He Cheated With My Friend My Parents Helped Chapter 28
On the security monitor, I could see Gabriel sitting in his car.
I did not go down.
Last time, he had climbed from the neighboring balcony into my bedroom. My lawyer’s warning had only bought me a few months of peace.
I opened the building footage I had saved: the video of a shadow dropping onto my balcony, then leaving through my front door, the date and time clearly visible.
My lawyer still had a copy of the formal warning letter that had been sent afterward.
I forwarded everything to her.
“Let’s file for a protective order.”
My lawyer called me back. “Are you sure? He might claim he was only on the premises today for a public event at the institute.”
“I’m sure.”
This time, I wasn’t going to wait for him to do something more dangerous.
At the hearing, Gabriel’s lawyer didn’t deny that he had entered my apartment via the balcony, nor that he had come to my workplace and residence after being formally warned to stay away.
Gabriel just kept repeating the same thing. “I never wanted to hurt her.”
The judge looked at him, her expression severe.
“Climbing uninvited into the bedroom of a woman who lives alone is, in and of itself, an act of intimidation.”
Gabriel lowered his head.
The protective order was granted. He was required to leave Boston and stay away from my home and my workplace.
Before the hearing ended, the judge asked if I had anything to add.
I looked at Gabriel’s image on the screen.
“No. I just want him to comply with the order.”
He finally raised his head, his gaze meeting mine.
“Mags,” he said, his voice quiet. “I will.”
It was the first time since the divorce that he had agreed to something without attaching a condition.
When the screen went dark, I realized my hands were still shaking.
Julian was sitting in the hallway outside the conference room. He didn’t ask how it went.
I sat down beside him.
“The protective order was granted.”
“Good.”
He placed his hand on the armrest between our chairs, not quite touching me.
I watched it for a few seconds, then reached out and took it.
His fingers tightened around mine for an instant, then relaxed, as if he were afraid of making me uncomfortable.
“Julian.”
“I’m here.”
“Just sit with me for a while.”
“For as long as you want.”