Dad, Why Wont You Save Me #DRAMAX

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Transcript

00:00:00My son died in a hotel fire. My husband was on that rescue team. He's a firefighter, but he ran

00:00:07past our room. He went straight to his first love in the next room. Right before my son died, he

00:00:13looked at me and said,

00:00:14Dad saves strangers? Why won't he save me?

00:00:18I had no answer. At my son's funeral, I called my husband. He picked up. Sounded annoyed.

00:00:25Lauren and her son got burned. They're in the hospital. Can you just stop making everything about your jealousy? Don't

00:00:31call me unless it's important.

00:00:33Then he hung up. I sat in my wheelchair, my skin burning under the bandages. My son's name was carved

00:00:39into the stone right in front of me. That was when I knew my marriage was over. I'll never forget

00:00:45that night.

00:00:46Dad, I'm here.

00:00:51Nate, cover your mouth. Don't talk.

00:00:54By the time my son and I realized the house was on fire, it had already spread across half the

00:00:58floor. We were trapped in the room.

00:01:00My husband, Gavin Reed, was the captain leading the response that night. When I saw him down below, I thought

00:01:06we were saved.so did my son.

00:01:08Before this trip, I had texted Gavin the hotel name and the room number, so he knew exactly where we

00:01:14were.

00:01:14But when he came upstairs, he didn't stop at our door.he passed us. He went next door to save

00:01:19Lauren Blake and her little boy.

00:01:21That was when my son broke down. He started crying so hard he could barely get the words out.

00:01:25Mom, Miss Lauren is here too. Dad only cares about them, right? He's leaving us again.

00:01:32I, I, I can't breathe. It hurts so much. Mom, I, I don't want to go.

00:01:40The room was full of smoke. My boy was only five. His tiny body was giving out. My hands were

00:01:47shaking. I grabbed a wet towel and pressed it over his nose and mouth. Then I picked him up and

00:01:52stumbled to the door.

00:01:53Gavin! Nate can't breathe! Please save us! Gavin, please!

00:01:58I begged him, please, just this time. But he passed right by our door. I screamed until my throat tore

00:02:05open. He didn't even stop. Over the fire, I heard his voice, soft, tender.

00:02:11Don't worry, Lauren. I got you. You and your boy are going to be fine.

00:02:15Okay.

00:02:16The smoke was thick. My head stopped working right. I tried to cover Nate's ears. His eyes were full of

00:02:22tears. His pupils were starting to drift. My little boy murmured in desperation.

00:02:26Dad, why, why won't you see me? I yelled so loud. I tried. Mom, I'm so scared. I, I can't

00:02:35stay. Please, next time, can you get me a different dad?

00:02:40That was the last thing my son ever asked me. Then his little hand dropped. Just like that. I lost

00:02:47him, forever. Something inside me blew apart. My brain went blank. My chest felt like someone was driving nails into

00:02:54it.

00:02:55I forced myself up and held him tight. Okay. Okay, my boy. I hear you. Nate, don't fall asleep. Stay

00:03:03with me. Please, I'm getting you out. I swear I'm getting you out.

00:03:08The smoke got thicker. I couldn't even see his face anymore. The floor was burning. The door handled too. Then

00:03:15the fire hit me. My arms. My legs. Then it caught on him too.

00:03:20My poor boy. He must have suffered a lot. I beat at the flames with my hands. I cried and

00:03:26begged and hit and clawed. But the smoke got heavier. The heat got worse. I couldn't walk anymore, so I

00:03:33dropped to the floor and crawled.

00:03:34But that hallway would not end. It just kept going. And going. By the time another crew came through to

00:03:41clear the floor, Nate and I were barely there.

00:03:43They pulled us out. Took us to the hospital. Gavin was in the room next to mine. Lauren and her

00:03:49son were with him. And just like in that fire, there was only one wall between us. One wall. Still,

00:03:56he never came to see us. His whole world was still Lauren. Her and that child. The doctors tried to

00:04:03take me away to treat my burns. I dropped to my knees and begged them not to.

00:04:07Please save my son. He's just tired. He just passed out. Please. You have to save him.

00:04:14They took Nate into the ER. They shocked him again. And again. And again. His little body jerked every time.

00:04:22But he never opened his eyes. Finally, the doctor looked at me and said.

00:04:27He suffered enough while he was alive. Don't make his body suffer more.

00:04:30He was right. My boy hated pain. I should let him rest in peace. I had burns all over my

00:04:36body. Bad ones. I called my brother to handle the funeral. And the divorce. The papers were drafted the same

00:04:44day I got burned. I signed them. But Gavin wouldn't pick up. Just like that night in the fire. He

00:04:50had blocked me again.

00:04:51Every time he was with Lauren and her son. He blocked my number. He said my calls were annoying. Then

00:04:58when he felt like it. He'd unblock me. Like I was a notification he could mute. I lived like that

00:05:04for 6 years. But this time. Something in me was done. Not angry. Not screaming. My brother had gone to

00:05:11the funeral home to make arrangements for Nate. Only the aide was with me. I asked her to help me

00:05:17into my wheelchair. Then I rolled myself next door.

00:05:20Toward Gavin. The man I should have left years ago. This marriage was a joke. I was done with it.

00:05:26The room next door was private too. My family has money. And I made good money on my own. I

00:05:32never needed Gavin to support me. On his salary alone. He could barely cover his own life. There was no

00:05:38way he could afford a private room for Lauren and her son. They came out of that fire with soot

00:05:42on their faces and a few small blisters. That was it. But Gavin looked at them like they'd been through

00:05:48war. Like one more scratch.

00:05:50Might break them. Then I thought about Nate. About what was left of my little boy's body. And my chest

00:05:56caved in all over again. That's the difference. Love. Or none at all.

00:06:01Gavin?

00:06:01I said his name through my teeth. He turned and looked at me. The second he saw me. The smile

00:06:07dropped off his face. His brows pulled tight.

00:06:10Claire why are you here? Get out!

00:06:12I had on a hat and a mask. I didn't want to scare anybody with my burns. But I was

00:06:17in a hospital gown. In a wheelchair. Gavin saw none of it. He got up at once. Grabbed my wheelchair.

00:06:25Shoved me straight into the hallway.

00:06:27Lauren and I are just friends. I've told you a hundred times. Her husband's dead. She has nobody. She's been

00:06:34through enough. I'm just giving her a little support.

00:06:36I'd heard that speech a hundred times before. I was sick of it. Lauren didn't have a husband. But she

00:06:43had Gavin. I had a husband. And somehow I was the one alone.

00:06:48When a pipe burst at home, he was fixing Lauren's light. When I got in a car crash, he was

00:06:53shopping with her. When Nate had a fever, he stayed with her son.

00:06:57That was my marriage. A complete joke. When I looked at the shameless bastard standing in front of me. I

00:07:04felt sick. I didn't want to waste another breath on him.

00:07:08Sign the divorce papers. And I'm out of your life.

00:07:11I held the papers out. He didn't even take them. He thought I was bluffing again.

00:07:16You done yet?

00:07:17Once Lauren and Liam are better, I'll come home.

00:07:19He'd said that before. A hundred times. And stupid me. I always believed him. Not anymore.

00:07:26If you won't sign, my lawyer will file.

00:07:29I looked straight at him.

00:07:30Nate's funeral is in six days. You.

00:07:33From inside the room, Lauren let out this soft little cry.

00:07:37Gavin, it really hurts.

00:07:39He turned fast. All panic. All tenderness. That was it. He walked right back into the room.

00:07:46I stared at the closed door. It felt like something was tearing through my chest.

00:07:51I don't even remember how I got back to my room. I just know I couldn't breathe.

00:07:55Like the air had left the world. Up until the day of the funeral, Gavin never asked about Nate once.

00:08:02When the service was about to start, the boy's own father still wasn't there.

00:08:07Guests had started whispering.

00:08:09Where's his dad?

00:08:10I heard he's at the hospital with some woman and her kid.

00:08:14His ex, right?

00:08:15Even so, missing his own son's funeral?

00:08:18What a bastard!

00:08:19People looked at me with pity. A few came over and tried to comfort me. But my mind was all

00:08:25about Nate. The way he used to wait by the window for his dad. The way his whole face lit

00:08:31up over the smallest promise.

00:08:32My throat felt full of thorns. I clenched my hands so hard my nails tore open the blisters in my

00:08:38palms. The pain helped. Barely. Today was my son's goodbye to the world. I would not let Gavin ruin that

00:08:45too.

00:08:45I turned to my brother. Call him. He blocked me again.

00:08:49My brother's face went dark. He pulled out his phone and called. Gavin picked up fast.

00:08:55Gavin!

00:08:56My brother said.

00:08:57Today is Nate's funeral.

00:08:59But Gavin cut him off.

00:09:01Claire, are you serious? Lauren and her son were hurt in that fire. They're infected, still in the hospital. I'm

00:09:07here taking care of them because someone has to.

00:09:10And now you're saying Nate is dead? Wow. You've really crossed a line.

00:09:15Then he hung up. Suddenly it all made sense. That day, when I told him Nate was gone, he barely

00:09:21reacted.

00:09:22Not because he didn't hear me. Because he thought I was making it up. He had accused me of a

00:09:27lot over the years.

00:09:28But this time? This time I shook so hard that I couldn't speak. My brother had heard every word.

00:09:34He grabbed my phone, found Nate's death certificate photo, and sent it to Gavin.

00:09:40Then he called him back. When Gavin answered, my brother's voice came out low and raw, like each word had

00:09:45to rip its way free.

00:09:47Do you see it now? Nate's been dead for a week. You're his father. But you never even showed up.

00:09:53Then he snapped.

00:09:54What kind of man does that, Gavin? What kind of father ignores his own son's funeral?

00:09:59But Gavin cut him off.

00:10:01Claire, are you serious? Lauren and her son were hurt in that fire. They're infected, still in the hospital.

00:10:07I'm here taking care of them because someone has to.

00:10:10And now you're saying Nate is dead? Wow. You've really crossed a line.

00:10:15Then he hung up. Suddenly it all made sense. That day, when I told him Nate was gone, he barely

00:10:21reacted.

00:10:22Not because he didn't hear me. Because he thought I was making it up.

00:10:26He had accused me of a lot over the years. But this time? This time I shook so hard that

00:10:31I couldn't speak.

00:10:32My brother had heard every word. He grabbed my phone, found Nate's death certificate photo, and sent it to Gavin.

00:10:40Then he called him back. When Gavin answered, my brother's voice came out low and raw, like each word had

00:10:45to rip its way free.

00:10:47Do you see it now? Nate's been dead for a week. You're his father. But you never even showed up.

00:10:53Then he snapped. What kind of man does that, Gavin? What kind of father ignores his own son's funeral?

00:10:59My brother said it clearly. I thought Gavin would finally get it. I thought once the truth hit him, he'd

00:11:05say he was sorry.

00:11:07He'd feel something. Guilt. Shame. Regret. But he said nothing. He just hung up.

00:11:14I held myself together the whole time. Or maybe I didn't. People came. People hugged me. But I don't remember

00:11:22any of it.

00:11:23I just remember sitting there in my wheelchair, staring at Nate's picture carved into stone.

00:11:28In my head, all I could hear was his voice.

00:11:31Mom, Miss Lauren is here too. Dad only cares about them, right?

00:11:36He's leaving us again. I, I can't breathe. It hurts so much. Mom, I, I don't want to go.

00:11:46And his last words. Dad, why, why won't you see me? Can you get me a different dad?

00:11:52Those words kept looping in my mind. Again and again. Like an endless nightmare.

00:11:57When the funeral was over, my brother took me straight to the ER.

00:12:00I had burns all over my body. The infection got bad. My fever shot up. Everything after that blurred.

00:12:08Dreams. Voices. Needles. White lights. I couldn't tell what was real anymore.

00:12:15I only remember one thing for sure. Somebody kept holding my hand. Over and over, I heard a voice saying,

00:12:23Claire, stay with me. Don't fall asleep.

00:12:26When the fever finally broke and they moved me to a regular room, 10 days had passed.

00:12:32Gavin was sitting by my bed. Dark circles under his eyes. Stubble all over his jaw. Clothes wrinkled.

00:12:39He looked wrecked. Nothing like himself. The second he saw my eyes open, his whole face changed.

00:12:45Claire, you're awake.

00:12:48The second I saw him, everything came back. The fire. Nate's voice. That closed door.

00:12:54That empty seat at the funeral. All of it hit me at once. Like my chest was being crushed from

00:13:00the

00:13:00inside. I sat up and slapped him. Hard. How dare you show your face here. His cheek turned red right

00:13:07away. He looked at me with this hollow, bitter kind of pain. Gavin's voice was quiet. I should have been

00:13:12at Nate's funeral. I know. I screwed up. Then Lauren rushed in, pale, wide-eyed. Like always,

00:13:19she dropped to her knees beside my bed like we were in some cheap TV drama. The second she blinked,

00:13:24tears spilled. Claire, I'm so sorry for what happened. This is all my fault. Liam had a heart

00:13:31episode that day. I panicked. Gavin was worried about us. That's why he missed the funeral.

00:13:37Please don't blame Gavin. Don't divorce him because of me. She grabbed my hand and pressed it to her cheek,

00:13:44eyes wide and trembling. The same trick she'd used before, daring me to hit her. Playing weak.

00:13:49Playing helpless. Setting the trap. Before, I used to freeze. But this time, I slapped her hard.

00:13:55Then I hit her again. Still not enough. You shameless bitch. What's wrong with you? There

00:14:02are millions of single men out there. So why do you keep going after someone else's husband?

00:14:08You got no shame? No self-respect? I raised my hand again. Gavin grabbed my wrist. His face went

00:14:15cold. Enough. I told you, Lauren and I are just friends. She's alone. She has a kid. Her life is

00:14:22hard enough. He glared at me. Do you have to twist our relationship? I yanked my hand free. I didn't

00:14:28even want to fight anymore. I pointed at the door. Get out. Claire, how can you talk to Gavin like

00:14:38that? He... I grabbed everything I could reach and hurled it at both of them. A cup. A tissue box.

00:14:44A

00:14:44remote. Get out! Both of you! Get the hell out! Gavin took a glance at me. A second later, he

00:14:52turned and

00:14:53pulled Lauren behind him. Then he walked her out. There was a time that would have destroyed me.

00:14:57Watching him choose her. Now, I felt nothing. I was born with doors that opened for me. Private schools.

00:15:04Summer houses. A last name that mattered. Gavin had none of that. He's just a firefighter from a normal

00:15:12family. A man who should have stayed out of my world. Gavin and I met by accident. One night,

00:15:18my best friend got dumped and dragged me out drinking. The bar caught fire. In the worst moment

00:15:23of my life, when I thought I was going to die on that filthy floor, Gavin found me. He carried

00:15:28me out.

00:15:29He nearly died doing it. He was handsome. Calm under pressure. And he saved my life. I fell for him

00:15:37hard. I found out he was single. I went after him. Persistent. Relentless. Finally, he said yes.

00:15:46Then, he proposed. Gavin was a gentle man. Always smiling, steady and calm. When you first met him,

00:15:54he felt warm and easy to talk to. But the longer you knew him, the more you realized something.

00:15:59He was polite to everyone. Even to me. Everybody said I'd married a good man. That I'd hit the jackpot.

00:16:07After we got married, he gave me every paycheck. He cooked. He cleaned. He handled the house.

00:16:14They didn't live in my marriage. They didn't feel the distance. The politeness. Even in bed,

00:16:20he felt, elsewhere. Like a man finishing a task. There is a wall between us. Invisible. Unbreakable.

00:16:28At first, I thought that was just who he was. Quiet. Closed off. Then Lauren came back.

00:16:35She had just gotten divorced and moved back with her son. The day she returned was our anniversary.

00:16:40Gavin took the day off. Not for me. For her. He didn't go to work. He didn't come home that

00:16:48night

00:16:48either. That's when I found out. Lauren wasn't just a friend. She was his ex. They'd been together

00:16:55since middle school. 10 years. First love. Their families forced them apart. That was the story.

00:17:02Gavin told me he helped her. We're just friends. I'll never betray you. Because she was a single mom.

00:17:09He looked me in the eye and said. I believed him. A big mistake. After he left my hospital room,

00:17:15Gavin started texting me. Long messages. I didn't read a single one. I blocked his number.

00:17:22Then I called my brother and told him to fire Lauren. Before all this, I didn't know she was

00:17:27Gavin's ex. I'd only heard she was a divorced mom with one kid, trying to start over, and that she

00:17:32worked in media. My family owns the company. I was the one who got her the job. Looking back,

00:17:39I'm sure people laughed behind my back the whole time. The rich wife. The fool. Lauren got fired the

00:17:45next day. And Gavin showed up right after. He walked in already angry. Jaw tight. Brows down.

00:17:52It's my fault, okay? I'm sorry. But that's none of her business. I stared at him. We're just friends.

00:17:59She has a little boy. That's it. And you had your brother fire her? Why are you being so harsh

00:18:05to a

00:18:05single mom? I gave her the job. Of course I can take it back. Listen, that's not the end.

00:18:09Every single dollar you spent on her, I'm taking it all back. Being harsh to a single mom,

00:18:15I nearly ended up letting her sleep in my bed. Gavin's face went dark. Claire, I'm saying this

00:18:20one more time. I've never done anything to betray you. Yes, she's my ex. But now, just a friend.

00:18:30A fucking friend. I was so sick of this cliche. And the hypocrite in front of me. I ground out

00:18:38through my teeth. Friend more important than your wife and your son? Nate's? Nate's funeral was 10

00:18:44days ago. If you cared even a little about me or your son, you'd know he died just next door

00:18:50to

00:18:50Lauren. Gavin didn't move. I could feel every nerve in my body screaming. Nate screamed for you!

00:18:56He gasped. He choked. He begged. And you? You stood there. Broke every rule. Passed our door.

00:19:04Picked her and her kid over us. I shouted. My hands shook. My chest burned. My son is dead because

00:19:12of

00:19:12you. I'm not asking you to save us as first. You wanted to save her first? Fine. But when you

00:19:17dragged her out, carried her son out? Did it ever cross your mind your wife and son were trapped in

00:19:21the same damn hotel? Did you tell your crew to check? Did you even care? If you thought for one

00:19:28second, my boy wouldn't have died in that fire! My voice turned raw. I was screaming by then.

00:19:35Years of rage. Humiliation. Grief. All of it came out at once. Gavin just stood there. For the first time,

00:19:44the anger drained out of his face. He looked wrecked. His lips parted, but no sound came out.

00:19:49Every time Gavin ever lost control, it was over Lauren and her son. This was the first time I had

00:19:55ever seen that much pain on his face because of me and Nate. He stared at me, lost, pale, shaking.

00:20:01Claire, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I swear to God, I didn't know you and Nate were there.

00:20:10I didn't mean it.

00:20:14I texted you everything. The hotel, the room number, more than once.

00:20:20You texted Lauren what to pack. You reminded her to be careful. But me and Nate going on a trip?

00:20:26You completely forgot about us?

00:20:29His face turned pale. He grabbed his phone and started scrolling through our messages with shaking

00:20:34fingers. I used to text him everything. Photos. Updates. Bits of life. But he hardly answered.

00:20:42The night before Nate died, he said he missed his dad. He wanted to FaceTime him. But Gavin was on

00:20:48a

00:20:48video call with Lauren's son, Liam. So he declined Nate's calls for three times. I couldn't stand

00:20:54seeing that look on his face. So I told him we'd make a little video for dad instead. I said,

00:21:00he'll watch it. He'll love it. Nate lit right up. He smiled into the camera and showed off every place

00:21:06we'd been that day. Then he gave the hotel name, the room number, and in the sweetest voice, full of

00:21:12hope, he said dad should come join us if he had time. Gavin opened the video. He watched it. His

00:21:18eyes went red fast. Then the tears came. Just poured down his face. His throat made this awful broken

00:21:25sound. Like he was choking on it. I had never seen him look like that. But his tears can't bring

00:21:31my

00:21:31boy went white. His voice was wrecked. It's all my fault. I failed Nate. I'm not a good dad.

00:21:39But please, don't blame Lauren and Liam. They didn't do anything wrong.

00:21:44I grabbed the water glass by my back. It hit his forehead. I was shaking so badly I could barely

00:21:50breathe. You want to protect the ones you love? Then you better see if you're man enough to pull it

00:21:57off.

00:21:58Get out. I was done. Done talking. Done explaining. He didn't deserve to be Nate's father. The room got

00:22:05loud enough that people came running. My brother came in with Wes and a couple of nurses. They pushed

00:22:11Gavin out. I had just gotten out of ICU. My body was wrecked, but my head was clear. My brother

00:22:17had

00:22:18barely been to the office for two weeks. Work was piling up. He told me to rest, left Wes with

00:22:23me,

00:22:24and rushed back downtown. Wes is his best friend. A smart ass who never seemed to grow up. Then he

00:22:30became a lawyer. Shocked all of us. Now he was handling my divorce. He dropped into the chair by

00:22:36my bed, grabbed an apple off the tray, took a bite, and looked at me. Tell me how far you

00:22:42want to take

00:22:42this. Every dollar Gavin spent on Lauren and her son while he was married to me, I want it traced

00:22:47and

00:22:47clawed back. He used all of his income on them, and he used 200 grand of mine. I want the

00:22:51money back.

00:22:52And the divorce. Done. Now. And file a complaint with his department. He broke rescue protocol.

00:22:59He delayed help to our room. That delay? It killed Nate, and it left me burned half to hell.

00:23:05I was dizzy from the fight, but my mind was sharp as a blade. This wasn't about the money. I

00:23:11wanted

00:23:11Gavin and Lauren to feel my pain. And his team? They deserved to know the truth. That his negligence

00:23:18cost a life. That this was the kind of man he really was. Wes didn't waste time. He said he'd

00:23:24start on the financial claim and the filing that day. That night, Gavin came back. Bandage wrapped

00:23:30around his forehead. Thermos in one hand. Sorry I'm late. Got caught up at work. I made some food for

00:23:37you. Easy on your stomach, but still good for you. He opened the lids one by one. Soup. Rice. Soft

00:23:45vegetables. Gavin got 10 vacation days a year. Nine went to Lauren and her son. The last half? He saved

00:23:53it for them too. I looked at the food. It actually looked good. For one second, I just stared at

00:24:00it.

00:24:00Then I shoved the tray. Everything hit the floor. Food. Broth. Containers. All of it. I looked at him

00:24:08and felt sick. You bring over all this food here for what? So I dropped the claim? So you can

00:24:13keep

00:24:14sending money to your side spit? Gavin stared at the food on the floor. His face went hard. Claire,

00:24:20can you quit talking like that? Nothing ever happened between me and Lauren. That money was

00:24:24just a loan. His voice sharpened fast. I don't get why you hate her so much. I had heard that

00:24:29speech so

00:24:30many times it made me choke. A cough tore out of me before I could stop it. Gavin froze. The

00:24:36anger

00:24:36dropped right out of his face. He came over and reached for my back, trying to steady my breathing.

00:24:41Before Lauren came back into his life, people thought we were the perfect couple. So sometimes

00:24:47I caught myself wondering, how did we end up here? Gavin let out a slow breath. You're weak right now.

00:24:53Can we not fight? When he spoke again, his voice was softer. You're a mom. You get how tough this

00:25:00is

00:25:00for Lauren, right? I just stared at him. He kept going. She lost her job. If I make her pay

00:25:06that

00:25:07money back now, what does that make me? Try putting yourself in her shoes. That was the moment I knew

00:25:12there was nothing left to say. I was too tired to argue. Get out. My voice was flat. If you

00:25:19don't

00:25:19want to leave here with more injuries, get out now. He frowned, acting like I was crazy. Then his phone

00:25:25rang. Lauren. Of course. He picked up, and I heard enough to know what it was. Liam kept calling for

00:25:32him. Just like that, he was done fighting with me. Claire, you're upset right now. Calm down. We'll

00:25:38talk later. That was always his move. Whenever I got angry over Lauren, he never fixed it. He'd blame me

00:25:45for getting upset. Then leave me alone with the damage. He probably thought this would go the way

00:25:50it always had. That eventually I'd stop pushing. Move on. What he still didn't understand was this.

00:25:56The second Nate died, whatever was left between us died too. That same evening, I completed the

00:26:02procedures for transferring to another hospital. I wasn't going to stay there another day and let

00:26:06him and Lauren keep circling my room like vultures. The next morning, Gavin couldn't reach me. So he

00:26:12started asking our mutual friends to check on me. Hey Claire, you just got out of the hospital.

00:26:17Where are you? Gavin's been freaking out about you. Ask Gavin this. If he was so worried about me,

00:26:23why did he pick a fight the day I left ICU just to defend his ex? And ask him this

00:26:28too. If he was

00:26:30so worried, why did he spend less than 10 minutes in my room before running back to Lauren? One of

00:26:35them

00:26:36called and said, I hung up. Then I went into the group chat we all shared, friends, co-workers, the

00:26:42whole

00:26:42fake little group and tagged both Gavin and Lauren. Stop pretending everything's fine.

00:26:48Stop asking me to help you two play this game. Do you really think no one sees it? Gavin,

00:26:55just admit it. You're still in love with your ex. At least be honest about it instead of this crap.

00:27:04And ladies. I typed. The group chat went dead. No one replied. Silence in public. Chaos in private.

00:27:12A little later, Gavin texted me from a new number. You can hate me all you want. You can take

00:27:18it out

00:27:19on me. Leave Lauren and Liam out of this. They didn't do anything. How many times do I have to

00:27:25tell you?

00:27:25Didn't do anything? Ridiculous. I used to keep quiet. Out of pride. Out of mercy. But now my son was

00:27:34gone.

00:27:35All my mercy was buried with him. I called Gavin right away. When he answered, I didn't wait.

00:27:41Don't worry. You're on the list too. Do you really have to do this? No doubt. Yes. No pause.

00:27:48You're acting so crazy I don't even know you anymore. He said something that almost made me laugh again.

00:27:53I closed my eyes. Funny. I guess I never knew you at all. If I had known what he really

00:28:00was. How weak.

00:28:02How blind. How messed up inside. I never would have married him. Nate wouldn't have been compared to

00:28:08Liam. He wouldn't have been called too sensitive, too clingy, not enough. He wouldn't have had to

00:28:13shrink himself for a father who always chose someone else. And maybe, he wouldn't have died still hoping

00:28:19that man would change. Wes moved fast. The money case came through first. The court ordered Lauren

00:28:25to pay me back 1.85 million. Wes warned me. He said the divorce wouldn't be easy. I didn't have

00:28:32hard proof Gavin had physically cheated. Without that, the court said the marriage was not legally

00:28:37beyond repair. So they denied the divorce. Gavin was furious that I forced Lauren to pay. He tried

00:28:43to borrow money and cover it for her himself. I shut that down immediately. I had Wes pass the message

00:28:49straight to him. Gavin. Want to raise your mistress and her kid? Fine. Once we're divorced, do whatever

00:28:56you want. But every dollar you spend on her? That's my money. So get it back. Now. I thought he'd

00:29:04agree.

00:29:05I thought there was no way he'd let Lauren suffer if he could stop it. But I was wrong. Gavin

00:29:10asked to meet.

00:29:11I said no. Wes came back later and told me. He won't sign. He says the marriage is fine. He

00:29:17says

00:29:18you're overreacting. He says you don't get him. I almost laughed. I realized I never really knew

00:29:23Gavin. For years, he gave everything to Lauren and Liam. His time. His care. His patience. And me.

00:29:30Shorter. Colder. Meaner. Some days, he treated strangers better than his own wife. I couldn't figure it out.

00:29:36Why drag this out? Why hold on? Then I stopped trying. I was done playing nice. He wanted to drag

00:29:43this out? I'd make him beg for the divorce. The complaint letter was already in. The review was

00:29:48moving. A few days later, someone from internal review called. I said yes. They showed up in a group.

00:29:55Too many suits. Too many fake smiles. They even brought health supplements. Like that would fix any of

00:30:01this. What I didn't expect. Gavin walked in with them. One of the senior men gave me a grave little

00:30:06smile. Gavin has already explained the situation. He knows he made a serious mistake. Then he turned

00:30:12to Gavin. Go on. Apologize now. Gavin looked thinner. Dark circles. Hollow cheeks. Like grief

00:30:18had finally found his address. He stepped up to me. His voice was rough. Claire, I'm sorry. I promise

00:30:25this will never happen again. I stared at him. My hands were clenched so tight it hurt. And what good

00:30:30is

00:30:30that now? Nate is dead. Does saying sorry bring him back? You didn't even show up to your own son's

00:30:36funeral. What kind of man does that? What kind man fube out? Gavin swallowed hard. For once,

00:30:43he didn't look calm. He wasn't steady. He looked scared. I failed Nate. I know that. But Liam had a

00:30:49cardiac episode that day. He doesn't have a dad. Lauren didn't know what to do. I couldn't just leave.

00:30:54I cut him off so fast he flinched. Was she the only person in the world? She's 35, Gavin. Not

00:31:00a kid

00:31:01you have to babysit. If you didn't want to come, just say so. I looked around the room. The suits.

00:31:06The fake smiles. The men hoping I'd make this easy. You all came here to talk me out of this,

00:31:11didn't you? You really think that sounds okay? Nobody answered. Because nobody could. Once I got so

00:31:18caught up in all this, I even ran paternity tests. More than once. Gavin and Liam. Never father and

00:31:24son. Then it hit me. Love someone, you take everything with them. That was Gavin. He loved

00:31:30Lauren so much, he treated her kid like a saint too. The room went stiff. Everybody looked embarrassed.

00:31:36Finally, one of the leaders cleared his throat and tried again.

00:31:39Claire, you got to think this through. Gavin's one of our top guys. People are already talking

00:31:45promotions. He's got a huge future ahead. And if you push this, you could ruin it for him.

00:31:52You still think you deserve to wear that uniform? When you ran off with your girlfriend and grabbed

00:31:57Liam, did you know my son was a doorway? Crying for you? Saying, Daddy, it hurts over and over?

00:32:03If anyone else had been on that call, he'd still be alive. You're the only one who let this happen.

00:32:10Gavin went white. He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Then he turned and walked out. Ran. Almost.

00:32:17I looked past the window. The sky was dark and heavy. Storm colored. Like rain was coming. The next day,

00:32:23the department called. Their decision was in. Major disciplinary mark. Demotion. Removed from command.

00:32:30By then, my body had started to heal. Enough that I could go see Nate. It had only been a

00:32:35month since

00:32:36he died. One month. But it felt like years. Time had gotten strange after him. At night,

00:32:42I still woke up from dreams of him crying. Once I was up, I couldn't go back to sleep. Every

00:32:47minute

00:32:47dragged. I brought flowers to the cemetery. When I got there, I saw I wasn't alone. Gavin was already

00:32:54there. Flowers lined Nate's grave. A superhero figure. A little cake. Candy.

00:32:59Snacks. I kicked them all aside. Claire, whatever your problem with me,

00:33:05take it out on me. Don't do this here. He was my son too. No. That's not what Liam likes.

00:33:12I pulled out Legos, a Rubik's Cube, and Nate's favorite spicy snacks. Nate hated sweets. He didn't

00:33:18care about superheroes. I'm sorry. I thought all boys liked this stuff. If you don't care,

00:33:24don't fake it. Doesn't this embarrass you? He could remember Liam. Not Nate. Not one favorite

00:33:29toy or snack. Indifference. I just wanted more time with him. I was busy. I didn't get enough

00:33:35time. But Nate said he wanted a different dad next life. Gavin staggered. Kneeled. He whispered.

00:33:41It felt empty. Fake. Too late. If you really feel sorry, honor his wish. Stop showing up in front

00:33:48of him. His phone rang. Lauren. He answered, face changing instantly. Gil. Claire. Lauren and Liam

00:33:55are innocent. Blame me. Not them. You're a mother too. How can you be this cruel? You wouldn't even

00:34:01leave them the house? Don't worry. I'm coming. Lauren knew Gavin had her back. Even with cash in hand,

00:34:07she refused to pay. I had Wes file for court enforcement. The property under Lauren and Liam's

00:34:12name was put up for forced sale. This morning, they were evicted. Gavin kept hovering,

00:34:17trying to calm her down, anxious and tense. I knew the truth. He wasn't sorry. Later,

00:34:22I remembered how he once risked his life to save me. He said that's the job. I asked if he

00:34:27was scared.

00:34:28Maybe it's how I grew up. His father, a firefighter, died when Gavin was seven. His mother sick,

00:34:34died when he was 15. Crew and friends kept him alive. He grew up giving, helping, optimistic. That

00:34:41was the part one loved most. And the part one came to hate. Every time Lauren called, he answered,

00:34:46always softer, faster, more completely than me. I stayed calm at first. Then uneasy. Then furious.

00:34:53He never got it. You've never complained when I helped other people. So why are you obsessing

00:35:00over Lauren and Liam? I've never crossed a line with them. Stop making this about jealousy.

00:35:06Then I came back from the memory, empty. I stayed with Nate for over an hour, then left. Not sure

00:35:11if it

00:35:12was just my luck today. Or some cosmic joke. Later, outside downtown, I saw them again. Lauren

00:35:17on the roof ledge. Liam in her arms. Police. Firefighters. Gavin trying to calm her. A crowd

00:35:24had gathered. Cameras flashing. She saw me. Screamed. Claire! Will you only stop when me and my son

00:35:31are dead? My phone rang. Blocked number. Gavin borrowed someone else's phone. Stop. Don't push

00:35:38her. Whatever you need to say, not her. Say it to me. I gripped the phone. Enough. Then I looked

00:35:44at Lauren on the ledge. At the hotel, she knew I was next door. So did Liam. We need to

00:35:50do in

00:35:51sakes there. But they's never was stunning. They knew we were there. But they never told

00:35:57you. Gavin froze. Just for a second. Then he said, too fast. Too panicked. That's not possible.

00:36:04Lauren would never do that. She has a good heart. Of course. Men like him only believe

00:36:09what they want to. I hung up and shouted at Lauren on the ledge. You want to jump? Then

00:36:15jump. Can't do it with your kid? Fine. Go by yourself. Cops and firefighters rushed toward

00:36:20me immediately. Hands raised. Voices loud. Trying to stop me. The crowd stared. I laughed.

00:36:26A megaphone appeared. Wes. He raised an eyebrow. Use this. Save your voice. Your brother made

00:36:32me promise I'd keep you in one piece. I took it. She's not jumping! She wasn't leaning,

00:36:38shaking, or letting go. Wes muttered about my height. Too short. Then brought a chair. I stepped

00:36:42up. Lifted the megaphone higher. Since we're all watching, here's the truth. That woman up there?

00:36:48My husband's side swash. The guy behind her? My husband. My husband gave her 1.85 million

00:36:54during our marriage. I sued. She refused to pay. So the court moved to sell her house.

00:37:00She doesn't want to pay. Doesn't want to lose the house. Today, she pulled this stunt hoping

00:37:05you'd pressure me into backing down. Still recovering from major burns. My son is dead. And now I'm supposed

00:37:12to be the cruel one because I won't let my husband's mistress bully me in public. If you still think

00:37:18I'm

00:37:18the villain here, fine. The crowd erupted. Voices from all directions. Shameless! Arrest her! The wife

00:37:25is the real victim. That's outrageous! Wes studied me and drove me home. By nightfall, the story was

00:37:32everywhere. Lauren had made too much noise. Reporters dug into the fire. Fire captain altered rescue order

00:37:37to save ex-girlfriend and her child first. Delay allegedly led to death of 5-year-old son and

00:37:42severe burns to wife. Dead child identified as captain's son, wife and child in room next to

00:37:47ex-girlfriend. Gavin and Lauren were dragged online. Lauren couldn't rent anywhere. Gavin's career took

00:37:52a hit. If he failed his own child, what could people trust him with? Gavin tried to contact me

00:37:57repeatedly. No luck. Finally, he hired a lawyer. He wanted a divorce. Wes handled the back and forth.

00:38:04He says, Lauren panicked and forgot you and Nate were next door. He thinks you misjudged her. He's

00:38:09disappointed in you and wants a divorce. I looked at Wes. Tired. Done. I didn't care to untangle

00:38:14excuses anymore. Come with me. I want the divorce done face to face. Today. At my house. After Nate

00:38:21died, I couldn't go home. His shoes. His cups. His half-built toys everywhere. I couldn't live under the

00:38:27same roof as Gavin. But now the house was mine. Every memory of Nate stayed. Gavin would take only

00:38:32himself out. We arrived. Opposing counsel called. House not ideal. Move to coffee shop. Fine. I just

00:38:40wanted it done. Since I was already there, I wanted Nate's favorite Lego set. I keyed the door. Wrong

00:38:45code. Again. Wrong. Then a voice. Who is it? My blood ran cold. The door opened. Lauren. Lauren was in

00:38:53my

00:38:53house. Wearing pajamas. Liam was right behind her. Dressed like you lived there too. One look past the door

00:39:00and I knew. The furniture had been moved. The decor was different. Their things were everywhere.

00:39:06They had settled in. But this was my house. My house with Gavin. We weren't even divorced yet.

00:39:13How the hell did he let another woman move in here with her kid? My blood went hot so fast

00:39:18my vision

00:39:18blurred. Lauren saw me and panicked. She tried to slam the door. Wes gave an annoyed click of his tongue

00:39:24and kicked the door back open. You can't go in there. Out of my way. I shoved her aside and

00:39:31went

00:39:31in. Then I saw the bedroom. Clean. Reset. Different. There was nothing left of Nate. My mind went blank.

00:39:40I turned and grabbed Lauren by the shirt. Where are Nate's clothes? His shoes? His toys? His pictures? Where are

00:39:49they? I was one second from falling apart. Lauren wouldn't look at me. But Liam answered for her.

00:39:56Mom said keeping dead people's stuff is creepy. So she threw it out. I screamed and grabbed a fistful

00:40:02of Lauren's hair. Then I hit her. Once. Twice. Over and over. She fell. I went down with her and

00:40:10kept

00:40:10swinging. I wanted to tear her apart. My son was already dead. Wasn't that enough? Why did she have to

00:40:18erase every trace of him too? Gavin kept saying Lauren and Liam were innocent. Then what about

00:40:23Nate? What about me? Claire! What the hell are you doing? He tried to yank me off her. Wes stepped

00:40:30in

00:40:30front of him. Let's not do that. Breaking up a fight between women? Bad look for you. Wes looked lean,

00:40:36but he could fight. He'd competed at the national level. Gavin couldn't get past him. So he did what

00:40:42men like him always do when they lose control. He called the cops. Lauren didn't do anything to

00:40:47deserve that. She let the last time slide and now you're attacking her again? I know you're hurting

00:40:52Claire, but that doesn't give you the right to go after her. I have never met a lower man than

00:40:58you.

00:40:58When the police got there, I didn't say much. Wes had already called a lawyer who specialized in

00:41:04cases like this. Lauren's injuries were minor at best. A few thousand dollars, maybe. So I had Wes go to

00:41:10the nearest ATM. He came back with cash. I threw it straight at Lauren. There. You've been paid.

00:41:18Now let's talk about unlawful entry into my home. Lauren burst into tears. Gavin stepped in front of

00:41:24her at once. I gave her permission to be here. You seem to have forgotten something. I own this house.

00:41:31Gavin didn't come from money. You called the police, Gavin. You helped kill Nate. You let them throw away

00:41:39every last thing he left behind. Now you say I'm going too far? You two are the ones who crossed

00:41:46the

00:41:46line. You threw Nate's things away? I told you not to touch anything in this house. Everything she

00:41:54threw out was worth at least 50 grand. Unlawful entry, destruction of property, that's enough to press

00:42:00charges. I was done wasting oxygen on them. I turned and walked out. Gavin ran after me. For once,

00:42:07he looked scared. Claire, I'm sorry. I moved out after she moved in. I was trying to avoid any

00:42:14appearance of- You better pray I get Nate's things back. Because if I don't, I'll make your lives hell.

00:42:20My brother had already handled it. He hired a crew to dig through the landfill for Nate's things.

00:42:26Wes and I drove out there fast. You're still recovering, Claire.

00:42:30Go home. Get off your feet. I'll find everything. I swear to God I will.

00:42:36I didn't even spare him a glance. Wes handed me a pair of work gloves. I pulled them on and

00:42:42climbed

00:42:42into the mountain of trash. If Nate had anything left in this world, I was the one taking it home.

00:42:47Gavin just stood there, useless. Looking like a man who'd shown up too late and knew it.

00:42:52What exactly are we looking for?

00:42:54That almost broke me. Because there was a time he knew every single thing that mattered.

00:42:59When Nate was born, before Lauren came back, Gavin showed up. For those first three years,

00:43:04he was all in. He changed diapers, made baby food, sat on the floor for hours building block towers that

00:43:10always ended in laughter. When he wasn't on shift, he was all about Nate. People used to tell me I

00:43:16was the

00:43:17lucky one. They said I'd married the best man in the world. And Nate? Nate adored him. Then Lauren came

00:43:23back. After that, Gavin was never really home. He was either at the station or at her place.

00:43:29If you asked him about Liam, how tall he was, what snacks he liked, what size shoes he wore,

00:43:35he'd talk for days. But ask him where Nate went to preschool? Silence. Ask him which toy Nate

00:43:41couldn't sleep without. Blank. It was over a hundred out. The stink from the landfill hit like

00:43:47a wall. I kept digging. I didn't say a word. At one point, Gavin had to ask the crew what

00:43:54Nate's

00:43:54things even looked like. They had to show him pictures. That told me everything. He wasn't

00:44:00there for my son. He was there to quiet his own guilt. By early afternoon, the heat took him down.

00:44:06He collapsed right there in the middle of the trash. EMS had to take him out. Later,

00:44:12after they got him stable, he came back. Still pale. Still shaky. Still digging.

00:44:18Claire, Lauren wants to make a deal. She'll pay for all of it. She just doesn't want criminal

00:44:22exposure. Tell her this. If she wants mercy, she can start by saying my son's name in public.

00:44:28She can stand in front of every camera she's been dodging and admit what she did.

00:44:31She can do it at his memorial, and she can stay there until every last thing that belonged to him

00:44:35is found. If she agrees, I won't do anything to keep this in the headlines. Her lawyer can take

00:44:40the rest up with the DA. Lauren crossed a line this time. What she did was wrong, but she didn't

00:44:49mean... You can stand right beside them. You go with them, or she goes to jail. As for Nate's things,

00:44:55I didn't need Gavin. He'd already missed the last two years of my son's life, and now Nate didn't need

00:45:01him anymore either. I shoved past him and kept digging. For the next two days, Wes kept me updated.

00:45:08I meant every word I said. If they did what I told them to do, they were staying there. Day

00:45:13and night.

00:45:14Whether their bodies could take it? Not my problem. It wasn't even a fraction of what my boy went

00:45:20through. It took two full days to find everything. When the last box was finally pulled out, my knees

00:45:25nearly buckled. I held it in my arms, filthy, stinking, covered in ash and rot. I cried so hard

00:45:32I could barely see. Come on. Let's go home. Nate would hate seeing you like this. When I got back

00:45:39to the house, I wanted to throw up. Everything Lauren had touched felt contaminated. I hired a

00:45:45crew on the spot. I told them to haul every single thing they'd brought into that house out to the

00:45:49curb.

00:45:50The furniture. The decor. The kitchen junk. All of it. Anything that smelled like them.

00:45:57They'd been out there for two days and two nights. Gavin too. Lauren saw her things being hauled out

00:46:02and almost lost it. How? How could you do this? Gavin do something! Her voice bored straight into my

00:46:11skull. I grabbed a framed photo and hurled it at her. It shattered right by her feet. In this city,

00:46:16money buys more than just silence. It buys me the pleasure of watching you crawl. And I've got very

00:46:23deep pockets. She just stood there, teary-eyed, looking at Gavin like he was going to save her.

00:46:32We did what you asked. You can drop the case now. Right? Of course. But Gavin? I changed my mind.

00:46:42I'm not divorcing you. Not yet. I'm going to drag this out for as long as I can. And I'm

00:46:49going to make

00:46:49sure all three of you know what it feels like to live inside a nightmare. I had their things thrown

00:46:54out. Gavin's. Two. Clothes. Shoes. Tools. Every last trace of him. Then I changed the door code.

00:47:03Before he could speak, I hit him where it hurt. You borrowed 200 grand from me, and you promised to

00:47:09pay it

00:47:09back. You were ready to chop up nearly 2 million for Lauren. So don't even think about dragging your

00:47:15feet. You were payment successful. He transferred the money. Every cent he had. Then he tried one

00:47:23last time. You can hate me, Claire. I deserve it. But Lauren and Lemus, all they did was take the

00:47:28help

00:47:29I offered. They didn't do anything wrong. There it was again. The same blind spot that killed my son.

00:47:34I walked inside and slammed the door in his face. Hard. Wes was waiting. The reporters still want that

00:47:40interview about the fire. You want me to cancel? No. Let him come. I'd spent weeks covering for him,

00:47:47staying quiet while people online came up with excuses for why he wasn't there. Where's Nate's grave?

00:47:52While he was alive, you barely acted like a father. Now that he's dead, don't you dare taint his rest.

00:47:58I will never let you see him again. I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean to. Don't break yet. We're

00:48:07just

00:48:07getting started. That afternoon, the reporters came. I sat in front of the cameras. He knew exactly

00:48:13where we were. He just chose to stop listening. But he had blocked me. He wouldn't answer my calls

00:48:20or my son's because he was busy. Busy with work, with Lauren and with her son.

00:48:29He didn't want us bothering him.

00:48:35When he pulled them out, he walked right past our door.

00:48:43My boy, Nate, was screaming for his dad. He marked that floor clear while my son was still inside.

00:48:50He didn't make a mistake. He made a choice. And that choice killed my son.

00:48:59It's so good to talk it with me. We will in the end of the day that I don't need

00:49:02to rambley.

00:49:03The I'm is horrible.

00:49:05The mayor's group of silver and fly to let you.

00:49:07The rest of the train, you're going to do it.

00:49:08The video exploded. The department put him on leave first.

00:49:12Then the investigation started. By the end of the week, his position, his reputation,

00:49:17his future there, gone. I pulled every mutual contact into one group chat.

00:49:22This is Claire, Gavin's wife. If he asks for money, it's for Lauren Blake.

00:49:27I am no longer his safety net. He has no savings, no assets, and now, no future.

00:49:34I was done paying for the other woman. People backed off.

00:49:37Fast. Whenever they moved, I found them. And once I did, they got the message. Filth at the door.

00:49:45Funeral flowers. Red words across the walls. Rotten food. Public shame. Fear. Everywhere they went,

00:49:53it followed. Grief had hollowed me out and left something mean in its place. By then, I wasn't trying

00:49:59to be good. I was trying to make them hurt. I knew what I was becoming. I just didn't care.

00:50:05Rotten hell, you home-wrecking bitch. A life for a life. Watch your son pay for your sins.

00:50:12Gavin, can you feel his eyes on you? They called the cops. I didn't care. As long as I had

00:50:18resources,

00:50:18they were never going to outrun the consequences. If they moved, I followed. New house. Same nightmare.

00:50:24Every week, Wes gathered the proof. Every cent Gavin spent on them, we filed to claw back. If Lauren

00:50:31didn't have cash, we took her car. We froze her accounts. Gavin used to say I was going after her.

00:50:37That I was being cruel. Fine. He hadn't seen cruel yet. Wes usually handled the- He was spending his

00:50:44days tearing my marriage apart. One filing at a time. It felt like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

00:50:50Your brother and his wife, they're still torn up about Nate. They feel like they failed him.

00:50:57They told me, don't let anyone pick on Claire again. If I even think about walking away,

00:51:03they'll have my head. Besides, big law is exhausting. Helping you tear these two down?

00:51:08It's the most fun I've had in years.

00:51:10One month. That's all it took for Lauren to break. Her son's condition got worse with every scare.

00:51:15The ER visits piled up. She couldn't even pay the bills.

00:51:20Leon was a child. I knew that. I just didn't have mercy left for anyone connected to her.

00:51:26Gavin showed up at my door, furious. He looked at me like I was the monster.

00:51:31Do you have any idea what you're doing? You keep pushing like this, Claire,

00:51:37and you're gonna have blood on your hands. Is that what you want?

00:51:42Why would I be scared, Gavin?

00:51:45Because if someone dies, Claire, that's it.

00:51:50You're looking at prison time. Real time.

00:51:53Then I'll just go.

00:51:57Nate is gone. What's the difference to me now?

00:52:00Let's be real. All I did was lean on Lauren.

00:52:04If something happens to her kid, that's on her.

00:52:08Maybe one day I pay for how far I've gone.

00:52:10At that point, I didn't care.

00:52:13But if that buys you and Lauren a lifetime of pure hell,

00:52:18totally worth it.

00:52:20Claire, how could you do this to me?

00:52:22You made me. You made me.

00:52:24That was the God-honest truth.

00:52:26He helped kill my son.

00:52:28I was stuck in a hole I couldn't climb out of.

00:52:30So why should he and Lauren get to find peace?

00:52:33Why do they get to sleep?

00:52:35Why do they get to eat and breathe and have a life?

00:52:38Gavin opened his mouth to speak.

00:52:41Nothing.

00:52:42Just that same hollow, pathetic look.

00:52:44When he finally turned to go, he looked heavy.

00:52:47Like every step was a goddamn chore.

00:52:55I wanna see you.

00:52:58Fine.

00:52:59The coffee shop then.

00:53:00When she walked in, she looked old.

00:53:03Not years damaged dot eye.

00:53:05Like life had just worn her face down.

00:53:07The second she saw me, her eyes turned sharp.

00:53:10Pure hate.

00:53:13You know, I really did envy you.

00:53:16I didn't say a word.

00:53:18I just let her keep digging her own grave.

00:53:21You had everything I didn't.

00:53:23The money.

00:53:24The family.

00:53:25The kind of life that always has a safety net.

00:53:28I had none of that.

00:53:30You were born with a silver spoon, Claire.

00:53:32I had to scratch and claw for every scrap of attention Gervin gave me.

00:53:39I'm not here for the sob story, Lauren.

00:53:41That shut her up.

00:53:43For a second, anyway.

00:53:45See, that's the thing.

00:53:47Her parents might have been monsters.

00:53:49But that had nothing to do with me.

00:53:51I wasn't Gavin.

00:53:52Gavin, she wasn't going to cry and watch me fold.

00:53:57I've been holding this in a long time.

00:54:00I've loved Gavin since middle school.

00:54:02Even after my divorce, I thought he'd hate me for marrying someone else.

00:54:08But he was so damn good to me.

00:54:10And I started thinking, maybe he still loved me, too.

00:54:18Sometimes I'd say things.

00:54:20Little things.

00:54:21Just to set you off.

00:54:23Just to see what happened.

00:54:25And when he'd get pissed at you, get pissed at you.

00:54:28Because of me.

00:54:29Because of Liam.

00:54:30God, that felt good.

00:54:32Look, Claire.

00:54:34Gavin never actually cheated.

00:54:35He just felt sorry for me.

00:54:38That's it.

00:54:40I tried.

00:54:41God, I tried.

00:54:41But he never let it happen.

00:54:46We've both paid enough now.

00:54:47I'm leaving town.

00:54:52So, stop.

00:54:53Just stop going after him.

00:54:56He's hurting, too, Claire.

00:54:58After what happened to the kid, he's suffering.

00:55:01She kept talking.

00:55:03And talking.

00:55:04Confessional garbage.

00:55:05I didn't say a word.

00:55:07I just flipped my phone.

00:55:09Then, ding.

00:55:11Her screen lit up.

00:55:15Did you really think a few soft words would save you?

00:55:18You don't get to torture me and my son for two years?

00:55:22Then sit for coffee and ask for grace?

00:55:24She went ghost white.

00:55:26She went ghost white.

00:55:26Her knees gave out.

00:55:27She hit the floor.

00:55:29I didn't help her.

00:55:31I didn't even look back.

00:55:32I just walked out.

00:55:34She made my son's life hell for two years.

00:55:37Fine.

00:55:37Now she can live inside my revenge for two.

00:55:40If the stress wrecks her kid?

00:55:42If she never sleeps again?

00:55:43Not my problem.

00:55:45What would Gavin do when he saw it?

00:55:47I got my answer sooner than I thought.

00:55:49Both of them were catching hell for weeks.

00:55:52No sleep.

00:55:53Harassment.

00:55:55Runs for Liam.

00:55:56Lawyers.

00:55:57Pressure.

00:55:58Gavin looked wrecked.

00:56:00He didn't just look tired.

00:56:01He looked used up.

00:56:03He smelled like whiskey.

00:56:05Bloodshot eyes.

00:56:11Claire.

00:56:13Claire, listen to me.

00:56:14I swear.

00:56:15I didn't know Lauren felt that way.

00:56:17I didn't know.

00:56:18I just thought your brother had your back.

00:56:21Your friends were there.

00:56:22You were the strong one.

00:56:23And she had nobody.

00:56:24Her parents used her.

00:56:25She had nothing.

00:56:26No one.

00:56:27I thought she needed the help more.

00:56:31That's all it was.

00:56:32I swear.

00:56:34I never loved her.

00:56:36I never betrayed you.

00:56:37I crossed lines.

00:56:38I messed up.

00:56:39I know that now.

00:56:41But I never slept with her.

00:56:42I never touched her.

00:56:44From now on, she's dead to me.

00:56:46Cut off.

00:56:47Completely.

00:56:47I'll do whatever you want, Claire.

00:56:49Anything.

00:56:50Please.

00:56:50Just one more chance.

00:56:52From the day we met, Gavin was the center of my universe.

00:56:55I was the one giving.

00:56:57He was always the one in control.

00:57:00But this?

00:57:00This was the first time I'd seen him this low.

00:57:03This desperate.

00:57:05This small.

00:57:06Okay.

00:57:08What did you say?

00:57:09She said okay, man.

00:57:10If you're hearing shots, see a specialist.

00:57:12You're too young for this.

00:57:14I'm dying of thirst, by the way.

00:57:16You gonna let me in for a drink or what?

00:57:18Come on in.

00:57:19I walked in right beside him.

00:57:21Gavin followed us fast.

00:57:22His hands were shaking as he poured the water.

00:57:25It was only two in the afternoon.

00:57:27I took a sip and set the glass down.

00:57:29Wes has been helping me nonstop.

00:57:31He's staying the night.

00:57:33You're a good cook, aren't you?

00:57:34Then cook?

00:57:35Depends.

00:57:36Does the husband mind?

00:57:38No.

00:57:39Fridge is empty.

00:57:40Can you grab some groceries?

00:57:42And Wes and I need some private time to unwind.

00:57:45I bought those ties for you.

00:57:47And the cufflinks.

00:57:48They should be here in a day or two.

00:57:51Usually that's girlfriend territory.

00:57:55Ties and cufflinks?

00:57:57You sending a message, Claire?

00:57:58You're my brother's best friend.

00:58:00You're family.

00:58:01Didn't you say you had a headache?

00:58:03You look exhausted.

00:58:04Lean back.

00:58:05It's easier this way.

00:58:08Your husband's standing right there.

00:58:09So?

00:58:10If you've got a dirty mind, Gavin, that's your cross to carry.

00:58:13Don't project your filth on us.

00:58:14Gavin just stood there.

00:58:16Watching.

00:58:17Still.

00:58:18Silent.

00:58:19His face was a wreck, flickering between shock, pain, and pure jealousy.

00:58:23He looked exactly the way I used to look.

00:58:29If you don't want to make dinner, just say it.

00:58:33Wes and I can just head out.

00:58:34We can afford it.

00:58:35No.

00:58:36It's fine.

00:58:37I'll go.

00:58:39Between the store and the stove, he was gone four hours.

00:58:42By the time he came back, Wes and I were in the living room, laughing over some messy

00:58:47divorce case he'd handled.

00:58:48Gavin brought the food out like it was glass.

00:58:51Everything looked perfect.

00:58:52Too bland.

00:58:54Wes won't like this.

00:58:55We're going out.

00:58:56I didn't even look at the expression on his face.

00:58:59I just grabbed Wes's arm and walked out.

00:59:01Like Gavin wasn't even in the room.

00:59:04We didn't get back until late.

00:59:06The house was spotless.

00:59:07Clean counters.

00:59:09Folded blankets.

00:59:11Dishes done.

00:59:12For a split second, it felt like the start of our marriage.

00:59:15Back when Gavin made everything feel safe.

00:59:18I killed the thought.

00:59:20It's late.

00:59:20Just crash here tonight, Wes.

00:59:22Look at you.

00:59:23All grown up.

00:59:24Taking care of people.

00:59:26You take such good care of me, Wes.

00:59:29Someone's got to appreciate you, right?

00:59:31And you know I always look after my favorites.

00:59:35Claire!

00:59:35Are you doing this to get back at me?

00:59:37Get back at you?

00:59:39Hilarious.

00:59:40He's staying because driving late sucks.

00:59:42Why are you making it weird?

00:59:44Come on.

00:59:44You're finishing the show with me.

00:59:46Gavin never watched anything but the news.

00:59:49I'd try to tell him about a series I loved.

00:59:51He'd just nod.

00:59:53Uh-huh.

00:59:54Never heard a word.

00:59:55Wes was different.

00:59:56He lived for the drama.

00:59:58Half his job was divorce law, and he always had a story that topped the script.

01:00:02We sat there for hours, laughing, talking, completely tuned in.

01:00:07Gavin tried to jump in once or twice.

01:00:10Nobody bit.

01:00:11He just sat there.

01:00:12Getting quieter.

01:00:14Smaller.

01:00:15By midnight, he gave up and went to the master bedroom.

01:00:18Alone.

01:00:19I waited a few minutes.

01:00:21Then I went to my room, changed, and came back out in silk.

01:00:25Gavin was still awake.

01:00:27The second he saw me, he flinched.

01:00:30Where are you going?

01:00:31Wes is taking the guest room.

01:00:33He's had a long day.

01:00:34Don't make it ugly just because that's where your mind goes.

01:00:36You're going in there dressed like that?

01:00:38He's a man, for God's sake.

01:00:40You really think this is appropriate?

01:00:42Gavin, we're practically siblings.

01:00:44Don't make it weird just because your mind goes there.

01:00:46Everything I did that day, I'd already lived through the original version.

01:00:50He'd said those exact words to me.

01:00:53About Lauren, boundaries, my crazy jealousy.

01:00:56About how gross it was that I'd even think such a thing.

01:00:59I was just returning the favor.

01:01:01That wasn't cruelty.

01:01:03That was consequence.

01:01:04Honestly?

01:01:05I thought Gavin would last longer.

01:01:08A month, maybe two.

01:01:10He was always too stubborn, too proud to break.

01:01:13But it only took two days.

01:01:15Two days.

01:01:16That was it.

01:01:17He showed up with the divorce papers.

01:01:19Dark circles under his eyes.

01:01:21No sleep.

01:01:22No fight left.

01:01:24He looked like absolute hell.

01:01:26He held the papers out, his hand trembling slightly.

01:01:29He said sorry.

01:01:30Then he stopped.

01:01:32Because the rest of the words just wouldn't come.

01:01:34For years, he acted like as long as he didn't sleep with her, he was a saint.

01:01:39Like I was being dramatic.

01:01:41Like Nate and I were just, too much.

01:01:43Too needy.

01:01:44He thought all his choices lived on the right side of the line.

01:01:47Now?

01:01:48He couldn't even say the words.

01:01:50Good.

01:01:51At least shame finally caught up with him.

01:01:53I looked over the papers.

01:01:55He was giving me everything.

01:01:57No fight over the assets.

01:01:59No claim on the house.

01:02:01Nothing.

01:02:02I signed.

01:02:03Fast.

01:02:04Clean.

01:02:05No second thoughts.

01:02:06We filed, waited the mandatory days, and finalized it.

01:02:10Just like that.

01:02:12I was free.

01:02:13Gavin used to be a guy who never touched a drop.

01:02:16Now?

01:02:17He drank like it was his job.

01:02:19Every single night.

01:02:20He looked wrecked.

01:02:22Nothing like the man I married.

01:02:24After the ink dried, he told me he was quitting the department.

01:02:27Said he was heading out to some rural district to teach.

01:02:30He called it doing something for Nate.

01:02:32Trying to balance the scales, I guess.

01:02:35He said he was leaving the next day.

01:02:37From the second I met him, fire defined us.

01:02:40He saved my life in one.

01:02:42Then he took my son in another.

01:02:44Fire was what made me love him.

01:02:46It was also what took everything from me.

01:02:48Now the revenge was done.

01:02:50I won, if that word even means anything in a story like this.

01:02:54And still.

01:02:55Looking at him, all hollow and half gone.

01:02:58I didn't feel a thing.

01:02:59Not satisfied.

01:03:01Not even a little.

01:03:02Just heavy.

01:03:03Because once, before the world broke, we were real.

01:03:07A real family.

01:03:08A real life.

01:03:10A real love.

01:03:11I didn't say any of that.

01:03:13I just turned around and got in the car.

01:03:15Lauren and Liam?

01:03:17The world hounded them for a long time.

01:03:19Their life turned ugly.

01:03:21Small.

01:03:22Hard.

01:03:23Gavin went off to the middle of nowhere, living on pennies.

01:03:26Later, I heard he tried to help some woman out there.

01:03:29She'd been trafficked into a forced marriage.

01:03:32The locals beat him so bad they snapped his leg.

01:03:35The woman got out, eventually.

01:03:37Gavin had to leave and start over again somewhere else.

01:03:40Everyone who hurt Nate paid for it, one way or another.

01:03:43But it didn't lift the weight.

01:03:45His death stayed in me.

01:03:47Heavy.

01:03:48Permanent.

01:03:49I couldn't sleep.

01:03:51Couldn't focus.

01:03:52So I started volunteering.

01:03:54Charities.

01:03:55Shelters.

01:03:57Disaster relief.

01:03:58Anything to keep moving.

01:04:00Sometimes, helping someone else gave me a second to breathe.

01:04:03A moment where the emptiness didn't swallow me whole.

01:04:06Maybe one day, I'll be able to put Nate down gently in my heart.

01:04:10Instead of carrying him like an open wound.

01:04:13Maybe one day, I'll have a life that isn't just grief.

01:04:16I'm not there yet.

01:04:17But maybe one day.

01:04:19Saving Claire was an accident.

01:04:22Meeting her?

01:04:22An accident, too.

01:04:24She was gorgeous.

01:04:26Sharp.

01:04:26Warm without even trying.

01:04:28The kind of woman people notice the second she walks into a room.

01:04:32I never meant to get close.

01:04:33A girl like that?

01:04:34From a family like hers?

01:04:36She wasn't supposed to be for a guy like me.

01:04:39I was just a guy in a uniform with a hero complex and an empty bank account.

01:04:44No money.

01:04:45No family.

01:04:46No safety net.

01:04:47Even Lauren's family.

01:04:49And they were regular people.

01:04:50Thought I wasn't good enough.

01:04:52So a woman like Claire?

01:04:54No shot.

01:04:55That's what I told myself.

01:04:57Didn't matter.

01:04:58The more time I spent with her, the harder it got to stay away.

01:05:01Lauren and I, we'd been together forever.

01:05:04Years.

01:05:05Years.

01:05:05What we had was real.

01:05:06But she used to say the same thing, over and over.

01:05:10Save more.

01:05:11Think about us.

01:05:12Stop giving your money away.

01:05:14She wasn't wrong.

01:05:15There are too many people in this world who need help.

01:05:18You can't save them all.

01:05:19You just end up broke and alone.

01:05:21But after my dad died, people carried us.

01:05:24When I was 15, my mom died, too.

01:05:27After that, everything I had came from the kindness of strangers.

01:05:31Food.

01:05:32Clothes.

01:05:33A place to sleep.

01:05:34People just stepped in.

01:05:36Did right by me.

01:05:37Asked for nothing.

01:05:38My mom used to tell me.

01:05:40You're a kid right now.

01:05:42Your job is to study.

01:05:43But when you're grown, you give back.

01:05:46That's how you honor the people who kept us alive.

01:05:49So that stuck.

01:05:50When I got older.

01:05:51When I finally had a job and some skin in the game.

01:05:55Helping people didn't feel optional.

01:05:57It felt like a debt.

01:05:58I tried to ignore it.

01:06:00Tried walking away.

01:06:01But I couldn't do it.

01:06:03If I knew someone was hurting and I turned my back, I wouldn't sleep that night.

01:06:07Later, Lauren's family made demands I couldn't even touch.

01:06:11Money I didn't have.

01:06:12That was the end for us.

01:06:14I figured that was the lesson.

01:06:16Maybe a man like me wasn't built for marriage.

01:06:18Maybe I was never going to be enough for it.

01:06:21And then, Claire showed up.

01:06:23She started coming with me.

01:06:25Helping kids who couldn't even afford a backpack for school.

01:06:28Dropping off groceries to seniors living all by themselves.

01:06:32Writing checks for people drowning in medical bills.

01:06:35The longer I knew her, the worse it got.

01:06:38I wanted her.

01:06:39Bad.

01:06:40But I also knew I didn't belong in her world.

01:06:42Not in a million years.

01:06:44So before we got in too deep, I laid it all out.

01:06:47About my family.

01:06:48My past.

01:06:49The fact that I gave away half of every paycheck.

01:06:52And the fact that I probably always would.

01:06:55I thought that would be the catch.

01:06:57I thought she'd finally see the real me.

01:06:59The guy with nothing.

01:07:01And walk.

01:07:02Instead, her eyes lit up.

01:07:03Like I just told her she'd won the lottery.

01:07:06Do you know how rare that is, Gavin?

01:07:09Most people can't see past their own front door anymore.

01:07:12How is that a flaw?

01:07:14My family has money.

01:07:16I'm doing fine on my own.

01:07:18So go help people.

01:07:20I'm not stopping you.

01:07:21Claire's parents were already gone.

01:07:23It was just her brother and his wife.

01:07:25They weren't exactly thrilled about me.

01:07:27I got it.

01:07:28But they loved her.

01:07:30And they respected her enough to let her choose.

01:07:32So we got married.

01:07:34And for a while, it felt like a dream.

01:07:36Like I'd somehow slipped into someone else's life by mistake.

01:07:40I married the woman I loved.

01:07:42She believed in me.

01:07:43She backed me.

01:07:44She saw me as a hero.

01:07:46Even when I felt like a ghost.

01:07:48I didn't know what to do with that much happiness.

01:07:51So I did the only thing I knew.

01:07:53I tried to earn it.

01:07:54I worked.

01:07:55I cooked.

01:07:56I cleaned.

01:07:57I handled every little detail at home.

01:07:59If I wasn't on shift, I was with her.

01:08:02I figured if I loved her hard enough.

01:08:04If I just showed up and carried the weight.

01:08:07Maybe I could become the kind of man she deserved.

01:08:10Then Nate came.

01:08:11And for a little while, life got even better.

01:08:14Just the three of us.

01:08:16Quiet mornings in our tiny apartment.

01:08:18Late night feedings.

01:08:19Baby toys scattered everywhere.

01:08:21That was happiness.

01:08:23Real, bone deep happiness.

01:08:25But it didn't stay simple.

01:08:26The first couple of years were good.

01:08:29And then the shift started.

01:08:30Little things at first.

01:08:32People cracked jokes.

01:08:34Friends.

01:08:35Co-workers.

01:08:36The guys down at the station.

01:08:37They'd see me helping someone or hear where my paycheck went and just laugh.

01:08:42So, all your cash just goes out the door, huh?

01:08:45Guess it's easy when your wife's loaded.

01:08:48Must be nice.

01:08:49The wife bought the cars.

01:08:50The whole setup.

01:08:51No pressure.

01:08:53Man, I'd do community service too if I'm married as well as Gavin.

01:08:56They laughed.

01:08:58I laughed too.

01:08:59Sometimes.

01:09:00But those comments, they stuck.

01:09:02Not all at once.

01:09:04Just bit by bit.

01:09:05Like sand in a shoe.

01:09:07Everyone meant it as a joke.

01:09:08But after a while, something started to turn inside me.

01:09:12I'd come home to Claire and I could feel it.

01:09:15This weird edge.

01:09:16Something ugly I didn't want to name.

01:09:18Sometimes I'd be trying to figure out how to help someone.

01:09:21How to cover a bill.

01:09:23And I'd realize I was short.

01:09:25Claire would just smile.

01:09:26Are you really stressing over that, Gavin?

01:09:29If you need the cash, just ask me.

01:09:31I've got it.

01:09:32She meant it.

01:09:33At first, I loved that.

01:09:35That generosity.

01:09:36That ease.

01:09:37That total.

01:09:39Unshakable faith in me.

01:09:40But later, it started landing differently.

01:09:43It felt harder.

01:09:44Like every time she solved a problem I couldn't solve myself.

01:09:48I shrank.

01:09:49I got a little smaller.

01:09:51And then, there was her family.

01:09:53Especially her brother.

01:09:55Every time I went over there, it was only a matter of time.

01:09:58He'd pull me aside.

01:10:00I get it.

01:10:01You want to save the world.

01:10:02That's great, Gavin.

01:10:03But even people like us can't save everyone.

01:10:06And you?

01:10:08You're not us.

01:10:09You're just a firefighter.

01:10:12A man living in a house he didn't pay for.

01:10:14You have a wife.

01:10:16A kid.

01:10:17Start thinking about your own for once.

01:10:20You can't keep leaning on Claire forever.

01:10:22Other people had said it, but from her brother, it burned.

01:10:26Because some part of me knew he was right.

01:10:29I tried to stop.

01:10:30Tried to look away when people were hurting.

01:10:32I couldn't do it.

01:10:34At night, I'd just stare at the ceiling.

01:10:36Feeling like I was rotting from the inside out.

01:10:39So I tried to fix it.

01:10:40Make more money.

01:10:42Be more useful.

01:10:43Be enough.

01:10:44But I was just a firefighter.

01:10:46That was it.

01:10:47I still came home.

01:10:48I still cooked her favorites.

01:10:50Still cleaned.

01:10:51From the outside, I'd probably looked the same.

01:10:54Inside, I was gone.

01:10:56By the time Nate turned three, I was coming apart at the seams.

01:11:00And then, Lauren came back.

01:11:02She showed up bruised and shaking, holding Liam.

01:11:05Everything in me snapped to attention.

01:11:07Claire was beautiful.

01:11:09Strong.

01:11:10Successful.

01:11:11She could solve anything.

01:11:12She didn't need me.

01:11:14Not really.

01:11:15But Lauren?

01:11:16She was a wreck.

01:11:17She cried.

01:11:18She froze up.

01:11:19She needed help with every little thing.

01:11:21And the sick part?

01:11:23Being needed felt good.

01:11:24I got used to being needed by her.

01:11:26Then I started needing it.

01:11:28The pressure in my chest started to ease.

01:11:30The shame faded.

01:11:32The feeling of being useless.

01:11:33It just went away.

01:11:35And Claire got angry.

01:11:36At the time, I honestly didn't get it.

01:11:39I told myself I was just being me.

01:11:42Just helping people.

01:11:43I told her again and again.

01:11:45I'm not cheating.

01:11:46I haven't crossed any lines.

01:11:48I knew Lauren was trying.

01:11:50The looks.

01:11:51The timing.

01:11:52The touches that lasted a second too long.

01:11:54But I told myself it didn't count if I didn't pull the trigger.

01:11:58As long as I didn't sleep with her, I was clean.

01:12:01I didn't understand then that you can betray your family without ever touching another woman.

01:12:06I lived inside that delusion for two years.

01:12:08While my family slowly bled out.

01:12:11Then Nate died.

01:12:12And Claire just broke open.

01:12:14Maybe she had let too much slide for too long.

01:12:17Maybe I had just gotten too used to being forgiven.

01:12:20Because when she finally blew up, I understood something way too late.

01:12:24You don't have to cheat to tear a family apart.

01:12:27I knew Nate died because of me.

01:12:29After that, the nightmares came every night.

01:12:32But even then, some sick part of me thought we could survive it.

01:12:36That if I just stayed.

01:12:37If I apologized.

01:12:39If I suffered enough.

01:12:40Maybe.

01:12:41Then I watched her in that house with Wes.

01:12:44Two days.

01:12:45That was all it took for me to feel like I was losing my mind.

01:12:48And then it hit me.

01:12:50Pain doesn't care about your excuses.

01:12:52Or your reasons.

01:12:53Or what you say you didn't do.

01:12:55I finally understood what I'd put her through.

01:12:58Every single day.

01:12:59For two damn years.

01:13:00By then, it was already over.

01:13:03Nothing I said mattered.

01:13:05Nothing I gave up mattered.

01:13:06Not even how much I hated myself for all of it.

01:13:09I lost my boy.

01:13:11And Claire.

01:13:12I'd lost her too.

01:13:13After that.

01:13:14I couldn't look at fire the same way.

01:13:16Every flame turned into that hallway.

01:13:18That door.

01:13:19I could still hear his voice.

01:13:21Dad!

01:13:22I still hear it.

01:13:24I started freezing up on calls.

01:13:26Every time I smelled smoke.

01:13:28Every time I felt the heat.

01:13:29I just stopped.

01:13:31So I quit.

01:13:32I wanted to do something for Nate.

01:13:34So I tried to pay a blood debt with community service.

01:13:37Thought if I saved enough strangers.

01:13:39The universe would forgive me for the one person I actually owed.

01:13:43In the 10th year.

01:13:44I tried to get a woman out of a forced marriage.

01:13:47The men there didn't like that one bit.

01:13:49They beat me so badly my leg broke in three places.

01:13:52I don't regret helping her.

01:13:54Not for a second.

01:13:55I only regret.

01:13:56I spent my whole life saving strangers.

01:13:59And I still couldn't save my own son.

01:14:01I couldn't save my marriage.

01:14:03I heard Claire stayed on Lauren and Liam for two years before finally backing off.

01:14:08Later, Lauren got involved with another guy.

01:14:11His wife found out.

01:14:12Things turned ugly.

01:14:14Liam got so scared his heart just gave out.

01:14:17Right there in the hospital.

01:14:18He didn't make it.

01:14:20Lauren lost the house, the money, and eventually, her mind.

01:14:24She ended up exactly where she started.

01:14:26Screaming at a world that no longer cared if she existed.

01:14:30In the 11th year.

01:14:31I heard Claire was getting married again.

01:14:34Not to Wes.

01:14:35Some guy I'd never met.

01:14:36I took two weeks off and just started moving.

01:14:39Bus.

01:14:40Train.

01:14:41Whatever was headed her way.

01:14:4358 hours straight just to get back to the city.

01:14:46I told myself I just wanted to give her my blessing.

01:14:49To wish her well.

01:14:50That was true.

01:14:51Mostly.

01:14:52Maybe another part of me just wanted to see her in the light one last time.

01:14:56I got lucky.

01:14:57I saw her almost the second I hit town.

01:15:00She was outside.

01:15:01Laughing with a man in a dark coat.

01:15:04He was handsome.

01:15:05Put together.

01:15:06Easy.

01:15:07He looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the room.

01:15:10No hesitation.

01:15:12No divided loyalty.

01:15:13He was the man I was supposed to be before I traded my soul for a hero complex.

01:15:18He reached out and tapped the tip of her nose.

01:15:20She smiled up at him.

01:15:22And the look in his eyes.

01:15:24It was soft.

01:15:25Warm.

01:15:26Full.

01:15:27The kind of look I should have given her.

01:15:29Claire!

01:15:30I shouted her name.

01:15:32But I was too far away.

01:15:33She didn't hear me.

01:15:35She got into the car with him.

01:15:37I started after them.

01:15:38Fast as I could.

01:15:39I never hated my bad leg more than I did in that moment.

01:15:43Then a car cut across the street.

01:15:45Way too fast.

01:15:47I didn't even see it coming.

01:15:48Just the impact.

01:15:50The ground came up hard.

01:15:51Pain everywhere.

01:15:53White hot and blinding.

01:15:54Then, the sound of something small skidding away.

01:15:57The ring box.

01:15:58It rolled right out of my hand and into the gutter.

01:16:01I'd saved for ten years to buy that ring.

01:16:03The one I should have given her the first time.

01:16:06The one she was never, ever going to wear.

01:16:08I reached for it.

01:16:10Couldn't move.

01:16:11I couldn't feel my hand and my leg.

01:16:13Blood filled my mouth.

01:16:15Everything just stopped.

01:16:17She'll never know about the ring.

01:16:19She'll never know I finally tried to be the man she deserved.

01:16:22Through the blur, I watched her car keep going.

01:16:25Smaller.

01:16:26Farther.

01:16:27Gone.

01:16:28And for the first time, I felt it in my bones.

01:16:31That horrible ache.

01:16:33That awful longing.

01:16:34That desperate need to do something.

01:16:36When Claire begged me in that fire.

01:16:38When Nate called out for me.

01:16:40Is this what it felt like?

01:16:41I coughed and tasted copper.

01:16:44The sky started to bleed into black.

01:16:46Nate.

01:16:47Then, a whisper.

01:16:48Claire.

01:16:48Maybe I'm finally going to see my boy again.

01:16:51I just hope Nate doesn't look at me the way his mother did at the end.

01:16:55And Claire.

01:16:56I hope your new life is beautiful.

01:16:58I hope someone loves you the way I should have.

01:17:01You deserve that much.

01:17:02Claire.

01:17:03I hope your wedding day is everything you wanted.

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