23
E mily pulled her car into the circular driveway and cursed under her breath, “Damn it,” when she saw that Gabriel had beaten her home. She parked her Mercedes next to his Lexus and walked inside, steeling herself for the inevitable interrogation that was about to come.
As she placed her purse on the side table, and closed the door, Ava ran to greet her. Wrapping her arms around her mother’s legs, Ava exclaimed, “Mommy, you’re home.”
Emily hugged her daughter tightly and asked, “What are you doing up? It’s late, sweetie. You should be in bed.”
“I wanted to see you,” Ava replied.
Just then, Gabriel strolled into the foyer with a stern look on his face. “Where have you been?” he demanded.
Emily glared at him, and curtly replied, “Out.”
Ignoring his indignation, Emily gently scooped Ava into her arms and said, “Come on, sweetie. Mommy will read you a story and tuck you in.”
Gabriel wasn’t about to let it go. He followed closely behind, frustration evident in his voice. “What kind of answer is that?” he demanded.
Ignoring him, Emily walked into Ava’s room and led her to the bookcase. “What will it be tonight?” she asked softly.
Ava eagerly reached for a book off the shelf and handed it to her mother.
Emily glanced at the book cover. “The Little Mermaid, again?” she asked with a smile.
Ava nodded enthusiastically.
“All right,” Emily said, carrying Ava over to her bed.
She placed Ava in her bed and as she settled in beside her, she noticed Gabriel standing in the doorway, arms crossed and a grim expression on his face. Meeting his gaze, Emily silently mouthed, “Not in front of Ava,” then started reading the book aloud.
Gabriel shook his head, then stormed off.
When Emily finished reading the book, she glanced down at her daughter, now peacefully asleep. Gently closing the book, she leaned over to kiss Ava on the forehead. “Goodnight, baby. Sweet dreams,” she whispered, carefully climbing out of the bed.
She placed the book on the nightstand, turned off the light, and made her way out of the room. As she quietly closed the door, her stomach rumbled – a stark reminder that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Despite her reluctance to face Gabriel downstairs, her hunger ultimately outweighed her apprehension.
Descending the back stairs, she found Gabriel sitting at the kitchen table with a half-full bottle of whiskey and an empty glass in front of him. He poured himself another drink and, without looking up, asked, “Are you going to tell me where you’ve been?”
Emily opened the refrigerator door, her eyes scanning for something to eat. “I went to see Roman,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. After discovering his infidelity, she saw no reason to hide the truth from him.
“And why would you do that?” he slurred, his words thick with alcohol.
Emily found a pot roast in the fridge, took it out, and set it on the counter. “I went to update him about the case,” she said calmly.
Gabriel slammed his fist on the table, causing Emily to flinch in surprise. “What? Are you crazy? He raped you,” he exclaimed.
“He didn’t. No one did. He kept guard outside my door all night.” She placed some pot roast, carrots, and potatoes on a plate, then opened a drawer to retrieve a roll of plastic wrap. She covered the plate and put it into the microwave.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“I’m telling you now,” Emily replied as she busied herself around the kitchen, avoiding his gaze. She returned the covered dish to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. Walking over to the table, she placed it down with deliberate calmness.
“Emily?” he said.
“What?”
“Look at me,” Gabriel pleaded.
She finally looked at him, “What?”
“Are you sleeping with him?” he asked, his eyes filled with desperation.
She shook her head and muttered, “You have some nerve.”
Just then, the microwave dinged, indicating her food was ready. Ignoring him, she walked over to retrieve it and carried the dish back to the table. His eyes followed her every move. Placing the food in front of her, she took a seat.
Gabriel downed his whiskey in one gulp, then slammed his glass onto the table. “How many times do I have to tell you? Those weren’t my charges. I’m not having…”
Emily raised a hand to cut him off. “Stop! I’ve had enough of your lies,” she said firmly. She stabbed her fork into a piece of meat, bringing it to her mouth, and deliberately chewed it slowly as she glared at him.
“So, you think that gives you a free pass to cheat on me? Are you seriously going to throw away six years of marriage?”
“Don’t you dare try to blame this on me!” she shot back, her voice filled with anger. “You did this! You threw away our marriage and squandered our entire life’s savings. All because you couldn’t keep it in your pants. I hope you’re happy now. I hope the two of you are very happy together.”
Gabriel stood up and approached Emily, guilt etched across his face. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, “It’s over. She meant nothing to me. It’s you I love.”
Emily rolled her eyes and pushed him away. “Oh, please. If that isn’t the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard. It’s not just the affair, Gabriel. What about your sexual misconduct? You need help.”
“I know,” he dropped his head in shame. “I’ll get help,” he pleaded, reaching for her. “Just don’t leave me. I love you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Emily shrugged off his hands. “Don’t touch me,” she snapped.
Enraged, Gabriel took a step back. “Don’t even think about divorcing me. If you do, I’ll fight you for full custody. I won it before, and I can do it again.”
Emily set her fork down on her half-eaten plate and glared at him. “I’m not Olivia. I’m a good mother, Gabriel. No court would ever take Ava away from me. But if you want to try, go right ahead. I dare you,” she said through gritted teeth.
She stood up, carried her plate to the counter, and then stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Gabriel fuming behind her. Once she reached her bedroom, she closed the door, leaned against it, and exhaled loudly. Her composure shattered. She broke down in tears; her whole body trembled.
After giving herself a moment to fall apart, Emily wiped the tears from her cheeks and pulled herself together. She changed into her pajamas and then searched for her phone. She needed to speak to Roman, to hear his voice. Remembering that her phone was still in her purse, she headed downstairs to retrieve it.
She froze in her tracks when she reached the bottom of the stairs. “What are you doing?” she yelled, spotting Hunter rummaging through her purse.
Caught off guard, Hunter dropped the ring of keys he was holding. “Nothing,” he said hastily, quickly picking them up and stuffing them back into her purse.
“Were you going to steal my car?” Emily asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
“No,” Hunter muttered, jogging up the stairs to avoid further confrontation.
Emily stormed into the kitchen; her patience was worn thin. Finding Gabriel, she declared, “You need to punish Hunter.”
“Give it a rest, Em.”
“Don’t you even want to know what he did?” Emily pressed.
Shaking his head, Gabriel replied, “Not really,” and took a swig of whiskey straight from the bottle.
“I just caught him trying to steal my car keys. He doesn’t even have a license, Gabriel. What if he had an accident?”
Appearing unfazed, Gabriel said, “I’ll talk to him tomorrow. I’m going to bed,” He stood up, swayed, and nearly fell.
Emily instinctively reached out to steady him. “You’re pathetic,” she muttered under her breath, seething at his lack of parental control.
Gabriel heard her and, in a sudden fit of rage, slapped her across the face. “Don’t you ever say that to me again,” he hissed.
Emily’s mouth dropped open in shock. She put a hand to her stinging cheek, tears welling up in her eyes.
Gabriel left the room without a trace of remorse.
After he was gone, a stunned Emily returned to the foyer, grabbed her purse, and headed to Ava’s room. Locking the door behind her, she climbed into bed with her daughter, seeking solace in her child’s presence.