As soon as she woke up in the morning, Gabriella didn’t dare move. Her husband was still asleep, like a baby prone on his mother’s body.
“Max?” the woman whispered, testing.
After a few seconds, no sound was heard. The man remained unmoved.
Knowing that her husband was comfortable with the soft pillows, Gabriella’s lips automatically curled into a small curve. “You must be tired,” she muttered as she touched her husband’s hair.
Silently, the woman watched the details of the face under her chin. The eyes that she often looked at, were hiding behind wide eyelids. The lips that often gave her warmth, were still silent. Slowly, sadness began to vibrate in her lungs.
“I will definitely miss you so much,” Gabriella thought before swallowing hard.
A second later, she closed her eyes, trying to hold the turmoil in her chest. The plan to run away could fall apart if the man detected a signal of separation from her.
Feeling the body beneath him vibrate, Max’s consciousness began to rise. After a while, the man lifted his eyelids and blinked. As soon as he felt a strong breath coming from the top of his head, he looked up and immediately furrowed his brows.
“Gabby?”
Realizing that she had woken up her husband, Gabriella spontaneously wiped her face and returned a questioning look to him.
“Max? I don’t know you are awake.”
“Why are you crying?” the man asked with eyes still half open.
As quick as lightning, the woman put on a confused look. “I’m not crying. Sometimes, my eyes get watery in the morning.”
Instead of feeling suspicious, Max started to seduce. “Is that your secret to always looking beautiful, even when you just wake up?”
Knowing the situation was under control, a slight weight was lifted from the woman’s heart.
“Are you blind? I can’t look beautiful with messy hair and a swollen face like this,” Gabriella said with pursed lips.
Suddenly, the man’s hand moved lightly, stroking his wife’s hair. “That’s what makes you even more tempting,” he muttered before giving Gabriella a kiss on the forehead.
The woman’s sadness suddenly deepened. Worried that her true feelings would be exposed, she smiled wider.
A second later, instead of moving, Max landed his head on the woman’s soft cushion. With one hand playing, the man closed his eyes again.
“What are you doing?” Gabriella asked cluelessly. How could she prepare to welcome the farewell, if Max still sticked to her? “You have to go to the office.”
“It’s too early. Let me sleep a little longer,” the man said as he continued to twist the button that never bore him.
Seeing her husband’s behavior, Gabriella’s eyebrows furrowed faintly. “Are you still tired?” she asked while massaging the bulky shoulders.
“Hmm,” Max groaned in a positive response.
“That’s the consequence of being naughty. I told you, we should go straight to sleep as soon as we got home. But, you asked me to play for five sessions.”
Suddenly, Max raised his face in front of Gabriella. “Don’t misunderstand. Having fun with you is actually encouraging. I’m tired because of Quebracha’s problem, not playing with you.”
The woman suddenly snorted. “Doing that also takes effort, Max. You don’t have to lie to me.”
“Is that so?” the man asked before raising the corner of his lips. A second later, his lower body began to put pressure on his wife. “How about we do it once this morning? You can compare how bright my face will be when we’re done.”
Realizing that her husband wanted it, Gabriella spontaneously sighed. “You are unbelievable,” she muttered in a thin voice.
“So how? Are you ready?” Max coaxed while fiddling with his wife’s ON button.
The woman suddenly bit her lip, holding back the ego. Her heart was racing for pleasure. However, she realized that she could not continue to procrastinate. It was the time for Gabriella to stop expecting warmth from her husband.
“No, Max. You can’t be late. You have a lot to take care of at the company. Don’t let your performance drop. You want to keep your position, don’t you?” the woman said before raising an eyebrow in approval.
After a moment of contemplation, Max lowered his head and sighed. “Too bad. I hope all these problems will be over soon. That way, we can do whatever we want.”
The curve of Gabriella’s lips was instantly threatened by sadness. To cover up the secret, the woman quickly turned it into a sigh of laughter.
“There’s always responsibility waiting, Max. Even if there are no problems, you still have to go to work on time,” she said while patting her husband on the cheek.
Keeping a smile, the man caught Gabriella’s hand and kissed it. “I’m really lucky to have you, Gaby,” he said, letting out the pain in his wife’s heart.
“Don’t flatter me too much,” the woman sighed as she didn’t know how long she could hold her breath.
“I don’t flatter, but tell the truth,” Max corrected before separating from his wife’s body. “And as a form of my gratitude, tonight, we celebrate your birthday with the others.”
Getting the invitation, Gabriella’s eyebrows rose spontaneously to the maximum. No more sweet curves on her lips. Sadness could no longer be suppressed.
“Tonight?” she sighed, holding back the rumbling in her chest.
Max nodded unsuspectingly. “Yes. No need to be so surprised. I’m a romantic man. I’ll try to get home early today.”
After giving a kiss on the lips that were still gaping without a word, the man rushed to the bathroom.
As soon as Max was out of sight, Gabriella immediately closed her eyes and sighed in regret.
“Tonight, I’m no longer here, Max,” she thought as she took a deep breath. The air had turned into thorns in her lungs. “I’m sorry, but this is what’s best for you.”
Gripping her head, Gabriella bit her lip holding back the heat of the tears. She never expected that parting with the CEO would be so torturous.
***
“See you tonight,” Max said to his wife.
A second later, Gabriella nodded with a crooked smile. When her husband kissed her forehead, she closed her eyes, enjoying the final touch that would be sorely missed.
“I hope the problems in Quebracha will be resolved soon. You must be able to protect your position and your dreams,” the woman said in a trembling voice.
“I’ll do my best for you,” Max said before tracing his wife’s long hair. After widening a smile, the CEO started walking towards the car.
Seeing the back of the man she loved drifting away, Gabriella’s chest tightened even more. The woman realized that she was still not ready to part.
Just before the husband got into the car, she shouted, “Max!”
As soon as he turned around, the man immediately welcomed Gabriella’s embrace. His brows furrowed as he took in the situation. “What’s wrong, Gaby?”
The woman shook her head as she tightened her hug. For three seconds, she absorbed the warmth to overcome the longing later.
After controlling her fear, Gabriella slowly released the embrace. “I just want to cheer you up,” she lied, undetected.
Without suspicion, Max’s smile widened. “You really know how to brighten my day. Thank you, Gaby.”
While squeezing fingers behind her back, the woman forced her head to nod. With a crooked lip, she watched as her husband got into the car, waved, and disappeared from the sight. The feeling of emptiness immediately filled the space of his heart.
“Goodbye, Max,” Gabriella said quietly.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back into the house.
“Now it’s time to say goodbye to the others,” the woman nodded with her fists tightly clenched.
However, as soon as she entered the kitchen, Gabriella fell silent watching the rush. Everyone was busy with their own work. The butler even made the cake dough by herself.
“Madam? Why do you come here?” Minnie asked as she found Gabriella pensive in the doorway.
Getting such a greeting, the pale woman automatically blinked. In one breath, she stepped inside with hands clasped together.
“Do you have time? I want to talk for a moment,” the woman said stiffly.
“What do you want to talk about, Madam? You can say it now,” the old woman said before turning on the mixer.
Gabriella suddenly grimaced at the noise from the machine. Realizing that the timing wasn’t right, she shook her head and waved her hand. “Nothing,” she said, raising her voice.
After seeing the butler’s nod, the young woman came out of the kitchen. With unsteady steps and a sad face, she walked up the stairs.
“I guess I am destined to leave without saying goodbye,” she muttered with head down.
Arriving at the bedroom, Gabriella immediately opened the suitcase and began to fill it. Once all the supplies were ready, she swiftly folded several sheets of paper, forming them into planes.
“I hope you can fly high,” she whispered to the origami that was about to take her away.