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Lahat ng Kabanata ng When Love Betrays : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

122 Kabanata

The Son I Almost Lost

For the first time in weeks, Gabriel slept without waking in the middle of the night.The quiet surprised him.For months his mind had been restless. Every night felt like a battlefield of thoughts—lawyers, custody meetings, arguments, and endless fear.But that morning felt different.He woke slowly as sunlight spread across the bedroom walls.The clock beside his bed read 7:18 a.m.Gabriel lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling.His chest felt lighter.The reason was simple.Michael had stepped down from the custody case.The words from that conversation still echoed in his mind.Daniel already had a father before I came into the picture.Gabriel closed his eyes again.Relief moved through him like warm air.For weeks he had lived with a quiet fear that never left his mind.The fear of losing Daniel.He had tried not to show it to anyone, but the thought haunted him every single day.The idea that a court decision might suddenly take his son away had kept him awake many nigh

A Mother’s Objection

Gabriel arrived home later that evening.The house was quiet.It had been that way for a long time now.Although he and Prisca still lived under the same roof, their lives had slowly separated in ways that were impossible to ignore.They slept in different rooms.They ate meals at different times.Some days they passed each other in the hallway like polite strangers.Other days they avoided each other completely.The house was large enough to make the distance easy.But silence had a way of filling even the biggest spaces.Gabriel placed his keys on the small table near the entrance and loosened his tie.From the living room he could hear the faint sound of the television.Prisca was probably there.For a moment he considered walking in.Then he changed his mind.There was nothing left to say tonight.Most of their conversations had become short and careful anyway.No shouting.No arguments.Just a quiet understanding that their marriage had already ended long before the papers were f

The Room Filled With Laughter

The house felt different that evening.Not empty or tense, just unusually quiet.Daniel and Gabriel had returned home earlier than expected that afternoon. The day had been long, but Daniel seemed lighter than he had been in weeks.Gabriel unlocked the front door and stepped inside.The familiar smell of the house welcomed him. The living room lights were on, but no one was sitting there.He glanced around.Something felt unusual.Daniel walked past him toward the kitchen.He loosened his tie and rubbed the back of his neck.Work had been exhausting again. Meetings had stretched longer than expected, and his mind had struggled to stay focused.Too many things had been happening in his life recently.Custody battles, lawyers, family tension, and the quiet distance between him and Prisca.Gabriel slowly walked down the hallway toward his bedroom.All he wanted at that moment was a few minutes of rest.He pushed the door gently.Then he froze.Someone was sitting on the bed.For a second

The Night After the Laughter

The laughter in Gabriel’s room lasted longer than anyone expected.For weeks the house had been filled with silence and careful conversations. The children had grown used to a quiet atmosphere, one where their parents spoke in short sentences and avoided long moments together.But that night felt different.Gabriel lay across the bed while Daniel and Sandra sat beside him, listening closely as he told them one story after another.Some were stories from his childhood.Others were funny memories from his university days.Daniel laughed loudly at the part where Gabriel described getting lost in a city train station years ago.Sandra giggled when he acted out the voices of the people he met that day.The sound of their laughter spread through the room like warm light.For a moment, the past months felt far away.Gabriel watched the children carefully.Their eyes were bright again.For the first time in a long while, they looked relaxed.Daniel leaned back against the pillows.“Tell anoth

When the Silence Spoke

Prisca woke slowly.For a moment she did not know where she was.The ceiling above her looked unfamiliar. The blanket covering her legs felt smaller than the one she used every night. Her neck ached as if she had slept in an awkward position.Then she heard soft breathing.She turned her head.Sandra lay beside her, curled under the blanket. One small hand rested across the pillow, and her hair spread gently over her face.On the other side of the bed, Daniel slept deeply, wrapped tightly like a cocoon.That was when everything came back.Prisca had slept in the children’s room.Memories from the previous night returned in fragments.Gabriel laughing.The children’s voices filling the room.Sandra asking a simple question that no child should have to ask.“You don’t join us for dinner anymore.”Prisca slowly pushed herself upright.Her head felt heavy.The house was quiet again, but the silence felt different this time.It was not the tense silence that had filled the house for weeks.

The Lawyer’s Warning

Gabriel frowned when he saw the name on the screen.His lawyer.Gabriel answered quickly.“Hello.”Prisca continued washing the plates, but she could hear every word he said.“Yes.”A pause.Then Gabriel’s posture changed.“What do you mean?”Another pause followed.Prisca slowly turned toward him.Gabriel lowered his voice.“A public hearing?”He stood up from the chair.“That wasn’t the agreement.”The lawyer spoke for a long time.Gabriel listened carefully.His expression grew more serious with every second.Finally he spoke again.“She wants to bring that into court?”Prisca felt her stomach tighten.Bring what into court?Gabriel’s jaw clenched.“Yes, I understand.”Another pause.“No. I’ll come by the office later today.”He ended the call slowly.For several seconds he remained standing there, staring at the phone in his hand.Prisca dried her hands with a towel.“What happened?”Gabriel hesitated.Then he answered quietly.“Victoria is pushing the divorce harder.”Prisca’s he

The Choice She Never Wanted to Make

Prisca wasn’t trying to listen.At least, that’s what she told herself.She had gone to Gabriel’s study to drop off a document he had forgotten at home. It was nothing important—just a file from his office—but something had pushed her to bring it herself instead of asking the driver.Maybe it was habit.Maybe it was something else.The door to the study was slightly open.At first, she was about to knock.Then she heard Gabriel’s voice.“…if this goes public, it won’t stay contained.”Prisca froze.She didn’t mean to stop.But her feet refused to move.Inside the room, Gabriel continued speaking. His tone was low, controlled, but there was tension beneath it.“I don’t care about my reputation,” he said. “This is about the children.”Prisca’s fingers tightened slightly around the file in her hand.The children;Sandra and Daniel.She moved closer to the door without realizing it.Another voice responded. Mr. Harrison.“We can try to limit exposure, but once the hearing is public, the me

Suitcases and Silence

The house felt different that morning.Not tense.Not quiet in a painful way.Just… busy.For the first time in weeks, there was movement in every corner.Drawers opening.Footsteps running up and down the stairs.Voices calling out from one room to another.“Mommy! Where is my blue bag?”“In the closet!” Prisca replied.“No, it’s not here!”Prisca sighed softly and stood from the bed.“I’ll come.”She walked into Sandra’s room and opened the closet door herself. The bag was right there, hanging neatly on the hook.She pulled it down and handed it over.Sandra smiled brightly.“Thank you!”Prisca nodded.“Don’t just throw things inside. Fold them properly.”“I know,” Sandra said quickly, already turning away.Prisca watched her for a moment.She didn’t correct her again.Today wasn’t the day for that.Across the hall, Daniel’s room was worse.Clothes were everywhere.T-shirts on the bed.Jeans on the floor.Shoes in the wrong places.Daniel stood in the middle of it all, holding two s

A Trip Without Her

Morning came earlier than expected.The house was still quiet when Gabriel stepped into the living room, dressed and ready.The suitcases were already by the door.Everything had been prepared the night before.For a moment, he stood still, looking around.This house had held too many heavy moments recently.Arguments, silence, and distance.But today........ Today felt different.Not lighter, just… paused.Upstairs, a small voice broke the silence.“Daddy?”Gabriel turned.Sandra stood halfway down the stairs, rubbing her eyes.“Why are you awake so early?” he asked softly.She walked down slowly.“You said we are going to Paris today.”He smiled faintly.“That’s true.”“I didn’t want to miss it.”He crouched and opened his arms.She stepped into them without hesitation.“Go wake your brother,” he said.She nodded quickly and ran back upstairs.Minutes later, the house filled with energy again.Footsteps, voices, and excitement.Daniel rushed down with his backpack already on.“Are w

Laughter Under Paris Lights

Morning in Paris came gently.Soft light slipped through the curtains, touching the edges of the room.Gabriel was already awake.He stood by the window, looking out at the city below.Cars moved slowly.People walked with purpose.Everything felt calm.Different from home, and different from the weight he had left behind.A small voice broke the silence.“Daddy…”He turned.Sandra was sitting up in bed, her hair slightly messy, her eyes still heavy with sleep.“Good morning,” he said softly.She rubbed her eyes.“Is this really Paris?”He smiled.“Yes.”She looked around again, as if making sure it was real.Then her face lit up.“We’re really here!”Her excitement filled the room instantly.Daniel stretched on the other side of the bed.“Why are you shouting?” he murmured.Sandra ignored him.“Can we go out now?” she asked.Gabriel checked the time.“After breakfast.”She nodded quickly.“Okay!”Breakfast was lively.The hotel restaurant was filled with quiet conversations and soft m

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