- 4 hours ago
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:02I was gathering the skirt of my bridal gown, about to step into the wedding car, when Derek grabbed my
00:08arm.
00:10Hold on. You're taking the taxi.
00:14What?
00:15Vanessa gets carsick. She has to ride up front. Just deal with it. It's not a long drive.
00:19Derek! This is our wedding day. I'm supposed to taxi while your secretary stay with you.
00:25You think that's okay? I've never once heard of carsick, meaning you get the bridal car.
00:30Vanessa could barely keep the smirk off her face.
00:33Sorry about this, Sophie. Marcus wanted to make sure I was comfortable.
00:39I didn't ask for this. I was about to explode.
00:42But with half our families watching, I kept my voice flat and even.
00:48If you pull up with Vanessa in that seat, people are going to think you married her.
00:54Not me.
00:55Why does it matter what people think? Everyone here knows who I'm marrying.
00:59I went straight to his mother.
01:01Mom, Derek is insisting Vanessa ride with him and wants me to out.
01:05Sophie, Marcus works so hard. He always needs Vanessa close by.
01:10If something work-related comes up on the drive, it's easier for them to handle it together.
01:14Learn to give a little.
01:16This whole family was on her side.
01:18Derek had already opened the passenger door of the wedding car for Vanessa.
01:21She got in. The guests around us were murmuring.
01:24The women from my office, who had never liked me, weren't even pretending anymore.
01:28Phones were out. They were filming the wedding car, then panning over to me, then back.
01:32The gold digger's car was caught up fast.
01:34He married her, but he won't even let her ride in the bridal car.
01:36Vanessa is who Marcus actually loves.
01:38I couldn't take it anymore.
01:40Shut up!
01:40They lowered their phones, unhappy about it.
01:44Sophie, you're still nothing compared to Vanessa in his eyes.
01:47Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't go through with this.
01:52If you have any self-respect left, go home.
01:56I'm not going anywhere.
01:58This wedding is happening.
02:00I wasn't about to walk away and hand this to Vanessa on a plate.
02:04Everyone assumed I was the one who pressured Derek into marrying me.
02:09The truth was the exact opposite.
02:11To get me to say yes, Derek had rented out an entire cruise ship.
02:16He set off 999 fireworks over the harbor waterfront.
02:21He proposed to me 18 times before I agreed.
02:24All of that was a punchline now.
02:28I walked over and pulled open the passenger door of the nearest car and got in.
02:32He won't even let you ride in the bridal car on your own wedding day.
02:37You sure you still want to go through with this?
02:39I turned.
02:41It was Noah.
02:42My childhood best friend.
02:44The guy I'd grown up with.
02:46You came to watch me fall apart?
02:47When I'd first told him I was marrying Derek,
02:50Noah had pushed back hard.
02:52We fought about it more than once.
02:54We almost didn't make it through.
02:57I'm not that petty.
02:58A short silence.
03:00If you want out right now, I'll take you.
03:02Wherever you want to go.
03:04To the venue.
03:05You still want to marry him after this?
03:07Drive.
03:08Noah hit the steering wheel once, hard.
03:11Then he started the car.
03:13We were about halfway there when a sedan came out of nowhere and drove straight at us.
03:17And we only got clipped along the side.
03:19A girl in a very short skirt climbed out of the other car
03:22and came straight to our window.
03:23You hit my car.
03:24Nobody is leaving until you pay for the damage.
03:26Stay here.
03:27I'll handle it.
03:28That was when Derek called.
03:30Where are you?
03:31We've been here forever.
03:34What's taking so long?
03:37I was in an accident.
03:39A girl's voice nearby.
03:40A car accident on a wedding day.
03:42Is that a sign?
03:42Maybe someone up there doesn't want this wedding to happen.
03:45Don't say things like that.
03:46Sophie, just grab a cab and get here.
03:48Don't hold up the ceremony.
03:50Something went tight in my chest.
03:52I was in an accident.
03:54Your first question isn't whether I'm hurt.
03:56It's whether I'm going to be late.
03:58My wife is tough.
03:59She's fine.
04:00Grab a cab.
04:01Everyone's waiting.
04:05I just stepped out of the car when a hand locked around my wrist.
04:08You're not going anywhere.
04:09Nobody in this car is leaving.
04:11The girl who grabbed me, I didn't know her name, but I'd seen her once at the office.
04:14She was Vanessa's best friend.
04:17This is my car.
04:19You have a problem, you deal with me.
04:22There are cameras on this car.
04:24The footage footage show you drove into us.
04:26I don't care.
04:27Nobody leaves.
04:28Vanessa sent you, didn't she?
04:29The girl went very still.
04:31She hadn't expected that.
04:33I don't know any Vanessa.
04:34Video call from Vanessa.
04:36I picked up.
04:37She was standing in front of a mirror in my custom couture wedding gown.
04:42My bridal makeup artist working on her hair behind her.
04:45What do you think, Sophie?
04:47Does it suit me?
04:49This is the wedding dress I chose!
04:53Don't read into this.
04:54Marcus just thought you might not make it into time, and he didn't want to delay things.
04:59He asked me to fill in.
05:02You don't have to rush anymore.
05:05Honestly, I'll stream the whole ceremony for you live.
05:08No!
05:09Stop!
05:10No!
05:11Leave my wedding!
05:12Actually, I won't bother with the reception.
05:14It drains the battery.
05:16Talk soon.
05:17She ended the call.
05:19I sat back in the car and watched the wedding I had planned play out on my phone screen.
05:25Every flower arrangement had been my choice.
05:28I had gone back and forth on each one.
05:30The venue setup.
05:32The lighting.
05:32Every detail.
05:34Someone else was standing in the middle of it.
05:36The MC's voice came through the stream, rising.
05:41You may now kiss your bride!
05:44Derek didn't hesitate.
05:46He leaned in.
05:47The camera zoomed in on them.
05:49When they finally pulled apart, it lingered.
05:53I opened the car door and threw up on the pavement.
05:58Noah was immediately beside me, hand on my back.
06:01What happened?
06:01I'm taking you to a hospital.
06:03I waved him off.
06:05I took the water he handed me and rinsed my mouth.
06:08The bridal gown felt unbearable.
06:10I noticed a bag on the back seat.
06:12I looked inside.
06:13It was Noah's dress shirts and trousers, just back from the dry cleaner.
06:16I took off my headpiece.
06:19I changed into his clothes right there.
06:21They were too big, but I rolled the sleeves and the hems.
06:24Used a hair tie to cinch the waist.
06:26It would do.
06:27My phone lit up again.
06:28Sophie, gorgeous ceremony, wasn't it?
06:31We're about to start the table round.
06:33I won't stream this part.
06:34Batteries low.
06:35Bye.
06:37You're wearing my...
06:39You don't mind, do you?
06:40He stared.
06:41No.
06:42No, I don't mind.
06:43So you're not going to the ceremony?
06:45Marcus and Vanessa already walked through the whole thing together.
06:48Noah, you always said you didn't want me marrying someone else.
06:52City Hall, are we going or not?
06:54Noah went completely still.
06:55You mean, you and me, getting a marriage license?
06:59I nodded.
07:00If you don't want to, forget I said it.
07:02Noah's face broke into the biggest smile I had ever seen.
07:06Are you kidding me?
07:12Let's go, right now.
07:14I've been waiting for this my whole life.
07:19And just like that, we got married.
07:22Okay, now take me to the reception venue.
07:24The dinner's probably still going.
07:25You want to go back there?
07:26I want to give the happy couple a wedding envelope.
07:29Say no more.
07:32At the venue, I grabbed an envelope from the table and tucked a few crumpled dollars inside.
07:38Just five dollars.
07:40Noah and I found a quiet corner and sat down.
07:43It took a while, but eventually Derek and Vanessa made their way to our table for the toast rounds.
07:53Sophie, when did you get here?
07:55Whose clothes are those?
07:56The bride already got replaced.
07:58Wearing the dress seemed like a bad joke.
07:59Don't misread this.
08:00You couldn't make it, so I had Vanessa stand in.
08:03I didn't want to keep everyone waiting.
08:05You know how it is.
08:05Of course I understand.
08:12What are you wearing?
08:14Is that a man's shirt?
08:16Sophia, I hope you're not pulling this stunt because Marcus didn't let you ride in the bridal car!
08:22Making him look bad in front of all these people is so childish.
08:25If Vanessa hadn't stepped up, the whole family would have been humiliated.
08:30You can't keep acting like this and tell her I was in an accident.
08:33The woman who drove into us was Vanessa's best friend.
08:35She's currently in police custody.
08:38Criminal liability, probably.
08:40She wouldn't do something like that.
08:42She's not capable of it.
08:44Thank you for believing in me, Marcus.
08:46I can't even defend myself here.
08:50I'm just pointing out that Vanessa did you a favor today.
08:53You should be thanking her, not attacking her.
08:56Apologize, right now.
08:57And if you don't, don't bother coming home tonight.
08:59I will seriously consider this whole relationship.
09:01Lucky for you, someone else is already planning our wedding.
09:04Right, husband?
09:07What did you just call him?
09:08My husband.
09:09Legal and official.
09:11Thank you, Derek, for not marrying me when you had the chance.
09:14I'm Mrs. Caldwell now.
09:18Sophie, what are you talking about?
09:20I'm your husband.
09:22We had a whole wedding today.
09:23You're confused.
09:24All I did was play a few door games at the pickup this morning.
09:27All I did was play a few door games at the pickup this morning.
09:30Vanessa's the one who walked through the whole thing with you.
09:34I've said it a hundred times.
09:36She was filling in for you.
09:39You are my bride.
09:42I don't need someone to fill in for me at my own wedding.
09:46Then what exactly are you saying?
09:47Isn't it obvious?
09:48We're done.
09:50I'm grateful to you, Derek.
09:51If you hadn't kept insisting we wait until after the ceremony to file the paperwork,
09:55I never would have had the chance to choose someone else.
09:57I wish you and Vanessa all the happiness in the world.
10:02This is our gift to you both.
10:04There's barely anything in here.
10:06That's about what you're worth.
10:13Marcus, I did everything for her.
10:15And she's calling me trash to my face?
10:18Sophie, there are guests everywhere.
10:20And your own family is sitting right here.
10:23This is not the time for a tantrum.
10:24My parents are gone.
10:27As for friends, you were the one who pushed me to invite them, said a wedding needed a crowd.
10:33If they saw a little drama, fine.
10:35I'm never going to see any of them again anyway.
10:37Sophie!
10:38Sophie!
10:39This didn't have to turn into this.
10:41I'm giving you one last chance.
10:44Apologize to Vanessa.
10:47I'll act like none of this happened.
10:48Otherwise, don't come back to the apartment tonight.
10:50Because I need to seriously think about where we stand.
10:54Even if you invited me back, I wouldn't go.
10:56Although I do need to stop by and pick up my things.
10:59Everything I bought stays with me.
11:01You don't have a problem with that, do you?
11:03Okay, I'm done here.
11:11Sophie!
11:12You want to embarrass me in front of everyone?
11:15Is that it?
11:20Marcus!
11:21Marcus!
11:22Leave Sophie alone!
11:23The more attention you give her, the worse she acts.
11:27Come back inside and finish the reception.
11:29There are still tables to get to.
11:47He went back for her.
11:51Noah drove me to the apartment Derek and I had shared.
11:54I didn't say much.
11:57I just started packing.
11:59Everything I had bought, I took.
12:01What I couldn't carry, I broke.
12:03The idea of Derek and Vanessa living here among my things made me feel sick.
12:08I would rather destroy it.
12:09When I was done, I stood in the doorway and looked at the place one last time.
12:14I had imagined a life here.
12:16Children.
12:17Growing old together.
12:19All of it had dissolved into nothing.
12:22Before I left, I transferred back every dollar of the settlement Derek had given me.
12:29Then I blocked him everywhere.
12:34Stop looking back.
12:35This place has bad energy.
12:36We'll find somewhere better.
12:37Actually, there's a new development opening tomorrow on the lakefront.
12:40We could go look.
12:43Okay.
12:50Tonight.
12:52Can I stay at yours?
12:57We're legally married.
12:58We're supposed to be living together.
13:00I know you're only asking because you need somewhere to get away from Derek.
13:02But I'm still very happy about it.
13:04I couldn't quite look at him.
13:06We had known each other for over 20 years.
13:09Had been in and out of each other's lives for basically all of them.
13:17Why don't you shower first?
13:18I'll go after.
13:20Okay.
13:21I hid in the bathroom for a long time, giving myself a quiet talk.
13:25We had already filed the paperwork.
13:27We were husband and wife.
13:29There was nothing strange about this.
13:31I came out.
13:31I went to the bedroom.
13:33I waited.
13:38We let the night take its course.
13:41The way it naturally does between two people who are now, legally and officially, married.
13:56I had underestimated him.
13:59Not just the face, which had always been unfairly good.
14:04The rest of him too.
14:07And in that particular area, he was in a completely different category from Derek.
14:14I was very satisfied.
14:20The next morning after breakfast, Noah drove me out to the lakefront development.
14:25We walked through one of the newly finished estates and loved it immediately.
14:32We were about to sign when someone called out.
14:36Sophie, I finally found you last night.
14:39I went back to the apartment and all your things were gone.
14:42You sent back every cent I gave you.
14:45I tried calling, but you'd block me everywhere.
14:49I went to a place.
14:50You weren't there.
14:52Someone told me they saw you out here this morning and I came straight over.
14:56Sophie, I thought about everything last night.
15:01The ceremony got away from me.
15:02I'll admit that.
15:04You had every right to be upset.
15:06You can be as angry as you want.
15:11Just don't stop talking to me.
15:14We're supposed to be husband and wife.
15:16You don't hold a grudge overnight.
15:17Come home.
15:19Let me make this right.
15:21I'll give you a proper wedding.
15:23The one you deserved.
15:26This time, I'll do everything right.
15:30Derek, you do understand I am not solling, right?
15:33Don't say things you don't mean, Sophie.
15:36Eight years.
15:37You can't just walk away from eight years.
15:40So that's what you think.
15:41Eight years in and you figured no matter what you did to me,
15:44I'd never actually leave.
15:47I wasn't doing anything to you.
15:51Vanessa just stood in for the ceremony.
15:54Nothing happened between us.
15:56Nothing happened.
15:58I pulled out my phone and found the live stream clip.
16:03You kissed her in front of everyone.
16:06On camera, with a close-up.
16:10You want to explain that?
16:13That was the moment carried me.
16:17The atmosphere, everyone watching.
16:19It just, it just, I'm telling you the truth.
16:23Yesterday was a mistake.
16:25I don't have feelings for Vanessa.
16:27I'm done listening.
16:29My husband and I are buying a home.
16:31Please don't interrupt us.
16:33Husband.
16:35You mean Noah?
16:36You two have been friends your whole lives.
16:39Nothing ever happened in 20 plus years.
16:41And now after one day, he's suddenly your husband?
16:49That's right.
16:52You're not serious.
16:54Honey, did you bring the certificate?
16:57Open your eyes.
16:59Am I her legal husband or am I not?
17:02You actually filed.
17:04You genuinely filed with him?
17:09I told you yesterday, we're legal.
17:14Sophie, how could you be this reckless?
17:16A marriage license is not something you just sign on a whim.
17:19How could you do this without thinking about how I'd feel?
17:23Why would I think about your feelings?
17:26Do I need your permission to get married?
17:28Did you think about my feelings when you were kissing Vanessa on that stage?
17:35Sophie, this is done.
17:36It's a fact.
17:37I'm not going to fight about it.
17:38But you need to go file for divorce.
17:41Immediately.
17:42We can wipe the slate clean.
17:43We start over.
17:45We get our license first.
17:46Then we plan a real wedding.
17:48Are you actually slow?
17:50Can you not understand plain English?
17:53My wife is done with you.
17:56She is my legal wife.
17:59If you come near her again,
18:01I will not be responsible for what happens next.
18:04Get out of my face!
18:06Who do you think you are?
18:09Sophie doesn't love you.
18:11She never did.
18:13She did this to get back at me.
18:15You actually think she has feelings for you?
18:18Whether she loved you before is not my concern.
18:22Right now, her heart belongs to me.
18:26Only me.
18:28You think you can take my woman from me?
18:30You better be ready for what comes with that.
18:46I'll destroy you!
18:47I'll have my lawyers on you by tonight!
18:49You'll be finished in this city.
18:53Marcus, what happened to you?
18:54Who did this?
18:55I want him sued.
18:56I want him ruined.
19:00Are you okay?
19:02I'm fine.
19:05A marriage license is not something you just sign on a whim.
19:11I told you not to come after Sophie.
19:14She's still angry.
19:16Nothing you say is going to land right now.
19:18Come back with me.
19:20Give her a few months to cool down
19:21and she'll probably come looking for you herself.
19:24By the time a few months pass...
19:27Sophie's going to be pregnant!
19:34Sophie, you're really doing this with him?
19:36He works for a salary.
19:38What can he actually give you?
19:41You're standing here looking at these estates right now.
19:47You think he can afford this?
19:50Even if he somehow scrapes it together,
19:52you'll be paying off a mortgage for the rest of your lives.
19:58I'll buy you this place.
20:00The whole development.
20:04Just say the word.
20:07Bold offer, Derek.
20:09The full lakefront development.
20:13That's north of a hundred million dollars.
20:16Can you actually write that check?
20:17I don't have a hundred million.
20:20But I've got a hundred times more than that.
20:22If you can afford one bathroom in this building,
20:25I'll change my last name to yours.
20:28Then I guess you'd better start going by Noah Caldwell.
20:31Don't make me laugh.
20:33Do you know who developed this property?
20:35The Caldwell Group, obviously.
20:37What, are you about to tell me you're the Caldwell heir?
20:41Because if that's true,
20:42I'll get on my knees right now.
20:47Remember you said that.
20:48Noah called over the estate manager.
20:51This gentleman is interested in buying the full development.
20:54Please walk him through the payment process.
20:56Right this way, sir.
20:59Hold on.
21:01Just because you tell him to take me somewhere
21:02doesn't mean I go.
21:04How do I know this isn't some sales trick?
21:07I'm not buying anything.
21:09I'm not that easy to con.
21:11Fine.
21:12No pressure.
21:13Our properties sell themselves.
21:16But if you can't afford it,
21:18just say so.
21:19Walking it back with excuses in front of everyone
21:21is a lot worse.
21:22I can buy it or not buy it.
21:24That's entirely up to me.
21:25Stop trying to change the subject.
21:27You're the one who needs to prove you're the Caldwell heir.
21:30Don't try to flip this around.
21:32Fair enough.
21:33Noah took out his phone and made a call.
21:35Grandpa, are you free?
21:37There's someone here from Zenith Tech
21:39who wants to say hello.
21:41He turned the screen toward Derek.
21:42Derek went rigid.
21:44Sir, Mr. Caldwell,
21:46I'm Derek Walsh.
21:47I run Zenith Tech.
21:48Yes.
21:50Noah's mentioned you.
21:51You were Sophie's fiance, weren't you?
21:54Not anymore, Grandpa.
21:56Actually, I have good news.
21:57Sophie and I filed yesterday.
21:59She's your granddaughter-in-law now.
22:01Finally.
22:02I've wanted Sophie in this family for years.
22:05I kept waiting for you to do something
22:07and you never moved.
22:08You lost my mind.
22:09I was waiting for the right moment.
22:11Well, she's mine now.
22:13Wonderful.
22:14Bring her home for dinner tonight.
22:16Tell the cook to make everything she likes.
22:18Done.
22:20Noah hung up.
22:21Derek hadn't moved.
22:23You're actually the Caldwell heir?
22:25You want to know how Zenith Tech
22:26landed all those contracts
22:28with the Caldwell Group?
22:29Sophie.
22:31Every single one of those deals
22:32came through because of her.
22:34Without that connection,
22:34you wouldn't have even made the bid list.
22:36Now, I believe you promised
22:38to get on your knees.
22:40Derek was sweating.
22:41Kneeling meant humiliation.
22:43Not kneeling meant he'd broken his word
22:45in front of everyone.
22:46And Noah was no longer someone
22:47he could afford to cross.
22:49He had no move left.
22:50He dropped down
22:51and touched his forehead to the floor.
22:53I didn't even bother looking.
22:55Oh, come with me back to the office.
22:57I need to hand in my resignation
22:58and clean out my desk.
22:59You're quitting just to get away from me?
23:02I never liked that job.
23:04The only reason I stayed so long
23:05was because you said
23:06you wanted to see me every day.
23:08I have a finance degree.
23:09I spent eight years
23:10doing admin work for you.
23:12My husband is worth more money
23:13than I could spend in three lifetimes.
23:15I think I've earned the right
23:15to just go home and live well.
23:17Haven't I, honey?
23:19Everything I have is yours.
23:20Let's go.
23:23Noah drove me to the office.
23:25I wrote my resignation
23:26in about two minutes.
23:27I printed it
23:28and dropped it on Derek's desk.
23:30I quit.
23:31I'm not approving this.
23:33Approve it or don't.
23:34I'll walk either way.
23:35You can keep this month's paycheck.
23:38The women from my office
23:39who had filmed me at the wedding
23:40were craning their necks
23:41from across the floor.
23:42Can you send me the videos
23:43you took yesterday?
23:44I'd like to have them.
23:45They looked at each other.
23:47I just want the footage.
23:49I'm not here to make trouble.
23:50They hesitated.
23:51Then send the files through.
23:53I was almost out the door
23:54when I ran into Derek's mother
23:55and sister on the steps.
23:56Sophie,
23:57you've made your point.
23:58It's time to come home.
23:59His sister and I
24:00haven't slept properly
24:01in two days.
24:02That's because there's nobody
24:03cooking for you anymore.
24:04Don't worry.
24:05Vanessa can take over.
24:06She's part of the family now.
24:07That's completely different.
24:09She's just his secretary.
24:11You're the daughter-in-law
24:12I chose.
24:14You're the only one
24:16I recognize.
24:17You recognize me
24:18because my family
24:19left me money
24:19and I've been useful to Derek.
24:21You wanted to drain
24:22every resource I had.
24:24Sophie,
24:24we came to find you ourselves
24:26because we care about you.
24:28Don't be ungrateful.
24:30I'm not interested
24:31in that kind of family.
24:33Go find Vanessa.
24:34I pushed past his sister
24:36and walked out
24:36without looking back.
24:37That night,
24:38a friend forwarded me a link.
24:40Sophie,
24:41someone's spreading rumors
24:42about you online.
24:43You need to see this.
24:44I opened the video.
24:45It was posted
24:46from an anonymous account.
24:47The faces were blurred
24:48but barely.
24:49Anyone who knew us
24:50would recognize me immediately.
24:52Bride caught with her childhood friend
24:53on the wedding day.
24:54Groom discovers bride
24:55wearing the friend's clothes.
24:56Groom calls off the wedding
24:57and marries his own secretary instead.
24:59The comments were a wall of filth.
25:00This bride has absolutely no shame.
25:03She was already rolling around
25:04with some other guy
25:05and she was about to get married.
25:06She clearly has no self-control.
25:08Her parents must have raised
25:10a real piece of work.
25:10The groom and the secretary
25:12are perfect together.
25:13This woman never deserved
25:14to marry into money.
25:15Mixed in were comments
25:16praising Derek and Vanessa,
25:17wishing them well,
25:19calling them destined
25:20for each other.
25:21I read all of it
25:22and smiled.
25:23I had known Vanessa
25:24would use the image
25:25of me in Noah's clothes
25:26and spin it into something ugly.
25:28I had planned for exactly that.
25:31I uploaded the footage
25:33the office women had sent me.
25:35Then I posted my own statement.
25:37Hi, I'm the bride in that video.
25:40Here's what actually happened.
25:41On the morning of my own wedding,
25:43my fiancé told me
25:44I couldn't ride in the bridal car.
25:46He drove to the venue with her
25:47while I had to find my own way.
25:57While I was stuck at the scene,
25:59my fiancé used my absence
26:00as a reason to have Vanessa
26:02walk through the entire ceremony
26:03in my place,
26:04in my dress.
26:05I ended the engagement.
26:07I take full legal responsibility
26:09for everything I've just said.
26:11I will also be filing
26:12a defamation lawsuit
26:14against the person
26:14who posted the original video.
26:16I attached the full evidence,
26:18every message,
26:20every video of Derek's proposals,
26:22everything that showed
26:23I had never pressured anyone
26:25into anything.
26:27The comments flipped overnight.
26:29Car sick and you need the bridal car?
26:30What's next?
26:31Does she need the hearse
26:32at a funeral too?
26:32The groom and the secretary
26:33have clearly been involved
26:34for a long time.
26:35That kiss wasn't a mistake.
26:36His mother and sister
26:37just went along with it.
26:38That whole family is rotten.
26:39The fact that they went online
26:40and slandered her
26:40after everything they put her through.
26:41These people are vile.
26:42The internet found Derek
26:43and Vanessa's identities
26:44within hours.
26:45Their company address was public.
26:48Outraged people posted everywhere.
26:50Business partners saw the headlines
26:52and started pulling out of deals.
26:54Terminated its contracts
26:55with Zenith Tech
26:56and made clear
26:57they would not be working
26:58with Derek.
27:00Within days,
27:01Zenith Tech collapsed.
27:04I filed my lawsuit.
27:06Defamation.
27:07Vanessa's name
27:08on every document.
27:11The next time I saw Derek,
27:13he looked like a different person.
27:15Hollow eyes.
27:17Too thin.
27:18His sister was behind him.
27:20No trace of the confidence
27:22she used to carry everywhere.
27:25Sophie,
27:26I owe you an apology.
27:28I looked into it.
27:29The woman who drove into your car
27:31was Vanessa's friend.
27:32And I was manipulated.
27:34I've let her go.
27:36I came to say I'm sorry.
27:38Properly.
27:39And I'm asking you,
27:40given everything we meant to each other,
27:42to ask Noah to help me.
27:43Our mom collapsed
27:44when the company went under.
27:45She's in the hospital right now
27:47on oxygen.
27:48She was always fond of you.
27:49Please,
27:50for her sake,
27:51talk to Noah.
27:52We almost became family.
27:54You can't watch us
27:55end up like this.
27:57Why can't I?
28:01You brought this on yourselves.
28:03If you hadn't posted that slander,
28:05none of this would have gone public.
28:07You fired the first shot.
28:10When it ends,
28:11is my decision.
28:13You want mom to die.
28:15Is that it?
28:17She's in a hospital bed right now.
28:20She can't take any more of this.
28:22She's not in that bed because of me.
28:24She's there because of choices you made.
28:27You knew what you were doing, Derek.
28:29You hurt me the way you did
28:30because you were sure
28:31I'd never fight back.
28:33You were wrong.
28:34I'm not the kind of woman
28:35who loses herself for a man.
28:37When you were loyal to me,
28:38I loved you.
28:39You stopped being loyal,
28:40so I stopped loving you.
28:42I only let Vanessa stand in
28:43for the ceremony.
28:45Only.
28:45I took out my phone
28:47and pulled up the photographs
28:48my investigator had sent.
28:50I handed them over.
28:51You were seeing her
28:52the entire time we were together.
28:54You got her pregnant.
28:55Derek had nothing left to say.
28:57He sank to his knees
28:59in front of me
28:59and started crying.
29:01I'm so sorry, Sophie.
29:02I'm so sorry.
29:04I was wrong,
29:05but I love you.
29:07I've always loved you.
29:08Not her.
29:09Derek,
29:10you make me sick.
29:12I nodded to security.
29:13They escorted him
29:14and his sister out.
29:16His sister was still calling my name
29:18as they went through the doors.
29:19I didn't turn around.
29:21Zenith tech dissolved completely.
29:24Derek was left carrying
29:25significant personal debt.
29:27Vanessa was found guilty of defamation
29:30and sentenced to three years.
29:32And on that same day,
29:33I received the best news I'd had
29:36in a long time.
29:38I was pregnant.
29:39The ugliness was behind me now.
29:41The people who had caused it
29:42had found their way
29:43to exactly where they deserved to be.
29:46All I was thinking about
29:47was the small life
29:48beginning inside me.
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