Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Derek, all worked up, shamelessly showed his excitement without any concern to hide it. He commented, “Miss, how about I make you feel good before you die?”
“Ugh!” Nicole spat at him, furious. “Only over my dead body!”
Seeing the river below, Nicole thought she’d rather dive in than tolerate insults from this jerk!
“That’s fine. Even if you die, I can still… It makes no difference to me.” Derek had completely lost his mind.
Nicole was utterly revolted. Derek was devoid of any morals or principles and thoroughly corrupt. Now that he had committed crimes and possessed wealth, his inherent depravity had only intensified exponentially.
As he moved closer to her, Nicole didn’t hesitate and rolled down the slope, but suddenly her arm was seized.
Derek harshly pulled her back up, announcing, “Don’t rush, beauty. Today indeed marks your end. But let me have my fun first.”
With that, he started to unbuckle his belt.
Derek quickly tossed his belt aside and moved to pin Nicole down.
Nicole fought back fiercely, attempting to kick Derek in the abdomen, but he deftly sidestepped her.
Then, he raised his hand and struck her face harshly.
“Smack!” The slap was really hard.
Nicole’s mouth started bleeding, and her head spun. The slap weakened her already frail body, robbing her of any strength to resist.
Derek’s filthy hands reached to tear at her clothes, causing her to feel sick, but she had nothing in her stomach to vomit.
“You’ll get what’s coming to you!” Nicole declared, her gaze icy and determined.
“You are so stubborn!” Derek sneered, leaning in to press her down once more.
With a fierce look in her eyes, Nicole gathered all her strength and bit down hard on Derek’s ear.
“Ah! You bitch, let go!” Derek attempted to pull away, but Nicole’s grip on his ear was relentless.
During the struggle, Nicole tore off a piece of Derek’s ear, leaving him with a bizarre and somewhat humorous disfigurement.
“Damn it!” Derek recoiled, clutching his injured ear. The pain was intense.
Enraged, he seized Nicole by the neck, yelling, “Give me back my ear!”
That piece was still attached to the ear cartilage, and it could have been reattached if handled properly.
However, Nicole quickly tilted her head and spat that piece down the slope.
Derek could only watch in frustration as it tumbled into the water, vanishing from view.
At this, Derek’s fury boiled over, and he delivered two harsh slaps to Nicole, one after another.
Yet, these slaps did little to calm his rage. Clutching Nicole’s neck tightly, his eyes bloodshot, Derek screamed wildly, “You bitch, I’ll kill you!”
Nicole’s eyes rolled back as she struggled to breathe, feeling her chest tighten.
Just when she thought she might draw her last breath, a loud “bang” echoed.
Derek, who had been pressing down on her, suddenly rolled down the slope.
The rain poured heavily, and the wind howled like thunder.
Nicole noticed a man with short hair standing in the rain. He squinted through the downpour and said dismissively, “You can’t even deal with a piece of trash, and you think you can challenge me?”
Jarrod’s tone was cold and scornful. In his eyes, Nicole was like a tiny ant now. No matter how hard she fought, it seemed pointless.
At the sight of him, a wave of relief swept over Nicole. Now, at least, Derek couldn’t hurt her anymore. Maybe in the past, Jarrod could have, but she believed he wouldn’t do that now. For reasons unknown, he wouldn’t.
But Nicole wasn’t interested in exploring Jarrod’s motives. She refused to believe anything he said. His past actions were beyond redemption. The thought that this demon could live so untroubled gnawed at Nicole. She mourned for her deceased father and felt even sorrier for her mother, who remained oblivious to the truth. And poor Austin had turned into a pawn in this mess.
Austin could’ve enjoyed a carefree childhood, but instead, he had to be on guard because of Jarrod’s unpredictable behavior.
Even though Austin never voiced it, Nicole could tell from the nanny’s careful attention that their days weren’t easy.
Nicole shut her eyes. She was too exhausted to argue with Jarrod, unable to find the energy even to stand up.
Luckily, Jarrod ceased his scrutiny. He removed his suit jacket and threw it at Nicole, indifferent to whether she put it on or not. He then turned and walked down the slope.
Nicole was no fool. In this torrential rain, without the jacket, she would surely fall seriously ill. It didn’t matter if she herself collapsed, but her concern was for Austin. Jarrod held no real affection for Austin, and if something happened to her, Austin would be the one to suffer.
Then there was Vicki. Nicole vividly recalled the words Vicki had uttered at the entrance of the courthouse. She knew the kind of woman who, driven by love, could commit unthinkable acts, even crimes.
With that in mind, Nicole pulled the jacket tight around herself, indifferent to its owner as long as it kept her warm.
From the corner of his eye, Jarrod watched, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He then approached Derek, looking down at Derek, now smeared with mud.
That look sent a shiver through Derek’s core. The tall, imposing Jarrod had eyes like a wolf’s, fierce and terrifying.
Throughout his life, Derek has only interacted with ordinary people, never facing any big shots. This was the first time he had felt a man’s gaze could send shivers down his spine and make his body tremble. This sensation was far from pleasant.
“You… You dare kick me? Do you even know who I am? I’ll get others to come and kill you. Derek threatened, trying to muster some bravery.”
Before, Alec had been the one in touch with Derek, but Derek had never laid eyes on Alec, let alone Jarrod.
Derek figured Nicole didn’t seem like a big shot, so whoever was assisting her couldn’t be too remarkable either. He consoled himself that Jarrod only seemed tough but not as tough as he looked.
Derek felt the need to stay strong until Jarrod acted first, so he couldn’t back down. If he couldn’t end Nicole today, he’d reach out to Alec again to let the latter handle it. Otherwise, exposing the truth wouldn’t bode well for him.
Alec had been keen on making him a scapegoat, but Derek wouldn’t let that happen. Derek wasn’t stupid.
“Kill me?” Jarrod’s expression was frosty, his aura bristling with lethal intent. His eyes, sharp like an eagle’s, flashed with a fearsome bloodlust that seemed fiercer than the stormy rain.
“Yes… That’s it! I… I know some powerful people,” Derek stuttered.
“I’ll have them come find me to kill you and that woman.”
“You’re that influential, huh? Kill both of us?” Jarrod conversed casually, even taking his time to unfasten his watch.
Jarrod rarely engaged in small talk at work. If he took the time to speak more than a few words, it indicated that the person he was addressing had made a serious error. His words were effectively a “death sentence.”
It was nearly impossible to land another job in the same industry if one got fired by the Schultz Group.
Derek didn’t know Jarrod. He only cared about the stock market and entertainment, never bothering with financial magazines that featured big names.
Noticing that Jarrod, despite his menacing aura, spoke with such composure, Derek foolishly believed Jarrod was scared by his threats.
Derek smugly declared, “Yes, I know some really influential people. If I want you dead, you won’t make it…”
Before Derek could finish speaking, a dark shadow suddenly passed before his eyes. “Ah…”
Derek’s screams tore through the air, as painful as a pig caught under a gate.
It turned out Jarrod had clenched his watch in his hand, the face against his fingers, and brought it down hard on Derek’s nose.
With a single strike, blood burst from Derek’s nose, and his nasal bridge was hideously contorted.
Impressively, the expensive watch was still in perfect condition.
“Ouch! You lunatic! You’ve lost your mind…” Derek gripped his nose, wailing in shock from the ruthless blow that had broken his nasal bone.
“Thump!” Another savage hit. Derek felt as though his cheekbone had shattered too. Jarrod’s cruelty was over the top!
Now terrified, Derek trembled and begged through his bloodied face, “Do you want money? I can give you Lots of money… Just don’t hit me… Please…”
Jarrod scoffed. “Money? I’m not interested in money. I’m interested”
“Sooo?”
“Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you,” Derek interrupted, aware that it was wise to bend in the face of adversity, pleading for mercy.
He could enjoy life again once he regained his wealth. But right now, preserving his life was what mattered most.
Jarrod’s lips twisted into a slight smile, his tone chillingly soft.
“I’m only interested in your life.”
Derek was left without words, almost paralyzed with fear. Jarrod had declared to be after his life, proving to be exceedingly brutal.
“Sir, please, I’ve caused you no harm, and I barely touched that woman. I didn’t even take anything from her. I just struck her a few times. You can’t kill me for that.”
“Just hit her a few times?” Jarrod’s eyes turned icy. “She wasn’t yours to touch!”
Derek’s heart raced with terror, and he was too frightened to make a sound. He knelt down, frantically pleading, “Great man, big brother… Please, show some mercy and let me go. I’ll keep to myself from now on and never cause trouble again. Just let me live…” His head struck the muddy ground, his face blending blood and mud into a pitiful sight.