Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
How could she continually soften his hardened heart?
He had thought their relationship was purely rooted in hatred.
But now, it seemed irrelevant whether he hated Nicole or not.
They were bound by a complex, unhealthy dynamic — a mix of love and hate, too entangled to be simply categorized. Neither love nor hatred alone could define or resolve the intricate web of emotions they shared.
In the midst of their tangled emotions, Jarrod’s resolve was clear.
He couldn’t let Nicole go.
He pondered over Jamie’s deceitful narratives. If Jamie’s accounts were all lies, could Nicole’s supposed impending death due to stomach cancer be a reality?
This thought sent waves of panic through Jarrod.
Gripping Nicole’s face, his eyes a tempest of emotion, Jarrod declared, “Nicole, we’re even now, but I’m not letting you go just yet. Understand my words.”
It wasn’t a request. It was something he had decided.
Aware of the revulsion his words might evoke in Nicole, Jarrod chose to be candid.
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After all, she loathed him already, didn’t she?
“One day, I’ll give you that opportunity,” he said, alluding to a chance for her to end his life.
Nicole, despair evident in her voice, asked, “Jarrod, do you mean only death could make me escape from you?”
“No, I won’t let you die!” Jarrod responded sharply, his eyes flickering. “If you even think of dying, I’ll come after everyone who ever helped you!”
It seemed Nicole barely registered his words. Her fear wasn’t death, but living a life steeped in hatred.
Jarrod cautioned, “Remember what I said.”
Yet Nicole remained silent, lost in her thoughts.
As dawn broke, signaling a new day, the time came to cremate Wesson’s remains.
Cornell and Audrey joined in paying their last respects.
After the cremation, Nicole, her voice barely above a whisper, revealed, “Jarrod, my father’s final wish was for his ashes to be scattered at sea.”
Jarrod, upon hearing this, frowned and met her gaze. Despite any reservations, he found himself unable to voice an objection.
Before stepping into the car, Nicole turned to Audrey. “Being your friend has been the best part of my life.”
Audrey’s eyes immediately welled up, tears cascading down her cheeks.
Clutching Nicole’s wrist, Audrey managed through sobs, “I’ll be here, waiting for you.”
With a nod to Audrey, Nicole then entered Jarrod’s car.
Jarrod had been vigilantly monitoring Nicole for the past two days, ensuring he was always close by.
Nicole noticed the untreated bite wound on Jarrod’s arm, the flesh still visible beneath his sleeve.
Catching her gaze, Jarrod murmured, “I chose to leave it.” He referred to the bite mark Nicole had left.
Nicole frowned, regretting her impulsive action. She never intended to leave any mark on this man she viewed as vile.
Upon reaching the seaside, Nicole solemnly scattered Wesson’s ashes into the ocean.
At this moment, her tears had dried up.
Her mind replayed the recent turmoil. So many things had happened.
The forced mistress role, the beatings, her cancer diagnosis, being framed and jailed, and now, the loss of her father and her dying mother.
It had only been a few months, yet it felt like an eternity had passed.
Enduring until this moment hadn’t been easy for Nicole.
Nicole wished to commend herself, “Well done, Nicole. You’ve given it your all.”
As the funeral concluded, a gust of wind swept across the area.
Nicole’s black hat, caught by the wind, flew off her head.
“My hat! My hat!” Nicole cried out.
Without thinking of her safety, she darted after it, but Jarrod quickly grasped her around the waist.
“Have you lost your mind?” Jarrod rebuked her. “That area is dangerous! Didn’t you see the warning sign?”
Nicole, overcome with emotion, wept. “That hat was from my father! He gave it to me!”
Jarrod’s expression hardened. “Stay here.”
He proceeded forward, stepping over the chain to retrieve the hat.
Just as he picked it up, Nicole’s voice rang out from behind.
“Jarrod Schultz!”
Jarrod spun around, his heart sinking at the sight.
Nicole had crossed the chain, standing perilously on the edge of the cliff side.
Her brief journey was coming to an end at this moment.
Yet, she found solace in the thought that she wouldn’t have to endure her absurd, sorrowful existence any longer.
With tears in her eyes and a voice laced with hatred, Nicole declared, “Congratulations! You win. I’m going to kill myself!”
With those words and a resigned smile, she leaned back, falling off the cliff.
“No! Nicole!” Jarrod’s roar was filled with hysteria as he dashed toward the cliff’s edge.
The sea roiled beneath a stormy sky, and Jarrod frantically scanned the turbulent waters for any sign of Nicole.
Without a second thought, Jarrod crossed the railing and sprinted toward the edge, only to be grabbed by Alec from behind.
“Be careful, Mr. Schultz! If you jump at the wrong angle, you might end up falling on the rocks…” Alec didn’t finish his words. He wanted to say that there was no point in searching Nicole. She was likely dead by now.
“Let go of me!” Jarrod’s eyes burned with a demonic intensity, his voice trembling with desperation.
The vast ocean below seemed bottomless, each passing moment diminishing Nicole’s chances of survival.
“Mr. Schultz, Miss lawrence seems determined to end herself!” Alec reluctantly revealed the harsh reality. “This morning, a substantial sum of money was transferred to Mrs. lawrence’s hospital account, enough to cover the next fifty years. It must be from Miss lawrence.”
Perhaps when Nicole visited Dora yesterday, she had already made up her mind.
Shock gripped Jarrod when he heard that. Nicole had made up her mind.
She would rather die than be with him.
In an instant, Jarrod’s heart felt as though it had been wrenched open, bleeding with each tearing fragment.
The pain surged from his heart to every inch of his being, threatening to overwhelm him.
In a daze, a distant voice seemed to call him from the deep blue sea.
“Jarrod… Jarrod..
The voice echoed, and Jarrod’s heart felt as if it had been stabbed.
Dizziness gradually overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t stand on his own.
Fortunately, Alec caught him in time.
Jarrod’s response was swift. “If I don’t make it, bury us together when you find our bodies.”
In the next breath, he leaped into the boundless sea.
“Mr. Schultz!” Alec shouted anxiously.
Alec hurried to the Coast Guard office, seeking their assistance. A rescue team was dispatched to search for Jarrod and Nicole.
When Jarrod regained consciousness, a day had passed. Alec and the rescue team had found Jarrod after an exhaustive search. They spent about an hour searching in the sea. Jarrod was so tired that he had allowed himself to sink to the bottom of the water.