Chapter 8
Celeste’s world shattered in that instant.
She could see the doctor’s lips moving, but no sound came through.
All she could hear was a piercing ring in her ears and the pounding rush of blood behind her temples.
Stumbling forward, she rushed toward the stretcher covered in a white sheet. Her trembling fingers gripped the edge of the fabric—but she froze. She didn’t have the courage to lift it.
Only when cold tears dropped onto the back of her hand did she finally yank the sheet away.
Grandma’s peaceful face came into view. But she would never smile at her again.
“Grandma…” Celeste choked out, her tears landing on the old woman’s cold skin. “It’s me, Celeste… Look at me…”
“Please wake up. You promised you’d live to see me have a baby… Don’t leave me. You’re all I have left!”
Lucian stood nearby, guilt flashing—brief and unfamiliar—in his eyes.
He took a step toward her. But Vanessa suddenly gasped and collapsed to the floor.
“My ankle… it hurts…” Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Lucian, her expression pitiful and pleading.
Lucian stopped in his tracks.
He glanced at Celeste, who was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, then at the tearful Vanessa—and walked toward her.
“I’m taking Vanessa to see a doctor,” he said gently—too gently. The words cut through Celeste’s shattered heart like an icepick. “Just… wait for me, okay?”
Celeste didn’t answer.
She just held her grandma’s cooling body, sobbing like her whole world had collapsed.
Down the hallway, nurses turned away to wipe their eyes. Some were already weeping.
And Lucian, without looking back, carried Vanessa out of her line of sight.
Celeste’s sobs tore through the quiet corridor. Eventually, the pain overwhelmed her, and everything went black.
…
When she woke again, Lucian was sitting by the bed—for once.
“I’ve taken care of everything,” he said quietly. “The burial plot’s in the best cemetery on the outskirts. The funeral—”
“Get out,” Celeste rasped, cutting him off.
Lucian frowned. “Celeste, don’t be unreasonable. It was an accident. I’ve done everything I can to make it right.”
She didn’t answer. She just pulled off the covers and slowly climbed out of bed.
She moved slowly, as if drained of all strength.
The day of the funeral, it rained without end.
Celeste stood at the grave, the rain mixing with her tears.
When the final handful of dirt fell, her legs gave out and she almost fell to her knees.
A pair of hands caught her.
“Don’t touch me.” Celeste jerked away from Lucian’s grasp.
Lucian’s face darkened. “How long are you going to keep this up?”
He grabbed her wrist. “I’ve canceled all my meetings to be here. I made sure everything was perfect for grandmother’s funeral. What more do you want from me?”
Celeste looked up at him, her gaze hollow. “I want you to stay away from me.”
Lucian exhaled sharply. “Fine. Since you’re so ungrateful, I’ll go be with Vanessa.”
“Go ahead.” Celeste suddenly smiled. “Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted me to do? Be the bigger person? Well, now I’m doing exactly that.”
Lucian blinked, caught off guard. Then he smiled, satisfied. “Glad you finally came around.”
“I told you I’d return to the family after ten years. After that, I’ll be by your side every day for the rest of our lives. So during these ten years, stop being difficult—I don’t have time to constantly placate you.”
He walked away, lighter on his feet than he had been in years.
Celeste watched his back disappear into the distance. A ghost of a smile lingered on her lips—empty and tired.
She didn’t want him anymore.
Let him spend the rest of his life with Vanessa.
Lucian didn’t come home for the next few days.
Celeste didn’t care. She quietly finished packing what little was left.
The night before she left, Lucian finally showed up.
“Lucian,” she called, voice even. “Ten o’clock tomorrow morning. I have a big surprise for you.”
She paused. “At City Hall. We’ll pick it up together.”
Lucian blinked. “A gift? What’s tomorrow?”
The housekeeper, standing nearby, couldn’t help herself. “Sir… tomorrow is your wedding anniversary.”
The air stilled.
Lucian’s expression shifted for a split second. Celeste froze too.
So it was their anniversary.
He used to secretly start planning surprises a month in advance—handwritten cards, personalized gifts, candlelit dinners at the spot of their first date.
And she used to spend days learning to cook his favorite meals. Stay up late knitting scarves, even when her fingers cramped and aching from the needles.
Now? They’d both forgotten.
Just like their marriage… something long past remembering.
Lucian cleared his throat. “Alright then. See you at City Hall.”
The next morning, Celeste woke to an empty house—Lucian had already left.
She calmly washed and dressed in a white blouse and jeans. Packed the last of her things. Then took one last look around the home that once held so many memories.
Then shebgrabbed her suitcase and hailed a cab to City Hall.
At 9:50 a.m., she received her divorce papers.
At exactly 10:00, Lucian hadn’t arrived.
At 10:10, she called him.
It rang forever before he finally picked up. “I’m busy,” he said, voice impatient. “Can’t make it right now. Just drop that ‘gift’ off at the house, okay?”
He was about to hang up—Vanessa’s voice chimed in on the other end, sweet, flirty. “Lucian, this necklace is gorgeous! I can’t believe you remembered our three-month anniversary…”
Celeste gave a sardonic smile.
Of course.
She hung up. Called a courier to deliver the divorce papers to the house. Then she deleted both of their numbers.
And got in a cab to the airport.
The terminal was busy, bustling with announcements. A voice called out, “Final boarding for Flight CA937 to Stonebridge…”
Celeste picked up her suitcase and walked toward the gate without looking back.
Behind her, everything tied to Lucian was finally over, signed and sealed by that final divorce decree.
