Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Nicole hesitated, not keen on donning something so flashy, but the assistant continued, “Mr. Schultz said if you don’t wear this dress, you won’t be able to go out.”
Realizing she couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity, Nicole agreed and swiftly slipped into the dress.
The dress hugged Nicole’s curves, accentuating her waist and exuding an undeniable allure that seemed tailor-made for her. Nicole couldn’t fathom why Jarrod suddenly wanted her to dress up. Unease gnawed at her as she stepped into the dining area.
To her surprise, it wasn’t just any dinner. It was a lavish banquet. Nicole wondered why Jarrod would risk bringing her to such a public event. Wasn’t he worried she might seize the chance to escape or make contact with someone?
Before she could gather her thoughts, she found herself being ushered to Jarrod’s side. Clad in a sleek black suit and tie, Jarrod exuded the enigmatic allure of a seasoned gentleman.
Jarrod motioned for Nicole to take a seat beside him on the sofa, and she complied without hesitation.
Just as they settled in, a man approached with an eager smile. “Mr. Schultz, what a pleasure to see you here. I consider myself fortunate to have crossed paths with you today!” he exclaimed, his tone dripping with flattery.
The man introduced himself, but Jarrod remained visibly uninterested, showing no desire to engage with him. Eager to collaborate with the Schultz Group, the man spared no effort in showering Jarrod with compliments.
Observing Jarrod’s lack of interest, the man shifted his focus to Nicole. “Is this lovely lady your companion? She is absolutely stunning,” the man complimented Nicole, his words dripping with admiration.
Since Jarrod hadn’t made his marriage public, everyone assumed Nicole was his girlfriend. Given Jarrod’s rare appearances with women in recent years, bringing a woman to the banquet implied Nicole’s significance, prompting the man’s flattering remarks.
Jarrod remained silent, and Nicole offered no response.
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense with awkwardness. Undeterred by the lack of response, the man maintained his enthusiasm.
“This lady possesses such admirable temperament. I happen to own a jewelry store, and there is a remarkable set of antique emeralds awaiting a worthy wearer.
Mr. Schultz, I believe it complements your companion’s demeanor perfectly. If you are open to it, I’ll arrange for it to be sent over for your inspection. If you don’t like it, just send it back.”
Clearly, this man was willing to spend money. An antique emerald set would likely cost a pretty penny, perhaps several million.
He generously offered it to Nicole. It appeared he had conducted thorough research and recognized that Nicole was not any average companion.
Otherwise, if Jarrod changed companions frequently, it would amount to a waste of both time and money.
Just as Nicole was about to voice her refusal, Jarrod asked her, “Do you like emeralds?”
Sensing an opportunity, the man swiftly interjected with praise. “Miss, the emeralds in our collection are truly exceptional, boasting a vibrant green hue.
They offer a refreshing coolness in summer and a comforting warmth in winter. Wearing such a set would undoubtedly enhance a woman’s elegance.”
Nicole couldn’t shake the feeling that Jarrod was aware of the man’s intentions and was intentionally paving the way for cooperation. However, she had no desire to entangle herself with these individuals.
Politely, Nicole declined. “I appreciate your generosity, but I don’t like wearing jewelry.”
This wasn’t taken as an insult, considering Nicole’s attire for the evening lacked any jewelry. Her hair was simply pulled back, devoid of any accessories. Her simplicity bordered on the extreme, yet it was precisely this understated elegance that made her stand out even more.
The man’s expression momentarily froze. He hadn’t anticipated Nicole to have such minimal taste, especially given Jarrod’s apparent interest. Refusing to concede defeat, he persisted, “Miss, why not take a look first? If it doesn’t suit your fancy, you can easily have it returned.”
To the man, as long as he could deliver presents to someone close to Jarrod, he figured it was worth a shot, even if the other person wasn’t keen on receiving it. After all, it might pave the way to some sort of connection with Jarrod.
Nicole reiterated firmly, “I really appreciate your offer, but I really don’t wear jewelry.”
The man remained persistent, but Jarrod intervened calmly, “If she’s not interested, there is no need to push. Perhaps it will catch someone else’s eye.”
The man felt a twinge of embarrassment. What did Jarrod mean by suggesting someone else might like it? That emerald was a gem of purest green. The thought of simply giving it away to any passerby felt like a punch to the gut.
Despite the refusal, the man maintained his composure, begrudgingly playing his role with nods and bows as he uttered a few obligatory words before leaving. He couldn’t bear to linger for another second.
Just as the man prepared to leave, Jarrod said unexpectedly, “By the way, isn’t that the young master of the Watts family? You should ask if he is interested.”
Following Jarrod’s gaze, the man glanced over to see Roscoe engaged in conversation with another individual, who appeared to be in a rather uncomfortable situation.
The Watts family found itself in a whirlwind of chaos. Just three days after the project issues surfaced, Roscoe, the family’s legal representative, committed a shocking act of betrayal by reporting his own grandfather and uncle to the authorities.
It was common knowledge that Roscoe was the Watts family’s long-lost illegitimate son. To the public, Miguel had shown Roscoe compassion and showered him with affection, but Roscoe seemed to turn against his own kin just to protect himself, resulting in his being incarcerated.
The unexpected twist came when Miguel, already advanced in years, endured mere days behind bars before his release swiftly came. Seemingly overwhelmed, he soon met his end not long after the release.
Just then, a woman with her twins, whom Miguel had kept hidden abroad, emerged and was ready to battle for their share of the inheritance.
Yet, Roscoe proved to be ruthless. Upon Miguel’s demise, Roscoe swiftly had him cremated. This move effectively thwarted any attempts by the woman from abroad to gather evidence of her illegitimate children’s lineage, making it impossible for her to stake a claim on the inheritance.
The woman caused quite a commotion for a few days, but Roscoe’s tactics left her empty-handed. She eventually departed with her children.
To put it succinctly, Roscoe was a man of wealth and a heart as cold as ice. Yet, despite his means, he seemingly couldn’t salvage the deteriorating state of the Watts Group.
Even before this, the domestic Watts Group had been mismanaged by Miguel and his folks, resulting in a substantial loss. Now, it was nothing but a massive funnel riddled with holes everywhere.
At this point, with Roscoe’s wife, Doreen, proposing divorce, it was clear to the public that the entire Schultz < family was against Roscoe.
The Ardlens found themselves unable to pick which side to stand on.
Jarrod was Doreen’s uncle. Evidently, his sudden mention of Roscoe was not out of admiration. The man instantly knew what Jarrod implied. “He’s just a lowly bastard, does he really deserve it?” he spat out,
Feigning a sudden realization that Jarrod was still there, the man quickly put on a smile. “I meant compared to you, Roscoe’s nothing. He couldn’t even hold a candle to you.”
Jarrod seemed to have liked what he heard, his expression growing brighter. In a show of false modesty, he said, “We shouldn’t say that. I’m sure he has his own abilities.”
“Bullshit!” the man shouted. “He may have defeated his grandfather, and for what? An empty company. I heard that the only remaining mansion has even been mortgaged. If he can’t even manage to keep himself afloat, how would he be able to revive the Watts Group? It’s a pipe dream for him.”
Nicole didn’t expect such a huge change to happen to the Watts family in just ten days.
Miguel had passed away, but hidden dangers still lurked. On top of that, the public didn’t have a favorable view of the Watts family. But all of this was Miguel’s fault. Miguel was the truly malicious one in this whole situation.
He framed Roscoe, almost pushing Roscoe for dead. But instead of being criticized, Miguel was portrayed as a kind old man while Roscoe was painted as an ingrate.
A dead man could no longer do anything. That meant those stirring up troubles were either someone else from the Watts family or those who harbored a great dislike for Roscoe. One such person was the man beside her.
However, Nicole couldn’t be sure. There were other possibilities. Alec, for instance, could have been behind it.
“I despise people like him. He betrays his family, even those Who have done him good. This is his retribution.” In an effort to flatter Jarrod, the man spoke again and made a show of seemingly righteous anger.
“I don’t even understand why he’s here in this banquet. Who the hell let him in?”
The accusations were becoming more and more
excessive, and Nicole couldn’t bear it any longer and finally spoke up. “Excuse me. Sir, do you understand what you’re saying? When have you ever seen Roscoe show ungratefulness?”
The question seemed to have caught the man off guard. He was stunned for a few seconds. Had he misread the situation? Did Jarrod not feel any hostility toward Roscoe?
If that wasn’t the case, why would Nicole say something like that? But that didn’t sound right either. Doreen’s divorce from Roscoe made it to the headlines, and it was quite the sensation. Jarrod couldn’t possibly choose to help someone who was practically a stranger instead of siding with a family member.
The man decided to play it safe. “I don’t need to see it with my own eyes to know. What’s clear is that Roscoe can’t call himself a real son of the Watts family. Everyone knows Miguel personally brought him back and treated him well, but Roscoe paid Miguel back how? He reported Miguel. If that’s not disrespectful, I don’t know what is. That’s even beside the fact that Miguel lost his life because of this…”
Nicole disagreed. “If Miguel truly cared for Roscoe, why would he leave the company in ruins?” she shot back. “The twists and turns in this matter aren’t difficult to understand. It’s just that everyone likes to listen to
unfounded rumors and add fuel to the fire.”
The man couldn’t understand why Nicole would be offended by his standing up for Doreen. It was a whole new mess. He scratched his head and said, “I apologize… I…”
His voice trailed off without completing the sentence because he didn’t know what to say. Staying silent would. be better than risking offending Jarrod as well.
Unexpectedly, Jarrod spoke up. “it’s alright. I agree that it was disrespectful. No matter what, Roscoe is still a member of the Watts family, and what he did was unacceptable.”
Jarrod turned to Nicole and said with a teasing expression, “Are you trying to defend Roscoe?”
It was Nicole’s turn to be speechless. She couldn’t read his intentions, but she knew that his seemingly calm expression actually hid his temper.
The man was even more baffled. He felt the tension rising at the table. Nicole seemed to be taking Roscoe’s side, but Jarrod himself wasn’t. The two had opposing opinions, but when it came down to it, the man knew who to flatter.
The man chose not to participate in the conversation anymore and left with a smile after bidding Jarrod
farewell. However, when he passed by Roscoe, he intentionally bumped into Roscoe, causing the wine to spill over his clothes. “‘Are you blind?” he shouted. “You spilled wine all over me!”
Roscoe looked in confusion at the man who suddenly appeared. The man clearly hit him with his elbow.
Calmly, Roscoe answered. “I think you’re mistaken. You were the one who bumped into me.”
The man sneered, “Are you accusing me? Do you have proof?”
No one came to Roscoe’s aid, and the man bellowed in laughter. He grabbed a bottle of wine from a passing waiter and poured it all over Roscoe’s head. “You’re not welcome here. Ingrates like you don’t belong in this place. You should leave.”
The man humiliated Roscoe with both actions and words.
Sounds of smirk rose from the crowd as people watched the spectacle.
Roscoe could no longer hold back. He threw a punch at the man, and a fight immediately broke out.
However, it was quickly made clear that the man was no match against Roscoe. Security guards were called over, but they were obviously biased, and instead of breaking up the fight, they joined in to beat Roscoe up.
Seeing how Roscoe was outnumbered, Nicole shot up < from her seat. But before she could take the step, she felt a hand close around her wrist, forcing her to sit back down.