Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
When Nicole reached the deck, she saw how grand Jamie’s birthday party was.
The entire yacht was adorned with exquisite flowers. Sparkling crystal lanterns hung everywhere. The floor was covered with expensive Persian carpets. In front of the captain’s room, a five- star chef was preparing an unlimited buffet of meticulously prepared and mouthwatering dishes that made Nicole’s stomach ache even more.
A waiter approached Nicole and guided her through the crowd. She soon found Jamie, who was surrounded by many celebrities. Beside Jamie stood Jarrod, who looked dashingly handsome in his tailored suit.
Jamie, in her cherry red dress and luxurious jewelry from head to toe, exuded the air of an heiress.
But, of course, everyone knew that the Powell family had long since fallen from grace. Jamie had a reckless older brother who single- handedly bankrupted their company, leaving them with debts worth hundreds of millions.
If it weren’t for Jarrod, the Powell family would no longer have a place in Ardlens.
Jarrod had lavishly spent money just for Jamie to maintain her status as a famous socialite.
While chatting with her friends around her, Jamie leaned against Jarrod’s chest.
Nicole had been waiting there for almost half an hour, but Jamie didn’t even spare a glance at her. She had witnessed how Jarrod doted on Jamie. He was so thoughtful that he stopped Jamie from drinking, took off his coat, and wrapped it around Jamie’s shoulders.
He also showered Jamie with affectionate smiles.
While watching Jarrod smile charmingly, Nicole was stunned for a moment .
She could no longer remember the last time she saw Jarrod smile like this.
Jarrod had a dimple at the corner of his mouth. When he smiled, his intimidating aura softened. It seemed he had transformed into a sunny and dashing young man.
However, he rarely smiled. It could be said that he hardly ever did, except when he was with Jamie.
After all, the business world was like a battlefield. And a company needed a decisive and ruthless leader, not a gentleman. Jarrod knew how to avoid showing his vulnerability very well.
He would only put away his arrogance when Jamie was around. He became the thoughtful Jarrod that Nicole remembered.
Suddenly, the pungent smell of alcohol filled the air.
Then, there was a loud splash.
Before Nicole could react, red wine splattered onto her white coat.
After this, a voice with a strong smell of alcohol sounded.
“Qops!
I’m sorry, sweetie. My bad! My hand is slippery. I didn’t mean to spill wine all over you.”
Nicole looked up and saw Howe Powell, Jamie’s elder brother.
She remembered him because she saw him in a video she had watched before.
Before Nicole could say anything, Howe remarked, “Let me dry those wine for you.”
As he spoke, he extended his hands to Nicole.
But he splashed his wine on Nicole’s chest. His lewd expression made it look like he wanted to take advantage of the situation to touch her.
Nicole stepped back coolly and said politely, “It’s okay.”
She had heard about Howe before. He was infamous in Ardlens for being a womanizer. Moreover, his sexual preferences were particularly abnormal. Rumors had it that he had played with some women to death in bed. The Powell family had spent a significant amount of money to settle the matter.
Nicole once suspected that Jarrod might have learned some tactics from Howe.
But when she accidentally saw Howe’s video that circulated through the Internet, she realized Howe’s tactics were much worse than Jarrod’s.
At most, when Jarrod was excited, he enjoyed seeing others beg for mercy.
Howe, on the other hand, liked harming women. He used all sorts of twisted objects to stab them.
Seeing Howe’s face now made Nicole feel so disgusted that she wanted to vomit. But she knew she couldn’t offend him, so she just took two steps back and lowered her gaze, trying not to provoke him.
However, Howe was not done yet. The reason he came to Jamie’s birthday party was to find a woman he could have a good time with.
How could he let go of a beauty like Nicole?
Just looking at Nicole’s amazing figure made his mouth water.
Besides, Nicole was not a fake socialite. She was a true heiress of a wealthy family. Her entire being exuded nobility and elegance.
So, Howe was very determined to sleep with her.
He stepped forward, grabbed Nicole’s hand, and stuffed several banknotes in her chest forcefully. Then, he said in a vulgar and despicable manner, “Beauty, that won’t do. I ruined your coat, so I must compensate for it. Come with me downstairs, and I will give you something better.”
When he said downstairs, he meant the luxurious lounge below the yacht, which was as opulent as a hotel suite.
Howe’s grip on her hand made Nicole feel like a venomous snake was crawling across her back. She couldn’t help trembling.
She immediately struggled to break free.
But since Howe was fueled by alcohol, he felt empowered. He ignored Nicole’s resistance and forcefully dragged her down.
Howe thought that since Jarrod would be his future brother-in-law, the yacht Jarrod owned was also his. And he knew that even if he slept with Nicole, Jarrod wouldn’t stop him. Jarrod would even clean up his mess.
Nicole was caught off guard. She could only hold onto a pillar and call for help. However, Howe quickly covered her mouth to make sure no one would hear her.
But Nicole was determined not to become one of Howe’s helpless victims. She reached out and scratched his face. His face immediately bled.
Howe was in so much pain that he suddenly raised his hand.
A crisp slap sound echoed.
Howe slapped Nicole hard on the face.
“You bitch! Who do you think you are to hurt me? You must be courting death.”
Then, he grabbed Nicole’s hair and slammed her head against the railing of the yacht forcefully, trying to knock her unconscious.
Nicole felt like her head buzzed. Then, a burst of white light burst out from her head.
Nicole had not eaten anything the entire day, and she already felt very weak. So, when she was slapped hard by Howe, she felt her soul had left her body.
She closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a wine bottle underneath her.
She thought of smashing it on Howe’s head.
But before Nicole could make a move, Howe noticed the bottle. He leaned over, picked it up, and raised it, smiling sinisterly.
“Do you want me to use this to serve you better?”
Howe’s words echoed in the air. His eagerness to overpower Nicole and strip off her clothes was evident.
Nicole felt his hot breath on her face, causing her stomach to churn violently. She fought the urge to vomit.
Her piercing scream finally caught the attention of bystanders, including Jamie and Jarrod.
Jarrod’s expression darkened instantly when he realized Howe was about to assault Nicole.
Noticing Jarrod’s troubled look, Jamie quickly grabbed his arm and turned to face Howe.
“Howe, why here of all places?”
Without waiting for his response, Jamie looked at the security guard and commanded, “Help my brother up, will you? Just keep it cool.
What kind of woman is she even? How dare she behave so shamelessly here!”
Jamie’s accusatory words swiftly shifted public opinion against Nicole.
Whispers spread among the onlookers. Despite Howe’s notorious reputation, the crowd still condemned Nicole.
It was not until Howe was forcibly removed from the scene and saw the crowd around him that he regained sobriety.
At this moment, he adjusted his belt and echoed Jamie’s sentiment.
“Sorry, I got a bit carried away.”
His words insinuated a mutual consent that was not there.
Meanwhile, Jarrod’s dark eyes reddened upon seeing Nicole’s disheveled clothes and the bucks near her chest.
“Clear out the crowd first,” Jarrod commanded the security in a low and firm voice.
The guards quickly redirected the bystanders to a nearby stage where a couple of C-list celebrities were performing. The crowd gathered there, drawn by the entertainment.
Once the area was emptied, Jarrod confronted Nicole, who was half-naked.