The next morning, she was awakened by Sebastian’s call. Without even glancing at the screen, she answered, only recognizing his voice when he spoke sharply.
"Are you out all night? If you don’t want to stay at home, then divorce me."
Abigail’s voice was cold and even. "I’ll be back soon."
His words hung in the air, but it was her icy tone that left him speechless. He wanted to say something, but she had already hung up. His frustration grew, though he couldn’t pinpoint where it stemmed from.
After hanging up, Abigail checked out of the hotel and made her way back to the villa.
When she returned, she found Sebastian and Gabriella having breakfast together. Without a word, she headed upstairs, her silence heavy in the air.
As she reached the staircase, Sebastian called out, "Abigail, where are you going? Don’t run off. Wash the dishes."
Abigail lowered her head and let out a bitter laugh at herself. He truly saw her as nothing more than a nanny.
She was done arguing with him, so she simply nodded and headed to the kitchen to clean up the dishes.
Afterward, she made her way to the flower room to put away the pot of flowers, intending to take it later. But as soon as she reached the door, her gaze fell on Gabriella, who was holding the pot of ashes.
A sharp, ringing sensation filled her head, and her voice shot out before she could stop it: "Put it down!"
The command startled Gabriella, making her flinch. Immediately, Sebastian frowned, his voice sharp with irritation. "It's just a flowerpot. You scared Gabriella."
Abigail ignored his words. She didn’t care what he said. Her only focus was getting the pot back.
She walked toward Gabriella, reaching out to grab it, but Gabriella, sensing her urgency, pretended to accidentally let go of the pot.
The pot hit the ground with a sickening thud, shattering into pieces. Brown soil, black ashes, and white ceramic fragments spilled across the floor.
For a moment, the flower room seemed to fall into silence, the world frozen. Abigail stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Rage began to burn in her chest. She clenched her fist, and without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped Gabriella across the face.
A sharp crack echoed in the greenhouse, and Gabriella staggered back, her hand flying to her cheek, stunned and disbelieving.