Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Nicole grasped such a person had no conscience and didn’t care about his two-year-old daughter waiting at home. His previous weakness and tears were merely a performance to trick her.
She fought back, flailing with punches and kicks, but Derek only laughed, saying, “It’s useless. I’ll kill you today.”
Before, Derek had exaggerated his weakness, only half-faking it. Sure, he was hurt, but not as much as he claimed. Even against a wounded woman, he maintained the upper hand.
The chokehold was tight, and Nicole couldn’t use her full strength, but fortunately, she had recently peeled the skin from Derek’s hand when yanking his hand out, revealing his vulnerability. She reached for
Derek’s injured hand, clawing into the torn flesh with all her might.
It was a gruesome scene when Nicole worsened Derek’s injury.
“Ah! Damn it!” Derek howled in agony. The intense pain caused him to loosen his grip slightly.
Nicole seized the chance, putting extra pressure on Derek’s injured hand. She dug deep and created five fresh wounds, revealing the bone beneath.
“Bitch! Let go of me!” Derek screamed and hastily released Nicole, overwhelmed by the excruciating pain.
Nicole gasped for air, her Lungs filling with freedom, and she gazed up at the sky, panting. After regaining some strength, she slowly rose and limped into the woods, vanishing from sight.
Derek steadied himself, retrieved his phone, and prepared to pursue Nicole.
He grabbed a stick from behind the car, clenched it in his fist, and yelled, “I’ll find you, you little bitch! I’ll kill you!”
He marched into the woods, declaring, “You think you can hide? No way! I’ll definitely find you!”
With those words, he vanished into the forest.
Jarrod played the recording of Alec’s phone call with Derek since he drove. He was aware that both Derek and Nicole had vanished after the car crash.
But after the crash, Derek had made a call to Alec, and Jarrod wanted to pick up any clues about their location by listening to it.
Alec’s voice could be heard on the recording. “What’s taking so long? Have you made it yet?”
Derek inhaled deeply before replying, “Not yet. I just had a near miss. But that crazy woman drove like a maniac, and I ended up hitting a tree…”
Alec hesitated and advised, “She might not be as strong as you, but she’s smart. Be careful.”
“I know… Damn it! I’ll kill her today.” Derek assumed Nicole had seen the tree ahead and intentionally swerved at the last minute, causing his car to crash into it.
Derek was no longer just following Alec’s commands. He was driven by a murderous rage, intent on killing Nicole.
Alec didn’t fully trust Derek, worried Derek would mishandle things.
He pondered for a moment before suggesting, “Forget it. You should leave the country now. I’ll handle the rest.”
Alec planned to deal with Leighton and fake a mental illness certificate for Nicole, rendering Nicole’s testimony useless and inadmissible.
But Derek disagreed and was not ready to quit insisting, “Just give me half an hour, and I’ll catch up to her…”
“Didn’t you crash the car? Where are you now?” Alec inquired.
“She’s running down this muddy path, and I’m going after her now..”
Derek’s voice abruptly stopped.
The call ended suddenly.
Listening to the dial tone, Jarrod’s heart raced with worry. “Nicole, you’ve always managed to escape danger. Don’t get into any trouble this time!”
His eyes narrowed as he floored the accelerator and sped off.
Suddenly, rain began to pour, intensifying the throbbing of Nicole’s wounds. The pain drained her energy, leaving her weak and limp. She was already frail, and the recent events had depleted her strength completely.
Nicole concealed herself behind a clump of muddy bushes, trying to curl into the smallest, most unnoticeable ball possible. She was worn out, almost drifting off, when she heard footsteps getting closer, their rhythm uneven in the distance.
In the pitch-black night, she knew the only person wandering outside could be Derek.
With the rain washing away all traces, she didn’t hold out hope for anyone to come to her rescue.
The heavy rain complicated any search efforts. Even if Audrey had dispatched a search party, Nicole doubted she could survive long enough for their arrival.
Clutching herself tightly, Nicole not only tried to minimize her visibility but also held her breath, afraid that Derek might detect her presence. Considering the physical advantage men typically had over women, combined with her weakened state, if Derek found her, she would have to accept whatever came next.
As she anticipated, the footsteps approached closer, followed by the sound of a stick pushing through the bushes.
“Miss, stop hiding…” Derek’s voice echoed through the rain-soaked forest, sending shivers down Nicole’s spine, especially in the dark of night.
He whistled and teased, “Watch out for pythons and wild critters around here. It’s better to show yourself than end up as dinner. I can make it painless for you…”
Derek’s laughter was sinister.
Nicole remained silent. The footsteps were closing in, and Derek had a flashlight. If he headed in her direction, he would definitely see her.
She glanced at the bracelet in her hand, which she gripped tightly to avoid any noise. In a moment of quick thinking, she tied the bracelet around a stone and hurled it into the distance, creating a diversion.
As expected, Derek followed the sound, chuckling loudly. “I’m coming to get you…”
She then heard Derek’s footsteps moving toward the stone.
The nanny had gifted Nicole the bracelet, saying it was Austin’s favorite and meant to keep her safe. In this critical moment, the bracelet indeed proved its value.
Having diverted Derek with the bracelet, Nicole hoped he would search in the wrong direction, buying her some time.
Once she was sure Derek had pursued the stone, Nicole leaned on a tree to stand and then limped toward the forest’s edge. Had she been in the open with no cover, Derek’s superior physical strength would have easily overpowered her. That was why she opted for the challenging terrain of the forest.
But now, some time had passed, and Nicole hoped a rescue team might be outside since she had managed to alert Audrey earlier. She trusted that Audrey would not just stand by and must have sent help. If she was fortunate, she might encounter the rescue team as she made her way out.
Relying on her memory, Nicole navigated toward the exit.
Suddenly, she heard Derek’s angry shout. “Damn it, where are you hiding, thinking you can trick me? When I catch you, I’ll ruin your face!”
Spurred by Derek’s furious voice, Nicole dared not pause and hastened her steps toward the exit.
As she neared the clearing, Nicole’s face broke into a relieved smile, and she rushed forward.
However, her relief turned to dismay once she was fully out. She’d taken the wrong turn. It was a downhill slope, and not only was their car missing, but there was no sign of help anywhere. It was clear she had chosen the wrong path.
Just as Nicole felt hopeless, a creepy laugh echoed from behind her.
“Hatha. I’ve finally caught up to you.” Derek also emerged from the forest.
In the open area with no place to hide, Nicole had no option but to descend the slope. But her shaky legs slowed her down.
She had only taken a few steps when Derek violently grabbed her hair, cursing, “Damn it, still trying to escape!”
He then hurled her forcefully to the ground.
“Crack!” Nicole felt as though her knee had shattered.
“You bitch, you did that on purpose to my hand, didn’t you?” Even with his hand wrapped in cloth, Derek’s movements were still awkward.
Furious, Nicole snapped, “I tried to help you, and this is how you treat me? Aren’t you afraid of karma?”
“Karma? Oh, come on. I’ve committed plenty of wrongs, and if karma was to strike me, it would have done so by now. But look, I’m still here, alive and kicking…” His voice trailed off as a sudden flash of lightning cut across the sky.
Derek stopped, gazing upward. Lightning had indeed flashed! Startled, he fell silent, wondering if it was a warning.
Then, a loud thunderclap followed as the lightning struck somewhere in the distance.
“Ha-ha!” Derek erupted into boisterous laughter. “See? Even the lightning won’t touch me.”
Nicole spat in disgust and said, “Don’t be so smug. Your time just hasn’t come yet.”
Enraged, Derek thrust the stick down harshly on Nicole’s knee.
“Ouch…” Nicole yelled, her face twisting in pain.
“Looks like your mouth still has some fire!” Derek glowered at her menacingly.
As another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, it illuminated Nicole’s face, washed by the rain, and her silhouette was accentuated by her clinging, wet clothes.
Derek’s gaze shifted as he leered at her, poking indecently at her neckline with the stick.
“You have a stunning figure,” he said, his eyes gleaming with lust.
The way Nicole’s body looked under the rain was surprisingly striking.
Her skin appeared soft and pale, far more appealing than Leighton’s.
Nicole’s beautiful face seemed to set the scene for a sultry, wet spectacle, naturally drawing a man’s gaze.