Chapter 69 Gabrielle, You Deserve To Be Loved
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Vincent’s face darkened, his expression as if I’d just stomped on his pride. He shot back defensively, “You wanted the divorce, and now you’ve got it. Why I agreed doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
That reaction told me everything I needed to know.
Claire was pregnant. He wanted to give her and the baby a proper family–that’s why he caved so quickly. He didn’t even care enough to fight for custody of Toby.
Fine. That’s exactly what I wanted. But realizing just how cold and shallow the man I’d married truly was made the whole thing feel–laughable.
How could I have loved someone like him for so many years?
“You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” I said, my voice shaking slightly as I forced a smile. “Well then, congratulations in advance. I hope you and Claire have a quick wedding and a long, happy life together,”
“Make sure you hold on to her tight. It’d be a shame if this marriage also ended in divorce.”
After all, if they divorced, there’d just be new victims of their mess.
Vincent glared at me, his lips pressed into a thin line. He glanced over at Ryan briefly, then turned on
his heel and stormed off.
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I stood there, watching him retreat into the distance.
Suddenly, his phone rang, and he answered it almost immediately.
“Claire, what’s wrong? You’re not feeling well? Okay, I’m on my way-
I couldn’t make out the rest of his words, nor did I care to.
I let out a bitter laugh. My ex–husband had already moved on, rushing off to play hero to someone else.
From now on, we’d be like parallel lines–living in the same world but never crossing paths again.
A sharp ache in my chest made me rub my nose, and the familiar sting of tears welled up in my eyes.
My vision blurred as I stumbled slightly, only to feel the warmth of someone steadying me.
Startled, I turned to see Ryan’s gentle, handsome face.
I blinked at him in surprise, and he gave me a soft smile. Placing his hand lightly on the back of my head, he said quietly, “If you need to cry, go ahead. My shoulder’s here for you.”
I hadn’t cried when I was talking to Vincent. Somehow, even when I’d been face–to–face with the end of our marriage, I’d kept it together. But hearing Ryan’s soothing voice, the dam broke. I couldn’t help but bury my face against him and sobbed like a child.
“Why, Ryan?” I choked out between hiccups. “Am I really that worthless? My mother doesn’t love me, my husband cheated on me-”
“Claire’s pregnant, and now he’s abandoning Toby too! I should feel relieved–no custody battles, no drawn–out divorce. I got everything I wanted, right?”
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< Chapter 69 Gabrielle, You Deserve To Be Loved
“So why does it still hurt so much? I thought–I thought I’d moved on-”
The questions tumbled out, one after another, not even sure who I was asking–him or myself.
“Gabrielle,” he said, his voice calm and steady, “don’t you dare think of yourself that way.” Ryan stroked my hair, his palm’s warmth spreading through my whole body.
“Who says you’re worthless? You’re wonderful–you’re one of a kind. Not everyone can see how special you are, but that’s not on you. You’re not here to make everyone happy. You don’t need to change who you are just because some people are blind to your worth.”
“It’s okay to feel hurt right now. Anyone in your shoes would. Don’t push yourself to heal faster than you’re ready for, and don’t think this pain defines you. It’s just one chapter of a much bigger story. You’ll get through this.“.
His words sank deep into my heart, each one unraveling the weight I’d been carrying.
I knew I’d never forget this moment–this quiet, ordinary morning when everything felt like it was falling apart, and yet Ryan was there, holding me together.
He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs gently brushing away my tears. His eyes locked onto mine, steady and unflinching, as he said, “Gabrielle, you deserve to be loved.”
