âYou can run, but if you leave here, you will never see Austin again.
â
âYou canât do this, Jarrod!â Nicole said angrily.
He knew how much Austin meant to her, yet he still used Austin to manipulate her.
âWhy canât I? Do you think youâre the only one who can be cruel?â
Jarrod taunted.
âIs this your revenge?â Nicole asked.
âIs this because of Alec? Are you punishing me for him?â
âBelieve what you want.
â Jarrodâs expression darkened at the mention of Alec.
Alecâs suicide attempts had made Jarrod even more twisted than before.
Just thinking about Alecâs suicide filled him with a destructive rage.
âAustin isnât only yours.
Heâs young and needs his mother.
Jarrod, please, canât we stop this nonsense? Letâs talk this out.
â Nicole softened her voice, trying to negotiate with Jarrod.
She knew that a direct confrontation would worsen things, especially with him being so unstable after Alecâs suicide attempts.
âAfter all this time, havenât you figured it out?â Jarrod looked at her with a slightly mocking grin.
Nicole was confused.
Jarrod laughed.
âNicole, maybe I donât need you as much as I once thought.
Maybe this is more about my pride than anything else.
â
As Jarrod said this, he hated his own dishonesty.
Alecâs suicide hadnât given him any clarity.
He worried he was really losing his sanity.
Jarrod started to walk away.
Nicole reached out and grabbed his arm from behind.
âDonât act this way, Jarrod.
Reacting in anger wonât fix anything.
Alecâs death hurts me too, but we canât let our problems impact the child,â Nicole said softly, pleading.
âs BunnyBookery Yet, Jarrod ignored her plea.
He shrugged her off coldly and said, âGo be with your Roscoe.
Austin doesnât need you.
â
Nicole was well aware that Jarrodâs resentment toward Roscoe hadnât faded.
Despite her repeated explanations, Alecâs second suicide attempt had forever closed the topic, making any further discussion seem unfair to Alec.
Silently, Nicole processed this, only to be interrupted by Jarrod who coldly threw a divorce agreement onto the bed.
âHereâs the freedom you wanted,â Jarrod said sharply.
Stunned, Nicole saw that he had already drawn up the divorce papers.
Without another word, Jarrod exited the room, signaling the end of her confinement.
Shortly after, a hesitant maid entered.
âMadam, Mr.
Schultz instructed me to assist with your packing.
He mentioned youâre moving out,â she said, clearly uneasy as she had no prior knowledge of Nicoleâs departure.
Reeling from the sudden development, Nicole realized she had no choice but to leave.
She understood Jarrodâs intentions but could never fulfill them.
Haunted by the memory of sleepless nights she had endured, Nicole knew that conciliatory gestures no longer swayed her.
She resolved to never relinquish her maternal rights.