Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Unperturbed, Nicole opened her mouth to add more fuel to the fire but was abruptly muzzled by Jarrod, who hoisted her up in his arms.
“I’ll teach my woman a lesson,” Jarrod interjected.
Enraged, Nicole thumped Jarrod’s arm while leaning against his shoulder.
“Put me down, Jarrod! Who are you calling ‘your woman’? I have to protect Audrey from this jerk.”
Jarrod felt as though his head might burst.
It dawned on him that Nicole’s ultimate loyalties lay with her closest friend and her family. Cross that line, and she’d unleash helt.
Losing patience, Jarrod warned, “Act out one more time and forget about seeing your best friend ever again.”
Nicole finally fell silent. Jarrod felt his shoulder damp from her tears.
Setting her down next to the elevator, Jarrod pinned her against the wall and snapped, “Are you crazy?”
“You’re crazy!” Nicole shot back, unyielding.
She rarely showed vulnerability in front of him. Even when mistreated, she refused to cry.
But, it should be noted, tears were her secret weapon. At least for now, Jarrod felt disarmed.
Visibly frustrated, Jarrod said, “I never stop you from seeing Audrey.
Given Cornell’s volatile temper, you’re lucky to walk away unscathed.
You should be thanking me, got it?”
“He’s a bastard, Jarrod! Why can’t I tell the truth? You’re no good either. You’re just as bad as he is!”
“You!” Jarrod clenched his jaw, enraged.
Just as he was about to give Nicole a piece of his mind, a figure caught his eye, casting a shadow over his expression for a fleeting moment.
Quickly, he positioned Nicole behind him, near the emergency exit.
Caught off guard, Nicole stumbled backward when Jarrod shoved her.
Her heel got stuck in the emergency exit door, causing her to fall hard onto the concrete.
The sound of her falling was a muffled thud, making it clear she’d taken a heavy fall.
Just as Nicole was gearing up to unleash a string of curses, a soft feminine voice wafted in from the outside.
“Jarrod, what brings you here?”
It was unmistakably Jamie’s voice.
Switching his attention from the door to Jamie, Jarrod answered softly, “I’m visiting a friend. What’s got you in the hospital?”
Jamie caught a faint whiff of shower gel, and for a fleeting moment, her eyes flashed with barely noticeable malice.
“I’m a bit lightheaded, so I came to get checked out.”
Jamie leaned against Jarrod’s chest. Jarrod gave her a quick look and asked, “Feeling worn out?”
Without waiting for her response, he scooped her up into his arms.
“Hey, there are so many people coming and going here…”
Jarrod’s eyes settled on the now-shut emergency exit door, and a dark feeling began to stir within him.
“What’s there to be scared of? I’m just holding my girl. Who’s going to object?”
Blushing, Jamie wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You have no shame, do you?”
With a grin, Jarrod patted her rear.
“I’ve seen you unfazed in far more brazen scenarios.”
Their conversation dwindled as they walked away, Leaving Nicole alone, curled up behind the exit passage.
The back of her head and her elbow bore the brunt of her fall, both now pulsating with pain, making standing up a real struggle.
Only a few days had elapsed in their supposed three-year arrangement, and Nicole had already found it hard to endure.
Though Jarrod had vowed not to marry within their agreement, she still couldn’t hold her head high.
She knew that, especially in front of Jamie, she could be cast aside at any moment.
Suddenly, the exit door swung open. Nicole thought it was Jarrod and blurted out, “Aren’t you supposed to be with her?”
It fell quiet on the other end. Lifting her gaze, she found not Jarrod, but a young doctor in a white coat, holding a cigarette and regarding her with a perplexed look.
Nicole hastily apologized.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” The doctor glanced at his cigarette and then back at her, putting it out without a word.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Nicole knew she couldn’t remain seated.
Leaning on the rail, she mustered the strength to stand and limped toward the door to leave.
Just a few paces away, she tripped. The young doctor steadied her, releasing her hand once she was balanced.
Noticing her scrapes and cuts, likely from her fall, he offered, “Would you like me to fetch a wheelchair for you?”
Nicole waved her hand dismissively, remarking, “I can manage on my own, but thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
A stone’s throw away, Jarrod stood against a wall, eyeing the duo before him, his face a mask of disdain.
How audacious! She’s flirting with another man not long after he left.
A gentle arm looped through his, as Jamie cooed, “We can leave now, Jarrod.”
Breaking his stare, Jarrod turned around and exited the scene with Jamie.
Audrey found herself trapped in an endless dream.
In this dream, a small silhouette stood with its back to her amid a seemingly endless snowfield.
As if by some psychic connection, Audrey knew it was her child.
Though she strained to close the gap, her feet felt as though they were cemented to the ground.
She attempted to call out, but her vocal cords were as if sealed shut.
A wave of absolute despair washed over her as she collapsed to her knees, inching her way toward the child.
But the farther she reached, the more distant the child became.
Frozen in her spot, she beseechingly implored the child to stay.
The young figure paused in the limitless white, and through the infinity of snow, Audrey heard a youthful voice murmur, “Mom… Mom…”
Desperate to reply, Audrey found she still couldn’t utter a word. Her plea was only a silent scream.
“Please… don’t go…”
She observed the small form recede further into the distance until it was swallowed by the snowy abyss.
Then the chilling clink of surgical instruments broke through, accompanied by distant conversations.
“We can’t save the child. We need to perform a hysterectomy, then deal with the other injuries…”
Frantically, she shook her head, her silent pleas echoing, “No…
Don’t take my baby away…”
But her voice fell on deaf ears. She felt the icy grip of forceps removing the child from her womb.
Her heart was as if cleaved open by a dull blade, as she was overcome by frigid tears.
The blanket of snow faded, replaced by a shroud of darkness consuming her awareness.