- 8 minutes ago
My Family's Betrayal
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Short filmTranscript
00:00On the day of my mate bonding ceremony, my parents suddenly brought my mate home and told me that the
00:05mate bonding ritual would be with someone else.
00:08Your sister was poisoned by Wolf Bake. There's no cure.
00:13And I'm trying to talk with David.
00:16You're her older sister. Can't you do this one thing for her?
00:20My mate also tried to persuade me.
00:24Don't worry. It's just a formality.
00:27After she dies, we'll still be each other's one and only.
00:34Still, I refused.
00:36However, my parents forced me to drink a potion that blocked my mind link, tied me up, and threw me
00:42into the family underground warehouse.
00:45We'll untie you once the ceremony goes smoothly.
00:50But soon after they left, I was attacked by a vicious rogue wolf.
00:55After unbearable prolonged aggie, I was killed.
00:58It was only when my body started rotting that they remembered I was still bound in the mine.
01:04My soul drifted unconsciously into the chapel, staring blankly as my mate stood on stage, sealing their mate bond with
01:11someone else.
01:12In the romantic venue, all eyes were fixed on the couple at the altar.
01:16My sister Laura was wearing the gown I had meticulously hand-sewn.
01:20She recited her vows to my mate David, with tears in her eyes and a voice full of love.
01:25Below the platform, my parents dabbed at the corners of their eyes filled with tears of joy.
01:29Our sweet Laura is finally with the love of her life.
01:32She finally got her wish.
01:34The crowd clapped and smiled as the happy couple shared stories of their fairy tale romance.
01:40What destined encounter and unbreakable bond were they talking about?
01:43In all their memories, I simply never existed.
01:46It was as if I'd always just been invisible.
01:48The gown I'd stitched with all my heart, tailored to cinch my waist perfectly now, hung perfectly on Laura, like
01:55it had been made just for her.
01:57I floated above them, my heart turned to ash.
02:00From the moment David proposed this ceremony, I was never meant to be his bride.
02:06Now it all made sense why David never cared about the planning.
02:10It also made sense why he had always been smiling at his phone while ignoring my calls.
02:16However, what I still couldn't understand was.
02:20Why did loving Laura have to come at the cost of destroying me?
02:26Three days ago, I was brutally murdered in the family underground warehouse.
02:31My parents tied my hands behind my back, forcing an entire bottle of mind-blocking potion down my throat.
02:38They didn't want me to fight back or ruin the ritual with the ceremony.
02:44So, they threw me into the mine and left me there.
02:48Then I watched in horror as a vicious rogue wolf rushed at me.
02:52I was tortured and killed in cold blood, all while I was pregnant.
02:55No one should ever have to go through what he did to me.
02:58The smell in the warehouse has poisoned me, leaving me to my fate.
03:03When I died, I couldn't even fight back.
03:06Worried that I would scream for help, my mouth was sealed shut with duct tape.
03:09I couldn't even scream, my throat burning with silence.
03:17Why?
03:19I don't understand why.
03:21My entire life, I've had to give in to Laura on everything.
03:28My parents always loved Laura more, ever since we were kids.
03:35Laura got the nice candies and wore the dresses I had wished for.
03:39Later, even though they could afford tuition for two, they paid only for her to go to Lycan Academy.
03:55Even with all of that, I never thought they would make me give up my mate.
04:03When Laura told them a wolf had poisoned her with wolf's bane during a camping trip and didn't have much
04:09time left,
04:10they didn't hesitate.
04:14Your sister was poisoned by wolf bake.
04:17There's no cure, and her final wish is to bond with David.
04:22You're her older sister.
04:24Can't you do this one thing for her?
04:27My mate also tried to persuade me.
04:30Don't worry.
04:31It's just a formality.
04:33After she dies, we'll still be each other's one and only.
04:40Still, I refused.
04:41That was when my parents forced the potion down my throat.
04:45I struggled until my wrists bled.
04:48But the potion burned through my throat, blocking my mind link inch by inch.
04:53I could no longer call for help.
04:55I could no longer even reach my wolf.
04:59Dad tied my hands behind my back.
05:02Mom looked away, as if seeing my pain would make her guilty.
05:06Eva, don't make this harder than it has to be.
05:08We'll untie you, once the ceremony goes smoothly.
05:11David stood at the door, his face twisted with guilt, yet he did nothing to stop them.
05:16Eva, just endure it for one day.
05:19Laura doesn't have much time left.
05:21I stared at him, the man who once promised to protect me from every injustice.
05:26For the first time, I realized his love could stand aside and watch me be destroyed.
05:31Then they dragged me into the family underground warehouse.
05:34The last thing I saw was the mine door closing.
05:38And then, in the dark, something growled.
05:41Someone, help please!
05:43However, the only thing that came was a stray wolf, fierce and menacing as ever.
05:49The rogue wolf moved toward me slowly.
05:52My hands were tied.
05:54My mouth was sealed.
05:55I begged him for mercy.
05:57Please, let me go.
05:59Yet the rogue wolf still lunged at me.
06:01The poison in the mine burned my skin and invades my blood.
06:05I had nowhere to run.
06:06I could only crawl backward, shaking, unable to make a sound.
06:11The attack lasted endlessly.
06:14My blood poured out, my skin paled, and my body went limp.
06:18I thought of the baby inside me.
06:20I'm sorry, my baby.
06:22I had wanted to tell David about the pregnancy at our mate bonding ceremony.
06:26But now, the child and I were both abandoned in the warehouse.
06:30I gradually lost my strength, lost my breath, and slowly closed my eyes.
06:36Tears slid down from the corners of my eyes.
06:39My entire life has been utterly absurd.
06:41My parents loved Laura, and the one I loved loved Laura too.
06:46At the same time, in the chapel, David was placing his hand over Laura's.
06:50I vow to love you as my mate.
06:52I vow to protect you.
06:54The crowd cheered, and I died in silence.
06:59Their ceremony went off without a hitch, and all I could do was watch.
07:03They went to the northern mountains for their honeymoon as I floated silently behind them.
07:09At the foot of the northern mountains, they strolled hand-in-hand across the snowy fields.
07:15Golden sunlight bathed them in a soft, warm glow.
07:18Laura wrapped her arms around David's neck, and the two of them kissed tenderly.
07:24Tourists nearby snapped photos and praised them for being such a beautiful couple.
07:29Oh, they look perfect together.
07:32Even my usually conservative parents smiled and cheered them on from the sidelines.
07:36They had long forgotten that my body was still left abandoned in the warehouse.
07:39My body had begun to rot.
07:41My blood had dried.
07:42No one could hear my desperate cry.
07:47So, who would care about getting justice for me?
07:55David, do you think my sister is mad at me?
07:59She hasn't called.
08:00Laura leaned against David's chest, faking a weary as she asked.
08:04David gently stroked her hair.
08:05No way.
08:07She's your sister.
08:08And with the wolfy bath in your system...
08:11He gazed at her intently.
08:12This was your only shot.
08:13Eva's not unreasonable.
08:15I'll be nicer to her from now on.
08:17That's all.
08:18Laura gave a nod, her eyes instantly regaining their shine.
08:22She grabbed his arm and joined mom and dad as they boarded the helicopter to enjoy an aerial view of
08:27the snowy mountains.
08:29That flight, costing tens of thousands of dollars for a single experience, was more than I could earn in a
08:34year.
08:34However, Laura could enjoy it without the slightest guilt.
08:38After the trip, they treated themselves to a luxurious dinner.
08:41I floated behind them in silence as they checked in at Hotel, the most extravagant hotel in the werewolf pack.
08:49Laura slipped into a revealing nightgown and climbed into bed next to David, reaching for his robe.
08:54However, he gently pushed her hand away.
08:57He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the snowy mountains in the distance as he drank
09:02in silence.
09:03His eyes were dark and troubled.
09:07I turned and drifted into my parents' room.
09:10They were lying against the headboard in bed.
09:14Dad sighed, shaking his head while mom massaged her temples.
09:19Normally, they'd be fast asleep by now.
09:23My mom pulled out her phone and tried calling me.
09:26Eva.
09:28However, all she got was a busy tone.
09:31Their faces twisted in confusion, anxiety flickering in their eyes.
09:35Whenever they wanted me to give something up, they'd slap me with one hand and offer candy with the other.
09:41It never failed to work.
09:42All they had to do was take the first step and reach out, and I'd cave every time.
09:49This time, no one was on the other end of the call, eagerly calling them mom and dad.
09:56Mom looked at dad with a worried expression.
09:59Honey, Laura's not exactly the sharpest at work, so why do you keep spoiling her?
10:04I also want to know, why?
10:06When we're gone, she'll burn through the family's fortune in no time.
10:10I really thought we could count on Eva to take care of us when we're old.
10:13So, in their eyes, am I nothing more than a caregiver who will look after them when they grow old?
10:19Even though, deep down, I had long harbored a vague awareness of it all,
10:23I still couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
10:25But she didn't answer just now.
10:27You don't think she's actually mad at us, do you?
10:29Forgiving her life, she owes us everything.
10:32And Laura was dying.
10:34As her older sister, she should be happy to help.
10:38What right does she have to be upset?
10:40Honestly, we've been too soft on her lately.
10:42She's forgetting her place.
10:44I listened to those words in silence.
10:47My eyes burning.
10:49At that moment, I was relieved I was dead.
10:52I was dead.
10:53My parents no longer have to look at me with disdain.
10:56I was dead.
10:57I no longer have to make concessions for Laura.
11:00I was dead.
11:01Laura and David, perhaps.
11:03They will be happy?
11:06David tossed and turned all night near dawn.
11:09He suddenly sat up, drenched in sweat.
11:12In his dream, I stood in my wedding gown, covered in blood from head to toe.
11:18He finally dreamed of me, but only after my body had begun to rot.
11:23David opened an old photo of us at Lycan Academy.
11:26His fingers trembled so badly that the screen kept slipping.
11:30Laura woke behind him and instantly softened her voice.
11:33David, are you thinking about Eva again?
11:36I know I don't have long.
11:39Please don't make my last days feel stolen.
11:42David froze.
11:43Guilt swallowed the faint panic in his eyes.
11:46I'm sorry.
11:47I won't look again.
11:49He deleted our photos one by one.
11:52Later, Laura walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window holding her phone.
11:57Don't worry.
11:59The contents of the warehouse will never be exposed.
12:02My soul went ice cold, so the rogue wolf was never an accident.
12:06Who was on the other end of that car?
12:09I followed Laura through the resort's back alley until she entered a private booth.
12:14My former friend, Lena, was waiting there with a sealed envelope.
12:18Here.
12:19A fresh wolf's bait diagnosis.
12:22Same doctor's stamp.
12:24No one will question it.
12:26Laura took it and laughed.
12:29Perfect.
12:30Eva was always too obedient.
12:32Once Mom and Dad tied her up,
12:34all Robert had to do was release the rogue into the mine.
12:38My dead heart seemed to crack again.
12:40Lena lowered her voice.
12:42You promised this wouldn't touch me.
12:44Relax.
12:45Eva will never crawl out of that mine.
12:48By the time anyone remembers her,
12:51there won't be much left.
12:52She didn't just want David.
12:54She wanted my life, my work, my inheritance, everything.
12:58As Laura gloated, I noticed Lena's hand under the table.
13:01A tiny recorder was blinking red.
13:04A traitor like Lena might become the knife that cuts Laura open.
13:08At the resort banquet,
13:10Laura presented pastries under my name.
13:12The elder food critic took one bite and slammed his fork down.
13:15This is an insult.
13:17Eva Corner had talent.
13:19You threw a pearl into mud and crowned mud in her place.
13:22He cancelled the hotel's century-old partnership on the spot.
13:26David's face turned ashen.
13:28We're going home.
13:31Now.
13:32Laura collapsed into tears and clutched her belly.
13:35If you abandon our honeymoon,
13:37I might not survive the trip back.
13:40Mom and Dad begged him to stay.
13:42That night, David opened the envelope I had slipped into his gift before the ceremony.
13:47Inside was a pregnancy report dated before my death.
13:50Four weeks.
13:52Eva.
13:53It can't be.
13:55His breath stopped.
13:57Yes.
13:58You pushed your pregnant mate and your child into hell.
14:01David gripped the report until it crumpled.
14:03When Laura dies,
14:05I'll spend my life making it up to Eva.
14:07You will never get that chance.
14:10They ended the honeymoon early and returned home.
14:13Laura walked into my bedroom like a victorious queen.
14:16She wore my nightgown.
14:18Sprayed my perfume over her neck.
14:20Then kicked off her shoes and climbed into my bed.
14:24It still smells like her.
14:26How annoying.
14:28David did not answer.
14:29He searched the house room by room,
14:31as if I might be hiding behind a door.
14:33He found nothing.
14:35When he reached the kitchen,
14:36he stopped for a long time.
14:38That had been my place.
14:39The warm window,
14:40the flower jars,
14:41the little recipe notes.
14:43Everything had been mine.
14:45Laura hugged him from behind.
14:46David.
14:47I'm your mate now.
14:49Why should we keep another woman's kitchen?
14:52Turn it into a walk-in closet for me.
14:54No.
14:54I screamed,
14:55but my voice passed through the walls like smoke.
14:57David lowered his eyes,
14:58and his silence became the answer.
15:02Workers arrived that afternoon.
15:04David stood at the doorway,
15:06jaw tight.
15:09Laura.
15:10Eva is still my mate.
15:12This kitchen.
15:13Laura's tears fell at once.
15:15Still your mate?
15:17Then what am I?
15:19A joke you held in front of the whole pack?
15:22She pressed his hand against her chest.
15:24Everyone saw our ceremony.
15:27I gave you my life.
15:29Don't humiliate me now.
15:31David's resistance broke.
15:34Do what she wants.
15:35Laura immediately pointed at my shelves.
15:37Throw those pans away.
15:39They're old.
15:40And that mixer too.
15:42It looks cheap.
15:43A worker hesitated.
15:46Sir,
15:47these tools are high-end custom pieces.
15:49Then sell them as scrap.
15:51I don't care.
15:56One by one,
15:57my knives,
15:58molds,
15:58and recipe boxes
15:59were dragged out.
16:03David knew how hard I worked for every item,
16:06but he watched silently as Laura erased the only place where I had ever felt alive.
16:13Much better.
16:16The kitchen became a bright cold closet.
16:19Rows of Laura's gowns hung where my ovens used to stand.
16:22David knew my parents had always favored Laura.
16:25He knew that kitchen was the first thing I built for myself.
16:28In the corner,
16:29he found a small framed photo of me dusted with flour.
16:33He looked around,
16:34then quietly slipped the photo into his pocket.
16:39At hotel,
16:40the sous-chef rushed toward him.
16:43Mr. David,
16:44Eva hasn't come in for weeks.
16:46The temp chefs can't handle the banquet orders.
16:49Guests are demanding refunds.
16:52David frowned and dialed my number again.
16:55Only silence answered.
16:59David slammed the phone down and overturned a table.
17:02How long does she plan to snore?
17:05He forgot he had already fired me for absence
17:07and named Laura Head Pastry Chef.
17:09The hotel staff watched him in fear.
17:13Sir,
17:14without Eva,
17:15the signature menu is collapsing.
17:18For the first time,
17:19David looked genuinely afraid.
17:21In the hotel suite,
17:23David stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows,
17:26looking somewhat displeased.
17:30Laura wore pajamas slowly emerged from the bathroom
17:33and wrapped her arms around his waist.
17:37Still worrying about my sister?
17:39No.
17:40She isn't worth me wasting any emotion on her.
17:42He turned around,
17:44and upon seeing her attire,
17:45his breathing grew heavy.
17:48Barefoot,
17:49she stepped onto the tops of his feet,
17:51wrapped her arms around his neck,
17:53and lifted her legs to hook them around him.
17:55Am I pretty?
17:57I floated behind them,
17:59unable to leave,
18:00forced to watch every stolen tenderness.
18:03I want you so much,
18:05I can't think.
18:06Once he had whispered those words into my hair
18:08while I baked late at night.
18:10Now he said them to the sister who had taken my gown,
18:13my ceremony,
18:13and my bed.
18:15He stripped off her lingerie
18:17and pressed her against the floor-to-ceiling window.
18:19A smug smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
18:22You're mine tonight.
18:23They were all over each other.
18:25His body pressed tightly against her buttocks,
18:28thrusting rapidly urgent and fervent.
18:30The sweat of her excitement left a print on the glass window.
18:33I watched it all,
18:35my stomach twisting in knots.
18:37Entwined tightly,
18:38the two tumbled onto the bed.
18:40They made love on the bed,
18:42on the table,
18:43and inside the cloakroom
18:45with an intensity that left them inseparable.
18:48Like lovers so consumed by passion
18:50that they craved intimacy at every moment.
18:54I want you so badly,
18:56I can't get enough of you.
18:57I watched his fascination with her.
18:59My child and I were rotting in warehouse dust.
19:02I touched my slightly swollen belly.
19:04How could I ever believe love would save me?
19:07A few days later,
19:09the fever of forbidden love began to fade.
19:12David sat alone in his office,
19:13staring at my contact name.
19:21And we'll talk.
19:22Another message followed.
19:28His eyes reddened but there was still no reply.
19:33Because I was already dead.
19:35Laura entered with fruit tea in her hand.
19:39Darling,
19:41are you still texting my sister?
19:43Her cheeks were rosy.
19:44Her steps were light.
19:45Her so-called fatal wolf's vein poisoning
19:48had left no mark at all.
19:50She rested a hand over her flat belly
19:52and smiled.
19:54Don't worry.
19:55Our baby and I are fine.
19:58David's gaze fixed on her face.
20:00Laura,
20:01weren't you supposed to be dying?
20:03For the first time,
20:04the question slipped out
20:05before she could guide him away.
20:09Laura's smile froze.
20:12What did you say?
20:15David's suspicion did not disappear.
20:17He secretly sent Laura's antidote
20:19to a private clinic.
20:21The result came back that evening.
20:25Vitamins.
20:26And one ingredient dangerous for pregnancy.
20:29His hands shook with fury.
20:31He cornered the doctor in the clinic.
20:33Did Laura ever have wolf bass poisoning?
20:38Mr. David.
20:39Medical privacy.
20:40David slammed the report on the table.
20:42Ah, answer me!
20:44The doctor stammered long enough
20:45for David to know the truth.
20:51He returned to the suite
20:53and hid a recorder under the lamp.
20:56Laura sensed the danger faster than he expected.
20:59That night,
21:00she injected herself
21:01with a tiny dose of wolf's vein
21:03and collapsed in front of everyone.
21:07Laura!
21:10My baby!
21:12David rushed her to the hospital,
21:14guilt crushing his doubts again.
21:17But the recorder had already captured
21:19Laura's earlier call.
21:21Use just enough to scare him,
21:23not enough to hurt me.
21:25David replayed it
21:26until his eyes turned bloodshot.
21:30I was her knife.
21:34From the start.
21:36Lucy realized something was wrong
21:38when my messages stayed unread
21:39for too many days.
21:40She stormed into hotel
21:42and grabbed the front desk by the collar.
21:44Where is Eva Corner?
21:46She was fired.
21:49Miss fired.
21:51Miss Laura replaced her.
21:53Lucy's eyes sharpened.
21:54She went door to door near the villa
21:56until a neighbor handed over
21:58the video hard drive.
22:00On the screen,
22:01my bound body was shoved into a trunk.
22:03The car drove toward the abandoned warehouse.
22:06Lucy ran there before sunset.
22:08The moment she reached the entrance,
22:10her wolf surfaced.
22:11The scent of blood,
22:13poison gas,
22:14Eva,
22:15My parents,
22:17David,
22:17Laura,
22:18and a strange rogue
22:19all mixed together.
22:20She kicked open the warehouse door.
22:22Inside the darkness,
22:24beneath scraps of torn fabric,
22:26lay a piece of white bone
22:27wearing my bracelet.
22:28Lucy dropped to her knees.
22:31No!
22:32No, Eva, please!
22:35Then her grief became a howl
22:36that shook the warehouse.
22:39Whoever did this to you,
22:41I'll make them pay in blood.
22:45David tried to pretend
22:46nothing had happened.
22:48When Laura entered the office,
22:49he shoved his phone away
22:50and forced a smile.
22:52You look pale.
22:53I'm fine.
22:54Then his gaze fell on her hand.
22:56A green gemstone ring
22:58glimmered on her finger.
22:59Isn't that Eva's ring?
23:01Laura curled her fingers at once.
23:04What a coincidence.
23:06I bought it at a boutique.
23:08Eva never took that ring off.
23:10He was right.
23:11He gave it to me
23:12at Lycan Academy.
23:13It was cheap,
23:14but it was the first promise
23:15anyone had ever made to me.
23:17Laura laughed too loudly.
23:19Why are you staring at me?
23:21Like I stole from a corpse?
23:23The word corpse
23:24made the air freeze.
23:25I looked at the ring
23:26and remembered the hand
23:27that tore it from my finger
23:28in the mine.
23:30Laura had my ring
23:31before anyone found my body.
23:32This was not an accident.
23:34This was murder.
23:36At my parents' house,
23:38mom placed cushions
23:39behind Laura's back.
23:40Our Laura has always been fragile.
23:42David,
23:43you must take care of her
23:44and the baby.
23:46David nodded stiffly.
23:48I will.
23:49No one mentioned me.
23:50No one mentioned
23:51how long I had been missing.
23:53A living daughter
23:54could be ignored.
23:55A missing daughter
23:56could be inconvenient.
23:58Only Laura's comfort mattered.
23:59The doorbell rang.
24:01David's eyes lit
24:01for one foolish second.
24:03Maybe he thought
24:03I had finally come home
24:04to forgive them.
24:05He opened the door quickly.
24:07Lucy stood outside
24:08with a cold face
24:09and clenched fists.
24:10Where's Eva?
24:11The living room fell silent.
24:13Laura stepped behind David.
24:16I can't get in touch with her.
24:17I went to the hotel.
24:18You fired her.
24:19I've checked everywhere
24:20she usually goes.
24:22Don't try to pull
24:22a fast one on me.
24:24Tell me,
24:25where exactly is Eva?
24:27Eva?
24:28Lucy and I had been friends
24:29for over a decade.
24:30She grew up rough,
24:31but she was always
24:32gentle with me.
24:33Now she shoved the door open
24:35before Laura could slam it shut.
24:36Eva!
24:37I'm here!
24:38Answer me if you're inside!
24:41Laura rushed forward.
24:42Get out!
24:43That bitch isn't here!
24:45Lucy's eyes went red.
24:48Say that again.
24:49Laura shoved her shoulder.
24:51Lucy shoved back harder.
24:53The coffee table overturned.
24:55Cups smashing across the floor.
24:57Mom screamed.
24:58Laura is pregnant!
25:00Don't touch her!
25:02David moved instantly,
25:03not to stop Laura,
25:05but to protect her.
25:06He grabbed Lucy's arm
25:07and pushed her away.
25:08Lucy!
25:10Get a grip!
25:11Eva really isn't here!
25:13Lucy staggered,
25:14then looked at his hand
25:15on Laura's shoulder,
25:16still protecting her.
25:19Even now.
25:21Lucy was the only person
25:22who came looking for me,
25:24and even she was being
25:25pushed out of my home.
25:27Lucy snapped.
25:29She raised her hand
25:30and slapped David
25:31across the face.
25:32Smack!
25:33His head jerked aside.
25:35Five claw marks
25:36tore across his cheek.
25:38You heartless bastard!
25:40Eva gave you everything!
25:42And you gave her sister
25:43her wedding.
25:44David touched the blood
25:45on his face.
25:46Stunned,
25:47Lucy turned on my parents.
25:48And you two?
25:50Eva is your daughter too!
25:52Did you forget that
25:53because Laura cried blouter?
25:55Dad tried to step forward.
25:56This is family business.
25:58Lucy's claw lengthened.
25:59Then listen like family.
26:01If anything happened to Eva,
26:04I will drag every one of you
26:05into court,
26:06into prison,
26:07or into the grave.
26:10Laura hid behind David,
26:11but even she stopped talking.
26:13For once,
26:14no one dared to call me selfish.
26:15If anyone had spoken for me like this
26:18while I was alive,
26:19maybe I would have known
26:19I deserved to be loved.
26:21Lucy backed toward the door,
26:23her voice shaking.
26:24I'll find her myself.
26:28That night,
26:29David coaxed Laura to sleep
26:30before returning to the living room.
26:32Mom.
26:32Dad.
26:33Eva has been missing too long.
26:36What exactly happened that day?
26:38Mom's lips trembled.
26:40She's angry.
26:41Let her cool down.
26:42You tied her up.
26:43Silence answered him.
26:45They finally sensed fear,
26:47but not enough to confess.
26:49Meanwhile,
26:49my body lay deep in the silver mine.
26:51The smell of rot
26:52seeped through the cracks
26:53and attracted rats.
26:54Residential staff called an exterminator
26:56who called the police.
26:57At dawn,
26:58David's phone rang.
26:59Hello.
27:00Is this Eva Corner's family?
27:02We discovered a decomposing female body
27:04in the abandoned silver mine
27:05behind the villa.
27:06David's face drained of color.
27:08Initial identification
27:09confirms the victim is Eva Corner.
27:11She was also pregnant.
27:13The phone slipped from his hand.
27:14No.
27:16Impossible.
27:17Please come to the station
27:18to identify the body.
27:20David drove like a madman
27:22and crashed into the roadside barrier
27:23near the mine.
27:24Blood ran down his forehead
27:26as he stumbled toward the police tape.
27:28Eva!
27:28I'm here!
27:29Reporters surrounded him,
27:30cameras flashing.
27:32Mr. David,
27:33did your family imprison your mate?
27:34David collapsed outside the mine
27:36and clawed at the dirt.
27:37I killed her.
27:39I killed my child.
27:41Across town,
27:42Laura locked herself in her room.
27:44She deleted messages,
27:45burned fake medical forms,
27:47and flushed the last paper scripts
27:48down the toilet.
27:50Robert can take the blame.
27:52Mom and Dad tied her up.
27:55I never touched her.
27:57The door was kicked open.
27:58Lucy stood there,
28:00phone raised,
28:00recording everything.
28:02Say that again.
28:03Louder.
28:04Laura lunged for the phone.
28:06Lucy slapped her to the floor.
28:07Everything you destroy
28:08has a cloud backup somewhere.
28:11You owe Eva a blood debt,
28:13and I will collect it.
28:15Laura's face turned white.
28:16The first crack in her victory
28:18had opened.
28:19My parents tried to rush
28:21toward the mine to
28:22check the scene,
28:23but reporters blocked every path.
28:25They returned home in panic
28:26and found Laura on the floor,
28:28Lucy towering over her.
28:30Your precious daughter
28:31was destroying evidence.
28:33Dad turned on Mom first.
28:34This is your fault!
28:36You spoiled her
28:37until she killed Eva!
28:40Mom screamed back.
28:41You wanted David's hotel connections!
28:43Don't put this on me!
28:45Their excuses shattered
28:46one after another.
28:48Then David burst in.
28:49His eyes were bloodshot,
28:51and dried blood covered his temple.
28:53He grabbed Laura's wrist
28:54and pinned her against the wall.
28:56Was the rogue in the mine your plan?
28:59Was Eva's death
29:00arranged from the start?
29:02David, you're scary.
29:05His claws pressed
29:05against her throat.
29:06Before she could answer,
29:08police officers entered
29:09with a preliminary report.
29:11Eva Corner's hands were bound.
29:12She suffered violent assault
29:14before death.
29:15This is a homicide.
29:16All immediate family members
29:17must come identify the body.
29:19The room went dead silent.
29:22The morgue smelled
29:23of disinfectant, metal,
29:25and something no perfume
29:26could hide.
29:27My parents stood behind
29:28David, trembling.
29:29Prepare yourselves.
29:31David reached for the white cloth,
29:33but his fingers refused to obey.
29:35Finally, he pulled it back.
29:36My face was no longer
29:38the face they remembered.
29:39Mom screamed and fell to her knees.
29:42Eva!
29:43No!
29:45No!
29:46This isn't my daughter!
29:48Dad covered his mouth,
29:50his body shaking.
29:51David stared at my hand,
29:52where the ring had once been.
29:55Eva.
29:56I'm sorry.
29:58I'm so sorry.
30:00Laura stayed near the door,
30:02with one hand over her nose.
30:03Can we leave soon?
30:05This place is making me sick.
30:06The sentence landed like a blade.
30:09Even my father looked at her,
30:10as if seeing a stranger.
30:12They finally regretted it.
30:14But regret could not
30:15sew my body back together
30:16or return breath to my child.
30:18The white cloth fell beside the table
30:20like a final curtain.
30:22David's knees hit the floor
30:24beside the autopsy table.
30:25He slapped himself once,
30:27then again,
30:27each sound sharp in the morgue.
30:29I watched them take you away.
30:32I let them tie you up.
30:34I told you to endure it.
30:36Mom sobbed until her voice broke.
30:38Dad's shoulders shook silently.
30:40Laura disappeared into the hallway
30:42and returned,
30:42wiping her mouth.
30:43She's dead already.
30:44Why does she still have to drag
30:46the whole family down?
30:47David slowly lifted his head.
30:50What did you say?
30:52Laura flinched,
30:53but pride made her continue.
30:54Everyone is staring at us
30:55because of her.
30:57She always had to make things difficult.
30:59David surged to his feet
31:00and slammed her against the wall.
31:02Difficult!
31:03She was murdered!
31:04I'm pregnant!
31:06Then pray that child never learns
31:07what kind of mother you are!
31:09It was the first time
31:10Laura had ever been spoken to that way.
31:12For once,
31:13her tears did not save her.
31:16The police officer's expression was grave.
31:18The victim's hands were tied.
31:20Her mouth was sealed.
31:22There were multiple knife wounds.
31:24And evidence of rogue wolf assault.
31:28Mom collapsed into the chair.
31:30We did it.
31:32We tied her up.
31:33Dad grabbed her arm.
31:34Stop talking!
31:35Mom shook him off, sobbing.
31:36We forced the mind-blocking potion
31:38down her throat.
31:39We left her in the mine
31:41because Laura wanted the ceremony.
31:43David staggered back as if struck.
31:45Who suggested the mine?
31:47Mom's eyes moved toward Laura's empty chair.
31:49Before she could speak,
31:51Lucy's roar exploded from the hallway.
31:53Laura did!
31:54She planned it!
31:55An officer tried to hold her back.
31:57Eva didn't die because of an accident!
31:58She was served to a monster by her own family!
32:01My mother finally told the truth,
32:03but it was too late to be courage.
32:05Lucy slammed her fist against the glass.
32:07Bring Laura here.
32:10Let her look at what she made.
32:15Lucy entered the police office
32:16with a hard drive clutched in her hand.
32:18I bought every camera feed
32:20around that district.
32:21The officer connected it to the screen.
32:23In the footage,
32:24Laura stood behind a bar with Robert,
32:26a rogue addict known in the lower streets.
32:28Once Eva is in the mine,
32:30release the wolf.
32:32Make it look like a stray attack.
32:34And my payment.
32:36After David's hotel is mine.
32:38David watched the screen,
32:39his face turning gray.
32:41Robert also followed the family car
32:43to the silver mine.
32:44Laura burst into the room.
32:45Fake!
32:46That video is fake!
32:48Lucy stepped toward her.
32:50Then why are you shaking?
32:52Laura screamed and lunged,
32:53nails aimed at Lucy's face.
32:55Lucy caught her wrist and twisted.
32:57I hope you fight.
32:59It makes you look exactly
33:01like the murderer you are.
33:03Police separated them.
33:05Laura's mask finally cracked in public,
33:06and everyone saw the monster underneath.
33:09David gripped Laura's wrist
33:11across the interrogation table.
33:12You had a lover.
33:14You had a plan.
33:16Why did you still demand my bond?
33:18Laura cried desperately.
33:20Robert forced me!
33:21I only loved you!
33:23Lucy threw a stack of photos
33:25onto the table.
33:26In every one,
33:27Laura and Robert kissed,
33:28drank,
33:28and counted cash together.
33:29That's a very affectionate extortionist.
33:32Mom stared at the photos,
33:33then slapped Laura so hard
33:35the sound echoed.
33:36You killed your sister for this?
33:38Police gathered the evidence
33:40and announced a formal homicide investigation.
33:43Later,
33:43an officer pulled David aside.
33:45There is one more thing.
33:47Eva Corner was pregnant
33:49at the time of death.
33:51David froze.
33:52Based on the timing,
33:53the child was yours.
33:55David turned and punched
33:56the observation room glass
33:58again and again.
34:00Blood ran down both hands.
34:03I killed them both.
34:04No confession could make him innocent.
34:06After learning about the baby,
34:08David lost the last piece of sanity.
34:11He ran back to the silver mine
34:13and crawled through the dirt
34:14on his knees.
34:15With bare hands,
34:16he dug out the rope
34:18that had bound me
34:18and a packet of wedding candy
34:20soaked black with old blood.
34:22His nails split.
34:24His fingertips bled.
34:25Eva.
34:27I'm sorry.
34:28Baby.
34:30I'm sorry.
34:31Then he returned home
34:33and destroyed the walk-in closet.
34:35He smashed the mirrors,
34:37tore down Laura's gowns,
34:38and carried my discarded kitchen tools
34:40back one by one.
34:43David knelt on the cold floor,
34:45cleaning them with shaking hands.
34:47Disgusting.
34:48He finally cherished
34:49what he helped destroy.
34:51Laura rushed in
34:53and screamed at the wreckage.
34:54Have you lost your mind?
34:57David spun around
34:58and seized her throat.
35:00Was the rogue wolf
35:01locked in the mine by you?
35:04His claws pricked her skin.
35:07Was Eva's death planned
35:09from the beginning?
35:11Laura's fear twisted into a smile.
35:14Fine.
35:15Yes.
35:16I planned it!
35:18David's hand tightened.
35:19I ruined her chances
35:21since we were children.
35:22I faked the wolf face.
35:24I got the potion.
35:26I told Robert
35:27to lock the rogue in the mine.
35:30Mom and dad rushed in
35:31just in time to hear every word.
35:33This is the younger sister
35:35they have doted on since childhood.
35:37Laura's true colors
35:38hidden for so many years
35:39were finally exposed to the public.
35:42Yet,
35:43there was no trace of joy
35:45on Eva's face.
35:46In fact,
35:47she looked even more sorrowful.
35:49This righteous trial
35:50has come too late.
35:52Laura laughed harder.
35:54She screamed your name
35:55when the wolf tore into her.
35:57You were busy marrying me.
35:59David's claws shot out.
36:00Mom fanted with a broken cry.
36:03Laura used the chaos to run,
36:04but the front door
36:05was already blocked.
36:07Lucy stood there
36:08with police officers
36:09and elder council guards.
36:11Laura clutched her stomach.
36:13You can't arrest me!
36:14I'm pregnant!
36:16Lucy stepped forward
36:17and threw a medical report
36:19at her feet.
36:20Stop acting.
36:21You were never pregnant.
36:22The report showed no pregnancy,
36:25only hormone injections
36:26and forged records.
36:28Laura's mouth opened,
36:29but no sound came out.
36:32The werewolf council hall
36:34was packed.
36:35Lucy stood before the elders
36:36with boxes of evidence.
36:38Surveillance of Laura and Robert,
36:40bank transfers to the doctor,
36:42Lena's recording,
36:43the parents' confession.
36:45David's termination letter
36:46against Eva.
36:48One by one,
36:49the evidence appeared
36:50on the giant screen.
36:51The crowd erupted.
36:53Blood for blood!
36:55Laura trembled in chains.
36:57They're lying!
36:58Eva always wanted attention.
37:00Silence!
37:01The elders' cane struck the floor.
37:03David's family assets are frozen.
37:05His noble privileges are revoked.
37:07Laura Corner will be transferred
37:09to maximum security prison
37:11pending final judgment.
37:12David suddenly stood.
37:14No!
37:14I'm not only a victim of her lies.
37:17Every eye turned to him.
37:18I watched Eva be taken away.
37:20I fired her.
37:21I abandoned her pregnant!
37:23I asked to be sentenced with Laura!
37:25Laura screamed.
37:27Don't drag me down with you!
37:28David did not look at her.
37:30I deserve death, too.
37:33The court did not sentence David to death.
37:36That became his punishment.
37:38Moon Shadow Hotel collapsed within days.
37:42Partners withdrew.
37:43Guests cancelled.
37:44And old employees resigned together.
37:46Eva kept this place alive.
37:47You killed her.
37:49And expected us to serve you.
37:51David said nothing.
37:52He brought my coffin to the chapel,
37:54where our ceremony should have happened.
37:57For three days and nights,
37:59he knelt before it without food or water.
38:01his forehead split,
38:03knocking against the floor.
38:06Eva!
38:07Punish me.
38:09Please.
38:10I had already died.
38:12I had no interest in punishing him
38:15for his peace.
38:17On the fourth day,
38:19police brought news.
38:20Robert has confessed.
38:22Laura planned to kill you after the honeymoon
38:24and take over the hotel assets.
38:27David lifted his hollow eyes.
38:29She called you useful,
38:30then disposable.
38:32David laughed once,
38:33a broken sound.
38:35So I killed Eva
38:36for someone who was already measuring my grave!
38:41The chapel candles flickered
38:43like they were disgusted, too.
38:46Mom and Dad cried
38:47until they could barely breathe.
38:50For the first time,
38:52Laura called home from his detention
38:54and no one answered.
38:56Dad signed the statement first.
38:58From today on,
38:59Laura is no longer our daughter.
39:01Mom's hand shook
39:02as she signed beneath him.
39:04When I was alive,
39:05they never chose me.
39:07After I died,
39:09choosing me cost nothing.
39:11The evening news played Robert's arrest.
39:13Robert Gray,
39:14suspected accomplice
39:15in Eva Corner's homicide,
39:17has confessed to acting
39:18under Laura Corner's instruction.
39:20The police found Robert's DNA
39:22at the mine
39:23and recovered payment records
39:24tied to Laura.
39:25Investigators confirm
39:26Laura's wolf bay poisoning
39:28was staged from the beginning.
39:30Mom slid to the floor.
39:32My Eva!
39:33I helped them kill my Eva!
39:35Dad covered his face,
39:37old in a single night.
39:39Outside,
39:40neighbors whispered,
39:41They raised a murderer
39:43and buried the good daughter.
39:44Police brought Laura out
39:46in handcuffs.
39:47Neighbors gathered at the gate,
39:49pointing and whispering.
39:51That's the younger sister.
39:53The one they spoiled.
39:54She killed Eva for a man.
39:56Laura suddenly dropped to her knees
39:58in front of our parents.
40:00Mom!
40:00Dad!
40:02I'm your only child now.
40:04Write me a forgiveness letter,
40:05please!
40:07The words froze the air.
40:10Mom slowly reached out
40:11and touched Laura's hair
40:13the way she had touched it
40:14when we were little.
40:16For one second,
40:18Laura thought she had won.
40:20Then Mom slapped her.
40:21Again.
40:22Again.
40:23And again.
40:25Blood debt must be paid in blood!
40:27Dad turned away,
40:29shaking.
40:30Laura screamed.
40:31Ah!
40:31You can't abandon me!
40:33Eva is dead!
40:34I'm the only one left!
40:36Mom collapsed,
40:37clawing at her own chest.
40:39That is exactly why I hate myself.
40:42The police dragged Laura toward the car.
40:45Laura's eyes found mine
40:47for an impossible instant.
40:49I should have burned the body.
40:51Everyone heard her.
40:53The neighbors recoiled in horror.
40:55Laura wet herself from fear,
40:57then shoved Mom away
40:59with sudden madness.
41:00Stop acting righteous!
41:02You all helped me
41:04because you loved me more!
41:06Mom covered her ears.
41:07Laura rubbed her stomach out of habit,
41:09then remembered there was no baby.
41:11Her face twisted.
41:14Eva always had what I wanted.
41:16Talent?
41:17David's first love,
41:18that stupid gentle smile!
41:20I just took the life she wasted!
41:22Dad whispered.
41:23Monster.
41:25Laura laughed.
41:26You made me one!
41:28Police forced her into the car,
41:30but her voice still rang through the street.
41:32If you had loved Eva more,
41:34maybe she'd be alive.
41:36That night,
41:37my parents sat in the living room
41:38until dawn.
41:39Their hair seemed to turn white
41:41under the cold light.
41:42Mom kept washing her hands
41:44until they bled.
41:45I tied the rope.
41:46I held the bottle.
41:48I killed her.
41:50Dad tried to stop her,
41:51then began crying too.
41:53Their punishment had finally begun,
41:55but it would never equal
41:56one second of my death.
41:59In prison,
42:00Laura still refused to repent.
42:02She bribed inmates with promises
42:04and sent threats through her lawyer.
42:06Miss Laura says,
42:07if you don't sell the house
42:08for her defense,
42:09she will drag the whole family down.
42:11Dad listened.
42:12Express expression dead.
42:14Give this to the police instead.
42:16He handed over the last folder of evidence.
42:18Mom signed the legal document
42:20severing parental ties.
42:21Her eyes were so swollen
42:23she could barely see.
42:25I have no daughter named Laura.
42:27That same day,
42:28Dad suffered a heart attack
42:30and was rushed to the ICU.
42:33David requested prison visitation
42:34with a sharpened blade
42:35hidden in his sleeve.
42:36He wanted to die with Laura
42:38and call it justice.
42:40In the visiting room,
42:41Laura smiled at him
42:42through the glass.
42:43Kill me if you want.
42:45But remember,
42:46David,
42:47you were the one
42:48who truly killed Eva.
42:50David's fingers tightened
42:51around the hidden knife.
42:52Laura leaned closer.
42:55Want to know what she screamed
42:56before she died?
42:59Laura played the recording
43:00through the prison phone.
43:02My voice burst out
43:03from the speaker,
43:04faint,
43:05hoarse,
43:05and terrified.
43:06David,
43:08help me.
43:10David's face collapsed.
43:12You were saying vows to me
43:13while she called your name.
43:15If you had opened that warehouse,
43:18she might have lived.
43:19David smashed his fist
43:21through the glass partition.
43:23I'll kill you!
43:24Guards rushed in.
43:26Electric batons struck him down.
43:29He spent three days
43:30in confinement.
43:32When he came out,
43:34he signed away
43:35every remaining asset
43:36to the Eva Corner
43:37Welfare Foundation.
43:38Then he went to Lucy's door
43:40and knelt in the rain.
43:41Let me attend Eva's funeral.
43:44Please.
43:46Lucy opened the door
43:48with red-rimmed eyes.
43:49You don't get to cry
43:50over the body you abandoned.
43:55I just want to say goodbye.
43:59Show up
44:01and I'll kill you
44:02beside her grave.
44:03She slammed the door.
44:05David remained kneeling
44:06until sunrise.
44:07That was when he began
44:09preparing to die.
44:11My parents escaped the ICU
44:12against the doctor's orders
44:14and knelt outside Lucy's home.
44:16Dad's lips were blue.
44:18Mom could hardly see.
44:20Let us attend Eva's funeral.
44:22Please.
44:24We are her parents.
44:26Lucy looked down at them.
44:28Parents don't leave
44:29daughters tied in mines.
44:31They knocked their foreheads
44:33against the stone steps
44:34for five days
44:35and fainted several times.
44:37Lucy still refused.
44:39At my funeral,
44:40every wolf I had ever fed,
44:42helped,
44:42or comforted came.
44:45My parents and David
44:47were not notified.
44:48For once,
44:49the room was full of people
44:51who remembered me
44:51without needing guilt.
44:53But after the service,
44:54Lucy discovered
44:55the urn was missing.
44:56My parents had stolen it
44:58from the memorial table.
44:59She is our daughter.
45:01Her ashes belong with us.
45:03Lucy chased their car down
45:05and blocked it in the road.
45:07Her claws emerged.
45:09Give Eva back!
45:11Tires screeched behind them.
45:13David jumped out
45:14of another car.
45:15No one takes her
45:15from me again.
45:17Three kinds of regret
45:18fought over my ashes
45:19like they had ever owned me.
45:22The chapel was filled
45:23with white flowers
45:24and winter wind.
45:26Pack members came
45:27with candles,
45:28recipe cards,
45:29and small desserts
45:30I had once made for them.
45:31Eva gave my child
45:33free pastries
45:33every birthday.
45:35You can never let
45:35anyone leave hungry.
45:36My parents stood far away,
45:38barely upright.
45:39David leaned against
45:40the doorway,
45:41thinner than before.
45:43A cigarette burning
45:44untouched between his fingers.
45:46He did not dare
45:47look at my urn.
45:48I'm sorry.
45:50No one answered him.
45:52In life,
45:53I had been quiet enough
45:54to disappear.
45:55In death,
45:55strangers remembered me
45:56better than family.
45:58During the final prayer,
46:00Lucy stepped forward.
46:01Eva hated cold rooms.
46:03She loved sunshine,
46:05grass,
46:05and the osmangus tree
46:07behind our old school.
46:08When everyone bowed
46:09their heads,
46:10she wrapped my urn
46:11in her coat.
46:12I'm taking you somewhere.
46:14They can't fight over you.
46:18She slipped out
46:19through the side door.
46:20For the first time
46:21since my death,
46:22I wanted to follow someone.
46:24Rain poured down so hard
46:25it blurred the road.
46:27Lucy held my urn
46:28against her chest
46:29as if shielding me
46:30from the storm.
46:31Her hair stuck to her face.
46:32Her lips were pale.
46:34Remember when we were eight?
46:36I climbed that stupid tree
46:38and got stuck.
46:40She laughed through tears.
46:42Everyone said
46:43to wait for adults.
46:45You climbed up anyway
46:46and fell harder than I did.
46:50I tried to wipe her tears,
46:52but my hand passed
46:52through her cheek.
46:54Behind us,
46:55my parents and David
46:56ran through the rain.
46:58Mom dropped to her knees.
46:59Please give her back.
47:01Let me hold my daughter once.
47:05Lucy turned,
47:06eyes burning.
47:09You held her
47:10when you poured poison
47:11down her throat.
47:13We regret it.
47:14Then live with it.
47:17Don't use her ashes
47:18to make yourselves
47:19feel forgiven!
47:21Lucy.
47:22Lucy hugged the urn tighter.
47:24None of you
47:26get to touch her again.
47:29Lightning split the sky
47:31as if heaven agreed.
47:36After the storm,
47:37the sky cleared.
47:41Lucy walked alone
47:43to the old osmanthus tree
47:44behind our childhood school.
47:47Sunlight filtered
47:48through the leaves,
47:49warm and golden.
47:50Lucy hummed the silly song
47:52we used to sing
47:53when we were children.
47:55You always said
47:57this place smelled like home.
47:59She dug carefully
48:00beneath the tree
48:01and placed my urn
48:02in the earth.
48:03Beside it,
48:04she set a strawberry pie,
48:06iced coffee,
48:07and the white dress
48:09I had once admired
48:10through a shop window.
48:12I couldn't protect you then.
48:14I'll protect your peace now.
48:17I sat beside her,
48:19though she could not see me.
48:21For the first time,
48:22the abandoned warehouse
48:23felt far away.
48:24The wind moved
48:25through the branches,
48:26scattering tiny blossoms
48:28over Lucy's shoulders.
48:29Lucy smiled through tears.
48:32Rest here, Eva.
48:34No one will force you
48:35to give anything up again.
48:38I leaned against her
48:39like I used to.
48:42If love had a shape,
48:43maybe it was this quiet morning.
48:47Years passed under the osmanthus tree.
48:49One sunny afternoon,
48:51Lucy came with a basket
48:52and sat against my grave.
48:54Laura and Robert are in prison.
48:57Moonshadow Hotel
48:58went bankrupt.
48:59David drinks
49:00until he forgets his own name.
49:02She paused,
49:03then smiled softly.
49:05I'm better now.
49:06Not healed,
49:08but better.
49:10I floated beside her,
49:12lighter than before.
49:13Footsteps approached.
49:15My parents came slowly,
49:16carrying pastries
49:17they had once bought
49:18only for Laura.
49:20David followed
49:20with a box
49:21of handmade cookies.
49:24Eva loved these.
49:27Lucy stood up.
49:28Funny.
49:29You knew what she loved.
49:31Dad lowered his head.
49:32You knew
49:33she liked green dresses.
49:35Strawberry pies.
49:37Quiet kitchens.
49:38You just pretended
49:39not to know
49:39because Laura
49:40wanted louder things.
49:42David set the cookies
49:43down with shaking hands.
49:44I made them
49:45from her recipe.
49:47Recipes don't
49:47forgive murder.
49:49The three of them
49:49stood silent.
49:51They had always known me.
49:52They simply chose
49:53not to love me.
49:55Lucy left
49:55before the three of them
49:56could turn grief
49:57into a performance.
49:59Mom knelt
49:59in front of my grave.
50:01Her eyes were clouded
50:02white from crying.
50:03Dad's back was bent,
50:04his step slow.
50:05David's hair
50:06had gone gray
50:07at the temples
50:07though he was still young.
50:09They placed candy.
50:10Dresses,
50:11photos,
50:12baking tools
50:12and the green ring
50:13beside the stone.
50:14Eva,
50:16Mom brought
50:17your favorite sugar candy.
50:18I found the dress
50:19you once wanted.
50:21I should have bought it then.
50:23I kept your recipe book dry.
50:25So they remembered everything.
50:27They remembered
50:28the candies I stared at,
50:30the dresses I touched,
50:31the ring I never removed,
50:33the kitchen I loved.
50:35All my life,
50:36I thought I had failed
50:37to make myself understood.
50:38Now I knew
50:39they had understood perfectly.
50:41They simply chose Laura
50:42every time.
50:43David pressed his forehead
50:44to the ground.
50:45Forgive me.
50:46The osmanthus blossoms
50:48fell between us.
50:49The dead cannot forgive
50:50what the living
50:51never protected.
50:54My parents sold the villa,
50:55the cars,
50:56and every remaining luxury.
50:57They donated the money
50:58to children's welfare homes
51:00under my name.
51:00Then moved into
51:02a leaking rental room.
51:03Mom was blind.
51:05Dad was half paralyzed.
51:06They survived on scraps
51:08and the help of a nurse.
51:10Every day,
51:10they asked to be pushed
51:11near my grave,
51:12but they only dared
51:13kneel far away.
51:14Those are the parents
51:15who killed Eva.
51:16They accepted every insult
51:17without argument,
51:18not far from my grave.
51:20David dug a pit
51:21with his own hand.
51:22Beside it stood a stone
51:23carved with his name.
51:26If I can't be with her
51:27in life,
51:28I'll guard her in death.
51:31Lucy arrived with a hammer.
51:33You don't get a grave
51:34beside her.
51:35He smashed the stone
51:36until cracks spread
51:37across his name.
51:38David climbed into the pit
51:40and closed his eyes.
51:42Then kill me here.
51:44Let my blood pay her back.
51:46Lucy raised the hammer,
51:48trembling with rage.
51:49Even his death
51:50still tried to take place
51:51beside mine.
51:53Lucy did not swing the hammer.
51:55Your dirty blood
51:57would stain Eva's tree.
51:58David lived after that,
52:00but not for himself.
52:01Using my recipes,
52:03he opened a free pastry school
52:04for children
52:05whose families ignored them.
52:07No child who loves baking
52:08should be told
52:09their dream is worthless.
52:10Year after year,
52:12students learned
52:12under my name.
52:13He never remarried.
52:15He never slept
52:16without nightmares.
52:17When he was old,
52:18he handed the school
52:19and all his remaining assets
52:20to Lucy.
52:21Use it for Eva,
52:23not for me.
52:26That night,
52:27he placed a strawberry cake
52:28before my grave.
52:30I'm sorry.
52:31Then he went
52:32to the 18th floor
52:33of the hotel
52:33where we had first
52:34promised forever
52:35and jumped.
52:36His last note
52:37asked to be buried
52:38beside me.
52:39Lucy read it once
52:40and burned it.
52:41No.
52:42She buried him far away
52:44where no Osmanthus flowers grew.
52:46I remembered the boy
52:47I first loved,
52:48smiling under
52:49Academy sunlight.
52:50I never imagined
52:51we would end
52:52with ashes and distance.
52:54Years later,
52:56Lucy came again
52:56with white flowers.
52:57She sat beside my grave
52:59and opened
52:59a small newspaper clipping.
53:01Robert was executed
53:02last winter.
53:03The wind rustled
53:04the leaves.
53:05Laura isn't dead yet,
53:08but prison
53:08has its own
53:09judge justice.
53:10A drug-making inmate
53:11poisoned her slowly
53:13for years.
53:14Doctors say
53:14she won't last
53:15much longer.
53:16Lucy did not smile
53:17when she said it.
53:18I thought I'd be happy.
53:20Mostly.
53:22I just wish you were here
53:23to eat cake with me.
53:24Justice had come,
53:26but it could not laugh
53:27in my voice.
53:27For many years,
53:28I remained beneath
53:29the Osmanthus tree.
53:31Lucy visited every week.
53:32Sometimes she talked.
53:34Sometimes she sat in silence.
53:36I drifted with the wind,
53:38then returned to the roots.
53:40The world moved forward
53:41around us.
53:42Children grew.
53:43Seasons changed.
53:44Blossoms fell
53:45and bloomed again.
53:46I'll keep coming.
53:48Eva.
53:49Her promise was the only one
53:50that never broke.
53:52I miss you.
53:55Eva.
53:57One spring,
53:59Lucy did not come alone.
54:00A gentle man stood beside her,
54:02holding a little girl's hand.
54:04Eva,
54:05this is my mate.
54:07And this is my daughter.
54:09The girl placed a cookie
54:10before my grave.
54:12Lucy's eyes were wet but bright.
54:14We're leaving the Northern Territory
54:16for a while.
54:17I may not come
54:19every week anymore.
54:20I floated to the branch
54:22above her.
54:23A single Osmanthus blossom
54:25loosened and fell into her palm.
54:28Lucy looked up sharply.
54:32Eva.
54:34She closed her hand
54:34around the flower
54:35and smiled through tears.
54:37I knew you'd bless me.
54:42After that,
54:43she came every year
54:44with her mate and daughter.
54:45She told me the final endings
54:47one by one.
54:48Laura died
54:49from the poison.
54:50Your parents passed away
54:51from grief and illness.
54:54David died years ago
54:55after jumping from the hotel.
54:57Lucy exhaled.
54:59It's over.
55:00Now.
55:02All the people who hurt me
55:03had reached their endings.
55:06Only love
55:07still returned.
55:11Life was a cycle
55:13of blooming and falling.
55:16Lucy's daughter grew tall.
55:18Each year,
55:19my soul became lighter.
55:20The pain of the silver mine
55:22faded first.
55:23Then David's face.
55:25Then my parents' voices.
55:27Only Lucy remained clear.
55:30One autumn afternoon,
55:31she stood beneath the tree
55:32with silver in her hair.
55:33She stuck the candles
55:35into my birthday cake,
55:36then ate it bite by small bite,
55:38shedding tears.
55:39Eva.
55:40This might be the last birthday
55:42I'll ever be able
55:44to celebrate with you.
55:45Still youthful in appearance,
55:47I gazed with deep affection
55:48at her now white-haired
55:50and aged.
55:50I don't know what to say,
55:52just...
55:55Meeting you was the greatest
55:56stroke of luck
55:57in my otherwise
55:58unfortunate life.
55:59Lucy tilted her head back
56:01to look at the sky,
56:02facing directly toward Eva.
56:04Eva.
56:05If there's a next life,
56:07find me earlier.
56:08I reached out,
56:10and this time,
56:11the wind carried my answer.
56:13I will.
56:15Osmonesis blossoms
56:17burst from the branches,
56:18golden and bright.
56:20Lucy's tears fell,
56:21but she smiled.
56:23Then we'll be best friends again.
56:25The light behind the tree
56:27opened like a warm door.
56:30I looked once more
56:31at the grave,
56:32the flowers,
56:33Lucy,
56:33and the children
56:34waving at the wind.
56:35I was no longer
56:36a daughter begging
56:37to be chosen,
56:38nor a mate waiting
56:39to be saved.
56:40I was free.
56:42With Lucy's love
56:44as my final memory,
56:45I walked into the light
56:46and disappeared.
56:49To be continued...
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