Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
The officer’s words and tone infuriated Vicki. She was well-known as Miss Hampton in Ardlens, where everyone addressed her with respect. The officer simply treated her as if she were unreasonably making a scene, while Vicki saw herself otherwise.
Vicki was livid. She shouted, “Can’t you speak properly? Do you want trouble?”
The officer smoothed her uniform and retorted, “Did I misspeak? By your logic, couldn’t I claim that you’re making inappropriate advances toward me?”
The young officer’s sharp retort left Vicki at a loss for words. Nicole watched the exchange with a smirk. “Miss Hampton, do you still think these officers are like your household staff, to command as you wish?”
Seeing Nicole, the very one who had involved the authorities, Vicki’s anger boiled over. She pointed at Nicole and accused, “She’s a murderer! She tried to kill me! Why aren’t you arresting her?”
The officers on duty considered Vicki a troublemaker. Based on the evidence, it seemed Nicole was actually the victim. Vicki rambled wildly, sounding unhinged as she exclaimed, “They’re no good! They hurt people and then pinned it all on me!”
Despite Vicki’s absurd claims, Nicole noticed the fear in her eyes. Nicole called her name gently and asked, “Are you having second thoughts?”
Vicki’s face shifted, her eyes widening as she stared back at Nicole. With a detached tone, Nicole stated, “Had you not constantly used Austin to threaten me, I wouldn’t have ended up marrying Jarrod.”
“You manipulative woman!” Vicki yelled, “You’re exploiting Jarrod to get back at me, aren’t you!”
“Yes.” Nicole didn’t bother to hide her motives. If Vicki hadn’t persistently targeted Austin and Kamilah, she wouldn’t have felt compelled to marry Jarrod. Now, tied down by their marriage, leaving Jarrod would be complicated.
Vicki was stunned by Nicole’s blunt confession. She viciously said, “Jarrod will never forgive you. You think you can use him and just walk away?”
“Do you think he’s unaware?” Nicole replied calmly. Her words struck Vicki deeper than the revelation of their marriage. The impact was devastating.
In Vicki’s view, the fact that Jarrod, always so composed, would make such a decision knowing Nicole’s intentions was truly terrifying. His sacrifice for Nicole seemed unparalleled.
Vicki felt real regret. Had she known better, she would have stayed under the radar and not meddled with Nicole and Austin. Then, she might still be joyfully anticipating her own wedding.
Desperation creeping into her gaze, Vicki blurted out, “Divorce him now. If you leave him, I’ll pay you a lot of money. Leave this country with Austin. Would you consider it?”
Nicole scoffed. “Miss Hampton, do you really mean that? Or…”
Nicole hesitated and then asked, “After this, you won’t see us as irritants and try to eliminate us or set traps, will you?”
Vicki was taken aback that Nicole had guessed her intentions. Deep down, she felt Nicole and Austin were nuisances to her. She couldn’t stand the thought of them being alive. Because as long as they were around, Jarrod would never fully be hers. But she would never admit that aloud.
Vicki lowered her gaze and responded, “I won’t. I promise you. I really won’t.”
Nicole chuckled. “Miss Hampton, a promise from someone who can’t be trusted is worthless. I won’t believe you. From now on, I’ll do everything to protect those I love. Even if you wield great power and get away this time, we’re not done here.”
“Ah! I’ll kill you!” In a fit of rage, Vicki leaped up, attempting to strangle Nicole.
But before Vicki could get her hands on Nicole, the young police officer intervened. She firmly cautioned Vicki, “Miss Hampton, please control yourself. Cooperate with us. This is your first warning.”
This was new to Vicki. The Hampton family had always handled her minor troubles. She had never been to the police station and didn’t think this incident was serious. She didn’t grasp the severity of the attempted murder at all.
Vicki yelled like a lunatic, “Do you know who I am? I’m a well-known young lady in Ardlens. If you arrest me wrongly, how will you compensate for my losses?”
The officers ignored her, and one of them said sternly, “Second warning.”
“Are you fucking deaf? Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
“Third warning. Take her away.”
At the leader’s command, two officers escorted Vicki to the car. Vicki continued to rant, “How dare you! You will regret this! Don’t touch me… Do you know the value of this dress? It’s worth more than your yearly salary…”
Vicki’s voice faded into the distance as the car drove off. Nicole’s expression was icy. She had learned what type of person Vicki was from their past encounters. Vicki wouldn’t let this go and was sure to retaliate. She knew she had to be ready.
Nicole took the villa’s car to the hospital. Upon arriving at the ward, she noticed Jarrod’s tall figure standing by the door.
Nicole approached and asked, “How is she?”
Jarrod replied, “Don’t worry. The specialists are still consulting with her.”
After speaking, he draped the suit jacket he was wearing over her shoulders.
As Jarrod looked down, he noticed goosebumps on Nicole’s neck. She was lightly clad, and the hospital’s air conditioning sent a chill through her. Nicole was preoccupied with Kamilah’s grave condition, too drained to object when Jarrod offered his jacket. Jarrod appeared cheerful by her lack of resistance, his smile unwavering.
The specialist consultation took nearly three hours, concluding with a decision to undertake blood purification therapy, a lengthy and complex blood transfusion process.
The outcome was uncertain. Kamilah might never regain her independence, with the worst-case scenario being a life of dependency. Tears gathered in Nicole’s eyes as her resentment toward Vicki grew. Vicki had destroyed a life without remorse.
Looking up at Jarrod, Nicole’s voice was resolute. “I will never forgive the person responsible for this.”
Jarrod understood her intent. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of it.”
“I hope you mean that,” Nicole responded, wary of stirring conflict with him at such a critical time. Their situation was dire, compounded by her uncertainty about Roscoe’s condition. Considering Miguel’s notorious cruelty, the prospects were grim. It seemed Jarrod was the only hope of navigating this crisis.
Jarrod quirked an eyebrow, his smirk playful. “What’s on your mind? Isn’t it my son who’s in danger?”
“It’s good you recognize that,” Nicole retorted. Reassured by Jarrod’s promise to remain uninvolved, Nicole felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She was confident that justice would reach Vicki.
The hospital staff advised them to leave for now, as there was nothing more they could do. The blood purification wouldn’t begin today; they first had to cleanse the toxins. Moreover, specialized staff were available to care for Kamilah.
Realizing her presence in the hospital was futile, Nicole decided to return home to comfort Austin, who was anxious about Kamilah. Once back at the villa, Nicole found Austin waiting, visibly distressed and sleepless.
Nicole reassured him, “Don’t worry, Austin. Kamilah will pull through. Let’s pray for her recovery and for fortune to favor the kind-hearted.”
Austin nodded and then hesitated. “What’s wrong?” Nicole inquired.
“Mommy, I’m not a kind person,” Austin confessed quietly.
“Why do you think that?” Nicole asked gently.
“I wanted to see you, so I pretended to obey and tricked that bad woman,” Austin said. “I lied to her. It was something bad.”
Nicole could see Austin was still grappling with guilt. She held his shoulders and said, “Austin, protecting yourself is not wrong. Making temporary compromises for your safety is sometimes necessary.”
Austin looked puzzled. “But Roscoe said we shouldn’t become bad just because others are bad. A wrong could never turn into a right, no matter what the intention was. One cannot simply justify actions by good intentions alone.”
This was a lesson from Roscoe. Sadly, Austin had only grasped the superficial meaning, missing the broader implications.
Nicole clarified, “Roscoe’s words were about maintaining our integrity. Just because our circumstances force us to act doesn’t mean we become bad. In a crisis, it’s essential to protect yourself first. You did more than that; you also gave Kamilah a chance.
The photos you took immediately showed the experts the type of poison they were dealing with, bypassing the need for initial tests. This hastened her treatment and improved her chances of recovery. You’ve done an outstanding job, Austin. Do you realize how crucial your actions were?”
Nicole offered these words to bolster his spirits. Nicole had spent little time with Austin lately and worried she might say something he wouldn’t understand or that would confuse him. Luckily, Austin was perceptive.
“Mommy, I understand. I haven’t done anything wrong. I will continue to confront those who do wrong and ensure they don’t get away with it.”
Pleased with her son’s maturity, Nicole responded, “That’s right, Austin. But next time, let’s prioritize our safety first. We’ll leave it to the adults to handle the bad people, okay?”
“I understand,” Austin replied with a nod.
Then, shifting the conversation, Austin asked, “Mommy, when can we visit your mother together?”
Startled, Nicole asked, “You’ve seen her?”
Austin hesitated, fearing her reaction, and then clarified, “Yes. Daddy… That man took me to see her. He told me she’s my grandma, your mommy.”
Mixed emotions flooded Nicole. Jarrod had introduced Austin to her mother without her knowledge. She realized Jarrod had managed to bring Austin to visit her mother without crossing paths with her, likely on purpose. Jarrod was indeed quite cunning.
Austin shared, “Grandma can’t talk, but she smiles at me. I tell her lots of things and she just keeps smiling.”
Nicole gently stroked Austin’s head and responded, “Yes, Austin, you have a wonderful way of cheering your grandma up. Next time, we’ll both go visit her together.”
Austin then asked, “Mommy, when can I see Roscoe? I miss him.”
Roscoe had been a significant presence in Austin’s childhood, treating him kindly throughout. Despite his young age, Austin remembered those who had shown him kindness, prompting him to ask about Roscoe after a lengthy absence.
Nicole hesitated, unsure how to explain Roscoe’s current condition. If Austin discovered that Roscoe’s memory loss had led to the failure to recognize him, it would shatter his heart. “Roscoe is very busy right now. We’ll arrange a visit when the time is right, okay?” Nicole explained.
Austin, always compliant, did not press further. After some time spent talking, Nicole tucked Austin into bed and then left his room.
She was unfamiliar with the layout of Jarrod’s villa, except for the guest rooms. Choosing one at random, she decided to unwind with a bath, having previously asked a servant to bring a change of clothes.
As she settled into the bath, she called out without looking, “Just put it down. Thank you.”
She enjoyed the sheer relief of the warm water. Exhausted from the events of the past few days, Nicole relished the bath’s comfort, so much so that she had no desire to move.
It was only after finishing her bath and as she was about to retrieve her clothes that Nicole noticed the door hadn’t closed. She turned around and froze. Jarrod was there, standing by the bed, with her clothes laid out beside him.
Nicole instinctively tightened her grip on the towel around her. Jarrod’s laugh was sharp and mocking. “Why bother covering up? Have I not seen every part of you?” His voice was low, dripping with smugness.
Rather than relenting, Nicole clutched the towel even tighter. “Who let you in?”
A hint of amusement colored Jarrod’s tone. “In my own house, do I need an invitation?”
Nicole hated to admit it, but he had a point. Struggling to maintain her composure, Nicole demanded, “Get out. I need to get dressed.”
Jarrod picked up the clothes from the bed and tossed them at her. “Just wear these. It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before.”