Chapter 7
Jacob gripped the door frame tightly with one hand, his pleading eyes locked onto me. Anyone could see how lowly he had become at that moment.
In my memory, Jacob had never been someone who would stoop so low. I remembered one time at an event, I had drunk myself to the point of a gastric bleed just to secure an introduction for him to a
famous director.
I had set everything up, all he had to do was offer a toast and make the connection. But he thought it was beneath him, like networking through favors was dirty. He didn’t even look at the man and left the
venue directly.
He also called me sinister, cunning and flattering in front of everyone at the event. Yet, when Agnes made her debut, Jacob actively used his own resources and drank to the point of needing an ambulance, all to secure a chance for her to appear on screen.
That was when I realized something, ‘Pride‘ means nothing to the person who truly cares about you. I pried Jacob’s fingers off one by one and pushed him out the door, “Jacob, whether you survive or not has nothing to do with me.”
I watched the last glimmer of hope in his eyes get replaced by despair.
On the day we went to court, Jacob held a fhick photo album in his hand.
In front of all the reporters from the entertainment world and the fans who came to witness, he began flipping through the pages one by one, recounting to me, “Sienna, do you remember this photo? It was the first picture we took at the beach.
“And this one, it’s from our first hiking trip. That night, we slept in a tent under the stars.
He kept talking, “And this, this one you definitely remember! 1 secretly put the veil on your head and you were so surprised that you covered your mouth. I hadn’t even proposed yet, but you were nodding like crazy, saying yes.
“Sienna, “I still remember you said that when we had more money and time, we’d travel around the world once a year.” The man once worshiped as a god by his fans was now kneeling humbly before
- me.
He pulled out two plane tickets from his pocket, his voice choking with tears while he said, “I’ve already booked the tickets, Sienna. Will you come with me?”
The fans were crying in unison, chanting for me to forgive Jacob. Even the gossip reporters were moved to tears by his display.
But only I knew how much his rise to Best Actor had to do with his acting skills. Even if it wasn’t acting, I no longer cared.
I tore the plane tickets into tiny pieces and threw them into the trash, looking down at Jacob from above and harshly said, “Come with you? Jacob, do you even deserve that?” With those words, I resolutely entered the courtroom and proceeded with the lawsuit.
The outcome was no surprise, I won. Jacob had to give me eighty percent of the marital assets. I didn’t. refuse, it was all what I deserved.
Jacob’s obsession with me cost him several new projects, leading to a breach of contract and damages of over a billion, nearly bankrupting him.
As Jacob’s life spiraled further downwards, he eventually developed depression and turned to overeating. The once–glorious male idol had become an overweight, greasy middle–aged man.
The next time I saw him was at a car wash. He was covered in oil and grease, hiding from me as I stood there radiant. I pretended not to see him and drove off after my car was cleaned.
But just as I was about to leave, a red car came speeding towards me.
A shadow darted in front of the car and a deafening crash rang in my ears. It took me a moment to realize what had happened.
Jacob had been struck by Agnes, who wanted revenge on me. He was thrown into the flower bed by the road, blood pouring from his mouth.
Smoke billowed from the front of Agnes’s car and then flames erupted, engulfing the entire vehicle. From the blaze, I could hear Agnes’s heart–wrenching screams.
Out of humanitarian concern, 1 took out my phone and dialed 911. I said, “Hello, there’s been a serious car accident on Twelve Avenue. “The victims? The victims their condition is unknown.”
After calling for an ambulance, I drove home without looking back. Tobby was still waiting for me at home and I couldn’t let it go hungry.
That night, I saw a breaking news report.
“We are now broadcasting a social news update. This afternoon at five, a serious car accident occurred on Twelve Avenue. The vehicle caught fire on the scene. The victims are believed to be former Best Actor Jacob Levine and actress Agnes Martin. After rescue efforts, the hospital declared them dead half an hour later due to severe injuries.”
I picked up Tobby and walked over to the balcony, lifting its little paw to point at the setting sun. Softly, I said, “Tobby, look at that. After the sunset glow fades, the stars will fill the sky.”
Tobby meowed at me a few times. I knew then that it was the only family member in this world who truly understood me.
(The End)
