Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
He stood there looking up at the light while smoking. An indescribable feeling rose from the bottom of his heart.
Although he still hated her, he sometimes thought it was good for them to go on like this.
Jarrod stubbed out his cigarette and entered the apartment building.
He took the elevator in a good mood.
He had inexplicable and unspeakable anticipation to see her.
Jarrod was about to open the door when his phone suddenly rang.
He received two video clips.
His brows furrowed slightly. He squinted and clicked the videos.
The first video showed Nicole and Audrey chatting while eating at a mall.
“Nicole, do you still love Jarrod?” Audrey asked.
Nicole replied, “I’m not out of my mind yet. I’d rather love pigs and dogs than love him. I will never love him. I just found an effective way to deal with him.”
Audrey frowned and said worriedly, “Don’t do anything foolish. If you offend Jarrod, I’m afraid he’ll hurt you.”
Nicole smiled.
“Don’t be deceived by Jarrod’s appearance. He only looks formidable on the surface. But the truth is, he is still as naive as before. He is easy to deceive.”
Then, the video abruptly stopped.
It only took thirty seconds for Jarrod’s mood to change dramatically.
But he seemed calm, clicking the second video.
It was a video of Nicole having breakfast with a young man by the roadside. They were eating pizza while chatting and laughing happily.
They looked like a couple.
Jarrod knew who sent these videos to him.
He forwarded the second video to Alec, followed by a voice message.
“I want all the information about this man in five minutes.”
Then, Jarrod put his phone back into his pocket and pushed the heavy door open expressionlessly.
In the room, Nicole stared at the blood she had coughed up into the trash can. Its red hue was stark and unsettling.
Not long ago, a doctor diagnosed her with a severe gastric ulcer and warned her of a potential progression to stomach cancer if not treated promptly.
Recently, she had been frequently drinking with her potential clients.
Nicole had become known as someone who could handle an impressive amount of alcohol.
However, it was not that she never got drunk. The truth was, she often retreated to the bathroom to vomit and maintain her sobriety.
Otherwise, she would seem vulnerable when alone.
The routine of forced vomiting and enduring acid reflux had inflicted significant damage on her stomach.
The doctor recommended she run a further examination tomorrow. She must admit, she was terrified about the result.
What if she had stomach cancer?
She was an only child, and her parents were not in good condition.
If they learned she was ill, it might be a blow to them.
Nicole forcefully pushed these worries aside. With that, she tidied up the trash can, concealed its contents with waste paper, and masked the odor with an air freshener.
With that, she prepared several dishes and waited for Jarrod to return.
Knowing Jarrod usually arrived home late, she delayed cooking. Almost immediately after sending him a message, she received his reply that he would be home in ten minutes.
“Home?” Nicole mused. This word echoed in her mind as she read his message.
Jarrod’s home with her?
This was merely a place for him to get laid with her.
At the shopping mall today, Audrey seemed to want to say something but stopped on a second thought. Nicole figured Audrey must be worried about her after seeing her bruises and scars.
To ease Audrey’s worry, Nicole assured her Jarrod was easily fooled by her and that there was no need to worry about her.
In all honesty, even Nicole did not believe her own words.
She resented Jarrod. If it were not for him, the Lawrence family’s business would not have suffered, sparing her from the obligation of drinking with clients. After all, this was the very cause of her illness.
But ever since she confessed her love for him, Jarrod’s behavior had somewhat surprised her.
While still intense in the bed, he rarely degraded her now.
There were times when they interacted like any normal couple, and heartwarming moments, like today, happened from time to time.
Had Jarrod changed for good?
Nicole did not like having such expectations. Even if he had changed, she could not forget about Jamie’s presence.
ALL Nicole had ever wanted was a simple and content life. That was all.
While Nicole was in deep thought, the door swung open. Jarrod had returned.
Her face lit up with joy at the sight of Jarrod.
At this moment, she walked up to him with a beaming smile and greeted, “You’re back.”
On the contrary, Jarrod was standing at the door and staring at her with cold eyes.
Nicole was about to take his coat when suddenly, she sensed something was amiss.
“You’re quite the actress, aren’t you?” Jarrod uttered in disdain.
“What?” Nicole froze. Before she could react, his eyes bore into her with a chilling intensity.
Jarrod smirked.
“Put on something sexy and come out with me.”
Nicole was stunned. Confused as to what Jarrod was talking about, she stammered, “But you haven’t eaten what I made…”
Before she could finish, Jarrod brushed past her, walked over to the table, and waved his hand.
Crash! Jarred yanked the table cloth and overturned the table with a sinister smile on his face.
“I’ve had it.”
Even though Nicole was not the brightest of the bunch, she could sense that something was wrong. She glanced at the mess on the floor and asked with forced calm, “Jarrod, what’s wrong?”
Without glancing at Nicole, Jarrod pulled a piece of clothing from the wardrobe and flung it in her direction.
“Just wear this,” he commanded.
Nicole stared at the garment in shock.
Jarrod bought it for her to wear in bed. How could she possibly wear it in public?
“What are you waiting for? Get changed,” Jarrod ordered, his voice cold and commanding.
“Or should I call your mother to help you?”
His words sent shivers down her spine.
“I… I’ll get changed,” Nicole whispered with quivering Lips.
She changed into the clothes right in front of Jarrod and slipped on an overcoat.
Jarrod cast a disdainful glance at her and pushed open the door.
Nicole, however, remained behind.
When he turned around, he found that Nicole was squatting on the porch with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She was in pain again.