Chapter 5
Looking at the scene in front of him, Gabriel froze for a second.
When he snapped out of it, anger flared on his face. “What the hell are you talking about? My son’s right in his room, playing just fine! Who said he’s dead?!”
Behind him, I forced out a hoarse voice, heavy with grief. “Gabriel, did you forget? You have another son.”
He stiffened. “You mean… Nicho?”
“That’s right. Nicholas Marcy, age five. He died from organ failure due to dehydration after prolonged sun exposure,” the officer replied.
Gabriel looked like he’d been struck by lightning. “No! That’s impossible! It was just one afternoon–how could that kill him?!”
By then, the officer had already untied me.
I walked up to Gabriel and slapped him. Hard.
“Do you have any idea what you did?! Nicho had a high fever that day. He was already dehydrated. And you strung him up under the blazing sun for hours! You even used a stun baton on him! He was five, Gabriel. Five! How the hell was he supposed to survive that?!
“He passed out crying for you, calling ‘Daddy‘ over and over, begging you to stop. And you didn’t even blink. All you cared about were those twin bastards! You were never a father to him!”
Gabriel stared at me in shock. “Nicho… he’s really gone?”
“Yes!” I screamed through tears. “He’s dead! And you killed him with
your own hands! He died in agony!”
“No… no, that can’t be…” He still wouldn’t believe it.
I yanked my phone from my bag and shoved it in his face–the photo of Nicho in the ICU, tubes all over his tiny body.
“Gabriel, I carried Nicho for ten months. Seven layers were cut open to bring him into this world. He was my life. You think I’d lie about something like this?!”
He stared at the photo like it struck him to the core.
His eyes turned bloodshot, his face twisted with regret.
Then, all at once, he crumbled, collapsing to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
The cops cuffed him and led him away. He didn’t resist, Not even once.
***
After Gabriel was taken away, Clarissa stormed over and raised her hand to slap me.
“Stephanie! Gabriel is your husband–how dare you call the cops on him!”
Before her hand could touch me, I caught it midair.
I flung her arm aside and slapped her clean across the face.
Smack! The sound echoed through the room.
“Clarissa, so you do remember he’s my husband? Then what the hell are you doing here? Gabriel and I are still legally married. Everything he owns is joint property–including this house. That means I have every right to kick you out.
Chapter 5
“Take
your two bastard kids and get the hell out of my house!”
Her eyes went wide, fury flaring. “Stephanie, who the hell do you think you are?! Just because Gabriel’s gone, you think I’m scared of you?!”
She raised her hand to strike again, but I caught her wrist and slammed her to the ground.
“Clarissa, I’m not some pushover you can walk all over. You’ve got 30 minutes to pack up and leave with your brats. If you’re still here after that, I’ll have you all dragged out one by one!”
