Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Brent found himself at a loss for words. He was utterly astounded.
Overwhelmed by his feelings, he blurted out, “You’re crazy, woman!
Who bargains like that!”
Unperturbed, as if she hadn’t heard his outburst, Audrey calmly stated, “Forty.”
Brent, incredulous, managed to say, “Crazy, you’re really sick!”
Audrey allowed herself a slight smile. “This is my offer.”
“You’re making a fool of yourself!” Brent was about to explode.
Yet, Audrey remained unbothered, simply stating, “Twenty.”
Once again, Brent found himself speechless. He pondered for a moment before exclaiming, “You moron! Shouldn’t it be thirty?”
With a leisurely air, Audrey replied, “I’m the one making the offer, so I decide.”
Brent huffed, “Don’t dream about it. I’m telling you it’s not happening. I’d consider thirty…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the engine roared to life, and the window began to rise.
Brent visibly paled at this. He had witnessed firsthand Audrey’s determination, her actions speaking louder than her words. With a look of resignation, he shouted, “You’re ruthless!”
As the window continued to rise, he yelled, worried Audrey might not hear him and decided to drive away, “Fine! Twenty! Deal! I say it’s a deal!”
For Brent, who thrived on the thrill of gambling and was no stranger to life’s ups and downs, the prospect of getting twenty didn’t seem too shabby anymore. In his mind, twenty was better than zero.
At this, Audrey lowered the window and looked at Brent. “Speak now,” she said.
Brent, wary of her getting away without paying him after hearing the secret from him, responded, “Give me the money first.”
At this point, Audrey had no concerns about Brent potentially lying.
Even if the information he had was useless, she saw the twenty thousand as offering him an escape route. After all, he was part of the Warburton family. Giving him one last shot at redemption wasn’t a bad idea. Should he fail to seize this opportunity and veer off course again, the repercussions would be his to bear alone, and she would wash her hands of the matter. Her sympathy lay with his kind mother, not with him.
Audrey nodded, her expression serious. “Okay, but if you lie, you won’t get away with it.”
The demand for cash presented a dilemma, as Brent had no bank account to transfer the money to. How could Audrey have such a substantial amount of cash on her?
Yet, Brent insisted on seeing the money before he would divulge anything.
That was when Stefan interjected, “I have some.” He then proceeded to retrieve twenty neat stacks of cash from the car’s safe, handing them over to Brent.
Brent scrutinized the money, his gaze sharp. It looked like there were more than a million in that safe. He had always heard rumors that the affluent kept cash in their vehicles for unforeseen circumstances. The ease with which someone could stash a hundred thousand or more in their car for emergencies spoke volumes about their wealth.
Audrey, noticing Brent’s barely hidden avarice, urged him, “Hurry up and speak.”
After verifying the twenty stacks, Brent led Audrey to a quieter spot and began his tale in a measured tone, “Years ago, after a night out, my brother-in-law came to fetch me from a tavern. On our drive back, we stumbled upon a heap of garbage, where we heard a baby’s cries piercing the night. It was unsettling. I urged him to drive on, yet he felt compelled to investigate.
I stayed back, but soon after, I watched him rescue a child from a sack. The child’s head was encased in a thick plastic bag, seemingly with the intent to suffocate her. Miraculously, a stray stick had punctured the sack and the plastic, allowing the child to breathe. My brother-in-law brought the child home, and coincidentally, his daughter fell critically ill and passed away with acute encephalitis that very night.
My sister had passed away early, leaving behind this sole descendant.
To spare my mother the heartache, my brother-in-law decided to raise the child as his own, keeping the truth from my mother. Given my mother’s poor eyesight and the child’s undeveloped features, the deception went unnoticed.”
Brent’s detailed account left Audrey speechless. She realized she was the child in the story.
Brent added, ‘ve shared everything with you, and I’ve not lied. I had vowed never to disclose this to my mother.”
Brent’s brother-in-law, Audrey’s adoptive father, stood as a testament to the remaining decency in Brent’s world. After the loss of Brent’s sister, Brent’s brother-in-law had stepped up as a pillar for the family, enduring all challenges to ensure their well-being.
He was a beacon of kindness in a harsh world.
If not for a tragic accident that claimed his brother-in-law’s life, Brent mused, with such a decent man around him, he wouldn’t have kept bad company like he did and gambling that led him astray.
Once Brent departed, Audrey found herself enveloped in the aftermath of the revelation, struggling to come to terms with the magnitude of the truth.
If Brent’s story held any truth, it meant she hadn’t merely gotten lost as a child but had been deliberately targeted by someone. The thought that a 6-year-old could provoke such malice seemed absurd.
Who could have wanted to harm her, and why?
The effort to piece together these thoughts made Audrey’s head spin.
The blood clot in her brain hadn’t completely resolved, and deep thinking triggered intense headaches.
Stefan, noticing her discomfort, quickly came to her aid, catching her in time.
Overcome with pain, Audrey slumped against his shoulder, appearing to those at a distance as if she was cradled in his embrace.
Not far from this scene, a sleek, dark luxury car was parked stealthily. Matteo, observing them from a short distance, wished he could have retracted what he had said.
Just earlier, Matteo had suggested they would be uncertain when Audrey would emerge if waiting by the roadside while waiting for Audrey in the parking lot seemed a wiser idea. Now, he regretted his words, given the scene unfolding before them.
Catching a glimpse of Cornell’s reaction through the rearview mirror and noticing his darkened face, Matteo tentatively asked, “Mr. Clement, shall we…”
Cornell cut him off abruptly, “That car is in the way. Ram it.”
Matteo was taken aback. “Ah?
Cornell, withdrawing his attention from the cradling duo, repeated firmly and clearly, “Ram it!”
Suddenly, loud horn sounds echoed around Audrey and Stefan.
Audrey lifted her head to see a car speeding directly toward them.
Stefan, acting on instinct, wrapped his arms around Audrey and retreated.
Yet, the car was not heading for them. It aimed for Stefan’s black limousine.
“Boom!” The collision was shockingly forceful.
Stefan’s limousine’s nose crumpled, while the car took the hit only had minor damage, mostly bumper damage, all part of Matteo’s precise calculation. His hands were drenched in sweat from the tension.
Matteo had known about Cornell’s insanity when overwhelmed by jealousy and would never let Cornell do the hitting. He had better control of speed and strength when hitting Stefan’s car under Cornell’s directive. Had it been Cornell behind the wheel, Stefan’s black limousine might have been totally wrecked.
Audrey, already battling a headache, felt her strength drain from the shock and she slumped into Stefan’s embrace.
The door of the car which took the hit swung open. Shiny leather shoes hit the ground.
Cornell, with one hand in his pocket, moved toward Stefan and Audrey with deliberate steps. His dark suit radiated a serious, deep-black aura that didn’t mask his natural authority.
Stefan was visibly annoyed. No man could maintain his cool in this situation and Stefan was no exception. “What’s this about, Mr. Clement?” he inquired, voice low and eyes slightly squinted, maintaining politeness yet with a firm tone.
Cornell’s eyes scrutinized Stefan’s protective embrace of Audrey, his look icy and mysterious, his lips quivering slightly. “This was merely an accidental collision.”
Stefan’s pupils deepened, grasping Cornell’s underlying threats. Just a car collision today, what about tomorrow? A person?
Stefan and Cornell stood in a tense silence, their eyes locked in a fierce confrontation, neither yielding.
Audrey regained some strength and blinked, only to straighten up abruptly at the sight of Cornell, her expression stern. “Cornell, have you lost your senses? What did you just do? Why are you here?”
She had thought it was a mere illusion at first. After all, Cornell, who was supposed to be in the hospital for rest, stood before her.
Cornell’s heart seemed to pause at Audrey’s questioning. His lips pale and slightly apart, he said softly, “Because I wanted to see you.”
Audrey was at a loss for words. She paused for a second, slowly processing his words. In full view of everyone, he confessed his desire to see her. She questioned what she had just heard. Could these really be the words of the usually calm, reserved man?
Yet, the memory of Cornell’s earlier threat angered Audrey. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you threatening Stefan!”
Cornell felt a jolt seeing Audrey defend Stefan, his dark eyes growing colder.
Just when Audrey anticipated another outburst, Cornell exhaled quietly, seemingly holding back strong emotions, and then rasped, “Sorry, I wasn’t clear.”
Audrey was dumbfounded. What did she just hear? An apology from Cornell?
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Cornell’s brow creased slightly as he added, “I had no intention of threatening him.”
Audrey frowned, rendered speechless. Stefan shared the same sentiment.
Stefan’s perception of Cornell shifted drastically. How could someone’s demeanor change so quickly? Cornell was as unpredictable as anyone could be.
Then, Matteo rushed over, apologizing to Stefan, “Please forgive me, I forgot to brake. I’ll cover all repairs.”
Cornell, with his handsome features showing a trace of pallor, commanded in a deep voice, “Matteo, ensure Mr. Clifford gets a thorough check-up to see if he’s physically hurt and have him select a new car from the dealership.”
Cornell sophisticatedly camouflaged his feelings and echoed Matteo, showcasing his shrew side.