Chapter 136

Chapter 136 Shattered

In the deep of night, when all was quiet, a black Porsche Cayenne drove discreetly into the underground garage of the Cloudwater City film crew’s hotel.

“Mr. Marshall, we’re here.” the driver said.

The driver looked in the rearview mirror and saw Troy sitting in the back seat, eyes closed, seemingly resting. He spoke to notify him.

“Okay.”

Troy responded with his eyes still closed. Then, there was silence as if he had fallen asleep.

The driver, smelling the strong scent of alcohol in the car, hesitated, unsure whether to continue reminding Troy.

After two minutes, Troy stirred in the back seat.

He squinted, his hand fumbling around his body for a moment. He then pulled out his phone from the inner pocket of his suit, tapped a few times, and dialing filled the car.

Soon, someone answered the call, their voice tired but unmistakably joyful, “Troy?”

“I’m downstairs at the hotel where you’re staying.”

After Troy sent a bodyguard to fetch her, Sarah realized that if Troy didn’t indulge her or want to see her, she wouldn’t be able to see Troy.

The strategy was useless now, so she pretended to be stable and continued filming, waiting for an opportunity.

Unexpectedly, on the second day of filming, in the dead of night, Troy came to see her.

Sarah was overjoyed. Her tiredness vanished instantly. “I’m coming down to see you right now!” She quickly got out of bed, ready to change clothes, but then stopped, going to the mirror to look at herself.

Her hair, which reached her chest, was messy from sleep. Her eyes were groggy, her expression weary. She wore a floral–print camisole nightgown that was relatively short, going only to her thighs, hinting at what lay beneath.

She thought for a moment, applied some lipstick to her lips, took a short jacket from the wardrobe, put it on, grabbed her room key, and left.

“Troy!”

In the quiet underground garage, Sarah’s voice was especially clear.

Troy looked out the car window, saw her, and got out.

“Why didn’t you come up?” Sarah walked up to him, her eyes full of exeitement but with a hint of hesitance. She bit her lip. “I thought you’d never see me again!”

“Troy, have you been drinking?”

Sarah smetted the strong alcohol on him. “Do you want to go up for some coffee?”

“No need to go up. I’m here to tell you something,” Troy leaned against the car door, his voice

cold.

The light in the underground garage was dim, and his expression was hidden in the shadows, indistinct and gloomy.

Sarah felt worried and asked quietly, “What is it?”

12:14

1/

“You should leave. I’ll send you abroad, and you should not return.” Troy said.

Sarah’s eyes

widened in shock. “Troy, what are you saying?”

“I’ll send you abroad, and you shouldn’t return.”

“No!”

Sarah shook her head vehemently in refusal and gripped Troy’s sleeve tightly. “Troy, I don’t want to go abroad again! I don’t want to be alone again. You don’t know how hard it’s been for me these years abroad! I’d wake up from nightmares every night, unable to sleep, scared. Only when you’re with me can I relax, Troy? I can’t be without you. Please don’t send me away!”

Troy’s face was expressionless as he pulled his sleeve from her grip, his movements brisk and somewhat indifferent. “If that were the case, then why would you insist on breaking up and leaving in the first place?”

“I… You’ve been so good to me, but I’ve become tainted. I’m not worthy of you, and I can’t face. you…” Sarah, wiping her tears, said, “I was caught up in my thoughts for a while, but I realized I can’t live without you. You’ve been so good to me, and I’m sure you don’t care about what happened. So, I want to be with you again!”

“But it’s too late. Nobody stays in the same place forever.”

“I’m giving you two options.” Troy said, “First, I’ll send you abroad. The public opinion here is not favorable to you anymore, and it’s not a good environment for your career. You still have a fan base overseas, so you can continue your career there.”

Sarah shook her head. “I don’t want that option. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you.”

Troy glanced at her. “So, you want the second option? You stay here, but from now on, we have no relation. I’ll replace the leading actress in the TV show, cancel your endorsements, and take back all the benefits I’ve given you. Think carefully about these two choices.”

Sarah looked at Troy in disbelief and couldn’t say a word.

In the domestic entertainment industry, it was not about talent but connections.

Many talented actors could not make a name for themselves because they did not have connections, while those without acting skills got all the lead roles.

The Page family had some influence in New York City.

But Sarah knew that her father was useless. He only knew how to have fun and brag and was arrogant. On the other hand, Troy’s father seemed kind but was actually selfish.

Without Troy’s support, his father probably wouldn’t even offer her a nominal job.

She couldn’t lose everything she had now!

Sarah looked at Troy with a pained expression. In her eyes, a flash of jealousy and hatred went by. Her fists clenched, nails digging into her palms, leaving crescent–shaped marks.

“Troy, do you have to be like this? Do you hate me that much? After your interview aired, they accused me of being the other woman in your marriage…”

“Didn’t you have that thought?” Troy looked at her coldly.

Sarah’s face froze, and she couldn’t speak the words stuck in her throat.

“You knew I was married to Imogen, but you kept pretending to be sick, wanting my company. You took advantage of my guilt toward you and hurt Imogen multiple times. Didn’t you feel guilty?”

Troy’s voice was cold. He said these words, feeling more and more hatred for himself. He knew

that the person who hurt Imogen the most was not Sarah but him. He was the one who caused all this. He was the scoundrel!

Troy looked at the stunned Sarah and sighed deeply. “Sarah, we should both move on and start over. What happened in the past was my fault. I shouldn’t have given you hope or indulged you. I can promise you a bright future, but that’s all I can offer. Make a choice.”

“Troy, don’t be so cruel.” Sarah cried.

“If I were ruthless, I would leave you to fend for yourself overseas.” Troy’s face was cold. None of this would have happened if he had been cruel to Sarah sooner.

Seeing that Sarah only cried and didn’t say anything, Troy remained silent for a moment. “Since that’s the case, I’ll choose for you. Someone will take you to the airport tomorrow. Pack things in advance.”

With that, Troy opened the car door and got in.

your

Sarah rushed to hold onto him, tears streaming down her face. “No! Troy, I’ll listen to you. I’ll go overseas and never come back. Can you give me a few days? At least let me say goodbye to my parents and friends properly!”

“In one week, someone will take you to the airport in a week.”

“Okay.”

Troy calmly got into the car and closed the door.

The black SUV quietly left, not attracting anyone’s attention except Sarah’s.

The car stopped inside Galaxy Villa..

Troy leaned back against the car seat, motionless, and said to the driver, “You can go.”

“Yes, Mr. Marshall, you should get some rest too.”

After the driver left, Troy got out of the car, leaned against the door, and looked up at the master bedroom on the second floor.

It was pitch dark.

Imogen must be sound asleep.

The bed she lay on had once borne his trace.

They had shared many intimate moments on that bed for the past three years.

They had been happy and in love.

But he had ruined everything.

Everything was shattered.

All that remained was an empty shell.

Just like the hole in his heart.

Troy took out a lighter and a box of Yellow Crane Tower cigarettes from his pocket, which he had borrowed from Riley.

He pulled out a cigarette, placed it in his mouth, and lit it with the lighter.

The harsh taste hit his throat, and he felt like something was poking his lungs. He quickly took out the cigarette and bent over, coughing.

After recovering, he returned the cigarette between his teeth and exhaled a smoke ring.