Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
On her way to work, Nicole got a call from the sanatorium, informing her that her mother’s condition had deteriorated.
Nicole instantly flew into a state of panic and requested a night off from Jemma to check in on her mother.
Since the sanatorium and Kingbel Club were in opposite directions, she wouldn’t be able to reach work on time if she went to the sanatorium.
Vicki had issued strict instructions to the club’s management personnel to not grant Nicole any time off, an order to ensure that Nicole wasn’t there to enjoy herself, but to suffer.
Yet, Jemma was on good terms with the management, and after treating them to a hearty meal, they were willing to ignore Nicole’s absence.
As long as someone was available to do the work, they weren’t concerned about anything else.
This marked the second time this month that Nicole had taken a leave.
Normally, employees were only granted two and a half days off monthly.
Despite her uneasiness about asking for a leave, Nicole felt the need to check on her mother under such circumstances.
Fortunately, Jemma swiftly approved the leave request when she heard Nicole’s mother was unwell and wished Nicole a safe journey to and from the way to check on her mother.
Nicole requested the driver for a destination change to the sanatorium.
Upon Nicole’s arrival, the nurse appeared astonished. “Miss Lawrence, what brings you here?”
Nicole studied her mother, who was lying quietly on the bed, fast asleep. Her body sagged with relief and she replied, “The hospital notified me that my mother’s condition had taken a turn for the worse.”
“Don’t worry. She had a seizure in the afternoon, but it passed quickly. Her vital signs are completely stable now.” The nurse comfortingly told Nicole, “It’s nothing to worry about, Miss Lawrence.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Nicole accompanied her mother for a while.
Dora woke up for a bit in between, but she still didn’t recognize Nicole.
This was nothing new to Nicole. She visited every week, but Dora never reacted to her. Once, Nicole accidentally ran into Jarrod visiting Dora. Dora seemed more delighted at the sight of Jarrod than Nicole.
Nicole had consulted the doctor about it, who replied it was probably because Jarrod was the first person Dora saw when she regained consciousness, so she felt a sense of familiarity and dependence toward him.
With no solution at present, Nicole didn’t make a fuss about it.
Plus, having someone Dora didn’t reject helped stabilize her condition.
Besides, Jarrod had made all the arrangements for Dora from the very beginning, so Nicole couldn’t just tell him to stay away.
Her only choice was to avoid confrontations with Jarrod, which was why she only came to visit her mother when Jarrod wasn’t around.
But Jarrod’s work kept him occupied and he rarely visited Dora.
Nicole’s worries were unfounded.
The nurse saw Nicole’s fatigue-lined face and said in a sympathetic voice, “Miss Lawrence, why don’t you go back home and catch some rest? You must be tired from work, and you live so far away. You just visited yesterday, and you came here again today. You must be exhausted.”
The nurse wasn’t aware of the nature of Nicole’s job. Nicole couldn’t exactly admit to it, so she just said she was at work and often had late nights.
Concerned about Nicole’s health, the nurse once again reassured, “Miss Lawrence, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your mother.”
Nicole replied with a nod, “Thank you for your efforts. Please call me if anything happens.”
“Sure, Miss Lawrence.”
Nicole got to her feet and studied Dora, who was sleeping peacefully, her eyes closed.
The reluctance was clear in Nicole’s voice as she said, “Mom, I’m going. Take care of yourself. I hope that every time I come to visit you, you’re healthy.”
Nicole knew that Dora couldn’t understand her words, but she still talked every time before she left, hoping that one day Dora would remember her.
A part of Nicole deemed Dora’s current condition as a blessing. If Dora still had her memories, she would remember that her husband had met his death from a leap from the building, her daughter was in trouble, and her only grandson was in the clutches of the enemy.
There was no way her obstinate personality would be able to stand it.
That was the reason Nicole hoped these painful memories would remain lost forever.
Nicole walked out of the sanatorium, completely drained. It was still early, and she decided to head ba
ck and handle some work matters for a while, not wanting to impose on Jemma.
She took out her phone and ordered a taxi. She had barely waited at the entrance for five minutes when the car arrived.
Nicole opened the car’s door and got into the back seat. The driver in the front was wearing a mask, prompting her to regard him suspiciously.
Sensing Nicole’s scrutinize, the driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror and apologized, “I’m sorry, miss. I have a cold, and I don’t want to pass it on to you.”
Nicole just nodded, not thinking much of it. Since she had booked the Uber with her phone, the entire trip was being tracked, and there was a one-click emergency call feature. This made her feel secure, and she soon dozed off in the back seat.
Nicole had no idea how long she’d been out until she suddenly startled awake. She thought she might have heard the driver on a phone call, but when she fully awoke, she saw he was still masked and focused on driving. She wondered if she had just dreamed it.
She looked out the window and saw the gray sky, a sign that rain might start soon.
Nicole stared out for a moment and sensed that something was off.
She quickly checked her phone and asked, “Sir, are we on the right road?”
Her phone’s map revealed that the driver had strayed from the planned route and was now on a completely different path.
The driver responded casually, “No, miss. I’m taking a shortcut. It will actually cost less this way.” His voice was clear and sharp, a stark contrast to the congested tone he had used earlier.
As Nicole looked at the barren landscape rolling by, her unease grew.
“No, sir. Please return to the original route on the navigation. I’ll cover whatever the cost.”
“Miss, it’s quite a long way to go back now. It will take a lot longer. Don’t worry. We’ll get there quickly.”
Ignoring Nicole’s request, the driver pressed harder on the accelerator. The car sped up to nearly 120 kilometers per hour, well over the 80-kilometer-per-hour limit for city roads.
Nicole was about to hit the emergency call button when her phone beeped and shut off due to a dead battery.
Everything seemed to be going wrong.
With her phone dead, Nicole had to think fast. She knew something wasn’t right and remembered checking the car’s color and license plate before she got in. All had seemed correct then. So why did she feel so uneasy?
She peeked at the driver’s License on the passenger seat and spotted the driver’s work photo. The man in the picture had broad, trustworthy features.
But the driver’s eyes, visible above the mask, were narrow and slanted, completely different from the photo.
Nicole’s heart dropped as she realized her mistake. This man was certainly not the assigned driver. He was taking her somewhere unknown.
She knew she had to feign ignorance to find a chance to escape. Facing him directly might not end well for her.
But before she could plan her next move, the driver noticed she had been looking at the driver’s license.
The driver removed his mask confidently and said, “I just started my shift. The earlier driver was someone else.”
“Okay. Nicole kept her tone even. She knew she needed to stay calm and play pretend to find a chance to escape.”
The driver seemed thrown off by Nicole’s composed response and didn’t reveal his true intentions. He kept driving, clearly planning to take Nicole somewhere specific.
Nicole suspected accomplices were waiting for her at the destination.
There couldn’t be any good news in store for her.
She glanced at the gearshift, considering the odds of surviving a jump from the car at 120 kilometers per hour.
The car was speeding along, but as rain began to pour, the driver had to slow down slightly to manage the slippery road.
The reduced visibility from the rain made it risky to drive fast since the car could easily skid or roll.
This situation gave Nicole her opportunity. While she seemed to be looking aimlessly forward, she was stealing glances at the LCD, checking the car’s speed.
When the speedometer dropped to about seventy kilometers per hour, seizing a moment when the driver was slightly distracted, Nicole stealthily pressed the door unlock button. The door clicked open.
Before the driver could react, Nicole flung the back door open and leaped out.
“Hey, you bitch…” The noise of the rain and the car’s engine muffled the driver’s voice as he sped away.
“Thud!” Nicole hit the ground and rolled several times. Pain surged through her right shoulder, likely dislocated. She winced under the intense pain.
Nicole clenched her teeth and forced herself to stand, each movement agonizing.
The car had turned around and was now speeding back toward Nicole.
She made for the open desert, but the heavy rain made it hard to conceal her tracks.
The driver quickly caught up to her. His fitness was apparent as he closed the distance much faster than Nicole could manage.