Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Pausing briefly, Cornell sent another message, just three words this time. After hitting send, Cornell’s heart raced. He felt like a lovesick teenager, eagerly waiting for a message back from the one he adored.
Cornell kept his eyes glued to his phone for a long while, but a reply from Audrey never arrived.
Cornell felt a growing sense of disappointment and irritation. For three days straight, his expectations had been let down. It was becoming clear that Audrey’s promises were empty.
He regretted believing her, letting her walk away without a second thought the other day. Once she was gone, she didn’t come back.
The more Cornell dwelled on it, the angrier he got, until he couldn’t resist calling Audrey.
Audrey picked up quickly this time.
With bitterness in his voice, Cornell asked, “Are you really that tied up with th ings?”
“Hello?” The cheerful male voice on the other end was not who Cornell expected.
“Who’s this?” Cornell’s annoyance was evident in his voice.
“I’m Judd, Miss Foster’s assistant.”
Audrey had hired a man as her assistant? Trying to keep his cool, Cornell said, “Let me talk to her.”
“Do you want to leave a message? I’ll make sure she gets it.”
Judd’s hesitation only made Cornell more frustrated. Cornell’s face turned sour. “Tell her to answer the call. I need to talk to her.”
Judd refused, “Sorry, she’s tied up right now.”
Cornell was at a loss for words. Fuming, he wondered how Audrey managed to hire such a stubborn assistant. Was the assistant’s only purpose to irritate him?
“Need anything else?” Judd sounded indifferent as if he was hinting at Cornell to wrap it up and go.
Cornell had never been brushed off by an assistant like this. He inhaled sharply, gritted his teeth, and muttered, “No.”
With a “click,” the conversation was over.
Judd looked at Audrey’s phone, his brow furrowing slightly.
Right then, Audrey came over and asked, “Was that Elin on the phone?
Did the backup dress arrive?”
Truly, Audrey was buried in work today. After the deal with Sino Entertainment didn’t go through, another company, Arthen Entertainment, had come knocking to talk about the makeup for their mid-year gala.
Elin was the one who negotiated the deal, and surprisingly, after just a single meeting, they sealed the deal swiftly. It was worth noting that Arthen Entertainment was leagues ahead of Sino Entertainment.
Sino Entertainment’s stars mostly didn’t have notable works, boasting only one top celebrity as their standout. On the other hand, Arthen Entertainment was home to six Best Actor and Actress winners, and even their less celebrated actors had won newcomer awards in cinema, establishing it as a powerhouse for movie stars. In essence, Sino Entertainment was no match for Arthen Entertainment.
As a result, for any single gala, numerous studios competed fiercely for a chance. Yet, Arthen Entertainment traditionally partnered with upscale studios from overseas, marking this the first time they had opted for a domestic collaborator.
Interestingly, instead of choosing the well-known Alpire Studio, Arthen Entertainment went for Crescent, a newcomer that had only been around for a month, sparking curiosity.
All eyes were now on Crescent. And there was keen anticipation for the makeup looks Crescent would deliver for the event.
Audrey understood the importance of this chance, realizing that handling this event well could nearly clinch victory for Crescent in Ardlens.
With the gala nearing, Audrey was all the more diligent. Thus, she spent her whole day backstage at Arthen Entertainment, handling final fittings for several big names.
Since she had to stay in touch with Elin, Audrey gave her phone to Judd to take care of calls.
Right then, Judd reported, “Audrey, a man called a moment ago. You didn’t have his number saved, so I picked up.”
A man? Audrey immediately thought of Cornell. Except for Cornell, she had tagged names for her brother and father.
“What was his message?” Audrey asked.
Judd replied, “He didn’t mention anything specific. He just wanted me to pass the phone to you. I let him know you were tied up.”
“Got it, thanks.”
At that moment, the director approached Audrey to go over some details.
Audrey found herself too preoccupied to glance at her phone. She figured Cornell was in good hands regardless and didn’t worry too much. After all, she hadn’t been able to visit him but made sure nutritious soups and fruits were sent his way daily. She saw no issue with this arrangement.
Audrey’s day was packed until the evening. Just as she was wrapping up, the CEO of Arthen Entertainment dropped by for an informal conversation with Audrey.
Audrey was taken aback, having never met the CEO of Arthen Entertainment before.
Introducing himself, Devonte said, “Miss Foster, I’m Devonte Frazier.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Frazier.”
“I caught a glimpse of your makeup work earlier. It truly stands out and has made a lasting impression on me.”
Audrey replied, “Crescent mainly offers traditional style series, which you don’t see much around here. If you have any ideas or feedback, I’m all ears. I’ll do my best to adjust without losing our unique style.”
Most celebrities preferred wearing gowns from international designers, and embracing a traditional style could be a new concept for some.
Nevertheless, Audrey was open to feedback but intended to keep the traditional essence intact. If pushed to adopt a completely foreign style, Audrey would opt out of the project.
“Crescent” was born from Audrey’s mother’s dream to spread traditional culture. She didn’t want to compromise its uniqueness merely for profit.
Devonte clarified, shaking his head, “Oh, you’ve got me wrong. I actually find your work very appealing. I’m quite pleased.”
Audrey was surprised to hear Devonte’s candid praise. She felt joy for his appreciation for Crescent’s dedication to traditional style.
“Thank you for choosing Crescent.”
“There’s no need for thanks. I’m the lucky one here. Had it not been for Mr. Clement’s recommendation, I’d have lost the chance of seeing such a fabulous gala to come.”
Audrey, caught off guard, asked, “Which Mr. Clement might you be talking about?”
Devonte raised an eyebrow, never expecting Audrey’s lack of knowledge of Cornell’s involvement.
Devonte shared, “Cornell Clement, the CEO of Clement Group and my former classmate.”
Audrey was initially taken aback that a significant entity like Arthen Entertainment would take note of their startup studio.
Suddenly, it all clicked.
Devonte reassured her, “But please don’t read too much into it. Our selection process is rigorous. It wasn’t just a favor. Your studio’s makeup won our committee’s approval with a 7 to 3 vote.”
Audrey was at a loss for words.
On her way back, Audrey checked her phone in the car. She then saw unread messages waiting for her.
She had muted Cornell’s messages and, because she was part of many work groups, Cornell’s messages got lost in the shuffle.
The first message from Cornell was a simple query. “Will you come today?”
Quickly after, another one came through. “I miss you.”
Audrey paused, a warm feeling spreading across her face. She reflected on the quiet ways Cornell had supported her, recognizing he had plenty of chances to boast in her presence but chose not to. In light of this, she thought she might have been too tough on him.
After giving it some thought and considering what he was going through, she decided to give Cornell a call to see how he was.
The phone just rang without an answer. Audrey felt a knot in her stomach. Maybe he was hurt and that was why he wasn’t picking up her calls.
Right at that moment, Audrey’s phone rang with a call from Matteo.
Answering it, she could hear the worry in Matteo’s voice. “Audrey, can you come to the hospital?”
That Cornell hadn’t responded to her call made Audrey wonder if he truly wanted to see her.
While she hesitated, Matteo’s next words caught her off guard. “Mr. Clement is coughing up blood.”
Audrey’s voice shook as she asked, “How could this happen?”
“You’ve been away for three days. Mr. Clement hasn’t been eating well, just sipping the soup you had delivered each day. Today, he wouldn’t even touch the soup and then he started coughing up blood out of nowhere. The doctor says it’s acute gastric bleeding…” Matteo urgently replied. “Miss Foster, could you please come over now, if that’s okay?”
After ending the call, Audrey felt a storm brewing inside her, her hands and feet icy cold. Why did Cornell have to be so stubborn? If she didn’t show up, he refused to eat. Couldn’t he know how to take care of himself? Plus, he was sick. Why was he punishing himself?
But then, Audrey guessed she was also to blame. She did say she would take care of him.
Torn and worried, Audrey told the driver, “Let’s head to the hospital.”
Upon her arrival at the hospital, Audrey spotted Matteo standing at the ward door. He handed over a thermos, suggesting, “Miss Foster, Mr. Clement just had an IV and is resting now. He can try some porridge when he wakes. Please, make sure he eats.”
Audrey nodded, walked in, and quietly placed the porridge near Cornell’s bed.
Cornell’s eyes were shut, making it hard to tell if he was asleep.