He Traded My Trauma for Her Redemption - Chapter 40: Chapter 40

His so-called change of heart only made me feel sick. Without even looking back, I turned and walked away.
"I'm not in the habit of collecting secondhand trash. Oh wait—actually, by now, you're third-hand."
David lunged after me, but the security guards downstairs arrived just in time to block his way.
By the time I reached the research institute, I was a few minutes late.
I apologized, but no one seemed to mind.
When they heard that someone had tried to stop me outside, they immediately started offering suggestions.
Gabriel frowned, "Looks like security in your building is terrible. Any random stray can get in. I'll take you to move tomorrow so that those unrelated people don't come and harass you."
Just as I was about to respond, a familiar voice rang out behind me.
"I'm her husband! How am I an unrelated person?!"
David stood there, furious, his eyes locked onto Gabriel.
"So this is why you left me and our child? For this pretty boy?"
Gabriel’s expression turned ice-cold. He dismissed our colleagues before turning to face David.
"Show some respect!"
David’s rage only flared hotter.
"You seduced my wife and you have the nerve to tell me to show some respect?"
Gabriel let out a sharp laugh, "Your wife? Do you have a marriage certificate to prove that?"
David didn’t back down, "We lived together for ten years. I've seen every inch of her. Isn’t that enough? Let me educate you, pretty boy. It’s called a common-law marriage. Our relationship isn’t something a mere piece of paper can define."
His crude words made me feel utterly humiliated.
Yes, those ten years were real.
When I mentioned them to Gabriel or anyone else, it was just a passing phrase. But now, David had torn away the last shred of dignity I had left, exposing my most painful past in front of everyone.
Yet Gabriel didn’t look at me with pity or disgust. Instead, he stepped in front of me, shielding me completely from David’s gaze.
"Oh? Then I suppose that makes you a bigamist. Because last I checked, you’re still legally married to Yvonne, aren’t you?"
David's mouth opened, but no words came out.
Gabriel continued, his tone unhurried but cutting, "And just to clarify, I wasn’t telling you to respect me—I was telling you to respect Miss Nadine Xander."
"Is this how you always treat her? Humiliating her in front of others? And you still have the nerve to call her your wife? I bet you treat your household staff with more respect than you’ve ever given her."
I froze.
Looking at Gabriel's broad shoulders standing protectively in front of me, something inside me stirred.
David stammered, struggling to find words. In the end, all he could manage was a weak, "I’ll change. I’ll treat Nadine well from now on."
I stepped forward and spoke clearly.
"But I don’t want to. David, I’ve already wasted ten years of my life on you. I won’t waste another second."
David swayed on his feet.
"I know. But, Nadine, you have to give me a chance to make things right. Just like I gave you one."
I frowned. "What do you mean, you gave me a chance?"
David stared at me, his expression unreadable.
"You ran away on our wedding day. If Yvonne hadn’t stepped in, I would’ve been the laughingstock of the entire city."
I frowned deeper, trying to make sense of his words.
Before I could speak, Gabriel cut in, "You grew up with her. Do you really not know what kind of person she is? She gave up a career-defining research project just to come back and find you. She was even locked in her parents’ basement for a month because of it. If you really want to know who set you up that day—why don’t you go back and find out?"