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His Forever, My Son's Grave - Hot engsub fullepisode🎥🍿
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00:00I called my husband Steven 36 times the night our son was dying.
00:09He picked up once.
00:11In the background, I heard champagne glasses clinking and a woman laughing.
00:15Stop using Dave as an excuse to fish for attention.
00:18Then he hung up.
00:20At the funeral, Steven didn't show up.
00:22He didn't call.
00:23He didn't even know what had happened.
00:25That night, I found his comment under her Instagram post.
00:32You are my forever.
00:34Our son's portrait was still in the funeral hall smiling.
00:38I picked up my phone and typed back the only words I had left.
00:42Let's get a divorce.
00:44But Steven Lopez doesn't believe his son is dead.
00:47And the woman standing behind him is going to make sure he never does.
00:51On New Year's Eve, my son, David Lopez, was abducted by my husband Steven Lopez's arch nemesis.
01:00They strapped explosives all over his small body and demanded a ransom.
01:04As they threatened to kill him, I completely fell apart, frantically dialing Steven and begging him to deliver the money.
01:17Liana, don't worry.
01:18I'm on my way.
01:19Just wait for me.
01:20But he never showed up.
01:22Watching David's tiny body collapse into a pool of blood, I dialed Steven again with trembling hands.
01:29My voice was desperate, humble to the point of humiliation.
01:35Please, please come save our son.
01:38His tone was thick with irritation.
01:44Liana, I'm in the middle of a massive deal.
01:47Stop using Dave as an excuse to fish for attention.
01:50From the other end of the line came the crisp clink of glasses and the flirtatious laughter of a woman.
01:55The moment the line went dead, the detonator triggered.
01:59David's crying stopped abruptly.
02:01Just like that, my baby boy died on his own birthday.
02:13At the funeral home, my dad was shaking with rage, his eyes bloodshot.
02:20If I wasn't mistaken, Steven was probably celebrating the birthday of Jacqueline Schneider, his recently returned old flame.
02:31I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
02:35After a long silence, I forced a bitter smile.
02:42Dad, maybe he got held up on the way.
02:44I'll call and check.
02:51I slipped into a corner and dialed the number I knew by heart.
02:55Again and again.
02:57We're sorry.
02:58The number you have dialed is currently busy.
03:01After hearing that mechanical voice repeat countless times,
03:05I finally lost the strength to keep trying.
03:08My hand slowly fell to my side.
03:10My gaze drifted to David's small black and white portrait at the center of the hall.
03:15He was smiling so sweetly, one of his little front teeth missing.
03:19His words still echoed in my ears.
03:22Mommy!
03:23Once my new tooth grows in, I can eat way more of your buffalo wings!
03:28But that tooth would never grow in now.
03:33When the kidnappers took him, he had been trembling with terror.
03:37Yet he clenched his tiny fists and tried to comfort me.
03:41Don't cry, Mommy!
03:42Daddy's definitely coming to save me!
03:48But the superhero he believed in with all his heart never showed up.
03:53My tears finally spilled over.
03:56Even when the funeral ended and the last guest left,
04:00Steven still hadn't appeared.
04:05Later, I saw an update from Jacqueline on Instagram.
04:10She posted nine photos.
04:12In the pictures, Steven leaned in to light her birthday candles.
04:16The candlelight reflected across his handsome face,
04:19his eyes filled with tenderness.
04:21The caption read,
04:23May we always stay by each other's side.
04:26Below the post, Steven's comments stabbed into my eyes.
04:30You are my forever!
04:34The irony was suffocating.
04:36Memories flooded back.
04:38For David's last birthday,
04:40the three of us had gone to an amusement park.
04:43Steven had hoisted him high above his head
04:45while David grinned from ear to ear.
04:47That night,
04:48Steven had held me close,
04:50whispering into my ear,
04:52Anna,
04:53I'm going to make you and Dave the happiest people in the world.
04:56We'll always be together.
04:58Looking back now,
04:59his promises felt like nothing but a cruel joke.
05:02I opened the comment section and,
05:04with every ounce of strength left in my body,
05:07typed out a single line.
05:09You two really disgust me.
05:11The second it was sent,
05:13my silent phone exploded with vibrations.
05:16Steven bombarded me with messages.
05:18Liana,
05:19have you lost your mind?
05:20What the hell are you talking about on Jackie's feed?
05:23Delete it now.
05:24It's Jackie's birthday.
05:26Can't you be mature for once and stop causing trouble on her big day?
05:28I'm warning you,
05:30delete that comment immediately or you'll regret it.
05:32I stared at those furious,
05:34protective messages for a long time.
05:37The final,
05:38faint ember of love in my chest quietly burned out.
05:41I replied with composure,
05:43let's get a divorce.
05:45Then,
05:45I blocked his number.
05:52The next day,
05:54I signed the papers my lawyer had drafted long ago.
05:57I arranged for a courier to deliver them straight to his office.
06:01After that,
06:02I went to the church to see the candle I had lit for David.
06:05But just as I reached the entrance,
06:06a familiar,
06:08honey-sweet voice drifted out.
06:10Steve,
06:11will Liana be angry that I moved Dave's candle
06:13and put Max's here instead.
06:15It was Jacqueline.
06:17Stephen's impatient voice followed.
06:19It's just a spot.
06:20What's there for her to be upset about?
06:22My feet froze to the floor,
06:24my blood turning to ice.
06:25When David was two,
06:27he had fallen gravely ill.
06:29Stephen had come to this very church
06:31and prayed for him for three days straight,
06:33filling the prayer room with candles.
06:38I'll light a candle for him every time I come here.
06:41That way,
06:42our Dave will always be safe.
06:44Every month after that,
06:46he would come with me to light one for David.
06:48And now,
06:49the once loving father had moved David's candle away for Jacqueline's dog.
06:56Don't you dare touch it!
06:59I lunged inside,
07:01shielding the candle with my body.
07:04Stephen's brow furrowed even deeper.
07:06Liana,
07:07what are you doing here?
07:09You haven't even apologized for that Twitter post
07:11and here you are looking for more trouble.
07:14Apologize?
07:15I let out a jagged laugh,
07:17pointing at the candle,
07:18my voice trembling with pure rage.
07:20Stephen,
07:20tell me,
07:21what exactly do I need to apologize for?
07:24Is it that I spoke the truth on Jacqueline's post?
07:28Or is it that I don't let you move Dave's candle for a damn dog?
07:34Jacqueline shrank behind Stephen.
07:39Anna,
07:40I'm so sorry.
07:42I just thought this was a beautiful spot
07:44and I wanted Max to feel how much I miss him.
07:48I stepped toward her,
07:49a cold sneer on my face.
07:53And what about my son?
07:56What right do you have to let a dog take his place?
08:01Stephen shoved Jacqueline protectively behind him and glared at me.
08:04Liana!
08:05Enough of this drama!
08:06It's just a candle.
08:08Is it really that important?
08:10Do you have to make such a scene here?
08:11Jacqueline immediately put on a performance,
08:14her eyes welling with tears.
08:17Anna,
08:18I know you're still angry because Steve stayed with me that day
08:22and that's why you're losing your temper now.
08:25But no matter how angry you are,
08:28you shouldn't make up lines about Dave being kidnapped.
08:32Steve was worried sick that day.
08:35Stephen looked at me with nothing but disdain and disappointment.
08:39Liana,
08:40Dave is your son!
08:41You'd actually invent a lie like that just because you're jealous?
08:45Do you even deserve to call yourself a mother?
08:47I stared at him,
08:48breathless with disbelief.
08:50I looked at the man I had loved for 10 years
08:52and whom I thought was my rock.
08:54Now,
08:55he felt like a terrifying stranger.
08:57I wanted more than anyone in the world for David's death to be a lie.
09:04Stephen's tone softened slightly.
09:07Dave is perfectly fine.
09:08He doesn't even need this candle anymore.
09:12Jackie's dog just died and she's heartbroken.
09:14Can't you show a little compassion?
09:16So,
09:17she was using my son's light to comfort her dead pet.
09:20The copper taste of blood rose in my throat.
09:22My vision swam
09:24and the final thread of my sanity snapped.
09:28I grabbed a nearby burning candlabra.
09:31Scorchingly hot wax dripped onto the back of my hand,
09:34but I felt nothing.
09:36Get out!
09:37I held the flames toward them.
09:39If you dare touch my sons of the Spaxiers,
09:42I will kill you myself!
09:44The people around us began to stare in shock.
09:47Stephen hissed under his breath.
09:49Liana,
09:50have you gone crazy?
09:51Jackie and I are just friends.
09:56She just returned to the country.
09:58What's wrong with me looking after her a little?
10:02Just friends.
10:03Since Jacqueline appeared,
10:05his late nights for work became more frequent.
10:07The perfume clinging to his clothes grew more unfamiliar,
10:11and his attitude toward me and our son grew colder by the day.
10:15For David's sake,
10:16for the sake of our little family,
10:18I had looked the other way.
10:19But now,
10:20there was no reason to keep pretending.
10:24Tears escaped my eyes uncontrollably.
10:27Stephen blinked,
10:29startled.
10:32I know you're just jealous.
10:35Look,
10:36once Jackie has settled in,
10:38I'll spend more time with you and Dave,
10:40okay?
10:40I promise.
10:42Just go home and talk to our son properly.
10:45Looking at Stephen's nauseating face,
10:47I swung the canlobber at him.
10:50It's not necessary anymore!
10:53All I want is for you to get out!
10:55The scalding wax splashed onto Stephen's arm.
10:59A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes,
11:01then quickly twisted into deeper irritation and anger.
11:06Liana,
11:07don't push your luck!
11:09If you keep this up,
11:10we're going to get a dead...
11:11Every time we fought,
11:13Stephen used divorce as a threat.
11:15In the past,
11:16I had loved him so blindly
11:18that I would apologize first every time.
11:20But this time,
11:22I stared him straight in the eye
11:23and cut him off with a sneer.
11:25I couldn't ask for anything more,
11:27and just so you know,
11:28about the text and the divorce papers.
11:30I've already sent them to you yesterday.
11:34Stephen froze.
11:35A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes,
11:37his voice betraying a faint,
11:39involuntary tremor.
11:42What are you talking about?
11:43What texts?
11:44What divorce papers?
11:47A shadow of fear crossed Jacqueline's face.
11:50She clutched his sleeve with a practiced fragility.
11:53Steve,
11:55maybe she's just angry
11:56and saying things she doesn't mean.
11:59Don't take it seriously.
12:01Looking at that pitiful,
12:02doll-like face of hers,
12:04my stomach churned with violent revulsion.
12:07The image of David's horrific death
12:09and Stephen's betrayal surged into my mind.
12:12Every ounce of agony and resentment
12:13I'd suppressed surged to a breaking point.
12:16as she was still murmuring something.
12:19I summoned every bit of strength left in my body
12:22and caught her across the face with a resounding slap.
12:25The sharp sound echoed through the hallowed hall.
12:28Jacqueline gasped, clutching her cheek,
12:31staring at me in pure disbelief.
12:35Who do you think you are?
12:37My voice was cold as a winter grave.
12:40If you're going to be a mistress,
12:42learn some goddamn discretion.
12:44As long as Stephen and I are married,
12:46you are nothing but a homewrecker lurking in the shadows.
12:50Jacqueline collapsed into Stephen's arms,
12:52weeping piteously.
12:54Stephen was momentarily stunned by my outburst.
12:57But then, a sickening glimmer of smugness sparked in his eyes.
13:01I knew it.
13:03You only said you wanted a divorce because you're jealous.
13:06His tone softened,
13:08almost as if he were offering charity.
13:10Tell you what.
13:11Go tell Dave that I'll come home tonight
13:13and have dinner with you too.
13:14It was delusional.
13:15He actually believed my breakdown
13:17was some desperate ploy for his affection.
13:19Oh, and Jackie's coming with us.
13:22She's craving clam chowder.
13:24Make sure you prepare a pot for her.
13:27Consider the soup an apology for the slap.
13:29As long as you behave yourself from now on,
13:31I promise our family will go back to the way it used to be.
13:38I don't need it.
13:39My voice was flat.
13:42And Dave certainly doesn't.
13:45Now, take your woman and get the hell out of my sight!
13:49Stephen's patience finally evaporated.
13:51His face turned livid as he spat out a final warning.
13:55Liana, I hope you won't regret this!
14:00He wrapped an arm around the whimpering Jacqueline
14:02and walked away without a single backward glance.
14:05I watched their retreating figures,
14:07my body swaying.
14:08I almost collapsed,
14:10but I forced my legs to hold.
14:15I returned to the spot where David's candle had been
14:18and lit a fresh one.
14:20This time,
14:21I lit it in my own name as David's mother.
14:28I had brought a small portion of David's ashes with me.
14:34I asked the church staff to help me seal them into a pendant,
14:38a small weight I could wear against my heart.
14:42I'll always be with you.
14:44I traced the warm metal of the pendant,
14:46sitting before the candle for hours.
14:49Only when the sun began to sink did I finally stand and head home.
14:53All I wanted now was to gather David's belongings.
14:56After that,
14:57I would leave this disgusting place forever.
15:02But when I reached the front door,
15:03the key wouldn't turn.
15:05The lock had been changed.
15:07I knew this was Stephen's petty retaliation for Jacqueline.
15:10But David's drawings,
15:12his favorite Superman figure,
15:14and every photograph of the two of us were still inside.
15:17I had to get them back.
15:18So I pounded on the door again and again stubborn,
15:22frantic,
15:23and desperate.
15:24After what felt like an eternity,
15:26the door finally swung open.
15:30Jacqueline stood there,
15:32draped in my silk robe,
15:33her eyes gleaming with naked provocation.
15:37Oh,
15:38you're back.
15:39Steve mentioned these old things were just taking up space,
15:42so he asked me to clear them out.
15:46Look,
15:47I was just about to toss them in the trash.
15:50Her foot was planted firmly on David's favorite Superman pillow.
15:53It was already filthy,
15:55crushed under her weight.
15:56The sight was like a blade through my heart.
15:59Stephen and I had spent an entire afternoon
16:01picking that out for David's birthday.
16:05How dare you touch my things!
16:08My voice cracked.
16:09I lunged forward to grab the pillow.
16:12Jacqueline dodged me with effortless grace,
16:14intentionally grinding her heel into the pillow again.
16:17She let out a giggle.
16:19Anna,
16:20you aren't the lady of this house anymore.
16:24Steve said the house,
16:26and everything in it,
16:27belongs to me now.
16:31Honestly,
16:32your son really missed out.
16:34If he'd held on just a few more days,
16:36he could have become my stepson.
16:38But it doesn't matter.
16:40Steve and I will have our own children soon enough.
16:44My eyes burned,
16:46the blood in my veins turning to fire.
16:49Shut up!
16:51Pushed beyond all endurance,
16:53I threw myself at her.
16:55We spiraled into a mess of limbs,
16:58scratching and tearing at one another.
17:00Jacqueline screamed,
17:02her nails raking across my skin.
17:04She suddenly shoved me away,
17:06then took the opportunity to fall backward onto the floor.
17:10I stumbled,
17:12my bag hitting the hardwood.
17:13The contents spilled everywhere.
17:16Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
17:19Stephen had returned.
17:20He burst in and immediately saw Jacqueline on the floor in tears,
17:24while I stood there like a lunatic.
17:28His face was a mask of fury.
17:30He stormed toward me,
17:31then froze as his foot struck something.
17:35He looked down.
17:37It was David's death certificate.
17:41I lunged for it in a frenzy,
17:44but it was still too late.
17:51Stephen snatched the paper and snapped it open.
17:54The color drained from his face.
17:56His hand trembled around the paper.
18:02What?
18:03What is this?
18:05What's happened to Dave?
18:12I let out a hollow, jagged laugh.
18:17Don't you see it?
18:19Dave is dead.
18:21He was kidnapped by your rival Ainsf...
18:25Lies!
18:29Jacqueline streaked,
18:31cutting me off.
18:33I saw Anna taking Dave to the park just yesterday.
18:36He was perfectly fine.
18:38He looked so happy.
18:40Stephen chose to believe her.
18:42His shock curdled into a blinding,
18:46white-hot rage.
18:48He grabbed me by the collar,
18:50his eyes bloodshot.
18:52Lyanna!
18:54You are truly demonic!
18:58You'd forge something this sick?
19:00To curse your own son?
19:02Just to manipulate me into coming home?
19:08I told you I'd try to make it work.
19:10Why the hell would you sink this low?
19:17Go check for yourself!
19:20I let him shake me,
19:23my voice reaching a state of numb exhaustion.
19:26Call Ainsworth.
19:29Ask him yourself.
19:30Ask him what he did to our son on New Year's Eve!
19:34Jacqueline fanned the flames from the sidelines.
19:37Anna!
19:38How could you conspire with Steve's enemy?
19:41You may make Steve get hurt!
19:42Her words ignited Stephen's rage completely.
19:46Stephen flung me aside
19:48and kicked me viciously in the chest.
19:50Crazy woman!
19:52I crumpled to the floor,
19:54a sharp agony blooming in my lungs.
19:57The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
20:01The necklace snapped.
20:08The pendant containing David's ashes skittered across the floor.
20:13Ignoring the pain,
20:14I scrambled on my hands and knees to reach it.
20:19But a stiletto heel got there first,
20:23pinning the pendant to the floor.
20:25It was Jacqueline.
20:27She picked the pendant up,
20:29twirling it between her fingers with fake innocence.
20:34What's this?
20:36It's actually quite pretty.
20:40Give it back!
20:42I rushed forward to snatch it away,
20:45but Stephen grabbed my arm again.
20:47Give my son's ashes back to me!
20:51My voice was a raw, primordial wail.
20:54Ashes?
20:56Stephen let out a dark, mocking laugh.
20:59He snatched the pendant from Jacqueline
21:02and held it between his fingers.
21:05Lyanna, you are getting better at acting.
21:09Just to make me believe you,
21:11you even prepared something like this?
21:13Mockery burned in his glaze.
21:15Then he gripped my jaw,
21:16forcing my mouth open.
21:18This is what you get for cursing our son.
21:21I shook my head desperately,
21:24clenching my teeth so hard my draw hurt.
21:26My nails dug deep into my palms.
21:29That pendant carried David's last warmth.
21:32It was the only thing left keeping me alive.
21:35How dare he?
21:37How could he?
21:39The words scraped painfully from my throat
21:42as tears of despair rolled down my face.
21:44I had loved this man for a decade
21:46and borne him a son.
21:50And now,
21:51he was trying to force me to swallow our son's ashes.
21:57Stephen,
21:58you will regret this.
22:00I squeezed the words through my teeth
22:02with the last of my strength.
22:04He paused for a heartbeat,
22:05but then a fresh wave of fury took him.
22:09He tore the death certificate into shreds.
22:18Where is my son?
22:20Lyanna,
22:21I'm asking you,
22:22where did you hide Dave?
22:24He glared down at me,
22:25eyes promising violence.
22:27I looked back at him and said nothing.
22:29The deepest sorrow in the world is not grief.
22:33It's the moment hope finally dies.
22:36My silence pushed him over the edge.
22:43He grabbed me roughly,
22:45dragging me like a sack of trash,
22:47and threw me out the front door.
22:50Lyanna,
22:51do you have any idea what you've done?
22:53So get out!
22:54Don't come back until you come to your senses
22:56and are ready to bring my son back.
23:02The door slammed shut in my face.
23:06The world went silent.
23:09Then,
23:10Stephen's ringtone
23:12pints the quiet from inside the house.
23:15I heard him answer.
23:18Who is this?
23:20I could never forget.
23:21The voice of a demon
23:23came clearly through the door.
23:29Stephen,
23:30why was I not invited to your son's funeral?
23:33I went through so much trouble
23:35to rig those explosives, you know.
23:37Only because of me,
23:38your little boy,
23:39got to enjoy that big bang!
23:49Inside the room,
23:50the silence was deathly.
23:53Then came the dumb thud
23:54of a phone hitting the floor.
23:56Ainsherd's voice slithered
23:58through the crack in the door.
24:00It's a real shame
24:01you didn't see the grand blast.
24:04The little brat cried his eyes out.
24:07He kept screaming for his daddy,
24:10begging you to save him.
24:12His poor little face
24:13was a complete mess of tears.
24:15I leaned against the icy wooden panel,
24:18blood in my veins,
24:19turning to ice.
24:21I could hear the hurr,
24:22the hollow echo of my own pulse
24:24drumming in my chest.
24:28Every word he spoke
24:30dragged me back to that night.
24:32David's tiny voice
24:33calling for help.
24:35His small body trembling.
24:39The memory hit me like a blade
24:41twisting in an open wound.
24:43That was when I learned that
24:44when a heart broke completely,
24:47one couldn't even let out a cry.
24:52Stop it!
24:53Shut up!
24:56Jacqueline's terrified shriek
24:58erupted from inside.
25:00On the other end of the line,
25:02Ainsworth let out a dry chuckle,
25:05curdled with pure malice.
25:08What's the matter, Jacqueline?
25:10Can't handle it now?
25:14You weren't so squeamish
25:16when you called me, were you?
25:18My mind went completely blank.
25:22Jacqueline had called Ainsworth?
25:30The air inside the room
25:32seemed to queneal,
25:33even the sound of breathing vanished.
25:38After a long while,
25:40Stephen's voice finally broke the silence.
25:44Trembling,
25:45lost,
25:47edged with raw despair.
25:49You...
25:50You called him?
25:51Jacqueline's composure shattered
25:53into a violent sob,
26:00retreating into her usual refuge
26:03of fragile victimism-ism.
26:07Steve, no.
26:09Please, let me explain.
26:11I just...
26:13I only did it because I love you so much.
26:18I was jealous!
26:19I was so jealous of Liana!
26:28Her voice was rising to a jacky, piercing pitch.
26:32Why does she get to have a son with you?
26:35Why does she get to be your wife?
26:38I'm the one who belongs by your side!
26:41I just didn't want you to go save that little brat!
26:47I wanted him dead
26:49as long as he's gone.
26:51You're mine.
26:53All mine.
26:54I lied about seeing him in the park,
26:57just so you'd believe she was making a scene over nothing.
27:01I wanted you to hate her.
27:05I wanted you to think she was some desperate,
27:08manipulative psycho who'd do anything for attention.
27:14Every word she spit was a poisoned blade,
27:17slicing deeper emper into my flesh.
27:20So that was it.
27:24My son's agonizing screams
27:26and my own desperate pleas for mercy.
27:30All of it had been dismissed
27:32as petty domestic drama by this woman.
27:37And Stephen, my husband,
27:39the father of my child,
27:40he had simply believed her.
27:43I pulled myself upright away from the door.
27:50The last drop of strength
27:52had been drained from my body.
27:55I couldn't even summon the moisture for tears.
28:02I turned and began to walk.
28:05My movements were mechanical,
28:08hollow.
28:09Behind me,
28:10the door burst open
28:11with a violent crash.
28:13Anna!
28:16Stephen's roar tore through the hallway.
28:19It was a sound of raw panic
28:21and total collapse,
28:22a voice I had never heard from him before.
28:24But I didn't look back.
28:26Behind me,
28:27Stephen's bellers,
28:29Jacqueline's hysterical weeping,
28:31and Ainsworth's mocking laughter
28:32still bleeding from the phone
28:33blurred into a cacophony of white noise.
28:35I couldn't process any of it anymore.
28:38All I could think about was David.
28:41My David.
28:44I used to think David's death
28:45was the peniscal of my pain.
28:47But now I realized
28:49the world held even foul or truths
28:52and even more sadistic agonies.
28:56I spent the next few days
28:57curled up in a corner of a dingy motel room.
29:00My phone had died long ago
29:02and I had no desire to revive it.
29:05Eventually,
29:06my lawyer tracked me down.
29:10Mrs. Barrett,
29:12Stephen has lost his mind.
29:16My lawyer's voice sounded weary
29:18with a tinge of horror in it.
29:22He's pulled every string he has.
29:23He went through the police records
29:25and the hospital files
29:26and even went to the scene himself.
29:27He saw Dave's death certificate
29:29in those horrible crime scene photos.
29:33Now he finally accepted that Dave is gone.
29:36My fingertips were ice
29:37but my breath felt like fire.
29:43I knew.
29:45I had known all along.
29:47On New Year's Eve,
29:48Jacqueline called him
29:49claiming she was ill to lure him over.
29:52She intentionally got him drunk
29:56and turned off his phone.
29:59She made sure he missed
30:01every single one of your calls.
30:03I closed my eyes
30:05and the memory of David's voice
30:07exploded in my ears again.
30:11Don't cry, Mommy.
30:13Daddy is definitely coming to save me.
30:20I opened my eyes
30:21and stared out the window.
30:23The night was heavy and still
30:25with not even a whisper of wind
30:27stirring the darkness.
30:31My lawyer continued to told me.
30:38Stephen has locked himself
30:39in Dave's room.
30:43He won't let anyone in.
30:47He's lined up all of Dave's toys.
30:51Under the bed,
30:52he found a box
30:53that had been hidden away by Dave.
31:00Inside was a drawing Dave made.
31:04In the picture,
31:05a little stick figure
31:07had a big word,
31:08Superman,
31:09written over its head.
31:10Next to it were a few
31:11cookie, childish words.
31:13My superhero, Daddy.
31:19My throat tightened,
31:21a sharp ache blocking my breath.
31:23That was the gift
31:24David had been preparing
31:26for Father's Day.
31:27He had drawn it in secret,
31:30hiding it away like a treasure,
31:32waiting for the perfect moment
31:33to surprise his dad.
31:35He had always said
31:37his daddy was his superhero.
31:39But his superhero
31:41never showed up
31:42when the monsters actually came.
31:44Tears finally slid down my face.
31:47I wasn't weeping
31:48for Stephen's breakdown
31:49or Jacqueline's cruelty.
31:55My heart was breaking
31:56only for my David.
31:58I wept for the little boy
32:00who would never eat
32:01another buffalo wing.
32:05Who would never get
32:07his new grown-up teeth.
32:09And who would never see
32:10the man he thought
32:11was his hero again.
32:16Stephen, you finally
32:17know the truth.
32:18But my baby
32:19can never come back.
32:28I lay in that motel bed
32:30for three days
32:31and three nights.
32:37On the fourth day,
32:38my door was kicked open
32:39with a violent crack.
32:41My best friend,
32:42Phoebe Walsh,
32:43stormed in.
32:44Her eyes were bloodshot
32:45as she hauled me upright
32:47and delivered a stinging slap
32:48across my face.
32:52Liana, snap out of it
32:53right now.
32:58If you let yourself
32:59die like this,
33:00what happens to Dave?
33:01Do you want him
33:02to be all alone
33:03and terrified
33:05in that cold world beyond?
33:09Don't forget
33:10that venomous bitch
33:11who killed him
33:11is still out there
33:12enjoying her life.
33:19She was right.
33:21I couldn't die yet.
33:23I had to get justice
33:24for my son.
33:32Phoebe put me in touch
33:34with the city's
33:34top private investigator
33:36and a ruthless attorney.
33:39I drained every cent
33:40of my savings
33:41to fund this legal war.
33:44I had only one demand
33:46for the detective.
33:49I want all the call logs
33:50between Jacqueline
33:51and Ainsfield.
33:57The detective was efficient.
34:01Three days later,
34:02a comprehensive report
34:03and a batch of audio files
34:06landed in my inbox.
34:07I clicked play
34:09on the recording.
34:10Jacqueline's voice
34:11came through,
34:12sickeningly sweet.
34:18Anx?
34:20You have to keep Steve away.
34:23Don't let him go
34:24save that little prat.
34:27Ansbraith laughed,
34:29his tone casual
34:30and cruel.
34:33Relax, sweetheart.
34:34Pay me enough
34:36and I promise
34:36he won't even get
34:37to say goodbye.
34:39Every word they uttered
34:40felt like a poisoned needle
34:41stitching itself
34:42into my flesh.
34:45I obtained the surveillance
34:46footage from the restaurant.
34:48It was the restaurant
34:49where Stephen and Jacqueline
34:50celebrated her birthday.
34:52The same day
34:53as David's funeral.
34:54And the tapes
34:55from the church
34:56showing how Jacqueline
34:57deliberately moved
34:58David's memorial candle.
35:05How she provoked
35:07my breakdown.
35:13The evidence
35:14was damning.
35:18I formally fired
35:19for divorce.
35:20I filed a lawsuit
35:22against Jacqueline.
35:23The lawsuit accused her
35:24of intentional withholding
35:26of kidnapping information
35:27and indirect homicide.
35:35Just as I finished
35:36signing the final documents
35:37and prepared to leave
35:38the law firm,
35:39a disheveled figure
35:40burst through the door.
35:42It was Stephen.
35:44In just a few days,
35:45he seemed to have
35:46aged a decade.
35:47This once polished,
35:49commanding man
35:50was now gaunt
35:51and unshaven.
35:52His eyes were bloodshot
35:53and the smell of alcohol
35:55clung to him.
35:56When he saw me,
35:58he lunged forward
35:59like a drowning man
36:00catching a lifeline.
36:01Anna.
36:03I took a cold step back,
36:06recoiling from his touch.
36:08Stephen dropped to his knees
36:10right there in front of me.
36:12This man,
36:13who had always been
36:14so full of himself,
36:15was now sobbing
36:17like a broken child.
36:19Anna, I'm so sorry.
36:22It's all my fault.
36:25I know I'm a bastard.
36:27I'm so sorry.
36:29I failed to protect Dave
36:31and didn't believe you.
36:33He slapped himself
36:34again and again
36:35across the face.
36:39Please, just forgive me.
36:41We can start over.
36:42We can have another child.
36:44Watched him quietly.
36:45My eyes held no emotion at all.
36:49Stephen.
36:51Your repentance
36:52won't bring Dave back
36:53from the grave.
36:54And your tears?
36:57They're worthless.
37:01Disbelief was written
37:02across his tear-streaked face.
37:07I reached into my bag
37:09and pulled out
37:10a thick stack of papers.
37:12Copies of every piece
37:14of evidence I had gathered.
37:17Then I threw them
37:18straight at his face.
37:21The papers scattered
37:23across the floor.
37:24I only want one thing
37:25from you, Stephen.
37:27I want you to make
37:28the people who did this
37:29pay.
37:30My voice was low
37:31and cold.
37:32Make a choice.
37:33Will you keep protecting
37:35your mistress
37:35who got Dave killed?
37:38Or will you do
37:39one final thing
37:40for your son?
37:41I want you to make it
37:48papers back to my face.
37:50The color drained
37:51from his skin
37:52until he looked
37:53like a ghost.
37:54After a long silence,
37:56a single word
37:57forced its way
37:58out of his throat.
37:59Fine.
38:01What?
38:02What do I have to do?
38:04Looking at his pathetic face,
38:07I felt no pity.
38:10In fact,
38:11I felt nothing at all.
38:16I want you to go home.
38:18Go back to Jacqueline.
38:23My voice carried
38:24no warmth.
38:28I want you to treat her
38:29exactly like you used to.
38:34You must make her
38:35believe you've forgiven her
38:36and make her drop
38:37her guard completely.
38:38Stephen flinched,
38:39his eyes clouding
38:41with agony
38:41and physical revulsion.
38:45Then,
38:47you are going to get her
38:48to tell you
38:50in her own words
38:51how she and Ainsworth
38:53planned everything
38:54and killed our son.
39:00I slid a miniature
39:01recording device
39:02across the table
39:03toward him.
39:06I want the whole truth.
39:09Don't miss
39:10a single syllable.
39:14Stephen picked it up,
39:16clenching it
39:16in his palm.
39:21Over the following days,
39:23Stephen played the part.
39:25He bought Jacqueline
39:26her favorite jewelry.
39:27He took her
39:28to the most
39:28exclusive restaurants.
39:34He was tender,
39:35attentive,
39:36the perfect lover
39:37from a storybook.
39:39Jacqueline quickly fell
39:40completely under his spell.
39:45Late one night,
39:47nestled in Stephen's arms,
39:48Jacqueline finally
39:50let the truth slip.
39:53I just hated how arrogant
39:56Liana was.
39:58Why should she get to have
39:59your child?
40:01That idiot Ainsworth
40:02actually thought I loved him.
40:04I was just using him.
40:06Steve,
40:07everything's perfect now.
40:10Now that the little brat
40:11is dead,
40:12nothing can ever come
40:14between us again.
40:20When Stephen handed me
40:21the recording,
40:24his hand shook so violently
40:26that he could barely
40:27hold the phone.
40:30I listened to it
40:31with a calm heart,
40:32saved the file,
40:34and dialed the police.
40:36Almost simultaneously,
40:38a call came in
40:39from Ainsworth.
40:45Stephen,
40:47I'll give you
40:48one five million dollars
40:49for whatever your ex
40:50has on me,
40:51and for my freedom.
40:54If you don't agree,
40:57I'll happily leak
40:58a few interesting
40:59recordings to the press.
41:00Following my instructions,
41:02Stephen agreed.
41:03Absolutely.
41:04The exchange was set
41:05at a defilate pier.
41:08The police moved in silently,
41:10forming a tight perimeter.
41:13I sat in the back
41:13of a surveillance van,
41:15watching the man on the screen
41:16who felt like a stranger now.
41:21Ainsworth appeared
41:21with a briefcase,
41:23a victor's smur
41:24slaped on his face.
41:30The moment the money
41:31changed hand is,
41:32the police swarmed.
41:34On the other side of town,
41:35Jacqueline was taken
41:36into custody.
41:41In the precinct interrogation room,
41:44I saw her again.
41:45She had been stripped
41:47of her designer labels
41:48and her meticulous makeup.
41:50She looked small
41:51and feral
41:53like a cornered animal.
41:56When she saw me,
41:59she tried to lunge forward
42:01like a madwoman,
42:02but the handcuffs
42:03locked her firmly
42:04to the chair.
42:06her eyes were blood-red.
42:10Liana!
42:12Your son
42:13isn't coming back!
42:15He's gone forever!
42:19And she burst
42:20into maniacal laughter.
42:22I stared at her,
42:23my expression perfectly still.
42:25I waited until
42:26she was gasping for air
42:27from her hysterical outburst.
42:30and she was gone forever!
42:30You will spend the rest
42:31of your life
42:32in prison.
42:35But I will go on living,
42:36and my love for him
42:38will accompany me
42:39through every day
42:39of my life to come.
42:45On the day of the trial,
42:47I stood in the witness box.
42:54My gaze sweat over the gallery of faces,
42:57some familiar,
42:58some strangers.
43:00No one knew the sheer force
43:02of hatred and resolve
43:03that had kept me standing here
43:05these past months.
43:06As I recounted David's death,
43:09my voice was unnervingly calm,
43:11without a single tremor.
43:12Every detail of that explosion,
43:15every roar of the blast,
43:19every jagged shard
43:21that tore through the air.
43:26It was all etched into my mind
43:29like a blade.
43:30Ainswithin's arrogance
43:31had evaporated,
43:32replaced by the ashen gray
43:34of utter despair.
43:36Jacqueline had to be restrained
43:37by the bailiff several times.
43:41She tried to deny it,
43:44tried to crawl for excuses,
43:46her voice rising in a strill,
43:49piercing noise.
43:51The courtroom doors creaked open,
43:55and Stephen walked in.
43:58Clad in a black suit,
44:01his frame gone and diminished.
44:06His eyes sought mine,
44:08brimming with agony and guilt,
44:10but I looked away
44:11with cold indifference.
44:17Taking the stand as a witness,
44:20Stephen offered a public confession.
44:24His voice was raspy,
44:27every word breaking with a sob.
44:30He was wrong.
44:32Devastatingly, irrevitably wrong.
44:39He had failed me,
44:40and more unforgivingly,
44:42he had failed David.
44:44I listened to his words
44:46without a flicker of emotion,
44:47as if none of it
44:49had anything to do with me.
44:52The judge delivered the verdict.
44:57Anisfield,
44:58convicted of intentional homicide
44:59and kidnapping,
45:01was sentenced to death.
45:04Jacklyn,
45:05charged with intentional assault
45:07and obstruction of justice,
45:11was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
45:18Only when I heard the ruling
45:20did the iron cords of tension
45:23in my chest
45:23began to slacken.
45:32The divorce decree
45:34also took effect.
45:36My marriage to Stephen
45:37came to an end.
45:39I was awarded
45:40all of the marital assets.
45:47But that wealth
45:48was nothing more
45:49than a string of cold digits.
45:54I donated the vast majority
45:56of it
45:56to a foundation
45:57for child protection.
46:05A few days later,
46:07I went alone
46:08to David's grave.
46:16In the photograph
46:17on the headstone,
46:18David was still wearing
46:19that sweet smile.
46:25His little dimples
46:27were just as they had always been.
46:32I gently laid down
46:34the drawing
46:34David had made
46:35with his own hands.
46:41I'm so sorry, baby.
46:44I let you down.
46:47I couldn't give you
46:49a real hero.
46:54But I will be
46:55my own hero now.
46:56And I will be yours.
46:57I reached out,
46:59my fingertips tracing
47:00the carved letters
47:01of David's name.
47:03Heavy footsteps
47:03approached from behind.
47:05I didn't need
47:06to turn around
47:07to know who it was.
47:09Stephen collapsed
47:10at David's grave,
47:11weeping in a state
47:12of total wretched collapse.
47:15I didn't give him
47:16a single glance.
47:18I simply turned
47:20and walked away,
47:21my steps heavy
47:22but resolute.
47:25Step by step,
47:26I walked toward
47:27a future without him.
47:29A future that belonged
47:31only to me
47:32and David.
47:40I fled that city
47:42and sought refuge
47:43in a remote village
47:44to work as a teacher.
47:47The air here
47:48carried the scent
47:49of soil
47:50and wild grass.
47:52And for a while,
47:53it helped me forget
47:54the blood-stained past.
47:57In the classroom,
47:58the children's clear.
48:01Eagola!
48:03I'm dressed in hats!
48:05Eager voices
48:06reciting lessons
48:07were the sweetest sound
48:08I had ever known.
48:10One day,
48:11while handing out
48:12workbooks,
48:13a slight figure
48:14darted into
48:15my line of sight.
48:20He looked up at me.
48:22Those eyes,
48:25clear as spring water,
48:28looked so much
48:29like my Davids.
48:30My breath stalled.
48:33The books in my hands
48:35scattered across the floor.
48:38He scrambled down
48:40to help me,
48:40his small hands
48:42clumsy and frantic.
48:46Miss Barrett,
48:48I'm so sorry.
48:52I knelt down,
48:54looking at his small face
48:55smudged with a bit of dust.
48:59What?
49:00What is your name?
49:03My name is Xander Wild.
49:06I don't have a mommy
49:08or a daddy anymore.
49:10My heart was wrenched
49:11by a sudden,
49:13violent ache.
49:16I later learned then
49:18that Xander's parents
49:19had both died
49:20in a landslide
49:21while trying to save him.
49:22From that day on,
49:24I found myself
49:25instinctively
49:26watching over him.
49:28I would bring him treats
49:30and tell him stories.
49:32And when his handwriting
49:34wavered,
49:35I would wrap my hand
49:36around his,
49:37teaching him
49:38stroke by stroke.
49:40He was gentle
49:41and sensitive
49:42beyond his years.
49:44He always stayed
49:45close to me,
49:47watching me cautiously
49:49with those eyes
49:50that looked
49:51so much like David's.
49:53Sometimes,
49:55I would tell him
49:57about David,
49:58about the little boy
49:59who loved Superman
50:01and Buffalo Winks.
50:03One day after class,
50:06he tugged at my sleeve.
50:10his eyes were brimming
50:12with longing
50:12and unease.
50:14Miss Barrett,
50:16will you love me
50:17like a mommy does?
50:21My eyes blurred
50:22instantly,
50:23the world dissolving
50:24into a watery haze.
50:29There were so many words
50:31I wanted to say to him,
50:33but I couldn't force
50:34a single one out.
50:35I could only nod,
50:37fiercely,
50:38again and again.
50:46As the sun dipped low,
50:52I walked with Zandon
50:53along the narrow
50:54country path,
50:56the evening breeze
50:57playing with my hair.
50:59His hand was warm,
51:01gripping my fingers tightly.
51:11Mrs. Barrett,
51:12do people become stars
51:14in the sky
51:14when they die?
51:16My footsteps faltered.
51:22I looked up
51:23at the vast,
51:24shimmering canopy above
51:27and in that endless
51:29sea of light.
51:32I thought I saw David
51:34standing beside
51:35his favorite star,
51:36smiling and winking
51:38at me.
51:40I smiled,
51:41my voice soft
51:43but certain.
51:44They do.
51:46Be Kim and Dakarly.
51:49They would become
51:50the brightest star
51:52in the night,
51:53always watching
51:54over the people
51:55they love.
51:56Zander nodded
51:57solemnly
51:58as if committing
51:59the promise to memory
52:01then leaned his head
52:03against my arm.
52:05Then my mommy
52:06and daddy
52:07and Dave,
52:08they're all up there
52:10watching me,
52:11right?
52:12Warmth bloomed
52:13in my chest,
52:15steady and real.
52:18I squeezed his hand.
52:20Yes.
52:22They're all there.
52:23They are watching us
52:25and they are keeping us safe.
52:28I leaned down
52:30and kissed Zayn's forehead.
52:34Feeling a sense of peace
52:36and strength
52:36I hadn't known
52:37in a lifetime.
52:40The stars above us
52:42shimmered
52:42like a thousand candles,
52:44each one burning.
52:46with the quiet promise
52:48of someone
52:49who had loved
52:50and been loved.
52:53Zander and I
52:54and David
52:54up there
52:55among the stars
52:56would always be together.
53:02We would watch
53:03over one another
53:04and guard this
53:06hard-won warmth
53:07with everything we had.
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