Reborn As Mr. Coldwell's Wife
Chapter 190: Good Guy

Chapter 190: Good Guy

Aubrey’s breath was shaky, her lips trembling as she looked up at Gerald, trying to find the words she needed to say. Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by all the things she had been carrying for too long. She couldn’t avoid this conversation anymore.

"This... all of this... it’s wrong, Gerald," Aubrey said softly. "It wasn’t supposed to be like this."

Gerald’s brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Aubrey took a shaky breath, her hands fidgeting nervously by her sides. "You weren’t supposed to help me destroy Mason and Ellen’s marriage. You should’ve stopped me from the start... or just walked away. You didn’t have to get your hands dirty because of me."

Gerald’s heart dropped at what she said. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. He had done everything for her, for her happiness, for the hope that one day she might see him the way he saw her. But hearing it now—hearing her say it was wrong—made him feel like he had failed her somehow.

"I did it all for you, Aubrey," he answered. "For your happiness. I thought... I thought it’s what you wanted."

Aubrey’s eyes were brimming with tears as she shook her head. "I know you did. And that’s why it hurts so much. You shouldn’t have, Gerald. You should have stopped me. We should have stopped this a long time ago."

Gerald felt like the ground was slipping out from beneath him. He took a step closer, desperate to make her understand. "Stop? What are you saying? Are you just going to give up on Mason? Just like that?"

Aubrey looked away, biting her lower lip as her shoulders slumped. She didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to see the hurt in his eyes. But this had gone too far, and she couldn’t drag Gerald down with her anymore.

"I don’t want this to continue," she whispered, finally turning back to face him. "I don’t want you to be the bad guy, Gerald. I can’t let you keep doing this for me."

She reached up slowly, her fingers gently brushing against his cheek. The warmth of her touch made Gerald’s heart race, and for a brief moment, he closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of her hand on his skin. It was the kind of touch he had dreamed about for years, the kind of moment he wished could last forever. But when he opened his eyes again, the reality of her words came crashing back down.

"We... we should keep our distance from each other," Aubrey said softly, her hand still on his cheek.

Gerald’s heart skipped a beat, his mind racing to process what she had just said. "What?"

Aubrey took a step back, letting her hand fall from his face. "I need to be independent, Gerald," she said. "I’ve relied on you too much. I realized that without you, I can’t really do anything by myself. I’ve been leaning on you for everything."

Gerald shook his head, taking a step forward, his hands reaching out as if trying to pull her back. "Aubrey, I was more than happy to help you. I wanted to help you. You don’t have to do everything alone."

"But that’s the problem," Aubrey interrupted, her voice trembling. "You were always there, always fixing things for me. And maybe... maybe you’d be happier without me. Maybe I’m holding you back."

He stared at her, trying to wrap his head around what she was saying. How could she think that? How could she believe that his life would be better without her in it?

"Aubrey, that’s not true," he replied. "I’ve never been happier than when I’m with you. You’re not holding me back. Not at all."

Aubrey’s eyes filled with sadness as she shook her head. "You deserve more than this, Gerald. You deserve better than being my safety net, my... my fix-it guy. You should be happy, really happy, with someone who loves you the way you deserve."

Gerald’s heart twisted painfully at her words. He had always known that Aubrey didn’t feel the same way about him, but hearing her say it out loud made it feel so much more real, like there was no turning back. He had spent so much time by her side, helping her, supporting her, hoping that one day she might be really happy. But now, it felt like all of that had been for nothing.

Aubrey took a deep, shaky breath, her gaze softening as she reached up to give his cheek one last touch. "You’re a good man, Gerald. Too good. And that’s why I need to let you go."

Gerald closed his eyes, leaning into her touch for just a moment before she pulled away. His heart ached, every part of him screaming that he couldn’t let her go, not like this. But when he opened his eyes again, Aubrey was already turning to leave.

"Aubrey, wait," he called after her, his voice strained.

But she didn’t stop. She didn’t look back. With every step she took, Gerald felt like all those years they’d shared were slipping away from him.

As she walked out of the studio, leaving him standing there alone, Gerald’s head was spinning with confusion, sadness, and frustration.

He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to fix this. For so long, Aubrey was his whole world, the one thing he could always count on. And now, she was walking away from him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

For the first time in a long time, Gerald felt completely lost. He just couldn’t see how to go on without Aubrey in his life. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, his chest heavy from all that had just happened.

He stood there for a long time, staring at the door she had walked through, his mind blank and his heart aching.

What was he supposed to do now?