Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Her shoulders trembled violently as she said, “Jarrod, you’re a pervert! A lunatic! looking at you makes me want to throw up.”
Hearing these words, Jarrod felt an explosion of anger in his heart.
But at the same time, looking at the crumbling expression on Nicole’s face, he had no choice but to suppress that anger.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to make her see reason. “Do you remember the first time we slept together? You thought it was because you saw me first and pursued me, right? You’re wrong. I noticed you first. It was in an elective class in freshman year. You and your boyfriend at that time sat next to me, always cuddling each other.
Every time I looked at you, I wanted to pin you down right then and there.”
Nicole gritted her teeth, listening to the story that she had never heard before.
Jarrod continued, “Did you ever wonder why that boyfriend of yours suddenly broke up with you? I gave his father a million to leave Ardlens with him. After that, I became the student union president so that you would notice me.”
His lips curled into a self-mocking smile. Wiping the wet eyelashes of the woman in front of him with his thumb, he spoke again, though more to himself than to her. “You said I’m a lunatic. Well, you’re right because what I showed you was a carefully crafted image of myself. I have always been someone who needs to get what I want. I did all this to lure you in, and you fell right into my trap. It was all part of my plan.”
Of course, after that, many other external factors had affected his plan. The fall of his family, followed by a series of misunderstandings, had driven Jarrod crazy.
But from beginning to end, he had never stopped loving Nicole for a single second. It was just that his love had been obscured by misunderstanding for some time.
Now, Nicole and Jarrod had been irreversibly wounded, which put them in a situation that was almost impossible to salvage. But so what?
Nicole was the woman whom Jarrod had set his heart on. Regardless of what he had to do or sacrifice, he would never let her go.
But Nicole found Jarrod’s speech ridiculous. Pursing her lips in anger, she said, “Jarrod, I can already see you dying a miserable death.”
Silence filled the air. Two living people stood in the bathroom, but at that moment, neither of them talked.
The longer Jarrod stared at Nicole, the more he felt his self-control slipping away. Finally, as if a dam had broken, he pinched her waist and lifted her onto the washbasin. Then, he grasped her cheeks and lowered his head to kiss her.
Overwhelmed by his sudden advances, Nicole strained to push him away with both hands.
With her resistance, the kiss turned sour. The two people seemed to be engaged in a battle, with one fiercely trying to pry open the other’s defenses.
Even after the tender lips were broken and bleeding, the attack continued.
Blood stained their lips and teeth, though it was not certain whose blood it was.
What started as a simple kiss turned into a bloody entanglement.
Finally, Nicole wasn’t able to hold back her grief any longer. A salty tear slid down her cheek, scalding Jarrod’s thin lips.
It was only then that Jarrod paused. Suppressing the desire surging within him, he finally let her go.
A crisp smack echoed through the bathroom. The moment Jarrod released Nicole, Nicole’s palm landed solidly on his cheek.
Nicole felt her palm tingling from the impact. After all, she had delivered the slap with full force.
Blood streaked the corner of Jarrod’s mouth, and his eyes darkened.
With a dangerous gaze fixed on Nicole, he touched his lips with his tongue and licked away the blood.
Then, suddenly lowering his head, he let his lips trace the path where Nicole’s tears had fallen.
Nicole’s eyes glimmered in surprise. She hadn’t expected this madman to dare to kiss her again. She raised her hand high, but this time, he grabbed her wrist and blocked her.
On the swollen side of Jarrod’s face, his lips curled up into a sinister smirk.
“Every slap you give me will be paid with a kiss. And for every ten slaps…” As Jarrod spoke, he let his hand drift to the hickey on her collarbone and circled it. With a chuckle, he finished, “I’ll claim you!”
Nicole’s pupils dilated for a moment and then gradually returned to calmness. When a person’s emotions accumulated to a certain extent, the body’s self-defense mechanism would kick in, shutting down those emotions like pressing a switch.
To Nicole, showing any emotion to Jarrod, even anger, felt like a waste. She closed her eyes. When she next spoke, her tone was vacant, as if her soul had left her. “Jarrod, people die every minute in this world. Why aren’t you one of them?”
A hollow chuckle left Jarrod’s lips. “Remember this well. You will always be mine. Even if I die, I’ll make sure you remember me for a lifetime.”
After saying that, Jarrod scooped Nicole up in his arms and carried her back to the bed. Then, he went and fetched a burn ointment.
While applying the ointment on her scalded hand, he coldly remarked, “Do you think I’ll let you go because you’re doing something stupid like this?”
Now that their relationship had reached an impasse, Jarrod was ready to go to any lengths necessary to keep her in his grasp.
The struggle just now had drained too much of Nicole’s strength. She was too exhausted to have this conversation with him now. Staring blankly out the window, she responded in a tone devoid of any emotion, “I’m tired. Can you leave?”
Jarrod’s hand that was applying the ointment paused. He stared at her face for a few moments. Then, ultimately choosing not to say anything, he left.
With a heavy heart, Nicole finally fell into a deep slumber.
Amid the night, a sense of thirst and restlessness enveloped Nicole.
Out of nowhere, a comforting presence eased against her back, placing a pillow to support her and offering a sip of warm water.
The moisture on her throat provided a newfound clarity and soothing comfort.
A gentle hand delicately swept the corners of Nicole’s mouth with a soft handkerchief.
Still somewhat drowsy, Nicole wrestled with the effort to open her eyes, gradually bringing the man’s face into focus. “Roscoe?”
Nicole was surprised to see Roscoe at her bedside in the middle of the night.
Since their encounter at the hotel, they hadn’t met or had any contact with each other.
“Yeah.” Roscoe’s response lacked any discernible emotion.
Then, carefully positioning the pillow under her head, he ensured her comfort as she lay back down.
Nicole sensed her hand being lifted, finding solace as it rested in Roscoe’s palm.
Casting a sidelong glance, she observed Roscoe unwrapping her bandages and applying burn ointment.
Although her burns were not severe, the doctor had advised applying the ointment five times within twenty-four hours for optimal healing.
However, she had been asleep for a long time and had forgotten to do it.
Roscoe’s shirt sleeves were casually rolled up, exposing slender yet powerful forearms sculpted by regular exercise. His muscles subtly flexed, exuding an appealing strength. He didn’t seem to mind the ointment sticking to his hands as he skillfully massaged Nicole’s hand, aiding the absorption of the ointment.
Nicole observed his well-defined fingers, savoring the repetition of the gentle massage. Abruptly, a warm sensation surged from the depths of her heart.
She diverted her gaze, no longer fixating on their intertwined hands, but rather on the IV stand beside the bed. “Why are you here?”
“My former colleagues informed me,” Roscoe replied.
Seeing that Nicole was confused, he explained, “I requested them to update me on anyone named Nicole just in case something happened. I want to be always reachable.”
Instantly, indescribable emotions welled up within Nicole, and her eyes teetered on the brink of tears. A distinct warmth rose from the sour emotions within her.
As always, Roscoe was straightforward and honest, concealing nothing.
It seemed that apart from Austin, she was his sole anchor in life.
Nicole’s hand was wrapped in breathable gauze, but Roscoe continued to hold it, showing no intention of letting go.
Feeling a twinge of discomfort, it was Nicole who finally withdrew her hand. ‘m fine. You can go back.”
“No, you sleep. I won’t disturb you,” Roscoe insisted.
Nicole was not naive. She understood Roscoe’s feelings for her.
However, she did not label it as love. She attributed his feelings to the fact that she had once shined brightly in his life. Besides, he was probably grateful for her father’s previous financial support.
Since Nicole assumed most of his actions stemmed out of gratitude, she couldn’t accept his feelings with a clear conscience. It would be too unfair to Roscoe.
In fact, the lack of contact between them since their last encounter at the hotel had brought Nicole a sense of relief. She deemed herself unworthy of his kindness. She had hoped that Roscoe would come to this conclusion on his own, but it seemed that he hadn’t realized it yet.
With resolve, Nicole shut her eyes and ruthlessly uttered, “Roscoe, I don’t need you.”
Roscoe’s body stiffened for a second but quickly returned to normal.
“I know. I’m the one who needs you.” A palpable melancholy tinted his voice.
Nicole felt a pang in her heart as though a weighty stone pressed upon her, hindering her breath. This oppressive sensation made her hands tremble uncontrollably.
She secretly hit her hands under the blanket, pausing for a moment before clenching her teeth in determination. “Roscoe, don’t you understand? When I say I don’t need you, I mean I don’t need you in my life.”
The air around them seemed to freeze.
Stunned, Roscoe remained silent for a few minutes. Upon regaining his composure, the first thing he said was, “Nicole, did I do something wrong?”
He meticulously retraced his steps, pondering if he had done anything wrong since he entered the ward. Could it be that Nicole was unhappy about him asking his colleagues to keep him updated about her?
“I know asking my colleagues to keep me informed might be a bit too much, but I was genuinely concerned about you. You don’t have any family in Ardlens, and I was afraid that you wouldn’t be able to reach me if something happened.”