Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
The pots shattered noisily on the floor.
A sharp pain shot through Nicole’s chest and back, overwhelming her.
Poof! Blood spurted from Nicole’s mouth, splattering the floor crimson.
Jarrod, holding Jamie in his arms, looked down at Nicole. Her dark eyes, once lively, now harbored a lethal darkness.
“Nicole, you will pay for this,” he declared, his voice icy.
With broken ribs, Nicole gasped in pain.
As she coughed up blood, she faced Jarrod, her voice trembling, “Jarrod, I wasn’t the one who stabbed her…”.
But Jarrod, who was carrying Jamie, didn’t wait to hear more. He headed for the door.
Alec hurried toward him, asking, “Mr. Schultz, what should we do about Miss Lawrence?”
Jarrod paused briefly before answering coldly, “Take her to the police station.”
He had no time for Nicole now. The police would keep her safe, at least.
Nicole, gripped by pain, watched helplessly as Jarrod walked away until Alec tugged at her.
Audrey’s anxiety increased as he was unable to reach Nicole.
Audrey often visited the hospital to care for Nicole’s parents during her time off. However, they were unaware of Nicole’s whereabouts.
Seeing the aged and lined faces of her parents, Audrey could not reveal Nicole’s disappearance. It would only add to their burden.
He reassured them that Nicole was busy and asked them to take care of themselves.
Forty-eight hours later, Audrey went to the police station to report Nicole missing. There she learned of Nicole’s arrest.
Anxious to get more information to bail Nicole out, Audrey asked but, not being a relative, received none.
Audrey opted not to tell Nicole’s parents, fearing for her vulnerability to fit the blow.
Her thoughts instinctively turned to Cornell, thinking he was her only hope for discovering the truth.
However, their relationship had ended bitterly and they had not seen each other since.
Audrey had only known Cornell through television reports of the growing bond between the Clement and Glyn families, hinting at a possible connection through marriage.
This news had sent the Clement Group’s stock soaring.
During some shopping at the mall, Audrey ran into Luciana, who was there with Katie. They shared a warmth that resembled a true mother-daughter bond.
Seeing them together, Audrey realized that Luciana had been somewhat restrained when she was with her.
This made Audrey realize that Luciana had previously held back her affection, perhaps due to their different statuses.
Seeing Audrey’s uncomfortable expression, Luciana gave a brief nod of her head and quickly left with Katie, preferring Audrey’s limited interaction with Katie.
The saleswoman, smiling brightly, commented, “That lady was incredibly generous! She bought a billion dollars worth of national style wedding gifts, designed by a reputable designer. She mentioned it’s for her future daughter-in-law.”
It looked like Katie might soon be marrying into the Clement family, which explained Luciana’s uneasy look when she saw her.
Alone in the mall, Audrey touched her flat belly, signaling the timing of her pregnancy.
However, she was determined to raise her baby alone, inspired by the students who combined studies with parenthood.
Determined, she decided not to see Cornell again.
However, faced with Nicole’s uncertain situation, Audrey felt she had no choice but to approach Cornell.
Hesitantly, he dialed Matteo’s number.
Matteo promptly answered, his tone polite as always, “Miss Warburton.”
“Matteo, I’m sorry to bother you, is Cornell available today?”
Matteo, looking at Cornell busy with a video conference, replied, “He’s pretty tied up. I can relay the message to him if you like.”
Audrey paused, realizing the difficulty of explaining without speaking directly.
Finally he said, “It’s nothing. Sorry to bother you, Matteo.”
As he was about to end the call, Matteo added, “Mr. Clement has been staying late at the company for work these days.”
Surprised, Audrey responded with a brief, “Okay.”
After the call, Audrey thought about messaging Cornell on WhatsApp to have a direct conversation.
Upon opening his WhatsApp profile, she noticed that his Moments were empty.
Although he had never posted anything, his Moments were visible to her before. Now, he was completely inactive.
That suggested that he had blocked her.
It seemed he didn’t want to have any contact with her.
Audrey remembered his last words, “From now on, you and I have nothing to do. I don’t want to see you again.” His determination was etched on his face.
A sharp pain hit his chest, his eyes filled with tears.
He had thought about explaining everything to her, but what could he say now?
Henley had been faking, but she was not innocent.
She had followed Luciana’s advice, keeping her distance from Cornell.
Taking a deep breath and looking up at the cloudy sky, Audrey held back tears.
Finally, he decided to ask Hector for help, hoping he had some useful connection.
Hector’s investigation revealed Jarrod’s involvement in the case and, therefore, required Cornell’s help. Cornell, however, refused, citing a busy schedule.
Hector told Audrey, sharing the shocking reason for Nicole’s arrest.
Audrey was stunned. The thought of Nicole’s attempted murder was unthinkable.
His concern grew, especially considering Nicole’s pregnancy and the challenges of the arrest.
Audrey attempted to confront Jarrod at his company for answers, but he was absent.
After several unsuccessful attempts, she tried calling Cornell again, only to be met with a busy tone, suggesting she was blocked.
With no other option, Audrey contacted Matteo. This time, Matteo’s tone was less polite and he quickly ended the call, stating that Cornell was overwhelmed.
Audrey’s sense of urgency intensified. Despite knowing Cornell’s busy schedule, she plucked up the courage and made another call.
Desperate, Audrey kept calling, but Matteo’s response remained the same: Cornell was overwhelmed.
This pattern continued well into the night. Each response reiterated his concern.
Eventually, even the na?ve Audrey realized that Cornell was avoiding her and using his busyness as an excuse.
Despite realizing Cornell’s aversion to meeting her, Audrey had no choice but to press Matteo: “Don’t you ever take a break at night?
I just need a moment.”
Matteo, probably frustrated, revealed to him that Cornell was at the Kingbel Club.
Audrey hurried there and called Matteo, who, sounding embarrassed, informed him, “Mr. Clement doesn’t want to see anyone.”
His words were unequivocal. Cornell had made it clear that he did not wish to see her.
With hopes fading, Audrey insisted, “When will it be over? I’ll wait outside.”
Matteo, noting that Cornell was still drinking, replied uncertainly, “I don’t know when it will end. You’d better not wait.”
In reality, Matteo knew well that Cornell was furious.
Cornell had stayed late at the company the night before, until three in the morning. Matteo sensed that he was waiting for Audrey, prompted by Audrey’s likely visit.
However, a call from Hector changed everything, leaving Cornell furious and frustrated.
Matteo suspected that Audrey had asked Hector for help but had not addressed Cornell directly.
In Matteo’s opinion, Cornell was acting out of jealousy.