- 9 hours ago
Vengeful Heart - HOT
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00My daughter was dying, and I couldn't afford her treatment.
00:04In my darkest hour, Brennan Fernandez, my first love, wired me $800,000 and stayed by my side.
00:11Six years later, we're married, I'm carrying his child.
00:16And then I overhear him talking to his doctor.
00:19Anna was dying. Giving her the heart of Therese's daughter was the only option.
00:26Therese carries a new life now. It's time for her to move on.
00:30My daughter wasn't killed by illness.
00:35Her heart was surgically ripped from her chest and transplanted into the woman Brennan truly loves.
00:41I rest my hand on my belly. A bitter smile crosses my lips.
00:47Six years ago, I couldn't save my daughter. This time, I won't make the same mistake.
00:57My daughter was critically ill.
01:00Today, I came to the hospital alone for a prenatal checkup. The waiting room was empty.
01:05I sat on a cold plastic chair, one hand resting on my belly.
01:12A nurse called my name.
01:13Miss Astin, Dr. Evans is ready for you.
01:17I walked down the hallway toward his office.
01:20Just as I reached the door, I heard voices inside.
01:25One of them was Brennan's. I froze.
01:28My husband is here. I wondered. But he told me he had an all-day meeting.
01:33I pressed my palm flat against the door and listened.
01:37Mr. Fernandez.
01:39Dr. Evans' voice, low and careful.
01:42Now that you and Mrs. Astin are expecting your own child, what if she finds out what happened back then?
01:49My breath caught. What happened back then?
01:53Brennan's reply came steady, unhesitating.
01:58Anna was dying.
02:00I had no choice.
02:03Giving her heart to Anna was the only option.
02:06My blood turned to ice.
02:08Heart, giving her heart.
02:13My daughter's heart had been secretly transplanted to Adriana under Brennan's orders.
02:17Tears streamed down my face hot, fast, unstoppable.
02:21So the child growing inside me right now wasn't a symbol of our love.
02:26It was merely a token.
02:28An apology wrapped in flesh and bone.
02:33Six years of Brennan's tenderness.
02:36His good morning kisses.
02:38His midnight soups.
02:40His rest.
02:40Let me handle it.
02:42All of it.
02:44A flawless performance.
02:46All for the one woman who truly loved.
02:48Adriana.
02:53Inside the office, the doctor sighed.
02:56His voice thick with pity.
02:58Is it really worth it, Brennan?
03:01Adriana is married now.
03:03You should focus on your own life.
03:05Miss Astin loves deeply.
03:07She's a good woman.
03:08There was a pause, long, heavy.
03:12Then Brennan spoke and his chilling resolve sliced through the door like a blade.
03:17Of course it's worth it.
03:19I don't care if we're together.
03:21Anna can love whoever she chooses.
03:24I just want her to be safe, healthy, and happy.
03:28As for Theresea.
03:29His tone shifted almost dismissive.
03:31She is a wonderful wife.
03:32And she'll be a great mother.
03:34But I don't love her.
03:35You can't force the heart to feel what isn't there.
03:40Hearing this, the doctor shook his head and dropped the subject.
03:45Mrs. Astin's pregnancy is unstable.
03:47She has suffered enough and lost her daughter.
03:53Please, for the sake of this child, try to be good to her.
03:58A long silence.
03:59Then Brennan gave a curt, noncommittal grunt.
04:02That grunt that single, careless sound was worth more than any scream I could summon.
04:07I bit down hard on my lip, refused to let a single sob escape.
04:12I waited until their footsteps faded.
04:17Only then did I collapse against the wall.
04:22And let the agonizing screams tear through my throat.
04:27I screamed until my voice cracked, then the truth hit me all at once.
04:32It turned out my newborn daughter hadn't died from her illness at all.
04:37My daughter had been sacrificed.
04:40Brennan had paid off the doctor to falsify her diagnosis.
04:46Also, Adriana could receive a fresh, healthy heart.
04:52Back then, my daughter was diagnosed with a severe condition and rushed to intensive care.
05:00My ex-husband, Joshua Owen, the man who should have protected us, refused to take responsibility.
05:06He abandoned our child and me, for Adriana.
05:13In those dark days, Brennan came to my rescue.
05:18The only glimmer of light in my shattered world.
05:23He paid for everything.
05:25He held my hand through the nights.
05:29Now I realized, his help was never about saving us.
05:32It was about keeping a close watch on the heart destined for Adriana.
05:39After my divorce from Joshua, Brennan married me.
05:43I thought it was love.
05:44I thought I was finally safe.
05:48Now I understood he hadn't married me out of love.
05:51He'd married me out of duty, to secure legal rights as my spouse.
05:55To authorize the transplant, to make sure no one could stop him.
05:59When I left the hospital, rain poured from the sky.
06:02I didn't call a cab.
06:04I wandered the streets like a drenched stray.
06:09Rain mingled with my tears, cascading down my cheeks.
06:12By the time I reached home, the housekeeper gasped.
06:17Mrs. Fernandez, it's pouring.
06:19Why didn't you call the driver?
06:22You're pregnant.
06:23Getting soaked like this can't be good for you or the baby.
06:26Hearing her voice, Brennan emerged from his study.
06:30My red eyes.
06:31My soaked hair.
06:32My shivering frame.
06:34A flicker crossed his face.
06:36Guilt.
06:37Maybe.
06:38Or pity.
06:39He set down his coffee cup and swept me up into his arms.
06:44Brennan scolded softly.
06:46You're about to be a mother.
06:47Willie, are you acting like a reckless child?
06:50What if you get sick?
06:52What if something happens to the baby?
06:54I looked at him.
06:55My voice came out hollow empty.
06:58I've been a mother before, Brennan.
07:00I don't need your lectures.
07:02If the baby dies, it dies.
07:05I've already lost one.
07:06What's one more?
07:07Brennan stiffened.
07:09His brow furrowed deep, but he remained silent.
07:12He carried me to the bathroom in silence.
07:16The bathtub was already filled with warm water.
07:19Brennan tried to help me undress.
07:22I pushed his hands away, hard.
07:26He eyed me suspiciously, puzzled by my unusual behavior.
07:32We stood there in tense silence for what felt like an eternity.
07:35Eventually, he turned and walked out.
07:37I locked the door, stripped off my wet clothes, stepped into the tub, and I scrubbed.
07:43I scrubbed my skin again and again desperately trying to wash away every trace Brennan had left on me over
07:48the past six years.
07:49His scent, his touch, his lies.
07:52His I love yous that were never meant for me.
07:54By the time I stopped, my skin was raw and red.
07:58But I felt cleaner than I had in six years.
08:01By the time I crawled into bed, Brennan was already fast asleep.
08:05I stared at the face I'd woken up to for six years.
08:09And I felt nothing but a cold, jarring sense of alienation.
08:14Sometime in the night, Brennan stirred.
08:18In his dreams, he reached out and grasped my hand.
08:22Don't go.
08:23Stay with me forever.
08:25Anna.
08:26His voice coated in boundless adoration emotions he'd never shown me.
08:30Not once in six years.
08:34The next instant, his phone lit up on the knitstand.
08:37A message from someone saved as Princess Anna.
08:40My hands trembled as I tried to unlock it.
08:42His birthday no.
08:44My birthday no.
08:45Even Adriana's.
08:46No.
08:47With one last chance, I keyed in the date my daughter passed away.
08:51To my shock hit unlocked.
08:57I'd almost forgotten, that was also the day Adriana gained a new life with my daughter's heart.
09:02In this subtle, devoted way, Brennan had been quietly cherishing Adriana all along.
09:07I opened the chat window.
09:09Adriana had sent photos.
09:12In them, her smile outshone the warmest sun radiant, full of life.
09:17She leaned playfully against Brennan, who stiffly formed a heart with his fingers beside her.
09:23Brenny, going to the amusement park with you is so much more fun.
09:26Joshua is boring compared to you.
09:28You promised to take me to my photo shoot tomorrow.
09:31See you then.
09:32Love you.
09:34They looked every bit like a starry-eyed couple in their honeymoon phase.
09:38I felt like a pathetic clown peeking into someone else's bliss.
09:41But tomorrow was supposed to be my prenatal checkup.
09:45Brennan had promised to go with me.
09:47So which mattered more our baby, or the woman he truly loved?
09:53That night, sleep evaded me entirely.
09:56I was placing a bet.
09:57If Brennan chose to go with me to the checkup tomorrow for the sake of this new life I'd give
10:02him one more chance.
10:02Just one.
10:04The next morning, Brennan was up early, ready to head out.
10:09His face beamed with unmistakable excitement.
10:12Just as he was about to leave, I clutched at his sleeve.
10:17Brennan!
10:18Where are you going?
10:19Weren't you supposed to come with me to my prenatal checkup?
10:22The smile vanished from his face.
10:24After a long pause, he patted my hand gently.
10:27Ressi, I'm sorry.
10:29I have a crucial meeting today.
10:30I can't make it to the hospital.
10:32You're so understanding.
10:33I know you'll forgive me.
10:35Besides, you've done this before.
10:37You're an experienced mother.
10:38You'll handle it just fine without me.
10:43Seeing me bow my head in silence, Brennan planted a quick kiss on my forehead.
10:47Be good.
10:48I'll bring you back a gift when I return.
10:50With that, he walked out without a backward glance.
10:53I stared at his retreating figure.
10:56The last spark of hope inside me flickered.
10:59Died, turned to ash.
11:01I checked the nearest flight to Boston.
11:04Called Natalia Hayes.
11:06Natalia, I need you to book me a ticket.
11:08The evening after next.
11:10Done.
11:10She said without hesitation.
11:12I've got your back.
11:13Always.
11:14Once I landed in Boston, I could bid farewell to this life for good.
11:17I applied a light layer of makeup to mask the exhaustion etched into my face.
11:23Then I headed to the city's top law firm.
11:26Not for consultation.
11:28For war.
11:29I sat across from a senior partner and laid out everything.
11:32The misdiagnosis.
11:34The falsified records.
11:35The organ transplant authorization I'd found.
11:38The lawyer drafted the divorce papers swiftly.
11:41But she warned me.
11:43Pursuing criminal charges will require far more solid evidence.
11:46The medical records were altered by someone with significant resources.
11:50I nodded.
11:50I knew it wouldn't be easy.
11:52But for the first time in six years I had a plan.
11:57That evening, I prepared a candlelit dinner and uncorked two bottles of Brennan's prized
12:02red wine.
12:03When he walked through the door and saw me sitting at the table, he froze then broke into
12:07a knowing smile.
12:09Rezzy, sweetheart.
12:10You shouldn't trouble yourself.
12:12The maid can handle it.
12:13He pulled me into his arms, laughing softly.
12:16We were so close that I caught a whiff of something on his collar.
12:21A bold, seductive rose perfume.
12:24The kind a woman wears.
12:26I asked casually.
12:27When did you switch to such a sushie scent, Brennan?
12:30His eyes flickered with guilt.
12:32He lowered his head, sniffed his collar, and hurried to explain.
12:36Oh, that.
12:37Today at the meeting, I ran into the CEO of Lumina Group.
12:42Must have rubbed off when we shook hands.
12:45What's this, Rezzy?
12:46Are you doubting me?
12:48Are you still upset I couldn't go to your checkup?
12:50Guilty consciences always overreact.
12:53I'd asked one harmless question yet he bombarded me with defensiveness.
12:58When I stayed silent, Brennan reached into his pocket.
13:02He pulled out a delicate emerald necklace and fastened it around my neck.
13:07There, don't be mad anymore.
13:09I picked this out especially for you.
13:10It's one of a kind in the whole world.
13:12Do you like it?
13:13The emerald glowed deep green in the candlelight.
13:16Stunningly beautiful.
13:16I traced its cool surface with my fingertips.
13:20We'd been married six years.
13:22Every time we fought, Brennan gave me jewelry.
13:25But what good were glittering trinkets?
13:28They couldn't erase his infidelity.
13:30They couldn't bring back my murdered daughter.
13:33Seeing a smile finally creep onto my face, Brennan began tasting the dishes I'd prepared.
13:38He raved about my cooking but barely ate more than a few bites.
13:43I wasn't surprised.
13:44A man who's been feasting elsewhere rarely has an appetite for the meal waiting at home.
13:50Over dinner, I kept refilling his glass until the wine finally pulled Brennan under.
13:55While he was dead to the world, I slipped into his study.
13:58After rummaging for ages, I found only one thing, an organ transplant agreement from six years ago.
14:04Brennan had signed as my spouse authorizing the donation on my behalf.
14:09So that was why he'd rushed to marry me to secure legal rights and get Adriana her new heart as
14:13quickly as possible.
14:15I photographed every page, slipped the document back exactly where I'd found it.
14:20Then I packaged the photos along with the divorce papers into an email with delayed send-timed for the moment
14:25my plane took off.
14:27The second I was airborne everything would land in Brennan's inbox.
14:31The next morning, Brennan gently woke me up.
14:34Like in the old days, he'd already squeezed toothpaste onto my brush and was fumbling around the kitchen trying to
14:40make breakfast.
14:40As I brushed my teeth, he came up behind me and wrapped his arms lightly around my waist.
14:46Rezzy, I messed up.
14:48A prenatal checkup is such a big deal.
14:50I shouldn't have let you go alone.
14:51Let me make it up to you.
14:53I'll come with you today, okay?
14:55He ruffled my hair, grinning like an awkward, lovesick teenager.
14:59Watching him bustle around the kitchen, a sharp pang twisted in my chest.
15:03In the quiet of my own heart, I whispered.
15:05Brennan, you're always like this.
15:08Hot one minute cold the next.
15:09After six years, I'm only now realizing I've never truly seen you for who you are.
15:16But it doesn't matter anymore.
15:18If I know I love you, then I no longer need to understand you.
15:24When we arrived at the hospital, Adriana was there too.
15:27She was seeing a dermatologist.
15:29As a reigning celebrity, she couldn't go anywhere without being mobbed by fans.
15:34Even from a distance, I could hear their chatter.
15:39Poor Ana.
15:40She only just recovered from that major illness, and now she's back at the hospital.
15:44Don't worry, we'll be fine.
15:45This is the best hospital in the city.
15:47And the actual controlling hair holder is Brennan Fernandez, her rumored boyfriend.
15:52He's her strongest supporter.
15:54Wow!
15:54A superstar actress and a powerful CEO?
15:57They sound perfect together.
15:59The next second, Adriana spotted Brennan through the crowd.
16:03She called out his name in that bright, bubbly voice.
16:06All the fans turned to stare.
16:10Adriana jogged over and looped her arm intimately through Brennan's.
16:15Brenny, it's all your fault.
16:16You insisted on taking me for King Crab yesterday, and now look!
16:20I'm allergic!
16:21Did you come specially to keep me company today?
16:24Fine.
16:25I guess I'll forgive you.
16:26Brennan glanced at me, then of Adriana.
16:31Something flickered in his eyes' regret, maybe.
16:34He took a half-step toward me, but Adriana yanked him back.
16:40The sweetness in her gaze vanished replaced by malice and smug triumph.
16:47Brenny, isn't she just your household help?
16:49You've already been kind enough to bring her to the hospital.
16:52There's no need to accompany her for a checkup.
16:54If people get the wrong idea, they might think the baby's yours.
16:57That would ruin your reputation and influence your company.
17:01At her words, realization dawned on the faces of the crowd.
17:04They looked at me again this time with thinly veiled contempt.
17:08Brennan's lips parted as if he wanted to speak, but in the end he said nothing.
17:13He simply let Adriana lead him away.
17:17Leaving me standing there alone, frozen in the middle of the bus in the hallway.
17:21I fixed my eyes on his retreating back and spoke slow and deliberate.
17:26Brennan, didn't you promise to come with me for my prenatal checkup?
17:29He didn't turn around.
17:31Neither did she.
17:33Someone in the crowd filmed the whole scene.
17:37Within hours, it exploded across social media and shot straight to the top of the trending lists.
17:42The comments were brutal, razor sharp.
17:45Looks like Mr. Fernandez isn't just loaded.
17:47He's got a heart of gold too.
17:49Look at how well he treats his housemaid.
17:50I knew it.
17:51How could a man like his ever be interested in a woman like that?
17:55Did you see that?
17:57The old hags even copying Adriana by wearing an emerald necklace?
18:01Hilarious.
18:02Then came the comment that made my blood freeze.
18:05That emerald necklace is our brand's new release, the only one in the world.
18:10Mr. Fernandez had me deliver him personously to Adriana's place.
18:16Mr. Fernandez is such a romantic.
18:18Everything he gives is one of kind.
18:21Adriana's so lucky.
18:24One of a kind.
18:25I repeated silently.
18:27He'd given Adriana the same necklace.
18:30The same lie.
18:33Had he even looked at my neck when he put it on me?
18:38I closed the comment section.
18:42Lying on the operating table, I stared blankly at the white ceiling above me, dizziness washing over me in waves.
18:50The doctor hesitated, leaning close.
18:55Mrs. Astin, are you sure you don't want to keep this baby?
18:59He asked again gently.
19:01I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded firmly.
19:05They administered the local anesthetic.
19:08But it did nothing for the phantom pain clawing at my chest.
19:12It hurt like my soul being scraped hollow.
19:15The tears I'd held back for so long finally spilled over.
19:19When it was over, I asked the doctor to preserve the tiny, lifeless embryo.
19:23Give it to Brennan, after I'm gone.
19:27Then I walked out of the hospital gates, hailed a cab.
19:30Headed straight to the airport.
19:35On my phone, Natalia had forwarded me a live stream.
19:39On the screen, Brennan was accompanying Adriana to an awards ceremony introduced as her family.
19:46Adriana shimmered on stage in a strapless evening gown.
19:51Brennan wore a suit perfectly coordinated with hers.
19:54As Adriana spoke, the camera lingered on Brennan.
19:59His gaze was burning full of admiration, devotion, love.
20:03The host asked Adriana to describe her relationship with Brennan.
20:08She gave a coy little smile and tilted her face toward him.
20:12One person.
20:14One lifetime.
20:15I let out a hollow laugh.
20:17Those were the exact words Brennan had whispered to me on our wedding day.
20:21I shut off the stream.
20:23I was done with their sick games.
20:28The plane was about to take off.
20:31In the final minute before switching my phone to airplane mode, messages from Brennan flooded in like a storm.
20:37Don't take Anna's words to heart.
20:39She's just a silly kid.
20:40She didn't mean it like that.
20:43Are you still at the hospital?
20:45As soon as this meeting wraps out, I'll come get you.
20:48Rezzy, please don't be angry.
20:49Stress isn't good for you or the baby.
20:52When I didn't reply, he called over and over.
20:56I ignored every ring.
20:58Powered the phone down completely.
20:59He was still trying to sweet talk me.
21:03Even while attending his mistress's ceremony.
21:05Even while lying to me about meetings.
21:07He was still sending texts.
21:10Still pretending.
21:12Still performing.
21:13What I learned later.
21:14Backstage, Samuel sent him a message that stopped him cold.
21:18Mr. Fernando?
21:19Mrs. Fernando has left.
21:20She sent the divorce papers and the organ transplant authorization from six years ago.
21:25When Brennan heard the news, his legs gave out.
21:28He nearly collapsed.
21:30In all these years never once had we talked about divorce.
21:33Samuel printed the documents and brought them over.
21:36Brennan read the divorce agreement word by word.
21:40When he reached my signature at the bottom he finally realized I truly meant to leave him.
21:44He sat motionless, face drained of color.
21:48Samuel had never seen his boss so lost.
21:52After a long silence, Brennan finally spoke.
21:56Why would Therese leave me?
21:58Was I really that bad to her?
22:00Samuel told me Brennan's exact words afterward.
22:03I gave her a home.
22:04I gave her money.
22:06I even gave her a child.
22:07Isn't that enough for a woman?
22:11Samuel couldn't stay silent any longer.
22:16Sir, you did give Mrs. Fernandez a home.
22:19But you never gave her your love.
22:22All your love belonged to Adriana.
22:24The jewelry you showered her with was always the pieces Adriana didn't want.
22:29And her first child.
22:31That little girl died for Adriana's sake.
22:34Only then did it fully dawn on Brennan.
22:36He picked up the transplant authorization.
22:39Stared at his own signature.
22:41Six years ago, desperate to save Adriana,
22:43he'd engineered the misdiagnosis himself.
22:46He'd married me hoping his love would ease the agony of losing my daughter.
22:51The ceremony ended, and Adriana swept backstage.
22:55When she heard I'd left, a triumphant spark lit her eyes.
22:59She slid onto Brennan's lap.
23:02Oh, Brenny.
23:03Thorsia got to play Mrs. Fernandez for a few years and suddenly thinks she's irreplaceable?
23:08Brenny.
23:08She's just madly in love with you.
23:11She saw how well you treat me and got jealous.
23:15Right now you should be thinking about which set of lingerie I should wear tonight.
23:20Running away like some dramatic teenager?
23:22How childish.
23:23She leaned in to kiss him.
23:25He met her lips, sinking into the kiss.
23:28Ever discreet, Samuel slipped him the keycard to the suite already booked upstairs.
23:33Brennan let her words soothe him.
23:34For the moment, he pushed my departure to the back of my mind.
23:39Unbeknownst to Brennan, Adriana had spiked his drink that evening.
23:43Under the influence, he crossed the final line with her.
23:47In the dead of night, he woke with a throbbing headache reached for the familiar long hair beside him.
23:54Found nothing but air.
23:57Only then did he realize it was Adriana in his arms.
24:02Regret crashed over him like a wave.
24:05Because in the throes of passion he'd been imagining me.
24:10Adriana sat up against the headboard, legs crossed, flipping through the divorce papers with a radiant mood.
24:16When she saw Brennan stir, she batted her wide eyes and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
24:22This is perfect. That old hag, Theresea, is finally gone.
24:26Brenny, you're thrilled too, right?
24:28No more obstacles between us.
24:30His silence irked her. She pouted in wind.
24:33You're not actually worried about her, are you?
24:36It's all a ploy. She's just trying to make you chase after her. Don't fall for it.
24:40Hearing her slander me, Brennan didn't echo her like he once would have.
24:44Instead, he defended me sharply.
24:46Anna, don't talk about Resi. Don't don't a Resi that way.
24:50She's not like that.
24:52I've lived it with her for six years. I know exactly what kind of person she is.
24:57Seeing him take my side and contradict her, Adriana's face darkened.
25:00You've changed, Brennan. I know that. Men always stop cherishing what they've finally won.
25:05Her voice cracked with feigned hurt.
25:07Faced with her tears, Brennan's resolve flickered.
25:10He sighed and began the familiar, exhausting ritual of coaxing her back into a good mood.
25:16Gazing at Adriana's sleeping face, Brennan felt no trace of drowsiness.
25:21He slipped onto the balcony, lit a cigarette, scrolled through our old chat history.
25:26Every memory replayed itself from our first meeting to the present moment.
25:31Brennan's work always kept him out late.
25:34But I'd wait up with dinner ready, sitting patiently at the table.
25:38Sometimes he'd find me asleep beside my plate head on my folded arms, food long cold.
25:43He remembered that small figure under the warm dining room light.
25:46Now when he came home all that greeted him was darkness.
25:50For the first time, Brennan confronted the truth.
25:53He'd become addicted to the life I built for him.
25:57A vague ache stirred something vital seemed to be slipping irreparably away.
26:03He typed out his first ever long message to me.
26:06Hit send.
26:08A glaring red exclamation mark stared back, blocked.
26:12What Brennan didn't know, the moment I landed in Boston I'd blocked his account and switched to a new number.
26:17Meanwhile, on my end.
26:20Natalia had everything arranged.
26:22I stayed at her place temporarily busy looking for work.
26:25Piecing together a fresh start.
26:27Seeing that I'd blocked him, Brennan panicked for real.
26:32In six years, this was the first time I'd completely severed contact by my own choice.
26:39He called Samuel.
26:41Pull every string.
26:43Get the hospital surveillance.
26:44Find out where Therzia is right now.
26:46It's not that I can't live without her.
26:48I just won't let her be the one to file for divorce.
26:51Only he knew those words were pure bravado.
26:53Deep down he'd grown far too used to the quiet, unwavering love I'd given him.
26:59The next morning, Adriana dragged Brennan off to get styled for a press conference.
27:06Brenny.
27:07I need you by my side to show everyone who really matters.
27:13He went through the motions but his eyes never left his phone.
27:20Just before the event kicked off, Samuel's message finally came.
27:24Mr. Fernandez, I've pieced it together.
27:27Mrs. Fernandez appears to have uncovered the truth about six years ago.
27:32A few days back, she visited the hospital morgue looking for the child's remains.
27:37She also sulted a law firm about divorce and pursuing charges for the fatal misdiagnosis.
27:43And Mrs. Fernandez went to the hospital and terminated your baby.
27:48Brennan's hand jerked at the last line.
27:50The phone nearly slipped from his grasp.
27:53Samuel followed up with a surveillance clip.
27:55In the video, I'd just come out of the obstetrics department.
27:58My face pale, one hand pressed tightly against my abdomen.
28:02Body swaying as if I might collapse at any moment.
28:05Watching it, Brennan felt a sudden sting behind his eyes.
28:09He reached out instinctively as if to touch my face on the screen.
28:12His fingers met only cold glass.
28:14His thoughts were still in chaos when Adriana tugged him toward the stage.
28:20Clips from the broadcast leaked online.
28:23The next instant, Adriana bounced over.
28:26Brenny, stop spacing out. It's time to go on stage.
28:29During the interview, she answered every question with sugary sweetness and bashful smiles.
28:34Brennan let her pull him onto the stage, his thoughts in chaos.
28:39The host brought up the trending topic, the hospital incident.
28:42When the host referred to me as the housemaid, something snapped.
28:47His brows knitted together as he looked straight into the camera.
28:51She's not the housemaid. She's my wife.
28:54The audience erupted in shocked murmurs.
28:57Adriana's face turned livid.
29:00The broadcast was briefly paused but since it was live, clips leaked instantly.
29:05Brennan's declaration rocketed to the top of trends.
29:08Public opinion flipped overnight.
29:10Netizens, ever the detectives, swiftly connected the dots between the four of us.
29:14Suddenly, everyone was sympathizing with me.
29:18I knew it! There was something between Miss Aston and Mr. Fernando.
29:24Adriana seems innocent, but she's actually scheming.
29:27From Teresia's perspective, her life has been heartbreaking.
29:30She's incredibly strong.
29:33These days in Boston, I've been busy but fulfilled.
29:37In this vast city, I was no one's wife.
29:40No one's accessory.
29:41I could breathe.
29:43Natalia and I were walking along the freedom trail when she waved her phone excitedly.
29:48Ressi, you're finally vindicated!
29:52Everyone online is sympathizing with you now!
29:56Brennan seems different.
29:58Do you think he's actually fallen for you?
30:00He added me on WhatsApp?
30:02Keeps asking about you.
30:06Should I tell him the truth?
30:11I froze for a second.
30:13A ripple stirred in my chest, but it settled quickly.
30:16I shook my head.
30:17Love or no love what difference could it make now?
30:20I'd left Brennan behind.
30:24Boston's scenery was breathtaking.
30:26Here I'd found serenity I never knew existed.
30:29Early in our marriage, I'd pestered Brennan to honeymoon here.
30:34He always refused, said he hated crowds.
30:39Yet later I spotted photos on Adriana's social media, her and Brennan in Boston.
30:46Her caption.
30:48Thank you for being with me and showing me all these views.
30:52I tilted my head back toward the bright sky.
30:56Our ancestors endured unimaginable hardships and still forged ahead.
31:01Compared to that, what were a few years of deception and darkness?
31:05I could move forward too.
31:08It was only after leaving the studio that Brennan realized it was pouring outside.
31:13Suddenly, he plunged into the storm.
31:17Same as I had been before, drenched, standing alone in the rain after that checkup.
31:21Samuel hurried over with an umbrella.
31:25Brennan shoved it aside, let the icy rain lash his face.
31:30Perhaps the cold was finally too much to bear.
31:33A jagged sob broke through his voice.
31:37So this is how it feels.
31:39To be left in the rain.
31:42It's so cold.
31:43It hurts so much.
31:44Ressi, I'm sorry.
31:46I failed you.
31:47I didn't notice how much you were suffering.
31:49He stumbled through the streets like that soaked, shivering.
31:53Broken covering 10 kilometers before dragging himself home deep into the night.
31:59The staff rushed to prepare hot soup for Brennan.
32:03He took one sip and winced.
32:06Overwhelmingly spicy.
32:07Nothing like the warmth he remembered.
32:10He was about to snap at the cook when the maid explained.
32:15Mr. Fernandez, those soups you loved were all made by Mrs. Fernanda herself.
32:21Now that she's gone, please make do.
32:24Maybe it was the spice.
32:25Maybe it was the truth.
32:29Brennan's eyes turned bloodshot red.
32:32He slammed the plate to the floor.
32:37What do you mean, gone?
32:38She's coming back.
32:39She belongs here.
32:41Your soup is swile.
32:43Only Therasia knows how I like it.
32:46Just then the doorbell rang.
32:49Brennan's heart leaped.
32:50He straightened his appearance and raced to the door.
32:54But the figure waiting wasn't me.
32:56It was a courier.
32:58Label, sender Therasia Astin, recipient Brennan Fernandez.
33:03Brennan signed with a grin, tipped a hundred dollars.
33:09Rezzy, I knew you couldn't let go.
33:12You're giving me an olive branch, aren't you?
33:14He tore open the package eagerly.
33:17The moment he saw what was inside he froze.
33:20All color drained from his face.
33:24It was an urn, small, matte black.
33:26Heavy with meaning.
33:29He lifted the lid.
33:32Found a tiny, vivid red form curled within.
33:37An embryo.
33:38The little one bore the faint outline of a human form but there was no life left.
33:42Just congealed blood and tissue.
33:44This was the child I'd aborted.
33:47The child that should have been proof of our love now reduced to a lifeless mass.
33:54Later, he wrote to me about what went through his mind in that moment.
33:59Brennan remembered the day I told him I was pregnant.
34:02His face had lit up with joy.
34:04His hands caressing my belly over and over.
34:08Rezzy, we're having a baby again.
34:10Our baby.
34:11This time I'll take such good care of him.
34:13If only time could have frozen in that tender moment.
34:17Brennan cradled the tiny red form with infinite care.
34:21All his pride and arrogance crumbled.
34:23He sank to his knees and wept.
34:27Rezzy!
34:28How could you be so cruel?
34:29You just gave up on me!
34:31And on our child?
34:32Rezzy, come back!
34:34I can't live without you!
34:37Rezzy, I was wrong.
34:38I finally see it.
34:39The person I love is you.
34:41It's always been you.
34:43After that night,
34:44Brennan seemed to age overnight.
34:46His hair turned visibly gray at the temples.
34:49He decided to drop everything.
34:51Go to Boston.
34:52Find me.
34:53Before leaving,
34:54he stopped by Adriana's place to leave a farewell letter.
34:57He knew her door code.
34:59Let himself in quietly.
35:00The moment he stepped inside he overheard her venting to a friend.
35:04It was the first scandal of my glittering career.
35:06And it came from Brennan.
35:08The man who adored me most.
35:11I am livid.
35:15The truth is,
35:16six years ago,
35:17I wasn't sick at all.
35:18I made the whole thing up to trick Brennan.
35:20I was obsessed with Joshua back then.
35:23The only way he'd leave Therese was if that child was gone.
35:29I never imagined Brennan would be so gullible.
35:32He believed every word I said.
35:34Now he deserves to lose his wife and his family.
35:38That day he humiliated me publicly.
35:40It was mortifying.
35:41I'll make him fall for him all over again.
35:43Then I'll dump him hard.
35:46Brennan stood rooted outside her door.
35:49The letter in his fist crumpled into a tight ball.
35:53Everything everything had been Adriana's elaborate deception.
35:58She'd never been sick.
35:59She'd never needed a heart.
36:01My daughter,
36:02my daughter might still be alive if not for Adriana's lies.
36:06He'd played the fool for years,
36:08repeatedly wounding the woman who loved him most fiercely.
36:11All for a woman who'd never loved him who'd only used him.
36:16He staggered out of her apartment.
36:18Reeling.
36:20At that same moment,
36:22Samuel finally tracked down my whereabouts.
36:24The next day,
36:25Brennan found me.
36:26He wore the casual gray outfit from the day we first met.
36:30He stood amid the rush hour crowd,
36:33clutching a bouquet of pale pink roses.
36:36Years ago,
36:37we'd watched a romantic drama where the hero knelt in a crowded square with roses.
36:42I'd sighed with envy.
36:43Brennan had scoffed.
36:48Now the moment he spotted me he dropped to one knee,
36:51just like that television hero.
36:55I froze,
36:56a sob threatened to rip through my throat.
36:58Why was he here?
36:59Disrupting the peace I'd finally found.
37:02Yet the moment I saw him my heart still ached uncontrollably.
37:09Seeing me turn to leave,
37:10Brennan rushed forward.
37:13He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a tight embrace.
37:16He was strong.
37:17I couldn't break free.
37:19Then I felt it.
37:20Brennan was crying,
37:21hot tears soaking through my shoulder.
37:25After what felt like eternity,
37:27his voice emerged,
37:28shaky raw.
37:30Ressi,
37:31I've been such an idiot.
37:33Only now do I realize I love you.
37:35But it's too late.
37:36I know we can't go back.
37:38Please believe me.
37:39I love you.
37:40You're my only wife in this lifetime.
37:42He released me,
37:43walked away,
37:44back straight.
37:45Silhouette radiating final resolve.
37:47He vanished into the crowd as quickly as he'd appeared.
37:53For reasons I couldn't explain,
37:55I took the roses home.
37:58Brennan had been wrong,
38:00terribly wrong,
38:01but the flowers were innocent.
38:03The next day was a weekend.
38:05Natalia and I were cooking
38:06when I glanced up at the television news.
38:09A chilling murder had occurred the previous night.
38:13Beloved actress found dead in her home.
38:15Heart brutally removed.
38:19The killer was identified as her former lover,
38:21the CEO of a major corporation.
38:24The screen flashed a face,
38:26intimately familiar and utterly foreign at once.
38:29It was Brennan.
38:30He had killed Adriana
38:32and taken her heart.
38:34I gasped,
38:35backed away,
38:36knocked the bouquet off the table.
38:39Petals scattered across the floor,
38:41a letter slipped from among the flowers.
38:44I picked it up with trembling hands.
38:48Pages of Brennan's elegant script covered the paper.
38:51He detailed everything.
38:55The depth of her deception,
38:56how Adriana had manipulated him
38:58with fake illness and crocodile tears.
39:01The horror of his realization
39:03when he overheard her confess
39:04she'd never been sick.
39:06And above all else,
39:08a confession of his love for me.
39:11I spent six years loving the wrong woman
39:13because I was too blind
39:14to see the one right in front of me.
39:18Therisha,
39:19you were always the one.
39:21From the very first day.
39:24I took Adriana's heart
39:26because she took yours first.
39:29An eye for an eye.
39:31A heart for a heart.
39:33I don't expect forgiveness.
39:35I don't deserve to live after what I've done.
39:36But I want you to know,
39:37in the end,
39:40I chose you.
39:42I love you, Theria.
39:43I always have.
39:45I always will.
39:47If only time could have frozen
39:49in that tender moment
39:50when you told me you were pregnant
39:51and my whole world lit up.
39:53Without love,
39:55there would be no hatred.
39:56Without those fleeting moments of happiness,
39:58the pain wouldn't have struck so brutally.
40:00I set the letter down.
40:03Roses lay scattered on the floor,
40:05petals curling at the edges.
40:08Outside the window,
40:09Boston was beautiful clear skies,
40:11warm sun,
40:12people living their lives.
40:15I was one of them now.
40:18Not a wife,
40:19not a sacrifice,
40:20not a secret.
40:21Just me.
40:25Teresia Astin.
40:26It was a ну-
40:27It was a lazım,
40:28It was just a Tuesday,
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