Chapter 38 Powerful

It was eight am the following morning and Gabriel was helping Diane practice her breathing exercise while they waited for their breakfast to arrive. He made sure she was comfortable as he gently massages her stomach while she took deep breathes, he could feel the babies moving beneath his hands. "Does it hurt when they move around like that? They're so big now and their movements have gotten a lot stronger." "Oh yes it does and that's when I feel like I can't breathe."

The doorbell rang and Gabriel went to answer it; it was the waiter delivering their breakfast. He tips the waiter and rolled the cart over to the bed. The smell of the food made her mouth water. "I'm so hungry, by the way, baby boy, what were you trying to tell me last night about the guys and your aunt?" He put a plate loaded with food in front of her and after taking one for himself he sat next to her.

"Oh yeah, that; the guys wanted me to tell you that they're okay and that they're having a really great honeymoon, seeing as though you help them pick some really great spots to go sightseeing." "That's great, are they all spending their honeymoon at the same place?" She asks with her mouth full.

"No, actually Justin never left Jamaica, he's in Negril, and Marlon is in the Bahamas and Mike is in Miami. I email the list you wrote to Aunt Lisa yesterday, she'll be leaving for Miami this morning. She's going to buy the things then meet up with Mike because he'll be the one bringing them when he's coming back on Sunday. I'll be meeting him at the airport so that I can clear them." "Okay, so what're you up to today?" She asks.

"Hold on, let me check my daily planner." Taking his phone from his shirt pocket he checks his schedule for the day. "Okay let's see, I have a meeting with four of my drivers and their conductors at the auto shop this morning after which I'll be heading to the plaza, then I have a meeting with my contractor at the house and then I'll be heading back here for two video conference; one with the administrative workers of the hotel in Miami and one with the guy that bought my father's oil company." I still have shares in the company so he needs my input on something; then I need to prepare my lesson for bible class tonight." He finishes with a sigh.

"Wow, that's a lot," Diane said with a concerned look on her face. "I know but I'm used to it before I met you I used to do twice this amount of work because I was building my complexes at that time and interviewing drivers and conductors and then Alex and I would party until four the next morning." There was another knock on the door and this time she knew it was her sisters and she was right.

Gabriel left a few minutes later and Diane and her sisters got comfortable and began writing up receipts. A nice lady came and gave the room a good cleaning, Diane told her not to clean Jasmine's room because the child didn't use it last night. They all talked and laughed while she did her work.

Her sisters ordered lunch at one o clock and as soon as it was delivered they began eating; they waited until she was comfortable then Diana asks. "So what's the latest on the Karen situation?" Diane bite at the insides of her mouth and made a funny face. "She still wants us to be friends."

"Of course she does, it's the only way she can stay close to Gabriel," Dana commented. "She says that she doesn't have feelings for him anymore," Diane mumbled. "Alright let me ask you this; is Gabriel the kind of guy that you fall out of love with? If he was once your lover and you guys separated and you had another chance to get him back; wouldn't you do anything you could to make that happen?" Diana asks.

"I guess but they did part on a very bad note so…." Diane replied shrugging her shoulders. "Listen all I'm saying is that having that girl around Gabriel may not be such a wise idea, he may be a very faithful husband but he's still a man and if a pastor can fall from grace because of the flesh so can he," Diana said defensively.

"I hear you but I think I'm going to leave this one to God because I really don't know what to do right now." "I do," Diana replied. "Keep that girl away from your man because I can bet you two thousand dollars right now that she's still in love with him." Diane could feel her jealousy rising again. "I hope for the sake of our friendship that you're wrong," Diane said pouting.

They spend the next few hours signing receipts and putting them in envelopes, Diana left at three-thirty to pick up Jasmine from school, Gabriel got to the hotel at three forty-five carrying a bunch of red roses for his wife and four slices of sweet chocolate cake and a medium container of ice cream.

After greeting Dana he kisses Diane softly on her lips and went to change his clothes, he then set up his laptop on the table and join in the meeting which was just about to begin. Diana and Jasmine came back before the conference was over but waited until he was finished before speaking to him, after the second conference ended he spend half an hour listening to Jasmine as she talks about her days' events while eating his slice of cake; he then went and prepared his lesson for bible class; after which he took a shower, put on his casual wear then kiss his wife and daughter before leaving.

Diane turns to see Diana scowling at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Diane asks. "Why didn't you go with him? You know that woman is going to be there waiting for him, probably going to ask him for another ride home too." Feeling offended and frustrated Diane lashes out at her sister.

"I can't watch him all the time Diana, I don't know if you notice but Gabriel is the kind of man that does what he wants when he wants and if he has the intention of being with Karen then there's nothing I can do to stop him, I'm so big I can hardly walk properly and besides he knows where she lives, so it's not like there's anything stopping him." Getting up she walks away from her sister and enters the bathroom, she closes the door, and leaning against the wall she lets her tears fall freely down her cheeks.

It was now eleven am Saturday morning, Diane and Gabriel were on their way to their church because Gabriel had organized a fun day for the children and everyone that was on his charity list, there would be rides for the children and games for the adults followed by a concert and Gabriel was assigned to sing and give a short message.

Despite her fears and her sisters worrying he was home by ten on Wednesday night and just out of curiosity she had called josh's wife Thursday afternoon when she came back from her doctor's appointment to find out what time bible class ended the night before.

Marie told her the lesson was over by nine-thirty and that kind of put her mind at ease for the time being. As much as she would have like to denied it her sisters were right; Gabriel was a wonderful husband but he was still just a man and it wasn't just Karen she had to worry about; there was a lot of beautiful girls out there just waiting for a chance to replace her in his life; she turn and look at him, he was on his earpiece talking to the guys.

What would she do if she found out he was cheating on her? She knew she didn't have the guts to walk away from him and how could she after everything he had done for her and her family, he didn't even have to adopt Jasmine but he did and her daughter now has his last name not to mention she was carrying his babies inside her; Gabriel was by far the best thing that ever happened to her and there was no way she could live her life without him.

But there was also a side of him that terrified her; his powerful side. Yes, she had a certain amount of control over him she had proven it over and over again but there was also a side of him that she couldn't seem to touch and that was his powerful side; the side that made everyone jump to please him.

Yes sir and right away sir and whatever you need sir. Everyone was always so eager to please and that didn't only go for his business associates but also extremely beautiful women and with that kind of power he could get anyone to do anything he wants and that was the part of him that she wanted to reach and to get under her control; he was very powerful that much was true but she was determined sooner or later she will get her extremely powerful husband under her complete control because he belongs to her and only her.

"Penny for your thoughts," He said dragging her back to reality. "Cheap much?" She laughs and he laughs too. "You're right, as a multimillionaire, I could do a lot better than a penny can't I?" "Yes, you can." She laughs again. "Okay so here's a fifty grand question; what's on your mind baby girl?" He asks with a wide grin. "Much better, I can work with fifty grand but I'm just thinking about my life, everything I've been through, meeting you, I really love my life the way it is now and I don't want it to change, actually I'm praying it doesn't." She said with her head down.

He smiles at her. "Trust me baby girl with an energetic seven-year-old and a pair of screaming twins I really don't think it's possible for your life to remain the same." He laughs. "I can handle all that; it's an unfaithful husband I can't handle."

"Well luckily for you, that's something you never have to worry about." He pulled into the church parking lot then helps her out of the vehicle. Marie came over to them as they step into the church. "Hi, Diane, Hi Gabriel, how are you guys doing?" Gabriel was the first to answer. "Hi Sister Marie, we're doing fine, how're you?" "Okay for now and um….thank you for those suggestions; it's still a little awkward for me but I'm trying." She said without looking at him. "Hang in there, it will only get better; I promise." He said with a smile.

"Alright I'll be right back; I need to go take some things from the car." He kisses Diane on her cheek and walks away. "Come on let's go sit for a while," Marie suggests as she ushered Diane towards a bench. "So what time did he get home on Wednesday night?" Marie asks as soon as Diane sat down.

Diane was a little thrown by her question. "Why do you ask?" Marie rolls her eyes. "Why? As if I don't know the reason you called on Thursday afternoon, this is me you're talking to Diane. The woman had sex with my husband and now she's trying to do the same with yours." Marie said in disgust. "It's funny you should say that because my sisters said the same thing."

"Listen, Diane, I know my husband isn't blameless in all this but I'm not about to let that woman destroy my marriage; counseling is really helping but just to be on the safe side I had an auto tracker installed on his car which is linked to my laptop and I check his phone every night now I know it sounds extreme but I'm not taking any more chances. He said that he's not sleeping with her anymore and I want to know if he's telling me the truth because if he ever cheats on me again God helps him." She said folding her fingers in a fist.

"Any way you'll be going to the hospital to have your babies soon but know this, if you need someone to keep an eye on your husband while he's at church I'll be more than happy because I won't let her do to you what she did to me; she may be beautiful but we're the ones wearing the rings not her." Diane could only manage a half-smile. Because suddenly she had a sickening feeling in her stomach.

"Thanks, Marie, but your husband chose to cheat on you and if my husband chooses to do the same thing then no matter what we do it's going to happen sooner or later because we don't have any control over what our husbands do now I've to go, I need some fresh air," Diane said sadly as she got up and walks away. "Like hell, we don't." Marie sneered under her breath. "I'll be watching him like a hawk." She swears then getting up she went in search of her kids.

Food for thought

God is big enough to care for

Our smallest needs.

Thank you all for reading and voting lots

Of love to you all.