Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
All vehicles heading in this direction tonight were delayed. Actually, the cab Audrey booked arrived relatively early. The wait now could exceed an hour.
The driver was chatty, but Audrey, always cautious, avoided sharing personal information. Before boarding the car, she verified the license plate and, as Stefan had instructed, texted him that she was safely inside.
After driving forward for a certain distance, the cab suddenly stalled at the crossroads. The driver got out to check. Then, he said to Audrey, “Miss, I’m sorry. The car broke down. I need to call for roadside assistance.”
Audrey nodded. “Okay, call them.”
The driver scratched his head and said, “With this kind of traffic jam tonight, I’m not sure how long it will take for the mechanic to arrive. Maybe you should switch to another cab. Don’t worry. I won’t charge you for this ride.”
It was only then that Audrey remembered the traffic jam. With this congestion, there wasn’t a single cab in sight. And it was very dark.
Where could she possibly find another ride?
The air conditioning in the car turned off. Audrey felt uncomfortable sitting in an enclosed and stuffy space. She got out of the car to catch some fresh air. Then, she called her own driver. As expected, it would take more than an hour to arrive.
Tonight, every road heading north was congested. Only the southbound route was clear.
Audrey was standing by the roadside when a Maybach suddenly stopped in front of her. The back seat window rolled down, revealing Cornell’s handsome but expressionless face. He said coldly, “Get in the car.” His tone was condescending.
Audrey frowned, feeling unlucky tonight that she constantly ran into him.
It was getting colder outside, and Audrey’s outfit was a bit thin.
The tip of her nose was now red from the cold. The blush on her pale face made her look even more delicate.
“No, thank you.” Treating Cornell like a stranger, Audrey walked forward a few steps to a bus stop, although the buses’ trips were over for the night.
The bus stop was equipped with surveillance cameras, making it a safer place to wait. Audrey decided to wait for the driver there.
But the black Maybach followed her to the bus stop.
Audrey sat on the bench in the waiting shed. Cornell got out of his car and approached her. “Get in the car. Or do I need to invite you?”
The last time they met, Cornell hadn’t said a word to Audrey. This time, without Katie around, he seemed willing to talk a bit more.
Cap?tulo 863:
Audrey wasn’t the kind of person who held grudges after being treated coldly. Besides, with their current relationship, there was no need for her to expect good treatment from Cornell. She continued to refuse. “The driver is on his way.”
Unexpectedly persistent, Cornell retorted, “It’s hard to get a ride here tonight. How long are you planning to wait here?”
“It’s okay. It shouldn’t take too long.”
Before she could finish her words, Audrey felt a sharp pain in her arm as Cornell grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.
Whether it was intentional or not, Cornell grabbed the exact spot where Stefan had held Audrey earlier this evening.
“What are you doing?” Audrey gave Cornell a perplexed look. Wasn’t he the one who wanted to keep a distance from her? Why was he doing this now? What was he up to?
Finding it awkward to drag Audrey, Cornell picked her up and carried her to his car. Then, he put her in the back seat and also got in.
But before Cornell could sit firmly, he felt a gust of wind in front of him. It was followed by a thud.
A bag was thrown at Cornell. He turned his head just in time to avoid it. As a result, it hit the car window.
The car had already started moving. Audrey glared at Cornell and said, “Mr. Clement, please let me out of the car.”
They were strangers to each other now, and Cornell’s wedding with Katie was approaching. Audrey didn’t want herself to be seen in his car in the evening. Cornell was, after all, about to marry Katie.
Cornell’s expression turned icier, saying, “Stefan is not the right man for you.”
Audrey realized Cornell thought she was in a romantic relationship with Stefan. But what did this have to do with him? Wasn’t he the one who said he didn’t love her anymore? Wasn’t he done getting along with her? It was also he who announced to the world about his wedding date with Katie. Why was he talking like this now? She found him ridiculous.
Audrey pursed her lips and shut her mouth, not even wanting to explain.
But Cornell seemed to have come prepared. He pulled out a stack of documents and tossed them onto her lap. “His family is the second most powerful in Aurora. Every male in his family is expected to marry at least four wives to ensure the family’s prosperity. Can you live with that?”
Audrey frowned. She didn’t expect Cornell to go to great lengths to investigate Stefan. Stefan and Erick were close friends. Erick wouldn’t have introduced Stefan to her if he didn’t trust Stefan’s character. Besides, Stefan had always wanted to sever ties with his family and establish himself independently.
However, Audrey was not obliged to explain any of this to Cornell.
Besides, she and Stefan were just friends. And she had no intention of marrying again.
Audrey didn’t even bother to check the documents. She just said indifferently, “Are you done? If yes, please let me out of the car.”
Cornell clutched the corner of the document so tightly that blue veins throbbed on the back of his hand. He scoffed. “And you don’t mind any of this?”
Audrey didn’t want to engage with him anymore. “I trust Stefan’s character.”
“He isn’t suitable for you,” Cornell insisted.
“Mr. Clement, tell me exactly what you are doing now.” Audrey, puzzled and somewhat amused, asked, “Are you choosing a partner for your ex- wife?”
Cornell’s expression slightly changed. He said in a low voice, “We were once husband and wife. I don’t want you to make a wrong decision.”
Cap?tulo 864:
Audrey felt ironic. “Mr. Clement, you worry too much. I’m not so undesirable that no one but you can have me. And I am an adult, capable of making my own choices. I have the ability to discern right from wrong. If I’ve made a choice, I will trust that person. And speaking of making wrong decisions, don’t you realize that you have been the biggest wrong decision in my life?”
Audrey had suffered enough when she fell for Cornell. She believed no other man could make her as heartbroken as Cornell.
Cornell’s expression became stern, and his eyes were filled with aggression. “Are you dead set on choosing him?”
Audrey didn’t want to talk with Cornell anymore. “Mr. Clement, please mind your own business. Let me out of the car now. I don’t want to cause any misunderstandings.” After all, Cornell was getting married soon. She wanted no further involvement with him.
Cornell glared at Audrey and said in a severe tone, “You think he is gentle and civilized? He lives in a barbaric family. How can his hands be clean and unstained with blood? He might want to change his life.
But have you thought how difficult it will be for him to establish himself somewhere else once his family’s savage practices are exposed? If things get tough on him, he will likely return to his family in Aurora.
By then, he cannot escape the destiny of having multiple wives arranged by his family. Are you willing to share a husband with other women?”
Audrey was surprised that Cornell had prepared such a lengthy argument. Didn’t he know it was incredibly rude to talk about someone else’s personal matters behind their backs? Moreover, Cornell had always been prejudiced against Stefan, speaking ill of the latter.
“This is my business. Even if I make the wrong decision, I will bear the consequences myself,” Audrey asserted.
Cornell didn’t expect Audrey to be this unwavering in defending Stefan, which reminded him of how she wholeheartedly loved him before.
This made him feel like his heart was being squeezed hard by a giant hand, giving him endless pain. Aside from the pain, there was also bitterness he couldn’t control.
Cornell couldn’t help but scoff. “It seems you really love Stefan. Since these things don’t matter to you, it appears you won’t mind leaving this place and living with him in Aurora…”
Suddenly, a slap sound echoed in the car.
Before Cornell could finish his words, Audrey’s palm landed on his handsome face.
Fuming, Audrey snapped, “Cornell, are you threatening me? Does my displeasure bring you joy? Why do you have to force everyone close to me away? When you told me not to pester you and to stay away from you, I did. I did everything you asked. What else do you want?”
Audrey’s eyes reddened, she gripped his shirt and tore several buttons in a hysterical outburst. “Do I have to be miserable for you to be happy?”
She felt Like she was being driven mad, all her pent-up grievances pouring out at that moment. “Is that it? Tell me!”
Cornell, taken aback by her words, his lips quivered as he began to speak, but then he saw Audrey rolling down the car window, attempting to jump out.
“Stop the car!” Cornell roared angrily.
In an instant, Cornell reached out, grabbing Audrey by the back of her neck and yanking her back forcefully.
The car screeched to a halt, and Audrey lurched forward due to the sudden stop. Just as she was about to collide with the hard seatback, Cornell swiftly wrapped her in his arms, cushioning her from the impact.
Audrey braced for impact, using her arm to shield herself. She had expected it to hurt, so she did her best to protect her body.
To her surprise, she crashed against Cornell’s chest instead, which lessened her pain significantly.
However, the loud “thump” made Audrey worry briefly about Cornell.
But she soon dismissed the thought, considering his regular workout and muscles. Plus, there was no actual crash, just a harsh stop, so the impact wasn’t severe.
Audrey hadn’t really planned to jump out of the car. She simply did so to force Cornell to stop the car abruptly, knowing him wouldn’t let her get out of the car unless she took drastic action.
Cap?tulo 865:
Once the car halted, Cornell still clutched Audrey’s arm tightly, his eyes betraying a rare flicker of panic. “Have you lost your mind?” he said through gritted teeth, his voice tense.
Still seething with anger, Cornell pressed his tongue against his molars and said, “Did you really plan to jump out of a moving car on the highway? Did you want to end your life?”
Audrey struggled against his firm grip on her arm and snapped back, “I wasn’t trying to kill myself, and it’s not worth it for you anyway.”
Cornell froze, his face draining of color, his fingers turning white from the strength of his grip. After a heavy silence, he managed to say, “It’s best if you can think this way.”
Audrey bit her lip, overcome with sadness that was hard to express.