After the Quake, I Avenged Mom- Drama FULL MOVIES ENGLISH SUB

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Transcript

00:00I pushed my father off the cliff. His body was impaled on a dead tree. I didn't leave

00:06until I made sure he was dead. I will never forget the earthquake. Years ago, he abandoned

00:12my mother and me to save his love. After the earthquake, Mommy fell asleep. I curled up in

00:19her arms. She was getting so cold. We were hiding under a giant rock. I sucked on Mommy's finger.

00:27She fed me warm brown sugar water. Daddy's voice came through the broken phone. Get Stella

00:34and the lightly injured first. Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little

00:38longer won't kill her. It was really Daddy. Mommy said he would rescue us soon. But why did

00:45he make Mommy wait? I whispered to the phone. Daddy, Mommy went to sleep. She gave me lots

00:54of brown sugar water. It tastes like iron. But I'm not scared. Mommy said you'll come

01:02and save me before it all runs out. The phone went totally silent. I kept drinking the warm

01:10brown sugar water. Then Daddy started screaming through the speaker. He ordered everyone to

01:16find me. Daddy was coming to me. Found her. Over here. There's a kid still alive. Mommy, it's morning.

01:31Can we go home now? I pushed against her chest. It wasn't soft like it used to be. A whole

01:37section of it

01:38was crushed inward, covered in something warm and sticky. Hurry! Grab the kid first! Huge, rough

01:46hands reached in and tore me away from her. No! Mommy's still sleeping! I want to wait for her!

01:53My fingers locked in a death grip on the hem of her shirt. We... The fabric gave way. A man

01:59in an orange

02:00rescue vest hauled me against his chest. My mouth was crusted with dried flaky red patches. It was the

02:07brown sugar water Mommy had been feeding me. Lucy! Oh God, Lucy! A figure came stumbling through the

02:15debris. It was Daddy. He was still wearing his expensive suit. It was dusted with concrete powder,

02:24making him look a little disheveled. He grabbed me from the rescue worker and crushed me against his chest.

02:30Thank God. You're alive. I thought I'd lost you. He was sobbing, his whole body trembling. Then a scent

02:38hit me. A sickeningly sweet, overpowering perfume. It was the smell Mommy hated most in the world.

02:46She always said it was the smell of a bad woman. I squirmed against him. Daddy, Mommy's still down there.

02:55She's asleep. Daddy froze. He didn't even glance at the rubble. Instead, he forced my face into his

03:04shoulder to block my view. Shh, sweetheart. Mommy. Mommy's gone to a better place.

03:13No, she didn't. She's right down there. I cried frantically, pointing at the pitch black gap in the

03:20concrete. Mommy gave me so much brown sugar water. She promised you'd come for us before it was all

03:27gone. All the color drained from Daddy's face. He stared at the dark, crusted blood around my mouth,

03:34gulping hard. A heavy silence fell over the medics around us. One of the nurses clamped a hand over

03:41her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks. But Daddy just looked away. He couldn't meet my eyes.

03:47What was he so scared of? Was it because of the broken phone? The one that played his voice earlier,

03:54growling like a monster? The voice that said Mommy was tough as nails and that leaving her behind

04:00wouldn't kill her. Daddy, why did you tell them to leave Mommy behind? I leaned close to his ear and

04:09whispered, Daddy recoiled, shoving me back like I had just burned him. There was no relief in his eyes

04:15anymore. Only pure, naked terror. The ambulance siren wailed as we sped down the road. I sat in the back,

04:23still clutching the torn scrap of Mommy's shirt. Daddy sat across from me, wringing his hands nervously.

04:30His hands were perfectly clean, his nails neatly manicured. They looked nothing like Mommy's hands,

04:36which were caked in mud and dried blood. Lucy, while you were down there, did you hear anything?

04:41Daddy asked tentatively, unable to meet my eyes. I licked my lips. That rusty taste was still in my

04:48mouth. I did. A visible shudder ran through Daddy. What did you hear? I heard you tell them to save

04:55Stella first. The air inside the ambulance instantly froze. The paramedic who had been wiping dust off

05:02my face stopped, her hand hovering in midair. She shot Daddy a piercing, icy glare. Daddy forced an

05:09awkward smile that looked more like a grimace. You misheard, sweetie. The signal was bad. Daddy

05:14was just panicking. Really? I tilted my head, studying him. But who is Stella? Why is she more

05:22important than Mommy? Daddy opened his mouth, but no words came out. He quickly turned to look out the

05:27window, pretending to wipe away a tear. When we arrived at the hospital, a massive crowd swarmed

05:33us. Camera flashes went off nonstop, so bright I couldn't open my eyes. Suddenly, Daddy acted like

05:41a completely different person. He scooped me into his arms and began sobbing hysterically for the cameras.

05:47Thank God. Thank God for bringing my daughter back to me. I'd trade anything in the world as long as

05:54my Lucy

05:54is safe. The reporters wiped their eyes and praised Daddy for being such a good father. I rested my chin

06:00on his

06:01shoulder, watching the side of his face. He was wailing loudly, but his cheeks were completely dry. He looked just

06:09like a clown on TV. Once we got to the VIP ward, I finally saw his Stella. She was staying

06:16in a massive

06:17private hospital suite. She was wearing a frilly pink lace dress and happily eating a slice of strawberry

06:25cake. There wasn't a single scratch on her. Even her hair was perfectly brushed and shiny. A woman in a

06:32flowing

06:32white dress sat by her bedside. She was very pretty and she radiated the exact same sickeningly sweet

06:40perfume I had smelled on Daddy. The woman stood up. Victor, you're here. Her eyes were rimmed with red,

06:48making her look incredibly fragile and pitiful. Daddy set me down immediately and hurried over to her,

06:56taking her hands in his. Camille, how is Stella? She must have been terrified. I stood in the doorway,

07:02feeling like a piece of discarded trash. Stella noticed me. She wrinkled her nose and pointed right

07:09at me. Mommy, is she the feral girl who drinks blood? She's so gross. Drinking blood, feral girl. I

07:18stared at the smear of whipped cream on her lip. My empty stomach gave a low rumble. The woman, Camille,

07:25walked over and crouched down in front of me. You must be Lucy. Oh, you poor girl. Come,

07:31let me give you a hug. She reached out to me. That's when I saw the gold bracelet gleaming on

07:37her wrist. It was the exact same bracelet Mommy had. Mommy told me Daddy had specially made it for

07:43her to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. So why was she wearing it? A sudden, blinding rage flared

07:49up in my chest. Like an enraged little animal, I lunged at her and bit down on her wrist. The

07:55bad woman shrieked, swinging her arm to violently shake me off. The sheer force sent me flying

08:00backward and my head slammed hard against the metal footboard of the hospital bed. A sharp dizzying

08:06pain shot through me, but I didn't shed a single tear. I just sat on the floor glaring at her

08:12with

08:12pure hatred. Lucy! Are you crazy? Daddy rushed over. He tenderly cradled the bad woman's injured arm.

08:20Camille, are you okay? Did she hurt you? He snapped his head back around, glaring at me with absolute fury.

08:27How could you behave like this? Apologize to her right now! I stayed slumped on the cold floor. A warm

08:34trickle of liquid began sliding down my forehead. It was red too, just like the brown sugar water Mommy had

08:41fed me.

08:42Daddy, I'm bleeding too. Are you gonna make me wait a little longer too?

08:47The room went dead silent. Daddy's face turned beet red with rage. The bad woman's eyes darted around.

08:54Ignoring the bite marks on her wrist, she put on a sickeningly sweet face and tried to help me up.

09:00Victor, don't be mad at her. She just lost her mom. She can't handle the shock.

09:05She stroked my head, but her nails dug hard into my skin. Be good, Lucy. I don't mind. Let me

09:13buy you

09:14some candy later, alright? I slapped her hand away. I don't want candy. I have the brown sugar water

09:20Mommy gave me. The bad woman's smile vanished. Daddy, kick this freak out! She stinks!

09:27Daddy took a deep breath and buzzed for a nurse. Take her next door and get her cleaned up and

09:32have

09:32someone examine her head. She's clearly lost her mind. Examine my head? Daddy thought I was

09:37crazy. A young nurse led me away. As she cleaned my wound, she quietly wiped away her tears.

09:44Sweetie, it won't hurt. I promise to be gentle. I looked up at her. Miss, is my mommy really dead?

09:53Her hand trembled. She pulled me into a tight hug and finally broke down sobbing. Your mommy was a

10:00great mother. That evening, my grandparents arrived. The moment Grandma saw me, she broke down and passed

10:08out from the shock. Grandpa leaned heavily on his cane, his hands shaking violently. He demanded to

10:15take me home with him. Dad, Lucy's been through a massive shock. She's talking nonsense right now.

10:20It's safer to keep her here for observation. But Daddy refused. But I knew the real reason. He was

10:26terrified I'd talk. Terrified I'd spill that secret. Late that night, the door to my room clicked open.

10:32It was Uncle Oscar, Daddy's personal assistant. Normally, he just trailed behind Daddy like a shadow,

10:39keeping his head down and his mouth shut. But tonight, the look in his eyes was completely different.

10:45He walked over to my bed and pulled something from his pocket. A phone with a badly shattered screen.

10:51Mommy's phone. Lucy, they dug this out of the rubble. It still works. I snatched the phone and hugged it

10:59tight against my chest. It smelled like mommy and there were patches of dried blood on the casing.

11:05Oscar gently stroked my hair. Lucy, do you want to help mommy get revenge? In a few days, it will

11:10be

11:10mommy's funeral. A lot of people will be there and that bad woman will be there too. That day, if

11:18Daddy speaks

11:19up, Storn, press this triangle, okay? I stared at the little red play button and nodded hard. Okay, this

11:26was a game. A game only Oscar and I knew about. I was going to make sure everyone heard exactly

11:32what

11:32Daddy said that day. It rained on the day of Mommy's funeral. The sky was gray. It looked like a

11:38dirty rag.

11:39I wore the black dress Grandma bought me. A tiny white flower was pinned to my chest. The memorial hall

11:48was huge.

11:50It was packed with white flowers. Mommy's portrait hung right in the middle. She was smiling in the picture.

11:59Her eyes crinkled like little crescent moons. Daddy stood at the very front. He wore a crisp black suit.

12:08He looked terrible. His eyes were sunken. His face unshaven. People said he was a deeply devoted man.

12:18That he had grown so thin just after losing his wife. The bad woman didn't show up, but Stella did.

12:28She wore a black lace dress. She mouthed the words. You don't have a mom anymore. She made mean faces

12:37at me.

12:38Yeah. I just stared blankly at her. I slipped my hand into my pocket. My fingers brushed the cold,

12:47shattered phone. The ceremony began. The somber music made my chest feel tight. Daddy walked up to the

12:55podium. He clutched a few sheets of paper. He started reading his eulogy.

13:01Irene, my beloved wife. He choked up on the very first line. The crowd wiped away their tears. They were

13:10moved

13:10by his heartbreaking true love. We've known each other for ten years and loved each other for ten years.

13:17You knew me better than anyone, and you were the person I loved most. The moment the earthquake struck,

13:23I wished I could have died in your place. If time could turn back, I would be by your side,

13:30holding your hand, and I would never let you face the darkness alone. He swayed, looking like he might

13:37collapse. A few relatives rushed up to hold him. They whispered words of comfort. Irene, how could you be so

13:48cruel? How could you leave Lucy and me behind? He beat his chest, wailing at Mama's back. I stood in

13:57the

13:57front row. Oscar was right beside me. He knelt down to fix my collar. He gave my hand a tight

14:04squeeze.

14:05His palm was slick with sweat. Are you ready, Lucy? He whispered. Only I could hear him. I looked up

14:13at

14:13daddy on stage. He was giving the performance of a lifetime. I watched his fake tears and trembling

14:22shoulders. I remembered her slicing open her own fingers. She fed me her blood, smiling through the

14:31pain. I thought about the dark, cold rubble. I thought of Mommy's body growing cold. I remembered those

14:39cruel words. Waiting a little longer won't kill her. A massive wave of anger exploded inside me.

14:46I didn't fully understand hatred yet, but I knew I had to ruin his act. Clutching the shattered phone,

14:55I walked on stage. A hush fell over the crowd. They thought, I just wanted to comfort daddy.

15:03Daddy saw me approaching. Panic flashed in his eyes, but he hid it. He dropped to one knee and opened

15:12his arms. Lucy, come here, sweetie. Daddy misses her too. He wanted to pull me into a hug. He wanted

15:21to

15:21end his show with fake love. I stopped right in front of him. I didn't hug him. I raised the

15:30shattered

15:30phone instead. It was still stained with Mommy's dried blood. Daddy's pupils shrank in pure terror.

15:39He recognized the phone immediately. He lunged forward to snatch it. Lucy, that's dirty. Give it to

15:47Daddy right now. Right as his fingertips grazed the screen, my thumb slammed down on the red triangle.

15:56The Bluetooth is already synced to the giant speakers. The audio kicked in instantly. A harsh burst of static

16:04pierced the silence. Then that familiar cold voice boomed like thunder. Get Stella and the lightly injured

16:12first. The entire hall went dead silent. Every single eye locked onto Daddy. His hand froze in the air.

16:22The color completely drained from his face. The recording kept playing crystal clear.

16:29Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little longer won't kill her.

16:36Every word was a vicious slap across his face. Guests' jaws dropped in pure shock. They stared at this

16:44his devoted husband. Furious whispers quickly filled the room. Is that Victor's voice? Oh my god,

16:52did he actually say that? Get Stella first? Who is Stella? Daddy collapsed to the floor like a rag doll.

16:59He scrambled up in a total panic. He tried to shut off the speakers. No! It's not real! It's a

17:08fake! It's just a sick prank!

17:11A heavy wooden cane slammed into Daddy's back. It was Grandpa. He beat Daddy over and over again.

17:20You bastard! You heartless bastard! Placed my daughter in your hands and this is how you treated her?

17:28She's tough? You made her wait? Do you know she bled to death down there?

17:33Tears streamed down Grandpa's face. Every strike was fueled by pure rage. Daddy cowered, shielding his head.

17:43Blood dripped from a nasty cut on his forehead. Nobody tried to stop it. They just watched with sheer disgust.

17:51The reporters finally snapped out of it. Camera flashes erupted like crazy. The tragic love story was dead.

18:01It was now a massive cheating scandal. Is Stella your illegitimate daughter?

18:07Did you let your wife die for your mistress? Did you let your die for your mistress?

18:11Microphones were shoved right into his bloody face. He covered his face, refusing to look up.

18:18I stood in the dead center of the chaos. I still gripped the phone tightly. Oscar rushed up and scooped

18:26me up.

18:26He shielded me and backed away. Good job, Lucene.

18:31He whispered softly. I looked over Oscar's shoulder. I stared at Daddy on the floor. He looked so small and

18:40pathetic, like a rat crushed under a boot.

18:44Stella burst. Stella burst into tears from the noise. She screamed from behind the marble pillar.

18:51Daddy, help me!

18:54The reporters finally snapped out of it.

18:57Is that Stella?

18:59She actually looks a bit like Victor.

19:02What?

19:03He let his wife die for a bastard!

19:05They threw them right at Stella. The scene completely spiraled out of control. The police showed up after someone called

19:14911. Grandma pulled me close, sobbing uncontrollably.

19:20Let's go home, Lucy. He's dead to us now.

19:24I didn't cry or throw a tantrum. I just watched everything in dead silence.

19:33Before we left, I looked back. Daddy was kneeling before Mommy's portrait. He reached out to touch her picture. Grandpa

19:43kicked him away.

19:44Don't touch her with your filthy hands!

19:47Daddy collapsed onto the floor. He looked at me with pure desperation.

19:55Lucy, Daddy was wrong.

19:58I completely ignored him. I turned my head to Mommy's portrait. Did you hear that, Mommy? Everyone finally knows he's

20:07the bad guy.

20:07After that massive funeral scene, I got sick. The doctor said I had severe PTSD.

20:15I stopped talking entirely. I just hugged Mommy's old clothes.

20:23I wouldn't eat. I only drank brown sugar water.

20:28If I ate anything else, I threw up. Everything tasted like rusty iron to me.

20:35My grandma cooked different meals every single day, but I couldn't take a single bite.

20:43I lost so much weight. I looked like a terrifying little skeleton.

20:50Daddy came by our house a few times. He was suspended from his company. His reputation was completely destroyed.

21:00People threw rotten eggs at his door daily. He wanted to see me.

21:05He begged my grandparents for forgiveness. Grandpa chased him off with a heavy broom.

21:13He kneeled outside our front door. I watched him through a crack in the curtains.

21:20He stayed on his knees all night long. It was pouring rain that night.

21:26Just like the day of Mommy's funeral. He was totally soaked to the bone. His wet hair plastered to his

21:33face. He looked like a pathetic drowned rat.

21:37Lucy! I know I messed up! Please just look at me! You're all I have left!

21:42He screamed through the pouring rain. His voice was totally hoarse. I thought it was hilarious. I'm all he has

21:51left?

21:52What about Stella? What about the bad woman? Did they abandon him already?

21:59Grandma walked into my bedroom. She held a warm cup of brown sugar water. Grandma asked me so carefully,

22:08Lucy. Lucy, he's still out there. Do you want to see him?

22:14I took the cup from her hands. I took a tiny little sip. It was warm and sweet, but I

22:23still tasted a hint of blood.

22:25I shook my head at Grandma. I walked right up to the window. I pulled the curtains tightly shut in

22:35his face.

22:36I remembered being trapped under the rubble. I had screamed for him just like that. I screamed until my voice

22:47went hoarse.

22:48But he only cared about other people. Now it was his turn to scream. I was going to let him

22:56wait too.

22:57He could wait until he died. I sat in my room drawing pictures.

23:03I only used black and red crayons. I drew a pitch black box. A monster was trapped inside it.

23:14The monster was crying endlessly, but nobody paid any attention to it. Grandpa said Daddy's company was going bankrupt.

23:25Everyone was boycotting his business. Nobody wanted to work with a murderer. Oscar dug up his fake accounting books. Turns

23:36out he wasn't just a terrible dad.

23:38He was a completely corrupt boss too. He embezzled tons of company money. He bought the bad woman a house

23:49and a car.

23:50I listened to my grandparents talking about it. I felt absolutely nothing inside.

23:56I just kept sipping my warm brown sugar water cup after cup. I drank until my stomach physically ached. Until

24:07the rusty iron taste finally faded.

24:11The bad woman got arrested. She was caught at the airport trying to flee. Dad's company was completely ruined. She

24:20drained his remaining bank accounts. She tried to take Stella out of the country. But Oscar was one step ahead

24:30of her. His police buddies caught her red handed.

24:34Grandpa took me to the police station. I had to give a statement about my custody. I saw the bad

24:45woman in the hallway. She was wearing shiny silver handcuffs. Her hair was a complete rat's nest. Her makeup was

24:55totally smeared. Stella was crying so hard she couldn't breathe. Snot was running all down her face.

25:03Mommy, I want to go home. I don't want to be here. Shut up. Shut up. Stop your crying.

25:10When she saw me, her eyes went bloodshot. She lunged at me like a total mad woman.

25:16It's all your fault, you little bastard. If it wasn't for your bitch mother, Victor wouldn't be completely bankrupt. I

25:21wouldn't be in this total mess.

25:24A police officer grabbed her instantly. He pinned her heart against the wall.

25:31Stay still.

25:32I hid behind Grandpa and peeked out. Her face was completely twisted with rage. She looked like an ugly old

25:41witch.

25:43Daddy was there too. He was there as a witness. And as a victim, seeing her, Daddy charged forward. He

25:53tried to punch her right there.

25:56Camille, you vicious bitch! After everything I did for you, you cleaned out my accounts and ran? That's enough!

26:02Did right by me? Give me a break. If you really cared about me, you would have divorced Irina a

26:10long time ago.

26:11And you wanted me to give you a son. And what did you end up with? No son.

26:17So, that was the real truth. They tore into each other like rabid dogs. The cops couldn't watch it anymore.

26:27They forcibly dragged them apart. I looked at Daddy's pathetic face. It was covered in spit and blood.

26:35Camille looked completely ruined too. Suddenly, I felt something shift inside me.

26:42The heavy boulder in my chest lifted. I let go of Grandpa's hand. I walked right up to the bad

26:50woman.

26:50You are so ugly!

26:53I finally spoke my first words in weeks.

26:56Even uglier than the rats in the ruins.

26:59Then, I turned around.

27:01Grandpa, I want to go home. I want my warm brown sugar water.

27:05Later, Grandpa sorted through Mommy's belongings. He found an old diary. It had a light pink cover.

27:17It was Mommy's favorite notebook. Grandpa put on his reading glasses. He read it and cried hysterically.

27:25He cried until he almost passed out.

27:29I leaned in to look too. I couldn't read all those big words. But, I recognized Mommy's drawings.

27:38Tucked inside the pages was a photo. It was a black and white ultrasound picture.

27:46It showed a blurry little shadow. He looked at me with tearful eyes.

27:52Lucy, this is your little brother.

27:56I was completely stunned. Or little sister.

28:01It turned out that on the day of the earthquake, Mommy still had a baby in her belly.

28:05Grandpa read Mom's diary out loud to me.

28:10Went in for a checkup today. The doctor said the baby looks perfect.

28:14I want to surprise Victor. I'll tell him on his birthday.

28:19I hope it's a boy. When he grows up, he can protect Lucy.

28:22Victor's been coming home later and later. He always smells like perfume.

28:28But I trust him. He promised he'd change.

28:31For my two children, I can endure anything.

28:35My tears came flooding out. I thought about the earthquake again.

28:39When that huge slab came crashing down, Mom didn't lie flat.

28:46But she curled herself into a bridge.

28:49She used her back to block the rocks.

28:53She shielded me and the baby underneath her.

28:57In the dark, she kept encouraging me.

29:00She fed me her blood.

29:03She never once said she was hurting.

29:06So that was the truth.

29:08She was protecting both of us.

29:10It was me and the baby.

29:14But what did Dad say?

29:16He said Mom was tough.

29:18He said save Stella first.

29:21He killed his own wife.

29:23And his unborn child too.

29:27Somehow, Dad found out.

29:29That night, he started wailing downstairs.

29:32He rolled around on the ground.

29:35He slammed his head into the wall.

29:38His forehead split open.

29:40God, just kill me!

29:41I'm guilty!

29:42I'm a bastard!

29:44He was confessing.

29:45But it was too late.

29:47Mom couldn't hear him anymore.

29:49The baby couldn't hear him either.

29:52And neither could I.

29:54I held the diary tight against my chest.

29:57Grandpa, I don't hate him anymore.

29:59Grandpa stared at me in shock.

30:02Hating someone takes strength.

30:04Because he's not worth it.

30:06He deserved to rot like garbage.

30:09Dad was going to prison.

30:11For financial crimes and embezzlement,

30:16the amount was massive.

30:19Before sentencing, he begged Grandpa countless times.

30:25He wanted to see me once more.

30:29Grandpa didn't want to agree.

30:32But I nodded.

30:34We met on a park bench.

30:37It was autumn.

30:39The leaves had all turned yellow.

30:42The wind felt sharp and cold.

30:45Dad was wearing the detention center vest.

30:48Handcuffs hung from his wrists.

30:50Only a few months had passed.

30:53But he looked 60.

30:55His back was bent too.

30:57When he saw me, his eyes lit up.

31:00He tried to reach for me.

31:02He wanted to hug me.

31:04But I stepped back.

31:06His hand froze in midair.

31:08Then he pulled it back awkwardly.

31:12Lucy, you've gotten taller.

31:14His voice came out rough and broken.

31:19Dad's going somewhere far away.

31:22I may not back come for a long time.

31:24I said nothing.

31:25I just looked at him quietly.

31:27He was crying hard now.

31:29I failed you.

31:31I failed your mom.

31:33And I failed that unborn baby too.

31:35I'll never repay that debt.

31:37Tears and snot covered his face.

31:39I watched him sob uncontrollably.

31:43And strangely, I felt calm.

31:47It was strawberry hard candy.

31:50Mom used to give me those with medicine.

31:54Mom used to say,

31:56Candy makes the bitterness go away.

31:59Dad looked at the candy.

32:01Then he broke down even harder.

32:04His shoulders shook violently.

32:06But for the rest of your life,

32:08all you'll know is bitterness.

32:10I looked him straight in the eye.

32:12Because you deserve it.

32:14Then I turned and walked away.

32:18Behind me, Dad screamed himself hoarse.

32:21Lucy!

32:22Lucy!

32:24I didn't turn around.

32:26The wind lifted the fallen leaves.

32:28They spun into the sky.

32:31Ten years passed.

32:33That's long enough for broken bones to heal.

32:35And long enough for a little girl to grow up.

32:38Grandma passed two years ago.

32:41She died peacefully in her sleep.

32:43Grandpa said she finally went to talk to Mom.

32:46Now it's just Grandpa and me.

32:48On my 15th birthday, I woke up early.

32:52It was also Mom's death anniversary.

32:56Just like every year.

32:58But at the door, I kicked something hard.

33:01It was a package.

33:03The return address looked familiar.

33:04Blackridge Prison.

33:05I carried it inside.

33:07Grandpa was coming out of the kitchen.

33:09He was holding a bowl of birthday noodles.

33:12Your noodles are ready.

33:14Who sent that?

33:17An old friend.

33:21A bank book and a letter.

33:24The bank book had a few thousand dollars.

33:27It was exactly the most a prisoner could save in 10 years behind bars.

33:32The letter was written on cheap paper.

33:35The handwriting was shaky and crooked.

33:38Several spots were smeared with ink.

33:40Lucy, by the time you read this, I'll be gone.

33:42I'm going to your mother to beg her figness.

33:45For 10 years, every time I close my eyes, I see the rubbles.

33:48I see your mother covered in blood.

33:50I hear her asking me again and again,

33:52Victor, why didn't you save me?

33:54And I hear that unborn child crying too.

33:57I kept the candy you left for me.

33:59The money in the bank book is clean.

34:01Live well, Lucy.

34:03The letter was short.

34:04I read it word by word.

34:07Then I folded it neatly.

34:09I placed it beside the bank book on the table.

34:14Grandpa watched me quietly.

34:17He looked like he wanted to speak.

34:19But in the end, he only sighed.

34:22Then he shoved the chopsticks into my hand.

34:26Eat before the noodles get sogry.

34:29Unknown number.

34:30The area code was from the prison.

34:33I answered,

34:34Is this Lucy Cole?

34:35Yes.

34:36This is Black Ridge Prison.

34:38Your father, Victor Cole,

34:40died by suicide in prison at 543 this morning.

34:45The body, a family member,

34:47needs to come handle the arrangements.

34:49He didn't leave much behind.

34:50Just one final message.

34:52What was it?

34:54He said,

34:55Save Irene first.

34:56Irene.

34:57My mother's name,

34:58he finally remembered to save mom first.

35:02Got it.

35:02I hung up.

35:04Then I kept eating.

35:06Grandpa's cooking hadn't changed in 10 years.

35:09It was still perfect.

35:11After I finished,

35:12I took the bowl and chopsticks away.

35:15I washed them clean in the kitchen.

35:18Then I boiled a kettle of water.

35:21From the top shelf,

35:22I took down the old metal candy tin.

35:25Inside was a single dark lump of brown sugar.

35:29I dropped it into mom's favorite glass.

35:32Then I poured in the boiling water,

35:36slowly melting away.

35:37A deep red drink.

35:39I carried the glass to the balcony.

35:41The autumn sunlight hit my skin.

35:44It warmed me all the way through.

35:46Mom, look.

35:48He said the brown sugar water was bitter.

35:51He couldn't drink it.

35:52But what did he know about bitterness?

35:54The pain you took for him?

35:55That was real bitter.

35:56I looked down and took a small sip.

35:59It was sweet.

36:00The clean scent of sugar cane spread across my tongue.

36:03That sickening taste of blood was gone.

36:06I took out the letter and a lighter from my pocket.

36:08The flame jumped up fast.

36:10It swallowed the thin paper hole.

36:13It swallowed 10 years of late remorse with it.

36:17The black ashes lifted in the wind.

36:20I drank the last sip of brown sugar water.

36:23So sweet.

36:24I looked into the distance.

36:26The sky was clear.

36:28Not a single cloud.

36:30So would my life.

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