Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
The kiss, aggressive and dominant, caught Nicole off guard, feeling more like a punishment than an act of affection. Her struggles were futile against his superior strength.
Meanwhile, Roscoe grappling with Alec at the door, yelled, “Release her, you lunatic Jarrod finally let Nicole go after his forceful demonstration.
Cupping her cheeks, his eyes tinged with red, he chillingly grinned.
“Nicole, you can’t beat me, and I won’t ever release you again.”
His tone was cold, like a curse, sending chills down Nicole’s spine.
At that moment, law enforcement officers reached, asking, “Is Mr. Jarrod Schultz here?”
Jarrod let go of Nicole, composed. “That’s me.”
The officers flashed their badges and then stated, “Mr. Schultz, we’ve received reports implicating you in financial fraud and illicit backstage dealings. Please come with us for questioning.”
“Okay,” Jarrod responded calmly, without resistance.
Passing by Alec, Jarrod instructed, “Take care of her.”
Take care? Alec was seething, wanting nothing more than to be rid of Nicole. But he wouldn’t disobey Jarrod, nodding. “Understood.”
Jarrod glanced back at Nicole, his smile unexpectedly gentle.
Nicole couldn’t understand what amused him. Feeling a cold shiver, she watched his calm departure, deepening her unease.
At that moment, Nicole saw once again the unyielding, ruthless Jarrod, who stopped at nothing, showing no vulnerability. This realization weighed heavily on her, making her feel weak.
Roscoe immediately supported her, his face full of concern. “Nicole, what’s wrong?”
Feeling drained, Nicole leaned heavily on Roscoe’s arm. Everything felt surreal to her.
Financial crimes could lead to more than ten years in prison, but they weren’t punishable by death.
Although Nicole believed Jarrod was responsible for her father’s death, without direct action, the law couldn’t touch him. She never wished for Jarrod’s quick death. She wanted him to see his empire crumble around him. She wanted him to be crushed, to live a life that was worse than death. That was what she wanted for her revenge.
Alec, not expecting Nicole to be so informed, quickly went from mocking to looking at her with deadly seriousness. He warned, “If anything happens to Mr. Schultz, you’ll regret it!”
With that, Alec hurried off.
Nicole moved to the window to see Jarrod being led away, surrounded by flashing cameras. She breathed out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t a total loss. If all went well, Jarrod could be looking at more than ten years behind bars.
In ten years, Jarrod’s empire would likely fall apart, and his name would be forgotten among the Ardlens. No matter what ended up happening to Jarrod, the Schultz Group was on a path to sure decline.
Unless the Hampton family went out of their way to save Jarrod, it was pretty much over for him. But it seemed unlikely the Hamptons would go to such lengths for Jarrod.
Downstairs, through the clear window of the car, Jarrod looked up, almost as if he knew Nicole was watching his downfall.
Since the officers arrived, Jarrod hadn’t let his emotions show, not once looking like he was defeated or embarrassed.
Even now, sitting in the car with his legs crossed and leaning back a bit, anyone who didn’t know better might think Jarrod was on his way to an important meeting, not to the police station.
Jarrod’s hospital room was on the fifth floor, so looking up from the ground, a person might seem as small as an ant.
But Jarrod looked up intently, as if Nicole and he were standing right in front of each other.
Nicole stepped away from the window, no longer interested in watching.
Her job was done. With Jarrod convicted, she and Austin could finally be together without fear. This was the life she had always wanted but never thought possible. Now, it seemed like it was within their grasp.
Roscoe noticed Nicole’s thoughtful look and offered comfort, “Nicole, I’ve handed in that document. With these extra charges, there’s no way he can get out of it.”
Nicole felt a twinge of guilt. She had promised herself she wouldn’t drag others into this mess, yet here was Roscoe, caught up in it all.
She turned to face him, taking in his kind, honest face. He used to be an angel, concerned only with helping others, but now he was caught up in these worldly troubles because of her.
“Roscoe, once Jarrod is out of the picture, stay away from the Watts family. They’re bad guys, and you are not one of them,” Nicole said earnestly.
The Watts family’s actions had left scars on Roscoe, proof of their harshness.
“Okay,” Roscoe replied, his eyes bright and sincere. “Nicole, it’s going to be alright.”
But could it be? Despite her plan, Nicole couldn’t shake off a lingering sense of unease, especially remembering Jarrod’s final threat. “I won’t ever release you again!” That phrase haunted her, sounding almost like a curse.
Audrey spent three days in Cornell’s ward, but Cornell hadn’t woken up yet. His fever came and went, stubbornly refusing to disappear.
The doctors explained the severity was due to a broken rib piercing an important organ. Though the surgery was timely, the post-operative infection was concerning. It was important for him not to get another fever. If his fever came back at night, he would have to be moved to the ICU.
Audrey looked after Cornell all night without barely sleeping.
At dawn, Janey called, expressing her longing for Audrey and Cornell.
Audrey talked to Janey for a bit, trying to comfort her.
After the call, Audrey went back to Cornell’s side to check his temperature. It was 98.78 degrees Fahrenheit! She was relieved to see that his fever hadn’t come back. The tension she’d been feeling all night started to fade.
Audrey sat at the bedside, caressing Cornell’s face, and whispered, “Cornell, please wake up, okay? Let’s wake up and have a happy life together…”
Cornell didn’t move.
The sadness in Audrey’s heart grew little by little. She clasped his wrist, pressing it gently against her cheek to feel his pulse. The rhythmic thumping was a soothing presence.
Then, out of nowhere, a loud crash. Someone barged into the ward, flinging the door wide open.
“I’ve come to see my son. Dare to block me again, and you’ll wish you hadn’t!” Luciana’s voice echoed sharply.
Caught off guard, Audrey released Cornell’s hand and quickly stood up.
At the sight of Audrey, Luciana stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Time had not been kind to Luciana. She looked as if she had aged years in just a few moments. Her complexion was ashen, a stark contrast to the woman Audrey remembered.
Thinking back, Luciana had pushed for their separation but never truly hurt Audrey. With politeness, Audrey began, “Mrs. Clement, I…”
But before Audrey could get the words out, Luciana charged forward and slapped Audrey across the face.
Audrey held her cheek in shock, rooted to the spot, unable to respond.
Matteo, equally stunned, reacted quickly. Before Luciana could strike again, he caught her arm, his voice firm. “Ma’am, this is not right!”
“Let me go!” Luciana fought back hard, her rage showing no signs of cooling down. She pointed directly at Audrey’s face, scolding, “This is all your fault! Since your return, my son has been stuck in bed. Keep away from him!”
Audrey felt the sting of the slap across her face, leaving her dazed.
It appeared that Luciana had just learned of her return.
Matteo tried to interject. “Please, ma’am. Miss Foster has been looking after Mr. Clement for the last few days, and he’s been aware of her return.”
“Get out of my way!” Luciana’s outburst was too much for Matteo to manage. “You can’t even look after your boss properly. What good are you as an assistant?”
Matteo chose not to answer back, silently taking the criticism. After all, this woman was Cornell’s mother.
Having berated Matteo, Luciana then turned her anger toward Audrey, throwing her purse at Audrey while sharply demanding, “And you, leave now!”
Audrey dodged the purse, a chill surfacing in her eyes. This side of Luciana was unfamiliar to her. Luciana’s unruly actions were a far cry from the refined lady in her memory.
Audrey hadn’t responded to the slap because she acknowledged that Cornell’s injury was indeed her fault. She could sympathize with a mother’s anguish over her child, but that didn’t mean she would accept being treated poorly. “Mrs. Clement, I’m staying until Cornell wakes up. We can either get along, or you can go.”
Luciana was livid, struggling to keep her rage in check. “What gives you the right? You’re just someone my son got over, and now you’re telling me to leave?”
Every word hit Audrey like a bullet. This was, after all, a woman she had once been fond of, who had once treated her kindly, like a mother.
Audrey decided to stay out of a shouting match with Luciana, wanting to keep things quiet for Cornell’s sake. She turned to Matteo, asking, “Matteo, can you help her calm down? Let’s keep it down.”
Matteo nodded, trying to soothe Luciana. “Ma’am, Mr. Clement needs his rest. Why don’t you take a little break, and I’ll let you know as soon as he wakes up?”
“Why do I have to go?” Luciana retorted. “If anyone should leave, it’s her, the outsider. I’m his mother, after all.”
“However, Mr. Clement made it clear he wanted Miss Foster here,” Matteo explained. “He won’t be happy if he learns Miss Foster is mistreated.”
Luciana hesitated, aware that crossing Cornell could backfire. Their rocky relationship made her think twice. But then she remembered the prediction from a fortune-teller. “I’m not going anywhere. She’s the one who should leave. She brings bad luck to Cornell.”
Advancing, Luciana attempted to push Audrey away, shouting, “Stay away from my son. Don’t even get near him!”
Audrey, caught off guard, tripped but managed to catch herself on a table.
Matteo quickly stepped in to help her.
Cheers erupted from outside just then. A man dressed in a black suit walked in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Quite the show we have here.”
Luciana’s attitude changed the moment she saw the man. “Why are you here?” she demanded.