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Chapter Forty Four
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Forty Five
Gabriel The next day I know it's considered rude to stare at someone for so long but I can't help myself. I've been staring at Arian for the past ten minutes without her noticing as she's busy talking animatedly to Kary at the breakfast table. My breakfast is right in front of me but I can't seem to look away from her, long enough to eat and I have to get going soon due to traffic and all that.I let out a sigh, almost wishing my fairy godmother can appear to change everything in my life; I'd never meet Lucille and Arian would be my wife and the mother of my children. Two boys and two girls - they don't have to be twins - my boys would look like me and my girls like her. "Mr Cruz!" Arian's loud voice jolts me out of my thoughts, startling me but I quickly compose myself and flash her a smile."You were saying something?" I ask."Aren't you hungry?" She inquires."I am. Why do you ask?" I pick up my fork."You've barely touched your food." She jerks her head in the direction of the
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Forty Six
ArianI've never gone shopping for myself before and I wouldn't really classify buying toiletries as shopping but it's fun to scour the aisles in the supermarket, staring at the skincare products on the shelves, snacks and whatnot. I'm tempted to also buy some skincare products but I don't want to spend past the budget I'd set for myself."That'd look good on your skin." A sales attendant sidles up to me as I keep staring at a particular product. I jump and turn to look at the attendant. It's a girl and she has this look in her eyes that I don't like. Maybe she thinks I am not capable of buying the product since the price on it is ridiculous but from the way female customers are walking over here to grab one or two for themselves - it's probably a good product."Uh... I guess." I reach out to take the bottle and quickly peruse it to see the ingredients that were used in making it and I shrug carelessly, deciding to buy it just to get the girl away from me. "Thank you." I turn to walk
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Forty Seven
Gabriel "The number you're trying to call is unavailable at the moment..." I yank the earbud out of my ear and toss it on the passenger seat. I'm on my way home to see Arian since she refused to pick my calls or talk to me when I told Theresa to give her the phone. I should be in the hospital with my family, waiting for my brother to wake up but I'm currently more concerned about Arian's state of mind.Theresa had called me earlier to tell me what went down between Arian and Penelope. I still find it hard to believe that quiet-as-a-mouse Penelope had spoken to Arian like that without being provoked and then she'd walked out on them even as Theresa called her back."Guess you don't really know someone until you know them." I mutter. I fully intend to take this matter up with Penelope much later and I'll make her apologize to Arian for being so rude and insensitive. I make it home a few minutes before twelve and pull up in front of the house, shut off the engine and get out of the ca
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Forty Eight
Gabriel "What do you think, Gabs?" I ask my sister. "Should we postpone the event?" Gabi looks around at the faces sitting at the table then back to me. The Laptop launch is Cruz Tech's long awaited project because it focuses on helping disabled and normal people make their lives easier. It comes with its own antivirus which can't be downloaded anywhere, its own AI, an outrageous storage space, HD camera, outstanding operating system and many more perks. Unlike Sky Tech's design, we made the laptop a whole lot lighter to carry around and its screen is one that cannot break easily and a Find my device feature to trace the laptop if it gets lost or stolen. It wouldn't be wise to postpone the event after such a long time and I really want us to get the whole thing over with. "It'll go on as planned." Gabi finally speaks up. "Let's just get the whole thing over with." "My thoughts exactly." I nod. "We'll celebrate the success of the event with an after-party where I'll tell everyone
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Forty Nine
Arian Mr Cruz is oddly quiet. He's been that way since he got back from work earlier today and even Kareena noticed that all is not well with her father. I watch him as he plays with his food, a thoughtful expression on his face and I wonder just what is running through his mind at the moment. "Have you finished working on your speech, daddy?" Kary taps him gently to get his attention. "I'm not going to give a speech anymore." He replies. "Your aunt will do it." "Are you okay daddy?" She looks concerned. "Did you get into a fight with anyone?" "No. I'm fine sweetheart. I just have a lot on my mind." He smiles to reassure her. "It's a lot if you can't even eat your food." She says. "I'm a good listener too." "Let me process my thoughts and I'll let you in on them." He says. "Do you promise?" She lifts her pinky. He looks down at her pinky with uncertainty and it is the first time I've seen him hesitate to make a promise to her. It's probably something he didn't want her to kno
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Fifty
Gabriel Three days later "Daddy, come on or we're going to be late!" Kary calls out to me from downstairs. "Just give me a minute!" I call back, chuckling. She's so damn excited about the inter house sports competition today and wanted us to leave as early as five am this morning but Arian was able to calm her down enough to get her to eat breakfast then she was back at it again. "Sixty... Fifty nine... Fifty eight..." She starts counting and I burst out laughing. "Let your father be, Kary. It's still very early." Arian says. "Six thirty am." "I don't want us to get there late." She whines. "We won't." Arian assures her. In Spite of everything my parents and Gabi said about Arian, I'm very happy that she's here in my house taking care of my daughter. It's because of her that I'm not stressed out about how to take care of Kareena, given my hectic schedule at work but now that we've gotten the launch out of the way and it was a smashing success... It's a lesser workload for
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Fifty One
Arian They say you don't value what you have until you lose it. That is very true. Watching Mr Cruz dancing with his daughter to the song blaring from the speakers in the living room makes me imagine what my life would have been like if my adoptive parents had let me marry someone that I loved. If they'd not forced me to marry Rafael. Threatened to kill me if I ever thought of running away again - Rafael had told them about my escape that first time and they'd come to pay me a visit. I'd begged them to take me away from there and I was naive enough to think that they cared about me but I soon realized that they never cared when Fernando grabbed me by my hair and threatened to cut me from limb to limb if I ever put their lives in danger by running away. That was the day I knew that I was truly alone in this world. Seeing Mr Cruz now, grinning down at his daughter with his love for her shining in his eyes... I'm suddenly very pissed off that his wife doesn't care about him or her
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Fifty Two
Gabriel I'm playing a game with myself that I know I'm not going to win. I'm starting to care more about Arian than is necessary and I don't think it'll end well for me but right now, sharing her bed with her head resting on my chest and my arm wrapped around her protectively, I don't care about the consequences. Mom and I had that talk - the one she'd told me about yesterday. I'd not liked it one bit. She wants me to get rid of Arian and employ someone else because she believes that Arian seems like an unstable woman. I told her Arian is just suffering from some traumatic events she'd witnessed in her life but she refused to listen to me and I felt like I'd heard more than enough from her and to avoid our argument from escalating, I said my goodbyes and left the hospital. Kary loves Arian, scars and all and I know Arian loves her just as much. She does everything and beyond what a nanny should do and her presence here has made Lucille's absence go unnoticed which is what I've
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Never Say Goodbye    Epilogue
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Eighty Three
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Eighty Two
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Eighty One
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Eighty
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Seventy Nine
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Seventy Eight
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Seventy Seven
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
Never Say Goodbye    Chapter Seventy Six
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
