Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Janey slid a plate of peeled sweet potatoes toward Audrey, exclaiming joyfully, “Mommy, daddy prepared sweet potatoes for me. Try some.”
Audrey hadn’t pulled herself together and stole a glance at Cornell.
Cornell didn’t return her gaze, focusing instead on Janey and the task of peeling the sweet potato, showing no intention of acknowledging Audrey.
The silence was uncomfortable.
Janey encouraged, “Mommy, try it. Daddy peeled it himself!”
“Alright.” Audrey tasted a piece of the sweet potato. Its sweetness was preserved since it was roasted in its skin.
“Does it taste good?” Janey asked, her eyes full of curiosity.
Cornell looked up, casting a brief glance at Audrey’s unusual outfit.
Audrey blushed and said, “Yes.”
“You should say thanks to daddy, right? You always tell me to thank people who help me,” Janey reminded Audrey in her innocent tone.
“Mommy, did you forget?”
Hearing this, Audrey’s cheeks deepened in color. She bowed her head and said quickly, “Thank you.” Her voice was barely audible, like a whisper.
“Mommy…” Janey frowned. “You should make eye contact when you say thank you. You just thanked your plate, not daddy.”
Lifting her head, Audrey met Cornell’s intense gaze, recalling how he had admired her in the morning light, complimenting every inch of her with a heartfelt “Very beautiful!”
Audrey’s ears felt hot in response. She managed to say, “Thanks. The sweet potato is really good.”
“You’re welcome,” Cornell said quietly. He was pissed off by her this morning. Although his handsome face was still unconcerned, he was a little happy in his heart. It was not like he couldn’t do anything about her. Janey seemed helpful to the situation.
In family dynamics, there was always someone who had the upper hand.
It appeared Janey had made things right for Cornell after what he endured.
Audrey observed Cornell’s indifferent expression and chose to remain silent.
Then, Janey, as if she had discovered something extraordinary, pointed at a mark on Cornell’s jaw and asked, “Daddy, what happened here?”
Audrey’s gaze followed Janey’s finger, and she almost gasped at the sight. During their earlier argument, she hadn’t noticed the distinct bite mark on the side of Cornell’s attractive face.
Cornell was at a loss for words. “It’s a mosquito bite,” he claimed in a deep tone, yet Audrey detected a hint of tease in his voice.
Janey’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, “Daddy, I’ve never seen such a big mosquito!”
“You should have seen it.”
“But why did it bite you so fiercely?” Janey asked.
With a slight smile, Cornell looked at Audrey and said, “Because the mosquito was too hungry to resist.”
A moment of silence followed.
Audrey’s face suddenly turned red! What was he implying! After five years of staying away, he wasn’t the only one going crazy. They had shared moments of happiness. Even though Audrey’s mind was foggy at first, it nearly went wild once it fully developed.
Audrey could still recall his raspy voice from the morning. “If it gets too much… Just bite me… It’s okay… Don’t bite yourself…”
He had actually said that!
Janey suggested, “Daddy, maybe feed the mosquito beforehand so it won’t bite as hard.”
Cornell chuckled, thinking it was a clever idea. But it was clear as day Audrey was anything but grateful! He responded casually, “Alright, I got it.”
Audrey couldn’t stand it anymore. She coughed and said, “Janey, have some porridge.”
Audrey then gave Cornell a stern look. She cursed him silently.
Cornell picked up a bowl of the porridge, stirred it, and fed it to Janey. “Janey, if you eat well, mosquitoes won’t bite you.”
Audrey found herself at a loss for words. Cornell must have said those words deliberately!
Throughout the meal, Janey’s lively banter filled the room, with Audrey occasionally responding.
Cornell was good at taking care of kids. Janey often refused to eat and needed to be coaxed. Yet, today, she ate more than she typically would.
It looked like Cornell was truly cut out to be a caring dad.
The thought crossed Audrey’s mind, but she immediately dismissed it.
She couldn’t afford to entertain such a dangerous thought.
Cornell noticed Audrey’s head shake, finding her adorable. His demeanor softened, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Right then, Cornell’s phone on the table rang.
Annis offered to hold Janey so that Cornell could answer the call more conveniently.
However, Cornell waved his hand dismissively, holding Janey with one arm and picking up the phone with the other.
Cornell asked, “How’s he doing? Alright, I’ll check on him later.”
Audrey pricked up her ears, hoping to listen more, but the call had ended.
Cornell glanced at Audrey, who had just started rearranging the tableware, and remained silent.
After they finished eating, Annis escorted Janey upstairs to await her teacher.
Audrey’s thoughts lingered on Cornell’s recent phone conversation.
She suspected it involved Jarrod, judging from the tone.
She noticed Cornell getting up and heading for the door. She hastily stood up, hurried after him, and asked, “Are you leaving?”
With his hands stuffed in his pockets, Cornell glanced back at her, as if anticipating her to say something.
Audrey hesitated before asking, “Where… Where are you going?”
Cornell arched an eyebrow and said, “What? A sex partner’s schedule deserves your attention?”
Audrey found herself at a loss for words once more. Knowing the cause of his displeasure, she had embraced herself for being taunted.
She softened her tone since she desperately wanted to save Nicole out of Jarrod’s place. “Is that call about Nicole?”
Cornell frowned. He knew it. Audrey asked only for the sake of her friend. Even though he had expected it, Cornell couldn’t hold back his frustration. “So now I’m useful to you?”
His words stung Audrey. She sorted of understood his feelings. Those words were far from being pleasant.
Audrey lowered her eyes slightly and thought maybe she should apologize to him. Her harsh words were stemmed from her fear of harboring hopes anymore. She didn’t feel like being hurt or being mocked again.
Audrey showed bravery in admitting her mistakes. Having realized her words were way harsher than the situation needed, she plucked her courage up and uttered, “I’m sorry…”
The world seemed to stand still at that moment of quiet.
Audrey lifted her eyes, only to find Cornell’s figure had disappeared.
He had left, just like that.
Audrey’s heart felt like it was sinking into an icy lake. She felt a wave of both pain and bitterness engulfing her. This sensation wasn’t new. It echoed past times when Cornell had left her alone.
Why did she still hold any hope for Cornell?
Audrey laughed at herself, a laugh steeped in bitterness, realizing her naivety. Couldn’t she learn from those suffering experiences and grow wiser from her disappointments? It became evident that having no expectations was her shield.
Just as Audrey was about to leave, a car horn sounded at the entrance.
A luxurious black car pulled up, its window lowering to reveal Cornell’s handsome face. He gave Audrey a look and asked, “Are you coming or not?”
Audrey hadn’t thought he’d return for her. So, he had only left to get the car.
With mixed feelings, Audrey picked up her phone and cautiously entered his vehicle.
Their journey was shrouded in silence.
Audrey was struggling with feelings of being left alone. Her emotions were a whirlwind.
Cornell observed her troubled demeanor and the noticeable distance she maintained, stirring a wave of frustration within him.
He had put in effort to please her, but she just took his efforts as granted, claiming they had satisfied their own needs. If he had only cared about meeting his desire, she wouldn’t have the energy to argue with him.
Cornell sighed. He wasn’t in the mood to play the charmer today.