Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Alec parked the car smoothly, and Jarrod lifted the still-sleeping Vicki out of the car.
Half-awake, Vicki looked at him through blurry eyes and whispered, “Jarrod, don’t go tonight. Stay with me.”
Jarrod’s expression softened, and he smiled. “I’ll stay with you.”
Vicki snuggled contentedly into his embrace.
Jarrod carried Vicki inside. Shortly afterward, the elevator doors opened again, revealing only Jarrod as he stepped out alone.
Jarrod sat back in his car, his face serious as he rubbed his forehead and asked, “Got any updates?”
Alec responded, “Not yet.”
Jarrod remained silent. He had expected this answer.
Alec glanced at Vicki’s villa and then added, “Mr Schultz, I think the child might either be gone or didn’t survive.”
It had been a month since Nicole vanished. One day, Jarrod suddenly instructed Alec to go overseas to check if Nicole had any children.
The landlady overseas hadn’t spotted Nicole with any kids but did share a helpful detail, claiming having witnessed a man with Nicole guiding a young boy along. But the very one glimpse of the young boy couldn’t confirm if the boy was his son or just a friend’s child.
To Alec, this information seemed insignificant. He found it hard to believe that Nicole could have managed childbirth, considering the strain it would have put on her health.
However, when Jarrod learned this, he became fixated on locating the child, as if driven by something beyond reason.
Where should Alec even start? After searching for so long, he half-joked to himself about wishing he could just produce a child to satisfy Jarrod’s demands.
Alec attempted to reason with Jarrod. “Mr. Schultz, if you want a child, why not consider having one with Miss Hampton? It would solidify your alliance with the Hampton family and secure your position within the Schultz Group.”
Alec thought it was a straightforward solution. Having a child with Vicki seemed to offer more benefits.
Forget the child Jarrod thought might exist. Even if such a child were real, bringing it into the open could upset the Hamptons and jeopardize using Vicki as leverage, potentially causing the senior leaders at the Schultz Group to challenge Jarrod.
In essence, Alec hoped, for Jarrod’s sake, that Nicole’s child didn’t actually exist.
Jarrod gave Alec a cold look. “Not a bad idea. Why don’t you go have a child with Miss Hampton?”
Alec shivered. “Mr. Schultz, please, that was out of line. I won’t overstep again.” He understood that Jarrod was telling him to keep his opinions to himself.
Jarrod waved him off, rubbing his temples. “Let Shay handle the search for the child. You focus on the company.”
Alec bit his lip, regretting his earlier words. He was well aware of Nicole’s special place in Jarrod’s heart, and any child of hers would undoubtedly be crucial to him.
The car window was half-open when suddenly, a white bird flew in and perched on Jarrod’s shoulder.
Stunned, Alec quickly recognized it. “Isn’t this Miss Hampton’s pet bird?”
Jarrod also recognized it.
Vicki cherished this little white bird, which was pure white and strikingly elegant. She usually lavished it with attention. Jarrod had interacted with it a few times before.
From the driver’s seat, Alec noted, “Miss Hampton usually keeps such a close watch on it. It’s unusual for it to have flown off like this.”
The bird seemed comfortable with Jarrod, not attempting to flee but gently pecking at his collar.
Alec laughed. “Mr. Schultz, it looks like it really likes you. Miss Hampton has had it for over a year, and it remembers you more than it does her, despite seeing you only a few times. Such an ungrateful little thing.”
“Should I take it…” Before Alec could finish, a soft snap interrupted him.
“Squeak…” The little white bird lay lifeless in Jarrod’s hand, utterly still.
Alec was shocked. This was Vicki’s beloved pet, and Jarrod had just killed it…
Jarrod looked down at the motionless bird in his hand, its white feathers still pristine even in death. What a shame. It just wouldn’t listen. Much like Nicole.
Jarrod’s frustration was palpable as his thoughts once again shifted to Nicole. He had devoted so much care to her, trying to win her over and handling her delicately, yet she had fled without a second thought. Disobedient birds deserved punishment, and people weren’t any exception.
He was confident he would capture her eventually. He just hadn’t decided on her punishment yet. Nicole was stubborn and resilient.
Most importantly, she didn’t quite take to him despite his efforts, much like this bird, having fled away from its cage. At times, he wished… He wished he could just break her.
Jarrod told Alec to keep driving and casually tossed the bird’s body into a trash bin, his expression icily detached. Once he recaptured Nicole, he would ensure she could never escape again. Even in death, she would only perish in his grip.
Nicole was in a cozy courtyard at the foot of the hills, trying her hand at knitting. She aimed to knit Roscoe a soft cashmere scarf.
She had chosen a soft, misty blue for the yarn, a color that complemented him well, understated, pure, yet unique.
As she knitted in the courtyard, a bird perched on the wall and began to caw miserably.
Nicole felt disturbed by the noise and tried to scare it off.
But the bird seemed oblivious to her and continued to caw sorrowfully.
Growing more nervous, Nicole tossed a pebble at it. The bird flapped away in response, leaving behind a single feather.
Nicole gazed at the feather, a wave of discomfort swelling within her.
She walked back and forth, trying to soothe her nerves.
Suddenly, a furry little animal brushed against her legs.
Looking down, Nicole saw it was Keith, who seemed to sense her distress and wagged his tail energetically to comfort her.
Watching Keith reminded her of Roscoe’s routine talks during his feeding, and gradually, her anxiety lessened.
She returned to her seat and resumed knitting the scarf, her fingers moving quickly.
This was the first present she had made for Roscoe, and she was keen for him to try it on soon.
It was still daylight when Roscoe got back. He had traveled to town to fetch a rare herb beneficial for Nicole’s health.
He had made a deal with the town’s pharmacy to buy whatever herb they had, even braving the bad weather to get it. That was exactly what he accomplished today.
Upon entering, Roscoe saw Nicole had moved from outdoors to beside the campfire, still working on the scarf.
She had put on a bit of weight, and though she was still lean, she no longer looked as gaunt.
The firelight lit up her face, making her appear lively and beautiful.
The sight of her knitting was deeply heartwarming.
Roscoe walked over, gently took the yarn from Nicole’s hands, and handed her a plum blossom cake. Then, he playfully quipped, “You’re supposed to practice just a little each day. Did you push yourself too hard today?”
“I’m not that delicate, and knitting isn’t strenuous,” Nicole responded with a chuckle. She took a bite of the plum blossom cake, whose flavor and sweetness were distinctive to this town and delightfully unique.
“Remember, don’t overwork yourself. You’re only allowed forty minutes of knitting each day,” Roscoe said softly.
“Forty minutes is hardly enough. My hands are still adjusting. I can’t finish well in that short time,” Nicole replied.
“It doesn’t matter if it isn’t perfect. There’s no rush. Even if you finish it by summer, I’ll wear it,” Roscoe assured her.
Nicole chuckled. “Wouldn’t you get a heat rash wearing it in the summer?”
“That would be a joyful rash,” Roscoe quipped and stood up to prepare dinner.
Watching him walk away, Nicole set aside the plum blossom cake and picked up the scarf again, knitting with renewed vigor.
For some reason, she felt a pressing need to finish it more quickly.
She felt an unsettling fear, dreading that Roscoe might never get to wear this scarf.
On Vicki’s father’s birthday, Jarrod and Vicki attended together.
When Jarrod’s scandal first surfaced, Vicki’s father, Wayne, firmly insisted that Vicki and Jarrod end their relationship.
In high society, a little flirtation and some quirky habits were nothing unusual. Many men viewed their mistresses merely as a means to alleviate stress. But they wouldn’t treat their wives in such a manner.
Truth be told, Wayne had been wilder than Jarrod in his younger days, but Vicki was his most cherished daughter, born to the woman he loved dearly. Thus, he had always spoiled Vicki.
As Jarrod’s scandal broke, Wayne immediately ordered an investigation.
He was stunned by the findings. The woman involved with Jarrod was Nicole, the heiress of the Lawrence family who had been missing since then.
Back then, the dramatic downfall of the Lawrence family had once been a major topic of conversation in society.
While everyone feared Jarrod’s ruthless nature, Wayne admired Jarrod’s uncompromising approach. He saw a lot of his younger self in Jarrod, a man with guts.
But with the Lawrence family’s downfall, it wasn’t fair to simply say Jarrod bore a grudge against them by keeping Nicole by his side and torturing her.
Hatred could take many forms, but it wouldn’t manifest in this way.