Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
“Are you the man with Audrey? I’m her uncle. If you want to save her today, you must pay me a million dollars for my injuries and the nursing fee.”
Clearly, he intended to blackmail them.
Audrey, who was still in a daze, nearly burst into tears when she mistook Hector for Cornell.
But upon closer inspection, she realized they merely shared a passing resemblance.
Hector’s eyes were gentle, a stark contrast to his cold and handsome temperament.
Perhaps because he was slightly older than Cornell, his eyes bore the weight of a life filled with experiences.
Undeterred, Brent persisted, “You two might not tie the knot yet, but I’m her uncle. How dare you lay a hand on me!”
Audrey hadn’t expected Brent to be so shameless and even blackmail them. She couldn’t help but scold him, “Shut up! Stop bothering this gentleman. I don’t know him.”
However, how could Brent believe it? After all, this was a rare opportunity for him to make a fortune out of it. He wasn’t about to let it slip away so easily.
He added, “Dude, look at her. She has been with you for a while.
Don’t you think it’s time for you to shower me with some money? I’m being generous by asking for just one million dollars.”
Hector turned his sharp gaze onto Brent.
Brent shuddered in fear under Hector’s unwavering stare.
Instinctively, Brent understood it would be unwise to provoke someone of Hector’s stature.
Yet, when he thought about the money, a glimmer of encouragement washed over him, but he still couldn’t muster the courage to raise his voice.
“You are lucky, you know. My niece used to be courted by an ocean of men. Her looks are top-notch, and so is her figure. Don’t be so tight-fisted. Otherwise, I might as well trade her for money myself.”
Brent’s words were vile and indecent, nothing like how an uncle should talk about his niece.
Audrey seethed with anger, a strong urge to put him in his place brewing within her.
But someone else beat her to it. Hector elegantly slipped off his leather gloves and used them to deliver a resounding slap on Brent’s face.
Smack! The sound echoed loudly.
Brent spewed a mouthful of blood, his nose and mouth bleeding profusely. He howled in pain.
Hector tossed his gloves onto the floor, stomping on them with his boots.
His gentle demeanor had given way to an icy, unwavering gaze as he spoke.
“If you don’t know how to speak, let me teach you.”
Brent wailed pitifully.
“Audrey, I’m your uncle. You can’t just stand by and watch me get humiliated Like this.”
However, Audrey responded coldly, “I don’t have an uncle like you.”
Suddenly, the shrill sound of a police whistle pierced the air.
Brent’s face changed dramatically. He hadn’t expected Audrey to have called the police. He attempted to run away.
But he was caught red-handed and escorted to the police station.
Audrey also headed to the station to recount the whole ordeal, with Hector standing as her witness.
The officer assured Audrey that Brent would be detained for at least fifteen days.
Audrey didn’t want to make things too difficult for him. She merely aimed to teach Brent a lesson and make him think twice before bullying her and her grandmother again.
Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Brent’s sudden appearance was rather strange.
She had brought her grandmother to Ardlens without informing anyone.
How on earth had Brent pinpointed the nursing house and her grandmother’s ward so precisely?
The question nagged at her, but there was no way Brent would answer her.
In the midst of her pondering, a young policeman approached her, asking, “Excuse me, are you Audrey Warburton?”
Audrey gazed up at the police officer, and he continued, “Do you remember me? I used to work at the Tenassie station. I’m Eric Happer.”
The mention of his name triggered a recollection. Audrey had spent years searching for the hit-and-run suspect responsible for her father’s death.
Even after relocating to Ardlens, she returned annually to pursue the case, yet there had been no progress.
Eric, who had been newly transferred to the Tenassie station, had met Audrey a year earlier. Audrey’s father’s accident had been particularly tragic, and Audrey’s striking appearance had left an impression on him.
Eric continued, “A few days ago, I heard from a former colleague that a recently captured fugitive confessed to the police. The crime scene wasn’t far from the site of your father’s accident. The fugitive mentioned seeing a suspicious vehicle. The details are still being investigated.”
Audrey was taken aback by the revelation. Even though she had rarely spoken about the incident in recent years, it had never slipped her mind.
She immediately exchanged contact information with Eric, asking him to keep her informed of any updates.
After taking care of everything, Audrey was about to return to the nursing house when Hector’s car pulled up right in front of her.
Audrey stood by the roadside and expressed her heartfelt thanks.
“Don’t mention it,” Hector replied, his voice gentle and devoid of the cruelty she had witnessed when he ruthlessly broke Brent’s wrist.
He seemed like a completely different person.
“Where are you headed? Let me give you a lift,” Hector offered.
“That’s very kind of you, but I don’t want to trouble you further.
I will hail a taxi.”
Hector glanced at her and casually said, “It’s not a big deal. Get in the car.”
His tone was easygoing, yet there was an undeniable charm in his voice.
Grateful for his earlier help, Audrey didn’t protest and obediently got into the car.
The moment she settled in, Hector handed her a handkerchief and motioned toward her right cheek.
Audrey examined herself through the car window and saw some bloodstains on her face. The handkerchief had a faint scent of sandalwood and felt exceptionally soft.
Feeling a bit awkward using such an elegant handkerchief, she said, “Sir, a tissue will do.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just use the handkerchief and throw it away when you are done.”
Still feeling that using such a handkerchief was inappropriate, Audrey returned the tissue to Hector.
After studying Audrey for a moment, Hector took back the handkerchief and gave her a tissue.
After that, Hector appeared somewhat fatigued. He closed his eyes and didn’t say another word.
Upon reaching her destination, Audrey exited the car and expressed her gratitude.
Unexpectedly, Hector looked up at her and said, “You remind me of a friend of mine.”
Audrey deemed it a clich?, half-expecting him to ask for her phone number. She had already formulated a polite refusal.
But to her surprise, Hector said nothing more. He simply rolled up the window and drove off.
Audrey didn’t dwell on it and walked into the nursing house.
Meanwhile, in the car, Hector gazed at Audrey’s retreating figure, his expression carrying a hidden meaning.
A thought crossed his mind as he murmured, “Ella, is that you?”
After a moment, he closed his eyes and issued a cold command, “Investigate this woman right away.”
In the hospital.
“Audrey, I blame myself… You’ve suffered so much looking after me,”
Audrey’s grandmother said, her eyes filling with tears. Her emotional vulnerability had increased over the years.
“Don’t worry, grandma. You’ve always been there for me. Now it’s my turn to look out for you,” Audrey replied, her eyes moistening as well.
Brent was an asshole. He rarely made time for family. To ensure Audrey could attend school, Audrey’s grandmother had taken on various jobs, everything from collecting trash to selling snacks. As a result, leaving the hospital now seemed nearly impossible after the exhaustion of all these years.
“My only fear is that if something happens to me, there will be no one to care for you. And you’re not married yet, so I won’t be able to rest in peace,” Audrey’s grandmother confessed.