- 7 hours ago
he chose the wrong one
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00On April Fool's Day, Grayson handed me a divorce agreement out of nowhere.
00:04Your two ex-husbands called to taunt me yesterday.
00:06Said you're too uptight to take an April Fool's joke.
00:09That there's no way you'd actually sign divorce papers.
00:12I'd been married twice.
00:13Before we got married, I'd explained everything to Grayson.
00:16The first time I helped Spencer secure his family trust inheritance.
00:19The second time I helped Ethan dodge an arranged marriage.
00:23Both times, clean breaks, no feelings, no baggage.
00:26If that bothers you, we don't have to-
00:28I trust you.
00:30The past is the past.
00:31From now on, I'm the only one you see.
00:33After we got married, he and my two ex-husbands were like oil and water.
00:37But with me, he was gentle, attentive.
00:39I thought I'd finally married the right man.
00:42Then one day, I came home early from a business trip and heard him laughing and chatting with
00:46those two ex-husbands like old friends in the living room.
00:49The second before the key turned in a lock, I stood outside the door, catching every single
00:54word of the scheming going on in the living room.
00:56Relax.
00:57I'm definitely divorcing her.
00:59She's already been divorced twice.
01:00She's a joke all over the Upper East Side.
01:02There's no way she'll dare go through a third divorce.
01:05It was Grayson's voice stripped of the tenderness he always lavished on me.
01:09Smart move.
01:10Picking April Fool's Day to hand her the divorce papers.
01:12Even if she loses it later, you just tell her it was an April Fool's joke.
01:15Vivianne's wedding is next week.
01:18Her bachelorette party starts before that.
01:20Three of us have to be single.
01:23I escaped into the coffee shop across the street.
01:25I thought about the past.
01:27My first marriage, I did it to help my childhood friend Spencer Knox secure his family trust.
01:33My second marriage, I did it to help Ethan Sinclair dodge an arranged marriage his family
01:37was forcing on him.
01:38I never imagined everything I'd done for them would become the very reason they thought
01:42they could manipulate me.
01:44I sat in that cafe for a solid hour before I finally headed home.
01:50Why didn't you call?
01:51I would have picked you up.
01:52You eat yet?
01:53Already did.
01:55Babe, there's something I wanted to tell you.
01:57The company's hit a bit of a snag lately.
01:59We need to do some asset separation.
02:01The lawyer suggested we file for divorce first, just to pro forma process.
02:08Once the crisis were over, we'll remarry.
02:10A few months tops.
02:12I know this is a bit out of nowhere, but Spencer and Ethan called today and was like,
02:15you used to help them without a second thought, but now for me it's a different story,
02:18just taking digs the whole time.
02:20They even said,
02:21Grayson, a woman who's been divorced twice, wouldn't dare go for a third.
02:24Josephine definitely couldn't handle it.
02:26I've got it all figured out.
02:27Tomorrow's April Fool's.
02:28We go that day, get the papers, then throw right in their faces,
02:30freak them the hell out, see if they ever dare look down on you again.
02:33Babe, you wouldn't want them thinking I can't even handle something this simple, right?
02:39I won't.
02:41Then get some rest.
02:42Tomorrow we'll sign the papers and head to the...
02:47Give them a call.
02:50So they can stop chattering about it.
02:56Babe, you're the best.
02:59She signed.
03:00Told you, Josephine's always the easiest to handle.
03:03Alright, take care of Vivian as I'll wrap up here and head over.
03:11Long time no see.
03:12Want to grab a drink?
03:13Before, I would have replied.
03:16Sure, I would have carefully picked out what to wear, what makeup to put on.
03:20I would have thought about how to make Grayson look good in front of them.
03:22But now, I couldn't even be bothered to reply.
03:26I set my phone face down on the coffee table, got up, and walked to the kitchen.
03:30Passing by the study, Grayson was still on the phone.
03:33His voice was low, but carried a kind of ease I'd never heard before.
03:37The kitchen faucet was still running.
03:39I stood at the sink, washing the glasses one by one, setting them in the drying rack.
03:43As I finished the last one, my phone lit up again.
03:46This time, a message from Spencer.
03:48Heard you're getting divorced again?
03:50Grayson's a real piece of work.
03:52He doesn't deserve you.
03:53Don't be upset.
03:54In a few days, your grandpa's 80th birthday party is being held at the Quinn Estate.
03:58Ethan and I are coming to celebrate.
04:00Let's all catch up.
04:01What a sweet talker.
04:03Suddenly, I really wanted to know, what kind of person was Vivian, exactly?
04:07This home.
04:08This man.
04:09None of it would have anything to do with me.
04:12The person standing outside had a flush in her cheeks.
04:15Clearly, she'd had more than a few drinks.
04:17I knew you'd still be up.
04:18What are you doing here?
04:20She didn't answer.
04:21Just swayed her way inside.
04:23It wasn't until she spotted me standing in the living room that she paused.
04:26Josephine's home too.
04:28Josephine, she's had too much to drink.
04:30We were taking her home, but she insisted on swinging by here.
04:33Grayson, your wife's right there.
04:34You ever heard of keeping things appropriate?
04:36You got her wasted and dropped her off at my place, and now I'm the one who needs to mind
04:39appearances?
04:40I got her drunk?
04:41You're the one posting on Insta about being newly single.
04:43Fine.
04:44You're a saint.
04:44You're the upstanding one.
04:45I delivered the girl who got drunk over you.
04:47Handle it however you want.
04:48The air felt frozen over.
04:50Spencer, caught in the middle.
04:52Alright, alright.
04:53Knock it off.
04:55Vivi just wanted to swing by on the way.
04:57I stood in the middle of the living room, watching the whole show from start to finish.
05:01Way too in sync.
05:03All this time I thought the bond between me, Spencer, and Ethan was unbreakable.
05:08I'd even married both of them.
05:09When I was little and got hurt or upset, Spencer was always the one by myself.
05:14Ethan once even shielded me from a kidnapper with a knife.
05:16To me, they were closer than family.
05:19When Vivian showed up, bit by bit I became the afterthought.
05:22They only remembered I existed when they needed something from me.
05:25I walked to the coffee table and picked up the divorce agreement.
05:29Good timing, all of you.
05:31There's something I'd like you to witness in person.
05:33I've signed both copies.
05:35Since everyone's here, why not take a good look?
05:38Grayson's expression shifted slightly, but he recovered fast.
05:43Josephine, we can talk about this in private.
05:45You don't have to...
05:46Josephine's already put it out there.
05:48Mind if I ask, when are you moving out?
05:53This house is under my name, after all.
05:57You're not planning to stay here forever, are you?
06:00The house in her name?
06:02He didn't deny it.
06:04In that instant, a flood of images rushed through my mind.
06:07This is our home.
06:08I'll handle the paperwork. Don't worry about it.
06:11And me, happily picking out the curtains, the couch, the dining table.
06:15Every single piece of furniture in this place, I'd picked out myself.
06:18Trip after trip to the store.
06:20I never cared whose name was on the deed.
06:22But it never crossed my mind that the home we built together would be under another woman's name.
06:26I'll leave right now.
06:28Josephine.
06:28Tomorrow, 9 a.m. See you at the courthouse.
06:33Waiting for the elevator, I could still hear voices from inside.
06:36Nailed it!
06:37She was even more cooperative than the day I asked her to marry me.
06:40The reflection in the mirror looked calmer than I expected.
06:45Come get me in a few days?
06:46Like I'd just stepped out for some air and would be back any minute.
06:50No need, Grayson. Don't bother coming for me.
06:549 a.m. the next morning.
06:56When I arrived, Grayson was already there.
07:00Where'd you go last night?
07:01Grandpa's.
07:05Josephine, you backed me up in front of Spencer and Ethan.
07:07I know that, and I appreciate it.
07:09As for the house, Vivian needed to handle some paperwork at the time and needed a property under her name.
07:14I figured it was just putting her name on it, that's all.
07:17You've never been short on anything.
07:18I didn't think you'd care, so I didn't mention it.
07:21Wouldn't it care?
07:21He put our home under another woman's name.
07:24And brushed it off with,
07:25You've never been short on anything?
07:27He didn't think I wouldn't care.
07:28He just didn't care whether I cared or not.
07:30Anyway, you still have the right to live there.
07:32After the divorce, you stay somewhere else for a while,
07:34and once I've sorted things out on my end, I'll come get you.
07:40Let's go. Time to file.
07:43The process was quicker than I expected.
07:46The divorce papers in my hands, just a few thin pages,
07:49almost identical in format to the ones we'd signed when we got married.
07:52I need to take a call. Wait here. I'll drive you back later.
07:57Vivi, it's me.
07:59Something came up. Head back on your own for now.
08:01I'll talk to you later.
08:09April Fool's Day. Right? Today.
08:12He picked up, and the two talked for nearly ten minutes.
08:16Why hadn't Josephine come out yet?
08:22Sorry.
08:22The two sets of documents lay tangled together on the ground.
08:25One, his divorce decree.
08:27It's fine.
08:27The other, a marriage certificate.
08:28Congrats. Getting married today?
08:31Congrats to you too.
08:33Today was April Fool's Day.
08:35Who gets married on April Fool's Day?
08:37And that voice, that build,
08:39he could swear he'd seen this man somewhere before.
08:41Wait!
08:44Have we?
08:50He was about to head back inside to find Josephine when his phone buzzed again.
08:54This time, a location pin from Spencer, with a message attached.
08:59He thought back to graduation day at prep school.
09:02She said that before she got married,
09:04she wanted everyone to go to that island and go wild for three days and three nights cash in the
09:09last of their youth.
09:09Now she was actually getting married, and it was time to make good on that promise.
09:14The resort on the island was private invite only for members.
09:18Among their whole group, the only one with that kind of access was him.
09:21So, he couldn't be late.
09:23Grayson glanced at the dress and paused.
09:25It was the one he'd bought her for her 17th birthday three months of odd jobs to save up for
09:30it.
09:30Grayson! What took you so long? We've been waiting forever.
09:32Three penalty drinks. No backing out.
09:36Fine. I'll drink.
09:38Grayson still spoils Vivi like crazy.
09:41What? Jealous?
09:42By the time they reached the resort, the sky had gone dark.
09:46Speaking of which, Vivi, you're getting married next week, and none of us have even met the groom.
09:50You've been keeping this pretty tight.
09:52The groom? What groom?
09:54Aren't you getting married next week?
09:57April Fools!
10:01After all these years, how do you guys still fall for it every single time?
10:05All right, all right. You got us. Fooled us and everything.
10:08Oh, come on. I just needed an excuse to get everyone together. Don't tell me you can't take a joke.
10:11We can take it. We can take it.
10:13We should be thanking you. We'd never have made it onto this island without you.
10:17For real, somebody has been playing favorites.
10:20Been working on getting access to this island ever since you announced your engagement.
10:23Well, your dreams officially come true now. Go nuts. Three days, three nights, all yours.
10:32Thanks for still remembering my dream.
10:38Hey, wait a minute. Vivi's not getting married, and Grayson just got divorced.
10:43So doesn't that make everyone single right now?
10:48After all these years, you two are still out here pretending to be just friends?
10:51Everyone knew what was going on back in school.
10:53The two of you acted like you'd die without each other.
10:55You're drunk.
10:57I'm not drunk. I'm serious.
10:59One of you never got married. The other just got divorced.
11:02If that's not perfect timing, what is?
11:03You two should just this.
11:05Kiss, kiss, kiss.
11:06Come on. Grayson divorced his wife for Vivi.
11:10If Vivi doesn't step up, who will?
11:13Grayson stood there, listening to the chorus of egging on all around him.
11:17But a scene that didn't belong here flashed through his mind.
11:20That look in her eyes too calm.
11:21So calm that even after he'd gotten on the island, he'd replayed it in his head a thousand times.
11:26Before, he'd had a perfectly reasonable explanation for her composure.
11:30She knew it was a fake divorce, so there was nothing weighing on her.
11:33But now, suddenly, he wasn't so sure.
11:36Grayson? You're not gonna gang up on me with them, are you?
11:39He's not teasing. He means it!
11:41He clearly wanted to say something, but it caught in his throat and never came out.
11:45What was wrong with him?
11:47Wasn't this exactly the wild night he'd wanted?
11:51No one remembered when the party ended.
11:54All Grayson remembered was drinking, glass after glass.
11:57By the end, the string lights had blurred into hazy halos.
12:00After that just fragments the hotel hallway lights.
12:02Too bright, the bed too soft, someone loosening his tie.
12:05He thought he'd been calling out a name the whole time.
12:08It wasn't until a sliver of white light fell across his eyelids that Grayson opened his eyes.
12:13He turned his head and saw long hair splayed across the pillow beside him.
12:16He shot upright.
12:18Something detonated inside his skull.
12:20He closed his eyes, trying to piece it together.
12:22Last night came back in shards, drinking, cheering, the hotel, the bed, and then...
12:28Morning.
12:29Grayson stood by the bed, instinctively reaching for his phone, looking for some kind of comfort.
12:34But there wasn't a single message from Josephine.
12:36She hadn't asked where he was last night.
12:38Hadn't asked why he never reached out.
12:40It wasn't like the other two times when he and Spencer, and then Ethan, had...
12:43Divorced.
12:44Air.
12:44Back then, she'd still text to check on them.
12:47Ask if they were okay.
12:48Ask how things went.
12:50Follow up on the aftermath.
12:51But this time, her own divorce, she hadn't asked a thing.
12:56Grayson?
13:00Last night, I'm sorry.
13:03You're apologizing to me?
13:08How much longer are you going to keep up the act?
13:12Back in school, her grandfather used his sponsorship of you as leverage.
13:15That's the only reason you got with her.
13:17You've made it to where you are now.
13:19You really still scared of some retired old man from the Quinn family?
13:24Her grandfather didn't force me into anything.
13:27I went after her.
13:29Back then, that girl had dyed her hair some trendy color and wanted nothing to do with marriage.
13:34Her parents had divorced, then died one after another.
13:37She grew up under her grandfather's wing.
13:39She'd seen too many relationships fall apart to think marriage meant anything at all.
13:42She was a ride or die, she'd sign a marriage certificate for the guys she grew up with without blinking
13:47twice.
13:47But she never put an equal sign between love and marriage.
13:50To her, they were two different things.
13:52Love was freedom.
13:54Marriage was a cage.
13:55She'd put on the cage for her friends, but never for her own love.
13:58It was him.
13:59He went after her, again and again, proving over and over that he was different.
14:04He told her.
14:05I won't let you regret this.
14:07He told her.
14:08Our marriage won't be a grave.
14:10He tore himself open and laid every piece bare for her to see, until she finally said yes.
14:15She placed her love in his hands, careful as glass.
14:18Signed a marriage certificate that, this time, actually meant something.
14:22And now, what the hell had he done?
14:27Vivian didn't expect him to say that.
14:29Then I was reading too much into it.
14:31Go.
14:35Grayson felt like he'd finally been let off the hook.
14:38What the hell happened last night?
14:40Dude, you crossed a line.
14:41Don't forget.
14:43You and Josephine's divorce is fake.
14:46I'll take responsibility for her.
14:48Responsibility?
14:49With what?
14:50You got divorced yesterday, and today you're talking about being responsible for someone else?
14:53How is that fair to Josephine?
14:55Then what do you want me to do?
14:57Ethan didn't answer.
14:59Just looked at him.
15:00All right, all right.
15:00Enough, both of you.
15:01Grayson, cool off first.
15:02In the state you're in right now, any decision you make is the wrong one.
15:06I need a smoke.
15:07He really did need a moment to figure out where things stood between him and his wife.
15:11That obsession with Vivian from back in school, it was like a thorn lodged deep in his chest.
15:15Didn't really hurt, didn't really itch, but it had never truly been pulled out.
15:19At 17, he really had been close with Vivian.
15:22Back then, he didn't know Josephine yet.
15:25It wasn't until Spencer and Ethan brought that girl into his world that he realized Josephine's
15:29grandfather had been funding more than half the students at the school, including him.
15:34The circle he'd been fighting tooth and nail to break into she'd been born at its center.
15:38He'd done everything he could to become part of that circle, and eventually, he won her over.
15:43He clawed his way onto the Forbes 30 Under, 30 Top 10.
15:46But the end of every marriage is the same monotony.
15:49This time, he really had planned to use April Fool's as an excuse to end the marriage to
15:53honor his promise to Vivian, and to give himself room to breathe.
15:57In that moment, it hit him, he should go back to her.
16:00Even if she was furious, even if she wanted to tear into him, at least...
16:04Grayson!
16:07Vivian was standing on the windowsill, half her body leaning out.
16:11Don't come any closer!
16:12Get down first, we can talk about this!
16:15Back in school, you wrote me a love letter.
16:18He'd never written her one.
16:20The only letter he'd ever written was for Josephine.
16:22He just never sent it.
16:24Then she showed up, and you didn't want me anymore.
16:28Now you've divorced her, and you still don't want me!
16:31There's nothing to talk about.
16:34I'm not leaving.
16:35I'm staying with you.
16:38Really?
16:40Really.
16:48When you figure out what your heart really wants, and you want to leave, I won't stop you.
16:54Okay.
16:55Every trace of Josephine's contact info had been wiped clean.
16:58There.
16:59Now you can keep your promise and really be with me.
17:04Do you remember my other dream?
17:08With things turning out the way they did, Spencer and Ethan had no choice but to play dumb.
17:12After three days on the island, they showed up at Grandpa Quinn's 80th birthday party like nothing had happened.
17:17As Josephine's closest friends, they'd been there every single year.
17:20This year's party was held at the Quinn estate.
17:22I'm sorry.
17:23Your names aren't on the guest list.
17:25Take another look.
17:26Josephine and I grew up together.
17:28I've been coming to the Quinn estate every year for the last ten years.
17:31I'm sorry.
17:32Your names aren't on the guest list.
17:33Aren't those the two losers from the Knox and Sinclair families?
17:36Married into the Quinn family, then ran their own businesses into the ground.
17:39Get back together.
17:40You haven't heard?
17:40The old man's announcing some happy news today.
17:42We've got more right to be in there than anyone else here.
17:44The guard glanced at him, calmly tapped his earpiece, and two minutes later, Butler Harrison walked out.
17:53Stop.
17:54Neither of you needs to come back here.
17:56Please leave.
17:57He opened his mouth to say something, but Harrison had already turned and was walking back inside.
18:07Guests filtered past them in twos and threes, heading inside.
18:11Let's go.
18:12Why the hell?
18:13As they walked by, their eyes carried curiosity and pity.
18:16Josephine and I, we go back to...
18:18Ethan's expression darkened.
18:20Back to growing up together.
18:22Back to being the closest people in each other's lives.
18:25He couldn't finish.
18:27Wait a moment.
18:28What the hell did you piss off recently?
18:30The permits for the Brooklyn project just got frozen.
18:32They said it's some new regulations.
18:35That project's been running for three years!
18:37Nobody ever said a word about new regulations!
18:40Spencer gripped the phone.
18:41He couldn't get a single word out.
18:43He knew exactly who.
18:45That plot of land was something he'd locked down back when he and Josephine were.
18:50He scrolled to Josephine's number, hesitated for a long time.
18:54Must be her.
18:55The same recording came back.
18:59The number you have dialed is no longer in service.
19:02Other than being born a Knox, he had no real skills to his name.
19:06And now, his aging father was the one running around cleaning up his mess.
19:11I'll be the daddy and I'll be the mom.
19:12Something inside him just, caved in.
19:17The person he'd always assumed would be standing right where he left her waiting for him to come
19:21back whenever he was ready had vanished over these three days as if she'd never existed in
19:25this world.
19:26If his family's business hadn't gone completely under, if his parents hadn't been turned away
19:30everywhere they went for help, he probably wouldn't have even had a way to hear anything
19:34about her. He set the phone down. Suddenly, a memory surfaced a winter, many years ago.
19:39That year, his family was in crisis. Josephine grabbed his hand and said,
19:43Don't be scared. You've got me.
19:47Back then, he believed the whole world could change, but Josephine never would.
19:51That was the kind of trust that Ethan, Grayson, and Vivian could never compare to.
19:55The rest of them loved to play around, and he he was reckless.
19:58So, on certain things, they ran in the same circles. But if he was ever down to one last
20:02way out, it would always be Josephine. And now, suddenly, he had no idea what to do.
20:08Ethan wasn't doing any better. Three major clients, ones his logistics company had partnered
20:12with for five years, all terminated their contracts on the same day. The official reason
20:17was polished. Business restructuring. But when he had someone make a few calls, the other side
20:22hemmed and hawed before finally saying, Word about you being turned away at Grandpa Quinn's
20:26birthday party. It's made the rounds across the entire circle. Everyone's reassessigating the
20:31stability of doing business with your family. Ethan hung up and slammed his phone on the desk.
20:35He had no idea why Josephine had suddenly done this. She hadn't given him a second to react.
20:41He wanted to explain, wanted to say something, but he didn't even know where to begin.
20:45Back then, when she married him, it was to help him dodge the arranged marriage his family was
20:49pushing. The day they signed the papers, he played it cool and said, It's just a formality.
20:53Don't stress about it. But deep down, he never wanted it to be just a formality. He'd been in
21:00love with her since the very first time Spencer brought her around. He'd taken a knife for her
21:04during a kidnapping. He thought she'd never forget him for the rest of her life.
21:10But she only ever saw him as a brother. Once the arranged marriage situation was over,
21:15she simply said, Time to end this. He stalled for three months, made up every excuse to avoid meeting,
21:21refused to sign. Until she finally said, Ethan, don't make this hard for me. But then the woman
21:27who had always run from marriage, who wanted nothing to do with it, actually married Grayson.
21:31For love. What did Grayson even have? Back in school, the guy was clearly into Vivian.
21:36Then Spencer and Ethan introduced him to Josephine, and he just switched targets? How the hell could she
21:42choose a two-timing Grayson over someone who'd been devoted to her all along? So, from the moment
21:46Vivian announced her, engagement. Ethan had been planning. He was the first to come up with the
21:52idea to use April Fool's Day to get Josephine to sign the papers without a fight. Once she was
21:56divorced, once she was single, he'd finally have his shot. His phone buzzed again. A message from his
22:02father. Tomorrow we're going to the Quinn residence to apologize in person. You're coming with me.
22:11Ethan stared at the screen for a long time, then replied with a single word. Okay. He put down the
22:16phone and dug out an old photograph from the very back of the drawer. In the picture, Josephine was
22:2115, hair in a ponytail, standing under a magnolia tree, smiling. He'd taken it without her knowing,
22:28kept it hidden for over a decade. Vivian loved the ocean. She wanted to visit every coastal city that
22:34was her other dream. In the past, Grayson would have told Josephine he was going on a business trip.
22:40Then he'd take Vivian on a getaway he'd have the time of his life, riding that thrill. And then,
22:45out of guilt, he'd come home and be twice as good to his wife. But this time was different. This
22:51time,
22:51he was. Single. The car traced the coastline south. They'd seen the ocean a thousand times over,
22:57and Vivian's excitement never wavered. Grayson, though, was growing more and more distracted.
23:01By the second month, he wanted to go back. The moment he brought it up, Vivian got sick.
23:07He had no choice but to stay a while longer. A few days became a week. A week became two.
23:13Two weeks dragged into a month. One afternoon, a friend on a business trip nearby asked to meet
23:18at a cafe. He was halfway there when he realized he'd left his phone behind and turned back.
23:25The bedroom door was slightly ajar. Vivian's voice drifted through the crack she was on FaceTime
23:30with a friend. Girl, you've had the man to yourself for months, and you still haven't sealed
23:34the deal? Don't tell me he's actually some kind of saint.
23:39Grayson's feet stopped dead.
23:41Ugh, faking sick and hurt. Can't really do much else. But, even though I haven't sealed the deal,
23:48I sent all our photos together to Josephine Quinn. If she has any self-awareness at all,
23:52she should know it's time to go. What did you send to Josephine?
24:00You didn't think I'd find out?
24:02Grayson, you... Why are you back? I... I was just joking around with my friend.
24:07So you were never actually sick? It was all just to keep me here?
24:10Grayson didn't stay to hear the rest. He turned and stormed out. The car tore all the way back to
24:16New York. On the road, he tried to message her. The truth was, these past few months,
24:21it wasn't that he'd never thought about reaching out. It was that every time he picked up his phone,
24:25he'd remember what he'd promised Vivian. He was afraid that one reply from Josephine would break
24:30him afraid he'd see. He typed out a message and sent it. The screen read,
24:34Undelivered.
24:36Josephine, it's me. Let me know you got this.
24:39Still undelivered.
24:40His fingers slowly tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white.
24:44The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.
24:49It's fine. She's probably just busy. Maybe her phone died.
24:53The next evening, the car finally turned onto that familiar road. He knew she was close with
24:58her grandfather after the divorce. She'd be staying at the Quinn Estate for sure. He jumped
25:02out of the car, practically pounding on the door. The door opened. Josephine stood behind it.
25:08She was already carrying my child when we signed the papers?
25:12She didn't say anything, not because she didn't care, but because she was waiting for him to come
25:16back on his own. She was carrying his child.
25:19Josephine, let me take you home. Let's remarry.
25:23Remarry? Why don't you ask my husband first if he's okay with that?
25:27A hand stopped him square at the chest. Josephine took a step back. Grayson froze.
25:32It's you?
25:33He remembered the day of the divorce.
25:35You two? The baby? Is it mine?
25:39What do you think?
25:41Frederick's hand rested on her shoulder. He didn't say a word. He just looked at her belly.
25:46Grayson suddenly understood. It wasn't his. It had never been his.
25:50Josephine, what are you doing? Did you forget what we agreed on? The fake divorce? The April Fool's?
25:56Sorry, I don't celebrate April Fool's.
25:58His mind exploded.
25:59But if you want to celebrate it, I can wish you the best.
26:04Happy April Fool's!
26:06Grayson stood there, staring at that door for a long time. The shadow of the magnolia tree by the
26:11entrance fell across his feet. He suddenly remembered the way she'd looked up at him when she signed the
26:15divorce papers. Now he got it. That wasn't calm. That was the look of someone who'd given up. He
26:19leaned against the wall by the door and slowly slid down to the ground. This time, it was really over.
26:24Spencer and Ethan, after the Quinn family publicly announced they were cutting all ties with both
26:28their families, found themselves struggling to stay afloat in the business world. Both companies
26:32shriveled into hollow shells. Grayson had some real ability, but the truth behind the divorce slowly
26:37leaked out. Asset separation, April Fool's joke it had all just been a cover for forcing his wife
26:42into a divorce so he could be with another woman. Once the news spread, several major deals fell
26:46through one after another. Carter Technologies' IPO plans stalled. Investors pulled out, one by one.
26:52And his head wasn't in the company anyway. He kept telling himself Josephine was just upset once
26:56she cooled down. She'd come back. He even convinced himself that Frederick was just some opportunist
27:01who'd swooped in. The baby had to be his. She was just being stubborn, refusing to admit it. He went
27:07through her old photos over and over, scrolled through their old text threads, until the screen
27:11of his phone was practically worn smooth. He was certain she was still waiting just too proud to say
27:16so. Vivian watched the three men she'd leaned on most fall apart, one by one losing themselves over
27:20Josephine, watching their family businesses crumble until her heart finally went cold. At their lowest point,
27:25she swept up the last of all three men's savings and quietly flew off to Europe. When Spencer tried
27:30calling, the number was already disconnected. Grayson would occasionally see the Ashworth group
27:35in the Forbes headlines. Youngest billionaire attends charity gala with wife and daughter.
27:40In the photo, Frederick was in a deep navy suit, with Josephine beside him in a champagne-colored gown.
27:45In her arms, a little girl with tiny braids, eyes crinkled up in a smile. Then he saw Frederick's name
27:51in Bloomberg again. Businessperson of the year, attending a foundation gala with his wife and
27:55daughter. In the photo, Josephine wore a dark green gown, standing beside Frederick, the little
28:01girl in her arms, eyes crinkled up in the same smile. That smile he'd seen it a long, long time
28:06ago.
28:07The streetlights outside flickered on, lighting up the small apartment he was renting alone in Queens.
28:12Empty. His phone screen lit up, then dimmed. No new messages. There never would be again.
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