Nicole's words struck Jarrod like a physical blow. His face was void of expression, his soul seemingly lost, standing there like a lifeless shell.

Jarrod was engulfed in profound despair.

But was this enough to punish Jarrod? Of course not! Nicole's aim wasn't merely to see him broken-hearted for his previous mistreatment toward her. Nicole was determined to make Jarrod endure all the suffering she had experienced. She believed this bastard deserved every bit of it.

Flipping her hair back, Nicole said flirtatiously, "Mr. Schultz, I've got other matters to attend to, so I won't linger here. Farewell!"

Jarrod, still in a state of shock, snapped out of it when he realized Nicole was leaving. “Don't leave, Nicole."

The moment he talked, his voice was raspy, and he could hardly get the words out.

Nicole looked back with an icy smile. "Honestly, I think it's for the best if we never cross paths again."

"No, please don't go..." Jarrod's heart sank as he looked into Nicole's scornful eyes. His mind went blank, unable to say another word. His heart seemed like it was under attack by a swarm of ants, causing such immense pain that he couldn't help but clutch his chest in agony. He'd prefer if Nicole called him Jarrod instead of using the formal Mr. Schultz.

"Please, Nicole... don't leave..." Jarrod's eyes were bloodshot, filled with a desperation that seemed on the verge of erupting.

"Nicole, not a day has gone by in these five years when you weren't in my thoughts. I've held you close in my heart every night. If you hadn't appeared the other night, I wouldn't have known if you were still out there."

Nicole quickly grasped the meaning behind Jarrod's words. All of a sudden, she felt a wave of revulsion. No rational soul would share a bed with a lifeless body for five years. No doubt about it, Jarrod had taken leave of his senses. His unconventional way of grieving left no doubt about his eccentricity!

"Nicole!" Jarrod grasped her arm with a desperate grip. His eyes were filled with longing and urgency. "Please give me another chance to make things right. I won't hurt you again. I'll treat you well, okay?"

Upon hearing that, Nicole's lovely visage twisted with repulsion, and she vehemently resisted his touch. She wriggled her arm from Jarrod's grip, stepped back, and asked, "Mr. Schultz, you're asking for another chance?"

Hearing Nicole's words, Jarrod tightened his grip on Nicole's wrist, his eyes reflecting a glimmer of hope.

"Nicole, I understand it's hard for you to believe me, but I genuinely regret everything. Since the moment you disappeared in my life, regret has consumed me. In the face of my supposed hatred, I realized I never stopped loving you," Jarrod confessed, tears streaming down his face.

For Jarrod, the last refuge to justify his mistakes had been his perceived hatred.

However, reality had dealt him a harsh blow. His so-called hatred was built upon a foundation of lies. This made him look like a joke.

Nicole couldn't bear it any longer. How could Jarrod claim to love her after wreaking havoc on her life? That was so absurd! Jarrod tarnished her reputation, sabotaged her career, and drove her father to death and her mother to hospitalization.

Jarrod had orchestrated a series of malicious actions that turned her world upside down. Now, he had the nerve to declare that he never stopped loving her. Nicole desperately wanted to ask Jarrod how he could be so shameless.

Nicole struggled to contain the boiling resentment within her and responded with a measured tone, "Mr. Schultz, if you continue insisting, there might be a slim chance for redemption."