Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
“Then why did he tell me you might never walk again?” Audrey questioned. Back then, Matteo’s voice took on an overly dramatic tone, his face mimicking the emotion perfectly.
“I’ll deal with him for that,” Cornell stated.
But this time, Cornell wouldn’t send Matteo to Tanzania, as he knew that Matteo had been a great help to his current happiness.
Otherwise, given Audrey’s tendency to guard herself, he might have never known about her true feelings and could have missed connecting with her again due to his overwhelming sense of insecurity.
“Just cut him some slack… Audrey knew Matteo meant well, and perhaps as an observer, he understood their relationship better than anyone. For two people who held their pride in high regard, a Little external assistance was crucial for them to reconcile.”
“Please don’t punish him. Instead, could you thank him for me?”
Audrey said. She sincerely felt grateful for Matteo’s revelation, which led her to the cause of Cornell’s doings and allowed her to grasp his profound love.
Their fingers interlocked, a silent testament to their connection, filling them both with a deep sense of satisfaction.
“Cornell.”
“Hmm?”
“Promise me you’ll hold on to me and never let go again.”
“This time, I’m holding on forever,” Cornell murmured.
Over the next few days, Cornell and Audrey were inseparable.
After each visit to Casey, they returned to the hospital room to cuddle.
Cornell had transformed a corner of the hospital room into an office.
That way, when Audrey rested, he could still work quietly by her side. This setup meant Audrey could see him as soon as she opened her eyes.
Erick felt compelled to knock loudly before he entered to announce his arrival, not wanting to bump into their intimacy.
Consumed by happiness, Cornell’s face glowed and he looked energized.
Even the confines of the wheelchair didn’t seem to bother him.
Seeing Cornell next to his sister kicked Erick’s protective instincts into high gear. He couldn’t resist a jab. “You really need to take it easy, you know. The surgery isn’t behind you yet.”
Audrey had confided in Erick about Cornell’s potential recovery early on. Maybe she hoped Erick would speak well of Cornell in front of their father. Although Cornell had earned Erick’s approval, he still had to earn Landen’s.
Landen, protective as any father, was hesitant about his daughter marrying someone with a disability.
Cornell, ignoring Erick’s snide remark, replied with a shrug, “I’ve been very restrained.”
That left Erick momentarily at a loss for words, his frustration nearly palpable.
Upon waking, Audrey caught Cornell signing to someone on his computer.
To keep the room quiet for Audrey, Cornell had even arranged for an executive who was proficient in sign language to help facilitate the conversation.
Lounging in the hospital room, Cornell wore teal trousers and a khaki sweater. Despite their simplicity, the colors seemed to pop against his frame.
These days, nurses often visited under the guise of changing his bandages, just to catch a glimpse of this handsome man. Even with his mobility issues, his striking good looks remained undeniable.
Luckily, Cornell’s devoted attention to Audrey kept many admirers at bay. Even when it was as simple as handing her slippers, he always insisted on doing it himself. Such devotion was rare, and few could turn his heart away from her.
After ending the video call, Cornell noticed Audrey stirring as he saw her reflection on the laptop screen. He wheeled himself over, poured her some water, and gently asked, “You’re up? Why didn’t you call for me?”
Taking a sip, Audrey replied, “I didn’t want to interrupt your work.”
“It would’ve been no bother at all.” Cornell set down the cup and kissed her forehead. “Want to rest a bit more?”
Audrey frowned slightly. “No more rest for me. I’m not really ill, just a bit weak. I can’t stay in bed all day.”
“Alright, no more sleeping then.” Holding her hand, his eyes radiated warmth and love.
As her hand warmed in his, Audrey whispered, “Cornell, let’s go see your mom.”
Upon hearing this, Cornell nodded. “Once this is all behind us, we’ll head back to Ardlens together and take the kids to see my mother.”
Cornell had been safeguarding Luciana. Due to concerns about Alexis, he had moved the Luciana to vengeance, secretly gravely injured another private hospital where she had recently come to.
Luciana’s legs weren’t ready to carry her yet, but her thoughts were razor-sharp. She longed to hug her grandchildren again.
Though Cornell was not her biological child, something Luciana had known all the while, she had loved him just as deeply.
Luciana’s heart ached for having pushed Audrey away, a decision she regretted all her life. But during Janey’s kidnapping, she gambled with her life to save Janey and Audrey, trying to right her old wrongs.
Ultimately, Luciana’s past actions didn’t entirely damn her. In her excessive love for Cornell, she was a portrait of many mothers out there, imperfect yet endearing.
Only when Audrey brought up Luciana did Cornell reveal Luciana’s awakening.
Luciana was far from flawless, yet as her son, Cornell fulfilled his duties, nothing more. His bitterness toward her only began to dissolve when Luciana risked her life to protect Audrey and Janey from being hurt.
Through her brave acts, Luciana showed deep remorse. Cornell found it in himself to forgive her, but he couldn’t extend that forgiveness to Audrey. It was hers to give. The choice to forgive lay solely with Audrey.
Naturally, Audrey was inclined to forgive Luciana. Without Luciana’s help, survival would have been bleak for her and Janey.
Audrey snuggled closer to Cornell and gave a firm nod. “Let’s grab the kids and pay a visit to her.”
Audrey had long released any resentment toward Luciana.
From Audrey’s book, initially, Luciana’s affection for Cornell seemed self-centered, believing she acted in his best interest. It was just that she lacked weighing his emotions.
However, when Audrey discovered Luciana was aware that Cornell wasn’t her biological child yet loved him dearly, her respect for Luciana grew.
Plus, though Luciana could be sharp-tongued, she hadn’t committed any grievous wrongs.
Later, Luciana fell under Katie’s manipulative influence for some time and thus grew apart from Cornell, which cast a shadow over her later years.
Yet, upon gaining some clarity, despite knowing the risk of Likely falling into harm’s way amid Katie’s schemes, Luciana still managed to rescue Audrey and Janey, proving her deep remorse through her selfless deeds.
Audrey, not one to harbor bitterness, saw this act as a clear sign of Luciana’s regret, making it impossible for her to remain aloof.
Now that Luciana was up and about, it was the perfect moment to take her children to visit Luciana. After all, Luciana was the grandmother.
Casey was still somewhat out of sorts, yet she occasionally managed to converse briefly with Audrey.
Though many memories had faded for her, Casey recalled Hector vividly and chose to depart with him.
Audrey was struck by the contrast between Casey’s disdain for Davey and her trust in Hector. It had to be genuine.
Hector’s later disclosure was a shocker. The son he had raised, Bryce, was actually Audrey’s biological brother. It was just that Audrey and Bryce were the results of Davey raping Casey after keeping Casey captive.
Bryce proposed he and Hector take Casey back to Ardlens to look after her. Landen and Erick supported the idea. Their goal was unified to ensure Casey’s happiness. Ardlens was not some foreign land, and they could visit her whenever they wished.
Most importantly, Casey was on board with the idea.
When Audrey was consulted, she too gave her nod of approval. Casey, now without her memories of being held captive by Davey for decades due to the shock, seemed much more content.
Audrey silently wished that her mother would never reclaim those horrible days of her with Davey. It was better for her to continue living joyfully.
As for Bryce and Hector, Audrey held them in high regard. As Erick had pointed out, they could pay a visit to Casey whenever they wished.
Later on, police representatives paid Audrey a visit in the hospital.
They expressed their gratitude for her assistance in apprehending Davey, an international criminal involved in murder, manipulating officials, and trafficking secrets internationally to further his agenda.
With a coordinated effort, the police had managed to round up all of Davey’s lingering malevolent deeds and his associates.
Regarding Davey’s ashes, with no one to claim them and Bryce declining to lay eyes on anything related to Davey, Audrey requested that the police disperse them into the sea.
After settling everything here, Erick began to get ready for his trip back to his home country.
Audrey and Cornell then paid a visit to Luciana at the sanatorium where she was recovering. This time, they brought only Janey along.
The twin babies were still too young and fragile to take out, so they decided to wait and have Luciana meet them at home later.
As soon as Janey spotted Luciana, she ran over and hugged Luciana, exclaiming, “Grandma, are you feeling better?”
The sweetness in Janey’s voice made Luciana tear up. With a catch in her voice, she replied, “I’m good. You’re such a nice girl…”
“Grandma, don’t cry. I had brought you some candy.” Janey reached into her pocket and pulled out her favorite milk candies, offering them to Luciana.
Luciana, dabbing at her tears and a bit embarrassed to be crying in front of Janey, explained, “I’m just so happy to see you, Janey.”
“I know. I’m also happy to see you.” Janey said to Luciana earnestly, “Grandma, you have to follow the doctor’s advice and get better soon, so you can play with me and my little brothers, okay?”
“Alright. I will…” Luciana said, her voice tinged with happiness.