Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
“I remember it perfectly. I agreed not to shun you, to get along with you for a month, and then part ways amicably. But…” Audrey paused, then added nonchalantly, “Our agreement doesn’t restrict me from seeing other men, does it?”
At her words, Cornell’s expression grew even darker.
Audrey felt a surge of satisfaction. She sneered quietly, “You thought you could use the agreement to control me, but now the tables have turned! You idiot!”
Cornell, displaying a domineering presence, said with a chilly voice, “Do you still think about where you stand? Need me to jog your memory? Mrs. Clement!”
“Are we talking about cheating in marriage?” Audrey said nonchalantly, “I’m not bothered. And didn’t you get involved with your first love before? One should not be so hypocritical!”
Audrey brought up these topics with ease, wanting to provoke Cornell.
She doubted he could keep his cool after hearing her words.
Suddenly, Cornell’s expression darkened like he was on the verge of losing it but trying hard to control himself. “I never cheated on you. I’ve been with no one else but you.”
His confession didn’t impress Audrey in the slightest. She even let out a small laugh. “Big deal. Am I supposed to commend you for your loyalty? Since you’re so devoted, tell me, how did we lose our first baby?”
Bringing up the loss of the child caused Cornell’s authoritative air to falter slightly. He said in a raspy tone, “It was an accident.”
If he could turn back time, he’d never repeat that mistake. The loss of their first child hurt him as much as it did Audrey.
“Mr. Clement, you just happened to save your ex and just happened to put me at risk?” Audrey’s lips twisted into a light sneer. “So, it’s just a coincidence that I have an appointment with a man and things get a bit intimate. It was an accident. Mr. Clement, don’t read too much into it.”
The more Audrey spoke, the darker the expression on the Cornell’s face grew, until it was as black as ink.
“Are you really picking a fight with me over that man?” Cornell’s voice was icy cold. “You don’t want to see that man end up ruined because of his involvement with you, right?”
Cornell’s threat was unmistakable. He almost reached his breaking point, unable to bear any other men around Audrey’s side. He wanted Stefan out of the picture this instant, away from Audrey.
Yet, Audrey remained unfazed, her voice indifferent. “Are you threatening me again, Mr. Clement?”
The word “again” caused a subtle shift in Cornell’s expression, but he didn’t deny it. Instead, he simply said, “Yes.”
For Cornell, being hated by Audrey was a small price to pay to avoid seeing her with other men. The mere thought of Audrey being with other men killed him.
Cornell held a slight bitterness within his heart. Did Audrey not hate him enough? He was prepared to make her hate him even more as long as he was the only man by her side.
“Mr. Clement, do you have any idea how many men there are in the world?”
Cornell frowned, puzzled by her question.
“There are 3.5 billion men,” Audrey said with a faint smile. “Tell me, how many of them can you really drive them away?”
Instantly, Cornell’s face darkened, a mix of disbelief and coldness washing over him as he heard Audrey’s words.
His eyes, dark as the night, flared with a startling crimson hue, sharp and piercing. His voice edged with coldness as he said, “Audrey, you can’t be serious with this joke.”
“It’s no joke, Mr. Clement. If you think it is, just wait and see.
We’ll find out whether you can stop me faster or I can find someone new quicker!” Audrey declared.
Cornell’s expression turned icy. With a bitter tone, he implored, “Audrey, stop talking nonsense.”
“Mr. Clement, if you want to keep fooling yourself, sure, call it nonsense.” Audrey dismissed his words and walked away without a second glance at his face.
For the first time, Cornell realized how difficult it was to persuade Audrey. She seemed immune to every tactic, not even threats could deter her. He had to face the fact. Audrey had changed. She was no longer someone he could control.
His eyes reddened, a sense of desperation creeping in. He quickly followed her, grabbing her arm. “What do you really want?”
“What I want is very simple!” With brightness in her eyes and a sweet smile, Audrey said, “Divorce.”
In an instant, the images suddenly overlapped.
Cornell swallowed hard as past memories flashed through his mind.
Just like those days five years past, Cornell and Audrey’s dynamic mirrored that last rendezvous. One yearned for a divorce while the other clung to the marriage.
At that precise moment, a waiter strolled past, balancing a tray of dishes in hand.
Cornell swiftly extended his arm, fearing the waiter might accidentally collide with Audrey.
But Audrey, on pure instinct, evaded his grasp, stepping back abruptly. Her slender waist met the table’s corner, drawing a furrowed brow and a muffled groan from her.
Cornell’s breath hitched, his hand suspended in the air. Withdrawing his hand, he concealed the ache in his heart and inquired, “Is your aversion for me that intense?”
Her disdain for him ran so deep that she’d rather hurt herself than let him touch her.
Cornell’s attractive eyes reddened slightly, his wounded expression holding a strangely captivating allure.
Audrey lifted her eyes, a sharp edge in her words. “Certainly, Mr. Clement! My loathing against you surpasses your wildest imagination.”
Coupled with the disdain in her gaze, Audrey’s words were like an unforgiving sword mercilessly piercing Cornell.
Emotions be damned. Audrey disregarded his feelings and spoke up.
“Since you have nothing of substance to contribute, kindly step aside.
I want to go.”
Cornell’s gaze darkened as he stood his ground, a formidable mountain barring her path.
“Mr. Clement?” Audrey exclaimed annoyingly.
“Why?” Cornell’s voice carried an enduring chill.
“What?” Audrey inquired.
“Why harbor such an intense hatred toward me?” Cornell’s countenance turned icy as he meticulously recollected. Since Audrey’s return, their encounters had been fleeting, happening only two or three times.
Audrey possessed no recollection of him due to the car incident.
Hence, Cornell couldn’t fathom the depth of her loathing. For a moment, a peculiar notion crept in. He wondered if Audrey feigned amnesia to evade him.
Audrey perceived Cornell’s thought process as a deviation from the norm. She articulated, “I detest being coerced against my will. And it’s not just because of that. My disdain for you began from the very first moment we crossed paths.”
Audrey assumed her memory loss played a role. Moreover, her repulsion and instinctive resistance toward Cornell remained steadfast.
Erick had provided scant details regarding events preceding her amnesia. Audrey held a vague awareness of the turbulent life she once led, with much suffering inflicted by Cornell.
Cornell’s gaze held a profound, suppressed sorrow, and the veins on his hand bulged as he clenched his fist. In a measured tone, he declared, “I am your husband.”
His implication rested on the premise that he possessed the right to draw near her. She was his wife, and in his eyes, his actions didn’t constitute coercion.
“Mr. Clement, are you not aware that I’ve lost my memory about you?”
Audrey inquired.
Audrey gestured toward the bustling servers, adding, “To me, you’re no different from the strangers passing by.”
At those words, Cornell pressed his lips tightly. Abruptly, he reached out, gripping her wrist and forcefully guiding her aside.
“You!” Audrey didn’t have time to resist and found herself ushered into a chamber.
With a bang, the door slammed shut with force, the echo of the lock reverberating through the room.
Cornell pressed Audrey against the wall, his touch unyielding. His hand enveloped her waist while the other was propped near her ear.
In an instant, the confined space was awash with the inviting fragrance of Cornell’s cologne, permeating every breath Audrey took.
Their closeness was evident, causing a sensation of suffocation to engulf Audrey.
Audrey abruptly snapped back to reality, her breath quickening. She exerted herself to push him away, demanding, “Cornell! What are you up to now?”
Cornell possessed exceptional strength. His hold on her waist remained unyielding, impervious to her most ardent efforts.
That left Audrey feeling trapped, unable to free herself from his control. In a fit of anger and frustration, she glared at him. “Let me go!” Audrey yelled, her voice edged with frustration.
Cornell dipped his head, his gaze carrying a dangerous intensity. “Am I nothing more than a stranger to you?” he inquired.
Audrey remained utterly speechless, opting to ignore him. However, she found herself ensnared, unable to break free. His grip on her waist tightened as if he intended to coerce her into speaking.
A pained wince escaped Audrey, and her brow furrowed. “Cornell, have you lost your mind?”
Audrey’s anger had permeated deep into her heart, fueling an urge to vent her frustration even if it meant biting Cornell a few times.
Cornell gazed at her in silence for an extended moment, his voice eventually descending into a hushed whisper. “Do I really mean nothing to you?” He spoke in a low, wounded tone.
Trapped within his grasp, Audrey’s anger smoldered, and she responded sternly, “Even if you ask a hundred times, the answer is still yes.”
A heavy silence settled in the room.