Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
“Go check it out. I’ll be fine,” Nicole reassured her.
Ethel, seeing Nicole’s composure, replied, “I’ll be right back. Security is outside if you need anything. Just let us know.”
Nicole nodded and waited for Ethel to leave before answering her own phone. Jarrod’s voice came urgently through the line. “Is anyone with you?”
“No, I’m in the bathroom, but there are guards outside. I’m fine,” Nicole replied.
Jarrod instructed her, “Someone stay with you immediately. Isn’t there an officer around?”
“Okay. How’s it going on your end?” inquired Nicole.
Jarrod’s response was grave. “We’ve been had. Your mother wasn’t in the car. The driver used fake license plates, claiming it was to avoid traffic violations. We’ll see if he’s lying when the police investigate.”
Holding the phone tightly, Nicole was stunned, muttering, “How could this have happened… Where could Dora be?”
Jarrod sternly instructed her, “Quickly locate an officer to accompany you. My instinct tells me that person might still be at the mall. I’ll be right back.”
Nicole suddenly stopped breathing. Her gaze was riveted to the front.
A man in a white fox mask stood in front of Nicole, holding a woman hostage. The woman was none other than Dora, whom everyone had been looking for.
Jarrod had hit the nail on the head. Dora was still in the mall.
Jarrod kept talking, but Nicole’s voice caught in his throat. Her mother had never been taken out of the mall. The sneaky masked man had hidden Dora inside the building, using the “most dangerous place was the safest place” tactic.
The car with the fake license plate was no coincidence. It dawned on Nicole that the man had probably set it up as a distraction. He turned out to be much smarter than she had assumed. He could anticipate the thoughts of others.
The masked man instructed Nicole to keep her mouth shut, instructing her to cut the call. Fearing for her mother’s safety, Nicole obeyed and cut the call.
The masked man ordered, “Turn off the phone and throw it to me.”
Nicole followed his instructions, turned off the phone and tossed it to him. He then hurriedly asked, “Who are you? What do you want? Please don’t hurt my mother.”
Nicole struggled to maintain her composure as she questioned him, hoping to remain focused on protecting her mother.
As he spoke, Nicole furtively scanned her surroundings. The masked man had chosen the location shrewdly. The bathroom was located inside the living room, next to a back window. The masked man had positioned himself next to the door, blocking Nicole’s escape route and forcing her into a narrow, enclosed space.
The masked man held a gun. Upon closer inspection, Nicole saw that it was a makeshift object similar to a pistol. She chased away the urge to tear it apart, restraining her reckless impulses.
“Who I am is irrelevant. Just follow my instructions,” the masked man replied. His voice was robotic, obviously altered by a voice changer. Nicole couldn’t guess his exact age, but he looked like a tall, strong man in his mid-thirties.
Nicole asked, “What do you want from me? I’ll do anything if it will ensure my mother’s safety.”
The masked man replied, “I’m going to take you instead of your mother. I don’t need her. You are my target.”
The masked man had executed this elaborate plan because of the tight security surrounding Nicole. He had to use Nicole’s mother to get to her.
“Why, do we know each other, why are you targeting me?” asked Nicole.
Embedded in Nicole’s necklace, a gift from Jarrod for her protection, was a small tape recorder. She tried to extract useful information about the masked man’s identity.
But the masked man ignored Nicole. Instead, he cut Nicole’s mother with a knife. Blood instantly began to gush out.
“Ah!” Nicole screamed, tears streaming down her face. “Enough!” her voice exuded desperation.
The masked man, unfazed by Nicole’s altered reaction, asked casually, “Any more questions?”
“No, no, no… I’ll go with you. Just release my mother…” Nicole raised her hands and slowly approached the masked man.
The masked man finally let go of the injured Dora, dropping her to the ground. Dora was unconscious and her condition was uncertain.
Nicole, who looked resigned, walked towards the masked man while slyly activating the mechanism of her ring. The poisoned needle instantly pierced the masked man’s arm, which began to go numb.
“Damn you! You’ve got guts to trick me!” the masked man shouted, directing a powerful kick at Nicole.
Nicole managed to shield her belly, but took the kick in the butt, causing her to stagger forward a few steps. Using the couch to break her fall, Nicole screamed at the top of her lungs, “Help! Help!”
The masked man lunged at Nicole and quickly smothered her with a handkerchief soaked in sedative. As the drug began to take effect, Nicole had the impression of someone kicking open the door, accompanied by the sound of gunshots. She prayed frantically for someone to save her mother. She ripped off her necklace and dropped it. A few moments later, her vision dimmed.
When Nicole came to her senses, she discovered she was in a confined space that looked like a transport vehicle. She had been gagged and her arms were bound with rope.
Nicole’s heart dropped to her stomach. She had not been rescued. The masked man had taken her.
Nicole looked around frantically. She felt slight relief when she realized that her mother was not with her. She felt a glimmer of hope as she concluded that, if her mother was not here, someone from the mall must have taken her to the hospital.
However, Nicole had no idea how her mother was doing and could only pray for a miracle. At the same time, an intense hatred for the kidnapper welled up inside her. What grudge did she have against him to do such a thing?
The bumpy ride lulled Nicole to sleep. Although she was in a desperate situation, her advanced pregnancy made her unable to resist her drowsiness. Although exhausted, she slept only lightly, unable to fall into a deep sleep.
Finally, the vehicle stopped. Nicole instantly opened her eyes, pretending she was still passed out.
The vehicle door burst open and the masked man pulled Nicole roughly, trying to drag her across the floor. Nicole could no longer pretend. It was too dangerous for her to be dragged in her condition.
Nicole gestured, indicating that she could walk. Seeing that Nicole was awake enough to walk, the masked man stopped pulling her and put a knife in her back, forcing her forward.
Nicole saw that they had reached a dense forest near the sea. It was a brilliant hiding place and it would be difficult for anyone to discover it.
The masked man pushed Nicole to the ground and started setting traps in front of her. He placed several animal traps under the dry grass.
Her arm was bleeding profusely, which made her move awkwardly. When Nicole noticed his arm, she threw it in his face and said, “Look at it! You’re to blame for this.”
Nicole noticed that the masked man had carved the flesh at the injection point of the poison. While this was certainly an effective way to prevent the toxin from spreading, it also hinted at how cruel he was willing to be to himself. It was obvious that this man was extremely diabolical.
After setting the traps, the masked man decided to remove his disguise in front of Nicole. He ripped off his mask and exposed his face.
In a surprisingly cheerful mood, the masked man unmuzzled Nicole’s mouth.
“How can that be you!” exclaimed Nicole, stunned to see before her Rhett, the person who had been offering her legal assistance.
Nicole had once doubted Rhett’s intentions, but dismissed them after learning of his girlfriend’s death. She had no idea he held a grudge. Yet here was Rhett, having planned to bring her here.
“Miss Lawrence, you look surprised,” commented Rhett, shedding his mask and returning to his familiar, scholarly self.
“Why?” asked Nicole, utterly bewildered.
Watching Rhett nonchalantly use his left hand in this relaxed setting, Nicole realized something. “It was you! You were the one who killed Brett and Jamie, weren’t you?”.
Rhett didn’t deny it; his smirk confirmed her fears. “Miss Lawrence, don’t you think they deserved it? You should be relieved they’re gone. They had conspired against your father, hadn’t they?”
“No!” Nicole countered forcefully. “They were mere pawns. It was you who killed them to silence them.”
“Miss Lawrence, you are very astute,” Rhett commented, almost admiringly.
Nicole, overcome with anger and disbelief, demanded, “Why, what could my father have done to deserve such a fate?”
Rhett’s expression hardened as he explained, “Miss Lawrence, you simply don’t see the big picture. My actions were driven by a long-standing resentment toward Jarrod.”
“And what does that have to do with my father?” exclaimed Nicole, puzzled.
“It’s quite simple, Miss Lawrence,” Rhett explained. “By eliminating your father, I intensified the confrontation between Jarrod and you. You became the perfect instrument to inflict suffering on Jarrod. Watching Jarrod struggle against his principles and endure immense agony these past five years has been my greatest pleasure. The anguish you caused him far outweighed anything Jamie could have achieved.”
Rhett finally revealed why he had held back his vengeance until now. Witnessing Jarrod’s suffering, especially through Nicole, satisfied him. However, the possible reconciliation between Nicole and Jarrod was something Rhett could not accept, prompting him to manipulate Jamie, albeit unsuccessfully.
“Your father wanted to stay alive for you, but I personally saw to his demise. He died without understanding why,” Rhett continued, his tone cold.
Nicole felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her, overwhelming her with hatred. “Just because you despise Jarrod, you have sacrificed so many innocent lives. You are truly malevolent.”
“Do you want to understand my hatred for Jarrod? Do you know how my girlfriend died?” Rhett proceeded to share the root of his resentment towards Jarrod. “She was in a car accident on her way to pick up a cake to celebrate her pregnancy. She might have survived, but Jarrod’s bodyguards forced the ambulance to give Jarrod priority, leaving her to die.”
Rhett became agitated as he spoke. “Are we ordinary people destined to be discarded? Are our lives meaningless?”
Nicole reconstructed the horrific scope of Rhett’s revenge against Jarrod. Outraged, she shouted, “That’s your justification for murder? What was my father’s fault? Brett, who had his own family to care for, didn’t deserve death either!”.
Rhett, frustrated by Nicole’s outcry, shouted, “Shut up!”
Rhett gagged Nicole again and sneered, “Did you know Jarrod is here? He’s come alone to meet his miserable end.”
Nicole felt helpless.
Shortly thereafter, Jarrod was seen outside the room. Confirming Nicole’s safety and seeing her nearly unharmed, Jarrod’s tension relaxed slightly. He was not surprised to see Rhett.
The police had been closing in on Rhett for some time. Despite the risks, Jarrod had decided to come alone to protect Nicole.
“I’m here,” Jarrod announced to Rhett.
Rhett greeted him with a sly smile. “Mr. Schultz, right on time. Let’s play a game.”