Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
The once unwanted child had gradually turned into the image of a small, precious life. Indeed, the child was innocent—it was the adults who were at fault. And so, it wouldn’t be right for the child to pay for their mistakes.
Jarrod’s lips curled into a bitter, self-mocking smile. It was such a one-sided agreement, and yet, he had no choice but to accept it. He had brought this upon himself. Selfishly, he wanted to keep the baby, as it was the connection between them, and this was the only way.
Jarrod signed the document swiftly and said, “Rest assured, once the child is born, I will set you free.”
Jarrod genuinely believed that letting Nicole go would also be freeing himself. He would spend the rest of his life protecting her and their children. It was how things should be—it was just that his realization had come too late.
“If there’s nothing else, let’s leave it at that,” Nicole said as she prepared to leave first.
Jarrod watched as she walked out the door, feeling as if his heart sank further with her every step.
Outside, as Rhett went to get the car, Doreen suddenly appeared in front of Nicole.
“Nicole!” Doreen yelled. Her clothes were disheveled, and she looked oddly unkempt.
Even her expression had a strange feeling to it. But the worst part was the purple bruises littering her skin, telltale signs of abuse and mistreatment.
Nicole’s brows furrowed. She didn’t know what Doreen had gone through. She stood still, waiting to see what Doreen was up to.
“I hate you! You’ve ruined my life!” Doreen screamed, echoing Hallie’s words.
Nicole couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.
“Why is it always someone else’s fault when something bad happens to you? That’s pretty convenient—never blaming yourself for the consequences of your own actions.”
Nicole was baffled by how Hallie and Doreen thought. No wonder they weren’t capable of empathy. She continued, “Just because Roscoe didn’t love you, you resorted to all kinds of dirty means. You went as far as conspiring with Miguel to drug and trap Roscoe. Do you really not know how that wedding came about?”
As far as Nicole knew, Doreen was not only aware of the scheme but was also a part of it.
Nicole couldn’t quite understand it. Did Doreen truly love Roscoe? Or was it just some sort of deranged and twisted obsession? Whatever the answer was, it was terrifying. A love that would rather destroy than let go had no ending.
“Do you know that you almost killed Roscoe? After you two got married, not once had I talked to him. Everything you did was out of fear that your wrongdoings would be discovered. Stop lying to yourself. You can’t hide your filthy deeds under noble pretenses!”
Nicole laid bare all of Doreen’s crimes without holding back. Doreen and Hallie were two peas in a pod, sharing the same traits.
At her words, Doreen turned hysterical.
“You’re lying! I love Roscoe. If it weren’t for you, he would have loved me! So what if I manipulated him into marrying me? No one else can love him as much as I do. You have no right to question me!”
Nicole chuckled sarcastically and questioned, “Your so-called love is actually hurting Roscoe. What kind of love does that?”
“He belongs to me! I fell for him on our first blind date. If he didn’t like me, why would he attend?” Doreen retorted, her logic twisted.
As Doreen’s arguments became increasingly outlandish, Nicole grew perplexed. Something seemed fundamentally wrong with Doreen.
Nicole considered it crucial to discuss Doreen’s state with Jarrod and recommend a psychiatric evaluation. Was there an issue with her mental health?
Anger distorted Doreen’s features as she spat out, “Everything is your fault! You seduced both my uncle and my husband!”
Nicole found herself speechless in the face of such groundless accusations.
This echoed what Hallie had declared earlier. Nicole realized arguing was pointless with someone so irrational. Doreen appeared consumed by distorted thoughts.
Wishing to end the futile interaction, Nicole turned to leave, but Doreen was quick to follow. Her face contorted with fury, she brandished a bottle and screamed, “Go to hell! I’ll destroy you! If you’re gone, Roscoe will surely love me forever!”
At that moment, Rhett, who happened to be driving past, caught sight of the altercation and shouted, “Miss Lawrence, be careful!”
He stopped his car abruptly, flung open the door, and dashed toward the scene.
Since Jarrod’s bodyguards had recently escorted Hallie away, Nicole was left virtually unprotected.
Nicole was uncertain about the contents of Doreen’s bottle but feared the worst. Upon the bottle’s opening, a sharp, acrid smell assaulted her senses.
Immediately, Nicole recognized it as sulfuric acid. Doreen intended to mar her face. Doreen must have lost her senses.
Reacting instinctively, Nicole raised her hand to shield her face and tried to fend off Doreen, who was alarmingly close.
Just as Nicole braced herself for the burn of the sulfuric acid, she heard a heavy thud.
Doreen had been forcefully kicked away, tumbling across the ground.
However, the sulfuric acid was already cascading through the air.
Before Nicole could fully comprehend her peril, a figure darted in front of her, wrapping her protectively in his arms. He carefully shielded her belly, considering her pregnancy.
Without needing to see his face, Nicole knew Jarrod was her protector.
Jarrod stifled his pain as the sulfuric acid mainly hit the ground beside him, though some splashed onto his back.
The distinct scent of flesh being eaten away by the sulfuric acid was intense.
While anyone else might have succumbed to the pain, Jarrod merely groaned softly, bearing the agony stoically.
Nicole was so close to him that she heard the muffled groan.
The unexpected incident shocked everyone there.
In the midst of the chaos, Rhett had pinned the crazed Doreen to the ground just before the security guards rushed in to seize her.
Doreen had only feigned madness, driven by deep resentment. She had hoped to disfigure Nicole and escape criminal charges by pretending to be insane.
Yet, her plan backfired horribly when the sulfuric acid splashed onto Jarrod.
Terrified by the consequences of her actions, Doreen remained speechless for a long moment. It wasn’t until she was restrained on the ground that she began to sob, “Jarrod… Help me. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Jarrod…”
With a grim expression, Jarrod stood up and carefully helped Nicole to her feet.
After making sure Nicole was standing, Jarrod asked with concern, “Are you alright? Did any of the sulfuric acid get on you?”
Jarrod scrutinized Nicole carefully as he spoke. To him, Nicole was a priceless treasure that must not be harmed.
“I’m alright,” Nicole replied, her voice still laced with shock.
“Really?” Jarrod asked, his worry evident.
Nicole shook her head, and Jarrod sighed with relief, confirming she was indeed unharmed.
That’s good. That’s good,” he murmured, relieved.
Meanwhile, Doreen continued to cry out from behind him, “Jarrod, ask them to let me go… It hurts so much. Please, let them stop!”
Jarrod turned to look at Doreen, struggling to reconcile the image of the girl he remembered with the person before him.
Doreen was no longer the innocent, vibrant child he once knew.
“Doreen, you’ve really disappointed me,” Jarrod said, his voice heavy with mixed emotions. He hadn’t imagined that his own family would attempt to harm Nicole, not to mention the unborn child she carried.
If he hadn’t shielded Nicole in time, the regret would have haunted him forever. He realized then that he could no longer excuse Doreen’s actions out of familial loyalty.
Doreen felt a flicker of fear, but it was quickly overshadowed by her confidence in Jarrod’s indulgence of her.
She was certain that her tears would prompt his forgiveness, as they had so many times before. No matter the mischief, Jarrod had always been there to bail her out.
This pattern had emboldened her to act haughtily.
Doreen cried out, pleading, “Jarrod… Jarrod. I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry…”
This time, however, Jarrod was not moved by her tears. He commanded the security guards coldly, “Do what you should do.”
Jarrod’s directive was clear. The security guards were to hand Doreen over to the police.
With plenty of witnesses and concrete evidence against Doreen, she would not escape the consequences this time.
Given her recent release from prison and the gravity of her crime, a harsher sentence seemed inevitable. Her future looked bleak.
Doreen understood this too well. She had not anticipated that Jarrod would set aside familial ties so decisively. Had she known that her mother’s recent actions had exhausted Jarrod’s last reserves of mercy, perhaps she would have reconsidered her reckless plot.
In desperation, Doreen said between sobs, “Jarrod, help me. I can’t go to jail again.” Now fear gripped her, but it was too late for regrets.
Jarrod paid Doreen no mind. The wound he suffered was severe and demanded immediate medical attention.
The bodyguard had already called an ambulance and helped Jarrod to a chair.
Though Jarrod tried to mask his pain, the sweat on his brow and his pallor betrayed his condition. He seemed on the brink of collapse.
Ignored by Jarrod, Doreen’s cries grew more desperate. In a pitiful tone, she claimed, “Jarrod, I was bullied just now…”
As Jarrod continued to ignore her, Doreen’s anxiety reached its peak, and she no longer minded the onlookers’ presence. She yelled, “Jarrod, I’ve been assaulted, I’ve been violated…”
A heavy silence descended upon the scene.