- 5 hours ago
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Octoplets! My goodness!
00:02A multiple gestity like this carries extremely high risks.
00:05The pregnancy is exceptionally fragile during the first trimester.
00:09You must be on strict bed rest.
00:10Even the smallest misstep could lead to a miscarriage.
00:13Harrison and I had been married for seven years.
00:16I'd stood by him as he built his business from the ground up,
00:19and he'd always said his greatest wish was to have a house full of kids with me.
00:23Finally, on our seventh wedding anniversary,
00:25this incredible gift had fallen into our laps.
00:28I carefully tucked the ultrasound report into a custom jewelry box,
00:31planning to open it and reveal the surprise to him at midnight that night.
00:35I waited from afternoon until late into the night.
00:38The clock struck 12, and finally, the front door lock clicked open.
00:42I stood up with a smile, ready to greet him, only to freeze dead in my tracks.
00:47Harrison strode in, glued to his side was a young girl with tear-filled eyes, Vivian.
00:54Stella, I'm sorry.
00:57Love doesn't care about who came first.
00:59Harrison and I are truly, deeply in love.
01:03Please, I'm begging you.
01:05Let us be together.
01:07The surprise I'd spent all afternoon preparing felt like a red-hot branding iron press to my chest.
01:12He didn't even look at me, not a single flicker of guilt for forgetting our anniversary.
01:17All he did was rush forward, his face etched with concern, and scoop Vivian up into his arms.
01:22This man, who'd always had a severe germophobia,
01:25fumbled frantically to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
01:28Vivian's been with me this whole time, with no title, no security.
01:32I can't let her down.
01:33Don't worry, she's not after anything.
01:36It's just the thing I'd ever bring to eat a second to anything.
01:39It's just one more mouth to feed in this house, that's all.
01:41Holding Vivian tight, he walked straight into the master bedroom we'd shared for seven years.
01:46He'd forgotten.
01:48Today was our seventh wedding anniversary.
01:50He'd forgotten that seven years ago, there was another girl who'd followed a broke, penniless version of him,
01:56with no title and nothing to her name.
01:58He'd never know that I'd planned to give him the biggest surprise the world had ever seen that night.
02:03The cake on the dining table had melted and warped, the carefully cooked dinner had gone stone cold.
02:08I pulled out my phone, about to take a photo of the mess, hoping to edit it into something warm
02:13looking,
02:14when a notification from Vivian's social media popped up.
02:17From today on, I finally have a place by his side attached was a photo of her and a man,
02:22fingers intertwined in a car.
02:24I recognized it instantly, it was Harrison's car, throbbing pain flared in my lower stomach.
02:29I remembered the doctor's warning, took a deep breath to study my emotions.
02:33I was curious to see just how far this little performance would go.
02:42Vivian's young, she posted that on a whim, don't let it bother you.
02:47I messed up today.
02:49I ordered you the newest jewelry line, a whole set of designer bags.
02:52They'll be here tomorrow. Just stop being mad at me, okay?
02:58If Stella doesn't want me here, then I'll go!
03:01I can't be the reason you and Harrison fight!
03:08How are you gonna survive without me?
03:10I don't wanna leave, but Stella won't let me stay. Harrison, just let me go.
03:15I'll always wish you and Stella happiness, even if you never see me again.
03:19If I want you here, no one can kick you out.
03:21Shh, baby, you're pregnant. You can't cry like this, it's bad for the baby.
03:26Vivian, our baby doesn't wanna see you upset over someone else, right?
03:32I watched him lead Vivian back into the master bedroom, cooing and comforting her the whole way.
03:38My stomach turned violently, and I ran to the bathroom, throwing up until there was nothing left.
03:44It wasn't my old stomach bug acting up.
03:46It was the morning sickness from the pregnancy, and pure, physical revulsion at the two people in the next room.
03:52When I came out, I stared at the mess on the table.
03:55I stood up, grabbed the cake, the cold food, and the jewelry box with my surprise still inside,
04:00and dumped it all straight into the trash can.
04:02It hit me, all at once, how ridiculous it all was.
04:07On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband had brought his mistress into our home,
04:11given her a claim to our life in our own house, and served me the most humiliating night of my
04:15life on a silver platter.
04:17I didn't sleep a wink all night.
04:19I'd always been terrible at sleeping anywhere but my own bed.
04:22When we were young, Harrison had a bed custom made, an exact replica of the one I'd had at my
04:27parents' house,
04:28just so I could sleep soundly.
04:29But now, that bed held him and another woman.
04:32I lay on the couch in the guest bedroom, staring at the ceiling until the sun came up,
04:37the throbbing in my stomach getting worse with every passing hour.
04:40The doctor had told me, over and over, that I needed complete rest.
04:43But a night of overwhelming emotion, plus not a single bite of food or drop of water,
04:48had left me barely strong enough to stand.
04:50The morning sickness hit again, hard, and I dragged myself to the kitchen to make a bowl of soup.
04:56I had to give the babies inside me at least a little nutrition.
04:59As the soup cooked, another wave of nausea hit me.
05:02I spun around and ran straight to the bathroom.
05:05When I came back out, what I saw at the dining table turned the blood in my veins to ice.
05:10Vivian was sitting in my seat.
05:12Harrison stood beside her, holding a napkin.
05:15Is it that good, you little greedy thing?
05:17If you like it, I'll have Stella make you another bowl.
05:23Really, Harrison?
05:24I'm scared Stella won't want to.
05:26After all, this was for herself.
05:28Harrison followed her gaze to me, and finally noticed the cold sweat on my face,
05:32the way my hand was clamped tight over my stomach.
05:36What's wrong, Stella?
05:37You look like you've seen a ghost.
05:39I refused to show an ounce of weakness in front of him and Vivian.
05:43I especially refused to let him know about the babies.
05:46It's none of your damn business!
05:48Vivian was on her feet in an instant.
05:50Stella, if you're angry, take it out on me!
05:53Don't yell at Harrison!
05:54I shouldn't have eaten your soup!
05:56I'm so sorry!
05:58She picked up the half-empty bowl of soup, holding it out to me like she was handing it over.
06:13The burn made me stumble backward, my lower back slamming hard into the sharp...
06:19Harrison ran over.
06:20It was to shove me, hard, with all his strength.
06:23Blood poured down my thighs, soaking through my nightgown.
06:27Worse was the pain in my stomach, the tearing agony getting worse and worse.
06:31Vivian was clutching her stomach.
06:33It hurts so bad!
06:35Blood trickled down my temple.
06:37Stella!
06:38If you hated me, you could have hit me!
06:41Yelled at me!
06:42Why would you hurt my baby?
06:45He's innocent!
06:46But Harrison didn't even glance at me.
06:49He was holding Vivian tight on the floor.
06:51Stella!
06:51Have I spoiled you too much?
06:53How could you be this cruel?
07:00You'd hurt an unborn baby?
07:01I leaned weakly against the wall, looked at him.
07:06Harrison, you two cheating, lying pieces of shit were made for each other!
07:11One's a liar, the other's a blind fool!
07:22Shut up!
07:23The pain in my stomach hit its peak, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.
07:27I couldn't reconcile the man in front of me, the one who wanted me dead, with the gentle,
07:32loving man I'd fallen for all those years ago.
07:35Now you're crying?
07:36Where was this remorse when you tried to hurt her?
07:39Stella, you've really disappointed me.
07:42Lying there in a pool of my own blood, and rushed out of the house with Vivian in his
07:46arms, hurrying into the hospital.
07:48The huge, empty mansion was left with only me.
07:56I could feel it, clear as day.
07:59The eight tiny lives inside me were slipping away, one by one.
08:02Before my consciousness faded completely, I used the last of my strength to dial 911.
08:08When I woke again, it was already late afternoon the next day, the sharp, acrid smell of antiseptic
08:14burned my nostrils.
08:15I opened my eyes to a blindingly white hospital room, and the first thing I saw was the doctor's
08:20face.
08:22Stella, you were in hemorrhagic shock when you were brought in.
08:25We did everything we could to save the pregnancy, but we couldn't keep the babies.
08:31All eight fetuses have ceased development.
08:34We just completed a dilation and corruption procedure for you.
08:37A multiple gestation like this was already high risk, and the severe physical trauma and
08:41emotional distress you endured caused critical damage to your entramenium.
08:45We can't guarantee you'll be able to carry another pregnancy to term in the future.
08:48You need to prepare yourself for that possibility.
08:54I lay in the hospital bed, my fingertips brushing over my still aching lower stomach, there had
08:59once been eight tiny heartbeats here, the anniversary surprise I'd planned for Harrison.
09:03Now, that gift had been crushed by his own hands.
09:06I spent three days recovering in the hospital, and checked myself out the moment I could stand
09:10on my own.
09:11As I walked out of the hospital doors, I spotted Harrison at the entrance of the obstetrics ward.
09:16He was carefully guiding Vivian toward a patient room, her body curled into his chest.
09:23His gaze swept over me, lingering for barely half a second, as if he'd seen a total stranger.
09:28I tugged at the corner of my mouth and turned to leave, without a single pause.
09:33I'd lay this gift right in front of him, in person.
09:36When I got back to the mansion, the bloodstains in the living room had been cleaned up by the
09:40housekeepers.
09:40This house, the home we'd shared for seven years, was now filled floor to ceiling with Vivian's
09:46things.
09:46My clothes had been tossed haphazardly into the back corner of the closet.
09:50I only opened the small suitcase I'd carried when I ran away with him all those years ago,
09:55packing only the things that had belonged to me from the start.
09:57It was laughable, really.
10:00Seven years of marriage.
10:01And it all fit in this one case.
10:03Once I was done, I pulled a specimen container out of my bag.
10:07Inside, suspended in preservative fluid, were the eight unformed fetuses.
10:12Alongside it were the octuplet ultrasound report and the surgical records.
10:16Harrison, is the anniversary gift you destroyed with your own two hands.
10:20I zipped up the suitcase and walked out of the home I'd lived in for seven years.
10:23I left the light on in the foyer, just like I had every night for seven years, waiting
10:28for him to come home.
10:29But this time, I'd never be coming back.
10:32I boarded a flight to country F.
10:34My home, and the place where I'd start over.
10:37Ten years of love, seven years of marriage, eight unborn babies.
10:41It all ended here, wiped clean.
10:47Every single day, Vivian curled up in his arms, her face streaked with tears, sobbing
10:51about the pain of losing her baby.
10:53He gritted his teeth and promised her, over and over, that he'd make Stella pay for what
10:57she'd done.
10:58But that nameless, gnawing unease in his chest only grew heavier, day by day.
11:02He couldn't stop replaying that day.
11:04Stella, collapsed on the floor, blood streaming down her temple, the huge, bright pool of red
11:09beneath her.
11:10He'd been so fixated on Vivian's baby that he hadn't even glanced at her, just grabbed
11:14Vivian and raced to the hospital.
11:16And that emergency call, the one from the number he'd set himself, his one and only emergency
11:21contact.
11:22He'd been annoyed and flustered at the time, hung up straight away, and never called back.
11:27He'd tried calling me a handful of times over those three days, but it always went straight
11:31to voicemail.
11:32He'd just assumed I was hiding away, too ashamed to face him after my vicious act had been exposed.
11:37But in the dead of night, he couldn't get the image of her clutching her stomach so tightly
11:41out of his head.
11:42Harrison, what are you thinking about?
11:45Are you still thinking about Stella?
11:48I know you still care about her.
11:50Maybe, maybe I should just go.
11:52I don't want to put you in this position.
11:54Don't be ridiculous.
11:56You've been through so much for me.
11:57I'd never let you leave.
11:59Just focus on getting better, and don't worry about anything else.
12:03Harrison stared at her sleeping face, the unease in his chest spiraling out of control.
12:08He slipped quietly out of the patient room, needing to try calling Stella one more time.
12:17He'd told himself I was just being stubborn, but even in our worst fights, I'd never once
12:21ignored his calls.
12:22Rich guys are so easy to fool.
12:24This worked out perfectly.
12:26I pinned everything that happened on that frungy old wife, Stella.
12:29And now, Harrison feels so guilty, he can't say no to me.
12:32I've got this in the bag.
12:34I'm gonna be the Mrs. Hale for real.
12:35Harrison froze outside the door, his mind going completely blank.
12:39He'd been a total, utter fool, played like a fiddle by this woman.
12:43Mr. Hale, don't you worry.
12:47You and your wife will have another baby some.
12:49She's not my wife.
12:51I'm sorry.
12:54She was saying she'll never be able to get pregnant again after the miscarriage.
12:58The miscarriage was because the fetus wasn't developing normally.
13:02I actually advised her to terminate the pregnancy last week.
13:06She didn't tell you that?
13:08What?
13:10It was like a bomb went off in his head, wiping every thought clean.
13:14Every piece of the puzzle clicked into place all at once.
13:17Stella's deathly white face, her hand clamped tight over her stomach,
13:20with a huge pool of blood on the floor.
13:22That unanswered emergency call, the number that would never pick up.
13:26Stella!
13:28Spinning on his heel and sprinting down the stairs,
13:30he raced to the parking garage, threw himself into his car,
13:33and slammed the gas pedal to the floor.
13:35He ran countless red lights on the drive, racing like a madman toward the mansion.
13:41Stella!
13:43Stella!
13:45Stella!
13:46Stella!
13:48Stappa!
13:49Stappa!
13:53Boo!
14:12Dated the day of their seventh wedding anniversary.
14:15Patient name, Stella.
14:17Ultrasound finding, intrauterine pregnancy, eight live fetuses.
14:20His hands began to shake uncontrollably.
14:23He flipped through the pages.
14:24One by one, the incomplete abortion diagnosis, the dilation and cure-tage surgical records,
14:30the medical evaluation confirming severe, permanent damage to her uterus.
14:34Every single word was a knife, twisted deep into his heart.
14:37Stella, you finally answered.
14:40I'm so sorry, none of this is real, right?
14:42Harrison, this is the anniversary gift I had for you.
14:45The preserved remains of the eight babies you never got to meet.
14:48That you killed with your own hands.
14:50Harrison let out a guttural, animalistic scream.
14:52His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the floor, the papers scattering all around him.
14:57He clung to the specimen box like a lifeline, his forehead pressed to the cold nightstand,
15:02and wailed.
15:03Loud and broken.
15:04Tears and snot streamed down his face, unhinged and broken.
15:07He finally understood.
15:09On their seventh anniversary, she hadn't come empty-handed.
15:12She'd prepared the biggest surprise in the world.
15:15Eight babies that were his.
15:16He was the one who'd brought his mistress into their home, and shattered that gift with his own two hands.
15:21He was the one who'd pushed her to the ground, the woman carrying his eight children, for a lying con
15:26artist.
15:27And killed his own babies.
15:28He was the one who'd hung up on her desperate call for help, left her bleeding out on the floor,
15:33and nearly cost her her life.
15:34He was the one who'd pushed the girl he'd loved for ten years straight into hell, and burned every last
15:39bridge between them to ash.
15:41He called Stella again and again, frantically, endlessly.
15:44But the only thing that came through the speaker was the same, unchanging automated message, telling him the number he'd
15:50dialed could not be reached.
15:52He was finally panicking, finally terrified.
15:55He'd lost his girl.
15:56He'd lost his eight babies.
15:58He'd lost every last bit of good fortune he'd ever had in his life.
16:03Harrison sat on the master bedroom floor for an entire night, clutching the specimen box to his chest.
16:09He read and re-read those medical reports, whispering Stella's name over and over, until his voice went completely hoarse.
16:15Not a single sound able to come out.
16:17As soon as dawn broke, he headed back to the hospital, his eyes bloodshot that he didn't step into the
16:23patient room.
16:23Instead, he had his lawyers and the police waiting outside, and secured full evidence of Vivian and the doctor conspiring
16:30to falsify medical records,
16:31commit fraud, and file false accusations.
16:34He had both of them sent to prison that same day, using every connection and resource at his disposal to
16:39make them pay the steepest possible price for what they'd done.
16:42After it was all handled, he felt no relief whatsoever.
16:45The hollow void in his chest only grew wider, and regret washed over him like a tidal wave, drowning him
16:51day and night.
16:52He used every single one of his connections and resources, searching for Stella like a man possessed.
16:57He pulled security footage, flight records, hotel bookings, and called every single one of her friends,
17:03until he finally found out that the day she was discharged from the hospital, she'd booked a one-way flight
17:08to Country F.
17:09After she landed, there was no record of her ever leaving the country again.
17:13Country F was where her parents had settled for years, all those years ago, she'd cut ties with her parents
17:18and given up her chance to study abroad,
17:21just to stand by him and build his business from nothing.
17:23Now, with nowhere else to go, she'd finally gone home to her family.
17:27He booked a flight to Country F immediately, but right before he boarded the plane, he was stopped by customs,
17:33a travel ban had been issued against him, due to his involvement in an ongoing financial case,
17:38as well as accessory liability for the false accusation.
17:42He smashed up his entire office in a fit of rage, but it did nothing to change the outcome.
17:46He could only wait in that empty mansion, guarding the specimen box and those medical reports,
17:51waiting for the travel ban to lift, waiting for any word from Stella.
17:55It was his birthday, for the past 10 years, Stella had never missed his birthday.
18:00Every single year, she'd spend weeks preparing his gift, and cook him a pot of spaghetti from scratch.
18:05But this year, there was no gift, not even a text, not a single phone call.
18:10He sat at the dining table, staring at the cold bowl of spaghetti in front of him.
18:15He'd cooked it over and over, following Stella's old recipe down to the last detail,
18:19but he could never recreate the taste he remembered.
18:22He picked up his phone and dialed that number he knew by heart once again.
18:25This time, all that came through the speaker was an automated message,
18:29telling him the number he had dialed was no longer in service.
18:32She'd changed her number.
18:33She'd cut off every last tie to him, completely and utterly.
18:37Harrison collapsed onto the table, and broke down and loud, heaving sobs like a lost child.
18:42He finally understood how Stella had felt all those years ago at the airport,
18:46clinging to his hand and refusing to let go.
18:48He finally understood the soul-crushing despair she'd felt, watching him hold another woman in his arms.
18:54He finally understood that some things, once lost, can never be found again.
18:59I thrived in country F.
19:01The moment the plane touched down, and I saw my mom and dad waiting for me at the airport,
19:06all the grief and pain I'd bottled up for months came flooding out.
19:08I collapsed into their arms and cried.
19:11They didn't blame me.
19:12They didn't bring up what had happened all those years ago.
19:15They just rubbed my back, whispering over and over,
19:18You're home now.
19:20It's okay.
19:20You're home.
19:21It turned out they'd never truly cut ties with me.
19:24All those years, they'd been quietly keeping tabs on how I was doing.
19:29They'd just never reached out, scared I wouldn't want to see them, scared they'd disturb my life.
19:33Under my mom's meticulous care, my body slowly healed,
19:37and the scars on my heart were gently mended, little by little, by the warmth of family.
19:42Mason, one of my mom's former students, stopped by the house often after he heard I'd come home.
19:47He was a gentle, steady man.
19:50He knew what I'd been through, but never pressed for painful details.
19:54He only ever gave me exactly the right amount of company and support, exactly when I needed it.
20:00With his referral, I joined his investment firm,
20:03stepping back into the work I'd excelled at all those years ago.
20:06After all, it was I who'd landed the very first windfall that built Harrison's company from nothing.
20:11It was I who designed and executed his first breakout hit project.
20:15But somewhere along the way, I'd given up my career for him,
20:19trapped myself in the four walls of a house, and lost myself in the process.
20:23The moment I stepped back into the corporate world, I finally found myself again.
20:28I no longer lived in fear of losing a man's love,
20:31no longer drained myself over a relationship that was never worth it.
20:34I had my own career, my own family, my own life.
20:37Mason's presence was like soft spring rain, gentle and unwavering.
20:42He remembered I had a sensitive stomach,
20:44and would always ask the restaurant to make my food mild ahead of every meal.
20:48He remembered I was afraid of the dark,
20:50and would always drive me home personally if I worked late.
20:54He respected every single one of my thoughts,
20:56supported every decision I made,
20:58and never once asked me to change a single thing about myself for him.
21:01Unlike Harrison's love, which had burnt hot and wild until it scorched everything in its path,
21:07Mason's love was quiet, steady, and deep.
21:09It was a safe harbor where I could let my guard down completely, without fear.
21:14We fell into a relationship naturally, no grand.
21:17Dramatic vows, only quiet, consistent companionship.
21:21On my birthday, Mason took me to the beach.
21:24The sunset spilled over the water, painting the waves in gold.
21:27He took my hand in his, and asked me softly if I'd marry him.
21:30I looked into his eyes, full of warmth and sincerity, and smiled, nodding yes.
21:36The sea breeze blew over us, carrying the salt of the ocean.
21:39I suddenly remembered the line I'd written on the card I left for Harrison,
21:43my love has gone to the sea.
21:45It turned out to be true.
21:46All the regret and pain I'd buried in the depths would finally be smoothed away by the tide.
21:50And new love would always find its way to you, riding on the wind from the sea.
21:55The day Mason and I got engaged, I saw Harrison standing outside my apartment building.
21:59It had been a full year since I'd left.
22:06Stella!
22:07Stella!
22:10His eyes were bloodshot and clouded, only flaring to sudden.
22:13I finally found you.
22:15Sharp life the second he saw me.
22:16I finally get to see you.
22:18Like a drowning man grabbing for his last lifeline.
22:21Stella, I know I was wrong.
22:23I know it with every fiber of my being.
22:25What I did with Vivian.
22:26I was blind.
22:27I was stupid.
22:28I failed you.
22:29I failed our babies.
22:30Hit me.
22:31Yell at me.
22:31Punish me however you want.
22:33I'll give you all my companies, my life, everything.
22:38Just please, come home with me, please.
22:42I looked at him calmly, not a single ripple in my chest.
22:46No hatred, no resentment, only complete and total peace.
22:51IT was like watching a stranger put on a belated, overwrought tragedy.
22:55Harrison, stand up.
22:56What we had ended a long time ago.
23:00It ended the day you walked through that front door with Vivian.
23:04It ended the day you killed our eight babies with your own two hands.
23:13We had ten years together.
23:15You can't just throw that away.
23:18I know you're still angry at me.
23:20Let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you, okay?
23:24We can have more babies.
23:25We can go back to the way things were, please.
23:29We can never go back.
23:30Look, what you owe me, what you owe those eight babies,
23:37then bees can never be repaid with a single I'm sorry.
23:41You saw the gift I left you.
23:42You destroyed it with your own hands and it can never, ever be fixed.
23:47I'm happy now.
23:48I have a partner, a home, a life of let go of the past.
23:51I'm asking you to leave me alone and never bother me again.
23:56I'm going with him.
24:27I'm going with him.
24:31After that, word got around that he'd liquidated every last one of his companies and assets,
24:35holing up a loan in that empty mansion.
24:38He never dated again, never married anyone else.
24:43Mason and I had our wedding in Country F.
24:46It was a small, simple ceremony,
24:48but it was brimming with more happiness than I'd ever known.
24:51A year later, I gave birth to a healthy set of boy-girl twins.
24:55On the twins' first birthday,
24:56a breaking international news alert flashed across the TV.
24:59American National Harrison illegally flew a small private plane into Country F's restricted airspace.
25:05The plane lost control and crashed into the Gulf with no survivors.
25:09On our wedding day, I'd send a single white rose to him, through a courier.
25:14It was my final goodbye to the ten years of my youth I'd given to him.
25:18Now, he'd sunk to the bottom of the sea, along with that crashed plane.
25:23And the love that had died in me, long ago, had already been laid to rest in those same waters,
25:28with the eight babies we never got to hold.
25:30What we had is gone forever, my love has sunk to the sea.
25:34For the rest of my days, I will walk every mile of this world in peace and joy,
25:39never again to be shaken.
25:40You know, by the way, I'll be downstairs.
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