Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Cornell replied icily, “Explain what?”
“Word has it that you ended the deal with the Glyn Group over a woman. Is that the case?” Henley crossed his arms.
This question caused a stir in the room, sparking an immediate commotion. The idea of a company’s leader making decisions based on a woman’s involvement seemed like madness to them.
Cornell glanced at Henley. “Got any proof?”
Henley clapped his hands, and Katie walked in with reddened eyes, her back deliberately backward to showcase her Less than pronounced baby bump.
“Cornell, are you really going to ruthlessly abandon the Glyn family just for that woman? I’m pregnant with your baby. And think about all the great work we’ve done together. Can you really throw all that away?” Katie promptly dropped the bomb.
The room buzzed with shock and whispers. Katie, the former vice president, announced she was carrying Cornell’s baby. Such a revelation went beyond their wildest imagination.
Cornell realized that Katie was in cahoots with Henley.
It looked like Katie had thought through the fallout of bringing this to light.
Cornell responded icily, “Your child isn’t mine.”
“Cornell, how can you be so cold…” Katie, pretending to be deeply hurt, covered her face and wept.
Katie, having treaded carefully to build a gentle and decent persona, displaying such fragility now, seemed quite the act.
Henley, taking his time, pulled out a report with a smile. “Cornell, considering the kid might have Clement genes, I got a paternity test done.”
And the report showed a 99.99% genetic match.
Henley, smiling warmly, said, “Does this convince you the child is yours?”
Before Cornell could answer, Alexis burst in, snapping at Cornell, “You bastard! You got Katie pregnant and now you’re denying it!”
Cornell stayed calm. “I’ve said it’s not mine. Someone could have tampered with these test results.”
Alexis retorted, “Do you honestly believe Katie would stoop to falsifying a test to trap you into believing the paternity of her child?”
Cornell’s gaze shifted between the three and said mockingly, “She’s not acting alone.”
Alexis froze, knowing what Cornell was implying.
“We could always take another test with everyone present,” Alexis suggested with a facade of righteousness. “But let’s wait until Katie feels better. She’s been sick lately.”
Cornell watched their act without response, discerning their hidden agendas.
The three had their own motives, with Katie being used as a pawn, oblivious to the manipulation.
The next second, Henley decided to reveal his ace. “I bet this isn’t your first time dealing with such messy situations, huh?”
Henley went on nonchalantly, “Let’s not forget about the former vice president of the Clement Group, Katie, who used her ties with you to divert funds from the company. A lot of shareholders have grievances over this.”
Katie, stunned, couldn’t believe her ears. Henley was supposed to be on her side. Why was he saying all this?
Henley slammed a petition on the table, signed by forty-two shareholders. “Forty-two shareholders have signed this, calling for an internal investigation into your actions, Cornell.”
It was essentially a call for Cornell’s removal.
“It’s better if you step back from company matters for now,” Henley suggested.
Alexis chimed in, “Launching an investigation is the right move. We need to give the shareholders an explanation. The Clement Group requires a leader who can make smart choices.”
Alexis added with conviction, “Even if you’re my son, I won’t protect you if you’re in the wrong.”
Despite claims of a father-son bond, Alexis’ actions had never really reflected such a relationship.
The announcement left the executives reeling, with Katie being especially shocked and angry.
However, Cornell, the person at the center of all this, remained calm.
He stood up and said smoothly, “I’ll cooperate fully with the investigation.”
His willingness to cooperate surprised Alexis and Henley, disrupting their plans.
Cornell then walked out of the meeting room to his office.
Katie trailed behind Henley to a vacant conference room.
“Why are you betraying me?” Katie demanded angrily from Henley.
Henley wasn’t taken aback. He had always seen Katie as someone who wouldn’t hesitate to employ any ruthless schemes to achieve her desired goals.
“Relax. Katie, I’m on your side.” Henley’s tone was even.
“On my side?” Katie snorted. “You’re just trying to climb up the ranks yourself. But really, for a bastard like you, isn’t that too much?”
Henley’s face turned cold for a moment. But he quickly bounced back.
“Katie, this might be the only way Cornell will give you a chance, don’t you think?”
Katie was left without words for a second.
Henley went on to explain, “People might not notice the flowers when they’re in full bloom, but they’ll remember who gave them warmth in the cold.”
Katie thought it over and saw some sense in his argument. With Cornell backed into a corner, she seemed to be the only one who could rescue him. Besides, she figured Henley’s wasn’t strong enough to truly bring down Cornell. At most, Henley could only pose some hurdles for Cornell. And these hurdles could actually turn out to her advantage.
When Cornell emerged from the conference room, his office had already been combed through by a professional, and all his documents and stuff had been taken.
Surprisingly, Luciana was there waiting.
At that moment, Luciana was supporting Katie, her gaze toward Cornell somewhat evasive. “Cornell, why don’t you just listen to me for once and treat Katie well…”
Even at this point, Luciana naively believed things would be much better that if Cornell and Katie teamed up.
Katie, her hands clenched tight, looked at Cornell with eyes full of sadness. “Cornell, I swear I had no idea why Henley would say that. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right.” There was a catch, though. If Cornell accepted her help, he’d need to be just as earnest in return.
Luciana chimed in, trying to smooth things over, “Cornell, Katie was in the dark about this. She cares about you.”
Cornell couldn’t help but laugh. “So, this is what you all wanted?”
“Cornell, you’ve got it all wrong, I…” Katie stated.
Cornell cut her off. “Katie, I thought you had some sense, but seems like you’re not any smarter than Henley.”
Katie frowned, visibly upset. Then, her eyes brimming with tears, she implored, “Cornell, I had no clue about any of this. Please believe me. And right now, I’m your best shot at help, aren’t I?”
Cornell just scoffed. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”
Katie started to panic, beginning to doubt the effectiveness of Henley’s schemes.
As Cornell walked away, Katie desperately sought Henley out for the next step.
Luciana hurried after Cornell, trying once more to convince him, “Cornell…”
Cornell stopped in his tracks.
Luciana pleaded, “Cornell, can’t you be a bit more understanding? I’m not getting any younger and I really want a grandchild. Katie is great in all aspects, and she seems to be quite supportive of your career. Haven’t you noticed the company doing better these last two years? You…”
“Mom!” Cornell cut her off. “That kid has nothing to do with me.”
Luciana was stunned. There didn’t seem to be any reason for Cornell to lie, especially since the paternity test used samples were collected by her. She went through the test with Katie herself. It seemed impossible for it to be wrong.
“Cornell, don’t be too quick to dismiss this. If it turns out you’re wrong, you’re going to regret it…” Luciana stated.
“I’m absolutely certain I’m not wrong.” Cornell looked at Luciana firmly, insisting, “Katie is not what you think.”
Luciana accused, “You’re just biased against Katie.”
Cornell handed Luciana the medicine box. “Did Katie give you this?”
Luciana hesitated, guiltily denying, “No, it’s something I’ve been taking for my health.”
Cornell didn’t push Luciana further but clarified, “This is a medicine for Category A psychiatric conditions. It helps them, but for someone healthy, it can lead to confusion, hallucinations, and delusions.”
Luciana was startled. “No, how could it be…”
“Go ahead and have it tested yourself if you don’t believe me.”
Cornell warned, “You should stop using it and be careful with anything Katie gives you to eat.”
“I… It wasn’t Katie who gave it to me,” Luciana insisted.
Cornell’s gaze conveyed a mix of disappointment and detachment. He simply remarked, “I just hope you don’t end up regretting this.”