Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
His once striking face now looked deathly pale, even more so than three days before.
A pang of worry hit Audrey. Why did he look even worse now? She took a seat next to the bed, and after a moment, noticing he wasn’t upset, she couldn’t help but reach out to check his breathing.
Thankfully, his breathing was steady. Audrey finally let out a sigh of relief.
But just as she started to pull her hand back, Cornell grabbed it.
Cornell cracked open his eyes, his voice a bit deep. “I’m not dead yet.”
Audrey found herself at a loss for words.
Suddenly, the mood turned awkward.
Audrey slipped her finger away, lowered her head a bit, and tried to change the subject. “Now that you’re up, you should eat some porridge.”
After serving the porridge, she adjusted Cornell’s bed to a sitting position, placed the tray down, and set the porridge on it.
With everything set, she found herself without anything else to say and simply sat there quietly.
Five minutes passed by. Cornell didn’t touch the porridge. Instead, he pulled out a business magazine and started reading with keen interest.
The tension in the room thickened.
Before, Audrey wouldn’t have bothered if he didn’t eat.
However, knowing that Cornell got hurt because of her and that he had been quietly helping her with projects without asking for any recognition, Audrey couldn’t bring herself to be indifferent.
Remembering Matteo’s advice, she said, “Your stomach is weak. You need to eat the porridge first.”
Cornell didn’t respond, his attention fixed on the magazine.
Audrey felt at a loss. It was obvious he was upset.
With the porridge getting cold, she softened her voice. “It wasn’t on purpose that I missed your calls today. I was really swamped.”
Cornell finally turned to face her and said coldly, “Busy the day before yesterday, busy yesterday and busy today?”
Audrey’s heart raced under his intense look. “Yes, really…”
Before she could finish, Cornell interrupted, “Well, keep being busy then.”
His attractive features seemed to darken, a hint of hurt in his voice.
Audrey found herself unable to stay seated, her feet itching to walk away right then.
But then Cornell’s chilly voice stopped her in her tracks. “Anyway, throwing up blood isn’t deadly.”
At his words, Audrey, who was about to get up, sat back down.
Cornell’s tense expression eased a bit. He silently mocked, thinking how inconsistent she was. She could dish out cutting remarks, and he’d hold his tongue, but the moment he retorted, she thought of leaving. Furthermore, her face showed no guilt for having misled him the past couple of days.
Feeling another twinge of discomfort, Cornell couldn’t help but grimace.
Audrey saw his face turn even paler and realized it wasn’t right to be mad at someone who was sick. She decided to let him express his feelings if it made him feel any better. After all, it did not harm her.
In a softer tone, she offered, “Can you at least eat something if I feed you?”
Cornell didn’t respond, pushing Audrey to impatience. “Then what do you want? If nothing seems right…”
“Fine,” Cornell abruptly conceded. “When did I ever say it wasn’t okay?”
“Then why stay silent?” With that, Audrey took some porridge and gently brought it to his mouth.
Cornell grimaced as he ate and sneered, “Men never say they can’t.”
Understanding the double meaning, Audrey blushed. “You have no shame.”
“How am I shameless? What I’m saying is true, right?” His eyes twinkled. “Give it another try with me. You’ve never told me I couldn’t before…”
Suddenly, Audrey’s cheeks turned even redder. He was being so forward!
Cornell went on, “Had you ever used that word with me before, you wouldn’t have managed to leave the bed for a week.”
Fuming yet embarrassed, Audrey threatened, “Keep it up, and I’m out of here…”
As she tried to put the bowl down, Cornell quickly caught her wrist.
“I want more.”
Then he took another spoonful from her hand, a gesture that felt both casual and close.
Audrey pulled her hand back, feeling awkward. “This isn’t working for me.”
“Whatever works for you.” Cornell’s mood lightened all of a sudden.
His voice, no longer cold but deep and enticing.
Audrey, feeling her cheeks heat up, finished feeding him the whole bowl and then suggested, “Try to eat less. Your stomach isn’t completely healed yet.”
Her words brought a smile to Cornell’s face. She was caring for him!
All of his irritation disappeared in an instant. He grinned happily and said, “Seeing how you’re worried about me, I’ll let it go.”
Audrey was at a loss for words. She hadn’t even brought up that it was all on Matteo’s instructions. And Cornell had already shifted from frustration to light-hearted.
Audrey corrected him, “Who said I was worried about you? Matteo told me to do so.”
Cornell chuckled. “Sure, Matteo told you, but you could’ve stayed silent. Just like when I was really sick, you could’ve made up excuses not to show up, but here you are, speaking out and being here.”
Cornell’s good looks naturally drew people in. Now that he was in a better moo d, his allure seemed even stronger.
He playfully challenged, “Doesn’t that show you care for me?”
His reasoning was straightforward and convincing. Audrey couldn’t come up with a rebuttal. Thinking it over, she wondered whether she began to care for him.
Audrey wrestled with her thoughts, feeling an inner turmoil. She questioned her own resolve, puzzled over her lingering affection for Cornell despite her lost memories. Her frustration with herself was palpable.
Angrily, Audrey asserted, “I’m not just making excuses. I’ve been genuinely swamped.”
Cornell’s gaze pierced her as he inquired, “And what about the day before yesterday? Were you swamped then too?”
Caught off guard, Audrey felt exposed, as if her privacy had been breached. She wondered if his words hinted at a knowledge of her actions, a suggestion that he knew she had been free yet chose to stay away.
With a tone of displeasure, Audrey queried, “Have you been spying on me?”
Cornell openly admitted, “I wanted to understand what you were up to, so I had Matteo look into it.”
Cornell did not hide the fact that he had Matteo check on Audrey.
Discovering that she preferred the company of her dog over a visit to him left him disheartened, to the point where he lost his appetite and suffered from acute gastric issues due to the distress.
In a soft voice, Cornell shared, “Whenever I’m not working at the hospital, my thoughts are filled with you.”
Audrey’s cheeks turned a warm shade of red. Cornell’s ability to weave flattering words with such ease left her both flustered and charmed.
In a heartfelt moment, Cornell took Audrey’s hand and placed it over his heart, professing, “In here, it’s always been only you.”
Audrey’s cheeks deepened to the color of a ripe peach at his sudden declaration. She looked down, attempting to pull her hand back, but he held on firmly, his eyes alight with genuine affection. “Audrey, let’s give it another try, shall we?”
The intensity of the moment left Audrey’s heart racing. After a brief pause, she stammered, “No… No.”
His persistence was clear. “If you still have feelings for me, why resist?”
Audrey’s mind went blank for a moment, and she blurted out, “My brother would never approve…”
Cornell’s gaze intensified as he spoke. “If you’re on board, convincing your brother will be a piece of cake for me.”
Audrey knew Erick’s stubbornness all too well, a trait Cornell seemed to underestimate. Once Erick set his mind on something, he was like a tree deeply rooted, unmovable.
Her curiosity piqued, Audrey questioned, “And how do you plan to convince my brother?”
Cornell reassured her with a wave of his hand, “Leave that to me.
The moment he gives his nod, nothing will keep us apart.”
Caught off guard by his assurance, Audrey protested, “Wait, ‘us being together? I haven’t said yes to anything yet.”
Cornell’s confidence didn’t waver. “I don’t care. I’ll make sure your brother sees thi ngs our way,” he declared.
As the night crept upon them, Audrey attempted to retrieve her hand, saying, “It’s getting late. I should head home.”