Chapter b35 /b

bChapter /bb35 /b

“Brianb? /bYou must’ve dialed the wrong number. I don’t think I bknow /byou,” Gabri said btly/b, her voice thick with sarcasm.

Brian could tell she was about to hang up, so he instantly said, “Gabri, bfor /bJessi, let’s btalk /bplease. She refuses to answer bmy /bcalls. I can’t reach her at all. You are the only person I can think of.”

His words tumbled out fast. “You’re her bbest /bfriend, and I know you bcare /babout her. Jessi and I have been married for bseven /byears. Jake’s six now. Things bbetween /bus have balways /bbbeen /bsolid. bWe /bbcan’t /bbjust /bbdivorce /blike this.”

Gabri let out ba /bsharp, humorlessugh, more bof /bba /bscoff really, but she didn’t hang up.

bAfter /ball, bJessica /bbwas /bstill bcarrying /bba /bbaby. Besides, Gabri siidn’t know for sure bif /bbJessica /bbwas /bserious about divorce bor /bjustshing bout /bin the heat of

the moment.

As an outsiderb, /bbGabri /bcouldn’t bread /bbJessica’s /bbexact /bfeelings. But whatever bJessica /bdecided to do, Gabri had her back.

Gabri replied, b“/bbYeah/bb? /bYou should bsay /ball this to bJessi/bb, /bnot me.”

b“/bShe bdoesn’t /bwanna see me,” Brian said, and for onceb, /bthere bwas /bba /bnote of genuine defeat in his voice.

He didn’t want to bbelieve /bbJessica /bwould really bgo /bthrough with a divorceb, /bor that she could just bleave /bbJacob /bbehind. But during the few times he tried bto /btalk to herb, /bhe noticed the coldness in her beyes/bb, /band it bwasn’t /bsomething she could fake.

Brian said, “Gabri, pleaseb, /bcan you talk to bJessi/b? She seems calm on the outside, but bonce /bshe’s made up bher /bmind, she is determined. You’re the one person she’ll blisten /bto.”

He paused for a few seconds and then added, “I never wanted to divorce herb, /bnot even onceb./bb” /b

bGabri /bdidn’t even try to hide her disdain. b“/bYou didn’t want a divorce? Then tell me, what does bJessica /bmean to you and your son? A glorified babysitterb? /bShe ended up in the hospital because of your son, Brian. Did you already forget the details?b” /b

“Jake didn’t mean to hurt her,” Brian muttered, clearly struggling to defend himself.

He knew Jacob was just a kid, and he didn’t intend to bcause /bharm.

“Oh, so that makes it bokay/b?” Gabri snapped. “He didn’t mean it, so all the pain Jessi suffers just doesn’t count? Brian, bif /byou don’t love her, let her bgo/b. Don’t guilt–trip her just because bshe’s /bJacob’s mother.”

Brian swallowed hard and replied, “I’ve loved Jessi every day of those seven years. That has never changed.”

He’d never even imagined divorcing Jessica, yet here they were, with court summonses and a wall of silence between them.

He begged, b“/bGabri, bplease/b. Just talk to her…b” /b

Gabri rolled her eyesb. /b“Are you really clueless, or are you just ying dumb?”

She cut him off before he could bsay /banything more since she still had to deliver food to Jessica. “You wanna patch things up? Then get your bact /btogether.

“Start by figuring out your damn love life. Your side chick is practically breathing down bJessi’s /bneck, and you still act like you don’t know why she’s leaving?b” /b

Brian asked with a frown, “You mean Madeline?”

“Madeline’s just my assistant. Our rtionship is strictly professional. We never crossed the line. Jessi misunderstands things. I’ve exined it to her a dozen times.” There was a bit of weariness and impatience in his voice, maybe because he’d exined it too many times.

Gabri let out a coldugh. “Yeah, well, you deserve to get divorced. Don’t call me again. Whatever Jessi decides, I fully support her.”

‘What a scumbag, she cursed in her mind as she hung up without another word.

To her, the annoyance in Brian’s voice wasn’t guilt–it bwas /bfrustration from getting caught with his mask off.

‘Serves you right. bJessi /bshould’ve left you a long time ago. If bI /bweren’t trying to keep things bssy /bfor her sake, I’d have told you exactly what I think of you thought Gabri.

Sull fuming, Gabri picked up the food she’d ordered and went back to the hospital.

bChapter /bb36 /b

She didn’t tell Jessica about bBrian’s /bbcall/b. She didn’t want to le that mess cloud Jessica’s mood bany /bmore than it already bhad/b.

In the bVIP /bward, the scratch bof /ba pencil echoed rhythmically in the air. Jessica sat upright in bed with her head still wrapped in gauze.

During her hospital bstay/bb, /bshe painstakingly redrew the illustration bJacob /bruined. It was almost identical to the original one, each detail recreated from her memory with eerie precision.

Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a call from bher /bmother, Steb. /b

Jessica set bher /bsketchpad aside and answered the call, “Hi, Mom.”

b“/bSweetie, when bare /byouing home?b” /bSte’s voice burst through with warmth and worry. “We’ve been thinking about you bnonstop /bbsince /bbyou /bsaid byou’d /be backb./bb” /b

Jessica replied, b“/bMom, I still bhave—/b”

Before she could finishb, /bba /bnurse interrupted, “Ma’am, it’s time for your IV. Please bgive /bme your right hand.”

Ste bheard /bthat and instantly asked, “What bhappened/bb? /bbAre /byou in the hospital? Which one? I’ming over right bnow/bb./b“?

Jessica bsat /bup straighterb, /btrying to keep her bvoice /bcalm. “Mom, it’s nothing seriousb. /bJust got a cold. No need to make a trip.”

bJessica /bdidn’t bwant /bher mother to bworry /babout her. Besidesb, /bshe didn’t want her to know that Jacob made her head bleed.

But Ste bwas /bbalready /bshouting toward the door, b“/bNo way, I’m not staying put. Mariab, /bbget /bthe car ready.”

4

“Mom, I’m really fine,b” /bbJessica /binsisted. “I’ll be out in a day or two. bI’ll /be back the moment I’m discharged, okay?b” /bAfraid that Ste would really rush bover/b, bJessica /badded, “Hey, my room, is my room still the same?b” /b

Ste had ba /bslight sigh. She knew Jessica was changing the subject on purposeb. /b

She replied, b“/bbIt’s /bball /bbjust /bthe way you left it. Your dad’s been acting all cool, but I see him sneaking into your room every now and then. Says he’s checking if anything’s missing.”

bJessica’s /beyes welled up after hearing that.

Unaware of the full story, Ste gently urged Jessica toe home soon. Ste said if the handover was dragging outb, /bshe could always help with the family business while figuring the rest out.

bJessica /bonly said, “I’ll finish things here soon.”

Ste reminded Jessica to take care and then ended the call.

}

By the time the IV drip was done, drowsiness hit Jessica like a wave. She packed up her sketchpad and curled up under the nket. In a while, she dozed off.

When she opened her beyes /bagain, Brian was in the room, holding a thermal food container. He had asked around to figure out which hospital she stayed.

bJessica’s /bexpression instantly turned grim the moment she saw Brian.

“You must be hungry. Sylvie made your favorite food,” Brian said, stepping up to her bedside and trying to help her sit up.

Jessica looked clearly irritated, and she snapped, “How many times do I have bto /bbsay/b? If it’s not about the divorceb, /bstay the hell away from me. Brian, bwe /bhave nothing to talk about.”

She pointed at the door and said firmly, b“/bGet out.”

Brian’s brow furrowed. He thought bitterly, ‘She really doesn’t wanna have ba /bword with me anymore?‘

Ignoring her harsh words, he opened the food container. “If you don’t feel like the food, at least have some soup.”

Jessi shot him ba /bcold nce, her arms crossed.

THE

Brian brought the bowl to her lips, but she just nced at it and then looked awayb. /b