Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Blinking, Audrey beheld the man from her dreams seated by her bedside, the tide of emotions from her dreams bleeding into reality. “Why are you ignoring me?” she demanded.
Caught off guard by her question, Cornell’s rehearsed explanations scattered like leaves in the wind.
Audrey’s eyes welled up, her distress deepening with each passing moment. “In my dreams, I kept calling out to you, but you just turned away…”
Listening to her portrait of her dream almost prompted Cornell to chuckle, yet what ensued was a wave of relief. He was relieved that he had grasped something crucial. Was whether her feelings for him out of pity that significant? What mattered was his hesitance to let go of her, and that she envisioned him in her dreams. That, in itself, was enough.
“Fine, blame me then. Go ahead and hit me.” Cornell extended his hand with a mock-serious demeanor.
How could Audrey possibly strike Cornell? Her anger hadn’t even abated. Moreover, many of Cornell’s recent actions felt foreign to her.
“Why didn’t you reach out to me later that evening?” Audrey inquired.
Heaven knew the desolation she experienced upon glimpsing the empty screen of her phone in the morning.
Previously, Cornell would persist with his messages even if she didn’t respond. He would at least inquire, “Are you asleep?”
Label her capricious or accuse her of anything, but in relationships, women frequently tend to be more attentive to these minute details.
Particularly someone like Audrey, who had undergone therapy for psychological concerns. She was more attuned to any subtle shifts, perpetually questioning if the other person had changed or if she had erred. People like her crave constant reassurance to ease their worries.
Cornell’s voice resonated with a subdued yet captivating tone as he confessed, “I feared you were asleep.”
To Audrey, this explanation seemed like a mere justification. For her, reaching out first was a clear indicator of her willingness to communicate openly. She couldn’t fathom how someone as perceptive as Cornell couldn’t grasp that.
Admittedly, Cornell comprehended her perspective, yet he grappled with his own bouts of insecurity as well. For someone who had previously exuded excessive arrogance, | acknowledging — such vulnerabilities proved to be a challenging feat.
But for Audrey’s sake, Cornell admitted, “I wasn’t certain about what was on your mind. If I posed another question, I was worried you might see me as bothersome, and I’m scared of you disliking me…”
In Cornell’s subdued tone, Audrey detected a hint of insecurity. She was taken aback. When did this proud man, perennially admired by others, begin to harbor feelings of insecurity? She was rendered speechless.
However, Audrey nursed a sense of grievance. She had waited for him in his office, only to drift off to sleep, awakening to darkness and chill, abandoned and on the verge of freezing.
“Why didn’t you come back to your office to find me earlier?” Her voice was soft, with a hint of pain. Just contemplating the darkness and chill reignited the feeling of unfairness all over again.
Had she not lingered in anticipation of sharing her thoughts with him, she wouldn’t have inadvertently drifted off to sleep on the couch, subsequently finding herself locked in by mistake.
“It’s my fault,” Cornell said. “It’s entirely my fault. I promise, I won’t abandon you like that again.”
Despite contemplating giving up, when Erick suggested he distance himself from Audrey, it felt like his heart was being torn out.
It was only then Cornell realized he still desired Audrey to spend their rest of lives together. If Audrey agreed to be with him, he was determined not to give up.
Despite his restricted mobility, Cornell was resolved to do everything in his power to protect Audrey for as long as he could.
When he learned Audrey’s marriage with Stefan was a sham, he no longer wanted to stand by idly. He yearned to become an integral part of her life, as well as that of their children. They held the utmost significance to him in this world.
Audrey blushed in response. How had Cornell undergone such a swift transformation? Wasn’t he distant just a short while ago? Yet now, he was articulating everything she longed to hear.
However, Audrey still harbored some anger about being left alone.
Wanting to vent, she said, “You claim you won’t abandon me, but I’m already married. Are you intending to become involved as the ‘other man’?”
Cornell’s gaze flickered slightly, realizing that Audrey was unaware of the fact that he knew the truth. “I’m willing to risk my reputation for you,” he replied.
Audrey was stunned, her mind reeling with astonishment. “You’d be willing to be the ‘other man’?”
Cornell gazed deeply at her. “As long as you don’t despise me, we can be together.”
His heart raced with emotion as he spoke these words. Sweat dampened his palms, feeling as if he stood at a crossroads of being chosen for the first time in his life. He feared Audrey might reject him now.
But he was desperate to resolve this issue. Each crisis, that suffocating sensation akin to his heart halting, underscored the truth that life offered no promises of a “later,” only the immediacy of the “now.”
Cornell grasped a man was supposed to hold tightly to the one he treasured with actions. Never should he release his hold on the one he cherished, for it would only invite regret.
Audrey felt overwhelmed by these sentiments. She didn’t comprehend why he was suddenly pouring out his feelings to her, catching her off guard.
Swiftly, she pulled the blanket over her head, muttering, “I’m a bit tired. Let’s discuss this another time.”
Despite knowing she was trying to evade the conversation, Cornell felt helpless. His gaze dimmed as he softly uttered, “Get some good rest.”
With that, he quietly closed the door behind him and departed.
Audrey lifted the blanket once she heard the door click shut, her gaze fixed on the stark white ceiling, lost in contemplation. She hadn’t made up her mind about rekindling things with Cornell.
Suddenly, a wave of fear surged within her, and she longed to flee.
The darkness of the prior night’s solitude had resurrected that familiar sensation of abandonment. She was gripped by fear…
Audrey recuperated just in time for her babies’ celebration.
Considering the imminent event, Erick contemplated involving Cornell in the plan.
By then, when the times came, he would lead a team and break into Davey’s villa, but he fretted over Audrey’s safety at the celebration, uncertain if Stefan could adequately protect her. Having Cornell for extra security would undoubtedly be advantageous.
However, Audrey hesitated. Cornell’s mobility issues could potentially complicate matters and raise Davey’s suspicions.
Erick’s apprehensions were not unfounded. The plan wasn’t without its risks. Whether it was the attendees of the celebration or those tasked with sneaking into Davey’s villa, the situation seemed fraught with uncertainty.
With time ticking away and insufficient time to coordinate personnel, the rescue for Casey couldn’t wait. After all, Davey was scheduled to sign the company transfer contract the day after tomorrow. Once he departed, the chances of ascertaining Casey’s whereabouts were slim.
Cornell grasped the significance of the babies’ celebration, as Erick had elucidated, aimed at aiding Stefan. According to an unspoken decree of the Clifford family, following the baby’s celebration, Stefan would assume the formal role of independent household head and could relocate his registration from the family home.
Although Cornell felt a pang of jealousy, he suppressed it, acknowledging that while Stefan held affections for Audrey, Stefan competed fairly without resorting to deceitful tactics. A truly commendable rival in love.
The day of the celebration dawned.
Audrey, adorned in a resplendent red dress paired with a gray fur coat, exuded elegance and allure.
Davey, who hadn’t made a public appearance for quite some time, made his entrance at the celebration.
In Aurora’s social hierarchy, invitations from influential families like the Cliffords and Maxwells were obligatory, with failure to attend considered a severance of ties.
Thus, Davey’s arrival promptly thrust him into the spotlight.
Clad in an uncharacteristic cream-colored velvet suit, he exuded the facade of a scholar, though Audrey knew better than to be deceived by his scholarly facade. His true character often betrayed itself in unguarded moments.
For some inexplicable reason, Audrey always felt apprehensive in Davey’s presence, especially since he tended to fixate his gaze on her upon arrival, lingering uncomfortably long.
Concealed within Audrey’s pearl earring, an earpiece relayed Erick’s voice. They had already rendered all of Davey’s security personnel and servants incapacitated within his villa.
They had also halted the surveillance footage, programming it to replay every ten minutes, a measure that wouldn’t arouse suspicion unless Davey scrutinized the surveillance screen extensively.
To prevent Davey from having any opportunity to review the surveillance, Audrey approached him.
“Mr. Glyn.” Approaching with an empty wine glass, Audrey expressed her gratitude in a courteous tone, “Thanks a lot for joining us for the babies’ celebration.”
Davey responded with a gracious nod, “Miss Foster, you’re too kind.”
Audrey, noticing his empty hands, gestured to a servant with a pretense of annoyance. “What’s going on? Why hasn’t Mr. Glyn been served any wine?”
Apologies streamed from the servant as he swiftly poured a glass for Davey, who made no move to take it. The servant stood, holding the glass aloft.
A nod from Davey prompted the servant to place the glass on a nearby surface.
Once the servant had placed the glass down, Audrey directed, “Refill it, please.”
The servant refilled Audrey’s glass, and she raised it toward Davey, saying, “Here’s to you, Mr. Glyn.”
As if showcasing the safety of the drink, she downed it in one gulp.
As she finished, Audrey’s heart raced. The wine had been laced with a substance inducing sleep for hours. Having preemptively taken an antidote, she could prove they shared the same bottle, a ploy to lower Davey’s guard.
Dealing with someone as shrewd as Davey, mere conversation posed risks, rendering him immobile was the safest recourse.
Yet, even after Audrey emptied her glass, Davey showed no inclination to sip from his.
Audrey motioned for a refill, subtly hinting. “Another toast, Mr. Glyn.”
Both being from Ambrosia, Davey would grasp the significance of a double toast as the pinnacle of respect.
Davey, as an elder, couldn’t outright decline a toast without repercussions since refusal would tarnish his reputation. Slowly, he raised his glass, a smile barely reaching his eyes.
Just as Davey was poised to drink, he abruptly set the glass down, remarking, “I just recalled,
I’ve taken medication as prescribed by my doctor, rendering me unable to consume alcohol or anything else for three hours.”
With firm resolve, he placed the glass down on the table.
Though infuriated, Audrey found his excuse plausible, leaving her no grounds for objection.