Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Just as she was about to fetch him some water, on her bare feet, he caught her wrist and gently pulled her close to him.
“It’s actually not bad,” he remarked.
“Huh?” Audrey could only muster a surprised grunt after a brief, breathless pause. She vividly recalled pouring a whole bottle of white pepper into the mix. How could it possibly be okay?
Cornell, with a calm tone, offered, “Care to give it a try?”
“What?” Audrey, puzzled by his sudden shift in conversation and about to inquire further, found herself abruptly drawn closer as Cornell reached out, gently held the back of her head, and pressed his lips to hers.
At that moment, everything around them fell silent. His firm grip on her, the way his lips explored the sweetness of hers, and his tongue created a whirlwind of sensations.
The kiss, sweet with a hint of spice, was an exotic thrill.
Audrey’s eyes, wide and clear, showed her astonishment, forgetting to pull away. Her mind cleared of everything but the intensity of his kiss. Memories of their past passionate encounters flooded her thoughts…
Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. Everything he had said was indeed true… Under his spell, she had let herself go too far…
Cornell kissed Audrey, feeling the longing he had carried for so long, breathing in the scent of her hair that he found so comforting.
“Mmm…” Audrey started to come back to reality, trying to say no, but instead, her voice sounded more like a sigh, which only encouraged Cornell more.
Cornell held her tight, making it hard for her to move or get away.
At first, his intention was to teach her a lesson. He was very sensitive to the smell of pepper, and he figured she must have added a lot, maybe even a whole bottle.
But as the kiss grew more intense, his feelings took over. He found himself wanting to kiss her endlessly.
“Bang!” Suddenly, the door burst open.
Matteo, his throat on fire from the soup, rushed in to tell Cornell not to try it. He thought Audrey could not have realized she added too much white pepper. But after taking a big sip, it felt like more than just a little extra. It was as if a whole bottle had been dumped in.
Matteo didn’t expect to interrupt a passionate moment. Stunned, he opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words, making only incoherent noises.
Cornell gave Matteo a cold look, quickly covering Audrey’s messed-up hair with a jacket from beside the bed.
“Why are you still here?” Cornell scowled at Matteo, who seemed unusually slow to react today.
Matteo was frozen in place, wanting to leave but hesitated. “Mr. Clement, your neck…” he said, his voice shaking.
Audrey looked up and noticed Cornell’s neck was bright red, looking like he was having a severe allergic reaction. She gasped. “Do you have a pepper allergy?”
Cornell felt his own neck itch uncomfortably.
Matteo quickly added, “It’s not just pepper. Mr. Clement reacts badly to all types of peppercorns.” He wouldn’t have interrupted if there wasn’t a risk of a serious allergic reaction.
Seeing his neck turn red Audrey felt a mix of helplessness and guilt and started to cry. “I had no idea… I added a lot of pepper..
Cornell tried to calm her down, saying lightly, “It’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”
Luckily, they were at a hospital.
The doctor promptly started antihistamine treatment.
Two hours later, the rash on Cornell’s neck was much better.
The doctor advised, “Aren’t you aware of your allergies? You need to remember what you can and cannot eat. Allergies can be deadly if not taken seriously.”
Audrey hung her head, filled with immense guilt, truly unaware of this. Had she known, she never would have played such a prank.
After the doctor left, Cornell turned his gaze to Audrey, who was now looking down at her toes, a smile growing on his face. So, she knew she was to blame. He hadn’t gone through all that for nothing.
Before Cornell could say anything, Audrey offered a sincere apology, “I’m sorry.”
Cornell’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he drew out his words. “Come a bit closer. I didn’t hear that.”
Audrey was at a loss for words. She moved closer and met his gaze.
“I’m sorry. I did that on purpose…”
Before she could finish, he easily pulled her onto the bed.
Cornell examined her feet. There was no swelling, which was a good sign, showing there was no serious harm.
He gently pinched her cheek, signaling he didn’t want her to feel bad, and shared, “I knew, and I went along on purpose.”
“What?” Audrey was startled and puzzled. “You knew it and you still went along?”
Cornell explained with sincerity, “If I hadn’t played along with your prank, how would you have been content?”
Audrey couldn’t wrap her head around his reasoning.
Cornell then pinched her waist playfully and inquired, “So, how do you plan to make up for the trouble you caused?”
Audrey immediately realized there were some ulterior motives behind Cornell’s kindness. And the moment to settle scores had finally arrived.
Audrey pursed her lips and shifted her body uncomfortably. “What exactly do you want?”
Cornell smiled and answered, “Whatever I desire, perhaps?”
“If you mean that thing…” Audrey’s voice trailed off. Obviously, she was embarrassed. She quickly added, “That matter is off the table.”
Cornell tilted his head, met her eyes, and asked with a smile, “What does the matter refer to?”
Audrey looked at Cornell speechlessly. Her ears suddenly felt hot.
She retorted, “You are so hateful!” He obviously understood what she meant, but he still asked. He must be embarrassing her deliberately.
Upon seeing Audrey’s expression, Cornell finally stopped teasing her.
He pinched her earlobe and said, “What I desire is for you to take care of me.” He wanted to spend more time with her, to be with her, and cherish every moment with her.
“That’s all?” Audrey asked in disbelief. Cornell didn’t seize the opportunity to make excessive demands. It was so unlikely of him.
This was not his style.
“You want more than that?” Cornell was amused that Audrey seemed disoriented by his willingness not to pressure her, a deviation from her expectations. His lips suddenly quirked. “But, of course, if you want to do something else, I will be delighted to accept it.”
He emphasized the words “something else” deliberately. Audrey’s face flushed even more. “You wish!”
Audrey was about to get up from the bed. But Cornell quickly pulled her back and held her waist tightly. “You are not allowed to leave tonight.”
His words were full of his habitual authoritative tone. But actually, he was worried about her foot. It didn’t seem serious. But she shouldn’t wear shoes. Otherwise, her foot’s condition would worsen.
It was better to let her stay overnight, so she could rest.
“No, I’m leaving.” Audrey refused to stay, especially when she was reminded of the kiss they had just now. She felt her face was burning.
The corners of Cornell’s mouth curled up. “Look at me. With my current condition, what can I possibly do to you?”
When Audrey thought of his injuries, she couldn’t help blaming herself. Her resistance weakened. She faltered, “But…”
“No buts,” Cornell interrupted. He hugged her even tighter, refusing to let her go.
“Shall I call your brother for this?” There was a hint of danger in his tone. “Should I tell him that his sister has to take care of the person who got even injured because of her?”
“You won’t hold my brother responsible, right?” Audrey’s eyes widened.
She warned, “Don’t you dare!”
Cornell’s deep-set black eyes stared at her intensely. “You seem adept at negotiating with me.”
Audrey’s voice softened a little when she said, “No, that’s not my intention. My brother seldom gets into fights. He was only impulsive at that time because he was worried about me. So, can you let it pass?”
“Fight?” Cornell’s eyes darkened. Audrey was staunchly defending her brother, and he couldn’t help but feel jealous.
He corrected her, “It wasn’t a fight. He assaulted me, and I wasn’t allowed to defend myself.” But if Erick was not Audrey’s brother, Erick must have been lying in the ICU by now.
Cornell felt a sense of injustice. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “You exploit my affection for you to mistreat me.”
As he spoke, he sounded aggrieved. His mood was a bit melancholic.
When Audrey saw the expression on Cornell’s face, she felt like she was affected by his mood. Suddenly, her heart hurt. For some reason, she felt sorry for him. Indeed, it was Erick’s fault for attacking Cornell. And Audrey felt responsible for what had happened to Cornell.
At this moment, she felt like he deserved an apology. So, she said softly, “On behalf of my brother, I apologize to you. I am so sorry for his impulsiveness and any distress I have caused you. Will you accept my apology?”
Cornell was frustration. But it was not because of Erick’s assault.
Instead, it was Audrey’s unwavering stance of defending Erick that made him jealous and deeply hurt.
He snorted coldly. “What if he was the one who got hurt? I can’t imagine what you can do just to avenge him. I’m sure you will confront me head-on. But now that it was me who got beaten, you’ll simply ask for an apology on his behalf? I…”