Gabriella shook her head and shoved her husband’s chest. “You always call me troublesome. Now, it’s time for you to let me go. You won’t have any more burden if I go.”
“What exactly did the mastermind say, hm? Why do you change your mind like this? We have agreed to find a solution.”
The woman’s brows furrowed deeper.
“I guess, the mastermind is right. If you stay with me, I will suffer more, especially if you lose your position and people’s trust. You will not only vent your lust, but also anger on me. I don’t want to endure that all.”
The man’s chest suddenly squeezed greater disappointment. “I can’t possibly do that to you,” he explained with waning hope.
“I don’t dare to take that risk,” Gabriella said, looking down. She didn’t want the tears to be seen by her husband. “Can you divorce me as soon as possible?”
A breath of disbelief spontaneously escaped from the man’s mouth. Looking up, holding back his annoyance, Max tried to keep his common sense.
“You don’t think clearly,” he shook his head in a low voice.
“No! I’ve thought about it many times. Divorce is the best answer.”
Suddenly, Max’s hand raised to hold back his wife’s words. He couldn’t bear to talk about separation.
“Can we continue this debate tomorrow? I don’t want to make a reckless decision,” the man pleaded before looking back at his wife. His eyes were so gloomy. Gabriella didn’t dare to add pressure.
Although she hesitated for a while, the woman finally nodded. While squeezing the phone in her hand, she swallowed hard. “Let me use the bathroom first.”
Without wasting time, Gabriella left. Something stuck in her heart couldn’t be revealed.
Just as the door closed, the woman leaned back and began to express her anxiety. Once again, she read the message from the mastermind on the phone screen.
“Stay by Mr. CEO’s side! I want to see him fall deeper. If you try to run away, don’t blame me if your suffering is doubled. I’m not kidding when I said my intention to have you and make you my queen every night.”
Gabriella closed her eyes and squeezed her throbbing heart. As she exhaled silently, she reassured herself.
“Don’t be selfish, Gaby. This love really can’t be forced. It just brings disaster to Max.”
A second later, she sighed with tears. “Think that Amber’s words are true. That man only wants my body and right now, he is just afraid of losing his doll. I have to make him realize that his position is far more important than lust.”
After taking a deep breath, the woman nodded, implanting suggestions. “That man doesn’t love me. So, it’s fine if I leave him. I will definitely meet a better man.”
***
Gabriella looked pensively at the pictures of herself taken by Max. Of the many pictures, none of them showed the man’s face. Realizing that, the woman sighed as she looked out the window.
“It seems, Max and I weren’t meant to be together,” the woman mumbled before taking a deep breath. “What should I do to solve this problem? Should I just run away?”
Suddenly, Gabriella’s eyes fell on the black car that had just entered into the yard. Her back suddenly straightened.
“Who is that?” the woman thought as she waited for the car door to open.
After a few moments, Gabriella’s breath came fast. With high arched eyebrows, the woman witnessed the presence of her father-in-law.
“Why did Mr. Herbert come here?” Gabriella sighed with her eyes shaking uncontrollably. After a blink, she covered her mouth with one hand. “Could it be … he came to fire Max?”
Without wasting any time, the woman headed for the bedroom door. Cautiously, she made a narrow slit for snooping.
As expected, no less than two minutes, her father-in-laws appeared from the stairs. In a flash, Gabriella closed the door and leaned against it. With one hand clenched in front of her chest, she sharpened her hearing.
“Mister, your father wants to meet you.” Minnie’s voice sounded faint. After a while, the atmosphere turned quiet.
A moment later, Gabriella finally came out and approached her husband’s workroom. While biting her lip, she put her ear to the door.
“Because of you, Julian’s engagement turned into an impromptu meeting,” Herbert said in a relaxed tone.
“There’s no need for further ado, Dad. What is your purpose here?” Max asked coldly.
“Delivering the results of the impromptu meeting.”
Again, the atmosphere was filled with silence, making Gabriella able to hear her own heartbeat.
After a while, Max’s voice came back. “What’s the decision?”
“Didn’t you already guess it?”
“Please don’t beat around the bush. Just tell me what was the result?”
“You’re being asked to step down, unless you can get that woman out of Quebracha … and your life as well.”
The sound of the table slamming suddenly startled the woman. Gabriella spontaneously held her breath and covered her mouth with both hands.
“How could you believe in slander? I know my wife very well. It’s impossible for such an innocent woman to hold a grudge to destroy Quebracha. All of this is just Julian’s trick. Gabriella has absolutely nothing to do with the problems at the company.”
“Tsk, you’ve been blinded by love,” Herbert said. A second later, the sound of chair legs rubbing against the floor filled the pause.
“I’m sure you understand that an irrational person can’t lead a company. Therefore, kick that woman or leave Quebracha. You only have three days to make your choice.”
Realizing that the conversation was about to end, Gabriella rushed back to the bedroom. Only then, with furrowed brows and ragged breaths, the woman digested the information she had stolen.
“As it turned out, my guess was right. Mister Herbert came to fire Max.”
Tears immediately gathered in the eyes of the woman. A heavy burden had weighed on her heart. “What should I do now? I can’t let other people suffer because of me.”
Clutching her head, Gabriella slumped to the floor. After a moment of contemplation, the woman finally sighed in resignation.
“This can’t go on,” she muttered, shaking her head weakly. “The mastermind will be happy if Max is down. That can’t happen.”
With tightly clenched fists, Gabriella stood up and dried her face. While nodding, she braced herself.
“I have to be tough,” she sighed before opening the door and maintaining a cold expression. A second later, the woman drove into her husband’s workroom.
Just as Gabriella was about to knock, the door suddenly opened. Max appeared with frowns on his brows. However, as soon as the man looked at his wife who was holding her breath, the wrinkles on his face spontaneously unraveled.
“What’s wrong, Gaby?”
The woman’s lips trembled even faster. “Let’s get a divorce.”
Max instantly froze. He didn’t want to believe what his ears caught. However, the seriousness on his wife’s face could not be ignored. Moreover, tears started to well up in her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“I want us to get a divorce,” Gabriella said in a trembling voice. Her hands clenched into tight fists, holding back her doubts.
Instead of responding, Max walked over. “Stop your jokes. It’s not funny at all,” he said as he walked into the bedroom.
Getting such an unexpected response, Gabriella blinked rapidly. After a heavy breath, she followed her husband with a worried look.
“I’m serious. Let’s divorce! I can’t stand being here anymore. The pressure inside my head is too great,” Gabriella said, smacking her temples.
Suddenly, Max turned and kissed his wife’s forehead. “No pressure anymore, right?” A second later, he moved to the closet and took a shirt.
Before the man could take off his clothes, Gabriella had grabbed his arm, calling for attention.
“I’m not kidding, Max. Divorce me now!”
Hearing his wife’s insistence, Max could no longer remain silent. The distorted idea had to be corrected immediately. “Why do you want a divorce so much? Is it because of what my father said? You eavesdropped again?”
The woman’s jaw suddenly hardened. “No. I’m tired of being your wife. So, I want us to separate.”
“Do you forget? I promised your parents to treat their beautiful daughter well. In other words, I will never divorce you.”
Gabriella shook her head in a flash. “But I am tormented by the status as your wife. I’m sure my parents would expect me to separate with you too.”
Unexpectedly, Max started to laugh blandly. “Are you still not aware that your acting is so bad? Stop denying your own feelings, Gaby.”
“This is how I really feel. I’m not happy to be by your side.”
Suddenly, Max cupped his wife’s cheek and cut their distance. After noticing the eyeballs that were shrouded in doubt, the man tilted his head.
“Your lips asked for a divorce, but your eyes are begging me not to let you go.”
Gabriella’s breath suddenly rumbled. With all her might, she pushed the man’s hand away.
“Don’t make it up! Since when did you think that I was expecting you? Have you forgotten how much suffering you gave me?” The woman started to choke.
“I cried many times because of your words. How long are you going to make my life miserable like this?”
Through a blurred vision blocked by tears, the woman looked cynically. She was hopeless to change Max’s decision. If by being hurt, the man could leave, Gabriella would not hesitate to do it. Even, it would also hurt her own heart.