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The Red light curse
Transcript
00:00:02Ever's the day we were trapped in the snow-covered mountains, mom has called me a liar.
00:00:08Not because I actually lied, but because of this thing on my wrist, the thermal monitoring bracelet.
00:00:17My mother Grace is obsessed with technology.
00:00:20The one belief she holds above all else is that data never lies.
00:00:31In an environment like this, every single calorie must be used where it matters most.
00:00:36Anyone showing a red light gets no food for the day.
00:00:43Mine is green.
00:00:46Your bracelet is red! You're recklessly consuming the last remaining calories in this house!
00:00:52Mom, I only had a cup of water this morning. I really don't know why it's red.
00:00:57Shut up!
00:00:59Your body has excess heat. You don't deserve any rations today.
00:01:05Mom, I'm really cold and hungry.
00:01:08The machine doesn't lie, Chloe.
00:01:12From that day on, those words became the most unquestionable truth in that cabin.
00:01:16The red light on my bracelet became like a curse.
00:01:19It declared me over-consuming heat every single day.
00:01:22At noon that day, mom distributed the food.
00:01:24Anna got a larger portion because her bracelet was green.
00:01:27She needs to replenish energy.
00:01:29Mine was pitifully small because my bracelet was flashing red.
00:01:33Mom, I haven't eaten anything. I'm really hungry.
00:01:38Chloe, machines don't lie.
00:01:40Just to get an extra bite, you're actually trying to deceive me.
00:01:42Look at your sister Anna. Her bracelet is always green.
00:01:45She'd rather stay hungry than steal even a strip of food.
00:01:47And you? You're a thief!
00:01:49I didn't take any food. I really didn't.
00:01:52If you didn't steal anything, then why did I find the last piece of missing from the storage room this
00:01:58morning?
00:01:58I didn't take it!
00:02:10I ate it.
00:02:13She ate it! It's totally Anna! She just told me!
00:02:17Mom, I didn't! Sister, why are you accusing me?
00:02:22Mom, my bracelet is green. How could I have stolen the chocolate?
00:02:31Not only are you selfish enough to steal food, you even viciously frame your own sister!
00:02:38How did I end up with such a cruel daughter?
00:02:52Mom, I didn't lie. It really wasn't me.
00:02:56Please, just believe me this once. Just once.
00:03:00No.
00:03:02Even just a fraction of the tenderness she showed when she looked at Anna.
00:03:08Mom, I really didn't lie to you. Please believe me this time. I'm your daughter.
00:03:15Look at it yourself. Red. Chloe, it's red. It shows excess calories. If you didn't steal food, then who did?
00:03:21Your sister's bracelet is green. She can barely even stand. How could she possibly steal anything?
00:03:26I have to punish a lying child like you.
00:03:37I was wrong. I won't lie again. Mom, please.
00:04:01Mom, will my sister freeze lying there?
00:04:04Her? She won't freeze. Her bracelet is red. She's got excess heat.
00:04:08Anna, don't be like her. Be an honest child.
00:04:14My heart felt like it was being clenched by an icy hand. The pain so intense I could barely breathe.
00:04:21I didn't even have the strength to struggle anymore. My forehead began to burn with heat. Even my breath carried
00:04:28an abnormal warmth.
00:04:30Grace, Chloe doesn't look well. Her face is too red. Could she have a fever? Maybe we should give her
00:04:36some hot water?
00:04:38David, her bracelet is red. This isn't a fever. She secretly ate chocolate and her body temperature rose because of
00:04:45excess calories.
00:04:47She fooled you.
00:04:51You're still lying. Pretending to be sick to gain my sympathy? Looks like you need a real lesson. You're going
00:04:57to the attic right now to reflect on your mistakes.
00:05:10Mom, I really didn't steal the chocolate. I didn't lie.
00:05:25Mom, don't lock me in here. I'll die.
00:05:30When you figure it out, when you admit you stole the chocolate and your bracelet turns green, I'll let you
00:05:36out. Otherwise, you can stay here forever and reflect.
00:05:55Chloe, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I was wrong. I shouldn't have doubted you.
00:06:02Back then, she loved me too, didn't she?
00:06:14Grace, maybe we should let Chloe out. She hasn't eaten anything today.
00:06:18I had Anna bring her some bread.
00:06:20I wanted to say no one had brought me anything, but the words got stuck in my throat because I
00:06:26knew he wouldn't believe me.
00:06:40Big sister, are you cold? Are you hungry? Don't you really want some hot water and a biscuit?
00:06:47Anna, I'm so cold and hungry. Please give me the water and the biscuit.
00:06:52Give it to you?
00:06:57Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you.
00:06:59That chocolate? I was the one who ate it. So sweet. So delicious.
00:07:03Too bad you didn't get any. But what can you do? Your core shack is red.
00:07:07Mom only believes me, not you.
00:07:09Want a drink? Then beg me. Say you're a liar that you stole the chocolate.
00:07:14Say it and I'll let you drink.
00:07:16Oops, my hand slipped. Sorry, big sister.
00:07:22I looked at the board beneath me as it frozen solid. Suddenly, I couldn't feel my feet anymore.
00:07:26The dizziness from the fever grew stronger and stronger. My vision blurred.
00:07:30I could clearly feel it, my body heat slipping away little by little, my life draining out of me.
00:07:33But I still couldn't accept it. I still hadn't lived to see the day Mom believed me.
00:07:38Mom, I'm so cold. I'm so hungry. I really didn't lie. Please believe me, just once, please.
00:07:46Dad, save me. I'm going to die. Dad!
00:07:50Music started playing downstairs. It was the deafening Symphony No. 5.
00:07:55The intense surging music instantly drowned out my faint cries for help.
00:07:59The sound of me pounding on the floor completely swallowed them.
00:08:02She knew I was calling for help. She heard me. She just didn't want to listen.
00:08:07With that thunderous music, she blocked her own ears and completely cut off my last path to survival.
00:08:13My hands stopped pounding. In that moment, all my strength, all my hope, all my unwillingness vanished.
00:08:20I was so hungry. So cold. But Mom would never believe me. She would only believe the bracelet.
00:08:28The machine doesn't lie. What a ridiculous sentence.
00:08:33I don't know how much time passed. My body stopped trembling. Instead, a strange warmth began to spread across my
00:08:39skin.
00:08:40A false burning sensation, as if I were no longer cold.
00:08:43I raised my hand and looked at my little finger, frozen to a purplish blue.
00:08:47Without a single ripple in my heart, I bent it forcibly. Crack. A faint snapping sound.
00:08:51My little finger broke, but I felt no pain at all. So this is what it's like when a person
00:08:55is freezing to death.
00:08:56You really feel nothing. Mom. I thought again of when I was very young.
00:09:00Denster. Her embrace was so her warm. Her smile was so gentle.
00:09:04I want to go back to that time. I want Mom to hug me just once more.
00:09:08February 14th. 7th day of the blizzard. Mom found the chocolate missing.
00:09:12She said I stole it. It wasn't me. Anna ate it. My bracelet turned red.
00:09:16Mom hit me, shocked me with the bracelet, took my blanket and gave it to Anna. I'm so cold.
00:09:23Chloe, come here. Let Mom hug you.
00:09:31I felt weightless. I looked down. I was floating.
00:09:34And there, below me, I saw myself lying on that frozen pile of cardboard.
00:09:38My right hand was missing a little finger. The dead girl's wrist was still flashing red.
00:09:42Oh. Oh. I'm dead.
00:09:45I looked down. My body was still curled up on the freezing wooden floor.
00:09:48The thermal monitoring bracelet was still tightly fastened around my lifeless, purplish wrist.
00:09:53The red light continued flashing tirelessly, reflecting on my pale, expressionless face.
00:09:58Eerie and ironic. I was dead.
00:10:00I died at the age of ten in a blizzard in the Alps, locked in a freezing attic by my
00:10:04mom I loved most, frozen to death.
00:10:06I hovered there, looking at my own corpse. I didn't cry. I wasn't afraid.
00:10:10There was only a vast, lifeless calm inside me, like a nightmare that had lasted ten years, finally ending.
00:10:15My soul passed through the attic door like a gust of wind, without the slightest resistance.
00:10:20I drifted down the stairs, into the living room. Mom, Dad, and Anna were gathered around the table by the
00:10:27fire.
00:10:27Smiles on their faces. Smiles I hadn't seen in a long time.
00:10:31The satellite phone on the table was lit.
00:10:34I heard it. Just moments ago, Mom had gotten through to the rescue team. They said the blizzard had weakened.
00:10:41In two days, they would be able to fly up in a helicopter and take us down the mountain.
00:10:45We were saved, except me. I died three days before the rescue arrived. I died just as the storm was
00:10:53about to end.
00:10:53That's great! We can finally leave this awful place! Mom, I want cake! Don't we still have that emergency cream
00:11:00cake in storage? I want to eat it now!
00:11:03Alright.
00:11:08That cake Dad had bought it for me before we came to the mountains. I couldn't bear to eat it,
00:11:13so I hid it deep in the storage room.
00:11:15I wanted to wait until the blizzard ended, then take it out and share it with Mom, Dad, and my
00:11:20sister.
00:11:20I had even drawn a picture of our family on the box and written the words,
00:11:24I love Mom.
00:11:27Eat slowly. No one's gonna take it from you.
00:11:31Hmm...
00:11:32When we get down the mountain, I'll buy you a bigger, even better cake.
00:11:37I floated in front of them, watching this warm, joyful scene.
00:11:41And somewhere where my heart should have been, there was pain.
00:11:45Oh, right. Chloe is still locked in the attic. Since rescue is coming soon, maybe we should let her out.
00:11:52Let her have something to eat.
00:11:54She's been locked up for two days.
00:11:57She's been locked up for two days! She should have learned her lesson!
00:12:10My breath stopped instantly. Was she going to the attic? Was she going to see me? Was she finally going
00:12:17to discover that I was dead?
00:12:25Chloe. Chloe, come out and eat!
00:12:28No response.
00:12:30I'm inside! I can't answer you! I'm already dead! If you open the door, you'll see my body! I'm already
00:12:38dead!
00:12:38I looked at Mom with sorrow. If she found out I was dead, would she be sad? Would she regret
00:12:44it?
00:12:45Still sulking? You're already ten, not five. Trying to get my attention this way? Then don't come out.
00:12:51Mom! I'm not sulking! I'm dead! I'm already dead! Look at me! I froze to death! Right there in the
00:12:57attic!
00:12:58I'm not lying! The bracelet is broken! Anna ate it! Look at me!
00:13:02Why did it suddenly get so cold? Is the fireplace not burning strong enough? David, go add some more wood!
00:13:08Mom couldn't hear my voice. She couldn't feel my presence. I was a ghost. A ghost who died at her
00:13:15hands, ignored and forgotten.
00:13:19Shouldn't we turn on the heating? The rescue team will be here soon anyway.
00:13:24You're right. Let them see that even in this kind of environment, we can still maintain a scientific standard of
00:13:29living.
00:13:30She went downstairs and turned on the central heating and the floor heating throughout the house.
00:13:36The temperature in the attic rose as well. My body began to decompose faster.
00:13:45Water spread outward, soaking through the cardboard, seeping into the floor.
00:13:50I watched my body grow colder and stiffer, little by little, until signs of decay began to appear.
00:13:57That was my smell. The smell of death.
00:14:01They were going to leave after being rescued.
00:14:03They were going to leave this cabin that had trapped me.
00:14:06They were going to leave my body here, forever in this cold attic.
00:14:11I'll take something to Chloe. She's been in the attic for two days. She hasn't even had a sip of
00:14:15water.
00:14:15Take what? Her red light is on like that. She's got more than enough energy. She won't starve.
00:14:25Dad! Open the door! Hurry! Open it!
00:14:29If you just turn the handle, you'll see that I'm not moving anymore. You'll see my darkened face.
00:14:39Hello? Rescue team? Yes, this is David.
00:14:42What? You can come up the mountain in two days? That's great!
00:14:46The rescue team said the blizzard will completely stop. In two days they'll be able to come up.
00:14:53It was that close, just that tiny bit, just one second. I could have been found. Maybe then, I wouldn't
00:14:59have to keep decaying.
00:15:12Mom was the first to notice.
00:15:15What is that smell? It's disgusting!
00:15:19Oh my god! It stinks! It's coming from the attic! Did my sister go on the floor? Did she do
00:15:25it on purpose? Is she trying to stink us to death?
00:15:32Chloe! What are you doing in there? It stinks!
00:15:51Chloe, didn't you want to disgust us? Fine. Then stay in there with your stink. Don't even think about coming
00:15:57out to pollute our air.
00:16:00The last trace of my attachment to her snapped completely. Just like that strip of tape.
00:16:05She would rather seal the cracks of the door with tape and endure the increasingly unbearable stench, then push the
00:16:11door open and look at her own daughter.
00:16:13I'm right here.
00:16:17Can't you see me?
00:16:22The tape in the end, couldn't block the overwhelming stench of a rotting body. Another day passed.
00:16:27It was the day the rescue team had promised to come up the mountain.
00:16:45Chloe!
00:16:47I've had enough of you, you disgusting little brat! What exactly are you trying to do? Making the whole house
00:16:52stink on purpose? Are you trying to torment us?
00:16:54I'm going to teach you a lesson today!
00:17:11Chloe?
00:17:13Chloe?
00:17:24I'm talking to you, Chloe!
00:17:47Chloe?
00:17:50No.
00:17:52No, that's impossible.
00:17:54Chloe?
00:17:55You're pretending, aren't you, Chloe?
00:17:57You're lying to mum again, aren't you?
00:17:59Get up! Mum's not angry anymore!
00:18:02I won't scold you again!
00:18:04Get up! Don't scare me!
00:18:06Please!
00:18:07Her hand trembled as she reached beneath my nose. No breath.
00:18:11Then she reached for my neck, feeling for a pulse.
00:18:14Nothing. Only coldness. Only silence.
00:18:17I was truly dead.
00:18:18Dead in the attic she had locked with her own hands.
00:18:21Dead in the cold and hunger she had caused.
00:18:24Dead under the gays.
00:18:25She never once chose to believe.
00:18:27Impossible.
00:18:28A machine doesn't lie.
00:18:31Impossible.
00:18:41They had followed the sound of the screams.
00:18:43The team leader pushed open the attic door, and froze the moment he saw what was inside.
00:18:48The body of a ten-year-old girl lay curled up on the cold floor, a bracelet flashing red on
00:18:52her wrist.
00:18:53A woman sat collapsed on the ground, screaming like a mad woman, her eyes unfocused completely deranged.
00:19:00David and Anna, who had followed behind, turned deathly pale the moment he saw my body.
00:19:06David's legs gave out, and he collapsed at the doorway, his whole body trembling violently.
00:19:12How did this happen? How did this happen? How did this happen? How did this happen?
00:19:19That day lay his daughter's cold corpse.
00:19:22He finally understood that his repeated hesitation and retreat had ultimately pushed me to my death.
00:19:28Anna hid behind David, staring at my bluish, swollen face, and fear finally showed on her face.
00:19:35She burst into tears, clinging tightly to David's arm, her body shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind, barely
00:19:41able to stand.
00:19:43She was finally afraid. She finally understood that her prank, her lies, her framing, had cost a life, had killed
00:19:52her own sister.
00:19:56Quick! Call a doctor! Seal off the scene!
00:19:59The rescue team leader quickly snapped out of it, and shouted sharply at the others.
00:20:04Unable to suppress the anger in his voice, the team set up a cordon. A doctor pushed through the crowd
00:20:10and entered the attic,
00:20:12crouching beside my body for a long time, examining carefully, his movements gentle, as if afraid of damaging my already
00:20:19fragile skin.
00:20:20Severe hypothermia. Organ failure. This child was starved for at least a month, and in temperatures well below freezing, she
00:20:29froze to death.
00:20:30Time of death was two to three days ago.
00:20:33It's not my fault! She was lying! She stole food! Look! The bracelet is red! The red light! It says
00:20:42she has excess calories! I follow the data! Machines don't lie!
00:20:47The doctor frowned, crouched down, and carefully tried to remove the bracelet from my wrist, but the strap had fused
00:20:54tightly with my frozen purplish skin, almost as if it had grown into the flesh.
00:20:59Gritting his teeth, the doctor took out specialized tools and carefully pried the bracelet off.
00:21:04Little by little, I floated in mid-air, watching the bracelet that had been on me for ten whole days
00:21:09finally leave my wrist. This cold shackle that had trapped me for ten days, that had caused my death, finally
00:21:16fell away.
00:21:17The doctor held the bracelet, turning it over and over, then opened the casing on the back. After just one
00:21:24glance, he let out a cold laugh, looking up at mom.
00:21:28Ma'am, your so-called infuelable machine has been broken for a long time.
00:21:33The temperature sensor and calorie monitoring module have completely failed. The circuit shorted out, which is why the red light
00:21:40stays on. From the very first day it was worn, it was already broken.
00:21:44It couldn't measure anything at all, it could only keep flashing red.
00:21:48The truth, she had trusted above all else. The things she relied on to judge my life and death, had
00:21:55been a joke from the very beginning.
00:21:59You are lying!
00:22:06I hadn't lied. Not once. The bracelet was broken. She was wrong.
00:22:14No! No, that's impossible!
00:22:20No! Impossible! Machines don't lie!
00:22:26Look! Anna's bracelet is still green! This proves the system works! This is scientific!
00:22:33At that moment, a female rescue worker walked over to Anna, bent down, and took something out of the pocket.
00:22:39It had been hidden there for days, crumpled beyond recognition, still smeared with traces of chocolate, holding the wrapper.
00:22:46The rescue worker walked up to Mom, and said coldly,
00:22:51Ma'am, is this the chocolate you said was stolen?
00:22:55We found it in your younger daughter's pocket.
00:22:58All eyes turned instantly toward Anna.
00:23:01Anna's face went pale in an instant.
00:23:08It wasn't me! My sister told me to hide it! She ate it! Not me!
00:23:17But this time, no one believed her anymore.
00:23:23Little girl, take off your bracelet and show it to me.
00:23:27Anna froze instantly.
00:23:32No! Mom gave it to me! I won't take it off!
00:23:35But the doctor gave her no chance to argue.
00:23:38He pulled out a screwdriver and pried the bracelet open on the spot.
00:23:42What was inside made everyone gasp.
00:23:44No sensors. No chip. No heat. Monitoring module.
00:23:48Nothing at all. Only two cheap green LED lights and a button battery.
00:23:53The circuit was hardwired, once powered.
00:23:56It is just a two yuan toy.
00:23:58He doctor slammed the shattered bracelet onto the ground in front of Mom.
00:24:02His voice trembled with barely contained rage.
00:24:05This bracelet of your younger daughter was designed to always show green from the very beginning.
00:24:10No matter what she said, what she did, or how much she lied, it would always stay green.
00:24:14Ma'am, your so-called scientific survival system, your so-called infuelable data from beginning to end was nothing but
00:24:21a complete joke.
00:24:21A sick, biased joke.
00:24:23You personally froze your honest daughter to death in that attic while treating a compulsive liar like treasure.
00:24:29Mom looked at the shattered plastic pieces on the ground, at the toys still glowing green, and suddenly, she laughed.
00:24:38She laughed loudly, so loudly that tears came out of her eyes.
00:24:43She doubled over, collapsing onto the floor, her whole body curling up with laughter.
00:24:52Fake. It's all fake.
00:24:55Mom suddenly screamed, and then she did something insane.
00:24:58No way! The bracelet can't be wrong. I didn't eat anything today. My calories couldn't possibly be over.
00:25:06It'll turn green.
00:25:07She grabbed the bracelet, still stained with my blood and fragments of skin, and snapped it onto her own wrist.
00:25:13She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
00:25:16She raised her wrist, her eyes wild.
00:25:19Look. It'll turn green.
00:25:21The red light flared, bright, violent. Mom's confident expression shattered instantly.
00:25:26She slapped at the bracelet, like it was a broken television, panic rising in her voice.
00:25:31What? No! My calories can't be over! I didn't exceed anything! Why is it red? I didn't lie!
00:25:39She started speaking, faster and faster.
00:25:42It's broken. The doctor broke it. I'll try again. I've never abused her. I was doing it for her good.
00:25:47I love-
00:25:49Why is it red? I'm telling the truth! Turn green, you piece of junk! You're framing me!
00:25:55Suddenly, she remembered me, ten-year-old me, punished so severely, curled up on the floor, biting my lip to
00:26:01stop myself from screaming.
00:26:03But the red light kept flashing, as if it was speaking to her, again and again.
00:26:08You are a liar. You are a liar.
00:26:11Mom suddenly screamed, clawing frantically at the bracelet, trying to rip it off her wrist.
00:26:18Take it off! It's red! I'm not a liar! I'm not!
00:26:22But the clasp had locked due to her violent struggle, like a shackle, tightly bound to her wrist, just as
00:26:28it had once been tightly bound to mine.
00:26:31A doctor picked up the diary from the floor. He flipped through it, page by page, his expression growing darker
00:26:39and darker.
00:26:42February 14th. Day 7 of the blizzard. Mom found the chocolate missing. She said I stole it. I didn't. It
00:26:47was Anna who ate it.
00:26:49My bracelet turned red. Mom hit me, shocked me with the brazier. Mom locked me in the acnic. Dad took
00:26:54my bring me food-
00:26:55But Anna stopped him. Anna poured hot water onto my cardboard bed.
00:26:58I hit the floor and called for Mom. But she turned up the music so loud she couldn't hear me.
00:27:04When I was 9, Anna broke Mom's most precious tech robot, and cried saying I did it, without even asking.
00:27:11Mom locked me in the storage room for a full day and night with no food or water.
00:27:15I banged on the door, crying that it wasn't me, but she wouldn't listen. And Anna, she was curled up
00:27:22in Mom's arms, eating sweet strawberries, watching me be locked away with a happy smile.
00:27:27Countless days and nights, Anna stole my toys, tore my drawings, ruined my homework, and then cried to Mom, saying
00:27:35I didn't.
00:27:36Every single time, Mom believed Anna without question, then scolded me, punished me, and made me stand in a cold
00:27:43corner without food.
00:27:46Machines don't lie. Anna's wristband is green. You're just a liar.
00:27:52Mom, I really didn't lie. I've never lied to you. I know you don't like me, but I still love
00:27:57you.
00:27:58If I die, will you regret it? Will you miss me even a little?
00:28:03If there's a next life, can you believe me once? Can you please stop calling me a liar?
00:28:10Every word struck like a heavy hammer, crashing down on on my mom's heart.
00:28:15She covered her face and let out a heart-wrenching cry, like a wounded beast.
00:28:20She remembered the fourth day of the blizzard, the slap she gave me across the face, and the electric shock
00:28:27that coursed through my entire body.
00:28:30She remembered pulling the only blanket off me and wrapping it around Anna instead, and the despair in my eyes.
00:28:39She remembered me banging on the floor, screaming for her help, while she deliberately turned up Symphony of Fate to
00:28:46the maximum volume to block out her own ears.
00:28:49She remembered sealing the cracks of the attic door with tape, and the disgust and impatience she felt at the
00:28:55time.
00:28:58She had personally, little by little, pushed her daughter toward death.
00:29:02She had personally killed the little girl who loved her most, and trusted her most.
00:29:10Mom let out a piercing scream, and suddenly raised her head, looking toward Anna curled up in the corner.
00:29:17It's you! It's all you!
00:29:21She lunged forward like a mad woman, tightly gripping Anna's throat, screaming hysterically.
00:29:27You're the one who lied. You're the one who stole the chocolate! You tricked me!
00:29:33You killed Chloe! I'm going to kill you! You'll pay for my daughter's life!
00:29:42The rescue staff and doctors rushed in and pulled Mom away, pinning her firmly down on the sofa.
00:29:50My dad watched everything, the crazed mother, the terrified Anna, and the blood-stained note in the evidence bag, and
00:29:58finally snapped.
00:30:03You monster!
00:30:06That was your daughter, our daughter! You froze her to death with your own hands! How dare you! How could
00:30:12you?!
00:30:15It's not my fault. It was the wristband. It was Anna. It's not my fault.
00:30:23My body was placed into a black body bag, the zipper slowly closed, sealing away my short ten years of
00:30:31life filled with pain and despair.
00:30:32Don't take her away! Give her never back to me!
00:30:35Chloe!
00:30:36She ran across the snowfield, her bare feet stepping onto sharp ice shards, instantly cutting her skin.
00:30:42Blood trailed across the white snow, leaving a shocking red path behind her.
00:30:47Chloe! Mom will give you all the food rations! Please open your eyes and look at me!
00:30:53She reached the landing gear area, desperately jumping upward, trying to grab hold of the edge of the body bag.
00:31:00But she only grasped empty, freezing air, and swirling snowflakes.
00:31:06This incident quickly spread across the world. The rescue team's camera had recorded everything.
00:31:12One of the crew members accidentally uploaded the footage online.
00:31:16And from there, it spread like an unstoppable avalanche.
00:31:28The entire internet exploded. Netizens were in full outrage.
00:31:41And that father too. He did nothing the entire time. Just watched his daughter being abused. He deserves to die
00:31:48as well.
00:31:48A flood of insults poured in like an avalanche, crashing down on my mom, my dad, and this shattered family.
00:31:55On the second day after the incident escalated, our villa at the foot of the mountain was completely surrounded by
00:32:01an enraged crowd.
00:32:02The front gate had been splashed with bright red paint. In thick black marker, the words murderers, get out of
00:32:09this city, and justice for Chloe were written everywhere.
00:32:13The villa windows had been smashed with bricks. Red paint and abusive slogans covered the walls and floors. At the
00:32:21entrance, reporters and furious protestors packed tightly together.
00:32:26Behind them, the crowd held signs filled with insults, chanting loudly until the noise shook the air.
00:32:32Grace, the murderer, get out! You don't deserve to be a mother! Pay for Chloe's life!
00:32:37Evil family, get out of Switzerland!
00:32:41Neighbors had already moved out one after another. The property management even came with legal notices, demanding we leave immediately,
00:32:48saying our presence had severely damaged neighborhood safety and property values, and caused extreme disturbance to other residents.
00:32:55Inside the villa, everything was in chaos. The curtains were tightly drawn. The lights stayed off. Only the glow of
00:33:01the television illuminated the pale faces of my dad and my mom.
00:33:04The house phone had been completely overwhelmed. Every call that came through brought waves of insults and curses. Even the
00:33:10mobile phones couldn't be turned on.
00:33:12The moment they were switched on, countless abusive messages and non-stop harassing calls flooded in.
00:33:16It's not my fault. It's not my fault.
00:33:30It's all your fault! All of it! If it weren't for that damn bracelet of yours, if you hadn't trusted
00:33:35those useless data of readings, Chloe wouldn't be dead!
00:33:38We wouldn't have ended up like this! You're a mad woman! A murderer!
00:33:45What right do you have to blame me? You were there to save her! You're an accomplice! You deserve to
00:33:50die, too!
00:34:21Mom and Dad had no choice but to sell the house, the car, and everything valuable in the home to
00:34:26cover legal fees and compensation.
00:34:41How dare you!
00:34:47STOP!
00:35:05these items have been seized and auctioned by the court they no longer belong to you
00:35:23if you fail to repay the debt we will file for court enforcement and have you imprisoned it
00:35:27oh
00:35:47glace anna
00:36:10It's not fair.
00:36:45Didn't you love lying?
00:36:46It wasn't me.
00:36:47I didn't kill my sister.
00:36:49Didn't you have that bracelet with the always green signal?
00:36:51Why doesn't anyone believe you now?
00:36:53You deserve it.
00:36:54This is what you get for what you did to your sister.
00:36:56Liar.
00:36:56Thief.
00:36:57Murderer.
00:36:58Why don't they bully anyone else?
00:37:00Just you.
00:37:01Maybe you should reflect on yourself.
00:37:03When you harmed your sister, when you harmed your...
00:37:06Did you ever think this day would come?
00:37:14Let me out.
00:37:15Please let me out.
00:37:16I didn't steal it.
00:37:17I really did it.
00:37:18Don't lose.
00:37:23I don't get him.
00:37:27I don't pan.
00:37:29I don'tра.
00:37:30I don't relate.
00:37:32Sorry.
00:37:51Sister, Mom, help me.
00:37:57This was her rightful punishment.
00:38:03As for Mom, her fate was even more tragic than anyone else's.
00:38:08The defendant should undergo a forensic psychiatric evaluation.
00:38:14I'm not crazy.
00:38:15Everything I do is based on the data from the scientific wristband.
00:38:19I didn't do anything wrong.
00:38:29Can you explain the behavior at that time?
00:38:33I didn't do anything wrong.
00:38:35The bracelet is broken.
00:38:37Anna lied to me.
00:38:45Chloe, sorry.
00:38:47It's all my fault.
00:38:58She had lost the capacity for civil conduct and was unfit to serve a prison sentence.
00:39:06She would be forcibly committed to a psychiatric hospital for lifelong isolated treatment.
00:39:15I'm not crazy!
00:39:17You're the ones who are crazy!
00:39:19The bracelet was broken!
00:39:21It's not my fault!
00:39:22I'm not insane!
00:39:24I was right!
00:39:26The data doesn't lie!
00:39:28Chloe lied to me!
00:39:29Anna lied to me!
00:39:30I'm not crazy!
00:39:31Let me out!
00:39:33Just like no one had believed me back then, police officers and caretakers walked in carrying
00:39:39restraint straps.
00:39:41The moment Mom saw them, she reacted like a startled beast.
00:39:45She kept retreating, then suddenly tried to run toward Dad's direction, as if hoping he
00:39:51would save her.
00:39:52But Dad had long since disappeared.
00:39:56In the courtroom, there was not a single person on her side.
00:40:01In that moment, she was truly alone.
00:40:05Just like I once was, trapped in the attic with no one to turn to.
00:40:12Before being sent to the psychiatric hospital, she did something insane.
00:40:16That was the day my body was sent to the funeral home.
00:40:20Hey!
00:40:27I'm going back!
00:40:33Chloe!
00:40:35Mom was wrong!
00:40:36Come back!
00:40:37I'm sorry!
00:40:39Chloe!
00:40:41Wait for me!
00:40:48I'm sorry!
00:40:51Her feet suffered severe frostbite, and the tissue completely neckerated.
00:40:56The doctors had no choice but to perform an amputation, cutting everything below the knees.
00:41:03She became a woman without legs.
00:41:06Completely broken.
00:41:09And completely insane.
00:41:13In the psychiatric hospital, she became the strangest patient.
00:41:17No one knew where she got it from, but she found a red plastic ring and wore it around
00:41:22her neck like a collar.
00:41:24It was her self-made calorie monitoring bracelet.
00:41:28Don't touch my light!
00:41:30Chloe is watching!
00:41:31If you take it away, she'll get angry!
00:41:35Grace!
00:41:36Grace!
00:41:38Grace!
00:41:38Grace, it's time to eat.
00:41:39Grace!
00:41:40Grace!
00:41:41Don't punish me, Chloe!
00:41:42I'm sorry!
00:41:44She was reliving my final moments before death.
00:41:47She locked herself inside the same cold attic where I had once been trapped.
00:41:51Reliving my personal hell over and over again.
00:41:54Chloe, I'm sorry.
00:41:56Mom was wrong.
00:41:56Mom, please come back, okay?
00:41:58Mom will never trust the bracelet again.
00:42:00Mom will bake you cake.
00:42:01Cover you with blankets.
00:42:02I confess.
00:42:03I confess.
00:42:06Red light!
00:42:07Red light!
00:42:08Chloe!
00:42:09Mom was wrong!
00:42:10Mom shouldn't have trusted the red light!
00:42:22Chloe, are you there?
00:42:25Mom threw the bracelet away.
00:42:27Mom doesn't believe in it anymore.
00:42:29Please come back!
00:42:30Please come back!
00:42:31Mom will cook for you!
00:42:32Mom will buy you new dresses!
00:42:34There was no ripple in my heart, only a dead silence.
00:42:37Regret means nothing to the dead.
00:42:39It was too late.
00:42:41Mom, it's all too late.
00:42:44When I was locked in the attic and frozen to death, where was your remorse?
00:42:48When I used my last strength to write a blood written plea, begging you to believe me just once, where
00:42:54was your remorse?
00:42:55Mom, I don't hate you anymore.
00:42:57But I don't love you anymore either.
00:43:00In the next life, let's not meet again.
00:43:08I drifted through the snowstorm of the Alps.
00:43:10Snow fell onto my body, yet I felt no cold at all.
00:43:13I was finally free.
00:43:15No red lights.
00:43:16No hunger.
00:43:17No cold.
00:43:17No lies.
00:43:18No mom's hatred.
00:43:19No Anna's framing.
00:43:20No dad's inaction.
00:43:22Only boundless freedom.
00:43:23Just then, I heard a familiar bark.
00:43:26I looked down.
00:43:27A golden sled dog was sitting in the snow, wagging its tail, looking up at me with bright eyes.
00:43:32It was Buddy.
00:43:33Buddy was the dog I once raised.
00:43:35A gift from Dad on my 8th birthday.
00:43:38A gentle golden retriever sled dog.
00:43:40My only warmth in childhood.
00:43:43When my mom called me a liar and Anna bullied me, only Buddy would run over, lie down by my
00:43:51feet, and rub its head against my hand, staying with me.
00:43:56But mom didn't like it.
00:43:58She said dogs carry germs and would affect her research.
00:44:02Before we came to the snowy mountains for vacation, she took advantage of a moment when
00:44:06I wasn't paying attention, and abandoned Bunny in the mountains.
00:44:10Bunny!
00:44:11Bunny!
00:44:15I cried for days and searched for days, but I never found him.
00:44:20It turns out he had always been here, waiting for me at the border.
00:44:30Let's go.
00:44:31Don't look back.
00:44:32I could feel his soft, warm fur.
00:44:35Feel his body temperature.
00:44:37Feel his heartbeat.
00:44:38This was the living, breathing connection I had longed for most when I was alive.
00:44:47In the distance, a door of light appeared.
00:44:49It was the entrance to the next cycle of reincarnation.
00:44:54I turned back and took one last look at this world that had tormented me for ten years.
00:44:59One look in the direction of the psychiatric hospital, and one look at the wooden cabin
00:45:03that had trapped me.
00:45:04Then I turned around, holding Buddy's paw, and walked step by step toward that door of
00:45:10light.
00:45:11Everything behind me became like a faded photograph, slowly blurring and dissolving.
00:45:16My mother's final tears, the bracelet's red glow, the blood written message on the floor,
00:45:21the freezing attic, all of it vanished.
00:45:24I did not look back.
00:45:26The nightmare that had lasted wood for ten years had finally come to a true end.
00:45:31Passing through that light, there was no spinning, no chaos, only endless warmth as if I were
00:45:36sinking into a spring stream.
00:45:38Even the pain deep within my soul, those lingering aches and phantom pains, gradually faded away.
00:45:44Buddy's paw in my hand was warm and gentle.
00:45:46When I opened my eyes again, I was small, wrapped in a soft blanket.
00:45:51Someone was humming.
00:45:54It was a woman's voice.
00:45:57Gentle, slightly off-key, yet filled with love.
00:46:00Her fingers lightly brushed across my cheek, carrying the scent of gardenias.
00:46:04Not the cold, disinfectant smell from my mother in my previous life.
00:46:08Not that clinical, distant feeling.
00:46:11You're awake.
00:46:13Honey, come quickly.
00:46:15Our daughter just blinked.
00:46:16He was tall, with healthy wheel-colored skin weathered features.
00:46:21But his eyes were exceptionally gentle.
00:46:24He was my father in this sweet life, Martin.
00:46:27He was the same rescue captain from my previous life.
00:46:30The first person to rush into the attic and find my body.
00:46:36Hey Charlotte, I'm your dad.
00:46:40Charlotte, not Chloe.
00:46:42No burden, no shackles, no lies, no label of liar.
00:46:48Just Charlotte.
00:46:49A name that meant warmth, being cherished, and being loved unconditionally.
00:46:54I grew up in a home filled with love.
00:46:56Our house wasn't big, but it was clean and warm.
00:46:59In the living room, there was a large fireplace that burned brightly every winter, filling everything with cozy heat.
00:47:05There were no heat-monitoring bracelets, no red or green lights, no strict food rationing, no cold attic.
00:47:12Only endless love and unconditional trust.
00:47:16When I was three years old, my mother made hot cocoa.
00:47:19The aroma drifted from the kitchen into the living room.
00:47:31Baby!
00:47:32I'm here!
00:47:35Charlotte!
00:47:36You're safe now.
00:47:38I'm here.
00:47:39Dad is here.
00:47:40No one will hurt you.
00:47:42My throat's hurt!
00:47:44Don't want hot cocoa!
00:47:48Not like the hot water in that attic thermos that Anna once brought in.
00:47:51poured out.
00:47:52Not something that had been held up to my mouth before being taken away.
00:47:56When I was four years old, the kindergarten organized a health checkup that included a blood test.
00:48:09Charlotte, it's just a tiny poke.
00:48:11It won't hurt.
00:48:12Look at the other children.
00:48:13They're all very brave.
00:48:13Don't punish me.
00:48:14It's okay, Charlotte.
00:48:15I didn't lie.
00:48:16Don't shock me.
00:48:17It's okay.
00:48:19Sorry, my child's experienced trauma.
00:48:21We're going to skip the physical exam for now.
00:48:23We'll take her to a child psychologist and we'll come back when she's ready.
00:48:31Charlotte, did someone hurt you before?
00:48:35Bracelet, red light, so cold.
00:48:38My baby.
00:48:39You must have suffered so much, didn't you?
00:48:42It's okay now.
00:48:44You're home.
00:48:45Mom and Dad are here.
00:48:46No one can hurt you anymore.
00:48:49From that day on, they regularly took me to see a child psychologist.
00:48:54The doctor said I had severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
00:48:59My parents never complained once.
00:49:02They never made me feel like a burden.
00:49:05They stayed with me.
00:49:06Played games with me.
00:49:08Did therapy exercises with me.
00:49:10Slowly healing the wounds in my heart.
00:49:13They bought me many, many colorful, beautiful bracelets.
00:49:18But they never forced me to wear any of them.
00:49:22These are just accessories, Charlotte.
00:49:24Wear them if you like.
00:49:25If you don't, just take them off.
00:49:26No matter what, your dad and I will always love you.
00:49:28I looked at the sparkling bracelet on my wrist.
00:49:30There was no red light.
00:49:32No electric shock.
00:49:33No accusation.
00:49:34Only my mother's gentle smile.
00:49:35It took me two lifetimes to finally hear those words.
00:49:38When I was five years old, I once had a fever.
00:49:42I started crying uncontrollably.
00:49:44I feel hot.
00:49:45It wasn't because I felt unwell.
00:49:48It was because what I said.
00:49:49Mom immediately took a thermometer and checked my temperature.
00:50:01Mom, if I say I feel hot, do you believe me?
00:50:07I believe you.
00:50:09If you say you're hot, then you're hot.
00:50:11The thermometer says you're hot, too.
00:50:13Of course I believe you.
00:50:14What if the thermometer didn't say I was hot, but I said I was?
00:50:18Would you still believe me?
00:50:20I would.
00:50:21Your feelings are your own.
00:50:22They don't need any machine to prove them.
00:50:26I held onto those words in my heart for a long, long time.
00:50:30The afternoon I had a fever.
00:50:32It started snowing outside.
00:50:34Dad wrapped me in a blanket and held me by the window as we watched the snow.
00:50:38Mom loved snowy days the most when I was a child, building snowmen with my brother.
00:50:43Once I had placed the snowman's nose where its eyes should be.
00:50:51Why?
00:50:52It was so the snowman could look down at its own feet.
00:50:55Otherwise, it would never know what it was wearing.
00:50:58I was wrapped in that blanket simply because they wanted me to feel warm.
00:51:02So they wrapped me up in it.
00:51:04It was soft, thick, and warm.
00:51:06I buried my face in it and took a breath.
00:51:09It smelled like fabric softener.
00:51:11Clean, dry, and unmistakably the scent of home.
00:51:14When I was seven, I started elementary school.
00:51:17There was a girl in my class named Lena.
00:51:19She looked exactly like Anna from my previous life.
00:51:22The same eyes, the same face shape.
00:51:29Sister, you're so pitiful.
00:51:37I'm...my name is Lena.
00:51:40You...
00:51:40Do you want to be my friend?
00:51:42Her tone was so cautious, so eager to please.
00:51:45Just like me in my previous life, almost instinctively, I glanced at her wrist.
00:51:51She was wearing a cheap green cartoon wristband.
00:51:54Later, I learned that Lena's mother was also extremely strict.
00:51:58She demanded absolute obedience and absolute honesty.
00:52:01If Lena made even the smallest mistake, she would be locked in her room and denied food.
00:52:06Lena, just like my past self, lived in endless fear and suppression.
00:52:10One day, Lena accidentally broke the teacher's glass cup.
00:52:18I looked at her.
00:52:19At the fear and despair in her eyes.
00:52:22In that instant, I was reminded of my past self.
00:52:24The little girl who lay on the cold floor, writing I am a liar over and over again,
00:52:29begging for forgiveness again and again.
00:52:34Lena, it's okay.
00:52:36Accidents happen.
00:52:37Let's go tell the teacher together, okay?
00:52:39The teacher won't be angry.
00:52:41But...
00:52:42Mom said that children who lie are bad kids, and they will be punished.
00:52:47Being honest doesn't mean you never make mistakes.
00:52:49It means that when you do make a mistake, you're brave enough to admit it.
00:52:52And even if you tell the truth, you shouldn't be punished for it.
00:52:56I...
00:52:57I broke the cup.
00:52:58I'm sorry.
00:52:59The teacher didn't get angry.
00:53:02Instead, she smiled, patted both our heads, and said it was okay, just to be more careful next time.
00:53:08From that day on, we became best friends.
00:53:11I took Lena home to meet my parents.
00:53:14She looked at my mom and dad, so gentle, so patient, never shouting over small things, never punishing a child
00:53:21for making mistakes.
00:53:23Her eyes were filled with envy.
00:53:25Lena, you don't need to please everyone.
00:53:27You're allowed to have your own feelings.
00:53:29You can say no.
00:53:30You can be scared.
00:53:31You can make mistakes.
00:53:33None of that is shameful.
00:53:34One day, Lena's mother came to school to pick her up.
00:53:37When she saw us together, her face immediately darkened.
00:53:40She grabbed Lena's hand tightly and said sharply,
00:53:43Did you cause trouble again?
00:53:45Is Charlotte helping you lie?
00:53:49Auntie, Lena hasn't done anything wrong.
00:53:52She's a very, very good child.
00:53:54You shouldn't always assume the worst about her.
00:53:57She's afraid of you.
00:54:01That night, she called my mom.
00:54:03They talked for a long time, and in the end, she said thank you.
00:54:10Your daughter made me realize how terribly wrong I've been.
00:54:14Little by little, Lena's mother became gentler.
00:54:17She started learning to listen instead of shouting.
00:54:21To trust instead of blaming.
00:54:23And Lena, too, became more and more confident.
00:54:27More and more open.
00:54:29In my previous life, I was never saved.
00:54:31I endured all the pain alone in the darkness.
00:54:34But in this life, I can save others.
00:54:37When I was ten years old, Dad took us to the mountains.
00:54:41Not the Alps.
00:54:42Just ordinary mountains.
00:54:44Dad was the captain of a mountain rescue team.
00:54:46He knew every path in the area.
00:54:48Knew where the hidden ice was.
00:54:49Which slopes were dangerous.
00:54:50Where you could set up camp.
00:54:52And where rock clops might happen after rain.
00:54:54He led me along an easier trail.
00:54:55Mom walked behind us, camera in hand.
00:54:57Taking photos from time to time.
00:55:04Here.
00:55:07Dad, have you ever seen people trapped in snowy mountains?
00:55:11Yes.
00:55:12Many times.
00:55:14What happened to them in the end?
00:55:20Some were rescued.
00:55:21Some weren't.
00:55:22The ones who weren't rescued?
00:55:27Do you still remember them?
00:55:28I remember.
00:55:30Every single one.
00:55:32Do you know why I chose this job?
00:55:35No.
00:55:36Because I hope that after every snowstorm, no one is left alone in the mountains.
00:55:40For everyone who gets trapped, I hope someone can reach them in time.
00:55:44The wind blew down from the mountain, carrying the scent of pine trees and a faint coolness from the distant
00:55:49stream.
00:55:50But it wasn't the kind of cold that selt into your bones.
00:55:53It was breathable.
00:55:54Refreshing.
00:55:55Alive.
00:55:56A summer kind of cool.
00:55:57The coolness of being alive.
00:56:02Look.
00:56:06I stared at that photo for a long time.
00:56:09That child was me.
00:56:10Clean.
00:56:11Looking outward.
00:56:12Alive.
00:56:13Not Chloe curled up in the corner of an attic in my previous life.
00:56:16That was Charlotte.
00:56:17Standing in the sunlight.
00:56:18Standing between dad and mom.
00:56:20At that moment, I remembered the lines in my drawing book.
00:56:23I remembered the hands that wrote them.
00:56:25I remembered the child, who use up her last bit of strength, just say,
00:56:30I love you so much.
00:56:32You don't need a wristband to prove that what you say is true.
00:56:35There are people here who believe you.
00:56:37Even without a wristband.
00:56:38Even without any device to verify it.
00:56:40Even if what you say sounds impossible.
00:56:42There will still be someone who will catch every word you say.
00:56:45There are people here who believe you.
00:56:48Hey.
00:56:50In autumn, one of dad's old rescue teammates came to visit.
00:56:54Bringing his wife and an elderly woman were with them.
00:56:57She was his mother.
00:56:59Even though time had carved deep marks into her face.
00:57:02Even though it shed the obsession and madness of my previous life.
00:57:05Even though the eyes that once belonged to a scientist no longer held that burning phoneticism.
00:57:09Only gentleness and the weight of years.
00:57:11I would never mistake her.
00:57:13This was grace.
00:57:22Charlotte!
00:57:24What's wrong sweetheart?
00:57:25Are you feeling unwell?
00:57:27At that moment, the old woman's gaze also fell on me.
00:57:30Her originally gentle eyes froze the instant she saw me.
00:57:42This is your child?
00:57:46Yes, this is our daughter, Charlotte.
00:57:50Charlotte.
00:57:51I could clearly see the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
00:57:55The white strands at her Thames.
00:57:57And the tears pooling in her eyes.
00:58:00Held back so tightly that they refused to fall.
00:58:04Charlotte.
00:58:06Such a beautiful name.
00:58:08My throat felt blocked, as if something was stuck there.
00:58:13I was no longer Chloe.
00:58:15I am Charlotte.
00:58:17The Charlotte who had grown up wrapped in love.
00:58:20Seeing that I remained silent, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes.
00:58:26How old are you?
00:58:31Ten.
00:58:33Ten.
00:58:33Ten.
00:58:34That's good.
00:58:35At lunchtime, she sat directly across from me.
00:58:39She carefully used serving chopsters to put food into my bowl.
00:58:44Aunty, you're spoiling Charlotte too much.
00:58:47You should eat too.
00:58:50It's fine.
00:58:51When I look at this child, I just feel an instant sense of closeness.
00:58:56I looked at the pile of food in my bowl, my emotions tangled and heavy.
00:59:01In my previous life, until the day I died, I had always hoped, just once, that she would
00:59:07serve me a bite of food, say something gentle to me, or believe me even once.
00:59:12But now, she had done it.
00:59:15Only, it was already too late.
00:59:18In the afternoon, I paint alone in the sunroom.
00:59:25Charlotte, can I sit here for a while?
00:59:28I won't disturb you while you draw.
00:59:30She carefully walked over and sat down on the wicker chair beside me.
00:59:35I know who you are, and I also know who I am.
00:59:40From the moment I was born, I carried all my memories.
00:59:45I remember everything I did to you.
00:59:49I'm sorry, Chloe.
00:59:51I'm sorry.
00:59:55Chloe, I'm sorry to you.
00:59:57I'm really sorry.
00:59:59Every day, I ask myself,
01:00:03why didn't I trust you that day in the cabin?
01:00:07Why did I trust that broken wristband instead of my own daughter?
01:00:12I remember slapping you.
01:00:15I remember shocking you.
01:00:18The way you curled up on the floor, begging me to stop.
01:00:21I remember locking you in the attic.
01:00:25The way you clung to the door frame, begging me not to lock it.
01:00:30I remember kicking open the attic door and finding your frozen body.
01:00:37And the red light still flashing on your wrist.
01:00:41I saw your blood, written letter, every single word.
01:00:46I carved into my heart and carried with me for the rest of my life.
01:00:51You asked if there could be another life.
01:00:55Could I please trust you once?
01:00:57Could I stop calling you a liar?
01:01:00But I didn't even give you that chance.
01:01:02I destroyed it with my own hands.
01:01:05I'm sorry.
01:01:06It was a diary with a sunflower on the cover.
01:01:09The flower I had loved most in my previous life.
01:01:14Chloe, no, Charlotte.
01:01:18I know that no matter how many apologies I say, it's useless now.
01:01:22I took your life.
01:01:24I can never repay what I owe you.
01:01:27Not in this life, not in the next.
01:01:30I don't dare to ask for your forgiveness.
01:01:33I just...
01:01:34I just wanted to tell you sorry in person.
01:01:37I just want you to know that I understand now.
01:01:40Love is not measured by machines nor judged by data.
01:01:43It is listening to you, believing what you say, holding you and telling you that your mother is here.
01:01:47But I understood all of that far too late. Too late.
01:01:51I'm so sorry, Charlotte.
01:01:52She was crying so hard that her whole body trembled.
01:01:56Her aged face was covered in tears and regret.
01:02:02I looked at her for a long time.
01:02:05In my previous life, lying on the cold floor of the attic, what I had wanted most before dying was
01:02:11a single apology from her.
01:02:12A single, I believe you.
01:02:15But now she was truly standing in front of me saying countless apologies, and yet I realized they no longer
01:02:21mattered to me.
01:02:22I already had a new life.
01:02:24Parents who loved me, a warm home, and a bright future.
01:02:28Auntie, I don't hate you anymore.
01:02:30Her tears fell even harder.
01:02:32Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.
01:02:36But I also won't call you mom again.
01:02:38The me I am now what is Charlotte.
01:02:40I have my own parents.
01:02:41They love me very much.
01:02:43I've received your repentance.
01:02:45I don't hate you anymore, because I don't want to be trapped by the past.
01:02:49I don't want to spend my entire life living inside that snowy mountain nightmare.
01:02:54But I also won't forgive you.
01:02:56Not because of hatred, but because what happened does not deserve forgiveness.
01:03:00After hearing my words, her body swayed.
01:03:04She covered her face and let out a broken, desperate sob.
01:03:08She knew I was right.
01:03:11It was too late.
01:03:12Everything was too late.
01:03:15When she locked me in the attic and let me freeze to death,
01:03:18where was her remorse then?
01:03:19When I kept calling her mom over and over telling her I wasn't lying,
01:03:24where was her remorse then?
01:03:26When I used my last strength to write a blood letter,
01:03:30begging her to believe me just once,
01:03:32where was her remorse then?
01:03:35Now it was all too late.
01:03:37That afternoon, when Jason's family prepared to leave,
01:03:41the old woman walked at the very end.
01:03:44At the doorway, she turned back to look at me once more.
01:03:47Her eyes were full of tears, reluctance, and endless loneliness.
01:03:50Then, leaning on her cane, she walked away slowly, step by step.
01:03:53I stood at the door, watching her aged, hunched body disappear down the street.
01:03:57And in my heart, there was no ripple at all.
01:03:59Mom walked over and gently hugged me from behind.
01:04:02She didn't ask what had happened.
01:04:04She simply patted my head softly.
01:04:07No matter what happens, your dad and I are here for you.
01:04:12That night, I lay in bed with steady breathing,
01:04:15occasionally shifting as I chased something in my dreams.
01:04:18I stared at the ceiling, thinking of my previous life.
01:04:23Chloe! Chloe!
01:04:26They were real.
01:04:27The pain was real.
01:04:28That cold, abandoned time when no one came for me,
01:04:32that was real too.
01:04:34But I am no longer Chloe.
01:04:37I am Charlotte, and I no longer hate Grace.
01:04:40That winter, Dad's rescue team completed a high-difficulty mission.
01:04:46A family of three had been trapped near the 3,000-meter snow line,
01:04:50and they were all rescued safely.
01:04:53No one was injured.
01:04:55During the celebration, the entire team was eating in the cafeteria.
01:04:59Mom sat in a corner, smiling as she watched him.
01:05:02I sat beside Mom, eating and listening to their stories.
01:05:05They talked about the child from that stranded family.
01:05:08A boy, eight years old.
01:05:10When they found him, he was curled up in a hollow,
01:05:14facing away from the wind.
01:05:15His head wrapped tightly in his clothes.
01:05:18He knew how to preserve body heat.
01:05:20He lasted much longer than we expected.
01:05:23After being rescued, the first thing the boy asked was,
01:05:28Where is my mom?
01:05:30Mom is here.
01:05:31That boy's mother is here.
01:05:33My mother is here too.
01:05:35This is real.
01:05:36This is not the long winter from my past life.
01:05:40Not a wish written in blood.
01:05:42This is now.
01:05:43This is today.
01:05:44Mom's hand is still on my shoulder.
01:05:47She doesn't know what I'm thinking.
01:05:49But she just keeps it there.
01:05:51That's enough.
01:05:53This is already enough.
01:05:55Alright, very nice.
01:05:56When I was 13, I graduated from elementary school and got into the best middle school in the city.
01:06:01Dad and Mom took me to the seaside to celebrate.
01:06:06I stood by the ocean.
01:06:07The sea wind brushed through my hair, carrying a salty taste.
01:06:13I spread my arms, feeling the wind, feeling freedom.
01:06:18For a moment, I seemed to see my past self.
01:06:25Charlotte, what are you thinking about?
01:06:30I'm just grateful to be alive and to be with you.
01:06:35Silly girl, we're the lucky ones.
01:06:37Having you as our daughter is the greatest happiness of our lives.
01:06:44The suffering of my past life taught me to cherish the happiness of this one.
01:06:49The pain that went deep into my bones taught me what true love is and what true trust really means.
01:06:56I no longer need to fear the red lights.
01:07:00I can laugh.
01:07:01I can cry.
01:07:02I can freely express my feelings.
01:07:04I can love bravely and be loved in return.
01:07:07I have parents who love me the best friend and a bright future.
01:07:10This is a life I never even dared to dream of in my past life.
01:07:14That night, on the hotel balcony, I took out my diary.
01:07:18Today, I saw the ocean.
01:07:20It was vast, blue, and free.
01:07:23I thought of my past self, the little girl locked in the attic, longing to be loved and believed.
01:07:29She would never believe that I could live such a happy life now.
01:07:32My parents loved me very much.
01:07:35They taught me what honesty and courage are.
01:07:39Lena is now my best friend.
01:07:42She is confident and bright, her smile like stars in her eyes.
01:07:46The old lady is in good health.
01:07:48She often calls me and sends me pastries she makes herself.
01:07:53Buddy is still that silly little guy, always pawing at my hand asking me to play with him.
01:07:57I no longer hate anyone.
01:07:59I am no longer attached to the past.
01:08:02Those painful memories are like footprints on the beach, washed away by the waves.
01:08:07But they taught me to cherish every step I take.
01:08:10I know that in my past life, my mother, sister, and father all received their due consequences.
01:08:16And I, at last, have broken free from the chains and found true freedom.
01:08:21I don't want to see them again.
01:08:23I don't want to relive that life again.
01:08:26I just want to be Charlotte, simple, happy, and loved.
01:08:29.
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