Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO

Chapter 344

Audrey's POV

Astrid’s fingers clamped around my wrist just as | was about to turn and face Thalia.

“Evelyn,” she whispered.

‘Don’t,” she murmured. “Since Thalia got back from that boarding school, she’s different. More dangerous.”

“I can’t hide forever,’ | said quietly. “And neither can you.”

| gently freed my wrist from her grip. After all, I'd already died once. What more could Thalia Parker possibly do

to me?

As | took a breath and turned, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“Thalia, Olivia! What brings you here?”

Rachel stood at the boutique entrance, her expression carefully neutral.

Thalia spun around. “Rachel? What are you doing here?”

Rachel walked in. “Shopping with friends. It's been a while.”

Thalia’s face hardened as she glanced between us. “Shouldn't you be preparing for your wedding? My brother

wouldn't appreciate you wasting twith... these people.”

‘I'm still me, wedding or not,” Rachel said. “Even after | marry Blake, I'll only answer to him and the elders. As

his sister, you don’t get to dictate who | spend twith.”

Olivia stepped forward. “Careful, Rachel.”

“Remember Audrey? Perfectly healthy when she married Blake, terminal cancer three years later. Think we had

something to do with that?”

She smiled. “Want to be the next Audrey Sinclair?*

The store went quiet. | could feel everyone watching as Rachel paled.

| couldn’t help it - | laughed. The sound sliced through the silence.

“So you two are that powerful?” | asked, still facing away from them. “Capable of giving someone terminal

cancer?”

“I wouldn't say we killed her,” Thalia scoffed. “But that bitch’s illness definitely had something to do with how we

treated her.”

| could hear the smirk in her voice. “What's this? Trying to protect Rachel now too?”

| turned slowly, a cold smile on my face. “And what if | am?”

Their expressions transformed from arrogance to shock in an instant. The blood drained from their faces like

they'd seen a ghost.

Which, of course, they had.

Audrey... Thalia’s voice shook. “You're not dead?”

“No, | am dead,” | replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “But | remembered my cancer was partly

thanks to you two. So | crawled back from hell for revenge.”

Olivia stumbled backward. “This had nothing to do with us!”

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Chapter 344

She grabbed Thalia’s arm, suddenly tearful. “Don’t cafter us!”

“It was Blake who pushed you!” she blurted. ‘Laurel who schemed against you! If you want revenge, go after

them! | didn’t do anything!”

neither!” Thalia backed away, voice cracking.

| stepped forward. ‘But weren't you Laurel's best friends?”

“Laurel's dead. So that leaves you.” | tilted my head. “Besides, didn’t you just brag about makingsick?’

“Funny how your story changes so fast.”

“We were just talking!” Olivia's voice rose as she edged toward the exit. “Leave us alone!”

Thalia found her voice again. “Go after the real culprits.”

She pointed at Rachel with a shaking finger. “You loved my brother, and now she’s marrying him! Go after her!”

“We didn’t do anything to you!”

“Enough, Thalia.” Rachel stepped forward, her voice gentle. “Stop panicking.”

She briefly met my eyes before turning back to Thalia. “This isn’t Audrey. It’s Evelyn Knox, head of Q-elegant.

The brand that’s collaborating with Parker Group. Adrian Knox's wife.”

Thalia stared at me, fear giving way to confusion. “She’s not Audrey?”

Rachel delivered the explanation smoothly. “She happens to look like Audrey, but they have nothing in common.

She’s here with her husband for our wedding.”

Thalia squinted. “How is that possible...

“She does seem different, Olivia ventured, recovering. “When she looks at us, she’s cold, composed. Not like

Audrey at all.”

Thalia studied my face. “We must have been mistaken.”

Her sneer returned as her confidence rebuilt. “Just a lookalike, then.”

She turned to Astrid. “How pathetic. After Audrey died, you went and found yourself a replacement? Even my

brother's not that desperate.”

Astrid ignored her, taking my hand. “Evelyn, let's go.”

As we moved toward the exit, Olivia blocked our path, arms spread wide.

“Where do you think you're going?” she demanded. “Didn’t you just say you’d protect them both?”

She smirked. ‘What's wrong? Now that we know you're just a fake Audrey, you're running away?”

Frowning, | looked at her. Three years ago, I'd taken their bullying without complaint. I'd made excuses: they

were Blake's family; standing up would only cause problems; better to stay quiet.

“Evelyn.” Astrid’s warning tone was accompanied by her tight grip on my hand.

| couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. This wasn’t the Astrid who once fearlessly threw drinks in people's faces

without thinking twice.

What happened while | was “dead”? | remembered those scandal photos Adrian had shownwhen | first woke

up in Sydney. Blake might have buried the stories, but clearly, the damage was already done.

| squeezed back, then let go. “You're the ones who should be running.*

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“Please, Thalia scoffed, joining Olivia. “You're nothing but a copycat.”

She stepped closer, emboldened. Audrey used to cower before us like a little mouse, and you, her replacement -

The crack of my palm against her cheek echoed through the store. Thalia’s head snapped sideways from the

impact.

In the stunned silence that followed, | stepped forward and slapped Olivia just as hard.

Thalia’s hand flew to her reddening cheek. “You hit me?!”

Olivia couldn't even speak, her mouth opening and closing silently.

“Oh, I'm not done yet.” | swung my foot hard, connecting with Thalia’s shin.

She crumpled to the floor with a shriek.

| stood over her. “Remember those photos of Astrid that leaked online?”

“Yeah, | know it was you.” | kept my voice low, almost conversational. “I've got receipts.”

The hell | went through with cancer gaveplenty of tto investigate. Finding out Thalia was behind Astrid’s

public humiliation gaveanother

reason to survive.

My former sister-in-law wasn’t satisfied just tormentingwhile | was alive. She went after my friends when she

thought | couldn't fight back.

“Thalia!” Rachel rushed over, kneeling beside her. “Are you okay?”

“Don’t touch me.” Thalia shoved Rachel away. “Seriously? You're with them now?”

wre

She struggled to her feet, face flushed with pain and humiliation. “Wait till my mother hears about this. Once

you're a Parker, you're done.”

Rachel stepped back. “That's not -

“Save it.” Thalia turned to me, yanking her purse back onto her shoulder. “You think you're tough, Mrs. Knox?

This is Parker territory.”

She gestured toward the security guards near the entrance. “Hey! What do we pay you for? Get over here and

handle this woman!”

“This is a Parker-owned store! Do your damn jobs!”

The guards looked at each other, clearly uncomfortable, before reluctantly heading our way.