The next morning, the Gillian housekeeper, Lilibet Han, stepped in with Jeremy's seventeen-year-old sister, Rosemary. Tall, sharp-eyed, and full of attitude, she dumped her bag onto Jeremy's bed without hesitation.
"Where's Audrey?" she asked, blinking innocently.
Jeremy adjusted his tie, his gaze hard. "Don't be disrespectful, Rosemary."
"Why? You don't even like her." She smirked. "Dad says she married above her station. A glorified maid, wasn't it? She should be grateful."
Jeremy's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
Rosemary's lips curled with mischief. "You're busy today, right? Mom's out, Grandma's working. No one can go to my parent-teacher meeting. Send Audrey. She spends your money and doesn't lift a finger—may as well put her to use."
Jeremy frowned. "Ask her yourself."
"Please," Rosemary scoffed, swinging her legs. "She's desperate to please. Dotes on me like some character from a cheap web novel. Just tell her she has to go. She won't say no."
Skipping classes had tanked Rosemary's grades, and the last thing she wanted was her family hearing it from the school. Audrey, however, was the perfect shield—obedient, silent, and expendable.
Jeremy slipped on his coat, his voice flat. "Fine. I'll give her a day off."
I woke up weak, but forced myself to get ready. My flight was scheduled for 10 a.m. At the airport, I noticed Jeremy had tried sending me a message. Since I'd already blocked him, it didn't come through.
So, I did what I knew would sting him most—I pulled out my phone, snapped a picture, and posted it on Instagram.
"Happy divorce to me. New life, new me."
That was the caption I posted on Instagram with a champagne emoji and my brightest smile. I thought it was just another post—another way of telling the world I was finally free.
What I didn't expect was for him to notice.
Three years of silence. Three years of pretending I didn't exist. And suddenly, my phone buzzed with his name.
When did you get a divorce? Are you married to someone I don't know about?
Another message followed, faster this time, angrier.
Is this because my uncle is out of prison? Come back here right now, and I'll forget everything.
I stared at the screen. My heart didn't race. My hands didn't shake. Not this time.
Instead, I smiled. Pressed block.
And whispered to myself, I'm done. Goodbye, Mrs. Gillian.
Jeremy's jaw clenched as he stared at the blocked message on his phone. Audrey dared block him?
He dialed Jason without hesitation."Find Audrey. Immediately." His voice was cold steel.
Jason hesitated. "Sir, about the file she submitted yesterday…was it the divorce papers?"
Silence. Then Jeremy shot to his feet, ripping open his office cabinet. "Check everything."
They tore through drawers, papers scattering across the floor. Jason pulled out a familiar envelope at last. Jeremy snatched it from his hand. His eyes darkened at the bold heading—DIVORCE AGREEMENT.
"You knew about this?" Jeremy's voice was a growl.
"I tried to tell you, sir. You didn't listen."
Jeremy's glare could cut glass. "Don't make excuses." He shoved the papers back down and stormed out of the office.
In the hallway, Adel stood waiting, dressed to perfection, her lips curled into a sweet smile. Rosemary was at her side, arms crossed, impatience etched on her face.
"Jeremy," Adel purred, stepping closer. "You promised you'd—"
"Brother," Rosemary cut in, "are you going to keep your word to me or not?"
But Jeremy didn't even break stride. "Not now."
Adel's smile froze. Rosemary blinked in disbelief. For the first time, Jeremy Gillian had brushed past them both, his eyes burning with a single thought—Audrey.
At the airport, I adjusted the strap of my bag and glanced at the glowing departure board. My new flight was finally confirmed—Salvador, 10:30. Relief flickered in my chest, I was finally leaving behind the life that had drained me dry.
I snapped a quick photo of the gate and uploaded it to Instagram. One last stop before freedom, I captioned quietly, sliding my phone back into my purse. The announcement chimed: Now boarding.
For the first time in years, I felt the faintest glimmer of control.
Meanwhile, across town, Jeremy's composure was in ruins after searching all the places he thought Audrey might be. He paced the length of his office, coat discarded, tie yanked loose.
"She blocked me," he muttered, more to himself than to Jason, who stood stiffly nearby. "She actually blocked me."
Jason cleared his throat. "Perhaps she's still in the city—"
"Where?" Jeremy snapped, slamming his hand against the desk. "She wormed her way into my life, seduced my uncle, and now she thinks she can leave me? No. Audrey Anderson belongs to me."
He grabbed his phone again, scrolling through nothing, rage growing with every second.
Jason shifted uncomfortably. "If she posted something online, I can have the team track her location."
Jeremy's lips curled into a dark smile. "Do it. I don't care if she's halfway across the world—I'll drag her back myself."
Back at the gate, my hands trembled as I held out my ticket. A final boarding call echoed. I forced a deep breath, whispering to herself:
This time, I'm not turning back.