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

deep enough,

the things we bury always find

And now... Clairessa.

long since healed. Not just

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

let her in. I thought she was different. I thought

I'd

But I did.

still in love with her with every

now I

Because of Adrian.

family I've got. We've been

too

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 was never going to

—I never turned my back on him. I

just a father's foolish kind of

and went to the bathroom, still hearing the echo

shower longer than necessary, letting the hot water run down like it could wash off everything-grief,

in front of the mirror, then stepped into black tailored slacks and pulled on a crisp white shirt, fastening each

Today mattered.

was starting at

of pushing him, he was

I should've felt proud.

And I did.

Mostly.

collar in the mirror,

Clairessa.

How was she doing?

coming

she agree

to

if she was

But I couldn't.

space was best. That pulling away was the right

protected all of us.

didn't hurt any

make me want

worse-knowing that I

lie. Even after

it wasn't just

Not really.

Adrian-if Adrian wasn't in love with

forgiven her.

could've been together. Even right this moment, I

But now?

supposed to move forward knowing

fight my

Adrian to

no clean version of

outcome where everyone made

And I hated it.

for putting me

myself for

of me still trying

Adrian on track.

selfish. I

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

believed he could

this

something.

looked in the mirror one

get this

way

kind of dark

else.

neck, still a little

my reset-coffee, silence, routine. I didn't

up. No

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