You Were Never That Important Chapter 10
Six Months Later
Raiden was crouched beside a trash can in an alley, digging through it for plastic bottles.
He wore torn clothes, his long hair was a tangled, unkempt mess, and his face was smeared with dirt.
Nobody recognized him.
After the scandal broke two years ago, he had completely dropped off the map.
Unable to pay off his 2.4 million dollar debt, his credit was shot.
His bank accounts were frozen, his wages were garnished, and debt collectors hounded him day and night.
He had no choice but to lay low, moving from place to place.
At first, he’d thought about salvaging his career and finding a way to act again.
Eventually, reality set in — nobody cared about him anymore.
People in the industry stopped bringing up his name.
The audience forgot about him, too.
He became entirely insignificant — completely ignored and unnoticed by everyone around him.
A sports car approached in the distance.
It was red and impossible to miss.
Raiden looked up, glancing at it purely out of habit.
The car pulled up and parked in front of a massive house.
The passenger door popped open, and a woman stepped out.
She was wearing a skin-tight dress and stiletto heels, her shoulders shaking as she laughed out loud.
Raiden went rigid.
It was Cierra.
She looked even more beautiful than she had two years ago. Her makeup was flawless, her hair was styled in large, perfect waves, and she was decked out in designer brands from head to toe.
Then, the driver’s side door opened, and a man climbed out.
He was in his fifties, with a large, protruding belly and a bald patch.
He walked over to Cierra, wrapped an arm around her waist, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Cierra just smiled, leaning against his chest as she spoke to him in a soft, affectionate voice.
The plastic bottle slipped from Raiden’s grip, clattering against the pavement.
He just stared at the guy.
Then his eyes shifted to Cierra. She was dripping in the kind of clothes and jewelry he’d never be able to afford in a hundred lifetimes. The crushing weight of his absolute failure washed over him.
The man climbed into his car and pulled away.
Cierra turned to head inside.
Raiden snapped.
He lunged, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her backward.
She let out a sharp yelp as she slammed hard onto the concrete.
“You bitch.”
He pinned her down, bringing his fists down with brutal force. “I lost everything because of you! You took my money and took off with another guy.”
Cierra shrieked, thrashing wildly under his weight. “Raiden? Raiden, let me go.”
He ignored her, landing punch after vicious punch. “I’ve got debt collectors hounding me! The cops are after me! I’m out here digging through trash for scraps! And look at you — wearing diamonds, living in a mansion, and dating some rich guy.
“How could you do this to me?”
Blood smeared across her face as she shoved frantically at his chest. “Stop! Stop hitting me!
“You’re the one who decided to fake being some big-shot boss! That wasn’t on me.”
Raiden froze for a split second.
Seizing her chance, Cierra screamed, “We were together a long time! What’s wrong with me taking a little payout? You were the one who bolted! You quit acting! You faked having money! Why put this on me?
“Let me go! Get off me, or I swear to God I’m calling the cops.”
Raiden’s eyes went bloodshot. “Call the cops? Have them lock me away?”
She gritted her teeth. “Yes.”
Raiden let out a laugh that twisted his face into something grotesque.
“Fine. You want to ruin my life?”
His fingers closed around a heavy rock by the curb.
“I’ll ruin yours, too.”