Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
As she spoke, she discreetly positioned herself beside Cornell, revealing only half her body and face. She appeared affectionate and reliant on Cornell.
As a woman, Audrey had a feeling that something was going on between them. She guessed that Katie must like Cornell.
In an instant, the slight fondness Audrey had developed for Cornell because of his agreeing to the divorce evaporated. She sneered and cursed him in her heart for being heartless. There did not seem to be a time when he wasn’t surrounded by women.
“I’m sorry, you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” Audrey coldly said.
Katie wanted to say something, but the elevator arrived at the designated floor.
With that, Audrey walked out without even looking in Cornell’s direction. In her wake, she left behind an uncomfortable Katie and a somber, cold-faced Cornell.
Before Audrey reached the corner, her phone rang. She answered the call with a sweet voice, “Stefan…” Her demeanor resembled that of a woman in love answering a call from her boyfriend.
Cornell’s expression grew frosty. During the divorce, Audrey had promised not to avoid him. Well, technically speaking, she didn’t break her word. But although she didn’t avoid him, she acted as if she didn’t know him. It seemed as though she was determined to prove that he was a stranger to her.
Observing Cornell’s expression, Katie sensed his anger and could discern its source. She glanced at the closing elevator doors, and her gaze darkened. She had learned about Audrey’s return from Cornell, but that was all he said. He didn’t go into any further details.
At this moment, Katie turned her head toward Cornell and asked, “Did you two have a fight?”
Cornell’s mind remained fixed on Audrey’s dress, which swayed and accentuated her curves, giving off innocence and allure.
In a somber tone, Cornell explained, “No, she has an amnesia.”
“Amnesia?” Katie repeated, taken aback. It finally dawned on her why Audrey had acted like she didn’t recognize them earlier.
“I never saw that coming,” Katie murmured to herself.
In all honesty, when Katie first learned that Audrey was alive, she was somewhat thrown off balance.
Katie had selflessly supported Cornell, even going as far as seeking her father’s help during his most trying times. She had even taken a significant risk, particularly by leveraging her family’s influence.
The results were evident, and she felt content about it.
Truth be told, with Cornell’s abilities, he could have made a comeback without her family’s support if he had wanted to. The help from the Glyn family had merely been the cherry on top.
However, the media had blown the said family’s involvement out of proportion. They all claimed that the Glyns were Cornell’s saviors.
Consequently, the Glyn family gained support and wielded significant decision-making authority in many of the Clement Group projects.
Katie’s decision elevated the entire Glyn family’s status, leaving every member content with the outcome.
The only regret Katie had was the fact that she wasn’t Cornell’s wife yet. In fact, luciana and Katie’s parents had discussed the subject before Audrey’s return.
Everyone, except Cornell, was in favor of the marriage. Thankfully, luciana didn’t listen to Cornell’s objections. After all, luciana didn’t want to see her son remain single without any offspring.
Thus, luciana treated Katie as her daughter-in-law and acknowledged their connection in private and in public. She attributed the delay in their official marriage to destiny.
Cornell had tried to dissuade luciana. But over the past few years, luciana had been devastated by Alexis’ affairs. Whenever Cornell voiced his opposition, luciana would erupt into emotional outbursts and make a scene.
Despite that, Katie put on an act by showing staunch support and understanding to Cornell’s decline of marriage with her. She claimed that marriage was not in her plans, and she had no intention of tying the knot with Cornell. However, she only said those things to lower his guard.
Katie devoted herself to her work and even successfully brought back several vital projects for the Clement Group, boosting profits significantly. In recognition of her accomplishments, she was promoted to the position of vice president at the Clement Group.
Thereafter, Cornell stopped mentioning the matter altogether, but his actions conveyed his unwavering stance: marriage with Katie was out of the question.
The collective silence from the Clement family led the media to speculate that Katie was destined to become Cornell’s wife. However, most attributed the delay to Cornell’s decline.
Katie’s long-standing involvement in charity work and her gentle, kind public persona garnered sympathy from many. Yet, few considered the substantial gains the Glyn family had reaped from this situation.
They now held a prominent position in Ardlens, despite hailing from another city, all thanks to Cornell.
Katie relied on public opinion and the pressure exerted by elders to maintain a flawless image. This strategy allowed her to reap benefits and subtly instill a sense of guilt in Cornell.
Katie didn’t rush to win Cornelll’s heart, knowing she had all the time in the world. Whether or not he would ever marry, she was determined to be the one woman by his side.
But with Audrey’s sudden return, Katie began to feel a growing sense of unease. Despite the turmoil within her, she maintained a composed exterior and skillfully concealed her emotions. Her ability to hide her feelings had allowed her to quietly linger by Cornell’s side for so long.
With a calm demeanor and apparent concern, Katie asked, ‘Cornell, how’s your treatment going in Swynborough? Is your headache still bothering you?”
“It’s okay,” Cornell replied tersely, showing little enthusiasm for the conversation.
After Audrey’s disappearance since the car incident, Cornell had often suffered from insomnia. At one point, he had gone without sleep for an entire week.
Concerned about his health, luciana forced Cornell to seek medical attention. Eventually, he stabilized his sleep patterns through medication, but in doing so, he developed neuralgia.
Whenever this condition flared up, it rendered Cornell unable to work, and there seemed to be no medicine for this illness. He had to resort to specialized interventions at overseas research institutes.
Fortunately, his illness typically resurfaced only once a year. This time, however, it struck right after his divorce with Audrey.
The fact that his illness had recurred four months earlier than before was a concerning sign, but Cornell didn’t give it much thought.
At this moment, all his attention was consumed by Audrey. If he hadn’t had an important client meeting later this evening, he would have immediately sought her out upon landing. He never expected he would run into her like this.
During the car ride back, Cornell attentively listened as Matteo provided updates on Audrey’s life. It appeared that her daily routine predominantly consisted of having dinner with Stefan. As a matter of fact, they had dined together three times in a single week. Then, after dinner, they would stroll through the park like a couple deeply in love.
Thinking about how Audrey had sweetly called out Stefan’s name, Cornell couldn’t help but feel an intense pang of jealousy.
Noticing his distracted state, Katie was uneasy and decided to shift the conversation toward work. “With Marcus’ help, I’m confident we’ll secure the bid for the energy project.”
After a month-long trip abroad, Katie managed to persuade Marcus Morgan and secured his assistance. She did this to carve a place for the Clement family in the burgeoning new energy industry.
To others, it might have appeared as though she was exclusively benefiting the Clement family, but that was far from the whole truth.
The scope of the new energy project was simply too vast for her Glyn family to handle independently. However, by collaborating with the Clement Group, the Glyn family stood to gain significantly. Katie had meticulously weighed these factors.
While the task was undeniably challenging, it had the potential to solidify her position as Cornell’s future wife and give her considerable benefits. Of course, she wouldn’t let this invaluable opportunity slip through her fingers.
Furthermore, it was reasonable to assume that her dedication to helping the Clement family would be perceived as a desire to marry Cornell.
But something unexpected happened.
Katie’s eyes darkened. She never expected that, upon returning from her month-long trip abroad, she would be met with Audrey’s miraculous return.
But so what? Katie had carefully orchestrated her grand scheme for five years. She wasn’t about to let Audrey’s reappearance disrupt it.
As Cornell and Katie approached the entrance to the chamber, Cornell’s hand gravitated toward his phone, as though he were about to issue directives to his subordinates.
After five years of shared experiences, Katie possessed an acute understanding of Cornell’s demeanor. She knew he was worried about Audrey.
Leading the way, Katie uttered with a touch of grace, “We appear to be running slightly behind schedule. Cornell, Marcus holds a pivotal position among our guests. Shall we proceed inside?”
Cornell cast a fleeting glance in her direction but remained reticent.
Katie felt somewhat guilty, bowing her head as she continued, “Your decision to consult with Marcus on this occasion wasn’t fortuitous.
He has been eagerly anticipating your arrival for several days.
However, I’ve endeavored to assuage his anxieties to the best of my ability.”
At that precise moment, the waiter swung open the door to the chamber, and Cornell had to give up on making a phone call and take a measured step into the chamber.
Meanwhile, in another chamber, Audrey entered and immediately spotted Cary Blake, the general manager of Pinkorps Media, already present.
Audrey felt embarrassed and slightly bent down. “Cary, I sincerely apologize. I got caught in heavy traffic on my way here.”
Before Cary could respond, a woman beside him interjected, her tone sharp and recognizable, “Well, well, look who graces us with her presence. It’s the general manager of Crescent. We’ve all been patiently waiting solely for your arrival.”
The voice carried a biting familiarity, and Audrey turned her gaze toward the source. The woman seemed strangely familiar. Then, it dawned on her. She was none other than Cecilia, Cornell’s first love.
Audrey couldn’t help but smile. “You must be the infamous mistress?”
With that single sentence, Cecilia’s face flushed crimson. “What nonsense are you…” Her words halted mid-insult, realizing that all eyes were fixedly observing her.
Cecilia clenched her teeth, never expecting Audrey to be so forthright.
Her carefully crafted image of a refined lady seemed perilously close to being tarnished.
Wearing a smile tainted with lingering resentment, Cecilia retorted, “Oh, please tell me that was a joke.”
“A joke? You surely are.” Audrey didn’t back down, for Cecilia had been the first to employ sarcasm.
Cary intervened to ease the tension, “Both of you are remarkable ladies. The design industry is beginning to grow because of talents like you. I’m impressed.”
“Cary, I’m flattered.” Cecilia seized this moment to smooth things over.
This gathering comprised prominent figures in the design industry, and she was determined to prevent her past from being exposed, which could tarnish her burgeoning career and reputation.
Although her current standing in the industry was modest, she had a bigwig behind her, and she couldn’t afford to let the bigwig get to know any of her disgusting past.
With this in mind, Cecilia opted to restrain herself, refraining from contributing much to the conversation.