On the exterior, Gabriel Cruz's life appears to be flawless and dazzling, but on the inside, it is quite the contrary. Forced to marry a family friend after accidentally sleeping with her and getting her pregnant, everything in his life takes a turn for the worse. After fleeing an abusive marriage, Arian Macavinta returns to the only home she has ever known. Desperate for a job, she finds a vacancy online for the position of a nanny and applies for it. Gabriel turns out to be her boss, and over time, they become attracted to each other. However, Gabriel's marriage stands as a huge obstacle in their search for happiness.
View MoreGabriel
Seven years ago
There are two kinds of decisions people make that inadvertently change their lives - either for better or for worse. The first decision is one where you know that what you're doing at that moment would not make you regret your entire existence - you're happy about that decision because it's beneficial to you and in the long run, you prove to whoever almost made you second guess yourself that you were right in making that particular decision.
The second decision is one where you have absolutely no choice but to make that decision. You have a tight noose around your neck that would never be loosened until you decide to just give in.
It is a matter of life and death - a decision where lives hang in the balance and you're the only one that can prevent any disastrous thing from happening.
Now... You must be wondering what the hell I'm talking about. My name is Gabriel Emerson Brillantes Cruz and my life - my very perfect life that I'm sure every man wants to live - got ruined when I made the decision to accidentally sleep with Lucille Kendrick and got her pregnant. That is where all my life's problems began.
"What the hell were you thinking man?" My best friend Simon Wilson hisses at me. "Lucille Kendrick? Really?"
We're at a bar having a late night drink. I'd called Simon to meet me here when I could no longer handle the thoughts running through my head. You'd think I had murdered someone and was wondering just when the police would catch up with me.
"I was drunk." I say for the one thousandth time that day. "Or maybe she spiked my drink." I shake my head and sigh. "You know I'd never sleep with her even with my eyes closed."
Simon shakes his head in disgust. He knows just how vile Lucille is. My siblings know the kind of person she is and my twin sister Gabi is probably still in shock that she'd soon be related to Lucifer's queen.
"She told you she's pregnant?" Simon inquires. "Like you took her to a doctor and got her tested?"
"Yeah." I hang my head in shame. "She's four weeks pregnant."
"She can still abort the baby." Simon says. "It's still early."
"She almost bit my head off when I suggested it." I rake my fingers through my hair in frustration. "I'm fucked Simon. Finished."
"Don't panic until you have to." Simon chides. "You can't be sure that the baby is yours. What if she slept with someone else and wants to pin the baby on you?"
"Well, I talked to my uncle Carlos's doctor and he gave us options. We'll both fly out to Italy tomorrow to see him." I inform him. "He's going to perform a non invasive paternity test to see if I'm the father of the baby."
Simon looks surprised. "And she agreed to it?"
"Yes." I nod. "I was shocked too but one thing I know about Lucille, unfortunately - is that she never has anything to hide."
"Fuck." Simon breathes.
"Gabi told me that if I ever get married to her that she'll never talk to me again." I say.
Simon sighs. "She'll forgive you. I'll talk to her on your behalf."
I force a smile on my face. "Thanks."
Gabi finally admitted her feelings for Simon years ago on our graduation day from university but didn't start dating him until she started her internship at Cruz Tech as a software developer.
Now they are married with three adorable children - twins Emilio and Emilia and Gabrielle who is the last child and Gabi is the Chief Technology Officer at Cruz Tech and Emerson Cruz Group.
"Where is she by the way?" Simon winces as if he suddenly swallowed a sour lemon. "She used to cling to you like a leech."
I shrug carelessly. "She's out with her friends or something."
"So... She's moved in with you?"
"First chance she got." I rumble. "She's littered my closet space with her ridiculous clothes and shoes and bags. Most of them have never been worn but she keeps buying more apparels." I visibly shudder. "It's like a rat infestation."
Simon chuckles dryly. "Sorry bud. You made the bed."
And I have to lie on it even though I don't want to. I want to run far away from this situation that I've found myself in. I want to go somewhere far far away - change my name just to avoid seeing Lucille Kendrick but I can't.
My family and Lucille's are close. I used to wonder why my dad thought it was best to get mushy with Lucas Kendrick who is his rival in business but I later realized that Lucas Kendrick is nothing like his arrogant, self centered daughter and I grew to like the man.
Unfortunately for me, this news about Lucille's pregnancy was pleasing to her parents' ears when they found out. My mom is not thrilled about the fact that she might be getting Lucille as her daughter in law but she decided to hold her tongue on the matter because she is friends with Lucille's mother Ethel.
"Oh God." Simon gasps and his face goes white.
"What is it?" I try to turn around in my seat but Simon grips my forearm forcing me to stay put.
"She won't see us if you don't look." He hisses.
"She'll see you and then she'll know it's me you're talking to." I remind him.
"Ah geez." He groans. "She's coming."
"God please no." I cry.
"I'm sorry but I have to leave you with her." Simon drains his drink in one go and rises to his feet just as Lucille gets to us.
"Hey baby." She wraps her arms around my neck and leans down to kiss my cheek. She straightens and smiles at Simon. "Simon. So good to see you again."
"The feeling is not mutual, Lucille." He says through gritted teeth, pushing his chair in. "See you around bro." He throws me a mock salute and walks away.
I groan inwardly when she pulls out the chair Simon evacuated and makes herself comfortable. I scowl at the Cheshire cat smile on her face but she is not intimidated.
"I've missed you darling. You've been avoiding me." She reaches out her hand to touch mine but I quickly withdraw mine and hide them under the table.
"What do you want?" I grind out. "You could've waited for me to get home before cursing me with your presence. This is the only time I get to talk to my friend."
"You actually listen to that guy when he gives you advice?" She snickers.
My scowl transforms into a full-on death glare which she recoils from and I smirk. She knows I hate her talking trash about Simon.
"How did you find me?" I lean back in my seat and fold my arms. I mentally think of ways to get out of here and probably find somewhere else to spend the night.
"I put a tracker in your car." Her smile widens. "Genius right?"
"What?" I snap.
She shrugs. "That way I can know where you are. It's for my peace of mind."
I want to scream, punch her in her ugly face and then run away still screaming but I don't do anything. I count to twenty in my head and let out my breath slowly.
"You're going to remove it." I tell her in a pseudo calm voice. "And if you've put trackers anywhere else - you'll remove them too."
"I put tiny cameras on your ties. You won't notice them unless you look closely."
If there is one thing I appreciate Lucille for - it's her honesty. She's bloody annoying but she'd never tell you lies.
"Good." I say. "When we get home, you'll remove them."
"I don't want to." She pouts.
"My patience is this thin Lu." I indicate how little it is with my thumb and forefinger. "I want to go home, shower and sleep. It's been a long day at the office."
"You know what else you can do?" She shoots me a sly smile. "That will make this night much better?"
"Enlighten me." I drawl.
"You make love to me." Her smile turns seductive.
I stare intently at her for a long time until her smile fades and I rise to my feet. Time to make my escape.
"Where are you going?" She frowns.
"Restroom." I grumble and walk away.
I'm taking the coward's way out as I make my way to the fire exit, push open the door and go out but I don't give a flying fuck right now because hell will have to freeze over before I'll touch her again.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Never again.
Arian Six months later Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today in the sight of God to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Not to be entered lightly, holy matrimony should be entered into, solemnly and with reverence and honor." The priest begins in Italian. "Into this holy agreement, these two persons come together to be joined. If any person or people here can show cause as to why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." Gabriel and I turn at the same time to look behind us but no one speaks up and we face the priest again. Majority of the people here probably don't understand what he's saying so we're good to go. "Do you, Gabriel Emerson Cruz, take Arian Katerina Macavinta to be your lawful wedded wife and live together in the estate of holy matrimony? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or for worse as long as you both shall live?" The pri
Gabriel Two years later Dear Gabriel, Two decades ago, I was a little girl who had been abandoned by her beloved father and I'd thought myself unworthy of anyone's love but you saw me, took your time to get to know me and at the end of that day, I went back to the orphanage with the knowledge that I was worthy of being loved by someone. Months ago, I thought I was returning home to get far away from the clutches of my ex husband and I vowed never to get involved with any man but I met you and you turned my life upside down. You made me happier than I'd ever been in years and for that, I'll be forever grateful to you. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I am the girl you'd been waiting for and I didn't even realize it until you told me about your story. I'm sorry for leaving you and your daughter after I promised not to go, but I hope you can understand why I have to. Rafael is finally dead and I'm free from him forever, thanks to your father. I need to find myself again. I need t
Gabriel Arian probably thinks I'm out of my mind for challenging her ex husband to a fight. He's a dangerous man who has no qualms about killing someone in cold blood but I don't care. He made her life miserable for ten long years and even after being incarcerated in prison, he was still tormenting her in her dreams but it has to stop now. She was his and now she's mine and I will make sure I win this fight, then take pleasure in blowing his brains out with his own fucking gun. I have the upper hand in this fight and I don't give him an inch, throwing punches after punches making him bleed but he also doesn't give me an inch either as he throws a sucker punch that almost knocks me out. My ears ring from the punch and my vision becomes blurry but I shake myself out of it and attack him again and we end up rolling around on the floor trying to get the best of each other. My attention becomes divided as I see Lucille pick up one of the guns from the floor, turn off the safety and
Arian "She has a gun." The voice in my head whispers fearfully. "She has a fucking gun!" I feel the cold sweat that has broken out on my face and I have trouble breathing. I hate guns, hate seeing them because I've had to live with gun-toting, knife-toting men like Rafael and his men for ten years. I'd prayed to God to keep me away from guns when I came to this country, but I'd ended up taking a bullet for this man in front of me and now his ex wife wants to exact revenge on him. Gabriel moves to stand in front of me, shielding me from his ex wife's murderous glare, all the while trying to placate her to drop the gun so they could talk calmly about this, but his words fall on deaf ears. "Did you think I was joking when I told you that I'd kill you and the woman you choose to leave me for?" She asks. "How stupid of you to think I'd just accept defeat like that, Gabriel Cruz! You're mine and no one else's." I don't know why Mrs Cruz and her daughter aren't here to see a certifiable
Gabriel I leave my car running, the automatic gear in Park and the door open as I race up the steps to Lucille's front door and I press the doorbell incessantly until the housekeeper appears to open the door for me. I don't give her the chance to say anything as I march into the house and head straight for the living room. She calls my name but I don't answer until I walk into the living room and my steps falter when I come face to face with my wife - soon to be ex wife - having sex with an unknown guy on the sofa. "Mr Cruz!" Helen stops beside me but she turns her back quickly, unlike me, as Lucille and the guy break apart. "What the hell, Gabe?!" She snaps. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. I tried to stop him but he barged in before I could." Helen apologizes. Lucille picks up her discarded dress from the floor and puts it on as the guy hastily dresses up but he doesn't quite finish and hurries out of the living room with his shirt and shoes. Good for him that he had the good sense t
Gabriel Six weeks later Walking out of the High Court with the knowledge that in a few weeks, I'll be a single guy once again has me grinning from ear to ear. The judge had listened to both sides of our story and even as Lucille had laid it thick on her tears for the judge to rule in her favor... He hadn't and had declared our marriage irretrievable, but it hadn't been his final decision and that was good enough for me. I'd wanted Arian inside the court with me but she'd refused to go in, saying it reminded her of her own divorce and I'd not pressed her. Seeing her waiting for me on the steps of the building makes me very happy and my smile widens when she looks up and sees me. "How did it go?" She asks. "I'll be a single guy in a few weeks." I reply. "I don't know why he didn't just give a decree absolute instead of a decree nisi. It's all good, though, because I have finally beaten Lucille at her own game. She won't be Mrs Cruz for much longer." "It's fast." She remarks. "Min
Lucille Gabriel has finally done it. He wants to get rid of me so he can have a good life with that bitch and my stupid daughter who wouldn't know a good mother from a bad one even if it hit her in the face. She has forgotten that it's because of me, because of my love for her father that she's alive today, but I'm going to let it slide with her because she's just a little girl.I'm sure Gabriel has been feeding her lies about me, which was the reason why she'd not wanted me at the party. One thing Gabriel Cruz doesn't know is that inasmuch as I love him, my love could easily turn to hatred and I did promise to never let him be happy with any other woman. If killing him or her would ensure the end of their budding relationship, then so be it. I'm game."Are you really letting him go?" Samantha settles down on the single wingback chair with a drink in her hand. "It's unlike you.""I'm making him think he has won, Sam." I send her a smirk. "He may win the case in court and we'll get d
Arian"This is so surreal." I mutter. My head is resting on Gabriel's chest after our intense love making. It was better than the previous times. Although, it could be because we'd both gone two months without it and we'd been so starved for one another. All I know is that I'm not so sure I can say no to this man anymore."It is, isn't it?" I can hear the smile in his voice. "Being here with you, like this again. I feel like I'm dreaming.""Then, we're both having the same dream." I chuckle."I love you, Arian." He bends his head to plant a kiss on my hair. "It feels really good to let it out now.""Will you be okay with me saying I like you?" I ask in a tentative voice. "I can't go any further than that.""I'm more than okay with it." He squeezes my shoulder. "Half bread is better than nothing.""Do you think... Kary will hate me if I tell her I don't think I can be her mother? I mean, legally?" I look up at him. "What do you think?""I think she'll love you either way, Arian." He re
Gabriel "I'll go away." Lucille says. "I just came to say goodbye to you."Kary's gaze slides to mine in excitement, as if she's already guessed why her mother is saying that. "Does this mean... She won't be in our lives anymore?""Yes, baby." I nod. "We're finally getting a divorce.""Yay!" She claps her hands excitedly. "Thank you, daddy!" She wraps her small arms around my neck."I guess this is my cue to leave." Lucille's voice cracks with emotion as she finally realizes that even her daughter doesn't want her around. "Goodbye... Kareena. Can I hug you?"Kary literally recoils from her, burying her face in my neck. I stroke her back to calm her down and gesture for Lucille to leave. Thankfully, she listens to me and walks away."Is she gone?" Kary asks."Yes, baby." I reply. "You won't see her again if you don't want to.""I don't want to see her again." She reaches for Arian and I hand her over to Arian. "I love you, Arian. I want you to be my mother."Arian's wide eyed gaze sli
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