Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
And then, as if dropping a bag of groceries, he set her down on the cold, unforgiving asphalt.
“Audrey, quit with the childish games. I have to go.”
With that, he climbed back into the car and sped off.
Audrey crouched on the road and watched in disbelief as the car disappeared into the distance.
So he thought she was just putting on some sort of childish act?
In that instant, it felt like her heart had turned to stone, and she became numb to the world around her.
Well, she had it coming, didn’t she? How could she be so naive?
How could she fall into the trap again after some sweet talk?
The pain in her abdomen intensified until it became unbearable, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Using one hand for support, Audrey struggled to her feet and began to stagger toward the hospital.
Out of nowhere, a silver-gray minivan roared up to her. And before she knew it, two hooded men had yanked her into the vehicle.
In a desolate warehouse on the outskirts of town, a man, holding a syringe in hand, looked at Cecilia and asked with doubts, “Are you sure about this?”
Cecilia gritted her teeth and confirmed, “Yes.
With that, the needle was then inserted into Cecilia’s vein. Not long after, she transformed into someone who looked like they would drop dead anytime soon. Even doctors would be fooled by her appearance.
Cecilia glanced at her reflection in the mirror and decided she still did not look pitiful enough. She gestured to a muscular man and ordered, “You, get over here. I want you to slap me. Hard.”
It was not every day that someone asked for a beating, but he was not about to question the person signing his checks.
The man raised his hand and repeatedly slapped Cecilia across the face until it was red and swollen.
The pain was so intense it made her gum bleed, but a look in the mirror told her it was worth it.
Everything had to be flawless. One tiny mistake and Cornell might see through her act.
Seeing how badly her face was beaten, Cecilia was pissed. She faced the man and retaliated with a slap and a kick of her own “Did you enjoy that, you lowlife?”
The man clutched his face and hit the floor. Although he felt wronged, he dared not fight back, especially since he had not been paid yet.
Cecilia settled into a rickety chair, crossed her legs, and laid down the law.
“Leave the country the instant you get the money. Understand?
I’ve already set up fake IDs and passports for you.”
The men nodded obediently.
Ten million dollars in total for three of them! They would each walk away with more than three million. Not a bad day’s work.
A manic gleam shone in Cecilia’s eyes as she reveled in her act. She had just called Tessa with an untraceable number. While she had not specifically mentioned Audrey, she could tell from Tessa’s tone that her plan was going smoothly.
It felt so good to kill two birds with one stone.
Cecilia felt she had endured enough degradation and humiliation to last a lifetime, but it would all be worth it when she saw herself walking down the aisle with Cornell.
Ice-cold water splashed over Audrey’s head.
Audrey blinked through the discomfort and struggled to focus her vision. A headache made it even harder. It took some time before she could finally make out the face in front of her.
It was Tessa. It had been quite a while since she last saw Tessa.
Panicked, Audrey tried to get up but found her limbs bound to the chair. She was not going anywhere. She glared at Tessa and snapped, “Kidnapping’s a crime. Have you lost it?”
Without a word, Tessa walked over and landed a series of slaps across Audrey’s face. The corner of Audrey’s lips split open, and blood trickled down to her neck.
Tessa, whose eyes were brimming with madness, grinned and taunted, “Consider this your appetizer. The main course is yet to come.”
Audrey’s heart raced, but she forced herself to maintain her composure.
“I’ve never wronged you, Tessa. Is ruining your own future worth it just to get back at me?”
“Are you implying it’s not?” Tessa, riled up by Audrey’s words, lifted her blouse to reveal a tapestry of scars across her back.
“Look at this! Thanks to you and Cornell, my reputation and body are ruined! My life is in tatters! What more do I have to lose?”
Audrey caught a crucial detail in Tessa’s tirade and quickly interjected, “That’s not true. I have nothing to do with your injuries.”
“What? Interesting!” Tessa erupted in laughter, clearly not buying a word Audrey said. She gestured to the two men behind her, and they got the message without her having to say anything.
As they moved toward Audrey with a predatory gaze, it was obvious they were keen on having a taste of her.
Just as they were about to lay a hand on her shoulder, Audrey bellowed, “Back off!”
Startled, they froze in place.
Audrey scanned the men’s clothes. They were dirty, unkempt, splattered with oil. They likely were not professional criminals, just low-level thugs recruited by Tessa.
That made things simpler for her.
“Do you even know what you’re getting yourselves into? Kidnapping and sexual assault are serious crimes. How much is Tessa paying you? I’ll double it if you let me go.”
The two men exchanged glances and hesitated. Tessa’s offer had not been all that generous. They were each getting only fifty grand.
Even though it was the largest sum they had ever seen in their lives, it was not that much.
They had no intention of crossing any serious lines, so Audrey’s offer made them stop and think.
“You, bitch!” Tessa lunged forward and kicked the chair Audrey was tied to, toppling it over.
Audrey hit the floor with a thud. Luckily, since she was bound to the chair, her abdomen did not take the brunt of the fall.
However, she felt her shoulder take a bad hit, accompanied by a chilling sound that seemed like her bones were cracking. She was convinced her bones were broken.
The intense pain shot through her body, making her face ghostly white.
Fighting the urge to black out, Audrey balled her hands into fists.
Tessa seized another opportunity to inflict pain and stomped down hard on Audrey’s feet. The agony from the crushing force turned Audrey’s already pale face even paler.
Tessa had meant to kick Audrey’s abdomen, but she suddenly realized that doing so might cause a miscarriage. And if that happened, things could get messy. The thugs might lose their nerve and abandon the mission. So, she opted for Audrey’s feet instead.
Tessa relished the thought of Audrey suffering as she had.
“The nerve of you to try to turn my people against me. Your words may be silver, but they won’t save you today! I can’t wait to watch you be a whore.”
Blood spattered Audrey’s mouth, and her forehead was slick with cold sweat. Her head was spinning, but she understood what Tessa meant.
“I’ll give you chance. Call Cornell. Tell him you’ve been kidnapped and he needs to bring money to get you back. If he actually shows up, you’re free to go. What say you?”
Grasping at straws, Audrey nodded repeatedly.
“He’ll definitely pay, no question about it.”
“We’ll see about that,” Tessa retorted with a cynical laugh. She grabbed a pointed wooden stick and aimed it at Audrey’s abdomen.
“Make sure he brings the money. If you even hint at me being involved, this stick is going right through you. Are we clear?”
“Understood,” Audrey assured her, doing her best to keep Tessa from losing her temper.
If this was only about money, then things might not be as bad as they seemed.
Cornell’s number was dialed. It took him a while before he answered the call.
“Hello, who’s this?” he asked in a deep and resonant voice.
At that moment, grief, fear, and panic threatened to overtake Audrey.
“Cornell, help me,” she sobbed with a trembling voice.
“What’s going on, Audrey?”
Genuine concerns could be heard in Cornell’s voice, and it almost broke Audrey right there and then.
But this was not the time for tears. Pain surged all over her body, particularly in her abdomen.
She had a foreboding feeling as if something would happen to her baby.
Audrey had to act fast for her sake and the unborn child’s.