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This full movie features a dramatic story filled with love, secrets, revenge, and unforgettable characters. If you enjoy short drama series, romantic stories, and emotional films, this video is perfect for you.
Stay tuned for more full movies, drama series, and trending stories updated daily.
#FullMovie #Drama #LoveStory #Billionaire #Romance #FullDrama #Emotional #Trending #2026
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00:00Roderick ripped my shirt open and froze.
00:03My back was covered in scars, old and new, all from whippings.
00:07What the hell happened here?
00:11I misbehaved. They punished me for it.
00:14My voice was flat, like I was talking about someone else's body.
00:18He stared at the scars he'd never seen.
00:21Then he said,
00:24You deserved it.
00:26He sent me to that place three years ago to cure me of loving him.
00:32I spent three years locked inside that place.
00:35Now, I stopped loving him, just as he wanted.
00:38Then he came running back and said,
00:40I regret it.
00:42For eight years, I was a fixture by Roderick Dunlap's side.
00:46Everyone said I was addicted to him.
00:48I was so obsessed with him that I'd run off any woman who got close to him,
00:52whatever it took.
00:53Once, I offered one of them money to leave Roderick.
00:58The woman laughed in my face.
01:00Being with Roderick meant an endless supply of cash.
01:03Why would anyone walk away for such a pathetic amount?
01:07Then that woman took a staged fall down a flight of stairs.
01:11Roderick thought I pushed her.
01:14And I ended up being sent to a rehab center by him.
01:22Others went there to quit smoking, drinking, or gaming.
01:25I was there to let go of Roderick.
01:28In the end, I succeeded only for him to tell me he regretted it.
01:32The moment I stepped out of the rehab center, I saw an Audi parked there.
01:37It looked totally out of place.
01:40I glanced at it and lowered my head, preparing to walk away.
01:43The person who got out of the car called out to me.
01:47It was Roderick.
01:48Roderick.
01:49He had grown more mature in the last three years.
01:52I glanced at him once, then looked away.
01:54The staff at the center taught us that staring was rude, especially at someone we liked.
02:00Yes, after three years, I had been completely reformed.
02:07Roderick told me to get in, and I did so, sitting quietly in the back seat.
02:11I kept my head down, staring at my lap and not moving a muscle.
02:16Roderick sat beside me.
02:18I could feel the weight of his intense gaze.
02:20The car was dead quiet.
02:22I held my breath, scared to make a peep.
02:24But a cough escaped me anyway.
02:26It was just my old cough.
02:28The car pulled up at the Dunlap's mansion.
02:31Roderick's grandmother, Maggie Dunlap, lived there.
02:35Today, as I remembered, marked her 80th birthday.
02:39Then it hit me why Roderick had come to get me.
02:41He started to walk in.
02:43I hesitated for a second, then blurted out.
02:48Um, Roderick?
02:50I didn't bring a gift.
02:52When he turned around, my heart was pounding out of my chest.
02:57I quickly looked down.
02:59I knew my quickened heartbeat was from fear, not from affection.
03:04Somehow, I'd turned into a total coward.
03:06If someone even glanced my way, I'd get a jolt of fear.
03:12I'd toss and turn all night in nightmares, haunted by those staring eyes.
03:18Follow me.
03:20Roderick brushed off my worry.
03:21He was as cold as always.
03:24Or maybe he only saved that coldness for me.
03:27I had to jog a little just to keep up with him.
03:31Mari!
03:32You're back!
03:33Come in, dear!
03:34Maggie was right there at the front door.
03:36Waiting for me, Dot Maggie, had always had my back.
03:39Always encouraged my crush on Roderick and even snuck me info on his plans.
03:43I walked over to her.
03:46Hello, Maggie.
03:47Mari, honey.
03:49Why are you being so distant?
03:51You're not mad at me for what happened, are you?
03:53Maggie stroked my hair, her eyes full of affection.
03:56I shook my head.
03:57I could never be mad at her three years ago.
04:00If Maggie hadn't threatened to harm herself, I probably would have been sent to jail instead.
04:06On the outside, it looked like a regular school.
04:09But only the people who'd been locked up there knew what real torture was like.
04:15During the meal, I kept my head down, shoveling down spaghetti as fast as I could.
04:20I didn't make a sound, didn't reach for anything else.
04:23Just ate fast like I hadn't had a meal in a month.
04:28Marianne!
04:29Yes, sir!
04:30Hearing my name, I set down my fork and stood up straight.
04:33We all froze me, Roderick, and Maggie.
04:36I met their shocked stares for a split second.
04:39Then I looked down at the silverware I'd set neatly on the table.
04:43Even with how panicked I was, I just stood there, confused.
04:47It hit me then I'd forgotten I wasn't at the center anymore.
04:51I had no idea why Roderick had called me.
04:53You scared her, you big idiot!
04:56Maggie swatted Roderick's arm before turning to me.
04:58Sit down, Mary.
05:00You're home now, sweetie.
05:02Just relax.
05:04I did what Maggie said and sat back down.
05:07But I couldn't eat another bite.
05:08Something about the way they looked at me told me they'd noticed.
05:11The girl who walked in three years ago was gone.
05:14And the one sitting here now was someone they didn't recognize.
05:19Grandma was talking to you.
05:21Why weren't you listening?
05:25Roderick's tone was sharp.
05:27I couldn't tell if he was mad I'd ignored Maggie,
05:29or just ticked off about getting swatted.
05:31I'm sorry, Maggie.
05:33I was just very hungry.
05:35I didn't hear you.
05:36I gave her an apologetic look.
05:38The counselors at the center always drilled it into us.
05:42Apologies have to be sincere.
05:44Only I knew the truth.
05:46It wasn't hunger.
05:47It was fear.
05:48Fear of getting punished for not eating fast enough,
05:51or for leaving food on my plate.
05:52I vaguely recalled her telling me to try the other food.
05:56I'd heard her, but I just couldn't react fast enough.
05:59So Roderick called out to me.
06:01By the time dinner was over,
06:03my forehead was covered in a light sweat.
06:06I wasn't sure if it was from the heat in the room,
06:08or my own anxiety.
06:10Three years in that place had taught me one thing.
06:12Never let your guard down, not even at a dinner table.
06:17After dinner, I returned to Grandpa's old house.
06:22Thank you for the ride.
06:24I gave Roderick a small bow.
06:26Maggie had wanted me to stay the night,
06:28but I'd turned her down.
06:29I didn't want any more contact with them than I had to,
06:32so I'd asked Roderick to drive me home.
06:36You really want to stay here?
06:38Roderick frowned.
06:39I glanced back at the house.
06:41It hadn't been touched in three years.
06:43Now it was completely overgrown with weeds.
06:45But I nodded.
06:47I had nowhere else to go anyway.
06:49I was flat broke,
06:51and the clothes I was wearing were from three years ago.
06:53The rehab center had given us uniforms,
06:55so these clothes had never even been worn out.
06:59I bent down to pull some weeds,
07:01the little critters living there scurried away.
07:03I saw cockroaches, mice,
07:05and a snake coiled in the corner,
07:06too lazy to move.
07:08Once upon a time,
07:09I would have jumped straight into Roderick's arms.
07:12Now, I just stared at them calmly
07:13and looked for a stick to shoo the snake away.
07:18Roderick pulled me back toward the car.
07:22What's wrong?
07:23I didn't even realize he was still there.
07:25Didn't you see that snake?
07:27Oh, right, I'd forgotten Roderick hated reptiles.
07:34I saw it.
07:35It's fine.
07:37I'll just shoo it away with a stick.
07:39If it bothers you,
07:40you can just leave!
07:42I caught myself reassuring him.
07:45I reached for the door handle,
07:47ready to hop out.
07:48But Roderick locked the doors and drove off.
07:51I quickly buckled my seatbelt.
07:54Where are you taking me?
07:57He didn't say a word.
07:59I didn't dare ask again.
08:00He took me to his private apartment.
08:02He closed the door behind us without a word.
08:06I couldn't leave it was a keypad lock.
08:08He went straight to the shower,
08:11probably trying to wash off the creeps
08:13from seeing all those critters.
08:14I sat straight on the living room couch.
08:17About an hour later,
08:18Roderick came downstairs in pajamas,
08:20his hair still wet.
08:22I knew better than to stare.
08:24Stay here until your place is cleaned up.
08:26You can sleep here tonight.
08:28I thought about it for a second,
08:30then nodded.
08:31Thank you.
08:32That house was a mess.
08:34Tackling it all alone
08:35would have kept me going way past midnight.
08:37He walked over.
08:38I stood up and stepped aside without thinking.
08:41Roderick grabbed my chin,
08:43forcing me to look at him.
08:45So you're over me?
08:46His expression was questioning.
08:50Yes.
08:50I didn't hesitate for a second.
08:53Any delay would have felt like an insult
08:55to everything I'd been through.
08:57That night, the nightmare returned.
08:59In my dream,
09:01countless eyes stared back at me,
09:03filled with hatred,
09:04disgust, and contempt.
09:06Every single one of them belonged to Roderick.
09:10The next day,
09:11when Roderick left for work,
09:13I asked him to drop me off downtown.
09:16He didn't seem to mind,
09:17as long as I wasn't in his way.
09:20I hesitated in front of a florist's hiring sign.
09:23I didn't have a college degree.
09:25I never finished college,
09:26because Roderick had me sent to that rehab center.
09:29Hunting for a job?
09:30The shop owner noticed me staring at the sign,
09:33but not coming in.
09:34So he finally asked.
09:36I nodded.
09:37The owner looked to be in his mid-twenties,
09:39and he seemed pretty nice.
09:41The pay was $3,000 monthly,
09:43and no diploma was required.
09:45I just had to be on time to help out at the shop every day.
09:49I asked the owner for a $1,000 advance.
09:52Money makes the world go round.
09:53I needed it for everything.
09:55My official start date was the next day,
09:57and to my surprise,
09:58he trusted me.
09:59I spent $400 on a used electric scooter from a local shop.
10:04Once upon a time,
10:06$400 wouldn't have meant squat to me.
10:08Now, I had to haggle just to get it for that price.
10:11It's not like I was an orphan or anything.
10:14Three years ago,
10:15my parents disowned me.
10:16To protect the company and the family's reputation,
10:19the only person who'd ever really loved me grandpa
10:22was gone a long time ago.
10:23If he were still here,
10:25I probably never would have ended up like this.
10:29I rode the scooter back to grandpa's old house.
10:32The weeds outside were already gone.
10:34Roderick must have sent someone to clear them.
10:36Inside,
10:37everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs.
10:42It took me for hours just to make the place halfway livable.
10:46Most of the stuff inside was broken beyond fixing.
10:50I was trying to carry out the junk when I tripped.
10:55Everything went flying all over the floor.
10:58I was a mess my knee hurt,
10:59and I was covered in dirt.
11:01I saw a pair of shiny leather shoes stop in front of me.
11:04I didn't even have to look up to know who they belonged to.
11:08I got up slowly,
11:09my knee throbbing with pain.
11:12Mr. Dunlop,
11:14Can I help you with something?
11:16I'd gone from calling him Rod,
11:17to Roderick,
11:18and now to Mr. Dunlop.
11:21It was better this way keeping my distance.
11:23I never wanted to go back to that hellhole ever again.
11:27Grandma sent me to check on how you're doing.
11:29Roderick's brow was furrowed.
11:31Please tell her I'm fine,
11:32and she doesn't have to worry about me.
11:34I crouched back down to clean up the mess
11:37that fall had just made everything worse.
11:42Roderick grabbed me by the back of my collar,
11:44with a tear,
11:45my shirt split right open.
11:46It was the same shirt I'd worn yesterday
11:48and the same one I'd had three years ago.
11:50The fabric was so thin it tore almost instantly.
11:54Mr. Dunlop,
11:55have some respect!
11:57My voice was sharp with anger
11:58as I clutched the torn fabric.
12:00Thank God it was only the back that tore,
12:02but it was my only shirt.
12:04I hadn't had time to buy new clothes,
12:06and now how was I supposed to go shopping?
12:08But Roderick's eyes were fixed on the scars on my back.
12:13What the hell happened here?
12:15I misbehaved.
12:17They punished me for it.
12:18My voice was flat,
12:20like I was talking about someone else's pain.
12:23You deserved it.
12:24He walked out.
12:25I glanced over my shoulder.
12:27My back was covered in scars old and new,
12:29all from whippings.
12:31The newest ones were probably from a few days ago.
12:34I couldn't even remember exactly which day.
12:36They hadn't even fully healed yet.
12:41I found a dusty shirt in the closet,
12:43shook it off,
12:44and slipped it on right away.
12:46Pretty soon,
12:46I felt an itch on my back,
12:48right over the wounds.
12:49They probably got infected.
12:51Of course,
12:52just as I was heading out to buy new clothes,
12:55Roderick came back.
12:56Was he back to laugh at me?
12:58He tossed a bag at me?
13:01Change into these.
13:03I refused.
13:04He had a girlfriend,
13:05and it felt wrong for him to be buying me clothes.
13:08But it had been three years.
13:10Maybe Chelsea was his wife now,
13:12not that I cared.
13:13Roderick pulled me roughly back inside the house.
13:16I sat down and did what he told me.
13:18He cleaned the wounds on my back
13:20with antiseptic and rubbing alcohol.
13:22It stung.
13:22But I didn't make a sound.
13:24It was nothing next to what I'd been through.
13:26His hands were rough but strangely careful.
13:29Like he was trying to undo something he couldn't name.
13:34Why's this one right here across your waist?
13:36Roderick pointed to a particularly ugly scar.
13:39It wasn't just a surface scrape
13:41whoever hit me had aimed right for my kidneys.
13:43I shook my head.
13:45Um,
13:46I don't know.
13:47He finished up cleaning the wounds
13:48and helped pull my shirt down.
13:51Why did they do this to you?
13:53I was already wearing a new shirt.
13:58Because I misbehaved.
13:59Then,
14:00as if worried he might not believe me,
14:02I added,
14:06But I'm good now.
14:07What did you do?
14:09Roderick pushed,
14:10clearly unsatisfied with my answer.
14:14One of the counselors caught me
14:16after I dropped some food on the table.
14:18Roderick frowned but said nothing.
14:21I glanced at him nervously.
14:23After a long pause,
14:25Elsewhere.
14:26Where else did they hurt you?
14:28I shook my head.
14:30It's not like they chose to go for my back.
14:32I'd curl up into a ball,
14:33so my back was just the only part left exposed.
14:37It's getting late.
14:38You should go now.
14:39I didn't want to be in the same room as him.
14:41It felt suffocating.
14:42Besides,
14:44it was already dark outside.
14:46Oh, it's fine.
14:47I'll crash here for the night.
14:50Silence hung between us.
14:51I didn't argue.
14:53But I stayed awake long after the lights went out.
14:58I hadn't eaten since breakfast at his apartment.
15:01Using the groceries I'd picked up earlier,
15:04I whipped up a simple meal on the old hot plate.
15:07Thank God Grandpa never used gas otherwise.
15:10I'd have had nothing to eat.
15:12You're not at the center anymore.
15:14You don't have to eat so fast.
15:16Roderick's voice reached me as I hurried through the meal.
15:18But I was already finished,
15:20and Roderick had barely touched his food.
15:23Old habits die hard.
15:24Roderick took my bedroom,
15:26so I slept in Grandpa's old room.
15:28Late that night,
15:29my knee and back started throbbing.
15:31My head felt heavy and dizzy.
15:33When I opened my eyes again,
15:35I was staring at a white ceiling.
15:37The sharp smell of disinfectant was everywhere.
15:40I didn't have time to wonder how I'd gotten here.
15:42All I cared about was that I was gonna be late for my first shift.
15:46I tiptoed over to put on my shoes.
15:48Careful not to wake Roderick.
15:51Roderick's sleepy voice stopped me right as I was almost out the door.
15:55Where are you off to?
15:57I got a job.
15:58I'm gonna be late for work.
16:00Do you even know you're running a fever?
16:02He sounded annoyed.
16:03Was it because he'd had to pay for the medical bills?
16:07Don't worry, Mr. Dunlop.
16:10I'll pay you back as soon as I get my first paycheck.
16:12I gave him a quick, polite bow and slipped out the door.
16:17Thankfully, I made it to work just in time.
16:23It was Valentine's Day, and the flower shop was absolutely packed.
16:27My job was simple, just working the register.
16:30I didn't know how to do anything else yet.
16:32The shop was small, but the owner was amazing, and customers just kept coming in.
16:37But out of all the people who could have walked in, I never thought I'd see Chelsea Harvey.
16:43Arm in arm with Roderick, laughing and talking up a storm.
16:47Chelsea, the same girlfriend Roderick, had brought home all those years ago.
16:52Chels, Rod.
16:55The shop owner walked over to greet them politely.
16:58My mind went completely blank, and I froze in place.
17:02It turned out the owner was Chelsea's brother.
17:04My life was starting to feel like a bad soap opera all over again.
17:08I'd suffered for three years because of Chelsea.
17:11And now here I was, working for her brother.
17:14How pathetic was that?
17:22Chelsea spotted me, flinched in fake fear and buried her face in Roderick's chest.
17:29Cliffy, what is she doing here?
17:31She's, she's the one who-
17:33Chelsea pointed a shaking finger right at me.
17:35Clifford Harvey stared at me in shock, then his face twisted with disgust.
17:40He grabbed me by the arm and shoved me right out the door.
17:46It all happened so fast.
17:48I stumbled and crashed to the ground.
17:51Roderick just stood there and watched, cold as ice.
17:55Humiliated, I got up and ran all the way back to the old house.
18:00I locked myself in grandpa's room.
18:02It was the only place I ever felt safe.
18:08Thanks to that, I had to find a new job,
18:10and I had to pay back that $1,000 advance.
18:16I hated owing anyone anything.
18:21Job hunting sucked for days,
18:23until I finally got hired as a dishwasher.
18:26It was tiring, but it kept me busy, kept my mind off things.
18:31I thought maybe I could finally live a quiet life,
18:34but some people just couldn't stand to see me happy.
18:37Chelsea's shadow followed me wherever I went.
18:45The floor manager had told me to bring the clean dishes out to be sanitized.
18:56Well, look who it is.
18:58The Crawford Group Harris.
19:08As I walked through the dining area,
19:10a few girls blocked my way.
19:12Their voices thick with sarcasm.
19:15They were my old college classmates,
19:17also Chelsea's little minions.
19:19Chelsea was standing right behind them,
19:22watching it all go down no sign of her usual innocent act.
19:28I tried to ignore them and walk past.
19:31I didn't want any trouble.
19:32Did I say you could leave?
19:34Someone yanked my hair so hard,
19:35it sent a sharp pain shooting through my scalp.
19:38The noise set off a commotion.
19:42All I could think about was the plates.
19:45I'd have to pay for them.
19:47Roderick's voice cut through the noise from behind me.
19:49What's going on here?
19:51My hands,
19:52busy picking up the broken pieces,
19:54froles for a second.
19:56I cut my finger on a shard.
19:59It didn't even hurt.
20:00I knew something way worse was about to happen.
20:04Sure enough,
20:06I heard Chelsea's fake sweet voice complaining to Roderick.
20:09We were just trying to make up with Mari.
20:14Just catch up a little.
20:16But then she...
20:22Before Chelsea could finish,
20:23another girl cut in.
20:25But then she lost her temper
20:27and tried to hit Chels with a plate!
20:40I kept picking up the broken pieces calmly.
20:45I knew I was going to lose this job too.
20:47The floor manager rushed over
20:49and chewed me out.
20:50I do no count of oins.
20:51I'm chewed at the busting dunking!
20:53Munt!
20:53Nup!
20:54Test!
20:58I handed over almost all the cash I had on me.
21:02All but ten bucks.
21:05I'm sorry.
21:08I'm sorry.
21:15With my last ten bucks,
21:17I stopped at a pharmacy,
21:18then headed home.
21:21Back at the house,
21:22I went into Grandpa's room.
21:30Picked up his photo
21:31and held it tight.
21:35I'm sorry, Grandpa.
21:37I didn't turn out the way you hoped I would.
21:43You taught me that loving someone
21:45means having the courage to go for them.
21:47So you never regret it.
21:52But Grandpa,
21:53I'm so tired.
21:54I can't do this anymore.
21:55I'm giving up.
21:59What if I come to be with you instead?
22:05You're not saying no,
22:06so I'll take that as a yes.
22:11I downed all the sleeping pills
22:12I bought at the pharmacy.
22:14I downed all the sleeping pills
22:16I'd bought at the pharmacy.
22:22I was scared Roderick would use this
22:23as an excuse to send me back to that center.
22:27I couldn't live like that anymore.
22:29I couldn't find a single reason
22:31to keep going anymore.
22:33But sleeping pills
22:34were supposed to put you to sleep.
22:44Why did it hurt so much instead?
22:49A sharp cramp hit my stomach
22:51and I could feel my eyes starting to close.
22:55Right as my eyes closed for good,
22:57I thought I saw Roderick standing in the doorway.
23:07When is she going to wake up?
23:08She's been asleep for days.
23:10When I came to,
23:11it seemed I heard Roderick's voice.
23:22Why was he still clinging to me
23:24even after death?
23:31It wasn't until a team of doctors
23:32began examining me that I understood.
23:42Roderick had rushed me here
23:43to have my stomach pumped.
23:50I'd been given a second chance.
23:58That figure I saw hadn't been an illusion.
24:00It was him.
24:08Are you sending me back?
24:21The doctor says you may be suffering from depression.
24:27Roderick avoided my question.
24:31I nodded Dot,
24:32but that wasn't the point.
24:41All I cared about
24:42was whether I had to be sent back.
24:50Why didn't you tell me?
24:55Would you have believed me if I had?
25:00Telling him would only have made him think
25:02I was making excuses to leave that place.
25:14I had reached out to him.
25:17Each resident was granted
25:18a scheduled call to family twice a year.
25:28During my first six months,
25:30I called him once.
25:33I'm sick.
25:35I cough up blood sometimes
25:37and they hit us.
25:43Can I please come home?
25:51I promise I won't bother you anymore.
25:53What did he say back then?
25:57You come to...
25:59Find a better excuse next time.
26:04Then he hung up.
26:09After that call,
26:11I was beaten again.
26:14I never called him after that.
26:21Why did I cough up blood?
26:29Their blows had landed on my back,
26:31over and over.
26:32The internal damage eventually affected my stomach and lungs.
26:44Seeing Roderick fall silent,
26:46I knew he still didn't believe me.
26:48I lowered my head and didn't ask again whether he'd send me back.
26:53I moored me long,
26:54the fair and the sorry that we's out
26:55in sparing and disceveling functy.
26:57Should I be sent back,
26:58I won't leave alive.
27:03In a place like that,
27:05no one would notice whether a person was breathing.
27:08I thought once I got out,
27:10I could start over.
27:12But I was wrong.
27:14My peace was always shattered
27:15whenever Roderick came into the picture.
27:22The doctor called Roderick out,
27:24saying some test results were ready.
27:30The door swung open as Roderick strode back in.
27:41He yanked the blanket aside,
27:43then my hospital gown.
27:52An ugly, jaggy scar was exposed.
27:58Your kidney.
28:00Where is it?
28:05His eyes were bloodshot,
28:07a vein throbbing on his forehead
28:08as he stared at me.
28:15He looked terrifying,
28:17just like at the staff at the center.
28:20They had that same look in their eyes.
28:32That look always came right before a beating.
28:36I pulled the blanket up
28:37and hid underneath it.
28:46The bed shifted as Roderick sat down beside me.
28:51He gently tugged.
28:54He gently'd at the covers.
28:58Mary, come out.
29:00You'll suffocate.
29:04His voice softened,
29:06as if he'd realized he'd scared me.
29:12Promise you won't hit me?
29:21My voice was muffled under the blanket.
29:23Only after he promised did I poke my head.
29:35He asked again,
29:36patient this time.
29:38What happened to your kidney?
29:52Roderick took out his phone and said
29:54he would investigate this thoroughly.
29:57Ever since learning about my depression,
30:00Roderick had barely left my side.
30:03It was as if he was afraid I might try something again,
30:06but I saw that the rehab center
30:07had been shut down on television.
30:09No doubt it was Roderick's doing.
30:12It had posed as an educational institution.
30:15Behind closed doors,
30:17it ran vile operations.
30:18Did he do this to you, too?
30:21Roderick pointed at the screen.
30:24Mari Kambai, VO.
30:25The man being interviewed
30:27was the infamous director.
30:28He spoke excitedly to the reporter.
30:30I was helping.
30:32They should be thankful.
30:35Without my guidance.
30:37Do you think they'd be so compliant now?
30:40Go ask their parents.
30:42Their children are model citizens now,
30:45aren't they?
30:45I took a kidney as my fair compensation.
30:48My method was simple.
30:50Add something to their bedtime milk,
30:51then proceed with the removal.
30:53I'd watch them wake up in agony.
30:56The man grew more animated as he spoke.
30:58I felt a wave of dread seep into my bones.
31:03The bloody scene felt like it had happened yesterday.
31:06That night, I went to bed as usual.
31:09Before lights out,
31:10we all had to drink the milk the attenders brought.
31:12Refusal meant a beating.
31:15In my sleep,
31:16I felt like I was being restrained.
31:19Then, slowly,
31:20a sharp pain pierced my side.
31:26My eyes flew open to see the director's horrifying face
31:29leaning over me.
31:30It wasn't a dream.
31:31He was staring intently at my waist.
31:34The pain made me black out.
31:36I didn't wake until the next day.
31:41He threatened me.
31:43If I ever spoke a word,
31:44my other kidney would meet the same fate.
31:47No wonder so many people there moved stiffly,
31:49and no one ever said a thing.
31:51Mari!
31:53I stared at him,
31:54my gaze empty.
31:55Then,
31:56a mouthful of blood surged up and spilled over.
32:00I collapsed.
32:04I had no idea how long I was out.
32:09When I woke up,
32:10I was still connected to a ventilator.
32:14I shifted my fingers,
32:15trying to wake Roderick.
32:18His weight was resting on my hand,
32:20and it had gone numb.
32:26You're awake.
32:27How do you feel?
32:28You were in shock.
32:29Did you realize?
32:30But I was in shock.
32:31How would I know?
32:34But was this really Roderick?
32:38His jaw was shadowed with stubble.
32:40His eyes streaked with red.
32:43This wasn't the same cool collected man I remembered.
32:47I tried to speak,
32:48but had no strength left.
32:50I just lay still.
32:52Let the doctors and Roderick do what they needed to do.
32:56I learned I'd been unconscious for four days.
33:01Roderick had stayed by my side the whole time.
33:07That afternoon,
33:08a doctor removed the ventilator.
33:12I could talk again.
33:17What's the prognosis?
33:18Weeks?
33:18Months?
33:19I knew my time was running out.
33:22Roderick's hand,
33:23which had been holding a spoon to feed me broth,
33:25paused.
33:26After a long moment.
33:29Six months.
33:31Maybe less.
33:47Maybe less.
33:48even after I'd learned to behave and the beatings mostly stopped.
33:59I kept coughing up blood.
34:01The depression only made things worse.
34:08Roderick nodded.
34:12Can I get back to work?
34:15Can I get back to work?
34:16Is there any way you could keep your wife from interfering?
34:18If they'd just leave me alone,
34:20I could work in peace.
34:22I still owed Clifford $1,000 after all.
34:26She's not my wife.
34:28Roderick frowned,
34:29putting a clear distance between himself and Chelsea.
34:32I didn't care what Chelsea was.
34:35I just needed her to stay away.
34:40I started a small street stall on a decent block,
34:43selling burritos.
34:47I had planned to find a regular job,
34:49but Roderick forbade it.
34:54When he set his mind to something,
34:56no one could change it.
35:04He offered me two options.
35:07Start my own small business,
35:09or stay home.
35:13Doing something I chose with the time I had left
35:15was a good idea.
35:17I stood nervously behind my cart,
35:19worried no customers would come.
35:21The location was close to campus.
35:24Steady foot traffic from students and professionals.
35:27It was a fully licensed area for street vendors to operate.
35:36Best of all, it was close to Grandpa's house.
35:44Hey, how much for a burrito?
35:47I was lost in thought
35:48when a guy with a brighty smile
35:49walked up to my stall.
35:54I looked up and met his clear eyes.
35:56He had faint dimples,
35:57wearing a basketball jersey,
35:59a ball in his hand,
36:00as if he'd just come from a game.
36:02I was caught off guard for a second.
36:06He spoke again before I came out of my trance.
36:08For some reason,
36:10looking into his eyes
36:11didn't make me uneasy at all.
36:13Usually,
36:14any eye contact filled me with dread.
36:17So many pairs of eyes haunted my nights.
36:26Would you like to try one?
36:27It's free.
36:28Why free?
36:29Is it because I'm so good looking?
36:31He grinned and rubbed his chin playfully.
36:34His playful tone made my face grow warm.
36:37No, it's my first day.
36:39If it turns out unpasteable,
36:41I couldn't possibly take your money.
36:45I'd practiced at home over and over,
36:47but doing it for real felt completely different.
36:52Oh, so I'm your gimme pee pig.
36:56No!
36:58I thought I'd scared him off.
36:59Just kidding.
37:00Go ahead.
37:01I'll eat it however it turns out.
37:02He laughed warmly.
37:04Most vendors could make one in three to five minutes.
37:07My clumsy attempt took nearly seven.
37:09The outside was crispy,
37:11though not burnt.
37:12Maybe I should make you another one?
37:15He took the wrapped burrito and bit into it.
37:18This is perfect.
37:22It's great.
37:23Seriously,
37:24this is how it should be.
37:25Nice and crispy.
37:27His compliment made me smile.
37:29So,
37:30how much?
37:31You're not going to charge me an arm and a leg, are you?
37:33No.
37:34He widened his eyes in alarm.
37:35This one's complimentary.
37:36A lucky start for my first day.
37:39I'm Leonard Williams, by the way.
37:41As he turned to leave,
37:42he glanced back and waved.
37:44I watched him walk away.
37:45It struck me then how distant my own college days felt.
37:49If I hadn't been so reckless back then,
37:51I would have graduated a year ago.
37:57As the day went on,
37:59more customers came.
38:05I was almost too busy to keep up.
38:08But I got quicker and more confident with each one.
38:13I didn't pack up until I'd run out of ingredients.
38:22I'll drive you home.
38:22Roderick pulled up beside me in his car.
38:25It's fine.
38:25I have my scooter.
38:27I nodded toward my scooter parked out nearby.
38:31It's getting chilly tonight.
38:33You'll catch a cold.
38:34I won't die from it.
38:42Marianne,
38:42how long are you going to keep fighting me on everything?
38:46Roderick caught my wrist as I started to walk away.
38:50Mr. Dunlop,
38:51do not forget.
38:57I was the one who pushed your girlfriend down the stairs.
39:04I'm the one to blame.
39:12In that moment,
39:13to cut any last tie between us,
39:16I claimed the guilt.
39:19Mary stopped lying.
39:20I know the truth now.
39:22She fell on her own.
39:25Suddenly,
39:25his arms came around me from behind.
39:30Hadn't he told me to protect Chelsea?
39:36So you were protecting her?
39:38While I bore all the blame?
39:43No.
39:45I was afraid once you knew the truth,
39:47you'd hate me for not believing you sooner.
39:50I was wrong.
39:52I'm sorry.
39:54I'm sorry.
39:59His arms tightened around me.
40:02I only found out two days ago.
40:05I went to Chelsea to stay away from you.
40:08And we argued.
40:11She let it slip.
40:14I could no longer hold back my tears.
40:18They fell onto the back of his hand.
40:21At least I would clear my name before I died.
40:23Don't cry, Mari.
40:26He released me,
40:27bending down to wipe my tears.
40:31I sobbed uncontrollably in his arms.
40:38For a moment,
40:39neither of us spoke.
40:41Three years of silence.
40:44Three years of pain I'd swallowed without a word.
40:46And now,
40:47finally,
40:48someone believed me.
40:54Rod.
40:56Here.
40:57I pointed to my chest.
40:59It doesn't beat for you anymore.
41:04Rod,
41:04if I could,
41:05I'd wish we had never met.
41:08I wiped my tears
41:09and gave a faint smile.
41:12This is the last time I'll call you that.
41:16From now on,
41:16let's each live our own lives.
41:20I'd treat this as a goodbye.
41:21A proper end to those eight years I spent loving him.
41:28I could never forget the three years in that place.
41:32And the person who'd sent me there was Roderick himself.
41:37Mary.
41:41He reached for me,
41:42but I stepped back.
41:43Mr. Dunlap,
41:44please don't disturb me again.
41:48I want my remaining time
41:51to be peaceful.
41:54With that,
41:55I left.
41:56I drove my scooter home.
41:59Roderick's car followed at a distance
42:01in the rearview mirror.
42:04I ignored him.
42:07I went to my stall
42:09as usual every day.
42:15Roderick watched from a distance.
42:18I just ignored him.
42:24Hey, I'm back.
42:25Brought my classmates to try your burritos.
42:28It was Leonard,
42:29my first customer.
42:33I glanced at the two boys behind him
42:35and gave a slight nod in greeting.
42:37What kind would you like?
42:38A real sense of ease washed over me.
42:41Something I hadn't felt in a long time.
42:43Whatever you recommend.
42:53Maybe one of each?
42:54I'll take some back
42:55for my roommates too.
42:57One of his buddies said,
42:58eyeing the ingredients.
43:01So, how much?
43:03You didn't let me pay last time.
43:04You've got to charge me today
43:05or I won't come back.
43:08I hadn't said I wouldn't charge him.
43:11I still needed to pay back my debt.
43:13Six dollars each.
43:16Cash only though.
43:17If you don't have any,
43:18you can get change
43:18at the store down the block.
43:21I pointed to the sign on my cart
43:23and then toward the store
43:24down the block.
43:27Wait right here.
43:28I'll be back.
43:29I watched Leonard walk away inside.
43:32The young seemed so full of life.
43:34It was easy to forget
43:35I was only a year older than him.
43:37Yet my life felt worlds apart.
43:43Hey, isn't he good looking?
43:45And he's single.
43:46Maybe give him a shot?
43:48His classmates clearly thought
43:49my glance at Leonard
43:50meant more than it did.
43:51I shook my head
43:52and stayed silent.
43:54I was making around
43:55three to four hundred dollars a day.
44:01Soon,
44:02I had enough to repay my debt.
44:04Clifford seemed to have been
44:05waiting for me.
44:07He looked different.
44:09Guilty, almost.
44:11I heard what really happened.
44:14Chelsea admitted the truth to Roderick.
44:17I'm sorry for what I did to you.
44:19I didn't reply.
44:22I placed the money on the counter
44:23and left.
44:29Finally,
44:30I was free of that burden.
44:32Why did Leonard keep coming to my stall?
44:35Did he really love burritos that much?
44:40Do you really like burritos that much?
44:42I finally asked.
44:44No.
44:45Why?
44:46Taking another bite.
44:49Why do you come every day?
44:52Were you short on money for meals?
44:56But he didn't look like he was struggling.
44:59Because you're here.
45:01Between bites,
45:02I didn't fully process his words.
45:04Not until he swallowed,
45:06leaned closer,
45:07and looked at me seriously.
45:09Be my girlfriend?
45:13I froze for a second,
45:15then shook my head.
45:16I took his hand
45:17and placed it on my waist.
45:20I'm missing a kidney here.
45:23I have lung cancer here.
45:26He shrugged,
45:27unfazed.
45:28I know.
45:29I've always known.
45:31How could he know,
45:32reading my surprise?
45:35I'll tell you later.
45:37His hand lingered gently on my waist.
45:39Did it hurt?
45:41My eyes stung.
45:43No one had ever asked me that before.
45:46Not Roderick.
45:47Not my parents.
45:49Not a single person in three years.
45:55But this young man did.
45:58Six months later,
46:00I held the medical record the doctor had just given me.
46:04He said the cancer cells were gradually receding.
46:09Leonard had made sure I ate three meals a day.
46:12He walked me to every checkup.
46:17For the first time in years,
46:19I wanted to live,
46:20and it showed.
46:23With a positive mindset,
46:25consistent medication,
46:26and no late-night depressive episodes,
46:30full recovery was possible.
46:34There were cases of people beating cancer.
46:38It just wasn't easy.
46:45But I had managed it.
46:50Hey, where are you?
46:52You're not at your stall today.
46:54My phone buzzed with a message from Leonard.
46:56He'd bought me this phone himself.
46:59He'd claimed it was a buy one, get one deal.
47:02That he had an extra,
47:04and if I didn't take it,
47:05he'd throw it away.
47:06Who believed that?
47:08I certainly didn't.
47:11At the hospital.
47:18Half an hour later,
47:20Leonard came jobbing toward me
47:21in his basketball jersey.
47:26What did the doctor say?
47:29I put on a somber face,
47:31pretending to be downcast.
47:33I saw his expression dim,
47:34but he kept his voice steady.
47:38It's okay.
47:40I'll be with you every step of the way.
47:44I cut him off.
47:45Just kidding.
47:45The doctor says I'm doing really well.
47:50I couldn't bear to tease him for long.
47:55You've gotten mean.
47:57He pretended to be upset,
47:59but then he picked me up
48:00and spun me around twice.
48:09So, does this mean you'll say yes?
48:12He looked at me eagerly.
48:14Say yes to what?
48:17Interest at him playfully.
48:18Be my girlfriend.
48:20But I'm not completely healed yet.
48:22What if it comes back?
48:24I don't care.
48:28My job is to love you and make you happy.
48:33If you're happy, you'll get better.
48:35He hugged me tightly,
48:37nuzzling against me.
48:40All right, I suppose I'll say yes.
48:44All right, I suppose I'll say yes.
48:45I wrapped my arms around him in return.
48:48I sounded as if I was doing him a favor.
48:52The truth was,
48:53he had been the one settling for me all along.
48:59As Leonard and I walked away hand in hand,
49:01I saw Roderick.
49:07I hadn't seen him.
49:09I hadn't seen him in two or three months.
49:11He stood watching us,
49:13his eyes red.
49:19He'd pick me up to attend the service,
49:21and that was it.
49:22I'd also repaid him for all the medical bills.
49:25Even the money for the food cart.
49:29I knew he'd been watching me from a distance.
49:34He'd tried to approach me a few times.
49:41But I'd threatened to harm myself each time,
49:43and he'd finally stayed away.
49:49Mari, who is this?
49:51His eyes were still red.
49:53He already knew the answer.
49:58My girlfriend.
49:59Leonard answered first,
50:01raising our joined hands.
50:05Is he good to you?
50:07Yes.
50:12I know what it looks like
50:13when you love someone, Mari.
50:16And I can see it's not me anymore.
50:19Took me a while to face it.
50:24Be happy.
50:26I wish you the same.
50:28He turned and walked away.
50:32I didn't look back.
50:34Some people are meant to be part of your story,
50:36but not your ending.
50:39I heard later that Roderick left to teach
50:41in a remote mountain.
50:44As for me,
50:45I was curled on the sofa,
50:46looking at the man in front of me.
50:48You said before that
50:50you knew about my health.
50:52How?
50:55I sprained my ankle during a game
50:57and ended up in the hospital.
51:01I was in the room next to yours.
51:03I overheard something while walking by,
51:05got curious,
51:05and looked through the glass.
51:11One look,
51:12and I just knew.
51:13He made it sound so casual.
51:15That's it?
51:16I didn't buy it.
51:18Your classmates mentioned something.
51:21My photo is your computer wallpaper,
51:23the one from when I was a sophomore.
51:25I meant the guys who had stopped by my stall
51:27for burritos.
51:29Sure enough,
51:30Leonard looked briefly embarrassed.
51:35He was probably cursing them in his head.
51:39Okay, fine.
51:42I was an exchange student
51:43at your university in my freshman year,
51:46doing a photography project.
51:48You were there that day,
51:50so full of life.
51:51I couldn't help but take a picture.
51:53Later,
51:54I heard you were with Roderick,
51:56so I kept my distance.
51:58I don't do home wrecking.
52:00He lifted his chin slightly.
52:02It wasn't until I saw you in the hospital
52:04that I realized how stupid I'd been all along.
52:07If I had stepped in back then,
52:09maybe none of this would have happened to you.
52:12After that,
52:13I kept an eye on you,
52:14waiting until the day I ran into you at your stall.
52:16He looked genuinely regortful.
52:18I reached out and hugged him.
52:22Don't blame yourself.
52:23Some things were meant to happen.
52:25It wasn't your fault.
52:26I'd almost missed the chance
52:28to be with someone so wonderful.
52:29But in the end,
52:30nothing was too late.
52:31Other people go to rehab for drugs,
52:34alcohol,
52:34or gambling.
52:35I went to quit loving a man.
52:38In the end,
52:39I didn't just quit him.
52:41I learned to love myself again.
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