Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Roscoe paused, visibly uncomfortable with the details. Nevertheless, he continued, “If it fails, they engage you in a special alcohol solution. If you survive an hour, your soul weakens, allowing the chief’s soul to invade and replace yours. They consider that a success.”
Nicole stood in stunned silence, her mouth gaping wide in disbelief. These people were monstrously cruel, perpetuating a gruesome myth. The idea of numerous people being exploited to preserve their youth was disgusting.
Roscoe added quickly, “These people aren’t native to Ambrosia. Their ancestors came from a different country and secluded themselves in our mountains to carry out these heinous acts. They avoid interaction with outsiders, and many witches here are related, passing on their depraved rituals from one generation to the next.”
The more Nicole heard, the more preposterous it sounded. Roscoe insisted, “You have to leave now. You can’t take them on alone.”
“No, we’re leaving together,” Nicole declared firmly. Roscoe had never left her side, and she wasn’t about to leave him behind.
“I need to stop them once and for all,” Roscoe finally disclosed his real plan.
“You’re not going at this alone, Roscoe. We’re breaking out of here and getting some backup. Then we’re storming back in to deal with them!” Nicole’s eyes blazed with determination as she laid out her plan.
“There’s not enough time!” Roscoe scratched his head, his expression clouded with concern.
“It’s not that easy. Even if we make a run for it now, we’ll run smack into the villagers I’ve got waiting for us halfway down the mountain. It’s a three-day trek to safety. By the time we come back with reinforcements, a whole week will have passed, and those witches will have disappeared into thin air.” At that point, the captives would likely have been silenced.
This presented a rare opportunity. The chief’s body-switching ceremony had convened all the witches back to the valley, creating an ideal moment to eliminate them entirely.
“But the responsibility to eliminate them shouldn’t rest solely with you,” Nicole said. “How are you feeling? And what about your memory loss and sudden compliance?” she shot her questions.
Roscoe stayed quiet, realizing the impossibility of explaining everything in such a brief exchange. “Nicole, you must leave now. Immediately,” he asserted firmly.
“No, we’re leaving together,” Nicole insisted, her resolve outmatching his own. She couldn’t endorse a mission she deemed suicidal for someone she deeply cared about.
“Nicole, I’m staying.” Roscoe’s voice held firm, yet tinged with a hint of helplessness. He knew only one of them could make it out of there.
Nicole’s voice softened into a plea. “Roscoe, please listen to me. We need to get help. You can’t handle this alone. There are too many of them, and they have control over the serpents and those parasites…”
The thought alone sent shivers down Nicole’s spine. It was akin to signing a death warrant. How could she endure the thought of Roscoe facing it alone? No matter what, she couldn’t allow someone she cared for to sacrifice themselves.
“Nicole, if they find out I helped you escape, they’ll kill me regardless. There’s no need for both of us to meet our ends this soon, right?” Roscoe’s eyes met Nicole’s, their gentleness underscored by determination. “Get out of here and live on. Think about Austin… He needs you.”
Tears welled up in Nicole’s eyes. “Why are you doing this?” Why knowingly walk into such danger? She couldn’t quite comprehend.
Roscoe couldn’t reveal the full truth yet. He had struck a deal with a foreign family to eradicate these witches in return for their assistance in dismantling the Watts family’s international operations. It was the sole path to liberate himself from Miguel’s grip and ensure Nicole’s and Austin’s safety more effectively.
The mere idea of failing to protect Nicole and Austin pierced Roscoe’s heart like a dagger.
Roscoe was devastated whenever he recalled being coerced into marrying Doreen while under the influence of those mind-controlling parasites, betraying his promise to Nicole.
When he came to his senses and learned of this harsh truth, the agony was excruciating. All his efforts and sacrifices he had made seemed in vain. He accepted Nicole’s choice to marry Jarrod without bitterness, understanding her need to protect Austin and her mother. Her responsibilities were too great for her to bear alone.
Roscoe sighed and grasped he and Nicole might never reconcile in this lifetime, but as long as he lived, he was committed to protecting Nicole and Austin in whatever ways he could.
He harbored a deep-seated loathing for the Watts family, resenting them for exploiting him and harming those dear to him. Gaining full control over the Watts was essential. Without it, he would remain a constant threat to everyone around him.
It just so happened that the witches had inadvertently harmed a young heir of a prominent foreign family while overseas. When the witch escaped to Ambrosia, the foreign family was helpless to seek revenge until they identified Emerie as one of those witches and approached Roscoe, ultimately striking a deal with him.
Roscoe’s current clarity of mind was the result of a biological professor from that foreign family, who had devised an antidote to counteract the parasites’ influence. Without this antidote, Roscoe knew he would not have survived much longer.
Roscoe chose to keep Nicole in the dark about these dangers. He was prepared to confront them on his own, refusing to allow her to be drawn into this hazardous world. To involve her would be utterly unforgivable.
“Nicole, you probably aren’t aware of my ambitions,” Roscoe said, his face shadowed yet highlighted by the flickering light, a bitter, almost mocking smile playing on his lips. “I intend to take control of the entire Watts family. After all the torment and persecution they’ve put me through, they deserve to pay, don’t you think?”
Nicole could only imagine the depths of suffering Roscoe had endured at the hands of the Watts, although she refrained from asking about the specifics of their cruelty.
But she was not ready to let Roscoe go down this perilous path alone. “Roscoe, seek your revenge if you must, and I will support you, but not like this. You can’t jeopardize your life. It’s not worth it.”
Roscoe offered a wry smile.
“Nicole, you can’t comprehend the extent of the Watts family’s entrenchment, the vastness of their power. This is my only shot. Please forgive my stubbornness and selfishness, but I can’t just squander this opportunity. I can’t simply swallow those humiliations and move on as if nothing had happened.”
His statement was a mix of sincerity and deception. Roscoe desired Nicole to live a life free of burdens and full of happiness.
Tears brimmed in Nicole’s eyes. “Roscoe, I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have suffered so much…”
She knew the price he had paid. He could have dodged the forced marriage to Doreen and those endless torment. Now, he had to risk his life for a sliver of freedom.
Nicole’s heart ached as though a swarm of insects were gnawing at it.
“Nicole, my ambitions are mine alone. They’re not your burden to carry. Taking control of the Watts family is my desire, and everything I’ve endured is just the price I’ve paid. If I hadn’t been so driven by wealth and power, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess,” Roscoe uttered these white lies to lift her mental burden, his voice carrying a tone of resigned acceptance.
Nicole wasn’t convinced by his words. She knew better. When Roscoe was abroad, he had already earned a salary in the millions.
The Watts family might be affluent, but he had never been one to indulge excessively in luxuries. She realized he was trying to reassure her, to encourage her to leave, but she couldn’t just walk away. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to leave him behind.
Suddenly, rustling sounds emerged from the distance.
Roscoe’s face tensed, his eyes sharp with alertness. He pushed Nicole and urged, “Go! Now!”
He recognized the sound all too well. It was the slithering of serpents. If the serpents were nearby, the witches wouldn’t be far behind.
Nicole clasped Roscoe’s arm tightly. “We’re leaving together.”
The hissing grew louder. Roscoe knew they couldn’t afford to hesitate anymore.
Roscoe nodded. “Fine!”
Yet, the next moment, with a loud splash, Nicole was pushed into the water, disappearing into its murky depths.
Before Nicole could even begin to react, she found herself forcefully shoved into the water, plunging into the depths below where a swift drainage channel awaited, swiftly carrying her away in its current.
Roscoe had orchestrated this with meticulous precision. His knowledge of the drainage channel’s location, coupled with Nicole’s swimming capabilities, which he had personally honed, were key elements in his plan of sending her away.
During their time in the village, Roscoe had dedicated himself to teaching Nicole various survival skills, including swimming, archery, basic combat, and self-defense techniques, ensuring she was equipped to navigate perilous situations.
As the water rushed around her, Nicole could faintly discern the frantic voices of witches from the shore, intermingled with a man’s pained groan, before a profound silence enveloped her surroundings.
Fear gripped Nicole’s heart as she realized that Roscoe’s sobriety might have been exposed. Despite her efforts to swim against the powerful current, she soon found herself overwhelmed by its force.
The mountain’s drainage channels were akin to raging torrents, particularly during the rainy season, rendering even the strongest swimmers helpless against their might.
Exhausted and defeated, Nicole reluctantly surrendered to the current, allowing it to dictate her course.
When she finally dared to open her eyes once more, she discovered herself nestled within the confines of a humble straw hut. Panic surged within her, fearing she had fallen back into captivity.
A senior man with a gentle countenance approached. “Young lady, are you awake? Would you care for some water?” he inquired, offering her a bottle with sincerity shining in his eyes.
He bore the unassuming appearance of a mountain dweller, a stark contrast to the ominous witches Nicole had encountered earlier. Though she eased her guard slightly in the senior man’s presence, she remained vigilant.
Accepting the water graciously, Nicole refrained from drinking immediately. “Sir, where exactly am I?” she inquired with curiosity.
“This is Mount Yienswart,” the senior man responded.
Mount Yienswart? Realization dawned upon Nicole. She had traversed beyond the valley into a different mountainous region.
Roscoe’s warning about the challenges of seeking assistance echoed in Nicole’s mind as she observed the remote surroundings, devoid of any signal or means of communication.
Even if she managed to find help, the journey out of this isolated place would span at least a week, with rescuers likely taking another week to arrive. By then, the witches would have vanished without a trace.
The valley’s seclusion and inaccessibility had evidently appealed to those witches, serving as a haven for their nefarious deeds.
The senior man brought a plate adorned with freshly roasted game. Prioritizing Nicole’s well-being, he took a portion for himself before offering the remaining food to her. “Eat up, young lady. You must replenish your strength,” he urged kindly.
Gratitude flooded Nicole’s heart as she recognized the subtle gesture, the man’s act of consuming the food first to allay her suspicions of poisoning.
Nicole’s stomach protested loudly, craving sustenance after a night spent adrift in the water. The witches had intended to cleanse Nicole’s body through enforced fasting, but hunger now gnawed at her insides, driving her to eagerly devour the meat before her.
With each satisfying bite, a welcomed warmth spread throughout Nicole’s body, dispelling the chill of the night’s ordeal.
Remarkably, her stomach welcomed the nourishment without protest, urging her to consume more. Could it be the effect of the mysterious pill?
Nicole pondered silently, her thoughts interrupted as the senior man, sensing her lingering hunger, tore off two additional sizable portions from the grill, offering them to her without hesitation.
“Eat up, young lady. Don’t be shy. We have an abundance of game here in the mountains.” The senior man encouraged warmly.
Nicole needed no further invitation. She indulged in the hearty meal, savoring the succulent flavors of the roasted game and refreshing herself with the pure water from the mountain spring. With each bite and sip, she felt her strength returning, revitalizing her weary body.
Once her hunger was sated, Nicole knew she had to strategize her next steps. Without sufficient strength, her chances of navigating the treacherous terrain ahead were slim. Turning to the senior man, she inquired, “Do you happen to know how far Witch Valley is from here?”
At the mention of “Witch Valley,” the senior man’s demeanor shifted abruptly. His gentle expression hardened, and his brows furrowed in suspicion. “Why do you seek that place? Are you from Witch Valley?” he questioned, his grip tightening around the carving knife at his side.
Sensing his apprehension, Nicole hastened to clarify, “I’m searching for my friend. He’s still there, and I need to bring him back.”
Upon hearing her explanation, the senior man’s demeanor softened, and he loosened his grip on the knife. “You should depart soon. It typically takes about three days to traverse these mountains. However, reaching Witch Valley will likely require four or five days, given your current condition. It’s wiser to seek help than to venture deeper into danger.”
Grateful for his guidance, Nicole rose from her seat and removed a gold bracelet from her wrist, offering it to the senior man. “Please, take this. You can exchange it for supplies,” she insisted earnestly.
The senior man hesitated, declining her offer initially. Nicole persisted. Fearing he might be taken advantage of, she explained, “This bracelet is solid gold, weighing sixty-two grams. Its value exceeds four hundred per gram. Ensure you receive a fair price.”