Drunken Marriage

NICO'S POV

It had been a few days since Gabriella stormed out. Things had been tense, but at least they were quiet. Aris and I were trying to figure out how to navigate this new reality. She was starting to show a little, and every day made it more real that we were going to be parents.

One evening, just as I was getting comfortable, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and saw Gabriella's name. My stomach twisted as I answered.

"What do you want, Gabriella?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

Her voice came through cold and sharp. "We need to talk. Now."

"About what? I think we said everything that needed to be said," I replied, already tired of the conversation.

"Meet me at the park near your place. Ten minutes," she demanded, then hung up before I could respond.

I sighed and grabbed my jacket. "I need to step out for a bit," I told Aris. "Gabriella wants to talk."

Aris looked worried but nodded. "Ohh okay, i will be inside "

I walked to the park, my mind racing with all the possibilities of what Gabriella might want. When I arrived, she was standing by the fountain, arms crossed and looking furious.

"Alright, I'm here," I said. "What do you want?"

Gabriella wasted no time. "I want you to break it off with her," she said. "Get rid of her and that baby."

I clenched my fists. "That's not happening, Gabriella. She's pregnant with my child. I'm not abandoning them."

By the way that will cost me a lot, I am not about to get involved with immigration again.

Her eyes narrowed. "If you don't, I'll report you both to immigration. I'll tell them your marriage is fake, and that she's only with you for a green card. They'll deport her, Nico. Do you want that?"

I stared at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious. You'd really go that far?"

She stepped closer, her face inches from mine. "Try me. I have nothing to lose now. But you... you have everything to lose."

Anger flared up inside me. "You're bluffing."

Gabriella smirked. "Do you really want to take that chance? Think about it, Nico. This could ruin everything for you."

I turned away, trying to control my rage. "Why are you be doing this? What the hell is wrong with you? What happened to you?"

"You happened to me," she spat. "You and that little tramp ruined my life. Now, I'm going to ruin yours."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "I won't let you hurt her or the baby."

Gabriella laughed, a cold, bitter sound. "We'll see about that. You have until tomorrow to decide. Either you leave her, or I make the call."

She turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, seething with anger . How could I protect myself and Aris from this? I needed a plan, and I needed it fast.

I walked back to the apartment, my mind racing with Gabriella's threat. How could I protect myself from this mess? I opened the door and found Aris sitting on the couch, reading a book. She looked up and immediately sensed my distress.

"Nico, what happened?" she asked, putting the book aside.

I sat down next to her, taking her hand in mine. "Gabriella is threatening to report us to immigration. She says if I don't leave you, she'll tell them our marriage is fake and have you deported."

Aris's face paled. "She can't do that, can she?"

I sighed. "She can try. And with her connections, she might succeed. We need to be extra careful now."

Aris looked down at her growing belly, then back at me with determination in her eyes. "We can't let her win. We need to stay strong and find a way through this."

I nodded. "You're right. I will figure it out together."

Over the next few days, we laid low and tried to come up with a plan. I reached out to Robert, the lawyer who had helped us with the marriage paperwork, and explained the situation.

"This is serious, Nico," Robert said, his voice grave. "If Gabriella goes to immigration, it could cause a lot of trouble. We need to make sure your marriage looks as legitimate as possible."

"What do we need to do?" I asked.

"First, you'll need to gather as much evidence as you can to prove that your marriage is real. Photos, joint bank accounts, anything that shows you're living together as a married couple," Robert explained. "Second, it might help to get a statement from friends and family who can vouch for your relationship."

I nodded, taking mental notes. "Got it. We'll start working on that right away."

Aris and I spent the next week compiling everything we could. We took more photos together, set up a joint bank account, and even hosted a small dinner party with some friends to make our relationship seem more convincing.

But Gabriella wasn't going to back down easily. She showed up at my office one afternoon, unannounced.

"Nico," she said sweetly, but there was a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Have you made your decision?"

I stood up, keeping my tone firm. "I'm not getting involved with your dirty games , Gabriella. Do what you need to do, but I'm going to protect myself ."

Her smile faded, replaced by a sneer. "Fine. You've made your choice. Now, you'll deal with the consequences."

She turned on her heel and stormed out, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I knew she was serious about her threat, and I had no idea how far she would go.

That evening, I told Aris what had happened. She was understandably scared, but her resolve didn't waver.

"We can't let her intimidate us," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "We have to stay strong, for our baby."

I pulled her into a hug, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. "I know. We'll get through this together."

But even as I said the words, I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. Gabriella was relentless, and we were running out of time.