THE INVINCIBLE TOP G

Chapter 3

Butler Moore was thrilled. “What help do you seek, master?" His words hung heavy in the air, causing Gabriel to pause, torn between his desperation for his daughter's well-being and his reluctance to reenter the world of the Wellington family business.

"Stop calling me, master, Butler Moore," Gabriel requested firmly, his eyes darting nervously towards the door of the ward where his wife and daughter awaited.

"I need your assistance," Gabriel reiterated, his resolve evident despite the internal turmoil raging within him.

Butler Moore's response was swift and unwavering. "What do you want? Tell me, and you'll have it in an instant."

Gabriel hesitated, his mind racing as he grappled with the weight of the offer before him. "I need some money. About five thousand dollars only..."

Butler Moore's interruption was unexpected, his offer surpassing Gabriel's request by a staggering amount. "I can make it 5 million dollars. You'll get whatever you want if you can just do one thing, master."

Gabriel was momentarily speechless, the magnitude of the offer leaving him reeling. "What's that?" he managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I promise to give you the money on the condition that you inherit the family business right away," Butler Moore declared, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Gabriel's expression hardened, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. He had long ago severed ties with his family and their business, but now faced with the dire need for financial assistance, he found himself at a crossroads.

"Master, please tell me your decision," Butler Moore urged, his voice tinged with urgency.

With a heavy sigh and a heavy heart, Gabriel made his choice, steeling himself for the repercussions of his decision, that's if there was going to be any. "I will do it," he said, his voice firm with resolve. "But on my own terms.”

Accepting Gabriel's terms with a sense of urgency, Butler Moore wasted no time. "Your terms, it's alright," he agreed hurriedly. "I need you to come over though."

Understanding the implied request for a meeting, Gabriel nodded and ended the call. As he returned to the ward, he halted at the door, catching Camella's glare.

"If you can't do anything useful, then just stay away," Camella spat, her voice heavy with disappointment and bitterness. Her words pierced Gabriel's heart, and he longed to comfort her, but she rebuffed any attempt to approach her.

Struggling to hold back tears, Camella approached him, her voice trembling. "So, what happened? Are you going to see my family and ask for help again?"

Gabriel shook his head sharply, causing her dismay to deepen. "No, Camella. But, I..."

Before he could finish, she raised a hand, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear your empty words. I've seen enough. You don't want to do anything other than give me false hope."

"No, I'm going to take action now and..."

"Just leave," she demanded, pointing to the door with a mixture of frustration and sorrow.

As Gabriel stood in the doorway, a tense silence settled between them, broken only by the distant hum of hospital activity. Camella's eyes bore into him, a mix of anger and hurt swirling within them.

"You're so egocentric," she accused, her voice laced with frustration. "Why can't you just swallow your pride and ask for help from my family again? What's more important, your stubbornness or our daughter's well-being?"

Gabriel bristled at her words, his own frustration bubbling to the surface. "I'm not being stubborn, Camella. I just can't bear to go crawling back to them, begging for help like some charity case and having them kick me away like some stray dog."

"Stray dog, you say? Why can't you just do something good for once that would earn you their respect?”

His brows creased in bafflement. “What do you mean?"

“I mean what I said which seems too big for you to comprehend because you're daft," she scoffed and sniffed. “The last 7 years we've been married, you've never done anything good for me or our family.”

"How can you say that? Camella, you know I've been trying so hard for our betterment…”

She raised her hand angrily, shunning him."Well, you can say it has been fruitless.”

Their argument escalated, and Camella couldn't help but throw harsh words at Gabriel in the heat of the moment. 

“I went against my family to marry you but never for once have I been complimented because you have not offered anything to me. My family sees you as my worthless husband. At work, they regard you as a shameless husband who's leeching off me and my friends have stayed away from me because I got married to a pauper.”

She rolled her eyes, feeling dejected. "The worst thing is that you do nothing to make things better. You just accept everything like a hopeless freak!”

Camella's accusations stung, even though he knew she didn't mean them.