Chapter 14 Its okay . I take his hand in mine and lift it to kiss his fingertips . We can work out this dating thing together . I smile softly . I cant marry you . Well , we just got together . I chuckle . Who knows what will happen ? I know . His jaw ticks as it clenches , his eyes hold mine . I am to marry an Italian girl . What ? I drop his hand . My heritage is very important to me . It is expected that I deliver a strong bloodline ; my childrens first language to be Italian . He thinks for a moment before adding , I need an Italian wife . I step back from him , the sting from his words cuts like a knife . Im sorry , he murmurs . I … He pauses . There is no excuse for my selfishness last night . Its the twenty first century , Gabriel . Why would you think that you need to marry an Italian ? I snap as my anger rears her ugly head . Because I want to , Violet , he snaps . Because I want to . His silhouette blurs . So … last night … I screw up my face in tears . Meant nothing ? . It meant everything , he whispers , his nostrils flare . It was a gift that we gave to ourselves . One that I will hold dear forever . He pushes the hair back from my forehead . You will never be forgotten . And I feel it coming , the pain , like a tidal wave , as my heart shatters into a million pieces . I turn and march up the hall to the bedroom . I rush into the bathroom and see my clothes folded neatly on the chair , and I put my hands over my mouth and sob . When he folded these … he knew . The Perfect Husbands Secret 21.5 % Chapter He knew that we never stood a chance , all along . thought resigning had given us a solution to our problem , but I had no idea what was really going on in his head . He doesnt care at all , he never did . Im such a lovesick fool . Ijust need to get the hell away from him . I throw on my dress and shoes and rattle through my handbag for a pair of sunglasses . I put them on and walk back out . His eyes hold mine . Violet … he whispers as he reaches for me . Dont fucking touch me , I whisper . I march to the elevator and push the button . He stands quietly behind me , unsure if Im about to take a swing at him . The elevator doors open and we ride to the basement in silence . With my dark glasses on he cant see my tears , but the lump in my throat hurts so bad as I try to hold them in . Once in the basement parking lot , he strides in front , and I follow him as pieces of my heart drop onto the concrete like confetti . He gets to a black fancy car and the lights flash twice as he pushes the button . I dont even know what kind of car it is , only that its cold . Like him . We drive to my place in silence , and I pray to god that hes going to change his mind once we get there . The Perfect Husbands Secret 21.6 % apter How could he not , we are meant to be together . He pulls the car to the curb outside my building , and we sit in silence . Violet … he whispers . Dont hate me . I close my eyes , verging on a full meltdown . Goodbye , Gabriel . Goodbye , he whispers . I cant even see him through the tears , but I know I need to get the hell out of this car before I start to beg for his love . I would give anything … get out and slam the door and as I walk up the steps , I hear his sports car roar up the road , he didnt even wait until I got inside . I sob my way through the foyer and into the elevator . After the best night of my life came the worst day in history . Hes gone . The mover loads the last box onto the truck and pulls the door down . Thats the last of it . Ill see you in Greenville tomorrow ? he says . I step back from the truck . Drive safe . I watch on as the truck pulls out into the traffic and I look up the road . Hes not coming . Its been seven days since Gabriel dropped me home , and for some reason , I thought hed come back . In the back of my mind I hoped that it was going to be a fairy tale romance , where the hero comes back at the last second to declare his love . But hes not . Hes in Italy , he flew out the night after we were together . The Perfect Husbands Secret 21.7 % Tapter At know this because I checked his email that confirmed the flight . The next day he changed the passwords to everything , pushing the finality of our situation home . I get a vision of him in Italy with all of those beautiful Italian women and my heart twists , hes probably looking for his future wife right now … thats if he doesnt already know who it is . Of course he knows , shes not me . I drag myself back up to my apartment to start the final cleanup . Im staying in a hotel tonight and fly out first thing in the morning . I cant cry anymore , there are no tears left . My heart is an empty vessel , broken beyond repair . And the worst part is that I miss him . I miss him so bad that I can hardly breathe . And I want to hate him , but I cant even do that right . I look around my apartment and there are a few odds and ends on the floor , my red clutch purse is sitting on the counter , the mover found it under the cushion on my lounge when they were moving it . I walk over and throw it into my suitcase . Ive packed a bag of clothes to get me through the next few days . It clunks as it hits the side , whats in there thats hard ? I pick it up and look inside to see the black box with silk ribbon . Gabriels pen . With all the heartbreaking , I completely forgot all about this . I quickly undo the ribbon . Maybe he had it engraved . I open the box and frown , theres another felt box . I open that and gasp , I take it out and my eyes widen , its a diamond tennis bracelet . He bought me a diamond . Not one diamond , but an entire bracelet . His words come back to me : Ill only ever buy a diamond for someone I love . What ? I whisper . The hell ? Theres a small card underneath and I take it out of the envelope . The Perfect Husbands Secret 21.8 % my Violet , Forever yours . Gabriel XO 1 screw up my face in tears as I hold the bracelet to my chest , he loved me . In his own messed up way , he loved me . Six weeks later . Greenville is new , different to New York . Ive met a few people and have taken my time unpacking , trying to find a new normal . I still suffer from my affliction ; I miss him every day . I havent spoken a word to Gabriel Ferrara , he never called , and I couldnt bring myself to falk to him now , even if I wanted to . He broke something between us that cant be repaired . I wear my diamond bracelet all the time , I will never take it off . It is my most prized possession , and as messed up as it is , knowing that he did care makeş me feel a little better . I hope he suffers too . I sit on the side of my bathtub and stare at the stick in my hand . Please be negative , please be negative . Im late , and I shouldnt be because I was on the pill . With my heart in my throat , I watch as two lines light up , and I put my hand over my 3 The Perfect Husbands Secret 21.9 % apter mouth in shock . No … it cant be . I do another test and get the same result . Oh my god … no , this cant be happening . How ? I was on the pill . My mind rolls over the last few months . Oh … the antibiotics for my sore throat , was that it ? It has to be . Gabriels words from that morning come back to me , loud and clear . It was a gift that we gave to ourselves . Did he know ? put my hand over my stomach and look down at myself … a baby . What the …. Im having his baby . ♡ ( 0 ) ( 0 ) Th Title: Assigned A Billionaire Husband By The Nation In CrushReel's ongoing romance novel, "Assigned A Billionaire Husband By The Nation," a young woman finds herself without a home after a heart-wrenching breakup with her boyfriend of four years. 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