Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
And why are they scattered?” Nicole curiously asked.
Audrey’s face turned red in embarrassment, and she curtly explained, “They’re from Henley. I accidentally knocked them over.”
When Audrey entered the living room, she noticed several takeout boxes on the table, all neatly arranged.
She assumed Nicole had ordered them. So, she cleaned up the scattered petals and set up the table for their meal.
When eating, Audrey wanted to say something but did not know where to start.
At last, after a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Nicole, how have you been lately?”
“I… I’m fine,” Nicole replied as nonchalantly as she could.
She did not want to burden Audrey with her troubles and would rather endure them alone.
Since Nicole didn’t want to talk about it, Audrey did not press and simply held her hand.
“If you ever need someone by your side, I’m only one call away. I want you to share your troubles, not just your joys. I’ll always be there for you.”
Moved, Nicole felt an urge to cry.
“I know you care about me. But trust me, I won’t be easily defeated.”
“I have faith in you.”
Nicole placed a piece of meat on Audrey’s plate and remarked, “Audrey, it seems you earn a lot. You even ordered a takeout from Moon Restaurant. I got to say they’re delicious.”
Audrey blinked in surprise.
“What?”
Nicole looked equally puzzled.
“Aren’t these dishes worth over ten thousand? We don’t need to be so extravagant. Your cooking is just as good, if not better.”
Upon hearing this, Audrey was baffled.
If Nicole was not the one who had ordered the takeout, then it must have been Cornell.
Was this his way of saying goodbye?
Did this mean he would keep his promise and leave her alone?
The following week passed peacefully for Audrey.
Bryce attended his four weekly classes without incident. Though uninterested, he refrained from acting out.
However, Audrey had a feeling that he had yet to do something bad.
For some reason, she felt he was waiting to strike a decisive blow on Friday.
On Thursday, Audrey was available, and Nicole asked her out to go shopping.
While the two of them enjoyed ice cream at a dessert shop, Nicole, whose attention was on her phone, suddenly gasped and exclaimed, “Damn it! That bastard Cornell is about to step into a marriage of convenience?”
Marriage of convenience? Cornell?
Audrey choked on her ice cream and coughed uncontrollably.
Nicole soothed Audrey’s back and remarked, “That bastard Cornell, he’s barely divorced, and he’s already with the Benton family’s eldest daughter every day! Good thing you left him. With Cecilia gone and Eloise in the picture, he’s not short of options.”
Audrey had calmed down, but her sadness surfaced upon hearing the news.
In just a week, Cornell had announced his marriage. Well, what mattered was that he was upholding his promise of not intruding on her life anymore.
Noticing Audrey’s somber demeanor and ashen face, Nicole worriedly asked, “Audrey, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I just choked on the ice cream,” Audrey assured her. In an instant, her expression returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
But Nicole wasn’t convinced. She clung to Audrey’s arm and suggested, “Let’s go shopping for some nice clothes and have a good time.”
As they engaged in conversation, they entered a boutique.
Nicole instantly picked out a dark green cashmere overcoat and a white dress from the display. She handed them to Audrey and urged, “Try these on.”
Just by looking at the fabric, Audrey could tell they were expensive.
Considering her debts and upcoming study abroad expenses, it was impractical to indulge herself.
Despite this, Nicole pressed her to try them on.
“No one else can carry off this color Like you can.”
Although reluctant, Audrey eventually agreed to try the clothes on.
Once dressed, both the shopping assistant and Nicole looked at Audrey with eyes wide in awe.
Nicole leaned in and whispered, “See, you’re the only one who can make this dress and coat look so elegant. You’ve got the aura of a socialite.”
Audrey’s natural poise shone through, making her seem Like she hailed from more than an ordinary background.
And with expensive clothes, she looked even more graceful.
The shopping assistant also complimented Audrey, “Miss, this outfit looks perfect on you. You look radiant in these clothes. The dark green looks even better on you than on our magazine models.”
Audrey admitted she was dazzled by the clothes. Like any girl, she wanted to Look good. But the price tag brought her back to reality.
She could not afford such Luxury at the moment.
With a heavy sigh, she shook her head and mumbled, “I’ll change back.”
Nicole offered to pay, but Audrey declined, thinking that wearing fine clothes would not change anything in her life.
True betterment would come from her own hard work and efforts.
Just as Audrey was about to change back into her clothes, a familiar name echoed from the door.
“Cornell, let’s check out this one.”
Both Audrey and Nicole looked over simultaneously and saw a girl in something glitzy clinging to Cornell’s arm. They were walking in the store they were in.
Seeing this, Nicole was even more reluctant to let Audrey change back.
In her eyes, Audrey’s outfit outshone the girl’s.
Nicole grasped Audrey’s arm and loudly said, “”Audrey, if you go out in this outfit, you’ll have men lining up to befriend you on WhatsApp.”
Cornell, who had not noticed them earlier, turned his gaze upon hearing Nicole’s comment.
Cornell, clad in a finely tailored suit and black overcoat, exuded inherent dignity.
The girl by his side clung to his arm. Their closeness suggested they were a couple.
When Cornell’s gaze met Audrey’s, his eyes held no emotion. After a brief moment, he shifted his attention to Eloise and suggested, “Shall we pick out some clothes?”
Eloise noticed Audrey and felt a twinge of discomfort when she recalled their past encounters. But at the same time, she was buoyed by Cornell’s gentle and pampering tone.
As she walked into the shop and looked around, nothing particularly caught her eye. However, she found herself fixated on the outfit Audrey was wearing.
“Do you have that dress?” she asked the saleswoman.
“The clothes here are all custom-made, and there’s only one of each,” the saleswoman replied with a polite smile.
Eloise’s lips curled in displeasure. She usually preferred bright colors, but the dark green dress, which was not particularly eye- catching, looked so striking on Audrey.
Moreover, out of the corner of her eye, she caught Cornell staring at Audrey and felt indignant.
Well, she had no interest in an attire someone else had worn. With that, she gripped Cornell’s arm and turned to leave.
The saleswoman was sophisticated, though. She glanced at Eloise, turned to Audrey, and rolled her eyes.
As she observed the scene, she discerned Eloise’s affluent background from her high-end, custom attire.
Beside Eloise, Cornell exuded a noble air. With a decade of experience in retail, the saleswoman could tell he was rich and influential.
On the contrary, Audrey had expressed she would not buy the outfit.
It was probably because she could not afford it.
Given the overcoat’s price tag of over 100 grand, it was a reasonable assumption that not everyone could afford such luxury.