Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO

Chapter 45

Audrey & MIV

Inside, Astrid was leaning over the windowsill, gazing out.

I walked over in where Astrid stood and leaned against the window frame, following her gaze outside.

I raised an eyebrow. What are you looking at?

“God, you scared me! Astrid jumped, spinning around to face me. “Since when did you become so quiet?

Outside, an ambulance was slowly pulling away from the hospital, its taillights gradually disappearing into the night. Something about that scene sent an inexplicable chill down my spine.

“That’s Laurel and Blake in there,” Astrid said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. The nurses said Laurel kept insisting she was traumatized, claiming everything hurts – her head, her heart, everything.”

“And?

“Blake immediately arranged for her transfer to Mayo Clinic.” She pursed her lips. “They just left.”

“You know what’s funny?” Astrid couldn’t help but add, shaking her head. “Mayo Clinic is where they treat all the terminal cases and rare diseases.”

“Taking his precious Hollywood princess there…” She gave a cold laugh. Then, nudging my shoulder, she added, “Hey, does Laurel have some terminal illness?”

My heart skipped a beat. Mayo Clinic. Dr. Evans‘ phone call from this afternoon suddenly echoed in my mind – someone wanted to buy my experimental medication, claiming his girlfriend needed it immediately due to emotional trauma. The timing… could Blake be the buyer?

But I quickly dismissed the thought. Despite Laurel’s constant display of fragility, her complexion was rosy, her voice strong and clear. I knew too well what late–stage gastric cancer looked like; that kind of suffering couldn’t be easily faked.

“Audrey?”

I kept staring at the air, lost in thought, until Astrid waved her hand in front of me. “What are you thinking about?”

I snapped out of my daze and turned to give her a faint smile. “Nothing.”

“Have you counted how much I won for you at the track

brightened.

thousand!” She exclaimed, almost bouncing with excitement. “All these years, I’ve lost about one or

the exit. “And if Laurel hadn’t pulled that dirty trick, we’d have more than

on that thought. Instead, I glanced at her sideways. “So what’s the plan?

played across her face. “Oh, we’re going to… relax a

outside a high–end spa in New York. Through the floor–to–ceiling windows,

thought when you said relax, we’d end up at The

always go clubbing,” Astrid laughed, pushing me through the door. “Besides, you’ve had a

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Chapter 45

didh i have appo

get two trainee Nalining the rule var

mading in walking

love bitms to you? Lekantined the marka on my

suddenly serious. “They kind of do. You’ll need to cover these before meeting Blate for the

That jerk might hecuse you of having

out, but I swallowed them

Southern restaurant. Astrid ordered a table full of spicy dishes, the aroma of spicy shrimp and extra

air

used to love spicy

of spicy dishes in front of me made

back, maybe that was one of the things that made my cancer spread so

or his family’s cruelty became too much, I’d find myself here with Astrid. They say spicy food triggers pain receptors – I guess that’s why it worked so well at numbing everything else. A different kind of pain to drown out the emotional

food had become

after today’s drama. The thought made something in my chest

loading my plate with food. ‘Come on, dig in!” Then, noticing my hesitation, “You okay?

I forced down a few bites. “Just not

my phone, pretending to check a message.

the spicy food, the burning in my stomach only intensified. I doubled over, one hand pressed against my chest,