Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Cornell didn’t just lean in. He wrapped her up in a full embrace.
His breath on Audrey’s neck sent tingles through her. With each breath, she felt a surge of warmth. Audrey’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red from embarrassment.
Then, suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted them. “Mr. Clement, Miss Glyn is here.”
Audrey tensed up, the warmth she’d felt vanishing instantly.
Cornell’s expression turned into a slight frown as he pulled back a little, his eyes locked on her face, catching every subtle emotion.
Audrey’s expression was icy, a wave of awkwardness washing over her.
Erick was right. Getting involved with Cornell was a mistake. Now, she was the one left feeling uncomfortable.
Audrey tried to pull away, her voice cold. “Could you let me go?
It’s not appropriate. You wouldn’t want your fianc?e to see us and get the wrong idea.”
Cornell’s brow furrowed in confusion. Why did she mention the fianc?e again? He had already made it clear to her that his relationship with Katie was over.
Cornell’s gaze darkened a bit. He didn’t repeat the question but just looked at her. “So, your boyfriend isn’t going to get the wrong idea about you visiting me?”
Irritated, Audrey responded without thinking, “Boyfriend? What boyfriend?”
As soon as she said it, she realized she had walked right into a trap. Believing that explaining further would only make things worse, she chose to remain silent.
A brief smile flashed across Cornell’s face, carrying a deeper meaning. He was convinced that if Audrey were to fall in love, she would do so with all her heart and wouldn’t have delayed it until now.
Based on what Matteo had found out, Audrey and Stefan had been acquainted for three years. The fact that they hadn’t been together during those three years, and suddenly claiming to be a couple now, struck him as abrupt.
Cornell wasn’t familiar with Stefan, but he felt sure that Audrey was trying to fool h im. It was unlikely for her to suddenly fall in love with someone she hadn’t fallen for in three years.
With a stern look, Audrey said, “I didn’t come here for you. I’m here because my brother hit you, and out of concern for humanity, I wanted to check on you.”
Cornell wasn’t upset by her remark. He adjusted her mask and replied with a faint smile, “It’s fine to come out of concern, but I’m not letting you go just yet.”
Then, he called out to the door, “Come in.”
Katie walked in, holding a thermos, her presence both graceful and elegant. She noticed Cornell’s shirt was partly unbuttoned, showcasing his attractive collarbone, and she felt her cheeks warm up.
“Cornell, Matteo told me you ran into some trouble with a thug. How are you feeling?” she asked.
“It’s nothing,” Cornell replied casually, his eyes drifting to Audrey, who was fiddling with her fingers, causing him to smile without realizing it.
Katie couldn’t help but be captivated by his smile, so handsome and charming. She offered warmly, “I’ve got some free time these days.
How about I stay and look after you?”
Cornell’s reply was brisk. “No need.” His response felt cold to Katie, and she was glad no one familiar was around to witness it. Otherwise, it would have been too embarrassing.
Yet, Katie noticed Audrey under the disguise of a nurse standing quietly to the side. Though Audrey’s face was not visible due to the mask, her silhouette was gentle and slender.
Katie’s gaze returned to Cornell, his bare chest adding to his casual allure. She wondered if this nurse had been looking after Cornell. It was unusual for him to let another woman be so close.
Katie felt a mix of suspicion and annoyance. She pointed at Audrey and demanded, “You, get me a glass of water.”
Audrey didn’t move or even look up.
Feeling ignored, Katie’s frustration grew, feeling slighted not just by Cornell but also by a nurse. Her voice turned sharp and a bit stern. “Didn’t you hear me?”
Trying not to give herself away, Audrey moved to get some water as Katie requested. However, Cornell caught her wrist.
Cornell lifted his eyelids and said with a cold voice, “All she has to do is look after me.”
This implied that Katie wasn’t up to the task of giving orders.
Katie was taken aback for a moment, her eyes quickly filling with tears. With her voice breaking, she said, “Cornell, I just wanted to get some water.”
Cornell stood firm. “If you’re thirsty, get it yourself.”
“I…” Katie was at a loss for words, now not wanting to get herself some water. After a brief silence, she tried to brush it off. “Never mind, I don’t need to drink anything.”
Audrey observed this exchange from a distance, feeling sorry for Katie. Despite Katie’s compliance, she couldn’t gain any favor from Cornell.
Audrey decided to steer clear of their drama, murmuring, “I’ll step outside for a bit.”
But Cornell wasn’t about to let her leave just like that. He instructed Matteo to show her out. Adding to that, he said, “Have her make me a soup.”
Matteo was surprised, questioning, “Mr. Clement, what kind of soup would you like?”
It was unusual for Cornell to ask a nurse to cook soup, especially when they had cooks for that job.
Cornell’s expression turned icy. “I only want the soup she makes.”
Truth be told, he didn’t care much for the soup itself. His real aim was to find a reason to keep Audrey around.
Matteo caught on quickly and started to usher Audrey off to prepare the soup.
Audrey wanted to leave, not keen on cooking, but Matteo held her back.
Acting not to have recognized Audrey, Matteo implored softly, “Please, don’t make things hard. I can’t let you leave.”
Audrey almost rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness. Hadn’t Katie already brought Cornell soup? Trapped, she fluttered her lashes and queried, “Do you have everything we need for the soup?”
Matteo assured her, “We’ve got everything in the kitchen.”
Audrey gave a knowing smile. She was going to “properly” cook some nutritious soup for Cornell.
Inside Cornell’s ward.
Katie, ever adaptable, quickly shook off any disappointment, held up the thermos, and announced, “Cornell, here’s some soup for you. Try it out.”
“I don’t want it.”
Katie’s frustration grew as she noticed Cornell’s lack of interest, feeling a wave of bitterness wash over her. He seemed to prefer the nurse’s cooking over hers.
Leaning back against the headboard, Cornell glanced at Katie and asked, “How’s your father doing these days?”
Katie, thinking Cornell was showing concern for her family, brightened up. “Dad’s doing well. He often mentions you, saying he didn’t see you at dinner with your mom last time. He’s been missing you.”
Cornell, however, didn’t seem to catch her hopeful tone and replied indifferently, “If he’s doing well, then we should clear up any misunderstandings with a public statement soon.”
Katie’s face lost its color. She had let this issue slip her mind.
She didn’t expect Cornell to remember her words, which were nothing but excuses, thinking he would forget about the public statement over time.
Cornell added, “I’ll get Matteo to prepare the statement and send it over for your review. It won’t harm either of our reputations.”
Initially, Cornell didn’t mind the content of the public statement, not caring about his own reputation. But now, he felt it was unfair for him to acknowledge something he hadn’t done, not wanting Audrey to get the wrong idea. He wanted Audrey to understand that he had been faithful, without any involvement with other women for the past five years.
Katie’s eyes instantly reddened. She hastily said, “Cornell, your position isn’t secure yet. The shareholders from my uncle’s side are watching you closely. Have you thought about how cutting ties with me now might affect you?”
She added earnestly, “I can handle it. It’s been so long, and I’m prepared to continue like this…”
“It’s not going to happen,” Cornell interrupted her firmly. “We can’t put off the clarification any longer. Matteo will work with you on it. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll make things clear to your family.”
His voice was firm, allowing no argument.
Katie was stunned, tears starting to fill her eyes. At that moment, her emotions overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t hold back any longer, admitting, “I… I don’t want this.”
Cornell looked at her sharply, his tone icy. “Katie, we’re not going to argue about this.”
Seeing the pain in her eyes, he couldn’t conceal his irritation, stating plainly, “Once we release the statement, I expect no more rumors about us, got it?”
Katie broke down, crying harder, unable to keep her feelings in check.
“Cornell…”
She stepped closer, almost kneeling by his bed, gripping the sheets tightly. “How can you do this to me? Don’t you remember how my family supported you when you needed it?”
Katie wept bitterly, tears streaming. “Cornell, are you really going to forget all we’ve been through once you’ve got what you needed?”
Katie attempted to use public opinion to pressure him. After all, such news would immediately put Cornell under the microscope. “The reserve dock initiative, the development in the western suburbs, Arctic Bay Park, the Cloud Village project…”
Cornell’s tone was icy. “Do I need to remind you how much your Glyn family benefited from those projects?”
He didn’t care that Katie was turning white and went on, “Originally, I didn’t meddle in these things. The rumors about the Clement and Glyn families uniting through marriage was something your father, you, and my mother discussed, wasn’t it? Right from the start, this was a partnership that worked well for both sides. And now you’re talking about me being ungrateful. Do I need to get Matteo to put together a presentation to show you how the Glyn family from Berton has held its ground in Ardlens?”
With each word, he coldly laid out the advantages the Glyn family had gained over the years. Each project Katie had mentioned was worth a fortune. The idea of him being ungrateful was absurd. It was obvious the Glyn family had been milking money.
Katie’s thoughts broke off, plunging her into deep despair. She grabbed Cornell’s hand, tears pouring down her face. “Is it because Audrey is back? What’s so special about her? She’s married, been a mother, and with other men. Do you really want a woman like her?”