Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Cornell’s gait, hampered by his injured leg, betrayed his urgency, particularly exacerbated by the rain.
Perceiving Cornell’s apparent weakness, the servant reached out to assist, only to be rebuffed by Cornell’s crutch, leaving him sprawled on the ground.
Cornell harbored no ill will toward the servant, only a fervent desire to reach Audrey’s room. He wished to be there as quickly as he could! Yet, his frustration was only mounting as he limped slower and slower.
Upon nearing Audrey’s room, Cornell intervened just as Erick prepared to kick the door open. “Hold it!” his authoritative command halted Erick in his tracks.
Erick, taken aback, yielded to Cornell’s approach.
“What if Audrey is on the other side?” Cornell said.
Erick hesitated, his foot hovering above the doorframe.
Cornell’s gaze bore into Erick, probing for reassurance. “Is she alone inside?”
“Yes, it’s only her.” At this point, Erick saw no point in lying anymore.
Cornell cast a glance at Erick, which made him feel uneasy Thankfully, Cornell refrained from further interrogation, instead turning his attention to Victor, who hastened to their side. “Fetch the key, now!”
Even with the key in hand, the door proved obstinate.
Erick’s heart skipped a beat as he glimpsed a hand protruding from a gap. “Audrey!”
Cornell was horrified, but he managed to keep his cool. Panic was a luxury he couldn’t afford right now. With a gentle push, he eased the door ajar, his slender frame barely squeezing through the narrow gap.
Inside, a vast expanse of watermarks adorned the floor. Audrey’s water broke! It was clear she was in labor.
Without hesitation, Cornell scooped up the unconscious Audrey, urgency propelling his every move as he hurried out.
Erick, noticing Cornell’s slight limp, stepped forward. “Give her to me.” After all, he figured, he would be much quicker! But a cold glare from Cornell met his suggestion.
Erick didn’t insist anymore. He still bore the wound in his shoulder and failing to support Audrey securely could spell disaster.
Despite the injury in his leg, it was evident that Cornell would hold Audrey tightly even if he fell.
With Audrey cradled in his arms, Cornell made his way to the car, wasting no time for Erick to catch up. The car door slammed shut, and they sped off into the night.
“Hey!” Erick hastily called for another car, determined to follow them to the hospital.
Inside the car, Audrey found herself leaning against a stranger’s chest, her brows furrowed in discomfort. Even in her unconscious state, she felt a tad uneasy.
As if trapped in a surreal dream, she was plagued by waves of pain radiating from her belly.
Tears streamed down her face, her hoarse voice pleading, “Help… Help my children…”
Only the assurance of being cradled in warm arms provided some solace, though her brow remained furrowed with worry.
Cornell slid off his dripping wet coat with careful precision, revealing only a shirt and a snug black sweater.
He cradled Audrey tighter against his chest. “Audrey… Audrey,” he murmured in a hushed tone, the words barely audible over the pounding rain.
He continued to murmur against her ear as they made their journey to the hospital. “Audrey, stay with me… Hang in there. We’re almost at the hospital… I promise I won’t let anything happen to you…”
Audrey’s mind swirled in a haze of pain, memories of her grandmother and foster father flickering like distant lights in a storm. Their voices were tender and kind, calling out to her back from the brink.
“Audrey, Audrey…”
A lump formed in her throat, aching with longing for their comforting presence. Oh, how she missed them, yearned to be with them once more, regardless of anything else.
But amidst the turmoil, another voice broke through the haze. “Audrey, hold on…”
By now she felt exhausted. And the tiredness threatened to overwhelm her. But this persistent voice kept calling and calling. She thought how nagging.
But the persistent nagging seemed to be reviving her, little by little…
Inside the hospital, the harsh glare of the overhead ceiling lamp illuminated the bustling activity of doctors and nurses.
Amidst the urgency, a doctor approached the waiting area with a grave expression. “Where is the patient’s family? We need someone to sign the operation agreement.”
“I’m her brother. Let me handle it.” Erick stepped forward, his voice tense with worry.
The doctor explained Audrey was in urgent need of a cesarean-section.
“Is it… Is it dangerous?” Erick hesitated, still clutching the pen.
With grave seriousness, the doctor delivered the stark reality. “Her water broke some time ago, and there’s no amniotic fluid left.
Every moment counts now, or the baby could suffocate. And she’s about to give birth. Why isn’t anyone by her side?”
Erick remained silent.
The doctor, without further words, disappeared behind the door, clutching the signed operation agreement.
Outside, only Cornell and Erick lingered in the tense silence.
Cornell’s gaze bore into Erick, sharp as a dagger. “Where’s Stefan? Is this how he acts as a husband?”
Erick’s eyelids fluttered, a nervous tic betraying his unease. How could he admit to Cornell that Audrey’s wedding with Stefan was a facade, a sham they maintained for appearances?
Just as Erick was about to conjure up an excuse, Stefan rushed in, his expression fraught with worry. “Where’s Audrey?”
Before Erick could respond, Cornell’s fist connected with Stefan’s jaw with a resounding thud.
Stefan staggered back, heavy shock etched on his face.
“Explain to me why you, as a husband, left your pregnant wife alone at home,” Cornell demanded with fury blazing in his eyes. “You better give me a damn good reason, a reason that might just save your sorry life!”
Stefan could only stand there, speechless, consumed by self-blame. It was his fault entirely. His negligence led Audrey to eat improperly, and it hastened her labor by at least ten days. If only he had been more vigilant, perhaps this crisis could have been averted, postponed at the very least.
Stefan wanted to lash out at himself, to punish himself for his incompetence, far more than Cornell ever could.
But as Stefan remained silent, Cornell’s patience wore thin, and blows rained down upon Stefan’s face and body, one after another.
Unable to stand idly by, Erick stepped forward to desperately plead with Cornell, “Cornell, please, calm down!”
Admitting the truth about their fabricated marriage was out of the question. Stefan hadn’t spent a single night alone with Audrey.
But Cornell brushed Erick off with a cold glare. “What? Are you going to defend this man who clearly doesn’t give a damn about your sister?”
“No, it’s not like that…” Erick stuttered. He struggled to find the right words. He wanted to explain that Stefan wasn’t to blame. Stefan wasn’t truly Audrey’s husband and had no obligation to be by her side.
With a frigid tone, Cornell dismissed his attempts to intervene.
“Then stay out of it. I won’t hesitate to beat you down with him!”
Erick felt a lump form in his throat.
As Cornell raised his fist once more, Erick could no longer keep silent. “Stop! It’s not Stefan’s fault. He never even stayed a single night with Audrey!”
At last, Erick revealed the truth.
Cornell’s fist froze in midair, mere inches from Stefan’s face.
With a gentle grip on Cornell’s hand, Erick leaned in, as he delivered the whole story.
For what felt like an eternity, Cornell stood motionless, absorbing the theory. The weight of it all demanded contemplation, and he stood in silence, lost in thought.
Erick, sensing his turmoil, ventured, “Audrey didn’t tell you. Maybe she had her reasons. For now, let’s play along. When she’s ready, she’ll share.”
Slowly rising from the floor, Stefan, his face marred with bruises, acknowledged his own culpability in Audrey’s plight. “I bear responsibility for Audrey’s predicament,” he confessed, bracing himself for another barrage of fists.
“Now that the truth is out, let’s settle this with fairness. I love Audrey, and I won’t surrender without a fight.” Stefan refused to compromise on his love for Audrey, no matter the cost.
As Stefan journeyed to the hospital, he felt as though his very soul was hovering away in the wind. Audrey had become intertwined with his being. Her every move made him anxious.
Cornell’s gaze turned icy as he rebuffed Stefan’s claim. “You’re not worthy.”
Just then, the doctor emerged once more, a smile illuminating his face. “Two healthy baby boys. Come see for yourselves.”
Cornell got up quickly. “And Audrey?”
“She’s stable. We’re Lucky she was here on time. But she’ll need to be monitored for a while,” the doctor reassured.
Relief washed over the group as they awaited Audrey’s emergence.
Yet, as the three men stood at the threshold of the delivery room, none dared to approach the newborns.
The doctor, growing impatient, reminded them, “Who will take the babies?”
Cornell remained rooted to his spot, steadfast in his vigil for Audrey.