- 10 minutes ago
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00:03My husband Julian didn't know I'd decided to transfer 15% of the company shares to him
00:07a gift for our 10th anniversary, until the day of my son's health checkup.
00:11The doctor smiled as he handed me the results.
00:14My husband and I, both type O.
00:17Our son?
00:18Type A.
00:19I looked at the boy sitting beside me, a miniature version of Julian.
00:22I didn't make a sound.
00:24I simply, calmly, did two things.
00:27First, I pulled a strand of hair from my son's head when he wasn't looking.
00:30Second, I tore up the share transfer agreement I'd prepared.
00:33I watched my son walk through the school gates before turning the car around.
00:36The DNA testing center was across town.
00:39I need express results. How fast can you do it?
00:41The technician glanced up from her paperwork.
00:43Standard processing is five business days.
00:45Rushes today by 4 p.m. Triple the cost. Rush it.
00:49My hands trembled slightly as I handed over the sample.
00:51After they swabbed my cheek cells, I sat in the waiting area, staring at the clock on the wall.
00:55Every second felt like an hour.
00:57I pulled out my phone and made another call.
01:00I need you to investigate my husband, Julian Robinson.
01:02I want to know everywhere he's been, especially in the last few months.
01:06The private detective's voice was professional.
01:08Detached.
01:09Understood.
01:10At 3.40 p.m., my phone buzzed.
01:12I opened the electronic report.
01:14Skipped straight to the end.
01:15DNA analysis indicates a 0.0001% probability of biological relationship between Vivian Hart and Alex Robinson.
01:26Based on genetic marker analysis, evidence does not support Vivian Hart as the biological mother of Alex Robinson.
01:31Even though I'd prepared myself, seeing those words made my vision blur for a moment.
01:36I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor.
01:40Not my child.
01:41I'd raised a child who wasn't mine for nine years.
01:44So where was my child?
01:45I drove straight to St. Mary's Private Hospital, the same place where I'd given birth nine years ago.
01:50Dr. Seussi was still there.
01:52She'd been promoted to department head.
01:55Dr. Seussi, I need to access my delivery records and hospitalization files from nine years ago.
01:59Her smile froze for a moment.
02:01That was so long ago.
02:03The files might already be archived.
02:04It took some effort, but eventually, someone from the records room brought over a folder.
02:09I flipped it open.
02:09The documentation was shockingly sparse.
02:12Only basic informations.
02:14Admission time.
02:15Discharge time.
02:16Delivery method.
02:17Newborn wait.
02:18No detailed labor notes.
02:20No nurse handoff records.
02:22No pediatric examination reports.
02:23Is this everything?
02:25She looked apologetic.
02:26That's all we have in the system.
02:28Paper records are usually kept for ten years.
02:30You're right at the edge of that window.
02:32What about the newborn footprints?
02:33The blood samples?
02:35She shook her head.
02:36Those should be in the newborn records, but...
02:40We couldn't locate them.
02:41It was obvious there was something wrong.
02:43An abnormally simple medical file.
02:45Missing newborn records.
02:47A child who wasn't mine, but looked exactly like my husband.
02:51The pieces were starting to form a picture I didn't want to see.
02:54My phone rang.
02:55It was Julian.
02:56Where are you?
02:57I already picked up Alex.
02:59I'd completely forgotten about school pickup time.
03:01At least I'd warned the teacher ahead of time.
03:03I'm out running business.
03:04I'll be home soon.
03:06I hung up.
03:07After dinner, I claimed a headache and retreated to the bedroom early.
03:11Through the closed door, I could hear Julian helping Alex with homework in the living room.
03:16Their voices drifting through the house.
03:20Dad, is Mom upset?
03:22Mom's just tired.
03:23Finish your homework and get to bed early.
03:24I waited until they were both asleep.
03:27Then I started searching.
03:28The master bedroom.
03:29The living room.
03:31Alex's room.
03:32I went through everything, looking for...
03:35I didn't even know what.
03:36I found nothing.
03:38Finally, I turned to the computer in the study.
03:40The truth had to be in there.
03:42Footsteps in the hallway.
03:44I quickly closed out of the files I'd been opening.
03:47When Julian pushed the door open, I was straightening papers on the desk.
03:51He glanced at the computer screen.
03:53It had returned to the desktop.
03:55A photo of the three of us at the beach from three years ago.
03:59Still up?
04:01Just organizing some old documents.
04:03I reached over and turned off the monitor.
04:05He stood there for a moment like he wanted to say something.
04:08In the end, he just nodded.
04:09Get some rest.
04:11I sat in the darkness, listening to his footsteps fade down the hall.
04:15That night, I didn't touch the computer again.
04:18I lay in bed, thoughts racing, unable to find sleep.
04:22The next morning, I still let Julian take Alex to school.
04:25He looked at me, picked up the car keys.
04:28All right.
04:29The moment they left, I went straight to the study.
04:31I turned on the computer and tried the password.
04:34Our wedding anniversary.
04:35Wrong.
04:36His birthday.
04:37Wrong.
04:38Alex's birthday.
04:39Still wrong.
04:40I tried the date we first met.
04:42His birthday we'd bought together.
04:43Now locked against me.
04:45That evening, Julian came home from work.
04:47He was barely through the door when he said,
04:50I'm going to Italy tomorrow.
04:51Business trip.
04:52Not sure how long I'll be gone.
04:53I came out of the kitchen carrying a dish.
04:56That's sudden.
04:57Who are you going with?
04:58He set his briefcase on the table and turned to look at me.
05:00Just someone.
05:01It was a last minute arrangement.
05:02Vivian, can you not do this?
05:05I stared at him, confused.
05:06It was just a casual question.
05:08Why was he reacting like this?
05:10You question everything.
05:11You suspect every...
05:12To the bedroom.
05:13Dinner was silent.
05:15Alex must have sensed something was off.
05:17For once, he didn't complain about the food.
05:19After his shower, Julian grabbed his coat from the sofa to hang it up.
05:23A receipt slipped from the pocket and fell near my feet.
05:25After he left the room, I picked it up.
05:27A perfume purchase.
05:29Expensive.
05:29Bought yesterday afternoon.
05:31A brand name I didn't recognize.
05:32But I knew it wasn't for me.
05:35I thought about our marriage.
05:36Ten years.
05:38Julian hadn't bought me a gift in all that time.
05:40Not since our first anniversary.
05:42A scarf.
05:43I still had it somewhere.
05:44After that, nothing.
05:46No birthday gifts.
05:47No anniversary gifts.
05:48No just-because gifts.
05:50I told myself he wasn't romantic.
05:52He showed love in other ways.
05:53He was practical and focused on providing.
05:56On his career.
05:56I'd made excuses for him.
05:58But now, holding this receipt, I understood.
06:01He wasn't unromantic.
06:03He wasn't too busy.
06:04He wasn't too practical.
06:05His romance just wasn't for me.
06:07It was for someone else.
06:08Someone who wore expensive French perfume.
06:11I wrote down the information from the receipt.
06:13The next morning, after Julian left for the airport, I called the boutique.
06:18I need to verify a purchase.
06:20A receipt from yesterday afternoon.
06:22One moment.
06:23Yes, I have it here.
06:24The buyer was Chloe Williams.
06:25Chloe Williams.
06:26I knew that name.
06:28Julian's secretary.
06:29Hired six months ago.
06:30Early thirties.
06:31Divorced.
06:32I drove to the airport.
06:33I didn't know what I was hoping to confirm.
06:36Maybe the perfume was for a client.
06:38Maybe I was overthinking this.
06:39I waited outside the international departures hall for half an hour.
06:42Then I saw them.
06:43Julian and her.
06:45Chloe wore a beige trench coat, pulling a small suitcase behind her.
06:49She walked beside Julian, laughing at something he'd said.
06:52Julian's face carried an expression I hadn't seen in years.
06:55Relaxed.
06:57Genuinely happy.
06:58At the security checkpoint, Chloe stopped.
07:00She reached up, casual and familiar, to straighten Julian's collar.
07:05He didn't pull away.
07:06He leaned down and whispered something in her ear.
07:08She smiled.
07:10Then she stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips.
07:13Julian's hand rested on her waist.
07:16They stayed like that for a moment before separating.
07:19Like they'd done it a thousand times before.
07:21The last shred of self-deception evaporated.
07:24All those late nights, working.
07:27All those times he'd been irritable with me.
07:29All of it finally made sense.
07:31I watched their intimate silhouette disappear through security.
07:35A new thought crystallized in my mind.
07:38That child who wasn't mine.
07:40And this woman.
07:42Could they be connected?
07:43On the drive back, I called the private detective I'd hired.
07:47I need you to look into someone else.
07:49Chloe Williams.
07:50I want to know everything about her.
07:52Especially whether she has any children.
07:54The detective worked fast.
07:55By the next afternoon, I had the report.
07:58Chloe Williams.
07:5932 years old.
08:01Divorced 5 years ago.
08:02One son.
08:039 years old.
08:04Name.
08:05Alan.
08:05Attending a public school in the West End.
08:08The date jumped out at me.
08:10Chloe's son was only one week older than Alex.
08:12For the first time in 10 years, I felt my blood run hot.
08:15I sat on the sofa, holding the detective's report.
08:18Then, a thought struck me.
08:20I ran to study.
08:21My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
08:23Then, slowly, I typed in Chloe's birthday.
08:25The desktop opened.
08:27There was only one folder.
08:29Named, Work Backup.
08:30I clicked it open.
08:32Inside were subfolders organized by year.
08:34Starting 11 years ago.
08:35The earliest folder contained scanned photographs.
08:38Julian and Chloe in high school uniforms,
08:40standing under a locust tree.
08:4219-year-old Julian smiling,
08:44his arm around Chloe's shoulders.
08:45She had her hair in a ponytail looking up at him.
08:48The next photo was from college.
08:50The two of them in the library.
08:51Then, their graduation photo.
08:53Both in cap and gown, holding hands.
08:55That was the year Julian told me the company was struggling financially.
08:59We'd canceled our anniversary trip.
09:01Instead, he bought a scarf for me.
09:03I closed the folder.
09:04The screen behind the closed folder is our wedding photo.
09:07I stared at our wedding photo and felt bile rise in my throat.
09:11Me in my white dress.
09:13Lace sleeves and long train.
09:15Holding a bouquet of white roses.
09:17Julian in his black suit.
09:18Gray tie.
09:19Boutonniere.
09:20Both of us smiling at the camera.
09:22The photographer had made us laugh.
09:23Said something stupid.
09:24We'd both cracked up.
09:26The photo captured that moment.
09:27Pure.
09:28Happy.
09:29I stared at it.
09:30At my face.
09:31So happy.
09:32So naive.
09:33So trusting.
09:34I didn't know who that woman was anymore.
09:36That woman who'd believed her husband.
09:38Who'd made excuses for him.
09:39Who'd convinced herself everything was fine.
09:42That woman was gone.
09:44Had to close my eyes.
09:45Put my hand over my mouth.
09:47The perfect couple.
09:48The perfect lie.
09:50Sick at the photos I'd just seen.
09:52Sick at the years of deception.
09:54Sick at myself for not seeing it sooner.
09:56For believing him.
09:58For trusting him.
09:59For raising a child who wasn't even mine while my real son was somewhere else.
10:03At 3 p.m.
10:04I drove to the West End.
10:06The elementary school looked even more run down than the detective had described.
10:10The dismissal bell rang.
10:12Children poured out through the gates.
10:14I sat in my car.
10:15Hands gripping the steering wheel.
10:17He walked out alone.
10:19No one there to pick him up.
10:20He looked left.
10:21Then right.
10:22Then started walking slowly along the sidewalk.
10:25I held my breath.
10:26That child.
10:28Alan.
10:28No.
10:29My child.
10:30The way he walked reminded me of myself.
10:32A slight pigeon toe.
10:33When he raised his hand to push hair out of his face.
10:36I saw it.
10:37A birthmark on his wrist.
10:39The same place I had mine.
10:41I could see dust on his eyelashes.
10:43His lips were chapped.
10:45His sneakers were coming apart at the seams.
10:47His eyes looked empty.
10:49Not like a nine-year-old's eyes at all.
10:51I covered my mouth.
10:53I covered my mouth to stop myself from making a sound.
10:54He walked away.
10:56Disappearing around the corner.
10:57I collapsed over the steering wheel and broke down completely.
11:00For that child.
11:01Walking home alone.
11:03For ten years of living in the wrong life.
11:06For being such a fool.
11:07Dancing in a play someone else had written.
11:10Then I wiped my tears and started the car.
11:12At the law office.
11:13I placed a USB drive on Attorney Morrison's desk.
11:16Inside.
11:17Backup copies of all the photos.
11:19The DNA test results.
11:21Scanned hospital records.
11:23The perfume receipt.
11:24Files on Chloe and Alan.
11:26I want a divorce.
11:27I want Julian to leave with nothing.
11:29I want custody of my child.
11:31I want him to pay for what he's done.
11:33Walking out of the attorney's office.
11:35I remembered what Julian had said when he proposed ten years ago.
11:39Vivian.
11:40I will give you a lifetime of stability.
11:42Turns out his lifetime was only ten years.
11:45No.
11:46Probably less than that.
11:47I pulled out my phone and called the company's second largest shareholder.
11:51My father's old colleague.
11:53Mr. Aaron.
11:54About next week's board meeting.
11:55I'd like to discuss a few things with you first.
11:58Julian seemed to have forgotten something important.
12:01This company's name is Hart.
12:03He became general manager because I convinced my father to give him a chance.
12:07I put him in that position.
12:09I could take him down just as easily.
12:10Two weeks after Julian left, I liquidated every asset I could convert to cash.
12:17Every afternoon, I went to that elementary school in the West End.
12:22One day, it rained.
12:24Alan didn't have an umbrella.
12:26He waited under the awning of the corner store for half an hour, then finally ran home through the downpour.
12:32I sat in my car, rain blurring the windshield.
12:36Friday afternoon, I arrived at the school early.
12:40When I saw Alan coming out, I got out of the car and walked past like a stranger.
12:45I accidentally dropped my folder in front of him.
12:49He froze for a moment, then bent down to pick it up for me.
12:52Thank you, sweetheart.
12:55Is your mom not here yet?
12:57He shook his head.
12:59Mom's working late.
13:01How are you getting home?
13:03I'll take the bus.
13:05I pulled an unopened bottle of water from my bag.
13:09Have some water.
13:10He hesitated, then took it, and said,
13:15I noticed he had a habit of pressing his lips together when he spoke.
13:20Just like me.
13:22His eyes were shaped like mine, too.
13:24Inner double eyelids.
13:26The outer corners slightly downturned.
13:29Does your mom work late often?
13:32He nodded, then shook his head.
13:34Sometimes.
13:36What about your dad?
13:38He didn't answer.
13:39Just looked down at his shoes.
13:41Those sneakers, the soles were separating.
13:44The left shoelace was broken.
13:47I didn't ask anything more.
13:49I pulled $200 from my wallet and tucked it into his hand.
13:53Buy yourself some new shoes.
13:56He stepped back.
13:58No, I can't take this.
14:00Consider it a thank you for helping me with my folder.
14:04I slipped the money into the side pocket of his backpack and walked away.
14:09After a few steps, I glanced back.
14:12He stood there looking lost.
14:14That evening, I stood in the doorway of Alex's room.
14:17He was playing with a new Lego set Julian had bought him.
14:20A limited edition space shuttle.
14:22Expensive.
14:23Mom?
14:24What's wrong?
14:25I walked in and touched his hair.
14:28Did you finish your homework?
14:29Finished ages ago.
14:30He held up his model.
14:32Dad said if I get A on my midterms, he'll take me to Disneyland.
14:36I smiled.
14:37That's wonderful.
14:38The moment I turned away, the smile vanished.
14:42Julian's different treatment of the two children stabbed at my heart like a thorn.
14:45My biological son wore torn shoes and rode the bus alone, while this child enjoyed everything.
14:50After two weeks away, Julian finally came home.
14:54He set down his suitcase.
14:55Where's Alex?
14:58Why is it so quiet?
14:59I enrolled him in piano lessons, two hours every evening.
15:02Since when?
15:03He's only in fourth grade.
15:05I didn't answer.
15:06I could smell that perfume on him.
15:08He moved closer, trying to put his arms around me.
15:11I stepped aside.
15:12Why do you smell like perfume?
15:14Who were you having dinner with?
15:16His expression flickered with irritation.
15:19Vivian, here you go again with the suspicion.
15:21I had a business dinner with a client.
15:23Can you not be like this?
15:24It was almost funny.
15:26Only now could I see how terrible his acting had always been.
15:29I walked to the coffee table, opened the drawer, and pulled out an envelope.
15:34Slowly, I laid the photographs across the table, one by one.
15:38Julian's face turned ugly.
15:39He grabbed one photo and threw it back.
15:41You had me followed?
15:43Does it matter?
15:44I smiled slightly.
15:46What matters is, what happens when these photos show up at the board meeting?
15:50Or get sent to your clients?
15:52He collapsed onto the opposite sofa, hands covering his face.
15:56What do you want?
15:57I stared at him.
15:57My voice was flat.
15:59First, fire Chloe Williams.
16:01Guarantee you'll never see her again.
16:03Second, tell me what happened at the hospital nine years ago.
16:05He stood up angry now.
16:06You're crazy.
16:07For a couple of lousy photos?
16:10My voice turned cold.
16:12Julian, don't forget my father built this company from the ground up.
16:16You have everything you have because of me.
16:18What I gave, I can take back.
16:21I almost wavered.
16:23Then I thought of Alan's torn shoes.
16:25I thought of him waiting alone in the rain.
16:27For the sake of our ten years together, and for the sake of our child, if, if you do what
16:32I'm asking, we can move forward.
16:34After all, we still have Alex.
16:36I turned toward the bedroom and returned with a document.
16:39A pregnancy test report.
16:40It showed I was five weeks pregnant.
16:43Julian stared at the report.
16:45Then he looked up at me.
16:46You're pregnant?
16:47I nodded.
16:49I nodded, placing my hand on my stomach.
16:51Five weeks.
16:52The doctor says everything looks stable this time.
16:55His expression shifted constantly.
16:57His throat worked.
16:58His eyes moved between me and the report.
17:02I continued.
17:03So, as long as you cut things off with Chloe completely, make her leave the company in our
17:07lives, I can let the past go.
17:10We still have Alex.
17:11And now, we have this baby.
17:14Julian's gaze fell to my stomach.
17:15There was obvious conflict in his eye.
17:18I need...
17:19I need to think.
17:20His voice was hoarse.
17:22He turned and went into the bedroom.
17:23The next morning, I drank my coffee and watched Julian emerge with dark circles under his eyes.
17:28I pushed a glass of water toward him.
17:30He took it silently, but didn't look at me.
17:33I've thought it over, Vivian.
17:35We...
17:35Don't bother.
17:36I cut him off, pulling divorce papers from a folder and placing them on the table.
17:41His expression turned furious.
17:43What is this supposed to mean?
17:44We're having another child!
17:46I said coldly.
17:48I told you I was pregnant.
17:50And you needed an entire night to decide whether to break up with her?
17:53Julian stood.
17:55We have a child on the way.
17:56Won't you think about the baby?
17:58Think about Alex?
18:00The child?
18:01I suddenly laughed.
18:02You mean the child I raised for nine years.
18:04Who turns out to be yours and Chloe's.
18:06Julian's face went white.
18:08He stumbled backward, hitting the table.
18:10How did you...
18:11When did you find out?
18:12I held up my phone.
18:13The screen showed a photo of the DNA test results.
18:18I should thank you for that folder on your computer.
18:20Password is Chloe's birthday.
18:22You've been using that for three years, haven't you?
18:24His breathing quickened, taking on a panicked edge.
18:27Let me explain.
18:29My voice stayed calm, edged with mockery.
18:32Explain how you switched the babies when I was giving birth?
18:36Explain how you got Chloe hired at the company?
18:39Or explain how the two of you have been laughing at me behind my back for ten years?
18:43I stepped closer.
18:44The funniest part?
18:46The guilt I sometimes saw in your eyes when you looked at Alex.
18:49Were you feeling guilty for deceiving me?
18:51Or guilty for not treating your real son better?
18:54The funniest part?
18:55Julian suddenly remembered.
18:57His voice dropped to a whisper.
18:59Where's Alan?
19:00I need to see him.
19:01Too late.
19:02I turned and opened the door.
19:04Your son?
19:05No.
19:06My son is somewhere you'll never find him.
19:08Chloe's son is still upstairs asleep, unaware of the choice his real father is facing.
19:12Julian rushed forward and grabbed my arm.
19:15Vivian, you can't do this.
19:16That's my son.
19:17I shook him off.
19:18From the day you switched those babies, you lost the right to be called a father.
19:22Now get out of my house.
19:23After I closed the door, I heard him pounding on it from outside.
19:26Then the sound of a car engine started.
19:28Driving away, I knew where he was going.
19:31To find Chloe.
19:32To find Alan.
19:33He'd lost for nine years.
19:34But he wouldn't find Alan.
19:36Three days ago, when the private detective gave me Chloe's file,
19:39I'd already met with Alan again.
19:40I told him the truth.
19:42Alan was surprisingly calm.
19:44Those eyes that looked like mine held a maturity far beyond his years.
19:49I always felt like I wasn't her child.
19:52Otherwise, why would she be willing to just leave me here to fend for myself?
19:58I took his hand.
19:59I told him I would take him away.
20:01We could start over.
20:02He was silent for a long time.
20:04Then he nodded, just slightly.
20:06Yesterday afternoon, he flew out of the country.
20:09My assistant went with him.
20:11There's a good school there.
20:12A house.
20:13New friends waiting.
20:15Once I finish dealing with things here, I can join my son.
20:18The divorce papers sat on the table for three days.
20:21Finally, Julian came back.
20:23He stood outside the door, dark circles under his eyes.
20:26Unshaven.
20:27I hadn't seen him look like this in a long time.
20:31Vivian, we need to talk.
20:33I leaned against the door frame in my loungewear.
20:35I didn't let him in.
20:36The agreement is very clear.
20:38There's nothing to talk about.
20:40He looked defeated.
20:41I can't get divorced.
20:43For the sake of our ten years together.
20:44For the sake of our child.
20:47Which child?
20:48I cut him off with a cold laugh.
20:50The one in those videos?
20:51Or the one upstairs?
20:53Julian's face went white.
20:54A week ago, Chloe had sent me a pile of files.
20:57Videos.
20:58One after another.
20:59Alan crying.
21:00Being beaten.
21:01Locked in a dark room.
21:02In one clip, he was only five or six years old.
21:05He'd spilled milk.
21:07Chloe hit him across the back with a coat hanger.
21:08The email had only one line.
21:11Thank you for raising my son all these years.
21:14I'd watched them all night.
21:15By dawn, I'd thrown up three times.
21:18Julian seemed like he wanted to explain.
21:20Those videos.
21:21Chloe.
21:22She sometimes couldn't control herself.
21:24I laughed coldly.
21:26Alan is your son.
21:27You went to see Chloe every week.
21:29You noticed her new perfume.
21:31Her fresh manicure.
21:32But you never saw the bruises on your son's body?
21:35He had no answer.
21:36I said flatly.
21:37I've already retained a lawyer.
21:39If you won't sign, we'll go to court.
21:41The evidence of the baby switch.
21:43Photos of your affair.
21:45Those videos.
21:46All of it becomes part of the legal record.
21:48His voice dropped.
21:50Are you insane?
21:51The company's about to go public.
21:52Now is not the time.
21:54Before I closed the door, I said one last thing.
21:57So sign.
21:58While I'm still leaving you with some dignity.
22:01The door shut.
22:02He stood outside for a long time before finally leaving.
22:06Three days later, Julian signed the papers.
22:09Four days after the divorce, I saw their wedding photo on Instagram.
22:12Chloe in a white wedding dress.
22:14Julian with his arm around her.
22:16But his expression looked stiff.
22:18The caption read,
22:19Ten years of waiting, finally together.
22:23I took a screenshot.
22:25Then I turned off my phone.
22:27That afternoon, Attorney Morrison called.
22:30Mrs. Hart, we have everything we need.
22:32The bank transfers from when they switched the babies.
22:34Communication records between him and Chloe.
22:36The abuse videos.
22:37And medical records.
22:39It's enough to file charges.
22:41Thank you for your work.
22:44Of course.
22:45Are you sure you don't want to see Julian one last time?
22:48He came by the office yesterday.
22:50Asked me to tell you he knows he was wrong.
22:52Too late.
22:53Early the next morning, my plane took off.
22:55My assistant met me at the airport.
22:58Alan's been doing better this week.
22:59He's starting to talk more.
23:01Yesterday, he's starting to talk more.
23:04My heart beat faster.
23:06The car stopped in front of a white house.
23:08In the garden, a thin child was crouched on the ground, watching ants.
23:12Alan.
23:13He looked better than in the videos.
23:15But he was still too thin.
23:17Not enough meat on his bones.
23:20Meanwhile, Alex had grown healthy and strong under my careful care.
23:24The thought cut through me like a knife.
23:26I walked over and knelt in front of him.
23:28I'm your mother.
23:29He looked at me for a long time.
23:32Then nodded, just slightly.
23:33I carefully put my arms around him.
23:36He didn't pull away.
23:37I'm sorry.
23:38Mom came too late.
23:40He trembled slightly in my arms.
23:42For the next two weeks, I didn't work.
23:45I devoted all my time to him.
23:47I took him to the park.
23:48The first time on the carousel, he gripped the pole so tightly his knuckles turned white.
23:52I took him to the library.
23:54He loved books about stars.
23:56At night, after he fell asleep, I gently stroke his hair.
23:59He still didn't talk much.
24:01But sometimes, he'd smile at me.
24:03At 3 a.m., the bedroom door creaked open, caught by the wind.
24:07The sound of muffled sobbing pierced through me like needles.
24:10I jolted awake.
24:12I knew immediately it was Alan.
24:14I pushed open his door.
24:16Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting shadows across the floor.
24:20His small figure was curled up on the bed.
24:22His hands clutched the blanket, knuckles white.
24:25Cold sweat covered his forehead.
24:26His brow was furrowed deeply.
24:29He kept murmuring.
24:30Mom, no.
24:32Don't lock me in the dark room.
24:34There are rats.
24:35I crossed the room quickly and sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
24:38I gently put my arms around his ice-cold shoulders.
24:41His body went rigid for a moment.
24:43Then he threw himself into my arms like a frightened deer.
24:45His crying was suppressed, desperate.
24:47Tears instantly soaked through my pajamas.
24:49Mom, I'm scared.
24:51That storage room was so dark.
24:53I begged again and again, but no one answered.
24:57The rats crawled on my feet.
24:59My heart felt like it was being cut with a dull knife.
25:02Alan, don't be afraid.
25:04I patted his back again and again, my voice trembling but trying to stay steady.
25:08Mom's here.
25:08No one can lock you up anymore.
25:10The rats won't come.
25:11Mama will protect you.
25:12Silent tears fell onto his hair.
25:14I thought of the videos Chloe had sent, that child trembling in the darkness,
25:18the marks on his body, old scars and new wounds layered together.
25:21I wanted to tear apart everyone who'd ever hurt him.
25:25When his crying finally exhausted itself,
25:27his breathing gradually steadied, full and gently lifted his sleeve.
25:31Brownish scars on his arm, ugly as centipedes.
25:34The marks from being hit with a coat hanger.
25:36On his back, a faint bruise.
25:39From when he'd been shoved against the corner of the storage room wall as a small child,
25:43I traced those scars with my fingertips.
25:45My touch is light as if I were afraid of breaking something precious.
25:48Doesn't it hurt?
25:49Alan shook his head.
25:50Tears still clung to his lashes.
25:51He bit his lip and said quietly,
25:53It doesn't hurt now, but sometimes I dream about it.
25:55I dream I'm locked in there again.
25:57I'm calling for Mom, but Mom isn't there.
25:59I'm sorry.
25:59I held him tighter.
26:00Mom came too late.
26:01But from now on, Mom will never let anyone hurt you again.
26:04That night, I held him on the sofa until dawn.
26:07I told him stories.
26:09About how I used to be afraid of thunder when I was little.
26:12How my father would hold me and count the stars while singing nursery rhymes.
26:17I told him about when I first took over the company.
26:19How the old employees gave me a hard time.
26:21How I cried in the stairwell.
26:23Then dried my tears and went back to negotiate.
26:26I told him about the Aussie intern who spilled coffee all over an important contract and turned power to fear.
26:33He listened quietly.
26:35Occasionally, he'd lift his head and look at me with those eyes so much like mine and ask,
26:40Were you scared, Mom?
26:42Terrified.
26:43Touching his hair.
26:44But I knew that if I just held on, things would get better.
26:47And now I have you, Alan.
26:48I can't afford to be afraid anymore.
26:50He nodded slowly, seeming to understand.
26:52His small hand quietly gripped my finger.
26:55A few days later, I took Alan to the observatory on the outskirts of the city.
26:59We rode a bus through fields of wheat.
27:01The wind carried the scent of grain.
27:03Alan pressed his face against the window, his eyes full of wonder.
27:06When night fell, the observatory dome slowly opened.
27:10The sky filled with stars like scattered diamonds across deep blue velvet.
27:14So brilliant you couldn't look away.
27:16The guide pointed at Orion and told the legend of the hunter.
27:19Alan's eyes lit up like stars themselves.
27:22The corner of his mouth slowly curved into a shallow smile.
27:25On the bus ride home, the vehicle swayed gently.
27:28He leaned against my shoulder and said quietly,
27:31Mom, the stars are so far away.
27:33But being able to see them, it makes me feel safe.
27:36My heart felt soft.
27:38I knew the trauma buried deep inside him wouldn't disappear after one trip to an observatory.
27:43Like those old scars.
27:44No matter how much care they received, they'd always leave faint marks.
27:47But as long as I stayed with him, warming him bit by bit with love and patience,
27:52the starlight would eventually pierce through the darkness and illuminate the road ahead.
27:56That afternoon, we were making cookies in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
28:00Jenny went to answer it.
28:01I heard her say,
28:02Mr. Robinson?
28:03The flower sifter slipped from my hands and clattered onto the table.
28:06Through the glass door, I saw Julian standing at the entrance.
28:09His hair was disheveled.
28:11His eyes were sunken.
28:12He was dragging an old suitcase.
28:14Vivian, I've been searching for half a month.
28:16I wiped my hands and walked out of the kitchen, closing the door behind me.
28:19Now you know where we are.
28:20You can leave.
28:21I want to see the child.
28:22Our child.
28:23He looked toward the thin figure in the kitchen.
28:26I keep having dreams.
28:26Dreams of when he was small.
28:28Dreams of Chloe hitting him.
28:28I never knew.
28:29You should have known.
28:30I cut him off.
28:30You just chose not to know.
28:31His gaze dropped to my stomach.
28:33Is the baby still?
28:34I smiled.
28:34For the first time in days, I felt genuinely light.
28:36The baby?
28:37Of course.
28:38I placed my hand on my lower abdomen.
28:39The doctor says everything's fine.
28:41Due next spring.
28:42His face turned ugly.
28:43His emotions suddenly became agitated.
28:45He lunged toward me.
28:46I stepped aside.
28:47He stumbled and crashed into the entryway cabinet.
28:50Vivian, I need to see my son.
28:51You can't do this.
28:52I looked at him and laughed coldly.
28:54Julian, what you should be worrying about isn't where Alan is.
28:57It's whether your son can even be born safely.
29:00If you want your son born safely, deal with Chloe first.
29:03Settle your mess yourselves.
29:04I shoved him out the door.
29:06Just looking at him now made me feel sick.
29:08As I closed the door, I saw Julian slumped on the ground, hands pulling at his hair.
29:12He looked truly pathetic.
29:14Let them tear each other apart.
29:16Let the dogs fight it out themselves.
29:18Soon after, attorney Morrison called.
29:20Mrs. Hart, it's gotten ugly.
29:21The result isn't ideal.
29:22Apparently, Julian and Chloe had already divorced, and now they were facing each other in court.
29:27Chloe was hysterical on the stand, exposing everything.
29:29How Julian had used his position to transfer money to her over the years.
29:33How he'd promised to divorce me and marry her.
29:36How his attitude had changed the moment he learned I was pregnant.
29:39I gripped my phone, listening.
29:41My expression stayed calm.
29:42However, Julian managed to pin all the blame on Chloe.
29:45He claimed she coerced him into switching the babies.
29:47The trial lasted two full days.
29:49In the end, Chloe was convicted of child abduction, document forgery, and corporate fraud.
29:54Multiple charges, sentenced to three years.
29:57Julian, meanwhile, came out clean.
29:59He cried in court, claiming he too was a victim.
30:02That Chloe had manipulated him for ten years.
30:04It sounded absurd, but the judge believed it.
30:07Or rather, Julian's lawyer was that good.
30:10Before hanging up, attorney Morrison said softly,
30:13Mrs. Hart, I'm sorry this wasn't the result we hoped for.
30:16Okay, I'm going to retirement.
30:17If you'd like, we can proceed to the next phase of planning.
30:20I cut him off.
30:20It's enough.
30:21At least I have my child back.
30:22Alan was doing homework.
30:23I walked over to him.
30:24Alan, Mom made the bad people pay for what they did.
30:28But maybe not enough.
30:30Are you angry with me?
30:31He looked up.
30:32Mom, I know who treated me well and who didn't.
30:34I keep track.
30:35I keep track.
30:36I covered my mouth.
30:38Tears spilled over.
30:39He lowered his head and went back to his writing.
30:42Then added quietly,
30:43I keep track.
30:45I laughed through my tears.
30:46These past days,
30:48I'd been desperately trying to make up for 10 years of missing maternal love.
30:52I transferred company shares into a trust fund in his name.
30:55He was still young, but I knew what that security meant.
30:58I enrolled him in the best international academy in the city.
31:01The principal frowned when he looked at Alan's previous report cards.
31:04For 10 years, Chloe had barely supervised his studies.
31:08She'd practically left him to fend for himself.
31:10His coursework had fallen far behind his peers.
31:13I hired three private tutors.
31:15Math, language arts, technology, rotating and shifts.
31:19Alan worked hard, studying late into the night.
31:21Every night.
31:22One night past midnight, I brought him warm milk.
31:25I found him asleep at his desk.
31:27Pen still clutched in his hand.
31:29I didn't wake him.
31:30I just gently draped a blanket over his shoulders.
31:33Friday afternoon, I went to pick up Alan from school.
31:36Parents crowded the school gates.
31:38Alan ran out with his new backpack.
31:40His face flushed from exercise.
31:42Mom!
31:43I passed my math quiz today!
31:45I was reaching for his test paper
31:46when I caught a glimpse of a figure through the cafe window across the street.
31:49Julian, sitting in the corner.
31:51His chin covered in dark stubble.
31:52Haggard.
31:52Nothing like the confident company executive he used to be.
31:55Alan followed my gaze.
31:56I squeezed his hand.
31:58Let's go home.
31:59We'd barely turned around when I heard rushed footsteps behind us.
32:02Julian had crossed the street and now stood blocking our path.
32:06Vivian, can we talk?
32:07I gestured for Alan to get in the car first.
32:09Then I looked at the man in front of me.
32:11We have nothing to talk about.
32:12I've dealt with everything.
32:14He spoke urgently, like he was trying to prove something.
32:17I've fought with everything.
32:18I've cut ties with her completely.
32:20I couldn't help but laugh.
32:22Julian, Chloe's in prison because my lawyer put her there.
32:26What does that have to do with you?
32:28I can't do this amount of panic.
32:31Weren't you the one crying on the witness stand, playing the victim?
32:34His face darkened.
32:35I know I was wrong, Vivian.
32:37For the sake of our child.
32:39For the sake.
32:40Please forgive me this once.
32:43Our child?
32:44His gaze fell to my stomach.
32:47Yes, our child.
32:48I smoothed the wrinkles in my coat, taking my time.
32:51Oh, that?
32:52That was fake.
32:54Julian froze.
32:55His eyes went wide.
32:56I met his stare calmly.
32:58The pregnancy report report was forward.
32:59I just wanted to see what choice you did make.
33:02I stepped forward, letting him get a clear look at my flat abdomen.
33:06It's been months.
33:08If I were really pregnant, I'd be showing by now, wouldn't I?
33:11His gaze lingered on my stomach for a long time.
33:14It doesn't matter.
33:15We don't need that baby.
33:16We still have Alan.
33:17We still have ten years of history between us.
33:19I cut him off.
33:19Wake up.
33:20Stop dreaming.
33:21He acted like he hadn't heard me.
33:22Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.
33:24He pulled a velvet box from his briefcase.
33:26Look.
33:27This is the gift I bought for your 30th birthday.
33:30The company was struggling financially that year.
33:32I couldn't bring myself to give it to you.
33:33Then a second box.
33:34A third.
33:36He laid them all on the ground.
33:38This one's from our seventh anniversary.
33:40This one's from when we first moved into the house.
33:43This one.
33:44This one?
33:45The small velvet boxes formed a line on the pavement.
33:48I bought one every year.
33:49I just never gave them to you.
33:51Now I'm giving them I'm all to you.
33:52He looked up, eyes red.
33:53Please, give me one more chance.
33:55I crouched down and opened the nearest box.
33:57Inside was a diamond necklace.
33:59The pendant shaped like an iris.
34:01My favorite flower.
34:03Once upon a time, I would have been overjoyed by a gift like this.
34:07I would have worn it proudly, holding his arm at every gala, showing off my happiness.
34:11Now, I just felt sick.
34:13I stood up and placed the necklace back in the box.
34:16Julian, I loved you once.
34:18When I didn't hear from you, I would lie awake all night.
34:20When I cooked soup and delivered it to your office when you were working late.
34:23When you said, baby, thank you for everything you do for me.
34:26At that moment, I felt it was all worth it.
34:27I set the box at his feet.
34:29That one who loved you most?
34:30She's long gone.
34:32These gifts are no different from garbage to me now.
34:34Something in his expression shifted.
34:36The desperation vanished, replaced by something darker.
34:38You think you've won?
34:39His voice turned sharp, bitter.
34:40Do you know how hard I've worked to get where I am?
34:42Enlaidit?
34:43But that's, you know how hard I've worked to get where I am?
34:45I came from Toxer Skal Tmihi and Nohut Peslovman.
34:48I came from nothing, Vivian.
34:50Nothing.
34:50I didn't say anything.
34:51The man who pretended to be a devoted husband finally revealed his true colors.
34:56I married into your family.
34:57Do you know what that's like?
34:58Being called the man who married up?
35:00Having everyone whisper that I'm living off my wife?
35:02His hands clenched into fists.
35:04I worked myself to the bone for that company.
35:06For you.
35:06For this family.
35:07Are you finished?
35:09My voice stayed flat.
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