His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 66 I wish there was something more to hold on to, something that hinted that all of this was wrong. But right now, all I had is divorce papers signed by Gabriel, and his call being picked up by Lily.

The best ofwanted to consider the most optimistic scenario, like he was kidnapped by her and she was an evil plotting witch doing all this, but the likelihood of that happening was almost zero. He lied toby himself. No pressure, no influence. One call from her and he ran back hleavingalone in my hometown after being persistent for all the previous days that he didn't want to leavealone.

He hed. Every day, he called me, and I asked where he was and what he was doing, and he toldhe was at work, rearling through a file or two Sometimes, he was heading towards a meeting When I asked him what the urgent work was because of which he had to leave, he toldit was in progress and he'll tellonce he sees it through.

He left every morning and cback here every night. Alone. I think. I hope. That's not a man who's been kidnapped and being forced to he toHeck, he even lied to Zach to not meet him.

1 kept telling myself to take deep breaths and keep faith, but things didn't look too optimistic.

Lama didn't leave my side. I think she was scared that she'd leave the room and I would jump through the window to escape. or something, but on the contrary. I had climbed into bed and crossed my legs, opening my laptop in front of me.

1 searched up my husband's non google, and all of the latest articles involved talking about his forthcoming expansion to the UK, except one.

One teeny, tiny article by a news channel whose nI hadn't even heard spoke about our marriage and it being in trouble. I clicked on it, and sure enough, there were pictures of Gabriel and Lily sitting in a cafe, dated just yesterday.

I tried not to let the hollow feeling in my chest returt, the stabbing sensation, the betrayal, the urge to curl up in a ball and cry and never get up, I wanted to be held and just cry, but the person I wanted to be held by was the reason I wanted to be held in the first place.

I had eaten nothing since morning, yet my stomach churned. The nausea I couldn't control anymore, and I ran into the bathroom, throwing up nothing but the little liquids I had had.

Luna followedinside, patting my back, and then leaving to getjuice and sfruits, but the thought of eating anything at all just madewant to slouch on the bathroom floor and throw up forever I felt sick and dizzy remembering the picture opened on my laptop.

I couldn't shake off the memory of Gabriel's hand reaching out to Lily's across the table, holding it.

There was nothing called innocent lies to your wife to meet your ex and hold her hand in a restaurant. There wasn't anything innocent about this situation, no matter how much I tried to look at it from a different point of view.

Getting back to the bed and sitting on the very edge. I dialled Gabriel again I wanted to bite my fingernails off in anticipation but when I was convinced that he wouldn't pick up, he did.

"Hello" I asked, the silence on the other end being so heavy, I felt it weighing on my chest "Hi" The voice was Gabriels. It sounded patchy and rasp Maybe the phone was on speaker. Maybe he actually had just woken up next to Lily "Cabral 1 gulped "What is going on? What is all this? Where are your There was a sigh just a sigh He sighed Tears filled my eyes again. Gabriel, where are you?" "Lily" "Lily, what?" I asked, and silence filled the space between us again. Tears fell. "Oh." Realisation struck. “You're at her house?" Silence again.

"Can you chere once?" I ask, beg, really. "Chere and tellthat it's over and I'll go.

Silence again.

"Gabriel?" My voice sounds nothing more than a broken whisper and I sob.

No answer comes, and I nod to myself in a silent acceptance. "Okay. Goodbye, Gabriel" "Goodbye" His voice was toneless, emotionless, cold, distant, patchy, raspier, denser... I was running out of objectives as I played the three words he toldin a loop, again and again. Maybe I was overthinking it to no limit, but it felt like the man I was talking to didn't love me. He never loved me. He never cared for me. He sounded like he was doing a formality because he was in love with someone else, most probably because he was "What..... What happened?" Luna's eyes widened as she entered clutching the plate of fruits and juice in her quivering hands.

"He doesn't want me, Luna," I sob, displaying the disconnected call in a dismissive way. "He toldhimself." "Oh no. She mumbled, leaving the food aside and sat next to me, huggingsideways. I sobbed in her arms quietly, desperate to be held by my grandfather or Gabriel, the reality that neither of them were possible eating at me.

It quite literally felt like the ground was snatched underneath my feet. Like I was falling in an abyss and this tI knew for sure there was no one to catch me.

Luna holdsfor stand I let her mumble countless apologies and curses under her breath until one of them finally makechuckle. I was officially out of tears, and I make a silent vow to not cry any more. At least not for the next year or so, because I had finished the quota of a lifetin just the past ten days, losing not one but two men I loved. Losing all my family in every sense.

I get up, looking at the papers lying in front of me. Divorce papers.

With shaking hands, I sign my nwherever necessary, and leave it on the bed for him to find it first thing whenever he returns, with her on his arm probably.

"I'll miss you, Luna," I tell her, giving her a hug.

"Miss me?" "You don't think I'll be staying here now that I'm divorced to Gabriel, do you?" I remind her.

"No. I didn't think that." She tells me, "I meant, I'm coming with you. Wherever you go." My lips part. "W- What?"

"If this is all true, I don't want to serve Lily. Gabriel Sir can find another girl needs." to tend to her highness r Sarcasm drips from her voice, "You're my lady. I'm coming with you."

"I can't you can't do that, Luna," I reply, holding her hands in mine. "I can't pay you. I don't even knowm don't even known where ham going yet, and I will have En.

to search for a job. I don't know how long it would be before I get a job, and even then, I can't afford to pay you "Did I ask you for money?" She says, and my cheeks flush. Her hands press mine in reassurance. "I will get a job too. And

before you say anything I will change my number, and I will not talk to Peter. My loyalties are who happened to be a bigger... inconvenience, than I expected Her inability to curse my former employ with you, not Gabriel because of how fond she really was of him makesgiggle. "Luna" My eyes soften so much. I think they're going to sink back in their sockets. "Are you absolutely sure?" "Yes." She replies, grabbing my suit case from the bag. "Where to I offer her a small, sad smile, because that's the best I can do. "Asaway from here as I can get."