Teasing Phoenix novel Chapter 41

My body is shaking with fury when I see Gabrielle in my apartment door. Those things she did to my relationship, to Phoenix, and to myself make me want to strike into her, grab her hair, and drag down to the lobby, then kick her to hell.

I don’t know what stops me from doing things like that, perhaps I’m a better person than her? If this only happens before Phoenix is back into my life I already punch her face.

But she is not the bitchy Gabrielle—the insensitive, empathetic, and vicious woman. Right now, she cowers down while Phoenix is grabbing her and growling on her face.

“Let her talk, Phoenix,” I say calmly to Phoenix while rubbing his back. He is losing his temper on her, but I can’t blame him though because we both had suffered a lot in her hands.

“I’m done listening to her, Samantha. She almost ruined our relationship, and now that we are back together, she shows up again, and this time in our doorstep.” He’s breathing heavily, and I can feel him shaking with anger.

“I want to hear whatever she’s going to tell us. I think that will clear the issue, and I want to figure out myself if what she’s saying is true.” I steal a few glances to Gabrielle who’s wrapping her arms around her body—she looks terrified.

“I won’t stay long. I just want to let you know something.”

Phoenix snorts.

“Come in, Gabrielle. Are you sure you are not bringing explosives or a gun with you?” I ask cautiously.

She raises her arms. She has an only a small clutch bag, and I think even a small handgun won’t fit into it.

Once we settled in on my new couch, Phoenix doesn’t waste any moment.

“Why did you say your mother is involved in sending flowers to Samantha?” He doesn’t look pleased with me on letting Gabrielle in, but he respects my decision. He’s still glaring at her most of the time.

“First, talk from the very beginning, Gabrielle. I have all the time to hear them from you,” I say with an unyielding tone.

“I found out Suzanne was sleeping with Henry two months before Phoenix found out that I was cheating on him. Mom let me do it because she wanted me to break up with Phoenix,” she says with a low voice without looking at both of us. I think she feels guilty.

“Why did you listen to her?” I ask quickly.

“She abused me since I was still young—mentally, emotionally, and physically if she wouldn’t be satisfied with what I did. I was so terrified to say no. Dad thought she was the best mother for me because she behaved like a perfect mother role when Dad was around. Dad saw some bruises on my skin when he asked. Suzanne answered it for me—that I fell or, got an accident at school P.E, something like that.”

I hug myself, feeling goosebumps erupt all over my body.

“When I started high school, she controlled the food I ate, I couldn’t drink sodas or eat candies or chocolate, sometimes I still sneaked out and bought and ate them at the store or in the coffee shop. She was toying with me—to dress like this, eat like that, wear like these, and even the guys I dated.”

“What about me?”

My head snaps to Phoenix who’s sitting at my right while Gabrielle is sitting on my left.

“She liked you because your family was rich and famous. She asked me to date you and broke up with my boyfriend in my freshman year. That was how I met you, but it wasn’t like I played with you, Alex. I really loved you, for almost two years everything was real until my mom met your dad. She would blackmail me if I wouldn’t break up with you. I was also brokenhearted when we broke up, I swear to God, I loved you.”

“Dad left my mom when he found out mom was cheating on him. Dad helped me with that apartment and all my bills, but Mom wouldn’t just let me go. She drugged me once and let some...”

Her tears fall like streams from her eyes. Her lips quiver, then she shakes to cry.

I freeze in my seat. Oh, my God!

“S-she. She let them rape me and took a video of me. T-that’s when I was still with Alex. She said she was going to send it to Alex if I would not do what she wanted. That was why I slept with Mark, that day was the first day I slept with him, I swear. I lied to you that I was going to my parents because I knew if I didn’t watch your game after that, you would come to my apartment.”

“So, it was all set up, Gabrielle?” I ask.

She nods, sniffing. I take the tissue box on my right side and offer it to her. I don’t know why I feel bad and just my brain told me to listen. My heart hurts. I don’t know if she is just acting all of these to get our attention, but she looks so broken and lost.

“She still has a copy of that video, but now I lost everything, and I don’t care even if she will spread it all over the internet.” She sniffs again.

“She has lost everything. Henry found out that she was cheating on him. Now that she has nothing but a drug dealer who let her sell drugs, she still holding grudges against your mom, and Sandra.”

Phoenix stiffens at mentioning his sister.

I grab his hand on his lap, squeezing it. How can that evil of a woman know everything about Williams?

“How your mother found out about Sandy?” Phoenix growls.

“She knew since before, but Sandy didn’t want to do with your dad. So, she leaves her alone until she found out that Sam and Sandy are friends.”

“What she wants from me?” I ask annoyingly.

“You are the reason why Phoenix didn’t take me back, duh!”

I chuckle.

“Like I will take you back!” Phoenix snaps.

“I know!” She snaps back.

“How did you know she was the one who sent the fake bomb to Sandy’s apartment?”

“She asks me to befriend with Sandy. She knew Sandy is Williams and Henry left money for her.”

“So, it’s all about money, then?”

“Yes, Sherlock!”

“Stop being sarcastic, Gabrielle! You are in my building remember!” Phoenix warns her.

“Where is she now?”

“She left her old apartment since I succeed with the last assignment she gave me. I didn’t meet her last week when I refused to do what she asked me to.”

“Why are you telling us all these things, Gabrielle?” Phoenix asks and watches Gabrielle like a hawk.

“I want to do the right thing. I don’t know why I feel guilty these days that’s why I come here. I found out that she was not my birth mother.”

I gasp.

She snorts, “Yeah. Life is a bitch. After all those things I did, I found out she isn’t my real mother. No wonder she did what she did to me. My dad is an idiot too. He was afraid that I would hate him if I found out my mom was a drug addict,” She explains with all the pain in her voice.

“I’m so sorry, Gabrielle,” that’s all I can say because I am still too shocked to what I learned about her life.

Phoenix begins placing the pot with half full of water to the stove. He suggested to cook us a cheese Manicotti with fresh tomato sauce. I start chopping the red tomatoes into small pieces when I feel his gaze on me.

I stop and look at him. “What? Don’t you have other things to do?”