The Invisible Wife-Dump Him for $18.80

Chapter 7

"I, Gabriel Whitmore, promise again to the world that I'll devote my entire life to Serena Sterling," Gabriel declared passionately, pulling a massive diamond ring from his pocket and reaching for Serena's finger.

"Serena, I, " He was abruptly cut off by a booming chorus of boos.

Gabriel and Serena froze, stunned, as the crowd's previously adoring gazes turned to icy disdain.

"Oh my God, Gabriel's already married!"

"So this whole thing with Serena was just a publicity stunt? He's been parading around with her while he's got a wife?"

"Doesn't that make Serena the other woman?"

What was once a warm spotlight now felt like a barrage of merciless daggers aimed directly at them.

Gabriel's agent rushed on stage, whispering urgently in his ear. The words hit like a bombshell: someone had leaked his marriage to Alexandra "Lexa" Hawthorne online.

It was over.

Gabriel and Serena stood frozen, their faces drained of color, as the jeers and insults rained down. Cameras caught every second of their shock and disbelief.

Watching Gabriel's face go ashen, I couldn't help but smile.

I had once loved him so deeply that I swallowed every ounce of pain, letting his betrayals scar me in silence. I couldn't bear to see him fall before.

But that love? It was long gone. The humiliation, the neglect I endured, it all needed to be repaid. In full.

Gabriel, how's my little gift?

The live broadcast cut off abruptly. Gabriel and Serena fled the stage like criminals, humiliated and shamed.

I turned off the TV, silenced my phone, and slept soundly for the first time in years.

For Gabriel and Serena, though, it was just the beginning of a sleepless, hellish night.

The next morning, my doorbell rang incessantly. When I opened it, there stood Gabriel, his face haggard, his eyes bloodshot, like he'd aged ten years overnight.

"Lexa! Why did you do this?" he yelled, his voice cracked, his hair streaked with gray as if the weight of the world had fallen on him in a single night.

I met his glare coolly. "Did I lie? Didn't you already have a wife?"

Gabriel's eyes flared with fury. "But why the media? I told you, just one more year. You could've waited a little longer, damn it!"

He still didn't get it.

I let out a bitter laugh. "The first year, you told me to wait while you and Serena basked in the fan hype. The second year, you promised you'd turn those fans into solo supporters. So I waited. And waited. But then you went and planned a wedding with her."

"What's the difference between that and being married? You gave her everything, while I, your actual wife, got nothing."

Gabriel's lips trembled. "You're just jealous of Serena, aren't you?"

I sneered, cutting him off. "Jealous? Gabriel, do you even realize how close you came to killing someone? You tore apart everything Serena and I built with your bitterness."

He pushed harder, desperation taking over. "Serena's depression came back because of all the online hate. She overdosed on sleeping pills last night. She's being called a homewrecker, and it's getting worse. This could kill her!"

His frantic words were like daggers, each one deeper than the last. I wanted to scream, but I held it together.

Finally, I raised a hand, halting his rant. "Gabriel, shut up."

He fell silent as I turned, pulled something from a drawer, and tossed the papers into his hands.

"What's this? More proof of your spite?" he snapped, but his voice faltered when he glanced down at the papers.

His face went pale as the reality of the situation sank in.

"While you've been busy worrying about Serena's depression, did you ever stop to notice your wife was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder?" My voice was steady, though my hands trembled. "Did you ever notice me trembling, crying myself to sleep every damn night?"

The weight of those years, of being invisible to him, crashed down on me. My voice cracked, and a tear slipped down my cheek.

Gabriel's hands shook as he gripped the papers. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I scoffed, the bitterness bitterer than anything I'd ever felt. "I left those medical reports right on the bedside table for a week. Did you even bother to look?"

I had tried before, tried to share my struggles. His response? "If you're sick, get treated."

But when Serena had cramps, Gabriel would wake up in the middle of the night to care for her. Me? I had learned to suffer in silence.

Wiping my tears away, I looked him dead in the eyes. "So, Gabriel, was this the love you promised me? The one where you'd take care of me for life?"

His face crumpled, pale and stricken. There was a long silence before he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Then, without another word, he turned and ran out, slamming the door behind him.