Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Alec, appearing hesitant, reluctantly revealed that Jarrod was engaged in an urgent meeting with a business partner.
?????? ???????b?????? ???????????????????/p>
“What?” Vicki’s irritation flared. To her, the business partner’s importance paled in comparison to her own. “How long will this take?” she demanded.
Alec hesitated before responding, “Mr. Schultz asked me to take you home first.”
Vicki’s frown deepened. “Take me home? I can wait a bit longer.”
“I’m afraid that won’t cut it. He’s meeting with some big shot client,” Alec mentioned, a hint of concern in his voice.
Vicki shot Alec a suspicious glance and briskly strode a few paces forward, yanking the VIP meeting room door wide open.
“Oh, Miss Hampton…” Alec’s attempt to intervene was futile.
Vicki surveyed the vacant meeting space, turning abruptly to confront Alec. “Where’s Mr. Schultz?” She and Jarrod had just finalized plans for dinner. How could Jarrod vanish into thin air like this?
Alec cleared his throat, offering an explanation, “Mr. Schultz had to jet off on an urgent business trip abroad. Left with no choice, he wanted me to relay his apologies and assure you he’ll make it up to you tonight.”
Vicki seethed with frustration. Even if it was urgent, a heads-up would have sufficed. She’d traveled all the way to Schultz Group, only to be forgotten. What could possibly be so pressing that he had to bolt like this?
Fuming, she retrieved her phone, dialing Jarrod’s number, only to be met with a mechanical female voice. “I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off…”
Vicki’s unease swelled as she noticed the absence of any response from Jarrod’s phone. Where on earth could he have gone off to? She fixed her gaze on Alec, her words sharp and direct, cutting through the tension. “Alec, cut the pretense. Just tell me straight, where’s Jarrod?”
Alec, predictably tight-lipped, offered his reply, “Look, I’m not feeding you lies. Mr. Schultz really went on a business trip. There’s a big deal brewing in the international market, and he had to handle it alone.”
Alec’s explanation rang hollow, though. Yet, he couldn’t come up with a convincing story since Jarrod had simply vanished into thin air, leaving even him clueless about Jarrod’s whereabouts.
With Jarrod’s phone off the grid, Alec resorted to quickly inventing excuses while he scrambled to uncover the truth.
In a bid to placate Vicki’s growing concern, Alec motioned to the secretary, who arrived bearing a bag from a fancy jewelry brand. With a coaxing tone, he presented it to Vicki.
“Here’s something Mr. Schultz had me order for you a while back. He meant to hand it over himself, but with his abrupt departure, he asked me to pass it on. He promised more surprises upon his return.”
Vicki peered into the box, catching sight of the latest Limited edition “Love of the Century” necklace from the esteemed jewelry brand. It wasn’t something just anyone with deep pockets could snag.
The releases were all exclusive editions, requiring a certain status to acquire.
Vicki’s vanity tingled with satisfaction, but beneath the surface, a flicker of irritation remained. She lifted her gaze to Alec, questioning, “Did he really order this?”
Alec maintained his composure, replying, “Absolutely. It was a special request from Mr. Schultz.”
Actually, Jarrod hadn’t personally selected these jewelry pieces.
That wasn’t his style. Instead, he’d simply handed Alec a card and left the details in Alec’s capable hands.
Whenever Vicki found herself discontent, Alec’s solution was to shower her with gifts. Thus, since their engagement, Vicki had received meticulously chosen presents, those she assumed prepared by Jarrod but actually by Alec, for every occasion. It had helped to alleviate her frustration to some extent.
Observing Vicki’s demeanor soften, Alec continued to gently reason with her, “Miss Hampton, Mr. Schultz deeply regrets any inconvenience caused, but he was conducting business, intending to secure a better future for you. I hope you’ll understand.”
Vicki, the hopeless romantic, found herself utterly infatuated at that moment, making her remarkably easy to placate. Her ire swiftly dissipated.
“Alright, I get it. Alec, do you know where Jarrod has gone to? He left so quickly. I’m worried he forgot something important. I’m thinking of flying over to bring some things for him.”
Upon hearing this, Alec swiftly waved his hands. “No worries, Miss Hampton. Mr. Schultz has got an assistant traveling with him. They’ll see to all his needs. Plus, who knows? He might be back in a day or two. You just wait at home.”
Alec finally managed to send Vicki away, heaving a long sigh of relief. He then tried calling Jarrod again, but silence greeted him.
Alec found himself utterly baffled, clueless about Jarrod’s whereabouts. At the very least, a heads-up would’ve been nice, so Alec could brace himself for whatever was coming.
As Vicki settled into the car, just as the driver was about to pull away, they were halted by an unexpected interruption.
Vicki glanced over and recognized the face, prompting her to instruct the driver to lower the window.
Outside, Deniz wore a hypocritical smile. “Miss Hampton, it’s been a while. How’ve you been holding up?”
Vicki didn’t hold a favorable opinion of Deniz. Rumors had it that this old man had quite the reputation as a womanizer, and there were whispers of him mistreating his wife upon his return.
Vicki’s aunt, ached for her sister’s suffering amid the marriage with Deniz, had allocated some projects of the Hampton Group to Deniz in a bit to shield her sister from Deniz’s abusive behavior.
However, Deniz seemed to have fallen out of favor with someone, as his presence in Ardlens became less frequent, sparing Vicki from witnessing his pleas for forgiveness.
Honestly, Vicki wasn’t invested in Deniz’s affairs, so she remained unaware of his conflict with Jarrod.
“Deniz, why did you stop my car?” Vicki’s expression soured as she addressed him.
Deniz didn’t seem bothered by her tone and continued to smile kindly.
“I simply haven’t seen you in a while and wanted to greet you. Vicki, you’ve grown even more beautiful.”
Deniz’s gaze lingered on Vicki in a manner that made her uncomfortable, his eyes assessing her in a way that felt invasive.
Vicki was instantly annoyed. She had heard Deniz once showed an inappropriate interest in her aunt. One time, when her aunt and sister were out, he pretended to be drunk and sneakily slipped under her aunt’s quilt, attempting to undress her. After her aunt beat him up, he claimed his actions were due to the alcohol while the truth was otherwise.
“Deniz, if there’s nothing else, I’m leaving now,” Vicki said, feeling disgusted. She signaled the driver to raise the window.
“Oh, Vicki, are you in a rush to go see Mr. Schultz?” Deniz suddenly asked.
Vicki immediately rolled the window back down, wide-eyed. “What did you say?” she asked, staring at him.
“I just saw Mr. Schultz. He was driving off,” he replied.
Deniz looked at the time on his watch and said, “Mr. Schultz left less than twenty minutes ago. If you ask the driver to hurry, you might catch up with him.”
But Vicki was skeptical. If it was true that Jarrod had just left, why would Alec say Jarrod had gone on a business trip? Why did they manage to hide the cause of Jarrod’s sudden leave from her?
“Mr. Miller, can you just explain everything clearly once and for all? I really don’t understand what is going on.” Vicki’s strategy was now starting to fall apart. Unlike Lowe, she couldn’t maintain her composure. A trace of panic was written all over her face.
“Miss Hampton, you know I was thrown to a place far away since I somehow offended Mr. Schultz. I can’t even come near Ardlens until now. But I really want to return to Ardlens.” Deniz opted not to answer Vicki’s questions.
The more desperate Vicki appeared, the calmer Deniz became. He was skillfully manipulating the situation.
“Mr. Miller, if you want to say something, just say it. Tell me directly what you want. Don’t beat around the bush,” Vicki said straightforwardly.
“Miss Hampton, can’t you still tell?” Deniz asked back. “I desperately want to return to Ardlens, and I need your help.”
“Is that all? No problem,” Vicki quickly agreed. “I’ll discuss it with my father. By then, Jarrod won’t be able to stop you from returning to Ardlens.”
Deniz smiled. “After I return, can I still manage my previous projects?”
Vicki’s expression changed. Deniz was incredibly greedy. He didn’t only want to return but also reclaim his previous business ventures.
His greed reminded her of a parasite.
Vicki wasn’t in a position to make decisions and the thought of convincing her father to support a man like Deniz made her feel repulsive.
Deniz was not in a hurry. He said casually, “Miss Hampton, you know I’m on your side. After all, we are relatives and I can’t stand to see you mistreated. Your fianc? is on his way to meet another woman.”
The news hit Vicki like a thunderbolt. Her face turned pale. How could Jarrod be rushing away to meet another woman? What kind of a woman was worth him leaving her in the middle of the night?
Deniz grinned. “I guess you already know who she is.”
Of course, Vicki knew. After all, Nicole’s past relationship with Jarrod was a constant thorn in her side. However, since Jarrod was engaged to her, he hadn’t seen any other women.
Vicki had initially been worried and suspicious. But she didn’t find any signs of infidelity. Jarrod’s movements were transparent. And if she asked, Alec would surely tell her everything.
Jarrod once promised to let her know all his whereabouts. It was a privilege he ensured her as his fianc?e.
Because of this, Vicki had always been proud, believing she had made the right choice.
But now, she was no longer sure. Her mind was a mess. But when she spoke, she still tried to sound confident. “Maybe Jarrod has other matters to attend to. Since we got engaged, I’ve always been aware of all his movements and whereabouts. And there have been no other women around him all these months. I trust him. He will never cheat on me.”
“Interesting!” Suddenly, Deniz burst into laughter. “Miss Hampton, you are so naive. There are no men in this world who don’t cheat. The way Mr. Schultz treated that woman in the video didn’t look Like someone who abstained.”
Vicki’s lips turned purple. She didn’t want to hear any more words from Deniz, so she mumbled, “Stop. I… I choose to trust Jarrod. I trust him… You are just here to stir up trouble.”
But Deniz remained unfazed. He looked at Vickie with narrowed eyes and said slyly, “Miss Hampton, have you ever considered that maybe Mr. Schultz doesn’t touch those women because he doesn’t like them?”
His words were a wake-up call for Vicki.
Indeed, Jarrod had never been involved with other women. He ignored even those who threw themselves at him. Vicki always thought Jarrod remained virtuous because he was committed to her. Never did she think that his lack of interest in those women might be because he didn’t like them. And the person he truly liked was Nicole…
Vicki didn’t dare to think about it. She stared at Deniz with fierce eyes. “I agree to your terms. I will give you the projects if you tell me where Jarrod is.”
“Deal. Thank you, Miss Hampton,” Deniz replied.
Deniz gave the address to Vicki. Then, he watched her car speed off like a rocket, leaving a cloud of smoke and dust. He was extremely pleased with himself because he won big in this negotiation.
Although Lowe was physically drained, he still kept a few tricks up his sleeve. It was Lowe’s idea that Deniz approached Vicki to negotiate terms after informing Jarrod of Nicole’s whereabouts.