Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 182

Chapter 182: She Put Me In This Position

Gabriel's POV

"Mom, please don't go... come back..."

My voice cracked in the dark as I reached for her-but the door slammed before I could move.

I jolted awake, heart pounding, drenched in sweat.

The alarm blared beside me like it wanted to yank me out of more than sleep.

4:30 AM.

I shut it off and sat there, breathing hard, trying to understand why that dream had come back-after all these years.

I hadn't thought about her in so long. I buried that part of my life so deep I almost convinced myself it never happened.

But her face lingered-clear as day.

That day—when she packed her bags, shouted that she was done, and walked out to be with another man. She didn't look back. Just said my dad would hear from her lawyer about the divorce papers, then slammed the door like we were nothing.

She left us like we were just another chapter she couldn't wait to rip out.

I was ten.

My dad-God. He picked up the pieces. I still remembered the look in his eyes, the way he forced a tired smile through all that heartbreak. He never broke down in front of me, but I saw it. I saw him fight battles no man should've fought alone.

Friends swindled him. Partners backstabbed him. But he kept going. He worked himself into the ground to give me food, clothes—a shot at something better. He never let me feel like I lacked anything, even when we had nothing. He didn't let my mother's betrayal harden him.

He taught me what love looked like-even after she tore him apart.

A few years later, he met my stepmother, Lydia. He found love again, and something in both of us began to heal.

She was everything my mother wasn't-gentle, kind, patient. She never tried to replace my mom. She didn't need to. She became something better.

She made our house a home again.

She loved my dad the way he deserved. She loved me like I was hers, no

questions asked. That was the first time I believed in love again.

Real love.

Peaceful. Safe. Whole.

I wanted to repay them for everything. Buy them a house. Give them the comfort they never had.

That became my dream. My drive.

But life doesn't care about dreams.

A car crash took my parents while I was still in university.

That's when Angelique and I reconnected.

When I was at my lowest. When I needed someone-anything-to fill the void.

I mistook that need for love.

I married her right after college, too young, thinking I could rebuild what I'd lost.

I wanted stability. Something permanent.

But she cheated. Lied. Left me with a son-the same way my mother had left my father.

Even when Clairessa asked about my mom, I told her about my stepmom-the one who died in the crash-and left out my dad, who died too.

My real mom? She might still be out there, chasing her dreams. She never reached out, and I never went looking.

Honestly, I forgot I even had another mother besides Lydia.

She was the one who taught me everything that mattered-how to be kind, how to

be selfless, how to treat a woman. How to love. How to cook. The list goes on.

I never talk about those years. Never told anyone the full story. Maybe I thought if

it deep enough, it

bury always find a

And now... Clairessa.

On purpose. And it tore open wounds I thought had long since healed. Not just the ones left by my ex-wife, but the ones buried deep from childhood. From every woman

the one I loved the most. The one I would've

history, the wreckage-I let her in. I thought she was different. I thought she

I'd never

But I did.

still in love with her with every fiber of

now I couldn't

Because of Adrian.

The only family I've

moment Angelique left-Adrian was just a boy, too scared to sleep alone because the nightmares wouldn't

night, and she was nowhere to be found. I offered her money, a house, whatever she wanted-just to come back for him. But she refused, unless I took her back too. And that

back on him. I kept hoping he'd

that's just a father's foolish kind of

to the bathroom, still hearing the echo of my mother's voice in my

than necessary, letting the hot water run down like it could wash

into black tailored slacks and pulled on a crisp white shirt, fastening each button like muscle

Today mattered.

starting at

these years of pushing him, he was

I should've felt proud.

And I did.

Mostly.

my collar in the mirror,

Clairessa.

How was she doing?

she coming in

agree

to

she was

But I couldn't.

That pulling away was the right

protected all of us.

didn't hurt any

want her

it worse-knowing

after the lie. Even

wasn't

Not really.

she hadn't dated Adrian-if Adrian wasn't in love with her-maybe I

forgiven her.

right this moment, I should have

But now?

to move forward knowing it might cost me

fight my

to

clean version

everyone made it out

And I hated it.

putting me

hated myself for still

the part of me still trying to

Adrian on track.

selfish. I

if one good thing could come from this if Adrian could finally grow up finally

believed he could

this would've

something.

looked in the mirror one last time,

this

made my way

the kind of dark that usually

else.

my neck, still a little shaken

silence, routine.

up. No

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