Good Choice

Gabrielle was now 20 weeks pregnant and felt better than ever. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this alive. At five months pregnant, she was blossoming—not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually. The baby inside her had begun to move, tiny little nudges that made her smile to herself. Every kick, every flutter, reminded her that something incredible was growing within her, and it was hers to protect, to nurture.

She stood in the mirror of Phil’s mansion, her hand resting lightly on her rounded belly. Her relationship with Phil had shifted, evolved into something deep, unexpected.They were planning to move out of the mansion soon,because Carina made things unbearable. Always snide comments or side glares. But Phil was tender, thoughtful, always present. His protective gaze, his kindness, the way he cared for her—she knew this was more than a simple agreement, more than just a transaction for them both. She felt cherished.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Phil walked in, his face lighting up as he saw her. He dropped his jacket on the back of the chair and crossed the room in three long strides, wrapping his arms around her.

“How’s my beautiful girl today?” he asked, his voice low, rumbling with affection.

Gabrielle smiled, leaning into him. “Better now that you’re home,” she said softly, her heart swelling with warmth.

Phil cupped her face gently, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I missed you. How’s the baby? Still kicking up a storm?”

“Yes,” Gabrielle laughed. “Feels like they’re trying to break out of me already.”

His laughter filled the room, and for a moment, it was just the two of them, basking in the calm of their shared happiness.

But that peace was short-lived.

A sharp, insincere laugh broke through the moment. “Look at her, everyone. Trying to play the doting mother,” Carina’s voice cut through the room like a knife. Gabrielle turned to see Carina standing in the doorway, flanked by two of her friends. Their laughter lingered, heavy and mocking.

Phil’s face darkened, but Gabrielle remained still, her heart beating a little faster. She had anticipated this—Carina’s jealousy had been a constant undercurrent in their relationship, especially since John Gordy chose Gabby's side.

Carina wasn’t here by chance. She’d made a point of showing up at the mansion every morning after partying all night, hoping to throw her weight around and undermine Gabrielle. Acting like Gabby came between her and Phil when she made the choice to step out of her marriage all on her own.

Carina’s eyes glinted with malice as she took in Gabrielle’s five-month bump. “It’s a shame, isn’t it?” she cooed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I mean, Gabrielle, you must feel so important, being the surrogate mother of Phil’s child. But it’s still not really yours, is it?”

Gabrielle flinched, but she refused to show weakness. She straightened her back, setting her jaw. “It’s my baby,” she said calmly, though her voice betrayed the hurt she felt.

Phil took a step forward, his jaw tight. “Carina, enough.”

But Carina wasn’t finished. She turned to her friends, who snickered, and continued, her words cutting through the air. “Oh, come on. It’s so sweet, isn’t it? Gabrielle playing the role of the perfect mother—when she is nothing but a rented womb. How charming.”

Gabrielle felt the sting of those words, like a slap to the face. It wasn’t just the mocking tone—it was the cruelty behind it. Carina had never been one to hide her disdain, but this felt different. It was venomous, aimed directly at Gabrielle’s heart. The baby. The family they were becoming.

She didn’t know what hurt more—the fact that Carina was making her feel small, or the fact that Carina didn’t even see the weight of what she was doing. Gabrielle’s fingers tightened on her belly, and for the first time in a long time, the reality of the situation hit her.

This wasn’t just about being pregnant. It was about Carina trying to keep a grip on the life she had once controlled, a life that was slipping away from her as Phil grew closer to Gabrielle. It was clear that she couldn't manipulate him the way she wanted anymore and that made Carina furious.

Phil could see the hurt on Gabrielle’s face. He could feel the tension in the room, the heavy silence that followed Carina’s words. His protective instincts flared.

“Carina, you don’t get to talk to her like that,” he snapped, his voice low and commanding. “I won’t stand for it. Not from you, not from anyone.”

Carina’s eyes widened in shock, and her smile faltered for the first time. “What? Are you seriously choosing her over me, Phil?” she demanded, her voice shaking with barely contained anger. “We were together first! I’m the one who—”

“No, Carina,” he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We’re done. You made that choice. You left. Don’t you dare try to walk in here and belittle her, my child’s mother.”

Gabrielle’s heart skipped a beat at the fierceness in his words, but she wasn’t sure if she felt relief or dread. This was it, the line in the sand. Carina had crossed it, and there was no going back.

Carina’s face twisted with disbelief and something darker—resentment. “I’m not going anywhere, Phil. You can’t just replace me with her.”

Phil stood his ground, his gaze never wavering from Carina. “You don’t get to dictate my life anymore. Not with your jealousy, not with your bitterness.” He took a step closer to Gabrielle, his hand slipping to her back in an unspoken gesture of protection.

Gabrielle looked up at him, her chest tight. “I don’t want to stay here if this is going to be the way things are,” she said quietly, though her voice trembled with the weight of her words. She wasn’t sure if it was the pregnancy or Carina’s cruelty that had made her feel so small, but the last thing she needed right now was to feel like she was walking on eggshells.

Phil turned his head to her, his expression softening immediately. “You don’t have to go anywhere, Gabby. I’m not letting her make you feel like you don’t belong here. This is your home now, with me, and the baby. And nobody”—he turned his eyes back to Carina—“nobody gets to make you feel anything less.”

Tears pricked at Gabrielle’s eyes, but she held them back, not wanting to break down in front of Carina and her friends. She could see Carina standing there, stunned, her face a mix of anger and disbelief. But it didn’t matter anymore. Gabrielle wasn’t the one who had to leave this time.

Phil had chosen her.

And that was enough.