Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
A discreet black car arrived to collect Nicole. Jarrod observed Rhett, the lawyer who had visited him earlier that day, seated beside Nicole in the car.
Nicole had received a text message from Rhett, indicating his desire to speak with her. Consequently, she had arranged for him to meet her at the sanatorium.
Nicole also harbored a desire to gauge Jarrod’s response to the presence of another man in her life. Jarrod always exuded selfishness and dominance, possessing a palpable sense of possessiveness.
Despite Jarrod’s assurances of compromise and willingness to let her go after the child’s birth, Nicole harbored doubts about his sincerity. Thus, she sought to observe his reaction.
In the silver car, Jarrod’s fists clenched tightly at the sight of Rhett in Nicole’s company. But soon, he slowly relaxed. He understood the imperative of enduring and avoiding any mistakes at this moment.
Jarrod knew Nicole’s openness to discussion indicated there was still a chance to negotiate.
He reached out to the sanatorium to find out what had happened. The staff provided him with a detailed understanding of the events.
After ending the call, Jarrod was silent for a moment before exhaling deeply. Only God knew how he had managed to get through these days.
The abortion pills were with Nicole, and Jarrod was constantly anxious, fearing she might take them at any moment, a decision that would be final.
Even though he had made threats, he could sense his own uncertainty. Besides, Nicole was not someone who would be easily frightened by threats. Instead, she was disobedient and unwilling to compromise.
This stubbornness would have been admirable in someone else, but with Nicole, Jarrod had repeatedly crushed her spirit until all her pride faded away. If Nicole had been anyone else, she might have admitted defeat by now. Yet, she managed to thrive against all odds.
Did Jarrod regret his past actions? Yes, he certainly did. Now, all he could hope for was to keep their child. He wished that the improvement in Nicole’s mother’s health would positively influence Nicole, softening her heart and persuading her to keep the baby.
Upon returning home, Nicole received an unexpected phone call. It was Dr. Kash Torres, who had seen her during her visit.
“Hello, Dr. Torres,” Nicole greeted.
“Miss Lawrence, hello. You didn’t show up today. If you have taken the medication for the past three days, you should come to the hospital today. Otherwise, it poses threats to your body,” Kash expressed his concern.
He often saw patients who neglected their prescribed medication, only seeking medical help when complications, like bleeding, arose, endangering their health.
“I haven’t taken any of the medication,” Nicole replied.
“You haven’t? That’s good to hear. So, have you decided to keep the baby?” Kash asked.
“I’m still considering it. Thank you for caring,” Nicole replied.
“If you decide to keep the baby, please come in for a checkup. The child is innocent, and if it’s within your ability, I hope you’ll think it over and give the baby a chance,” Kash advised.
Nicole felt a stir of emotion from the doctor’s earnest words.
“I understand. Thank you, Dr. Torres,” she responded.
After ending the call, Nicole glanced at the medication lying on the table, pausing briefly before carefully storing it away in a drawer.
The following day, as Nicole was about to step out, she was confronted by a woman at her doorstep. The woman, exuding confidence, asked, “Are you Nicole?” She was a middle-aged woman.
“Yes, who are you?” Nicole asked, her brow furrowed.
“Me?” Hallie scoffed. “I’m Jarrod’s cousin, Doreen’s mother.”
Nicole quickly sensed that Hallie wasn’t here with good news. It was clear she had come with cruel intentions.
Before, Hallie had looked into Nicole’s address, but upon finding out that Nicole and Jarrod were living together, she didn’t dare come and stir up trouble.
Clearly, Jarrod was standing up for Nicole. She once thought their marriage was a facade, but it seemed they were genuinely together.
Hallie knew she had to suppress her anger for now. But as soon as she heard that Nicole had moved out, she wasted no time seeking her out. It appeared Jarrod and Nicole had a disagreement, and Hallie saw this as her chance for revenge.
“What do you want?” Nicole asked bluntly, not particularly friendly toward Hallie. She wasn’t one to cozy up to people, especially when it was clear that Hallie was here to stir up trouble.
“You’ve caused my daughter distress. What do you expect me to do?” Hallie said, her eyes blazing with fury.
In Hallie’s mind, Doreen’s promising future had been ruined by the assault case Nicole filed. Doreen had been detained for 30 days, and her psychological state was deeply affected upon release.
Doreen’s prison cellmates had threatened her. Doreen, who had lived a life of privilege, expected to command respect even behind bars.
Her superior attitude didn’t sit well with the other inmates. In fact, two of them had teamed up against her, pulling out a large chunk of her hair.
Outside, she was protected by bodyguards, but in jail, no one tolerated her arrogance. It was clear that not everyone in prison was a model citizen.
Yet despite this, Jarrod had decided to send Doreen overseas, refusing her the chance to return home.
How could Hallie accept this? She had her roots in the country, and although she wouldn’t lack money abroad, she struggled to adjust to the new environment.
The main problem was practical—there were many people wealthier than her elsewhere. She wouldn’t have the same authority over people abroad, and she knew she and Doreen might be mistreated. Who would want that?
But Jarrod ignored Hallie’s concerns, managing even the divorce proceedings on behalf of Doreen. Given the troubles with the Watts Group, Jarrod acted responsibly by initiating the divorce for Doreen.
Still, the decision to send Doreen abroad after the divorce was a hard pill for Hallie to swallow.
Nicole listened to Hallie’s rant with a hint of amusement. “You are mistaken, ma’am. Your daughter was the one who assaulted me, not the other way around. If it were the other way around, I would be the one detained,” she responded coldly.
But Hallie refused to acknowledge Nicole’s reasonable words, angrily shouting, “You’re still trying to ruin my beloved daughter! If you hadn’t seduced my husband, she wouldn’t have attacked you! You are a shameless woman, completely clueless to your own disgrace, lacking any conscience!”
Hallie kept on verbally attacking Nicole as if she genuinely believed Nicole was as shameless as she claimed.
Nicole reached her limit, retorting, “Can you prove anything between me and Roscoe? We’ve been nothing but clean and innocent, without any improper conduct at all. Where’s your evidence for this alleged seduction?”
After Roscoe and Doreen tied the knot, Nicole had sensed something wasn’t right. She had only discreetly looked into it without reaching out to Roscoe. Moreover, Roscoe had suffered memory loss back then and didn’t recognize her.
Before the wedding, Doreen was the latecomer. Even before Doreen appeared, the bond between Roscoe and Nicole had already been firmly established.
Hallie was just making baseless accusations, yet she remained convinced of her claims, now raising her voice outside Nicole’s apartment complex.
“You still deny it? It must be you who convinced Roscoe not to be with Doreen! Why else would he be so indifferent to a pretty girl like Doreen? It’s your fault for seducing Roscoe and making him keep himself for you.
Shame on you! You seduced Roscoe and then went after my nephew, Jarrod. Jarrod’s Doreen’s uncle! You have no morals or shame at all!”
As Doreen’s mother spoke, her agitation grew, and she began waving her arms, shouting to passersby, “Hey, everyone, come and witness this shameless woman!”
Hallie was being unreasonable and causing a scene, completely out of line.
The onlookers, not privy to the actual situation, mistakenly thought Nicole was the cause of a family dispute.
The neighborhood was bustling with many elderly residents who thrived on drama and quickly congregated around Nicole, pointing fingers.
Hallie was pleased with this, having come here specifically to degrade Nicole. She yelled to the crowd, “Keep an eye on your husbands! Who knows if this woman will try to lure them away?”
Nicole, growing pale with indignation, countered, “Be careful with your accusations. If you continue this defamation, I’ll take legal action.”
Attempting to call the police, Nicole’s efforts were thwarted as Hallie slapped her phone from her hand, eager only to shame her.
Nicole’s phone crashed to the ground. As Hallie pushed her, Nicole, standing on the steps, instinctively cradled her belly.
Nicole was surprised by her own protective reaction. It was as if her body had autonomously decided to safeguard the unborn child, even before she had fully resolved to do so. Could this protective impulse be maternal instinct in action?
Hallie, misinterpreting Nicole’s protective stance as guilt, sneered even more vehemently, “Look at her, so obviously terrified and guilty! She claims innocence, but just look at her deceitful face—clearly a temptress and nothing but trouble!”
The crowd’s murmuring intensified with Hallie’s provocations.
“Who would have imagined such a person among us?”
“She may look innocent and pretty, but beneath that facade, she’s a destroyer of homes, seducing men and even targeting the husbands of other women!”
“Beauty is merely a mask. The prettier they are, the more deceitful. They exploit their looks to wreak havoc…”
The murmurs of agreement only fueled Hallie’s tirade. She escalated her voice: “Exactly! Like mother, like daughter. Her mother must be just as disgraceful to have raised such a shameless daughter!”
Overcome with anger, Nicole couldn’t restrain herself any longer and slapped Hallie sharply across the face.
The impact sent Hallie’s head turning, her cheek quickly reddening and swelling.
“Mrs. Schultz, I’ve respected you as an elder, but your actions don’t warrant any respect. I will not stand by while you slander my mother,” Nicole declared, her voice quaking with anger.
Hallie, utterly humiliated before the onlookers and stung by the rebuke from Nicole, lost composure. “How dare you strike me!” she shrieked, her eyes alight with fury.
“I’ll kill you!”
In her rage, Hallie lunged at Nicole, who, in an attempt to dodge, moved too suddenly and nearly toppled backward.
Clutching her waist, Nicole struggled to regain her balance.
At that critical moment, Rhett appeared at her side, offering support. “Are you alright, Miss Lawrence?” he inquired, concerned.
Rhett had planned a meeting with Nicole that morning to finalize some agreement details. Arriving on the scene, he was just in time to catch Nicole, preventing her from falling due to Hallie’s aggressive approach.
Meanwhile, Hallie, consumed by her fury, was being held back by a man dressed in black. “Who do you think you are? Do you want to die?” she screamed, flailing against his grip.
“You have no idea who I am! I belong to the Schultz family! My cousin runs the Schultz Group. You’ll all regret this when he hears about it. He’ll have you thrown out of Ardlens!” Hallie continued her rant, breathless with fury.