Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
On her way, Audrey ran into Henley.
Henley welcomed Audrey with open arms, seemingly having forgotten the awkward run-in they had in the hospital.
“Audrey, you’re here!” Henley’s tone was soft, but to Audrey, it just didn’t sit right. She remembered seeing a side of him she couldn’t shake off, convincing his gentleness was just for show.
Audrey kept the conversation short, saying, “I’m just here for Cornell.”
When she tried to walk by, Henley stepped in her way. His eyelashes drooped slightly and he hooked his lips like he was in a good mood.
“It seems you really don’t want to be around me. I admit, I was out of line before, and I’m sorry.”
Audrey’s skin crawled. “You don’t have to apologize,” she responded, her tone sharp.
“Are you still upset with me?” Henley asked.
Looking him straight in the eye, Audrey didn’t mince words. “Mr. Brooks, I was quite clear back at the hospital. We aren’t friends. Spare me the pleasantries.”
Her frosty response seemed to bother Henley, but he kept up his easygoing appearance, his eyes smiling. “Audrey, do you have to be this cold?”
Even though Henley shared resembling features with Cornell, there was a significant difference. Cornell looked serious and charming, but Henley had a gentle and refined air about him.
Henley’s smile, once seemed gentle, now made Audrey shiver every time she saw it.
Henley’s darker side had revealed itself as sheer madness.
Finding themselves in a corner without surveillance cameras, unease washed over Audrey, but she masked it with feigned composure, suggesting, “Mr. Brooks, with all these people around, it might be better if you get back to your work, so we avoid any unnecessary gossip.”
Henley, still smiling, said confidently, “Audrey, no one dares to spread rumors about me.”
As Audrey tried to walk past him, Henley suddenly blocked her way.
Acting on impulse, she threw the food container she was holding at him.
Henley easily dodged it, and the container hit the ground, its contents spilling everywhere.
“Don’t touch me!” Audrey shouted, unable to hide her disgust.
Henley was taken aback, his face turning stern. He moved closer, trapping her in the corner, and asked, “Do you really despise me that much?”
Audrey stepped back and warned him with a chill in her voice, “Cornell is going to start looking for me soon.”
Henley just laughed scornfully at the mention of Cornell. “Do you really think I’m that patient?”
Audrey never harbored this illusion. His manipulative depth was something she was well aware of, fueling her profound repulsion.
Henley reached out, trying to lift her chin, his voice dark and intense. “What if I had taken you that night? Would Cornell still welcome you back so easily?”
Audrey’s anger surged. “Henley, don’t you have any shame?”
Hearing his name used so directly only made Henley smirk. Such rebukes were only effective on people who followed the rules, and he was not one of them. He didn’t care about morality or decency.
With a half-smile, Henley said, “Shame? In high places, it’s all about respect.”
“Get out of my way!” Audrey turned her head, refusing to let him touch her.
This move left the pale, delicate skin of Audrey’s neck visible to Henley.
Her skin was so delicate that Henley could see the fine veins beneath, and her slight blush made her irresistibly captivating.
Henley was buzzing with a weird kind of excitement, almost feeling the urge to bite.
Five years hadn’t cooled his obsession. Instead, it spiraled into madness. He was drawn to her scent, her voice, and her smiles. Just thinking about her gave him a sensation that shook his very soul.
The image of her fueled his wildest dreams, like a drug he couldn’t quit.
Feeling deeply addicted, with the antidote seemingly within reach, Henley slowly leaned in, aiming for her delicate skin.
“Slap!” Audrey’s hand struck his face. “Try anything, and I’m calling the police!”
Henley’s cheek showed the mark of her slap, a bit of blood on his lip showing how hard she hit him. But he just laughed softly.
“Really, what will you tell them? A tale of a younger brother-in-law chasing his sister-in-law, or a sister-in-law tempting him?”
Audrey was disgusted by Henley’s twisted words, and what he said next froze her to the core. “I don’t care for rules. I get what I want.”
Henley’s bold statement was met with a powerful punch, driven by pure anger, that hit his face with the force of a storm.
Henley, caught off guard, stumbled backward, colliding with the wall.
In the blink of an eye, Cornell’s foot connected, sending Henley crashing to the ground. His knee pressed hard against Henley’s throat.
Cornell’s cold, lacquer-black eyes bore into Henley, chilling as he hissed, “You’re seeking death!”
With a bruised face already, Henley’s situation worsened with each blow from Cornell, swelling up half of his face. The injuries painted a gloomy picture of his predicament.
Henley chuckled. “Cornell, lacking confidence? Just chatting up Audrey gets you this worked up. Imagine if I had taken her to bed. Would you be even more riled?”
Deliberately slowing his speech, Henley ensured only the two of them could hear, his every word dripping with mockery.
“Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated,”
Henley mused.
Henley had always pegged Cornell as sensitive and easily provoked. It took just a few words to push Cornell over the edge.
Initially, Cornell had planned to settle things with a punch and then moved on, but hearing Henley’s words turned his expression icy in an instant.
Henley licked his cracked lips, taunting, “No wonder I’ve been fixated on Audrey all these years. She’s such a beauty. I couldn’t help it.”
Enraged, Cornell’s fists became a relentless barrage, raining blows down upon Henley, leaving Henley choked and powerless against the onslaught.
More and more onlookers gathered around, drawn to the spectacle unfolding before them. The company’s higher-ups duking it out? No one dared to step in.
Spotting someone filming, Audrey swiftly grabbed Cornell’s arm.
“Cornell, knock it off!”
Unsatisfied, Cornell hurled another punch before finally releasing Henley.
Now, Henley’s once-handsome face resembled a bruised canvas, a real sight for sore eyes.
“Tug along, Cornell. Let’s head to your office,” Audrey insisted.
They couldn’t afford any more public spectacle. Audrey knew all too well that Cornell, as the CEO, losing his cool in front of the staff would spread like wildfire. His already shaky standing in the company would plummet further, fueled by this incident.
Moreover, without grasping the full picture, people would naturally side with the apparent underdog.
Nobody wanted a hot-headed leader.
As expected, murmurs started rippling through the crowd.
“How could Cornell stoop so low? Even if he can’t stand Henley, brawling in the office isn’t the answer.”
“Henley’s always courteous to the receptionist, and he’s often treating us to dinner. A kind soul like him doesn’t deserve this kind of bullying!”
“Yeah, Henley’s a gem. Remember when he helped me haul that stack of printer paper? No airs of superiority, just genuine kindness.”
Under normal circumstances, no one would dare air these opinions in front of Cornell. But with his recent decline in popularity due to his illness and Alexis’ meddling, factions within the company were forming.
Those speaking up now were likely Alexis’ allies, along with some fooled by Henley’s facade of kindness.
Audrey shot a meaningful glance at Henley, sprawled on the ground, not fighting back. Was Henley truly powerless? It all seemed like a performance, from his earlier taunts to his current theatrics aimed at provoking Cornell. If Henley was playing dirty, they couldn’t just let him off the hook.
Cornell brushed off the whispers, his attention fixed on Audrey. He scanned her for any signs of injury, his voice soft as he asked, “Are you hurt anywhere?”
At his inquiry, Audrey’s tears broke free, cascading down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Cornell’s brow furrowed with concern as he moved to embrace her, but Audrey gently pushed him away. She didn’t want to hide her tears behind his embrace.
Today, Audrey had donned a fisherman’s hat to avoid attention, making it difficult to see her face clearly. Only her rosy lips and tear-drenched chin were visible, her trembling shoulders betraying her distress.
Cornell, about to say something, was interrupted by Audrey’s delicate yet surprising voice. “Cornell.” She pointed at Henley, who was now pretending to limp to garner sympathy, and accused him in a tattletale tone, “He harassed me…”
Audrey’s accusation sent murmurs rippling through the onlookers.
Audrey pressed on, “I came to bring you soup, and when he saw me, he asked who I was searching for. Even after I said it was you, he still…” She choked up, seemingly too embarrassed to voice the rest.
She then added indignantly, “He even touched me!”
Cornell initially furrowed his brows at Audrey’s unusual behavior, but then he relaxed. She wouldn’t act like this if she was genuinely upset. He remained silent, playing along with her charade.