Stardust to Ashes

Cameron had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep me from interfering with Lucy's medical aid work.

The delicate breakfast spread before me turned my stomach. Without touching a bite, I pushed the tray aside and walked out.

The law office was nearly empty. Within minutes, I held two copies of our divorce agreement.

At the medical group's headquarters, nurses' whispers followed me:

"Isn't that Dr. Mitchell's wife? That Van Cleef & Arpels necklace—he had it custom-made in Paris! I could never afford that in three lifetimes!"

"Dr. Mitchell's so successful, yet completely devoted to her. A real Prince Charming..."

On the top floor, I paused outside the office door. Cameron's gentle voice carried through. "How has he been treating you?"

"Wonderfully," Lucy replied. "Just a few days ago, he agreed to donate the latest medical equipment to the African clinic. We've been married seven years, and he's still so thoughtful…"

His voice dropped noticeably. "That's good… I've always worried about you."

"You've just donated even more equipment to the clinic," she said with a soft laugh. "If Marianne finds out, she won't be pleased."

Lucy was always so sweet, so understanding. But if she truly cared about my feelings, why bring me up at all? Especially when she'd already taken everything from me.

Seven years ago in that hospital room, she'd declared without shame that Nicholas never loved me—that his heart had always been hers. The shock sent my mother into relapse, necessitating emergency surgery that night.

A flurry of footsteps jolted me from the memory.

Cameron's assistant brushed past me and pushed open the door to the meeting room.

Cameron's gaze shot toward me, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes.

"Marianne? What are you doing here? We're just discussing the aid program for the African clinic. Lucy is the project lead…"

"Long time no see, Marianne," Lucy said as she stood with practiced grace. The embroidery on her new-season dress shimmered in the sunlight.

It was the same dress I'd once asked Cameron to buy for me.

And yet, there it was—on her.

I gave a polite nod. "I was just passing by and thought I'd say hello. Since you're busy with work, I won't keep you."

Cameron rushed out after me, words tumbling over each other in a flurry of explanations.

There was panic in his voice, anxiety in his eyes.

But I felt only exhaustion.

He'd gone to such lengths just to stay close to Lucy. And now, with his dream girl standing right there, he still had the audacity to play the part of a devoted husband?

"It's fine. Go back to work," I said with a smile. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'll just wait for you at home."

He visibly relaxed. After murmuring a few perfunctory reassurances, he turned and hurried back into the office.

Watching his retreating figure, I couldn't help but recall how attentive he used to be when we first got together.

Back then, he would panic over the smallest things that affected me. He told me I could live freely, however I pleased.

And like a fool, I believed him. So I gave up a promotion I'd worked years for—earned from the front lines as a journalist.

Meanwhile, Lucy now held the title of Asia Director for an international medical aid organization.

Time had passed, and the gap between us had become an unbridgeable chasm.

Was this your plan, Cameron? To ensure I'd never catch up, never measure up to your flawless first love?

Back home, I gathered every luxury item he'd ever given me over the past seven years.

One by one, I packed them into cardboard boxes. Then I shipped them all to a luxury resale boutique.

Love, I could live without. But not money.

I would use this money to help people who truly needed it.

As I watched the packages being loaded onto the courier truck, I finally turned away.

And then, a voice cut through the silence behind me.

"All these years, and you're still so useless. You couldn't even save your mother, and now your husband doesn't even respect you."