Husband With Benefits-Chapter 608: Remorse

"Did you not for a moment think that she might not have wanted to go out with you? I mean jumping from liking a girl to assuming that she has some feelings for her stepfather is quite a jump...."

Before Pierce could answer, Gregory stood up, his face a mask of sorrow and regret. "Your Honor, if I may," he began, his voice heavy with emotion. Gabe turned to look at the man and almost stopped. Dar*! This rat should have been an actor... His expression was exactly spot on as that of a martyr. His eyes narrowed as he turned to look at the judge, whose expression had softened too.

Sigh! It seemed they would have to prepare for a dramatic and hypocritical performance. He walked back to the table and sat next to Autumn who was even now glaring at the man.

Gabe leaned in closer to Autumn, whispering softly, "Easy there, tiger. Save that anger for later. We don’t want you burning holes into anyone just yet."

He winked at her as she sent him a surprised look and then once again held her wrist, offering her comfort while Gregory began, in an almost sobbing voice,"I want to apologize for what my lawyer is trying to do. I was not in favor of this approach, and it breaks my heart to see it come to this. This entire situation has been a terrible misunderstanding, one that has caused immense pain to everyone involved."

Gregory paused, his eyes glistening with unshed tears while Auutmn muttered, under her breath, "He can even produce tears on demand?" Gregory, however, continued, "My wife and I... we had our differences. We drifted apart, and in our distance, I made mistakes. I should have been more present, more understanding. The rumors about Autumn and me are just that—rumors. They began because people saw a young girl who was struggling, and they misinterpreted her actions. Autumn never tried to seduce me. She was just a child seeking guidance, seeking love."

Gregory’s voice cracked then, and he took a moment to compose himself. "I wanted nothing more than for my daughters to be happy. When the rumours began, I took a step back, not because I didn’t care, but because I wanted them to be happy and at peace."

He then turned to look at Autumn with tears in his eyes. The look almost made Autumn throw up as she tightly held Gabe’s hand, trying not to show her revulsion," I wanted both my daughters to have the chance to be happy. I failed in many ways, but I never stopped loving them. The misunderstandings between my wife and me made everything worse. We couldn’t communicate, and in that silence, the rumors festered. I know Autumn blames me for everything."

"In fact, I blame myself for it too. But I cannot let Autumn use my little Arabelle to get back at me. "This isn’t about me or Autumn. It’s about Arabelle, and what’s best for her. I only want what’s best for my daughter, and I know deep down, Autumn does too. But we must face the reality of the situation, not be swayed by anger and past grievances."

"Autumn is young. She had to stop her studies to take care of Arabelle. I also know that Autumn has probably married because of Arabelle as well. To take care of her. I don’t want my older daughter giving up her life to take care of my younger one, when I am fully capable to taking care of them both! I wish Arabelle will start her new life with peace of mind and let me care for Arabelle."

"I have recently bacome engaged. Previously, another one of my reason for giving up my rights was that my job was too dangerous and time consuming. I would have had to leave my young child for hours in the hands of a nanny. But now, I’ve retired from the police force. And my fiance, she has twin daughters of Arabelle’s age. She has happily agreed to accept Arabelle into our family as well."

"Also, I will never stop Autumn from meeting and spending time with her older sister. So, it would be a win win for Arabelle. She would have her parents whom she could rely upon, two younger sisters and the love of her older sister."

Gabe felt a chill down his spine as he noticed the judge’s demeanor softening. Dam* it! This man was a much better actor than he had anticipated. He watched with narrowed eyes as Gregory Savoy bowed low and sat down. Even from here, he could feel the smug air surrounding this man. Was the judge blind?

And as he had expected, Judge Holden cleared her throat, turned to look at him and Autumn and announced," Mr. Frost, Mrs. Frost, I understand the pain and complexity of this situation. However, this court’s primary concern is the well-being of the child involved. Given the deeply personal nature of the conflicts and the evident love from both parties, I strongly suggest that both sides consider reaching an amicable resolution outside of this courtroom. I am calling a short recess to allow both parties to discuss this matter further. We will reconvene in thirty minutes. I’ll ask someone from the court to help mediate."

The gavel stuck then and the courtroom was dismissed for recess. As soon as the judge was out, Gabe quickly started to make calls. He needed to speed up Plan B if the judge was going to be hoodwinked by the performance of that rat- Gregory Savoy.

He noticed Autumn then, frozen in place, her eyes wide and unseeing. Gabe hung up the phone and moved to her side, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Autumn."

She blinked, her expression blank, and turned to look at him. "What does this mean, Gabe?" she asked slowly, her voice devoid of emotion.

Gabe took a deep breath, trying to maintain his calm as he looked at her. "It means the judge is leaning towards believing Gregory’s sob story. She wants us to negotiate outside the court, likely hoping for a compromise."

"But..."