy's granddaughter found a good home, Gabriel had been willing to marry Arabella.
No matter how busy work got, he made time to visit the hospital daily, checking on William's condition, chatting with him, and coaxing him to eat more.
What should have been a perfectly good thing appeared suspicious to other Sterling family members.
Arabella was carrying a thermos of nutritious soup as she approached the hospital room, about to push the door open, when she suddenly heard whispering from around the corner of the hallway, mentioning Gabriel's name.
"William is just playing favorites. Never mind the granddaughters—they'll marry out anyway, so providing generous wedding gifts is enough. But there are three grandsons! Instead of trying to be fair, he specifically chose the youngest, Gabriel, to take over the company. What gives him that right?"
"Exactly! Your Chase went into politics and has a smooth career path ahead—it makes sense he's not interested in business. But my Ryan is also two years older than Gabriel; it shouldn't be Gabriel's turn!"
"Who told your Ryan not to know how to please William? Look at Gabriel—usually cold and quiet, barely says a word, but he sure knows how to perform in front of William! I heard yesterday William refused to eat, and Gabriel fed him spoonful by spoonful. Going that far, who wouldn't call him devoted!"
"My Ryan is devoted to William, too!"
"Then how many times has Ryan visited since William was hospitalized? Look at Gabriel—he shows up every single day!"
"And another thing! When William wanted to pick one of his unmarried grandsons to marry Arabella, didn't Ryan disappear on a business trip abroad for months? Look how smart Gabriel was—he read William's intentions perfectly and was even willing to give up Emily, whom he'd loved for years, to marry some nobody like Arabella from humble origins. No wonder Arabella is the favored one now. When someone can be that ruthless with himself, what can't he accomplish?"
Arabella hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but since the conversation revolved entirely around her and her husband, she found herself unable to walk away.
Those two voices belonged to Gabriel's relatives, both women with sons and daughters of their own.
Chase was the Sterling family's eldest son and grandson.
By rights, he should indeed inherit Sterling Group and become the new CEO.
But Chase had no interest in running a business. After graduating with his master's degree, he'd entered government service and now held a position in the state government with unlimited potential for advancement.
Ryan should have had more claim to the company inheritance than Gabriel, but Ryan had an unrestrained personality and loved freedom. He held the title of Vice President at the company, handling some less important business, but whenever he had free time, he'd go traveling around the world.
Arabella had heard people chatting at family gatherings about how Ryan was passionate about skiing, diving, watching animal migrations on the plains, exploring glaciers, conquering the world's highest peaks, and had even once sailed solo across the ocean in a single-handed yacht for over a month. In short, he had extremely rich and exciting life experiences!
Rather than William favoring Gabriel, it was more accurate to say Gabriel had been forced into this position by circumstances, single-handedly shouldering everything so that Chase and Ryan could follow their hearts and choose the lives they wanted.
But the elders showed no gratitude whatsoever, instead painting him in such an unflattering light, convinced he had ulterior motives.
The more Arabella listened, the angrier she became.
Though she and Gabriel weren't a normal married couple, her innate sense of justice made her want to defend Gabriel.
However, just as she was about to step out, Ryan's mother spoke again, "I heard William wants to revise his will. Gabriel's constant displays of devotion these past few days must be related to that."
Chase's mother gasped in shock, "What do you mean? Are you saying he wants to claim even more of the inheritance? That's incredibly ambitious! Having him inherit the company isn't enough?"
"Oh, come on, who would complain about having too much money? Besides, Gabriel now has a son and a daughter—two children. By headcount alone, he can demand more! Who told your Chase to have only one child, and Ryan! Every time I bring up marriage, he disappears on me. It's infuriating!"
Chase's mother had a revelation, "Now that you put it that way, it's true! Gabriel looks so honest on the surface, but inside his heart..."
"You're talking nonsense! Gabriel isn't that kind of person!" Arabella couldn't stand listening any longer and suddenly emerged from around the corner, loudly refuting them.