Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Dressed in a black cashmere coat and bright red tie, he gave off a mixture of youth and commanding presence.
The angular sunlight enveloped him, lending a radiant glow to his figure, as if he were an ethereal being stepping into the earthly world.
Audrey, momentarily spellbound, was transported to a wintry day ten years earlier.
On that occasion, she had been the victim of a cruel joke, drenched in freezing water, shivering in the midst of a jeering crowd.
Then, a towering figure appeared before her, his voice as crisp as the winter air, “Hey, you must learn to stand up to bullies.”
It was like a ray of light in her darkest hour, its presence struck deep into Audrey’s soul.
Absorbed in her memories, Audrey didn’t notice his approach until he gently took her hand and said, “Come on.”
His touch brought warmth to her and, slightly dazed, she followed him to the car, not knowing where they were going.
The car stopped.
Before Audrey loomed the imposing City Hall building.
City Hall? Audrey’s eyes widened in astonishment and he turned to Cornell.
“Why are we here?”
“To fulfill your promise.”
Audrey’s mind was spinning. The only thing they could do here was get married again.
It was incomprehensible to her that Cornell would want to remarry her.
She thought he despised her. But here they were, at the place where marriages were registered.
“Cornell, I can’t!”
After saying it, she turned to leave, only to find her wrist firmly grasped by him.
Audrey struggled in vain, his hand trembling with resolute resistance.
Cornell, sensing her protest, his refined features suddenly clouded with a cold, stern expression.
“Do you intend to break our agreement? Do you want Nicole back in the detention center?” asked Cornell, his voice grave and devoid of humor.
Audrey froze abruptly. He could not allow Nicole to suffer that terrible fate again.
In a trembling voice, he pleaded, “Cornell, you never mentioned it before. I’m sorry. I can’t accept it.”
Their failed relationship had left wounds far deeper than the visible scars. It cast a shadow over his soul, and even Luciana was no longer by his side.
The thought of marriage, scorned by her parents, suffocated her.
“Cornell, I’m willing to do everything I can to keep my promise, but marriage is a line I can’t cross,” Audrey said, her voice trembling.
With each word he uttered, Cornell’s features grew more frigid, his anger reaching its peak.
“Anything else?” He gripped her coat tighter, his voice boiling with rage.
“Can we do it right here, right now, huh?
Audrey clutched at her hand, pleading, “No!”
Sensing her trembling, Cornell loosened his grip and his expression returned to its usual calm, as if he wasn’t the one consumed with rage.
His lips barely moved as he coldly proposed, “Three months.”
Audrey looked at him, confused.
“What do you mean?”
“I need three months of marriage. After that, you can choose to end it.”
Audrey was puzzled by Cornell’s suggestion of a temporary marriage.
She wondered why Cornell had chosen her, when so many others would have jumped at the chance to be by his side, if only for a day.
Cornell looked at Audrey with serene intensity and explained, “My grandfather’s health is getting worse. The doctors say he has less than two months left.”
Audrey felt as if his world had just shattered.
The Clement family was not known for their warmth, except for the love she received from Cornell’s grandfather. This news was a devastating blow.
Overwhelmed with grief, Audrey stammered, “I can go on pretending to be your wife…”.
Cornell’s rejection was immediate and firm, his gaze on her cold and distant, “I don’t want that.”
Audrey was taken aback by his stoic response.
“I can’t lie to you now.”
His reasoning sounded valid, but Audrey couldn’t shake the feeling that he was falling into her trap.
“But…,” Audrey began, hesitantly.
Cornell interrupted her, his expression growing increasingly stern: “This new marriage is only for my grandfather’s sake, of course…”.
After a brief pause, he added indifferently, “They’re not forcing you.
Your choices are to remarry me or sleep with me here.”
Audrey felt her cheeks burn, caught between two undesirable options.
But thinking of her grandfather made her accept the first option for three months.
She took the floor, a hint of determination in her voice, “Let’s keep this a secret. I don’t want Luciana to find out about our new marriage. And after three months, you will divorce me, won’t you?”.
Cornell’s nod was cold and distant.
Audrey felt a slight relief and continued, “Then let’s sign both the prenuptial and divorce papers now. We’ll save ourselves the trouble three months from now.”
Audrey handled the situation with a businesslike approach, treating it as a mere transaction. His attitude seemed to stir something in Cornell.
He noticed a hint of displeasure in his expression and his eyes took on a colder tone.
Nevertheless, she went ahead and headed for a nearby photocopier to print out the divorce agreement, insisting that Cornell sign it after her.
Cornell held the pen tightly, almost tearing the thin paper of the agreement.
He hesitated a moment before signing with a quick motion.
His face remained expressionless and distant throughout.
For some reason, Audrey felt a pang in his heart as he watched him sign with such ease. It was a subtle, growing pain, as if she were being pricked by invisible needles.
For a woman, marriage was often seen as a new beginning, which made these kinds of decisions especially difficult.
But Cornell could divorce and remarry her without hesitation, and her indifference seemed to be due to a lack of love.
Their reconnection was tied to a mere agreement, which left Audrey cringing.
Cornell’s mood darkened and he lowered his voice as he said, “Let’s go inside.”
Frustrated, Audrey replied, “I only have my ID card. I don’t have my birth certificate.”
She had already tried to locate her birth certificate to no avail.
Cornell calmly replied, “I have it. I have brought all the necessary documents.”
Surprised, Audrey asked, “How do you have my birth certificate?”
Cornell replied evenly, “You left it behind when we divorced.”
“Why didn’t you give it back to me then?”.
“I forgot,” Cornell said indifferently.
Together they entered the building and quickly completed the paperwork.
They each held in their hands the certificate symbolizing their new marriage.
Audrey was filled with self-doubt, feeling deep down that this hasty decision was a mistake.
In retrospect, Audrey would see this decision as a grave mistake. She often wished she could turn back time to prevent her younger self from making such a naive mistake.