Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
His heart was thumping loudly. Each pulse sounded like a drum, as if it would jump into her hand any second.
Audrey said, “That doesn’t show you have feelings for me. Maybe your heart is just racing. You might need to see a doctor…”
Before she could finish, Cornell leaned in and kissed her.
Their lips barely touched initially, but the connection seemed to spark an unforeseen magic, quickly drawing them in deeper.
The warmth of the underfloor heating seemed to intensify their kiss.
The air was charged with a subtle scent of romance.
Cornell’s lean, strong hand moved to the back of Audrey’s head, gently caressing her hair as he deepened the kiss.
The kiss started tender and soft but soon intensified, charged with Cornell’s vigorous passion.
Audrey was overwhelmed, losing her sense of response, unconsciously letting out a soft moan…
The kiss deepened, its intensity growing. If not for considering Audrey’s recent recovery, Cornell would have wished it to last even longer.
When Cornell finally released her, Audrey leaned against his hand, her legs feeling weak. Her cheeks glowed like a peach kissed by morning dew.
Cornell clenched his jaw, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he said, “Now do you see? It’s not just about my heart racing. It’s because I constantly want you.”
Audrey, overwhelmed by his words, pulled away slightly and scolded him, her face still flushed, “You’re speaking nonsense again.”
But Cornell, with a slight smile and in a soft tone, replied, “It’s not nonsense. It might sound clich?, but truly, you’re the only one who’s ever made me feel this way.”
With that, he drew her back into his embrace with his strong arms.
Audrey’s cheeks, still pink, rested against his shoulder, her demeanor almost childlike.
After a moment of silence, Cornell’s voice, deep and compelling, broke through.
“Audrey, all these years, I feel like I’ve been losing you repeatedly until the day I realized my life had a time limit. That’s when I started doing things for you, believing they were right.”
“I thought clearing every obstacle from your path and leaving you all my wealth and care for you and our kids was the best thing to do.”
“Back then, I was so desperate that I was compelled to push you away, having neglected how you felt all the while. I lived every day as if I were tearing out my own heart without seeing how wrong I was. I thought I was suffering enough, having punished myself adequately…”
“Until I experienced the same treatment from you that I gave, I never truly understood your pain. The kind that can make life feel unbearable. Watching you choose someone else, I kept telling myself that if sacrificing my feelings brought you happiness, then it was worth it. But when your water broke and you collapsed, my first thought was that I couldn’t afford to lose you.”
At that critical moment, Cornell considered handling her final affairs and then joined her in eternal rest if she hadn’t made it.
Even as he donated his blood for her, these thoughts lingered.
Should Audrey perished, his life seemed pointless. Unknowingly, Cornell found himself couldn’t live on without her.
Before meeting Audrey, Cornell couldn’t fathom loving someone so deeply, eager to do everything for her while also wrestling with the urge to force her back to his side. He had somewhat become a mix of generosity and selfishness.
“Audrey, just yesterday I was still wrestling with showing you that what you could offer me wasn’t pity, but genuine love. But after last night, after I burst through the door and saw you there, so vulnerable, I’ve been terrified. Even now, with you here, I’m still afraid…” Cornell paused, struggling to steady his voice.
“I’m afraid of what might have happened if I hadn’t found you, or if I had been too late… I need to tell you I want to be with you, even if your feelings for me are out of pity. Just stay with me. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and our children.”
Cornell realized his confession contradicted what he had declared the other day. That day, he questioned whether her declaration was merely out of pity and made it a point he couldn’t accept such sentiment.
Yet, here he was, pleading for her to consider them together, even out of pity.
His overwhelming affection made it possible for him to forsake all else, including his deeply cherished pride. He exposed his deepest vulnerabilities, completely yielding to Audrey.
“Audrey, it might seem selfish, but I’m asking you to start anew with me.” Cornell’s voice wavered slightly.
Silence filled the air.
Audrey could feel the slight tremble of his body. She sensed his fear. What was he afraid of? Was it because her love for him had not been expressed clearly enough, making such a self-assured man doubt himself?
Audrey’s arms encircled Cornell’s waist, feeling his pronounced shoulder blades through his thin frame, a body marked with scars from his previous efforts to protect her. The thought alone made her heart wrench painfully.
Cornell, receiving no immediate reply, gradually loosened his embrace.
He took deep breaths, his exhales slow, striving to keep his voice steady. “Audrey, don’t feel compelled. If you turn me down, that’s alright. It’s your right, a sign of your autonomy, your freedom to make your own choices, free from anyone’s influence. I’ll manage.”
God knew the agony it took for Cornell to utter these words. If he couldn’t even glean pity from her, he knew he’d lose all his bravery, the bravery to confront life…
As Cornell was slowly letting go, Audrey, who had been quiet, suddenly lifted her head and held him tightly. A passionate kiss landed on his lips. Her kiss then trailed down to the distinct Adam’s apple at his throat.
Cornell tensed, a wave of unrest sweeping through him, as he abruptly caught her hand that was unbuttoning his shirt, his voice rough, as though burnt. “Audrey, you.”
Audrey gazed up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Cornell, I’m even more selfish than you. Since the beginning of our relationship, I’ve wanted you all to myself. I’ve envied your past relationships and resented any attention you showed other women. Back then, you were my entire world, yet I wasn’t the only one beside you. I felt helpless and envious, and divorcing you was how I coped with the broken fragments of my self-respect.”
Cornell wanted to explain something, but Audrey silenced him by placing a finger on his Lips.
Audrey shook her head and said, “Hiding my feelings and pushing you away time and again was just my way of protecting myself. I’m not sure if sorting out our feelings sooner could have saved us some heartache, but it’s not too late now.”
With sincerity in every word, Audrey confessed, “I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. This has nothing to do with pity. I love you. My love for you simply because you’re the one I desire to spend with for the rest of my life.”
Cornell drew her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly as if trying to merge her being into himself. Such an embrace was the only way he felt sure she was real and not a figment of his imagination.
Overwhelmed, Cornell trembled and said solemnly, “Audrey, I wish there was a way for you to see into my heart. It’s completely filled with you, and you’re there to stay forever.”
He kissed her again. This kiss was gentle, deep, filled with unspoken passion.
Their lips and tongues met, sharing warm, tender exchanges and their breaths mingled with soft moans.
Cornell’s movement was restricted, so after they settled in bed, they lay on their sides, holding each other close and continuing to kiss.
But as he began to loosen her hospital gown, Audrey suddenly stopped him.
“No…” Audrey uttered, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. “I have scars, and they’re quite ugly.”
She had undergone a cesarean section, and despite the advancements in medical technology, scars were inevitable.
It had been just a month since the surgery, and her doctors had advised that scar treatment creams needed to be applied for at least six months before any significant changes could be observed.
The treatment would only lighten the scars, not erase them completely.
But they would appear less noticeable than they currently did, which was fairly unsightly…
That was how Audrey felt about it.
Cornell’s eyes, filled with tenderness, met hers as he reassured her, “It’s okay. I want to see.”
Holding her clothes tightly, Audrey responded nervously, “It really looks terrible…”
“It won’t. I won’t find it terrible,” Cornell reassured her with a smile. “You didn’t mind that I’m disabled.”
It was the first time he had openly spoken about his disability, and his words deeply touched Audrey’s heart. In a soft voice, she replied, “How could I? I just feel so deeply for you.”
Her words were heartfelt. True love meant embracing each other’s flaws and imperfections.
“I’m so happy to hear that,” Cornell declared sincerely.
A healthy relationship meant sharing one’s flaws without feeling less.
Looking up, her eyes still moist, Audrey said, “It’s okay, Cornell. I’m okay with everything about you.”
With confidence, Audrey began to undress, showing him her imperfections, “You see, we’re the same,” she said.
Cornell gently touched the scar, his eyes wet with tears. “I promise, I won’t let you suffer like this again.”
The overwhelming fear of the potential of losing Audrey as she bled severely during her childbirth had stuck Cornell hard. He vowed never to let her face such peril again.
Bowing his head, Cornell kissed the scar repeatedly…
They stayed in bed for a long while, yet Cornell refrained from going further. Audrey was still healing, and though he longed for more, he restrained himself.
Yet, Cornell treasured this closeness, a kind of intimacy rediscovered after loss. Audrey also valued it deeply.
After the intimacy, Cornell grasped Audrey’s hand tightly. ‘”Audrey, actually, there’s still hope for my leg.”
Audrey froze and heard him continue, “Luis has scheduled for me to undergo joint replacement surgery, which has been proven successful in other cases.”
“What? Really?” Audrey couldn’t believe it.
“Really. We finalized the surgery plans a week ago, and we’re set to start as soon as spring arrives.”
“A week ago?” Something felt off to Audrey, prompting her to ask, “Does Matteo know about this?”
Cornell took a moment before replying, “Yes, he knows.”