THE DISGRACED HUSBAND IS A BILLIONAIRE

14: GUILT

George opened his mouth to respond, but Selene ignored him. Without another word, she left the kitchen, carrying Gabriel with her, leaving George standing there, helpless and guilty.

Then the click of the living room door signaled for another presence. Silvestry appeared, leaning casually against the doorway of the kitchen, a self-satisfied smirk flash on his face.

“Well, well,” he said, his voice dripping with smugness.

"Looks like someone finally found a way to irritate both of them at once.” His gaze swept over to George, lingering on the mixture of guilt and frustration written across his face.

"What now Silvestry?" George asked with irritation in his voices.

“Maybe it’s time for you to stopped playing it safe and showed some… initiative. Stop hiding behind excuses, and actually impress the mother and son for once.”

George bristled, jaw tightening. “Excuse me?”

Silvestry chuckled, tilting his head. “I said… show them you’re not just a bystander. Take responsibility. Or keep standing there looking like a fool. Your choice.”

Selene reentered the room then, holding Gabriel close. Her eyes flicked to Silvestry, sharp and cold, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, his grin widened, as though he had just stirred the pot on purpose.

Gabriel, still clinging to his mother, glanced at George, then back at Silvestry. A small spark of defiance gleamed in his eyes. The tension in the room thickened with anger and guilt.

Gabriel tightened his small fists around Selene’s arm, his gaze darting between his mother and George. He didn’t trust George anymore... not after what had happened, eight years ago.. Not after he returned, after the accident he planned. His little heart thumped angrily in his chest.

“Mom…” he muttered, his voice shaky but firm.

Selene looked down at him, her hand still bandaged. “Yes, love?”

“I don’t… I don’t want him here,” Gabriel said, his words clipped, eyes flashing with stubbornness. “He scares me.”

Selene sighed, brushing a strand of wet hair from her son’s face. “I know, sweetie. I know. But we have to...”

“Mom!” Gabriel interrupted, his voice rising. “He almost hurt you! He can’t stay!”

Selene froze, realizing her son’s fear had turned into something stronger, anger. She hugged him tighter, trying to calm both of them. “I know, Gabriel. I promise I’ll protect you. But yelling won’t help either of us right now.”

George, standing stiffly near the counter, swallowed hard. “I… I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” he said, in a low voice, almost pleading.

“You didn’t mean?” Selene’s voice rose sharply.

“You were reckless, George! You barged in while I was trying to help him, and now my hand...” She gestured to the bloodied towel. “...my hand is cut, and Gabriel’s scared of you!”

Silvestry leaned against the doorway again, smirking as he watched the storm unfold. “Ah… now this is entertainment,” he murmured, almost to himself.

Then louder, Silvestry intentionally says, “You know, George… you really should start showing a little courage. Or at least a little respect. If you want them to take you seriously, this is your chance to prove it.”

George’s jaw clenched, and he stepped forward, anger and shame mixing in his eyes.

“Silvestry… don’t,” he warned.

Silvestry’s grin widened.

“Or what? I’ll keep saying the truth. You’re standing here like a wet noodle while everyone else deals with the consequences of your carelessness. Step up. Prove that you’re not invisible.”

Gabriel’s tears had stopped, but his little body stiffened as he glared at George.

“Leave us alone! I don’t want you near me! I don’t want you near to my Mom!”

Those were the most hurtful words, coming from his own son. George could barely breathe, he was like a snail clinging to a rock but caught in the cold so he stayed there because the ice was spreading so quickly.

George bowed and pleaded with his son.

"Gab.. I am your father... You know I didn't do anything wrong. Just tell your Mom that it was an accident."

Selene’s anger flared alongside her son’s. The boy didn't say anything.

“George! Do you hear him? He doesn’t trust you right now, and I don’t either!”

George opened his mouth, but Silvestry interrupted, “See? This is why people respect action over words. Words won’t fix this, George. Only proof. Show them. Or… keep failing.”

The words hit harder than George expected. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of guilt, frustration, and helplessness crushed him.

Selene’s sharp gaze didn’t leave him, and Gabriel’s small hand gripped hers tightly, and Silvestry? He was the observer who watched like a predator, enjoying the chaos he had partly orchestrated.

The air seemed to hum with unspoken challenges, simmering resentment, and the promise that the next move would either heal or deepen further the fracture of their family’s fragile harmony.

Gabriel buried his face in Selene’s shoulder, muttering, “I hate him.”

Selene kissed the forehead of her son, whispering, “I know, love. I know… but we’ll figure this out. I promise.”

Silvestry’s smirk lingered, his words hanging in the air like a knife. "Oh… I hope this is the ending," he murmured, almost to himself, before stepping back into the shadowed hallway, leaving the tension to crackle between mother, son, and father.

George stood frozen, unsure whether to approach, apologize, or retreat.

Gabriel peeked over Selene’s shoulder, his little mind already turning. His anger toward his father hadn’t faded... it had sharpened, honed like a blade. And now he had an idea.

“Mom,” he whispered, voice small but insistent. “I want him… gone.”