- 6 hours ago
¿Dónde está mi hijo
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:08I
00:35Oh
01:11Oh
01:41Oh
02:03My husband Julian didn't know I decided to transfer 15% of the company shares to him a gift for
02:10our 10th anniversary until the day of my son's health checkup the doctor smiled as he handed me the results
02:17my husband and I both typo our son type a I looked at the boy sitting beside me a miniature
02:27version of Julian I didn't make a sound
02:30I simply calmly did two things first I pulled a strand of hair from my son's head when he wasn't
02:37looking second I tore up the share transfer agreement I'd prepared I watched my son walk through the school gates
02:44before turning the car around the DNA testing center was across town I need express results how fast can you
02:51do it the technician glanced up from her paperwork standard processing is five business days rushes today by 4pm triple
02:59the cost
03:00rush it
03:01my hands trembled slightly as I handed over the sample after they swabbed my cheek cells I sat in the
03:07waiting area staring at the clock on the wall every second felt like an hour I pulled out my phone
03:13and made another call
03:13I need you to investigate my husband Julian Robinson I want to know everywhere he's been especially in the last
03:21few months
03:22the private detective's voice was professional detached
03:26understood
03:27at 3 40 p.m. my phone buzzed I opened the electronic report skipped straight to the end DNA analysis
03:36indicates a 0.0001% probability of biological relationship between Vivian Hart and Alex Robinson based on genetic marker analysis
03:49evidence does not support Vivian Hart is the biological mother of Alex Robinson
03:54her mother of Alex Robinson even though I prepared myself seeing those words made my vision blur for a moment
04:00I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor not my child I'd raised a child who wasn't
04:08mine for nine years so where was my child I drove straight to St. Mary's private hospital the same place
04:16where I'd given birth nine years ago Dr.
04:18Susie was still there she'd been promoted to department head Dr.
04:24Susie I need to access my delivery records and hospitalization files from nine years ago her smile froze for a
04:30moment that was so long ago the files might already be archived it took some effort but eventually someone from
04:38the records room brought over a folder I flipped it open the documentation was shockingly sparse
04:45Dr. Susie was the only basic information is only basic information is admission time discharge time delivery method newborn weight
04:52no detailed labor notes no nurse handoff records no pediatric examination reports is this everything she looked apologetic
05:02Dr. Susie that's all we have in the system paper records are usually kept for 10 years you're right at
05:09the edge of that window what about the newborn footprints the blood samples
05:13Dr. Susie shook her head those should be in the newborn records but we couldn't locate them it was obvious
05:22there was something wrong an abnormally simple medical file missing newborn records a child who wasn't mine but looked exactly
05:32like my husband the pieces were starting to form a picture I didn't want to see my phone ring it
05:39was Julian where are you I already picked up Alex
05:43I'd completely forgotten about school pickup time at least I warned the teacher ahead of time I'm out running business
05:50I'll be home soon I hung up after dinner I claimed a headache and retreated to the bedroom early through
05:59the closed door I could hear Julian helping Alex with homework in the living room their voices drifting through the
06:06house
06:09dad is mom's just tired finish your homework and get to bed early I waited until they were both asleep
06:17then I started searching the master bedroom the living room Alex's room I went through everything looking for
06:28I didn't even know what I found nothing finally I turned to the computer in the study the truth had
06:36to be in there footsteps in the hallway
06:39I quickly closed out of the files I'd been opening
06:43when Julian pushed the door open I was straightening papers on the desk
06:48he glanced at the computer screen it had returned to the desktop a photo of the three of us at
06:55the beach from three years ago
06:58still up
07:00just organizing some old documents
07:02I reached over and turned off the monitor
07:05he stood there for a moment like he wanted to say something
07:08in the end he just nodded get some rest
07:13I sat in the darkness listening to his footsteps fade down the hall
07:18that night I didn't touch the computer again
07:22I lay in bed thoughts racing unable to find sleep
07:27the next morning I still let Julian take Alex to school
07:32he looked at me picked up the car keys
07:35all right
07:35the moment they left I went straight to the study
07:39I turned on the computer and tried the password
07:43our wedding anniversary
07:45wrong his birthday
07:48wrong Alex's birthday still wrong
07:51I tried the date we first met his mother's birthday the day the company was founded all wrong
07:56the system locked me out
07:58please try again in 15 minutes
08:01I sat there staring at the login screen
08:04this computer we'd bought together now locked against me
08:09that evening
08:10Julian came home from work
08:12he was barely through the door when he said
08:15I'm going to Italy tomorrow business trip
08:18not sure how long I'll be gone
08:19I came out of the kitchen carrying a dish
08:23that's sudden
08:23who are you going with
08:25he set his briefcase on the table and turned to
08:28just someone it was a last minute arrangement
08:30Vivian can you not do this
08:33I stared at him confused
08:36it was just a casual question
08:38why was he reacting like this
08:40you question everything you suspect everyone
08:44I'm just going to work
08:45I turned back to serve the rice
08:48my hands were shaking slightly
08:50I was just asking
08:53he said nothing more
08:54walked straight to the bedroom
08:56dinner was silent
08:58Alex must have sensed something was off
09:01for once he didn't complain about the food
09:04after his shower
09:05julian grabbed his coat from the sofa to hang it up
09:08a receipt slipped from the pocket and fell near my feet
09:12after he left the room
09:13I picked it up
09:14a perfume purchase
09:15expensive
09:17bought yesterday afternoon
09:19a brand name I didn't recognize
09:21but I knew it wasn't for me
09:23I thought about our marriage
09:2610 years
09:27julian hadn't bought me a gift in all that time
09:31not since our first anniversary
09:33a scarf
09:33I still had it somewhere
09:35after that
09:36nothing
09:37no birthday gifts
09:38no anniversary gifts
09:40no just because gifts
09:42I told myself he wasn't romantic
09:45he showed love in other ways
09:47he was practical and focused on providing
09:49on his career
09:50I'd made excuses for him
09:53but now holding this receipt
09:55I understood
09:57he wasn't unromantic
09:59he wasn't too busy
10:00he wasn't too practical
10:02his romance just wasn't for me
10:04it was for someone else
10:06someone who wore expensive french perfume
10:09I wrote down the information from the receipt
10:11the next morning after julian left for the airport
10:14I called the boutique
10:18I need to verify a purchase
10:20a receipt from yesterday afternoon
10:22one moment
10:23yes I have it here
10:24the buyer was chloe williams
10:27chloe williams
10:29I knew that name
10:30julian's secretary hired six months ago
10:33early 30s divorced
10:35I drove to the airport
10:37I didn't know what I was hoping to confirm
10:40maybe the perfume was for a client
10:42maybe I was overthinking this
10:44I waited outside the international departures hall for half an hour
10:48then I saw them
10:50julian and her
10:52chloe wore a beige trench coat pulling a small suitcase behind her
10:57she walked beside julian laughing at something he'd said
11:01julian's face carried an expression I hadn't seen in years
11:04relaxed genuinely happy
11:07at the security checkpoint chloe stopped
11:11she reached up casual and familiar to straighten julian's collar
11:16he didn't pull away
11:18he leaned down and whispered something in her ear
11:21she smiled
11:22then she stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips
11:27julian's hand rested on her waist
11:30they stayed like that for a moment before separating
11:33like they'd done it a thousand times before
11:37the last shred of self-deception evaporated
11:40all those late nights working
11:44all those times he'd been irritable with me
11:47all of it finally made sense
11:50i watched their intimate silhouette disappear through security
11:54a new thought crystallized in my mind
11:57that child who wasn't mine
12:00and this woman could they be connected on the drive back
12:05i called the private detective i'd hired
12:08i need you to look into someone else
12:11chloe williams i want to know everything about her especially whether she has any children
12:17the detective worked fast by the next afternoon i had the report
12:23chloe williams 32 years old divorced five years ago one son nine years old name alan attending a public
12:33school in the west end the date jumped out at me
12:37chloe's son was only one week older than alex for the first time in 10 years i felt my blood
12:43run hot
12:43i sat on the sofa holding the detective's report then a thought struck me i ran to study
12:51my fingers hovered over the keyboard then slowly i typed in chloe's birth date
12:57the desktop opened there was only one folder named work backup
13:03i clicked it open inside were subfolders organized by year starting 11 years ago the earliest folder
13:10contained scanned photographs julian and chloe in high school uniforms standing under a locust tree
13:1719 year old julian smiling his arm around chloe's shoulders she had her hair in a ponytail looking
13:24up at him the next photo was from college the two of them in the library then their graduation photo
13:31both in cap and gown holding hands that was the year julian told me the company was struggling
13:37financially we'd canceled our anniversary trip instead he bought a scarf for me i closed the folder
13:45the screen behind the closed folder is our wedding photo i stared at our wedding photo and felt bile
13:52rise in my throat me in my white dress lace sleeves and long train holding a bouquet of white roses
14:00julian
14:01in his black suit gray tie boutonniere both of us smiling at the camera the photographer had made us laugh
14:09said something stupid we'd both cracked up and the photo captured that moment pure happy i stared at it
14:17at my face so happy so naive so trusting i didn't know who that woman was anymore that woman who'd
14:26believed
14:26her husband who'd made excuses for him who'd convinced herself everything was fine that woman was gone
14:35had to close my eyes put my hand over my mouth the perfect couple the perfect lie sick at the
14:43photos i'd
14:44just seen sick at the years of deception sick at myself for not seeing it sooner for believing him for
14:52trusting him for raising a child who wasn't even mine while my real son was somewhere else at 3 p
14:59.m
15:00i drove to the west end the elementary school looked even more run down than the detective had described
15:08the dismissal bell rang children poured out through the gates i sat in my car hands gripping the steering
15:16wheel he walked out alone no one there to pick him up he looked left then right then started walking
15:24slowly along the sidewalk i held my breath that child alan no my child the way he walked reminded me
15:34of
15:34myself a slight pigeon toe when he raised his hand to push hair out of his face i saw it
15:41a birthmark on his
15:43wrist the same place i had mine i could see dust on his eyelashes his lips were chapped his sneakers
15:52were
15:52coming apart at the seams his eyes looked empty not like a nine-year-old's eyes at all i covered
16:00my
16:00mouth to stop myself from making a sound he walked away disappearing around the corner i collapsed over the
16:08steering wheel and broke down completely for that child walking home alone for 10 years of living in
16:16the wrong life for being such a fool dancing in a play someone else had written then i wiped my
16:23tears and
16:24started the car at the law office i placed a usb drive on attorney morrison's desk inside backup copies of
16:33all the photos the dna test results scanned hospital records the perfume receipt files on chloe and alan
16:42i want a divorce i want julian to leave with nothing i want custody of my child i want him
16:50to pay for
16:51what he's done walking out of the attorney's office i remembered what julian had said when he proposed 10
16:58years ago vivian i will give you a lifetime of stability turns out his lifetime was only 10 years
17:07no probably less than that i pulled out my phone and called the company's second largest shareholder
17:14my father's old colleague mr aaron about next week's board meeting i'd like to discuss a few things
17:21with you first julian seemed to have forgotten something important this company's name is hart
17:27he became general manager because i convinced my father to give him a chance i put him in that
17:32position i could take him down just as easily two weeks after julian left i liquidated every asset i
17:40could convert to cash every afternoon i went to that elementary school in the west end one day it rained
17:48alan didn't have an umbrella he waited under the awning of the corner store for half an hour
17:54then finally ran home through the downpour i sat in my car rain blurring the windshield
18:01friday afternoon i arrived at the school early when i saw alan coming out i got out of the car
18:08and walked
18:08past like a stranger i accidentally dropped my folder in front of him he froze for a moment then bent
18:16down
18:16to pick it up for me thank you sweetheart is your mom not here yet he shook his head mom's
18:24working late
18:26how are you getting home i'll take the bus i pulled an unopened bottle of water from my bag
18:34have some water he hesitated then took it and said thank you i noticed he had a
18:41habit of pressing his lips together when he spoke just like me his eyes were shaped like mine too inner
18:49double eyelids the outer corners slightly downturned does your mom work late often he nodded then shook his
18:58head sometimes what about your dad he didn't answer just looked down at his shoes those sneakers the
19:07soles were separating the left shoelace was broken i didn't ask anything more i pulled two hundred
19:15dollars from my wallet and tucked it into his hand buy yourself some new shoes he stepped back no i
19:23can't
19:24take this consider it a thank you for helping me with my folder i slipped the money into the side
19:31pocket of his backpack and walked away after a few steps i glanced back he stood there looking lost
19:38that evening i stood in the doorway of alex's room he was playing with a new lego set julian had
19:45bought
19:45him a limited edition space shuttle expensive mom what's wrong i walked in and touched his hair
19:55did you finish your homework finished ages ago he held up his model dad said if i get a on
20:02my midterms
20:03he'll take me to disneyland i smiled that's wonderful the moment i turned away the smile vanished
20:13julian's different treatment of the two children stabbed at my heart like a thorn my biological son wore
20:19torn shoes and rode the bus alone while this child enjoyed everything after two weeks away julian
20:26finally came home he set down his suitcase where's alex why is it so quiet i enrolled him in piano
20:36lessons
20:36two hours every evening since when he's only in fourth grade i didn't answer i could smell that
20:45perfume on him he moved closer trying to put his arms around me i stepped aside why do you smell
20:52like perfume who were you having dinner with his expression flickered with irritation vivian here you
21:00go again with the suspicion i had a business dinner with a client can you not be like this it
21:06was almost
21:07funny only now could i see how terrible his acting had always been i walked to the coffee table
21:14opened the drawer and pulled out an envelope slowly i laid the photographs across the table
21:22one by one julian's face turned ugly he grabbed one photo and threw it you had me followed
21:29does it matter i smiled slightly what matters is what happens when these photos show up at the board
21:38meeting or get sent to your clients he collapsed onto the opposite sofa hands covering his face
21:46what do you want i stared at him my voice was flat first fire chloe williams guarantee you'll never see
21:53her again second tell me what happened at the hospital nine years ago he stood up angry now you're
21:59crazy for a couple of lousy photos my voice turned cold julian don't forget my father built this company
22:09from the ground up you have everything you have because of me what i gave i can take back i
22:17almost wavered
22:19i thought of alan's torn shoes i thought of him waiting alone in the rain for the sake of our
22:2610 years
22:27together and for the sake of our child if if you do what i'm asking we can move forward after
22:33all we
22:34still have alex i turned toward the bedroom and returned with a document a pregnancy test report it
22:42showed i was five weeks pregnant julian stared at the report then he looked up at me you're pregnant
22:51i nodded placing my hand on my stomach five weeks the doctor says everything looks stable this time
22:59his expression shifted constantly his throat worked his eyes moved between me and the report
23:08i continued so as long as you cut things off with chloe completely make her leave the company and our
23:15lives i can let the past go we still have alex and now we have this baby julian's gaze fell
23:24to my
23:24stomach there was obvious conflict in his eye i need i need to think his voice was hoarse he turned
23:34and
23:34went into the bedroom the next morning i drank my coffee and watched julian emerge with dark circles
23:40under his eyes i pushed a glass of water toward him he took it silently but didn't look at me
23:46i've
23:48thought it over vivian we don't bother i cut him off pulling divorce papers from a folder and placing them
23:56on the table his expression turned furious what is this supposed to mean we're having another child
24:04i said coldly i told you i was pregnant and you needed an entire night to decide whether to break
24:11up
24:11with her julian stood we have a child on the way won't you think about the baby think about alex
24:20the child i suddenly laughed you mean the child i raised for nine years who turns out to be yours
24:27and chloe's julian's face went white he stumbled backward hitting the table how did you when did
24:35you find out i held up my phone the screen showed a photo of the dna test results i should
24:44thank you for
24:44that folder on your computer password is chloe's birthday you've been using that for three years
24:50haven't you his breathing quickened taking on a panicked edge let me explain my voice stayed calm
24:59edged with mockery explain how you switched the babies when i was giving birth explain how you got chloe
25:08hired at the company or explain how the two of you have been laughing at me behind my back for
25:1410
25:14years i stepped closer the funniest part the guilt i sometimes saw in your eyes when you looked at alex
25:22were you feeling guilty for deceiving me or guilty for not treating your real son better alan
25:30julian suddenly remembered his voice dropped to a whisper where's alan i need to see him
25:37too late i turned and opened the door your son no my son is somewhere you'll never find him chloe's
25:46son is still upstairs asleep unaware of the choice his real father is facing julian rushed forward and
25:52grabbed my arm vivian you can't do this that's my son i shook him off from the day you switched
26:00those
26:00babies you lost the right to be called a father now get out of my house after i closed the
26:05door i heard
26:06him pounding on it from outside then the sound of a car engine started driving away i knew where he
26:13was
26:14going to find chloe to find alan he'd lost for nine years but he wouldn't find alan three days ago
26:22when
26:22the private detective gave me chloe's file i'd already met with alan again i told him the truth alan was
26:29surprisingly calm those eyes that looked like mine held a maturity far beyond his years i always felt
26:38like i wasn't her child otherwise why would she be willing to just leave me here to fend for myself
26:48i took his hand i told him i would take him away we could start over he was silent for
26:54a long time then
26:56he nodded just slightly yesterday afternoon he flew out of the country my assistant went with him
27:05there's a good school there a house new friends waiting once i finish dealing with things here i can
27:12join my son the divorce papers sat on the table for three days finally julian came back he stood outside
27:20the door dark circles under his eyes unshaven i hadn't seen him look like this in a long time
27:31i leaned against the door frame in my lounge where i didn't let him in the agreement is very clear
27:38there's nothing to talk about he looked defeated i can't get divorced for the sake of our 10 years
27:46together for the sake of our child which child i cut him off with a cold laugh the one in
27:54those videos
27:54or the one upstairs julian's face went white a week ago chloe had sent me a pile of files videos
28:03one after another alan crying being beaten locked in a dark room in one clip he was only five or
28:11six
28:11years old he'd spilled milk chloe hit him across the back with a coat hanger the email had only one
28:18line
28:19thank you for raising my son all these years i'd watched them all night by dawn i'd thrown up three
28:27times julian seemed like he wanted to explain those videos chloe she sometimes couldn't control
28:35herself i laughed coldly alan is your son you went to see chloe every week you noticed her new perfume
28:44her fresh manicure but you never saw the bruises on your son's body he had no answer i said flatly
28:52i've already retained a lawyer if you won't sign we'll go to court the evidence of the baby switch
29:00photos of your affair those videos all of it becomes part of the legal record
29:06his voice dropped are you insane the company's about to go public now is not the time before i
29:14closed the door i said one last thing so sign while i'm still leaving you with some dignity
29:22the door shut he stood outside for a long time before finally leaving three days later julian signed the
29:31papers four days after the divorce i saw their wedding photo on instagram chloe in a white wedding
29:38dress julian with his arm around her but his expression looked stiff the caption read 10 years of waiting
29:48finally together i took a screenshot then i turned off my phone that afternoon attorney morrison called
29:58mrs hart we have everything we need the bank transfers from when they switched the babies
30:03communication records between him and chloe the abuse videos and medical records it's enough to file
30:11charges thank you for your work of course are you sure you don't want to see julian one last time
30:20he came by the office yesterday asked me to tell you he knows he was wrong too late early the
30:28next
30:28morning my plane took off my assistant met me at the airport alan's been doing better this week he's
30:36starting to talk more yesterday he even asked when you'd arrive my heart beat faster the car stopped in
30:44front of a white house in the garden a thin child was crouched on the ground watching ants alan he
30:53looked
30:53better than in the videos but he was still too thin not enough meat on his bones meanwhile alex had
31:02grown
31:02healthy and strong under my careful care the thought cut through me like a knife
31:08i walked over and knelt in front of him i'm your mother he looked at me for a long time
31:15then nodded just slightly i carefully put my arms around him he didn't pull away
31:22i'm sorry mom came too late he trembled slightly in my arms for the next two weeks i didn't work
31:31i devoted all my time to him i took him to the park the first time on the carousel he
31:38gripped the pole
31:39so tightly his knuckles turned white i took him to the library he loved books about stars at night
31:46after he fell asleep i gently stroke his hair he still didn't talk much but sometimes he'd smile at me
31:54at 3 a.m the bedroom door creaked open caught by the wind the sound of muffled sobbing pierced through
32:02me like needles i jolted awake i knew immediately it was alan i pushed open his door moonlight filtered
32:11through the sheer curtains casting shadows across the floor his small figure was curled up on the bed
32:18his hands clutched the blanket knuckles white cold sweat covered his forehead his brow was furrowed
32:26deeply he kept murmuring mom no don't lock me in the dark room there are rats i crossed the room
32:36quickly and sat carefully on the edge of the bed i gently put my arms around his ice-cold shoulders
32:42his
32:42body went rigid for a moment then he threw himself into my arms like a frightened deer his crying was
32:48suppressed desperate tears instantly soaked through my pajamas mom i'm scared that storage room was so
32:56dark i begged again and again but no one answered the rats crawled on my feet my heart felt like
33:06it was
33:07being cut with a dull knife alan don't be afraid i patted his back again and again my voice trembling
33:13but trying to stay steady mom's here no one can lock you up anymore the rats won't come mama will
33:20protect
33:21you silent tears fell onto his hair i thought of the videos chloe had sent that child trembling in the
33:27darkness the marks on his body old scars and new wounds layered together i wanted to tear apart
33:34everyone who'd ever hurt him when his crying finally exhausted itself his breathing gradually
33:41steadied bulletin gently lifted his sleeve brownish scars on his arm ugly as centipedes the marks from
33:49being hit with a coat hanger on his back a fake bruise from when he'd been shoved against the corner
33:56of
33:57the storage room wall as a small child i traced those scars with my fingertips my touch is light as
34:03if i
34:03were afraid of breaking something precious alan shook his head tears still clung to his lashes he bit
34:10his lip and said quietly it doesn't hurt now sometimes i dream about it i dream i locked in
34:15there again calling for mom but mom isn't there i'm sorry i held him tighter mom came too late but
34:22from
34:23now on mom will never let anyone hurt you again that night i held him on the sofa until dawn
34:29i told him stories about how i used to be afraid of thunder when i was little how my father
34:36would hold
34:37me and count the stars while singing nursery rhymes i told him about when i first took over the company
34:44how the old employees gave me a hard time how i cried in the stairwell then dried my tears and
34:51went back
34:51to negotiate i told him about the clumsy intern who spilled coffee all over an important contract and
34:59turned proud of fear he listened quietly occasionally he'd lift his head and look at me with those eyes
35:06so much like mine and ask were you scared mom terrified touching his hair but i knew that if i
35:14just held on
35:15things would get better and now i have you alan i can't afford to be afraid anymore he nodded slowly
35:22seeming to understand his small hand quietly gripped my finger a few days later i took alan to the
35:29observatory on the outskirts of the city we rode a bus through fields of wheat the wind carried the
35:36scent of grain alan pressed his face against the window his eyes full of wonder when night fell
35:42the observatory dome slowly opened the sky filled with stars like scattered diamonds across deep
35:49blue velvet so brilliant you couldn't look away the guide pointed at orion and told the legend of the
35:56hunter alan's eyes lit up like stars themselves the corner of his mouth slowly curved into a shallow smile
36:04on the bus ride home the vehicle swayed gently he leaned against my shoulder and said quietly
36:12mom the stars are so far away but being able to see them it makes me feel safe
36:18my heart felt soft i knew the trauma buried deep inside him wouldn't disappear after one trip to
36:25an observatory like those old scars no matter how much care they received they'd always leave faint
36:32marks but as long as i stayed with him warming him bit by bit with love and patience the starlight
36:39would eventually pierce through the darkness and illuminate the road ahead that afternoon we were
36:45making cookies in the kitchen when the doorbell rang jenny went to answer it i heard her say mr
36:51robinson the flower sifter slipped from my hands and clattered onto the table through the glass door
36:56i saw julian standing at the entrance his hair was disheveled his eyes were sunken he was dragging an old
37:04suitcase vivian i've been searching for half a month i wiped my hands and walked out of the kitchen closing
37:10the door behind me now you know where we are you can leave i want to see the child our
37:15child he looked
37:17toward the thin figure in the kitchen i keep having dreams dreams of when he was small dreams of chloe
37:22hitting him i never knew you should have known i cut him off you just chose not to know his
37:26gaze
37:26dropped to my stomach is the baby still i smiled for the first time in days i felt genuinely light
37:32the baby of course i placed my hand on my lower abdomen the doctor says everything's fine due next
37:38spring his face turned ugly his emotions suddenly became agitated he lunged toward me i stepped aside
37:45he stumbled and crashed into the entryway cabinet vivian i need to see my son you can't do this
37:51i looked at him and laughed coldly julian what you should be worrying about isn't where alan is
37:57it's whether your son can even be born safely if you want your son born safely deal with chloe first
38:04settle your mess yourselves i shoved him out the door just looking at him now made me feel sick as
38:11i
38:11closed the door i saw julian slumped on the ground hands pulling at his hair he looked truly pathetic fine
38:18let them tear each other apart let the dogs fight it out themselves soon after attorney morrison called
38:24mrs hart it's gotten ugly the result is an ideal apparently julian and chloe had already divorced
38:30and now they were facing each other in court chloe was hysterical on the stand exposing everything
38:36how julian had used his position to transfer money to her over the years how he'd promised to divorce me
38:44and marry her how his attitude had changed the moment he learned i was pregnant i gripped my phone
38:50listening my expression stayed calm however julian managed to pin all the blame on chloe he claimed she
38:57coerced him into switching the babies the trial lasted two full days in the end chloe was convicted of
39:04child abduction document forgery and corporate fraud multiple charges sentenced to three years julian
39:12meanwhile came out clean he cried in court claiming he too was a victim that chloe had manipulated him
39:19for ten years it sounded absurd but the judge believed it or rather julian's lawyer was that good
39:27before hanging up attorney morrison said softly mrs hart i'm sorry this wasn't the result we hoped for
39:35if you'd like we can proceed to the next phase of planning i cut him off it's enough at least
39:41i have my
39:42child back alan was doing homework i walked over to him alan mom made the bad people pay for what
39:49they
39:49did but maybe not enough are you angry with me he looked up mom i know who treated me well
39:56and who
39:57didn't i keep track i keep track i covered my mouth tears spilled over he lowered his head and went
40:06back to
40:06his writing then added quietly you look ugly when you cry i laughed through my tears these past days
40:14i'd been desperately trying to make up for 10 years of missing maternal love i transferred company shares
40:21into a trust fund in his name he was still young but i knew what that security meant i enrolled
40:28him in
40:28the best international academy in the city the principal frowned when he looked at alan's previous report
40:34cards for 10 years chloe had barely supervised his studies she'd practically left him to fend for
40:42himself his coursework had fallen far behind his peers i hired three private tutors math language arts
40:50technology rotating in shifts alan worked hard studying late into the night every night one night past
40:59midnight i brought him warm milk i found him asleep at his desk pen still clutched in his hand i
41:06didn't
41:07wake him i just gently draped a blanket over his shoulders friday afternoon i went to pick up alan from
41:13school parents crowded the school gates alan ran out with his new backpack his face flushed from exercise
41:23mom i passed my math quiz today i was reaching for his test paper when i caught a glimpse of
41:29a figure
41:29through the cafe window across the street julian sitting in the corner his chin covered in dark stubble
41:35haggard nothing like the confident company executive he used to be alan followed my gaze i squeezed his hand
41:43let's go home we'd barely turned around when i heard rushed footsteps behind us julian had crossed the street
41:49and now stood blocking our path vivian can we talk i gestured for alan to get in the car first
41:56then i looked at
41:57the man in front of me we have nothing to talk about i've dealt with everything he spoke urgently like
42:04he was trying
42:05to prove something i i've fault with everything i've cut ties with her completely i couldn't help but laugh
42:13julian chloe's in prison because my lawyer put her there what does that have to do with you
42:20a cantulous man of anacolt weren't you the one crying on the witness stand playing the victim
42:27his face darkened i know i was wrong vivian for the sake of our child please forgive me this once
42:38our child his gaze fell to my stomach yes our child i smoothed the wrinkles in my coat taking my
42:48time oh
42:48that that was fake julian froze his eyes went wide i met his stare calmly the pregnancy report report
42:57was forward i just wanted to see what choice you did make i stepped forward letting him get a clear
43:03look at my flat abdomen it's been months if i were really pregnant i'd be showing by now wouldn't i
43:09his gaze lingered on my stomach for a long time it doesn't matter we don't need that baby we still
43:15have alan we still have 10 years of history between us i cut him off wake up stop dreaming he
43:19acted like
43:19he hadn't heard me suddenly he seemed to remember something he pulled a velvet box from his briefcase
43:24look this is the gift i bought for your 30th birthday the company was struggling financially
43:29that year i couldn't bring myself to give it to you then a second box a third he laid them
43:34all on the
43:35ground this one's from our seventh anniversary this one's from when we first moved into the house
43:41this one this one the small velvet boxes formed a line on the pavement i bought one every year i
43:48just never gave them to you now i'm giving them i'm all to you he looked eyes red please give
43:52me one
43:52more chance i crouched down and opened the nearest box inside was a diamond necklace the pendant shaped
43:58like an iris my favorite flower once upon a time i would have been overjoyed by a gift like this
44:05i would
44:05have worn it proudly holding his arm at every gala showing off my happiness now i just felt sick
44:11i stood up and placed the necklace back in the box julian i loved you once when i didn't hear
44:18from you
44:19i would lie awake all night when i cooked soup and delivered it to your office when you were working
44:23late when you said baby thank you for everything you do for me at that moment i felt it was
44:28all worth
44:29it i set the box at his feet that one who loved you most she's long gone these gifts are
44:36no different
44:36from garbage to me now something in his expression shifted the desperation vanished replaced by something
44:42darker you think you've won his voice turned sharp bitter do you know how hard i've worked to get
44:47where i am and levin but that's you know hard i've worked to get where i am i came from
44:52talks your
44:53skull to me he and you're with this love me i came from nothing vivian nothing i didn't say anything
44:59the man who pretended to be a devoted husband finally revealed his true colors i married into
45:06your family do you know what that's like being called the man who married up having everyone
45:11whisper that i'm living off my wife his hands clenched into fists i worked myself to the bone
45:16for that company for you for this family are you finished my voice stayed flat
Comments