Chapter 4
“She’s been discharged,” Gabriel said as he loomed over me. “Nadia will stay here for a while. She needs care.”
I stared at him, barely able to lift my head from the pillow. My body felt heavy, drained, and weak. I just had an abortion. I needed rest. It was pretty obvious but Gabriel doesn’t care enough to notice.
“I’m not okay,” I croaked. My voice cracked. “Gabriel, I can barely move.”
“She’s your best friend,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing. “The least you could do is help take care of her. She’s been through hell.”
So had I, but the words stayed lodged in my throat. Gabriel wasn‘ t interested in
hearing about my pain. He pretended he was but now I saw through him.
“Get up,” he demanded, pulling the blanket off me in a single, impatient.
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motion. “She hasn‘ t eaten since this
morning. Cook something for her.”
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself upright despite the ache in my muscles. My hands. shook as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, but Gabriel didn’t seem to notice
or care. It pains me even more.
“It’s okay, Gabriel.” Nadia’s soft, sweet voice drifted from the living room.
“I don‘ t want to be a burden. If Amanda doesn’t want me here, I can go.”
“She didn’t say that,” Gabriel shot back, glaring at me. “Amanda, tell her she s welcome. She’s your best friend, for God’s sake. Or are you so selfish you can’t even take care of her?”
I bit back the sharp retort threatening to escape. What was the point? Gabriel had already made up his mind about who was in the wrong.
“I‘ ll cook,” I muttered, standing on unsteady legs.
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Gabriel nodded, satisfied, as if I had just proved his point.
Nadia smiled, “Aww, thank you so much, my best friend!” She hugged me and I know behind that was her fake smile.
“Sure. Go take a rest,” I said.
The kitchen felt like a prison. My body protested with every movement, but I pushed through, refusing to let Gabriel see just how much this was costing me.
Behind me, I could hear their voices, soft. and intimate. The door to the bedroom clicked shut, and for a moment, I allowed myself to hope they were simply talking.
But then the sounds started.
Low murmurs turned to breathy gasps, the unmistakable rhythm of something intimate.
I froze, the knife slipping from my hand. in onto the counter with a dull clatter. My stomach churned as the moans grew
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louder. They didn’t care that I was here.
I turned back to the stove, my hands. trembling as I stirred the soup. I couldn‘ t let myself break down now. Not yet.
When the food was finally done, I poured it into bowls. My gaze landed on the bundle of chili leaves sitting on the counter. A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
Nadia was allergic to chili. Deathly allergic.
I grabbed a handful of the leaves and shredded them into her portion, stirring until they disappeared into the broth.
Let’s see how perfect you are now, I thought bitterly.
Since they were busy with each other and I have no room in here anymore, I decided it was time to leave. I grabbed the backpack I had packed earlier then slowly but fastly opened Gabriel’s safe to steal his money.
Ever since I had graduated, he didn’t want me to work, so I didn’t have money
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that was all I needed.
I sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wall as the events of the day replayed in my mind. The abortion. Gabriel forcing me to care for Nadia. Their betrayal, so loud and shameless, echoing from behind the bedroom door.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, shattering the silence. Gabriel’s name lit up the screen, followed by a string of angry
texts.
“What the hell did you cook?”
“Nadia‘ s in the hospital!”
“She’s having a reaction! The doctors
said it’s critical!”
“Answer me, Amanda!”
I stared at the screen, my chest tightening. But then his earlier words came rushing back–his accusations, his indifference, his betrayal.
The airline website loaded slowly on my
