- 11 hours ago
After the sunset
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:02I searched her back, pressing herself closer to him.
00:05The man captured one of her nipples between his teeth, sucking at the sensitive bud.
00:10The wet sounds of their coupling fill the air, punctuated by their cries of pleasure.
00:15Tears stung my eyes, but I couldn't look away, forced to witness every intimate detail of
00:21her infidelity.
00:22My wife cheated on me with her first love, even gave all my money to him.
00:27I finally divorced her.
00:28Now she begged me to come back.
00:31The day our son lay on the narrow hospital bed, his skin pale and lips dry, I begged everyone
00:37I knew, still short $200 for surgery.
00:40No matter how I pleaded, my wife only said she had no money, because she gave all the
00:45money to her first love, Sebastian.
00:48I have no money.
00:49To save my son, my mother secretly sold the life support medicine meant to keep her alive.
00:54She died soon after, untreated.
00:56I buried her alone.
00:57Then I picked Jason up from the hospital.
01:00That's when I found my wife's receipts.
01:02Haute couture suits.
01:03Luxury watches worth millions.
01:05A private jet.
01:07My hands shook as I held them.
01:09I went home with everything in my grip.
01:11Before I could speak, Jason stepped in front of me.
01:14Dad, mom just needs money to help Uncle Sebastian.
01:17Do you have to make such a big fuss?
01:19I looked at my son, the one my mother died for.
01:22My chest felt like it was collapsing.
01:24Evelyn didn't even deny it.
01:26Sebastian has culture.
01:27He needs nice things.
01:29Unlike you, a house husband who cries over $200.
01:35I laughed and threw the receipts onto the floor.
01:38After that, I walked out of the house alone.
01:41The evening air was cold against my skin.
01:44Behind me, I heard the front door open.
01:46Footsteps followed.
01:48Evelyn caught up to me and pushed a reusable grocery bag into my hands.
01:52Jason is getting better.
01:53Pick up some steak on your back.
01:55Then, as if nothing unusual had happened, she added,
01:59I've transferred your weekly grocery money.
02:01Don't ask me for any extra.
02:03Her face still carried that same gentle smile,
02:06as if the argument we just had meant nothing.
02:09When we were young, we had almost nothing.
02:11Back then, Evelyn used to hand me a small envelope every Friday.
02:15Not much, but enough to get us through the week.
02:18Sometimes she'd smile shyly,
02:20like we were partners building a life together.
02:22Now?
02:23Evelyn earned more in a single month than I used to make in half a year.
02:27But the amount of money she gave me to run the household hardly changed at all.
02:31Still the same tight weekly budget.
02:33She always had reasons.
02:35Jason's tuition is expensive.
02:38We need to be disciplined with our spending.
02:40She never told me she had so much money.
02:43Money she was secretly sending to Sebastian.
02:47I'm not cooking tonight.
02:48You and Jason can figure something out yourselves.
02:51The moment the words left my mouth, something shifted.
02:55Evelyn's expression darkened.
02:58Daniel, are you still sulking about that $200?
03:05I really don't know what you're getting so bent out of shape about.
03:08She had always been like this, giving orders without even realizing it.
03:13A good life, she called it.
03:15A life where she decided what mattered.
03:18So she drained every dollar I had.
03:20Textbooks.
03:21Expensive supplements.
03:23Things I never questioned.
03:24So I stood on a chair, in the middle of the night,
03:27catching rainwater, just so she could sleep through a leaking roof.
03:31I wasn't even 30 when the joint pain started.
03:34Whenever the weather turned, it came crawling back, sharp, relentless, impossible to ignore.
03:41The first time I asked her for money, to see a doctor, she didn't even look up.
03:46When you get older, take some painkillers, you'll be fine.
03:50Back then, I believed her.
03:52Now, I know the truth.
03:54While I was swallowing cheap painkillers, pretending not to hurt,
03:58she was buying Sebastian medication that cost a fortune.
04:0130 years of sacrifice, of compromise.
04:05And I was the only fool who believed we were building a life together.
04:09I slowly lifted my head and let out a bitter laugh.
04:13Evelyn laughed like I'd said something ridiculous.
04:16Divorce?
04:17Daniel, don't be dramatic.
04:19You're still angry over money.
04:21She pulled out two crumpled $10 bills and shoved them into my hand.
04:26Buy yourself that pastry you like and grab bread for Jason.
04:30Then she turned and walked back inside.
04:33The door shut without another word.
04:35I stayed outside, staring at the money in my palm.
04:39Jason's voice came through the wall.
04:40Mom, why did you even give dad money?
04:44He's acting up because you keep letting him.
04:47Just stop giving him anything.
04:49Let him live off his pension.
04:51There was a pause inside.
04:53Then Evelyn spoke, calm and certain.
04:56Your father already sends his entire pension to Uncle Sebastian.
05:01Sebastian is a respectable man.
05:02After the factory let him go, he had nothing.
05:06I tightened my grip on the worn grocery basket.
05:09My mind flashed back.
05:11Years ago, Evelyn had just given birth to our daughter.
05:14I received the notice from the factory.
05:17Termination.
05:17I couldn't believe it.
05:19I told myself I had to go to the factory and ask the manager why.
05:23Evelyn holding my hand, crying, begging me not to go back.
05:27She said she would work and support me and the children.
05:29So I believed her.
05:31I left the factory and never went back.
05:34Only later did I learn the truth.
05:36The man fired from the factory was not me.
05:39It was Sebastian.
05:41Evelyn replaced my identity with his and let him take my position.
05:45But the factory refused to keep him on the benefits plan.
05:48No pension.
05:49No security.
05:50So Evelyn took my pension and sent it to him every month.
05:54For 25 years.
05:56I lived as a house husband with no income.
05:59I never understood why I had been fired.
06:01Now I finally did.
06:03It was all done by the woman I loved.
06:05My hand trembled.
06:07The grocery bag slipped and hit the ground.
06:09I pulled out my phone.
06:10Lawyer.
06:11I want a divorce filed.
06:13Today.
06:13I came back from Leo.
06:15The neighbor lawyer.
06:16And pushed open the door.
06:19Evelyn was in the living room.
06:20Watching TV.
06:22Face cold under the bright lights.
06:24Gray hair.
06:25Wrinkles.
06:26But still composed.
06:27Still elegant.
06:29A month ago I had seen Sebastian's post on social media.
06:32He was in France.
06:34Smiling under the sun.
06:36He looked nothing like a man approaching 60.
06:39At the time I even felt a trace of envy.
06:41I told Evelyn.
06:44Why do others get to travel the world when we're stuck here?
06:47She smiled.
06:51Once Jason settles down.
06:53We'll go too.
06:55I actually believed her.
06:57I worked harder.
06:58Took more odd jobs.
07:00Saved for Jason's future.
07:02Then I saw a cropped photo.
07:05Sebastian wasn't alone.
07:07Evelyn was there too.
07:08Same color outfit.
07:10Standing beside him like a couple.
07:13I was the only one left behind in this aging apartment.
07:16Surrounded by smoke and silence.
07:19Evelyn turned off the TV when I walked in.
07:22Arms crossed.
07:23Waiting.
07:25I ignored her.
07:26Changed my shoes.
07:28Walked toward the bedroom.
07:30The remote hit the table hard behind me.
07:32Daniel!
07:34If you're a...
07:37You're really doing this over money?
07:40You think you can survive on your own?
07:45I finally looked at her.
07:47All these things in this house.
07:49How many did I pay for with my own labor?
07:55And where did my money go, Evelyn?
07:58The door burst open.
08:00Jason rushed out.
08:01Headphones still hanging around his neck.
08:05What now?
08:06You accusing mom of cheating again?
08:09Sebastian and mom are innocent.
08:12You're just disgusting for thinking that.
08:16Your grandmother died.
08:18Because your mother refused to give me $200.
08:22She sold her medicine to save you.
08:29Jason froze.
08:30Just for a second.
08:34You're insane.
08:36You're making up stories just to attack mom.
08:40Evelyn sighed.
08:41Like she was tired of all this.
08:44She reached into her bag.
08:45Pulled out $200.
08:47And placed it on the table.
08:51Here.
08:52Take it.
08:53Stop this.
08:55And she turned.
08:56Comforting Jason.
08:57Like nothing had happened.
09:00I looked at the money.
09:02Then...
09:02I shook my head.
09:06This can't be ended.
09:07It's already too late.
09:09That night...
09:11I didn't go home.
09:13I checked into a cheap hotel with the $200 Evelyn had thrown at me.
09:17That was all the money I had left.
09:20Everything else had already been spent.
09:22On Jason's hospital bills.
09:23On treatments.
09:25On survival.
09:26When we were short just $200,
09:29Even the hospital staff didn't believe it.
09:32How can someone be so poor they don't even have that?
09:36But I was.
09:37I cleaned apartments for $50 an hour.
09:40I collected scrap and trash in the Northern District for $80 a trip.
09:44And still, Jason's school fees were $300,000 a year.
09:49His monthly allowance alone was $8,000.
09:53I never stopped working.
09:55Never stopped saving.
09:56Never stopped cutting myself down to nothing.
09:59In the end, I scraped together just over $50,000.
10:02And I gave it all to save my son.
10:06I truly had nothing left.
10:08I thought Evelyn was struggling too.
10:11I thought she was drowning in research expenses.
10:14Supporting students.
10:15Funding projects.
10:16Burdened by family.
10:21I was wrong.
10:23She had already become a renowned academic.
10:26One project alone could bring in millions.
10:31And all of it went to Sebastian.
10:38I know it sounds pathetic at my age to still care about something like this.
10:42But after 30 years of scraping and sacrificing,
10:46shouldn't there be an answer?
10:49That night, away from them,
10:51I slept better than I had in years.
10:53In my dream,
10:55I was back in the village where it all began.
10:58Evelyn was the only educated girl there.
11:00Every family wanted her for their son.
11:03But she chose me.
11:05She said we were promised since childhood.
11:08She bought a bicycle with all her savings
11:10and called it her dowry for me.
11:12I brought her out of the village,
11:14into the town's school.
11:16I worked double shifts,
11:18triple shifts at the back room,
11:20harder than anyone else.
11:21Evelyn built a small flashlight for me,
11:23so I could walk home safely at night.
11:26Whenever she could,
11:28she waited for me after shifts,
11:30no matter how late.
11:31And before her morning classes,
11:33she still prepared food for me.
11:35Back then,
11:36I thought I had married the best woman in the world.
11:39So when
11:40did it change?
11:44Maybe
11:45it started when she was transferred to the city's elite school.
11:49She was 28,
11:50young,
11:51admired,
11:52full of future.
11:53I was 30,
11:55already worn down like a man twice my age.
11:58I was assigned to a factory near her school.
12:01That's where she met Sebastian,
12:02the supervisor.
12:04He was educated,
12:05like her,
12:06polished,
12:07confident,
12:08effortless in speech.
12:09And I,
12:10I was just working,
12:12surviving,
12:13unaware of what was forming behind my back
12:16for 25 years.
12:19So what was I,
12:20in all of this?
12:22Her husband?
12:23The father of her children?
12:25Or just a tool?
12:26She never stopped using.
12:29The next morning,
12:30I went to the bank.
12:31I checked my pension account with my ID.
12:34I withdrew what was left,
12:36just a few thousand dollars.
12:37Then I walked into a shopping mall
12:39and bought something I had wanted for years.
12:41A massage device,
12:43for my back.
12:44My spine had been damaged for a long time.
12:47Even the doctor said,
12:48it couldn't be fully fixed.
12:50Every time I mentioned the pain,
12:52Evelyn would sigh.
12:55Everyone has back pain.
12:56Don't be dramatic.
12:57I wasn't being dramatic.
12:59I just realized,
13:00this family,
13:01is no longer worth my devotion.
13:03I came back from the mall,
13:05with takeout in my hands.
13:06No cooking,
13:07no chores,
13:08no noise.
13:10For the first time in years,
13:11I felt strangely light.
13:13I even hummed,
13:14as I unlocked the door.
13:15Then I heard screaming.
13:17I dropped everything,
13:18and rushed inside.
13:19Jason was on the floor,
13:20just out of surgery,
13:21unable to move.
13:22I lifted him onto the sofa in a panic.
13:25Before I could speak,
13:26he snapped at me.
13:27Where were you last night?
13:28Do you even care about this family anymore?
13:31Because of you upsetting mom,
13:33this is happening to me!
13:35Then he ordered me to watch fruit for him,
13:37like nothing had happened.
13:38I stopped.
13:39I understood immediately.
13:41Evelyn knew I was pulling away.
13:43So she used Jason as pressure.
13:45She always knew where to strike me.
13:47I looked at my son differently now.
13:49He was like her.
13:51Sharp.
13:51Proud.
13:52Used to being obeyed.
13:54His entire future depended on her side of the family.
13:57And I was just the inconvenient one.
13:59When he was small,
14:00he clung to my neck and said,
14:03Dad,
14:03I'll love you forever.
14:05Back then,
14:06I was the only one raising him.
14:08So he loved me the most.
14:10Now that he was grown,
14:11I had become replaceable.
14:14I looked at him,
14:14I rolled back.
14:15Then at him lying there,
14:17ordering me around.
14:18Do it yourself.
14:20I said calmly.
14:21He stared at me like I had changed into someone else.
14:24Then he called Evelyn.
14:26Her voice came through the speaker.
14:27Call home as always.
14:29Don't worry.
14:30I'll deal with it when I finish things with Sebastian.
14:33Just coax your father.
14:34He'll calm down.
14:35As if I was predictable.
14:37As if I could never leave.
14:38I almost laughed.
14:40Then my phone rang again.
14:41It's Leo,
14:42the lawyer.
14:43Sir,
14:44we found something serious.
14:45Your wife and Sebastian registered a marriage abroad 20 years ago.
14:49They also have a child together.
15:25She was a child together.
17:25I turned away without touching them.
17:27I came back with divorce agreement.
17:29I placed it on the table.
17:31Sign it.
17:32For the first time, she looked at me like she didn't understand me at all.
17:35Before she could speak, I added the final file.
17:39The lawsuit.
17:41Evelyn, adultery, bigamy, asset mispanipulation.
17:45I'm not just divorcing you.
17:47I'm taking back everything you stole from me.
17:50She tried to speak, but her voice broke.
17:52I cut her off.
17:54There was nothing left to hear.
17:56See you in court.
17:59After the confrontation, I stopped caring about their moods.
18:03For the first time in decades, I felt free.
18:07Evelyn kept calling, trying to explain.
18:09I blocked her number.
18:11I moved out.
18:13Then the entire family started calling me.
18:16Relatives, elders, everyone.
18:18Asking me not to make a scene.
18:21But I ignored them all.
18:23Before I became a full-time house husband, I worked as an accountant at the factory.
18:28I spent my whole life balancing numbers.
18:31I never thought the final account I would settle would be my marriage.
18:36I bought a train ticket for a trip out of town.
18:38When I came back home to pack my things, Evelyn came back.
18:43She saw the suitcase and froze.
18:45Then she forced a smile.
18:47I admit it.
18:48I did send money to Sebastian.
18:51But I never betrayed you.
18:53I never betrayed this family.
18:54Our marriage abroad was only for his child's registration.
18:59It was fake.
19:00Nothing real happened.
19:02And without him, Jason wouldn't have finished his PhD so smoothly.
19:06Daniel, you have to believe me.
19:13I looked at her quietly.
19:16All these years you gave Sebastian everything, I said.
19:20When you traveled with him, lived in luxury with him,
19:24Did you ever think about what I was eating?
19:28Now you say it meant nothing.
19:30How convenient.
19:31She kept talking, defending herself.
19:34Sebastian was alone.
19:36I was just helping him.
19:38Jason understands me.
19:40Why can't you?
19:42I almost laughed.
19:44So I asked myself, what about me?
19:47Who helped me raise the children alone?
19:49Who helped me survive all those years?
19:53No one.
19:54I closed my suitcase.
19:56Keep your reasons.
19:57Go be his family then.
19:58And don't forget to register your marriage properly this time.
20:01I walked out before she could stop me.
20:07I went into the mountains and checked into a small countryside inn.
20:11For the first time in decades, I lived only for myself.
20:15I sat on a wooden rocking chair outside, looking at the green mountains.
20:20It felt like I had been reborn.
20:24On the 15th day at the countryside inn, I received a call from my daughter, Emily.
20:30When I first left, she had already called once.
20:33I told her I just needed some air and to not worry.
20:36She didn't ask much, only told me to rest and call her if anything happened.
20:41Unlike Jason, who never cared how I was doing, Emily had always been different.
20:45She didn't interfere much in the family, but she never stopped caring about me.
20:50Fifteen days passed before she called again.
20:52This time, her voice was more serious.
20:55She asked me what I planned to do next and whether I had somewhere to stay.
20:59Dad, I should tell you something.
21:02I'm divorced too.
21:05Don't misunderstand.
21:07I'm not asking you to take care of me.
21:09I just don't want you to be alone.
21:11I worry about you living by yourself.
21:14I understood immediately.
21:15Emily had always been the responsible child.
21:18While I was drowning in housework and survival, she would quietly help me whenever she could.
21:23Unlike Jason, who only watched from the side.
21:26But in Evelyn's eyes, everything Emily did was expected.
21:31A daughter was supposed to endure, supposed to sacrifice.
21:35So when Emily grew up, I encouraged her to leave, to build her own life.
21:39I never expected she had already gone through a divorce.
21:42I left the countryside inn that day and went straight to her home.
21:46It was warm, like a real home.
21:48Emily's daughter, my granddaughter, was already grown.
21:51A top student, preparing for exams.
21:53To welcome me, Emily picked her up from school early.
21:56We went to a nice restaurant for dinner.
21:58I rarely ate outside.
22:00Even my 60th birthday had been a simple home-cooked meal, made by me.
22:03Dad.
22:04Emily said softly.
22:06You'll stay with us from now on.
22:07My granddaughter, Ava, handed me a gift.
22:09A watch.
22:10Expensive looking.
22:11I hesitated immediately, worried about the cost.
22:14But Emily just smiled.
22:16I can afford it now.
22:17I'm a senior manager at an international company.
22:20We'll be fine.
22:21After Ava's exams, I'll take you both traveling.
22:24You've worked your whole life.
22:25Now it's your turn to rest.
22:27For the first time, I felt my life hadn't been completely wasted.
22:32Back home, Emily had already prepared a room for me.
22:35I noticed how few clothes I had brought.
22:37She said she would take me shopping on the weekend.
22:40Then she asked quietly,
22:41Why didn't you tell me about the divorce?
22:43That was the question I had avoided, too.
22:46I was afraid she wasn't doing well.
22:48Afraid my decision years ago had hurt her life.
22:51But she just held my hand.
22:52Keeping the family together.
22:54I stayed silent.
22:55She was right.
22:56A truth I only learned at the end of my life.
22:59But she had learned it much earlier.
23:01And maybe that was the only comfort left for me now.
23:04Dad, this time, can you really stay firm?
23:09Can you really stop caring about Mom and Jason?
23:12I talked with Emily for a long time that day.
23:2135 years.
23:23Had I not cared enough already?
23:25What did I get in return?
23:28Evelyn took everything I did as something she deserved.
23:31Jason treated my existence like an inconvenience.
23:34If I still couldn't let go now,
23:36then my entire life would truly be wasted.
23:39They don't matter to me anymore.
23:41I only care about myself now.
23:43And you and Ava, that's enough.
23:51After that, my life became simple.
23:53I signed up for a few hobby classes.
23:56I met new people.
23:58Sometimes I helped Emily with housework,
24:00or cooked meals when I felt like it.
24:03She always told me not to overdo it.
24:06She even gave me money sometimes,
24:08telling me to buy things for myself.
24:11I stayed at her home for two months,
24:13and I could already imagine what life looked like on the other side.
24:19Without me, the house must have fallen apart.
24:23Jason had moved out after recovering,
24:25living with classmates.
24:27No one was cleaning.
24:28No one was maintaining anything.
24:31Laundry piled up.
24:32Dirty dishes filled the sink.
24:34The smell of decay filled the kitchen.
24:37Evelyn was no longer the composed woman she used to be.
24:40She had become someone who could barely take care of herself.
24:43Her hair had turned whiter.
24:45Her clothes were unwashed for days.
24:47One night, the power went out because the bill wasn't paid.
24:50She walked through the dark house,
24:52hitting furniture she couldn't see.
24:54And only then did she realize something.
24:57A home doesn't stay in order by itself.
24:59It is maintained by someone who never stopped working.
25:03Now that person was gone.
25:04Her life collapsed into chaos.
25:06She started calling Jason.
25:08Jason, the electricity bill hasn't been paid.
25:11Jason, come home for dinner.
25:13Jason, how do I use the washing machine?
25:16At first, he answered.
25:18Then, he stopped picking up.
25:20Even Jason, who had once depended on her,
25:23grew tired of her voice.
25:25Evelyn spent her life traveling with Sebastian,
25:28eating in luxury restaurants,
25:30living as if she were finally free.
25:33She thought that was happiness.
25:34But she forgot the man who stayed behind.
25:37The man who raised the children.
25:39Who maintained the house.
25:41Who gave up everything.
25:42She had forgotten her husband.
25:44Me.
25:45Now, alone in the dark,
25:47she finally understood.
25:48I was wrong.
25:50But regret doesn't fix anything.
25:52She sat in the darkness for an entire night.
25:55A few days later, her lawyer came again.
25:57Mrs. Chin, the divorce case is approaching trial.
26:03I came to add more documents.
26:05Evelyn had already turned him away twice before.
26:08But this time, she stood up slowly and let him in.
26:11Leo.
26:11She said hoarsely.
26:12I can agree to the divorce.
26:14I can return everything.
26:15Just let me see Daniel once more.
26:19Evelyn knew I had already made my decision.
26:22There was no turning back.
26:24But she still wanted to see me one last time.
26:27At least to say a proper apology.
26:29For 35 years of my life.
26:31For everything I had done for that family.
26:34For the lies she built around me.
26:36She wanted to say it to my face.
26:38So her lawyer called me again.
26:40I didn't even hesitate.
26:42I refused.
26:43There was nothing left to meet for.
26:45I had waited for an apology for 30 years.
26:48Now I was old.
26:49I didn't need it anymore.
26:51No need to meet.
26:53Let's keep whatever dignity is left.
26:55If she doesn't want court, we can settle through agreement.
26:59Because I didn't even want to see her in court anymore.
27:02Evelyn gave a bitter smile when she heard it.
27:04I was wrong.
27:05I was wrong.
27:06Evelyn was wrong.
27:06She whispered.
27:08I really was wrong.
27:10Then she asked her lawyer, Leo, one last thing.
27:13Can you give him my apology?
27:15She took out a bank card and a document.
27:17This is everything I have left.
27:19And this is the divorce certificate from abroad.
27:22I'm not asking him to forgive me.
27:24I just think he deserves closure.
27:28Her hands shook as she signed the divorce papers.
27:31Daniel.
27:32I trapped you for your whole life.
27:34I'm sorry.
27:37I respect your decision.
27:39I set you free.
27:40Tears ran down her face as she signed her name.
27:43The agreement was complete.
27:45Two signatures.
27:47The marriage was over.
27:49My lawyer called me again.
27:52It's done.
27:53She signed everything.
27:54At that moment, my life finally broke away from hers.
27:58A few seconds later, my phone rang again.
28:01A transfer notification.
28:03A transfer notification.
28:03Evelyn had sent everything she owned to my account.
28:0630 years of guilt.
28:07Paid in full.
28:08I didn't refuse it.
28:09Because it was never a gift.
28:11It was what I had already earned.
28:13To celebrate my freedom, I went to the market.
28:16I bought food my daughter and granddaughter liked.
28:18My granddaughter, Ava, had just finished her entrance exams.
28:22When they came home, I told them everything.
28:25Your mother and I are officially divorced.
28:27She transferred me a sum of money.
28:29I want to use it to take both of you on a trip.
28:31Emily agreed immediately.
28:33But she didn't let me spend that money.
28:36She booked everything herself.
28:40Dad, keep it for yourself.
28:42You'll need it later.
28:43So I kept part of it aside.
28:46The rest I used for the trip.
28:48That whole summer, we traveled together.
28:58One autumn afternoon, my phone rang.
29:01Dad, Jason called me.
29:03Mom is in the hospital.
29:04I see.
29:05It's Emily.
29:06Her voice was serious.
29:07Then Jason himself called me.
29:09Dad, I know you and Mom are divorced.
29:12But she wants to see you.
29:13Please, can you come?
29:15No.
29:17I didn't even wait for him to finish.
29:20Because I knew what it really meant.
29:23Just another request for me to return and take care of everything again.
29:27To become the caretaker again.
29:30I had escaped once.
29:31I would not go back.
29:33They had lived freely by pushing everything onto me.
29:37Now it was my turn.
29:39To live as if none of it belonged to me anymore.
29:47Jason, I've already told you.
29:48Your mother and I are divorced.
29:50Her matters have nothing to do with me anymore.
29:52I hung up the phone.
29:54I thought that was the end of it.
29:56But Jason still came.
29:57He stood in front of me and called out,
30:02Dad, Mom doesn't want anything.
30:04She just wants to see you.
30:08We're not asking you to take care of her.
30:12If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have grown up like this.
30:15Mom wouldn't have lived so well either.
30:20His voice was steady, honest.
30:22I'm sorry.
30:23For a moment, I almost believed it.
30:26Maybe they really had realized my value after I left.
30:29But understanding comes too late sometimes.
30:33Once a person's heart goes cold, nothing can warm it again.
30:38I won't go back.
30:39If your mother needs care, hire a caregiver.
30:40I can pay half.
30:45Emily stood beside me.
30:47If there's a cost, I'll cover half.
30:50The rest is your responsibility.
30:53Jason frowned.
30:54Is Tarris know that here?
30:55But you need even I'm looking in the never half?
30:57Do you even know how expensive caregivers are right now?
31:00I have a family, loans, everything.
31:03I can't afford this.
31:05Mom gave all the years.
31:07People pay for what they do.
31:09I won't take anything out.
31:10If you still see me as your father, then leave.
31:14Silence.
31:15Then he spoke again, softer this time.
31:18Dad, can you really bear to see her alone like this?
31:22Before I came, she said, even if she dies, she just wants to see you once.
31:27I remembered something I had heard recently.
31:29Sebastian was dead.
31:31Fell down a staircase abroad.
31:33The man she had spent her entire life protecting was gone first.
31:36Funny how life works.
31:38People chase illusions for decades and end up abandoned by them in the end.
31:42I looked at Jason, then said coldly, then let her go.
31:45She spent her whole life with him anyway.
31:47Let her continue.
31:48I turned and left without another word.
31:50The sun was setting.
31:52Golden lights spilled across the trees, quiet and distant.
31:55I sat down on a bench and watched it fall.
31:58Do not think the sunset means the end, the old saying goes.
32:02Even at dusk, the sky is still full of light.
32:05My life had not ended.
32:06It had simply turned.
32:08And for whatever years remained, I would finally live for myself.
32:11Don't mind.
32:12Good news.
32:13Bye.
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