Chapter 179
Chapter 179
I Don't Want To Hear Your Lies In the room, Nicole stared at the blood she had coughed up into the trash can.
Its red hue was stark and unsettling.
Not long ago, a doctor diagnosed her with a severe gastric ulcer and warned her of a_ potential progression to stomach cancer if not treated promptly.
Recently, she had been frequently drinking with her potential clients.
Nicole had become known as someone who could handle an impressive amount of alcohol.
However, it was not that she never got drunk.
The truth was, she often retreated to the bathroom to vomit and maintain her sobriety.
Otherwise, she would seem vulnerable when alone.
The routine of forced vomiting and enduring acid reflux had inflicted significant damage on her stomach.
The doctor recommended she run a_ further examination tomorrow.
She must admit, she was terrified about the result.
What if she had stomach cancer? She was an only child, and her parents were not in good condition.
If they learned she was ill, it might be a blow to them.
Nicole forcefully pushed these worries aside.
With that, she tidied up the trash can, concealed its contents with waste paper, and masked the odor with an alr freshener.
With that, she prepared several dishes and waited for Jarrod to return.
Knowing Jarrod usually arrived home late, she delayed cooking.
Almost immediately after sending him a message, she received his reply that he would be home in ten minutes.
"Home?" Nicole mused.
This word echoed in her mind as she read his message.
Jarrod's home with her? This was merely a place for him to get laid with her.
At the shopping mall today, Raegan seemed to want to say something but stopped on a second thought.
Nicole figured Raegan must be worried about her after seeing her bruises and scars.
To ease Raegan's worry, Nicole assured her Jarrod was easily fooled by her and that there was no need to worry about her.
In all honesty, even Nicole did not believe her own words.
She resented Jarrod.
If it were not for him, the Lawrence family's business would not have suffered, sparing her from the obligation of drinking with clients.
After all, this was the very cause of her illness.
But ever since she confessed her love for him, Jarrod's behavior had somewhat surprised her.
While still intense in the bed, he rarely degraded her now.
There were times when they interacted like any normal couple, and heartwarming moments, like today, happened from time to time.
Had Jarrod changed for good? Nicole did not like having such expectations.
Even if he had changed, she could not forget about Jamie's presence.
All Nicole had ever wanted was a simple and content life.
That was all.
While Nicole was in deep thought, the door swung open.
Jarrod had returned.
Her face lit up with joy at the sight of Jarrod.
At this moment, she walked up to him with a beaming smile and greeted, "You're back." On the contrary, Jarrod was standing at the door and staring at her with cold eyes.
Nicole was about to take his coat when suddenly, she sensed something was amiss.
"You're quite the actress, aren't you?" Jarrod uttered in disdain.
"What?" Nicole froze.
Before she could react, his eyes bore into her with a chilling intensity.
Jarrod smirked.
"Put on something sexy and come out with me.” Nicole was stunned.
Confused as to what Jarrod was talking about, she stammered, "But you haven't eaten what I made...” Before she could finish, Jarrod brushed past her, walked over to the table, and waved his hand.
Crash! Jarred yanked the table cloth and overturned the table with a sinister smile on his face.
"I've had it." Even though Nicole was not the brightest of the bunch, she could sense that something was wrong.
She glanced at the mess on the floor and asked with forced calm, “Jarrod, what's wrong?" Without glancing at Nicole, Jarrod pulled a piece of clothing from the wardrobe and flung it in her direction.
"Just wear this," he commanded.
Nicole stared at the garment in shock.
Jarrod bought it for her to wear in bed.
How could she possibly wear it in public? "What are you waiting for? Get changed," Jarrod ordered, his voice cold and commanding.
"Or should I call your mother to help you?" His words sent shivers down her spine.
"I...
I'll get changed,” Nicole whispered with quivering lips.
She changed into the clothes right in front of Jarrod and slipped on an overcoat.
Jarrod cast a disdainful glance at her and pushed open the door.
Nicole, however, remained behind.
When he turned around, he found that Nicole was squatting on the porch with beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
She was in pain again.
She had waited for him to return without eating anything, leading to a painful stomachache.
Crouched and panting heavily, Nicole pleaded, “Jarrod, could we go out tomorrow? I have a stomachache...” Jarrod looked at her, devoid of sympathy, thinking she was just putting on an act.
Her acting looked convincing.
How foolish of him to feel pity for her.
Was he going to fall for her tricks again? Jarrod stared at her with narrowed eyes and said in an icy tone, “If you don't want to go out, maybe | should ask your mother if she’s free to accompany me.” As soon as he said these words, he reached for his phone to make the call.
"I...
I'll go,” Nicole said, struggling to suppress her discomfort.
Jarrod looked at her with utter contempt.
Although feeling unwell, Nicole climbed into Jarrod's car.
He drove to the club at full speed.
As soon as Nicole stepped out of the car, she could not hold back anymore and vomited.
The acid reflux caused intense pain.
Nicole wiped her mouth with a wet tissue and was shocked to find out she had vomited blood again.
When the pain somehow subsided, Nicole straightened up to find Jarrod had already entered the club without even looking back at her.
Nicole followed Jarrod in a hurry.
But when Jarrod saw her come in, he still pressed the door close.
The abrupt movement of the elevator nearly made Nicole vomit blood again.
Jarrod's eyes held a mocking glint as he stared at her.
Nicole felt a pang of pain in her heart.
She wanted to know why he was acting this way.
Their relationship was improving, wasn't it? How could his behavior change suddenly? After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked, "Jarrod, what's wrong? If there's something on your mind, can't you just talk to me about it?” The elevator doors slid open, and Jarrod stepped out.
But just as he was about to enter a chamber, he stopped.
"Nicole, do you really think you can fool me again?" "T didn't...” With a mocking smile playing on his lips, Jarrod played a video in front of Nicole.
The conversation between Nicole and Raegan was audible.
All of a sudden, Nicole's face drained of color.
"Jarrod, you've got it all wrong.
What I meant was...” Before she could finish, Jarrod grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall.
"I don't want to hear your lies.
Just do as I say.” Nicole, gasping for air, turned a shade of purple and was unable to utter a word.
This video was taken out of context.
She had been referring to a memory from school, a time when Jarrod was innocent and gullible.
She used to make up stories about boys giving her love letters, just to see Jarrod get jealous and ignore her.
Back then, Jarrod was naive and easy to trick.
Nicole had not meant to imply that Jarrod was still easily fooled.
She just thought he might have retained some of his old traits.
Seeing her struggling for breath, Jarrod released her.
Nicole collapsed to the floor, gasping.
Jarrod glowered at her.
"I've given you a few days of peace.
Have you forgotten what it's like to be in torment?” Nicole looked up at him with despair and hurriedly explained, "It's not what you think, Jarrod.
I was just..." Jarrod sneered and arrogantly used the toe of his shiny leather shoe to lift Nicole's chin, an act that was utterly demeaning.
"Seeing your hypocrite face makes me sick," he said with utter disdain.
Nicole's lips quivered, but no words came out.
She knew arguing with him was futile.
Whatever she said, Jarrod would not believe her.
With this thought in mind, she braced herself for the impending ordeal.
"Get up," Jarrod commanded.
Nicole forced herself to her feet.
In Jarrod's eyes, every move she made was to deceive him.
Jarrod glanced at Nicole with revulsion, pushed the door open, and walked into the room.
Inside, several middle-aged men stood to greet Jarrod.
Jarrod acknowledged them with a nod and took his seat.
These men were CEOs of their respective companies. Belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
Though older than Jarrod, they were aware that Jarrod was more powerful and influential than them.
Recently, they were eager to collaborate with Jarrod on a lucrative project.
However, they had yet to agree on terms as Jarrod's proposed price was exceedingly low.
Jarrod's shrewdness often rubbed people the wrong way.
But they had no choice but to engage in discussions with him.
During the meeting, Deniz noticed Nicole standing at the door.
He turned to Jarrod and politely asked, "Jarrod, is she your girlfriend?" "Deniz, your vision must be failing," Jarrod replied with scorn.
"She’s not my type.
She's here for your entertainment.” The implication was clear to everyone.
She was merely a whore.
Despite the warmth of the room, Nicole felt a chill.
It was only then that she realized Jarrod's intentions.
The brief sense of warmth she had felt earlier that day shattered with his words.
A bitter smile crossed Nicole's face.
She had been deluded to think Jarrod had softened up when getting along with her.
He had never taken the time to listen to her side of the story, not even a single word.
In Jarrod's eyes, Nicole's sorrow was nothing but an act.
At this moment, his dark and foreboding gaze fell on her, and he demanded, "Aren't you going to start undressing?"