Unmasked: A New Beginning (Gabenath)

Chapter 6

Nathalie's hands are trembling, as she desperately tries to shut close her luggage.

Tears are brimming down her face, and she feels faint and a bit nauseous.

______

The things that he told her were heartwrenching.

She heard him say with his own words that he would've never been with her if not because of the obvious circumstances. She heard him say that he loves his wife, and that what occurred between them was a mistake.

She already knew that, but hearing it come from his mouth was something she never wanted.

Nathalie feels as if her heart has been shattered in a million pieces. Hearing the man she loves tell her all of this has caused her an enormous pain, a pain that she never imagined feeling.

———
Now, Nathalie must leave this place as soon as possible, she can't stay here after everything he told her. Besides, it's obvious that Gabriel wants nothing to do with her child.

Even though she's heartbroken, she's still afraid to leave Gabriel alone, after all he's been struggling a lot with drinking, and leaving him alone makes her worry about his safety.

She worries about him because despite everything, Nathalie still loves him.

But, she must put her feelings aside because it's not just her now. Now, there's a baby that depends on her, and she'll do anything to protect the baby growing inside her. She must now prioritize her baby.
———

Nathalie receives a message from the cab driver she contacted to take her to the train station.

He tells her he's having trouble finding the address she's provided him.

Nathalie tells him she'll step outside to see if he can locate her better. She takes her luggage in hand, and builds the courage to finally exit the bedroom.

She finds Gabriel sitting at the dining table, he gives her an apologetic look, but doesn't say anything to her as she exits the small cottage.

As Nathalie leaves the cottage, she thinks how she wished Gabriel would have called her name, and asked her to stay. She wished he would've at least told her, he wants to care for and love their child.

But, he didn't.
Gabriel didn't say a word and watched her leave.
He didn't stop her.
He let her go.

—---

Nathalie is searching for the cab, but she doesn't seem to be able to locate it. She walks past the small convenience store and pharmacy and heads for the dirt trail ahead, hoping to be able to locate the cab driver better.

There's a small hill ahead of her, and Nathalie begins to slowly climb it. She isn't far from the cottage at all, but she feels as if she has been walking for hours. She's extremely exhausted.

Nathalie finally reaches the top of the small hill, and as she prepares to descend from it her foot gets caught in a hole on the ground, and she immediately falls to her knees. She tries to stand up, but her foot seems to be very stuck inside the hole.

Nathalie stands on her foot that is free, and begins to wiggle her leg to try and free her other foot. As she is doing this, suddenly her shoe comes off, and her foot leaves the hole very abruptly. She completely loses her balance, and before she knows it she is rolling off the hill.

Nathalie tries to stop herself, but she is moving extremely fast, and there is nothing she can hold on to.

She comes to a sharp and very hard stop. Her head has hit the side of a rock, and her lower abdomen has hit a very large log that was at the end of the hill.