“I don’t care what they say, Jasmine. This isn’t your fault.” Gabriel’s voice was firm, but his jaw clenched in restrained anger. His presence, usually comforting, felt like a shield against the chaos surrounding us.
I shook my head, my voice hoarse from hours of crying. “You don’t get it, Gabriel. Everyone at work is looking at me like I’m some kind of monster. Parents at Lily’s school are whispering behind my back. And those headlines—” I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. “They’re calling me a gold-digger who seduced you for money.”
He took a step closer, his hand grazing my arm. “Let them talk. They don’t know you.”
“I’m not sure that matters anymore.” I pulled away, pacing the length of my living room. Lily was with Gabriel’s housekeeper, and the silence in
