Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Audrey was unaware that Cornell had spent the entire night there. She assumed he had come to bother her again, which slightly irritated her.
The clear distaste on her face deeply saddened Cornell. “I need to talk to you, Audrey.” His voice sounded rough from smoking.
Cornell seemed somewhat different from his assertive demeanor the previous day.
Furrowing her brow, Audrey stepped back. “Mr. Clement, I’m sorry. I have to get to the office now.”
Even knowing it was Audrey’s instinct to reject him, Cornell felt his heart was stabbed again. And it was incredibly painful.
“Alright. Just one question, though. Is there something between you and that guy? Are you…”
“Absolutely not,” Audrey replied firmly. She had been so upset yesterday that she let Cornell misinterpret her relationship with Stefan. Now, clearer-headed, Audrey didn’t want to cause Stefan any trouble.
Besides, Audrey had made herself clear. Even if she wasn’t seeing anyone, Cornell wasn’t her choice.
Having said that, Audrey didn’t linger with Cornell. She turned and headed for her car.
Watching her leave, Cornell inhaled deeply and struggled to say, “Audrey, I agree to the divorce.”
Cornell’s words instantly grabbed Audrey’s attention. She turned to him with surprise and asked, “Are you being serious?” Her eyes practically radiated joy.
Cornell nodded, a touch of bitterness creeping into his gaze.
Audrey hadn’t anticipated such good news so early in the morning. She exclaimed happily, “Hold on a moment.” Realizing she had forgotten her ID card, she retraced her steps to retrieve it.
Upon returning, her brisk stride and cheerful demeanor showed her sense of relief.
Cornell watched this scene with a pang in his heart.
Lately, he had been experiencing intermittent heartaches, which seemed beyond his control. He couldn’t help but wonder if something was wrong with his heart, although his recent medical examination had declared him in good health.
As Audrey reappeared with her ID card, Cornell’s expression darkened.
He loosened his tie, trying to alleviate a sudden breathlessness, and his tone took on a somber note. “As for the divorce, I have two conditions,” Cornell stated.
Audrey’s smile faltered momentarily, and she responded angrily, “You’re kidding me, right?”
Cornell maintained a stoic expression and replied, “As long as you agree to my conditions, I will keep my word and proceed to the court with you immediately.”
Impatiently, Audrey inquired, “What are your conditions then?”
Cornell continued, “First, don’t cut off contact with me after the divorce. Second, promise me that you won’t remarry within the next six months.”
“That’s all?” Audrey was slightly taken aback.
She had expected Cornell to make things more complicated, but these conditions seemed surprisingly straightforward. In truth, she had no intentions of marrying again, even without Cornell’s request.
If she were to find a stepfather for Janey, it would be a careful and considered choice. Marrying someone new was not a decision she took lightly.
Furthermore, there was little reason for her to actively avoid Cornell since their encounters were infrequent.
Additionally, she didn’t hold any deep resentment toward him. If they happened to cross paths in the future, she figured she would greet him out of courtesy.
Cornell pursed his lips and confirmed. “Yes, those are my conditions.”
Audrey considered his conditions reasonable. As she was about to agree, Cornell added another request, “However, it doesn’t mean I’m giving up on you. You mentioned fairness, right? I’ll grant you freedom, but I’ll also do my best to rekindle your feelings for me.
On your part, you should let go of any biases and treat me like any other suitor. Can you agree to that?”
In reality, Cornell was taking a gamble. After a night of reflection, he had decided to offer Audrey the fairness she desired. Believing that their past love could be rekindled, he was putting everything on the line to win her back.
Even if he ultimately lost her, perhaps, he would wish for Audrey to find happiness in her life. But whether he could bear to see Audrey with another man raised suspicion.
Audrey sensed there was more to Cornell’s conditions than met the eye.
She hesitated, unsure if she should agree.
Cornell couldn’t resist needling her further, saying, “You don’t have faith in yourself? Are you worried you might just end up falling for me all over again?”
Unsurprisingly, his words irked Audrey. “You’re quite the narcissist!
Who in their right mind would fall for you, huh? If you want to pursue me, just go ahead. Frankly, I have no romantic feelings left for you”.
Audrey’s words strangely triggered a twinge in her heart, as if they had awakened a forgotten memory, though she remembered nothing from the past.
“Very well, let’s proceed.”
When Audrey and Cornell arrived at the courthouse, the place was relatively quiet.
Cornell held the pen in his hand for a moment, pausing before finally putting his signature on the divorce papers.
“I’m willing to give you eight percent of the shares in the Clement Group and the Serenity Villas. They’ll be transferred to your name soon,” Cornell offered, surprising Audrey with his generosity.
She shook her head firmly and declined, “No, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want the shares or the house.”
Despite the Foster family not being as wealthy as the Clement family, Audrey had managed to lead a comfortable life.
“Just sign the divorce papers. Besides that, I want nothing from you,” she urged, making it clear she wished to sever all ties with Cornell after the divorce.
Cornell frowned slightly, sensing Audrey’s eagerness to move on from him, even if she didn’t explicitly state it.
“You can decline the shares in the Clement Group, but you must accept the villa. It used to be your home. I’ll arrange for its transfer under your name,” Cornell insisted.
Concerned that he might change his mind on the divorce, Audrey reluctantly nodded and said, “Alright, fine.”
She was willing to agree to almost anything as long as they could finalize the divorce quickly.
The divorce procedure proceeded swiftly. At the moment of signing the papers, a sudden, vivid memory flashed through Audrey’s mind.
The familiarity of the scene caused her to experience a sharp headache, but it quickly subsided.
Meanwhile, Cornell clutched the divorce papers tightly in his hand, feeling as if a part of him was being torn apart, his heart aching.
At the entrance, Cornell offered, “Would you like a ride home?”
Audrey, in a celebratory mood, waved her hand and replied, “No, thanks. Erick is on his way to pick me up.”
She couldn’t wait to share the good news with Erick.
Just then, a sleek blue luxury car pulled up in front of them.
The window was partially rolled down, and Erick gestured for Audrey to join him in the car.
Before getting into the vehicle, Audrey turned back with a bright smile and quipped, “Happy divorce, Mr. Clement!”
At that moment, it felt like time had rolled back several years.
Cornell once gave a heartfelt smile and spoke similar words to Audrey about their remarriage.
Remembering the past, Cornell felt as though a blunt weapon had pierced his chest, causing him indescribable pain.
As Audrey got into the car, Cornell overheard Erick’s voice clearly.
“Congratulations, Audrey. You’re a single woman now.”
Erick started the car and deliberately slowed down as they passed by Cornell. He leaned on the window and flashed a triumphant smile at Cornell, who wore a gloomy expression.
Compared to what Audrey had endured, God had been relatively merciful toward Cornell.
In the evening.
Audrey decided to invite Elin to the bar for a celebratory evening, marking both her newly acquired single status and welcoming Nell back.
In the booth. As the three of them gathered, Audrey bubbled with excitement about her newfound freedom, while Elin appeared as composed as ever, and SU exuded confidence and allure.
Audrey playfully slapped the divorce papers on the table and grinned, “Have you ever seen anything like this in your life?”
Nell and Elin were already privy to the whole story, but they hadn’t anticipated such a smooth divorce.
Nell remarked, “I never expected Mr. Clement to suddenly become so agreeable.”
Audrey and Nell had crossed paths at a party four years ago. When Audrey was being harassed by someone. Nell had come to her rescue.
Nell had mentioned that she and Audrey used to be close friends, even though Audrey couldn’t recall their past connection. Their friendship had rekindled due to an unspoken understanding between them.
Audrey knew Nell hailed from Ardlens and had connections with the upper class, so it wasn’t surprising that Nell knew about Cornell.
“Thank goodness he got the wrong idea about Stefan and me dating. I delivered a well-placed blow and played my cards right. That’s how he ended up compromising,” Audrey happily shared.
Audrey had initially anticipated it would take days to convince Cornell, but she was pleasantly surprised by his straightforward approach.