Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 165: Tell Me How To Fix This

Clairessa's POV

My voice cut through the room, stopping Gabriel in his tracks.

"No... I didn't," I choked out, my chest tightening, hands trembling at my sides.

"This was a stupid plan. One I never should've gone through with—”

He turned around slowly to face me-but I kept going.

“But don't stand there acting like you're innocent. You cheated on me, remember?"

His eyes darkened, pain flashing before it drowned in fury.

"Don't you fucking-" He stepped forward, his voice tight with rage.

"Liar," I spat, stepping into the fire between us. "I walked in on you and Nicole. Naked. In your bed. Don't stand there pretending you ever gave a damn about me... about us."

"I was drunk, Clairessa!" he exploded. "I didn't even know how I got home! Nicole told me I kept calling your name all night-like a pathetic mess. Over and over again. She didn't touch me. Nothing happened."

I shook my head, unable to erase the image burned into my memory. "You expect me to believe that? That you just conveniently ended up naked in bed with her by accident?"

"I don't give a damn what you believe," he growled. "I know the truth."

"Oh, so now you're the victim?" I scoffed. "And yet somehow, you're the one who ghosted me. Stood me up. You couldn't even face me afterward."

For a moment, something shifted in his face. The fire dimmed, and what broke through wrecked me—soul-deep pain.

"You know what's funny?" he said, voice barely above a whisper, raw and frayed. "Nicole came to my office the day I got back from that business trip-with a photo. A photo of you kissing a man. Who I've now come to find out is my son. Adrian."

My breath caught. My mouth opened, but no words came out. It had to be that day in my office-when Adrian showed up uninvited, kissed me without warning.

Nicole had been there. She must've snapped the photo without us noticing. God only knows what she told Gabriel.

It all made sense now. Why he ghosted me. Why he never showed up to dinner. Why he shut me out.

"I thought it had to be a lie," he continued, chest rising and falling hard, like every word was being torn from him. “I told myself there was no way you'd betray me like that. Even after I saw the photo, Clairessa, I still went to that restaurant. I wanted to hear your side. I wanted to believe in you."

bid to drown it all out, I drank until I couldn't think straight. And

His pain. His brokenness. And

He wasn't lying.

He never was.

didn't do when I was the one

My voice quivered. "I swear, Adrian showed up at my office that day. He begged me to take him back-I told him no. Then out

not about what you told him," he cut in coldly. "It's

gifts in your office that day weren't for Jess's birthday. They

hard. "Yes.

shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping. "You see it now, don't you?

"I lied. I was selfish. But the truth is that I did it because I didn't want to lose you, and I didn't know how to fix what I broke. I

you get it, Clairessa? You don't fucking lie to people

I pleaded, my voice cracking. "I know that now. But

want to fix this. Just

at me like I

"Tell me this

ever going to tell me the truth-if Nicole hadn't shown me those pictures? If I hadn't walked into

and found you wearing my

eyes dropped. I couldn't look at him. "That night-the

fall for you. After making promises you had

didn't want to see this look in your eyes," I whispered, finally meeting his gaze. "The way you're looking at me now...

worse when it suited you," he spat. "You knew this was doomed. You should've

we felt-it wasn't fake. That wasn't manipulation. That was fate. And maybe fate brought us together

a dark laugh.

heaving. "But I'm insanely in love

peace, even my heart-just to be close to

with mine,

regret the lies," I

breaking. "But not a

one kiss, not one

feeling like I

somewhere... with you."

He didn't speak.

stepped forward-slowly-closing