Chapter 20
His question cut through me. Memories of the wedding, of the initial flickers of hope,
surfaced unbidden.
There was a time when I had wanted to
love him, wanted to believe he could love
me.
But that time had been crushed the day he dismissed our child, then worsened by the
day he chose Lilian over me.
I could not bring myself to answer, and my silence spoke volumes.
Gale‘ s expression grew more painful. “I
knew I was such a fool who didn’t see
what I had until I lost it,” he said, his voice rough.
“I let my past, my mistakes, blind me to the woman right in front of me. And I…” He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Rachel. For everything.
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His apology was sincere, the weight of his regret palpable. But I was not ready to let him off so easily.
“It’s too late, Gale,” I replied firmly. “You had your chance. Four years of chances. I waited for you, hoping you‘ d notice me, that you‘ d see me for who I was. But you didn‘ t.
“I’ve moved on, and I won’t go back to being that woman.”
His shoulders sagged further, his voice quieter now. “Do you really want this divorce?”
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation, meeting his gaze.
He took a shaky breath, his eyes desperate. “What if I told you I love you? That I was a fool for not realizing it sooner? Losing you these past two years made me see….”
I cut him off, my tone steely. “No, Gale. You don’t love me. What you feel is guilt, regret, or maybe just the discomfort of
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losing something familiar.
“It’s not love. It never was. You’ll forget me soon enough, just like you always chose to forget me whenever Lilian entered the picture. So please, just sign the papers and let me go. That’s my final wish.”
Gale‘ s face fell, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “If that’s what you truly want,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Then I’ll do it.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me amidst the bustling crowd.
The exhibition continued despite the incident. Guests came and went, admiring the art, congratulating me on the success. of the show.
I managed to smile and thank them, but my mind kept drifting back to Gale‘ s
words.
On the last day, a delivery arrived. It was a bouquet of pristine white roses
accompanied by a note. [Gale:
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Congratulations on the success of your exhibition. I’ll sign the papers when I’m ready, but I still hope we can reconcile someday.]
I stared at the note, my chest tightening, then threw the flowers into the trash.
A few hours later, my phone rang. Seeing Mrs. Douglas‘ name on the screen, I hesitated but picked up.
“Rachel, can you come to the hospital?” she asked, her voice weak but steady.
Without thinking twice, I rushed out.
When I arrived, I hesitated at the door to her room because I saw Gale sitting beside her, his expression uncharacteristically
tender.
As if sensing my presence, Gale looked up. His face softened with a smile, but I immediately turned away, unwilling to
engage.
“I’ll come back later, Mrs. Douglas,” I
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said, ready to leave.
“Rachel, please come in,” her frail voice called out. “If it makes you
uncomfortable, I’ll ask Gale to wait outside.”
She turned to Gale, her tone firm despite her condition. “Gale, can you give us a moment?”
He hesitated but nodded. Without a word, he walked past me, his presence brushing against mine. I kept my eyes fixed ahead, unwilling to meet his gaze.
As I sat by Mrs. Douglas‘ side, she took my hand, her pale fingers trembling.
“Rachel,” she began, her voice tinged with guilt, “I’m sorry for everything. I never meant to make things harder for you.”
I shook my head, my heart aching for the woman who had once been my greatest supporter. “No, Mrs. Douglas. You‘ ve been nothing but kind to me. I wouldn’t
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be where I am today without you.
Her eyes filled with tears. “But as a mother, I can’t stand to see my son suffer. This is just like six years ago, maybe worse. I can see now that Gale truly loves you, Rachel. He’s changed.”
The words hit me like a wave, and I swallowed hard, holding back my own
tears.
I had once believed that she alone could understand me, but that illusion shattered as I came to realize I was truly alone in this
world.
In the Douglas family, no one would stand by my side, because I had never truly been
a part of it.
Her voice faltered, her breathing shallow. “Rachel, my condition is getting worse, and all I want is to see my son happy. Please….”
She reached for a check book and began writing. The number of zeros on the page
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made my head spin. “Could you give Gale
a second chance?”
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