Chapter 5
Dahlia POV
Alva' s gaze landed on the untouched soup on the bedside table, then shifted to the door, a muscle in his jaw clenching. "He brought you this, didn't he?" His voice was low, tinged with a scorn I hadn't heard before. "After he forced you to drink tequila and almost killed you."
Gideon, who had just walked in, heard Alva's words. His eyes narrowed, a vein throbbing in his temple. "What's it to you, Booker? I'm her husband. I'm taking care of my wife." He puffed out his chest, attempting to project an image of control and concern. "You've done your part. You can go now."
Alva merely raised an eyebrow, a dismissive flick of his wrist. "Care? Is that what you call it, Gideon? Leaving her to bleed out on her own floor? Shoving alcohol down her throat while she's fragile? And then comforting your mistress while she's rushed to the ER?" His voice remained calm, but each word was a precisely aimed dart. "Some care."
Gideon's face flushed scarlet. "You have no idea what you're talking about! She's been emotionally unstable. This... this miscarriage, it's her own fault!"
"Her own fault?" I interjected, my voice surprisingly strong despite the lingering pain. I looked at Gideon, a cold, empty calm settling over me. "It's my fault that you were too busy consoling Elsa over her 'tummy ache' to answer my desperate calls? It's my fault you ignored me for an awards ceremony? It's my fault you were funding Elsa's 'lifestyle brand' with our marital savings while I was trying to build a family with you?"
Gideon reeled back, his eyes wide with shock. "What are you talking about? Marital savings? Elsa?" He stammered, trying to regain his footing. "You're delusional, Dahlia! You're making things up!"
"Am I?" I met his gaze, unflinching. "Or am I just finally seeing the truth? The truth you've been so carefully hiding behind your charm and your lies."
Alva remained silent, his steady presence a powerful counterpoint to Gideon's bluster. He didn't need to say anything. His silent judgment was enough.
"I have proof, Gideon," I continued, my voice gaining strength. "I have the bank statements. I have the emails. I know about the 'investments' you made into Elsa's brand. I know about the lavish apartment you bought for her, the one you told me was for 'clients.' I know about the 'surrogate father' role you've been playing with her child, Leo, while you couldn't even bother to acknowledge the life growing inside me."
His jaw dropped, his face paling, then flushing again in a mixture of shame and fury. "You went through my things? You have no right! This is my personal business!" He turned to Alva, desperate. "You! Get out! This is between a husband and wife!"
"A husband and wife?" I scoffed, a bitter, humorless sound. "There is no husband and wife here, Gideon. There hasn't been for a long time. You've been playing house with Elsa, and you've been playing me for a fool."
I looked at Alva, then back at Gideon. "Alva found me on the floor, bleeding out, while you were on stage, holding Elsa's hand. He got me to the hospital, stayed with me, and even bought me soup. You showed up, complained about your ruined night, and went back to her. So no, Gideon. This is not about a husband and wife. This is about a man who betrayed his wife to the point of her nearly dying, and a man who saved her."
Gideon's eyes darted between me and Alva, a sickening realization dawning on him. The carefully constructed façade of his perfect life was crumbling.
"I want a divorce, Gideon," I declared, my voice firm and unwavering. "And this time, I mean it. I want everything. And I will make sure everyone knows exactly what kind of man you are."
His face crumpled, a genuine look of bewilderment and despair replacing his anger. "Dahlia, no! You can't! You don't understand. I... I love you! I do. This is a mistake. We can fix this. Please, don't do this." His pleas sounded hollow, desperate.
I looked at him, my eyes empty. "You don't love me, Gideon. You love the idea of me, the one who supported your ego, cleaned your house, and silently put up with your affairs. You love the reflection of yourself you see when I'm around. But the real me? The one who had dreams, who was in pain, who needed you? You never saw her. You never cared."
He stood there, speechless, his shoulders slumping. He had nothing to say. No more lies, no more excuses.
"Now, get out," I commanded, my voice cold. "And don't come back."
He stared at me for another long moment, a flicker of something in his eyes – regret? Fear? I didn't care. He turned on his heel and stumbled out of the room, leaving the door ajar. The silence that followed was deafening, yet somehow, profoundly peaceful.
I closed my eyes, a single tear escaping, not of sadness, but of immense relief. It was over. The suffocating weight, lifted. I was free. I would mourn my baby, and then I would rebuild.
Alva gently touched my arm. "You were incredibly brave."
I opened my eyes and looked at him, a faint, genuine smile finally touching my lips. "Thank you, Alva. For everything."
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