Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
How he had mistreated her… He had degraded her, forcing her to entertain corpulent businessmen as if she were their mistress, often dealing with multiple men simultaneously. He had slapped her, compelled her to jump into the ocean as if she were fish food, and even when she was wracked by sickness and her body was frail, he showed no mercy.
The flood of horrific memories overwhelmed Nicole. The man praised by others was nothing but a demon to her, a true embodiment of hell, cloaked in a haze of deception!
Unbeknownst to Nicole, in the five years she had been absent, Jarrod had indeed attempted to live up to the virtuous image others saw in him, and he rather enjoyed the role.
Yet, Jarrod’s obsession was deep and long-standing. In his interactions with Nicole, he had always behaved unusually. He could not tolerate Nicole not loving him, nor could he handle her loving someone else.
When Jarrod learned Nicole might have feelings for others, he felt so enraged that he wanted to destroy everything, including both their lives.
Thus, there were not purely good or bad people. One viewed as virtuous by some may be considered wicked by others.
Nicole, unsure how long she had been soothing herself, felt her heartbeat slow to a more normal pace. She slowly got to her feet and called Roscoe, but there was no response, even after the third call.
It was unlike Roscoe to vanish without leaving a message. A sense of discomfort began to tighten around Nicole’s heart.
At that moment, the loud noise of the crowd filled the hall.
Nicole noticed the woman she had talked to earlier emerging, signaling that the court session had ended.
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How had the hearing finished so quickly? Nicole’s discomfort intensified. She hadn’t felt this disturbed since the day her father had leaped from a building.
“Miss…” The woman noticed Nicole, approached her with a warm greeting, and asked with concern, “How are you feeling now? Any better?”
“Much better.”
“That’s wonderful to hear,” the woman responded. “You seem so much better now that the good news has come.”
The woman joined her hands together, a habit she picked up from spending much time around the temple.
Still uneasy, Nicole asked, “Good news… What good news?”
“Oh, you haven’t heard?” the woman said, her face lighting up with happiness. “New evidence has emerged. Someone had framed Mr. Schultz. He didn’t even handle those contracts.”
The woman clasped Nicole’s cold hands, her voice filled with excitement. “Mr. Schultz has been cleared of all charges.”
Nicole’s body went rigid, her hands turned even colder. Cleared…
She had thought of many possible outcomes, even speculated about Jarrod’s future after being released.
Considering Jarrod’s wealth and the nature of his alleged crimes involving financial contracts, Nicole figured he might just pay a fine and serve a few years at most. But she never expected his release to happen so soon! It was too quick, beyond belief. In just a few days, Jarrod was free and untouched by the charges.
The woman, assuming Nicole shared her joy, smiled and said, “You’re happy too, right? Would you like to meet Mr. Schultz? He’s over there receiving congratulations from many people. Let me take you to him!”
The woman led the unresponsive, zombie-like Nicole through the crowd, oblivious to Nicole’s daze.
The woman cheerfully introduced Nicole to Jarrod, “Mr. Schultz, here’s a lovely lady who also wants to thank you.”
Jarrod’s gaze was calm and penetrating as he looked at Nicole, who appeared lifeless, and he offered a slight smile. “Oh? Thank me for what?”
Caught off guard by his question, the woman turned to Nicole and urged, “Miss, what would you like to thank Mr. Schultz for? Please, he’s right here…”
The harsh white light illuminated Nicole’s face, accentuating the blue veins beneath her pale skin. Her face was unnaturally pale, almost ghostly, which was alarming.
The woman’s happy mood faded as she noticed Nicole’s ghostly appearance. She grasped Nicole’s hand and asked, “Miss, why are your hands still so cold? Should we get you to a hospital?”
Nicole felt utterly weak but told herself to stay composed. She could not afford to break down just as Jarrod had been freed.
“Are you feeling unwell?” Jarrod asked as he reached to take Nicole’s hand from the woman, his voice softer than usual.
“Don’t touch me!” Nicole, like a startled bird, quickly stepped back and glared at Jarrod with wide eyes.
Nicole’s eyes, filled with loathing, revulsion, and resolve, showed no sign of thankfulness. The woman, her mouth hanging open, realized she might have misunderstood the situation.
Moved by compassion, the woman supported the weak Nicole, saying, “Miss, don’t be scared…”
The mood suddenly became tense.
The woman hesitated to say more, realizing her good intentions might have led to this awkward situation. Mr. Schultz was regarded as a decent man, and Nicole with a troubled look seemed far from malicious.
It was unclear who was truly good or bad here.
“Jarrod!” A cheerful woman’s voice pierced the uneasy silence.
Vicki, dressed in a flowing white designer gown, briskly walked up and handed a bouquet to Jarrod, saying, “Jarrod, congratulations on your exoneration.”
Jarrod accepted it, simply replying, “Thank you.”
Vicki, pleased just to receive his gratitude, suggested, “You should really treat me to a nice dinner.”
Jarrod glanced briefly at Nicole before focusing on Vicki, his expression becoming tender. “Let’s go.”
The pair then walked away together.
Nicole felt as if her whole body was drenched in sweat, her legs shaky. Thankfully, the woman was there to support her.
Nicole belatedly realized she had miscalculated. Completely missed the mark! She had not even considered Vicki, which was incredibly foolish of her.
The woman, seeing sweat bead on Nicole’s forehead, showed her concern.
“Miss, perhaps we should go to the hospital.”
“No, thank you.” Nicole withdrew from the woman’s grasp and quickly followed the path Jarrod and Vicki had taken.
As Nicole chased after Jarrod to the door, his silver sports car, with Vicki already seated inside, had started up. “Jarrod!” Nicole shouted.
The silver sports car sped off without pausing, leaving a trail of arrogant smoke.
Nicole clenched her fists. He had definitely seen her. Yet, he drove off, his face smug as if he had already triumphed.
This deepened Nicole’s worries, fearing Jarrod might harm Roscoe. Her hands shook so violently that driving was impossible. She hastily flagged down a taxi and rushed to Roscoe’s workplace.
In the taxi, Nicole replayed the day’s events over in her mind.
She figured the Hampton family would have harbored resentment for Jarrod and wouldn’t lend a helping hand to him because of the humiliation caused by Jarrod and his harsh ways of dealing with the relatives of the Hampton family. Coupled with the blow Lowe’s disdainful behaviors had brought, she guessed the Hampton family would defend themselves at all cost, turning a cold shoulder to Jarrod’s dilemma.
Nicole had guessed correctly on all counts except for Vicki. Vicki was fond of Jarrod and might seek her family’s assistance for Jarrod’s pickle. Jarrod’s brief exchange with Vicki previously had confirmed her suspicions.
Jarrod was exceptionally vindictive, and Nicole was sure he had already figured out how to deal with her.
She knew what was on his mind. It felt like a sinister game of cat and mouse, where Jarrod enjoyed prolonging the chase before striking a devastating blow. However, he would not show the same patience toward Roscoe.
Plus, Roscoe’s decision to turn against the Watts family and present that evidence would spell disaster for him.
As Nicole watched the Landscape recede through the car window, she made a firm decision. She had to protect Roscoe. He was such a kind soul who had greatly supported her. If anything happened to him because of her, she would never forgive herself.
The taxi finally pulled up in front of the building where Roscoe worked.
Nicole stepped out of the taxi and headed for the entrance but the receptionist blocked her path. “Miss, I’m sorry, do you have an appointment?”
“No, I’m looking for…” Nicole paused, struggling with the formality.
“Mr. Watts.”
“I’m sorry, he didn’t come to the office today,” the receptionist informed her.
Nicole felt a knot form in her stomach and asked urgently, “What about yesterday? Did he come here then? When did he leave?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t disclose his whereabouts,” the receptionist replied, shaking her head.
Nicole recalled her phone conversation with Roscoe from the previous day. He had told her he was still at work and hadn’t left for home yet. If he hadn’t returned home last night, then surely something must have gone wrong.
The more Nicole pondered, the more her fear grew, causing cold sweat to bead on her forehead.
After finishing a phone call, the receptionist noticed Nicole frozen in place and asked, “Miss, may I have your name? I need to register it.”
“Nicole Lawrence.”
“Miss Lawrence, correct?” The receptionist’s voice lifted slightly in inquiry.
“Yes,” Nicole responded, oblivious to the receptionist’s look of surprise.
The receptionist opened a work memorandum, glanced from it to Nicole’s face, and then snapped it shut. “Miss Lawrence, Mr. Watts left the company at 1:32 a.m. this morning.”
Nicole gave the receptionist a puzzled look, unsure why the latter was now sharing such precise details.
The receptionist offered a smile of apology. “Mr. Watts had instructed that should Miss Lawrence visit, we were to call him immediately and keep no secrets.”
The receptionist had already marked Nicole’s arrival as a priority.