Chapter 31
“Gale woke up from his coma about a month after you left. Then, as soon as he was able, he came looking for you. He also came to me, but I just tell him if you left for good.
“His mother didn’t help either,” Louise continued. “She told him to move on and focus on rebuilding his life. And then there was the revelation about Gritte.”
Louise‘ s expression darkened. “He
found out that she was the one who caused
the accident. She admitted that she had intended to kill you. That knowledge hit him hard, Rachel. He was filled with guilt, blaming himself for putting you in harm’s way.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling over me.
Louise went on, “He threw himself into his work, determined to fix the mess his
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family was in. Eventually, his father gave him another chance, reinstating him as CEO after seeing how much effort he was putting in. But just as things started to improve, his mother’s health took a turn for the worse.”
“So, she was sick?” I asked, shocked.
Louise nodded sadly. “She had uterine cancer. She kept it hidden from everyone, including Gale, until it was too late.
By the time it reached the final stage last month, there was nothing anyone could do.” he trailed off, his voice breaking.
“I see.”
After that, the journey became quiet again, until finally we had finally reached our destination.
As the car pulled into the cemetery, I could not help but notice how much had changed within the Douglas family.
Once exuding strength and power,
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appeared a shadow of their former selves, still standing, but undeniably weathered by time and tragedy.
When they saw me, their faces registered a
mix of surprise and something akin to quiet resignation.
There were no words exchanged, no gestures of acknowledgment. I stayed close to Louise and Hazel, determined to avoid causing any unnecessary trouble.
But it did not take long for Gale to notice
- me.
His attention, which had been focused elsewhere, suddenly shifted.
His gaze lingered first on my face, then moved downward to my stomach, where the unmistakable curve of my twin pregnancy was visible.
For a moment, his expression betrayed shock, but it quickly shifted to quiet
understanding as he took in the ring on my finger and the man standing protectively
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beside me, Andrea.
It seemed that in that instant, Gale grasped how much I had changed since I left
Providence. The life he had once shared
with me was no longer his to reclaim.
**
After the service ended, I was ready to leave, but Gale approached me before I could step away.
“Rachel,” he said, his tone softer than I had ever heard it. “Could we talk for a
moment?”
I hesitated, glancing at Andrea. He gave me a gentle nod. “It’s better to finish
what’s left unsaid, so there’s no weight left on your heart,” he said with quiet
encouragement.
Taking a deep breath, I agreed and followed Gale to a quieter corner of the
cemetery.
To my surprise, he did not bring up guilt or
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try to convince me to return. Instead, he seemed resigned, perhaps finally at peace with the reality of our separation.
“Thank you for coming, Rachel,” he began, his voice steady but laced with emotion. “It means a lot. And I’m glad to see that you‘ re happy now.”
His words caught me off guard, but I kept my composure. “I’m sorry for your loss, Gale. I truly hope you can find the strength to move forward. And I hope you’ll find your happiness too.”
We stood in silence for a moment, the finality of our goodbye settling between us.
“Take care, Rachel,” he said quietly.
“You too, Gale,” I replied, turning to walk
away.
