Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
“Don’t beg favors from me, you disgusting woman! Now, get lost!”
However, the waitress wasn’t one to back down. She began to cry loudly. “I might as well let the passersby judge whether you’d mistreated me. I’m not afraid. Anyway, I’ve got nothing to lose. If you don’t give me the necklace, I won’t let you off the hook!”
The old man, Deniz, had made out with plenty of women on his journey.
He hadn’t anticipated such a spirited response from this waitress.
He signaled to his driver with a wink. The driver quickly grasped the situation, stuffing more money into the woman’s hand and saying, “Sweetheart, just buy a little necklace and we have a deal. You can’t really argue with this, can you?”
The driver, experienced at handling such shady situations, was particularly persuasive. He leaned in and whispered to the woman, “Look, this gentleman has influential connections in Ardlens. He’s not someone to mess with. I suggest you take the money and leave. Don’t complicate things, alright?”
The driver’s words were chosen, the sincerity questionable.
Far from a decent soul, the waitress realized she couldn’t gain much from Deniz and quit arguing. Standing up and dusting off her trousers, she scoffed. “Who are you kidding? I know this car. It’s a junker. Not worth much. One with influential connections wouldn’t be driving this trash.”
Deniz’s quick temper ignited at the mockery, ready to attack.
The waitress, frightened, retreated, declaring, “Forget it. I’ll just treat this as a run-in with a swine.”
Then, she walked away confidently, swaying her hips.
“Damn it!” Deniz kicked the car door in a huff. He cursed, “What a disgrace, to be humiliated by some nobody!”
The driver quickly lit a cigarette, handing it to Deniz. “Sir, calm down. Women from these small places tend to be unruly and rough.”
Deniz put the cigarette between his lips, muttering angrily, “If not for that damn Jarrod, would I be in this mess? Damn it!”
Deniz continued to swear.
Previously, over an issue regarding Nicole, Jarrod disregarded the reputation of the Hampton family and had Deniz imprisoned for a year.
The point was that Deniz hadn’t even laid a finger on Nicole. He simply drugged her in an
attempt to rape her, yet he ended up imprisoned for a year, which he felt he was unjustly treated.
Upon Deniz’s release, his previous cooperation with the Hampton family naturally fell through.
Deniz’s wife pleaded with her sister, who was married to a director of the Hampton family, but the latter was too afraid to advocate for Deniz. Consequently, Deniz was banished to this forsaken place. They claimed it was to help him reflect and mature before he could return to Ardlens.
Although their claim was nicely put, Deniz felt by the time was allowed back, everything would be gone.
Thinking it through, Deniz wrongly blamed Nicole and Jarrod for his current suffering in this deserted place. If it weren’t for Jarrod’s recent connections to the Hampton family, he would be seeking an outlet for his rage.
“Damn it! That hideous woman, so disgusting!” Deniz couldn’t stop cursing.
The driver grasped Deniz’s foul mood might make the next few days difficult for him as Deniz vented his anger.
But there wasn’t much the driver could do with it since he needed this job to earn a living.
Attempting to change the subject, the driver said, “Sir, you wouldn’t believe it, but I met a stunning woman at the hot pot restaurant, truly elegant, a real beauty even by Ardlens’ standards.”
Deniz scoffed. “With your taste, how would you recognize true beauty?”
“Sir, trust me, I’m not kidding. I even secretly took a picture to show it to you. It’s just the earlier commotion made me almost forget about it.”
The driver pulled out his phone, opened the gallery, and displayed a photo of Nicole dining, her charm evident even as she looked down at her meat.
“This is her at the hot pot restaurant where I took the photo. Later, she ran into me on her way to the restroom. Her figure was so curvy. She’s genuinely gorgeous up close, no exaggeration. Unfortunately, she’s already with someone…”
“Where did you see her?” Deniz demanded, grabbing the driver’s collar.
“At the hot pot restaurant.” The driver was caught off guard by Deniz’s sudden enthusiasm. He advised, “Sir, perhaps we should avoid making problems. She’s involved with someone else, and meddling could lead to big troubles…”
The depths of Deniz’s thoughts were a mystery to the driver.
Deniz’s gaze sharpened as he instructed, “Hand me the photo and delete it from your phone.”
The driver was puzzled by the request. He often secretly photographed attractive women to admire later. However, he complied with Deniz’s orders without question.
Deniz scrutinized the photo, his eyes intense, and then said to the driver, “You’re coming back to Ardlens with me. I can offer you a better life.”
Deniz was determined to shake things up this time. He vowed to hold on to his assets, and he wasn’t about to let anyone else claim what was rightfully his.
Oasis Apartment.
In the huge floor-to-ceiling window, a man with a_ striking, attractive face was mirrored. With a full wine glass in hand, he took a sip, the red liquid leaving a mark on his lips.
The day Nicole disappeared, her name appeared on a flight passenger list, but Jarrod knew it was fake to distract him after the investigation. She must have left by other means, detesting him and Ardlens so much that she was likely hiding out abroad.
From initial panic to a calmer state now, Jarrod had never ceased the covert search. Despite deploying numerous people for a global search, no trace of her had been found.
Gazing at the twinkling neon lights outside, Jarrod reminisced about the times he and Nicole had spent together in this apartment.
His temper flared, and in a huff, he threw the wine glass against the opposite wall, his expression tense. Such a rebellious escapee, but he was resolute in his intent to find her.
Just then, his phone on the cabinet began to vibrate. He answered on speaker, a flirtatious female voice filling the room. “Jarrod, I’ve had too much to drink. My head is spinning. Come get me…”
“Where are you?” Jarrod asked.
Vicki’s words were slightly softened by her drunkenness. “At… At… Cloud Hotel.”
“Okay, wait for me.” He ended the call and told Alec to ready the car.
Shortly, the car pulled up at the destination.
The car window rolled down to reveal Vicki dressed in a red tweed suit, her eyes twinkling with joy, her arms outstretched, beckoning to Jarrod. “Jarrod, hold me…”
Jarrod exited the car but didn’t approach Vicki. Instead, he leaned against the car, a smirk forming on his handsome face as he lit a cigarette and nodded at Vicki.
Vicki initially frowned because he hadn’t approached her, but his smile quickly melted her irritation.
Jarrod was undeniably attractive. Since he had tempered his wilder ways, he now exuded a more refined aura, though still retaining a hint of mischief.
Any woman who caught sight of him struggled to remain unfazed.
Vicki staggered to Jarrod and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his slim waist. She murmured, “Jarrod, you didn’t even call me. Aren’t you worried I might find someone else while I’m out having fun?”
Jarrod raised an eyebrow and challenged, “Would you?”
Blushing, Vicki responded flirtatiously, “You know who I am, don’t you?”
Jarrod reassured her with a smile, “I have faith in Mrs. Schultz.”
Their wedding date was set for three months from now.
The mention of “Mrs. Schultz” made Vicki’s legs weak. She held onto him tightly, fitting snugly against him. “Jarrod, you really are…”
Jarrod gave a faint smile. “You don’t like it? Should I stop calling you that?”
“No!” Vicki playfully hit him and said, “Of course I love it, you rascal.”
“Get in the car.” Jarrod courteously opened the car door for Vicki.
The Hampton family paved the way for Jarrod’s regained control over the Schultz Group.
Initially, Vicki’s father had been adamant about severing ties with the Schultz Group and Jarrod, but Vicki wouldn’t hear of it. She cried, made scenes, and even threatened to take her own Life.
Jarrod had never made such extreme demands himself, but Vicki went as far as to slit her wrists to force her father to save Jarrod. She was hopelessly in love with Jarrod.
However, Jarrod’s position at the Schultz Group was still precarious, with many shareholders opposing him. So, he intended to use their upcoming marriage as a strategy to manage some dissenting shareholders.
In Ardlens, many socialites aspired to marry Jarrod, but Vicki was the most manageable and naive.
After climbing into the car, Vicki unabashedly wrapped herself around Jarrod like an octopus, snuggling deeply into his embrace, all in full view of the driver. “Jarrod, I miss you so much.”
Jarrod laughed. “We just saw each other at noon.”
“I miss you every minute we’re apart, uncontrollably so.” Vicki seemed to have had too much to drink, as she was exceptionally talkative tonight, each word saturated with affection.
Jarrod reclined in his seat, silent, leaving it unclear whether he was truly Listening.
The ride was too comfortable. Claiming fatigue, Vicki fell asleep.
Feeling her steady breathing against him, Jarrod emotionlessly shifted her aside, his face settling into a mask of cold detachment.
It was such a stark contrast from his manner just a moment ago.
Even in her sleep, Vicki continued to murmur, “Jarrod, I love you.”
They soon reached their destination.