Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Jarrod wanted to explain that he never intended for the child to die.
He had even pictured a future with the child.
The tragic death of his parents had turned Jarrod against the idea of marriage and having kids. He thought he’d never have children in his life. He didn’t want to pass on his misfortune. He was dark, violent, not the kind of man who could be a good father.
Yet, if the child truly belonged to Nicole and was born for him, Jarrod began to feel a small surge of anticipation.
However, his growing hope was crushed by Nicole’s cold laughter.
“Jarrod, the child died because of you. Really living up to your name, aren’t you?”
Jarrod’s hands slowly dropped, admitting silently that Nicole still had power over his emotions.
Despite being enemies, they understood each other too well.
After a pause, Jarrod broke the silence. “It’s just a child. We can have another.”
At those words, every fiber of Nicole’s being shaken, her hand lifting to slap Jarrod again, but he caught her wrist.
Jarrod, looking into her pale face and dry lips, softened his tone as he said, “If you want, we can try for another child. But for now, it’s important you heal.”
“Jarrod?” Nicole looked at him as if she were watching a stranger, emphasizing each word as she declared, “I love children, but that has nothing to do with you, got it? And you think too highly of me. Is my body even capable of having a child now?”
What Nicole really meant to say was that someone as ruthless and cruel as Jarrod, who belonged in hell, had no right to be a father.
She wasn’t swayed by his sudden concern for the child. The moment things didn’t go his way, he’d threaten her with the child. She understood him all too well.
Jarrod realized bringing up the topic wasn’t wise, given Nicole’s health. He changed the subject. “You know, adoption is straightforward these days. We can adopt a child if we want to start a family.”
Nicole chuckled. “Jarrod, do you think of a child as some kind of toy for your entertainment?”
She couldn’t hold back anymore. “Someone like you shouldn’t have children!”
Jarrod, known for his short temper and having faced Nicole’s scorn repeatedly, struggled to keep calm. But then, he recalled her reaction when they had sex intercourse in front of the glass.
Men shared a common weakness. They could tolerate a lot once they knew a woman remained untouched. Jarrod was delighted with Nicole’s purity.
Finally, Jarrod just tightened his fist in his pocket and said coldly, “Get some rest.”
Nicole let her eyelids fall, pretending not to hear, and gave no reply.
Jarrod took one last look at her before walking out of the room.
The door slammed shut, and only then did Nicole lift her heavy eyelashes, gazing in the direction where Jarrod had exited. Jarrod was too suspicious. His suspicions about the child hadn’t faded.
Nicole knew it was only a matter of time before Jarrod found out about Austin. The situation was dire. She needed to Leave with Austin immediately. To slip away without Jarrod noticing, she had to take a drastic action that would completely captivate his attention. This would mean destroying both her reputation and his.
After another week of rest, Nicole requested to be discharged from the hospital.
Concerned about her health, Jarrod sought the opinion of a new doctor, given that the previous one had been dismissive. The new doctor advised more carefully, “It’s best for the patient to recuperate at home and make sure she fully recovers.”
The new doctor’s words didn’t emphasize how bad Nicole’s condition was.
Jarrod, slightly at ease, inquired, “How much longer does she need to continue her medication?”
The doctor answered, “Three to five months, with monthly check-ups at the hospital.”
Jarrod nodded and instructed Alec to pick up the medication before he went back to Nicole’s ward.
Nicole had very Little to pack since she hadn’t brought much to the hospital. Jarrod had provided everything.
Jarrod stared at Nicole and asked flatly, “Would you prefer to stay at the Oasis or go back to the villa we used last time?”
Feeling a chill at his words, Nicole felt trapped. Both options seemed like prisons to her. After hesitating, she asked, “Can I just stay at my own house?”
Jarrod smiled, a hint of amusement in his expression. “You’re still recovering. It would be better if you stayed close by so someone can take care of you,” he explained gently.
This was a polite way of saying Nicole didn’t really have a choice.
Jarrod was determined to keep Nicole close and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Nicole’s eyelashes drooped, and she murmured resignedly, “I’ll move to your place tomorrow night. I need to go back to my home tonight to sort things out.”
“What do you need to pack? I’ll have someone take care of it.”
Jarrod intended not to burden Nicole, especially since she hadn’t fully recovered yet.
Unexpectedly, Nicole lost her temper. She spun around sharply, her eyes like clear pools locking onto him. “Jarrod, do you really need to keep me by your side in such a controlling manner? Can you even understand how this feels? I feel like a captive, with no say of my own!”
Jarrod pressed his lips together, his face growing darker. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what was it?” Nicole demanded, her eyes welling up. In a moment of distress, she briskly wiped away her tears, her voice trembling. “Yes, I agreed to obey you, but now I’m just asking for one night at my own home. You can’t even allow me that. Do you see me as a person?”
Nicole knew if she insisted on going home for the night, Jarrod, with his suspicious nature, would likely say no. But her teary eyes and the sad look on her pale face softened his stance, making him lower his defenses.
Jarrod’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, his tone becoming softer. “I didn’t say you couldn’t. So, tomorrow night then. I’ll come to pick you up.” For the first time, he made a concession.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you home now.” Jarrod moved to put an arm around her shoulders, but Nicole, still upset, quickly turned away, rejecting his attempt at comfort.
“Don’t want to leave?” Jarrod, surprisingly gentle this time, simply smiled, bent down, and picked Nicole up in his arms, carrying her out of the hospital room.
“Hey! Nicole, taken aback by his sudden action, instinctively held on to his neck, annoyed. “Jarrod, put me down.”
Jarrod, feeling cheerful, laughed quietly, teasing her, “Thought you didn’t want to walk?”
“I never said that. I just…” Nicole cut herself off and fell silent abruptly.
Jarrod followed Nicole’s gaze and saw, across two corridors, Roscoe sitting in a wheelchair, his face devoid of emotion as he was wheeled away for a checkup.
As if sensing the gaze, Roscoe turned his head with a deep look. Yet, his gaze wasn’t meant for Jarrod. It was fixed on Nicole, who was in Jarrod’s arms.
Seeing their exchanged looks, Jarrod felt a surge of jealousy. “What are you staring at?” he asked sharply.
“Nothing,” Nicole replied softly.
Nicole was the first to look away, but Jarrod noticed her rigid face.
There had been a time when Nicole’s eyes held only Jarrod. However, time and misunderstandings had erased the possibility of such moments.
With her gaze now cast downward, Nicole could still feel the intensity of Roscoe’s pure gaze on her, stirring a sense of guilt.
She was glad that the glass that day blocked any sound. But this was just self-deception. Roscoe likely knew she was raped by Jarrod then.
Soon, Roscoe was wheeled away, disappearing from their sight.
Jarrod was overwhelmed with emotions. Without a word, he hurried to the elevator, escorting Nicole to the car.
As Jarrod settled Nicole into the passenger seat, his anger surged, and he leaned over her assertively, his lips brushing against hers.
“Mmm…” Nicole found it hard to breathe under his sudden embrace.
Her lips were sealed, her breathing labored and painful.
Nicole raised her hand to push Jarrod off, but the difference in their strength was too much. Helpless, she tried to scratch his face with her nails, which she had let grow over the last few weeks, leaving a long scratch near his ear.
The pain snapped Jarrod back to reality. He roughly grabbed her chin, his anger boiling over. “Why were you looking at him? Wasn’t the lesson from that day enough? Or do you think he needs more beating?”
Nicole’s lips were bleeding and moving them caused her pain. “Jarrod, you’re worrying over nothing,” she said lightly, wiping the blood off and suddenly letting out an ambiguous laugh. “A dirty woman like me isn’t worthy of him.”
Her voice was soft yet filled with a deep sense of self-loathing and scorn. This only fueled Jarrod’s anger even more. Dirty? He had been with her, and she felt dirty?
Just as Jarrod’s rage was about to explode, Nicole grabbed his tie, pulling him close and whispered in his ear, “That’s right. You’re too filthy, and you’ve tainted me…”
Nicole targeted his prominent Adam’s apple and viciously bit down as if releasing her frustration. Afterward, she wiped her mouth, scornfully adding, “Now we’re both dirty.”
This action surprisingly calmed Jarrod’s fury. He was no ordinary man.
He required unusual approaches.
Jarrod’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he chuckled softly. “Isn’t that fine? We’re perfectly suited for each other.”
Then, Jarrod knelt in front of her seat, trapping her between his legs, with his other leg stretched out too far.
He cupped her face with his hands, leaned down, and kissed her deeply, more tenderly than before, with a touch of curiosity. There in the open parking lot, without even closing the car door, he desired her openly and intensely.
Nicole was irresistibly attractive to Jarrod, almost too much so.
Nicole was shocked and then quickly became angry with Jarrod. “Jarrod, are you even human?” Jarrod had the audacity to suggest having sex right here, with the car door still open. That was insane!
Jarrod fought to keep his desires in check, considering Nicole’s health and deciding to hold back. “I’ll spare you today, but once you’re healed, you’ll make up for it, right?”