Who is Nicole from Women and what is their importance?

Nicole lives in Los Angeles and supports herself on payments received from her ex-husband, a well-known doctor. She is well-read, well-traveled, and she possesses an impressive literary knowledge. She and Henry communicate through the mail, and he later visits her. On his second visit, they have sexual intercourse. Henry and Nicole are only together for several weeks before their relationship ends when Lydia Vance discovers it and smashes up Nicole's apartment. Nicole, on the other hand, calmly asks Henry to take his crazy girlfriend and leave.