ESTELLE
“Where have you been?”
Linden just came home. His shoulders slumped. He looked like he just lost everything and still carried the entire world over his shoulder.
We were supposed to have dinner, but he was late. Now, it was almost midnight, and he didn’t seem to care.
He just passed by and ignored me. He went to the fridge, took bottled water, and drank it almost empty.
“Baby, I know you’re still mad, and you didn’t like my decision, but you can’t—”
“What do you know about mad and decisions?” he asked in a cold-blooded tone.
Okay. He was beyond mad. “What do you want me to do? File a complaint against my father and humiliate him? Would that satisfy you?”
“Family, right?” He snorted. “I watched you worry for days because of the damages he caused. I was with you the entire time because I was afraid you might miss a meal and not sleep well while pregnant, for God’s sake. Now that we know who the culprit is, you only want to cut the tail and not the head of the snake.”
“Would you ever do that to your family? You went to God’s forsaken place to save Jasper and came back beaten with broken bones, and you almost died. You did that because Jasper is family.”
He hadn’t faced me yet. “And he did not ruin my life. He did not destroy something important to me. You can’t just face the fact that your father acted out of revenge because you chose me.”
“Gabriel, listen to me.” I went close to him and forced him to face me. I could feel the alcohol in his breath. He had been drinking, and I hadn’t seen him do this to himself.
“No, you listen to me, woman.” He looked down at me with his gaze filled with pain and misery. He held me in my arms, gripping me tight. “You haven’t realized what he’s doing to us because you haven’t seen the effect on our marriage and because I’m still fucking patience.”
“Oh, I’ve already felt it. We’re in this situation because you let his words affect you and get into your head.”
“He insulted me. He said that I envied my friends because they are successful and happy, and that’s why I married you to be like them.”
“You talked to my father?” I was already glaring at him. He didn’t listen to me. “What did I just say to you at Osmium? I specifically told you to stay put, to stay away from him. I told you not to talk to my father nor confront him, Gabriel. Of course, he would say something to hurt you because he has the sharpest tongue. For once, when are you going to consider my opinion?”
“When did I not consider your opinion? When did I not listen to you?”
“You always said to do this, do that, don’t, stop. I’m tired, Gabriel. I want to be heard, too. I want to contribute to this marriage, especially now that my father stood between us. I know him more than you do. If you just leave him alone—”
“This is not the first time he insulted me, is he?” His nose flared. More hurt infused in his eyes.
I drew a deep breath and nodded. “Yup. But I’m strong-headed and stubborn. I wouldn’t listen if I knew I wasn’t doing something to hurt anyone. My father is a manipulative dick, but I’m still his daughter.”
“Maybe you should pick a side then.” He simply shrugged as he let his hands drop.
“Are you serious right now?” I started to get pissed at him. “I can’t believe you are asking me this. I just told you I wouldn’t choose a side. You both are my family.”
He just shrugged again. I felt like my father said more than what Linden let on.
“What did he exactly say?” I pressed.
“I’m tired.” He left the kitchen and didn’t even answer my question.
I followed him to our bedroom. He just stripped off his clothes and went to bed. Something was truly bothering him, and it was beyond the issue with me and my father, and I didn’t know how to crack him up. I was utterly useless.
I sat at the edge of the bed and traced my fingers through his hair. “Please tell me, baby. What’s going on?”
“Sleep, Estelle. It’s late.”
“No. Old people say they don’t let the sun go down without talking the issue out. Please talk to me?”
“For fuck’s sake.” He growled as he quickly sat on the bed, startling me. His face was stern. His eyes narrowed.
My stomach twisted.
“I fucking hate your father. Now that I tell you. Will you let me sleep? I’m fucking tired. I’ve been up all day, working, but it all went down to waste.” A muscle ticked in the corner of his jaw. I could tell he was beyond furious, and I had no clue when to start and how to fix everything that had been done.
I swallowed. Something just snapped inside him. The man before me was not the man I met months ago, not the man I fell in love with, married, and the father of my baby. The Linden before me was a stranger, a dangerous, vicious stranger.
“Will you calm down? You’re scaring me.” I lowered my voice and tried to reach out, but he scared me. I had completely misjudged him and the situation we had on.
He dragged himself out of bed, putting his clothes back.
“Gabriel.” I covered my abdomen when he moved like a predator in my direction. At least I could protect my baby from whatever he was about to do.
He leaned down, meeting me eye to eye, and I leaned back. His eyes were red as if he was too drunk or he’d been crying— anger and violence brewed in there, and his blood was positively boiling.
“Gabriel, please, you’re scaring me.” My voice shook, but he never showed emotion other than fury.
“You know what?” he sneered at me. “I’m done. I’m done fighting. I’m done protecting you from motherfuckers like your father, the asshole Weston, and the greedy Tyrion. I’m done fighting for this marriage, which I know would end badly anyway. I’m done with you. I’m tired of you whining, protecting your sick father, complaining after everything I did for you. You can have the baby.”
What just happened? I froze in my seat, and my eyes widened. I couldn’t move as everything around me had dropped zero degrees, slowly turning to ice. Each breath I took turned frigid, fiercely impaling my lungs, and I was afraid to breathe or swallow.
I stared at him through blurry vision because my emotions had already came my way, and he just broke my heart.
I didn’t know it hurt so much when someone you loved hurt you emotionally and mentally. Maybe it was better if he broke me or slapped me. At least I knew what to do with the pain, but what he did to me was unbearable, excruciating, and extremely agonizing.
When he walked away, I felt my body shake, not anymore in fear, but I cried in silence. Alone.
As he reached the door, he paused. “Consider this a divorce notice. And I want you gone when I come back.” Without remorse, he slammed the door behind him, leaving me confused, alone, and hurting in the dark.
I balled myself in bed. I cried out, but no voice came, and it didn’t numb the pain even a tiny bit. I didn’t know who to call for help. It seemed that I was left alone in misery.
What had just happened seemed unreal. It was not Gabriel Linden. It was not my Gabriel. My Gabriel was not capable of hurting me. What happened was because my father got into him, I was sure of that, but what was it? I didn’t have any idea.
I felt someone nudging me.
“Gabriel?”