Once Us, Now Dust

Chapter 11

Christopher clung to the doorframe, his pleading eyes locked on mine.

Anyone could see how pathetic he looked in that moment.

In all my memories of Christopher, he had never been one to humble himself like this.

There was this one event where I had drunk too much and ended up vomiting blood just to help him connect with a famous director.

I had arranged everything. All Christopher needed to do was toast the director and introduce himself.

But he felt it was beneath him, like he was pulling strings to get ahead. He wouldn't even look the director in the eye. He left the event immediately.

In front of everyone, he berated me for being manipulative and sycophantic.

But the year Mia debuted, Christopher went out of his way, reaching out to his contacts, willing to drink himself into an ambulance just to get her a spot on screen.

That's when it hit me.

For someone who truly cares about you, pride means nothing.

I pried his fingers off the doorframe one by one and pushed him aside.

"Christopher, whether you live or die doesn't concern me anymore."

The last glimmer of hope in his eyes was quickly replaced by despair.

When we went to court, Christopher showed up with a thick photo album.

In front of all the reporters and fans who had gathered, he flipped through the pages, desperately pleading with me:

"Do you remember this photo? It's from our first trip to the beach."

"And this one, it's the Milky Way we captured the night we went camping on our first mountain hike."

"Oh, and this one, you definitely remember! I secretly put the veil on your head, and you were so surprised, you covered your mouth. Before I even had a chance to propose, you were already nodding yes."

Christopher, once worshiped as a god by fans, knelt in front of me, pulling out two plane tickets. He choked out:

"I've already booked the tickets. Sophia, will you come with me?"

The fans cried in unison, urging me to forgive him.

Even the gossip reporters were visibly moved by his display.

But I knew that his acting skills were a big part of why he'd risen to the top.

Even if this wasn't an act, I didn't care anymore.

I tore the tickets into pieces and tossed them in the trash, looking down at Christopher.

"No. It's over between us."

With those words, I walked straight into the courtroom, ready to continue the lawsuit.

The outcome was predictable, I won. Christopher gave me 80% of our marital assets.

I didn't hesitate to accept it. I deserved every penny.

Meanwhile, Christopher's obsessive pursuit of me cost him his new film contracts, and he ended up paying over a billion in breach of contract penalties, nearly bankrupting himself.

As he sank deeper into despair, he developed depression, turning to binge eating and drinking.

The once godlike physique that fans had adored became the bloated, middle-aged figure of a man who had lost everything.

The next time I saw Christopher was at a car wash. His face was covered in grease, and he tried to avoid me as I passed by.

I pretended not to notice him, getting into my car to leave once the wash was done.

But before I could drive off, a red sports car came speeding toward us.

I only saw a blur of motion before a deafening crash rang out. When I snapped to attention, I realized what had happened.

Christopher had been hit by Mia, who was bent on revenge against me. He was thrown into a nearby flower bed, coughing up blood.

The car's front end was engulfed in thick smoke before bursting into flames, consuming the entire vehicle.

Mia's anguished wails could be heard from within the inferno.

Out of basic human decency, I took out my phone and dialed 911:

"Hello, there's been a serious car accident on Glory Road. The victims are...in critical condition."

After calling for help, I drove home without looking back.

Fluffy, my little cat, was waiting for me. I couldn't leave him alone and hungry.

That evening, I saw a news report.

"Breaking news: This afternoon at 5 PM, a serious car accident occurred on Glory Road. The vehicle caught fire at the scene. The victims, believed to be former A-list actor Christopher and actress Mia, were declared dead at the hospital half an hour later."

I picked up Fluffy and walked to the balcony, watching the sun dip below the horizon. As his little paw pointed toward the sky, I softly said,

"Look, Fluffy. After the sunset fades, the sky will be filled with stars."

Fluffy meowed at me a few times.

I knew then that he was the only family who truly understood me.