- 11 hours ago
The Son I Raised Was Never Mine ASR
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Frank, my trophy husband of 10 years, would never know that I had already decided to transfer 15% of
00:05Haze Group shares to him.
00:06Until the day of the physical exam, I discovered that the son born to my husband and me both with
00:11type O blood, actually had type A blood.
00:14Looking at the son who was a miniature version of my husband, I said nothing, and calmly did only two
00:20things.
00:21First, I secretly plucked a strand of my son's hair.
00:25Mom? Just tucking your hair, keep playing.
00:29Second, I tore up the share transfer agreement I had prepared.
00:33Watching Ethan walk into school, I turned and went to the DNA testing center.
00:38I spied it. What's the soonest I can get the results?
00:40Standard is five business days. Expedited would be before 4pm today at three times the cost.
00:45I spied it.
00:47When I handed over the sample, my hand trembled a little.
00:50After swabbing my own cheek cells, I sat in the waiting area, staring at the clock on the wall as
00:55the minutes and seconds ticked by.
00:57During that time, I contacted a private investigator.
01:01I want you to look into my husband, Frank, especially his whereabouts over the past few months.
01:07At 3.40pm, my phone rang.
01:09The results were in.
01:11I opened the electronic report and scrolled straight to the end.
01:14DNA analysis indicates that the probability of a parent-child relationship between Vivian Hayes and Ethan Miller is 0.0001%.
01:23Based on genetic marker analysis, Vivian Hayes is not supported as the biological mother of Ethan Miller.
01:29Even though I had been prepared, the moment I saw those words, I still panicked for an instant, then leaned
01:35against the wall and sat down.
01:37Not my child.
01:38I had raised a child who was not my biological child for nine years.
01:42Then where was my child?
01:48I immediately went to Methodist Hospital, where I had given birth nine years ago, and met with the obstetrician from
01:54back then, who was now the department head.
01:56I got straight to the point and asked,
01:58Dr. Thompson, I'd like to pull my delivery records and InShint files from that year.
02:03It's been so long, the records may have already been archived.
02:06I need to see them.
02:07Now.
02:07After some effort, someone from the records room finally brought out a folder.
02:12I opened it and found that the records were extremely sparse.
02:15Only the admission and discharge times, the method of delivery, and the newborn's wait.
02:20There was no detailed labor and delivery process.
02:23No nursing handoff notes.
02:24No pediatrician examination report.
02:27Is this all?
02:28This is all that's in the system.
02:30Paper records for standard optotactic cases are kept for 10 years, and yours is about to reach the end of
02:35that period.
02:35What about the newborn's footprints?
02:37The blood test records?
02:39Those should be in the newborn records, but we couldn't find them.
02:41It couldn't be more obvious.
02:43Something was wrong here.
02:44An overly brief medical record.
02:46A missing newborn file.
02:48And a son who was not my biological child, but looked just like my husband.
02:52My phone rang.
02:53It was Frank.
02:57Where did you go?
02:58I picked up Ethan.
02:59I'm out taking care of something.
03:00I'll be right back.
03:01I only then remembered that school had already let out, but fortunately I had informed the teacher earlier.
03:06I said this and hung up the phone.
03:08After dinner, I excused myself with a headache and went back to my room early.
03:12I have a headache.
03:13I'm going to bed early.
03:15Frank stayed in the living room helping Ethan with his homework, and the sound of their conversation drifted over faintly.
03:21Dad, is mom upset?
03:25Mom is just tired.
03:26Finish your homework and go to bed early.
03:28Once they were both asleep, I began quietly searching the entire house.
03:32The master bedroom, the living room, Ethan's room.
03:36I searched everywhere and found nothing.
03:38Finally, I looked at the computer in the study, thinking the truth had to be in there.
03:44Footsteps sounded outside the door.
03:46I exited the document.
03:54When Frank pushed the door open and came in, I was tidying up the desk.
03:58He glanced at the computer screen, which had already returned to the desktop.
04:02A photo of the two of us taken three years ago at Santa Monica Beach.
04:05Not asleep yet?
04:06Organizing some old documents?
04:08I answered while casually turning off the monitor.
04:10He stood there for a moment, as if he wanted to say something.
04:14But in the end, he just nodded.
04:16Get some rest soon.
04:16I sat in the darkness, listening to the sound of his footsteps gradually fading away.
04:22That night, I didn't open the computer again and lay in bed with my thoughts in chaos.
04:27The next morning, I still let Frank take Ethan to school.
04:30He looked at me, picked up the car keys.
04:33Alright.
04:34Once they were out the door, I immediately went to the study.
04:38I turned on the computer and entered the password.
04:40Our wedding anniversary.
04:42Wrong.
04:43I tried his birthday.
04:44Wrong.
04:45Our son's birthday.
04:46Still wrong.
04:47I tried the date of our first date, his mother's birthday, the day the company was founded.
04:52All wrong.
04:53The system prompted me to try again in 15 minutes.
04:56I sat in the chair, staring at the login screen.
05:00This computer we had bought together was now locked to me.
05:08That evening, Frank came home from work and said while taking off his jacket.
05:11I have a business trip to Chicago tomorrow.
05:14Not sure how long it'll be yet.
05:15I came out of the kitchen carrying a dish.
05:17So sudden.
05:18Who are you going with?
05:19It was arranged last minute.
05:21Vivian, can you not be like this?
05:23I watched him in silence, not understanding why such a casual question from me would provoke
05:27such a big reaction.
05:33I turned away to serve the rice, my hand trembling a little.
05:38It was just a casual question.
05:40He said nothing more and went straight into the bedroom.
05:42Dinner was eaten in silence.
05:44Ethan seemed to sense something and, surprisingly, didn't pick at his food.
05:48After his shower, Frank came out and picked up his coat from the sofa to hang it in the closet.
05:54A small receipt fell out of the pocket and landed at my feet.
06:00After he left, I picked it up and took a look.
06:03It was a perfume receipt, quite expensive, purchased yesterday afternoon.
06:07I had never heard of the perfume's name, but I knew it wasn't for me.
06:11In 10 years of marriage, Frank had never given me a gift again.
06:16Sorry, crazy day at the office.
06:18I used to explain it away for him.
06:20He wasn't romantic, he was busy with work, and was a practical man.
06:24Which one do you like?
06:27Buy whatever you want.
06:28I don't have time to shop.
06:29Now, it seemed that it wasn't that he wasn't capable of romance.
06:32It was just that his romance wasn't directed at me.
06:35I noted down the information on the receipt.
06:37Early the next morning, after Frank left for the airport,
06:41I called the Nordstrom counter.
06:43I'd like to look up this receipt.
06:44Yes, from yesterday afternoon.
06:45One moment.
06:47Found it.
06:48Purchased there was a Ms. Wendy Davis.
06:51Wendy Davis.
06:52That name rang a bell.
06:53Frank's secretary.
06:54Hard half a year ago.
06:56A divorced woman in her 30s.
06:58Driving to the airport, I didn't know what I wanted to confirm.
07:01Maybe the perfume was for a client.
07:03Maybe I was overthinking.
07:05I waited outside the International Departures Hall for half an hour before I saw Frank and her.
07:14Wendy was wearing a Burberry trench coat, pulling a small suitcase, walking over together with Frank.
07:19Frank's face wore a relaxed smile I hadn't seen in a long time.
07:23Then, in front of the security checkpoint, Wendy stopped and very naturally reached out to straighten Frank's collar.
07:29Frank didn't dodge.
07:30He lowered his head and said something in her ear.
07:32Wendy laughed, then stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.
07:35Frank's hand rested on her waist.
07:37Staying there for a short moment before they parted, as if it had long been a habit.
07:41The last bit of self-deception I had been clinging to vanished completely.
07:45So, all those late nights working overtime, all those impatient looks directed at me, now I knew the reason for
07:51them.
07:52Watching their intimate figures, a suspicion gradually surfaced in my mind.
07:57Could the child who was not my biological child have something to do with this woman in front of me?
08:02On the drive back, I called the private investigator I had hired days ago.
08:07Look into one more person for me.
08:09Wendy Davis.
08:10I want to know everything about her, especially whether she has any children.
08:13The investigator worked quickly.
08:15By the next afternoon, I had received the investigation report.
08:19Wendy Davis, 32 years old, divorced 5 years ago, had a 10-year-old son named Leo Davis, attending a
08:25charter school on the west side of town.
08:27That date suddenly leapt out at me.
08:29Wendy's son was only one week younger than Ethan.
08:32For the first time in 10 years, I felt my blood surge upward.
08:39I sat on the sofa, holding the report the investigator had sent.
08:43Then a thought struck me, and I ran into the study.
08:49My fingers hovered over the keyboard, then slowly typed in Wendy's birthday.
08:55The desktop opened.
08:57There was only one folder named Work Backup.
09:00I clicked into it.
09:02It was full of subfolders, organized by year, starting from 11 years ago.
09:07The earliest folder contained scanned old photos.
09:10Frank and Wendy were wearing high school uniforms, standing under an oak tree.
09:1419-year-old Frank was smiling, his hand resting on Wendy's shoulder.
09:19Wendy had her hair in a ponytail and was looking up at him.
09:22The next photo was from college.
09:23They were in the library.
09:25The next was a graduation photo.
09:27The two of them in caps and gowns, holding hands.
09:29We have to cancel Napa.
09:31The company's in a rough patch.
09:33That year, Frank told me the company was having difficulties, and we canceled our wedding
09:37anniversary trip to Napa Valley.
09:39I closed the folder, a churning discomfort rising in my stomach.
09:43A decade of deception.
09:45I looked at the wallpaper on the screen, our wedding photo, and felt a wave of nausea.
09:55At 3 in the afternoon, I drove to the west side of town.
09:58That charter school was even more run down than the investigator had described.
10:02The dismissal bell rang, and children poured out of the school gate.
10:05I sat in the car, my hands gripping the steering wheel.
10:09He walked out alone.
10:10No one was there to pick him up.
10:11He looked left and right, then slowly walked forward along the sidewalk.
10:15I held my breath.
10:16That child, Leo.
10:18No, that was my child.
10:19The way he walked slightly resembled me, with a mild inward turn of his feet.
10:24When he raised his hand to fix his hair, I saw a birthmark on his wrist, in the same
10:28spot as mine.
10:29I saw that there was dust on his eyelashes.
10:32His lips were a bit dry, and the edges of his sneakers had already started peeling.
10:36His eyes were empty, not like those of a 10-year-old child.
10:39I covered my mouth to keep myself from making a sound.
10:43He walked further away, and disappeared around the corner.
10:46I collapsed onto the steering wheel, and broke down sobbing.
10:49For that child walking home alone, for these 10 years of misplaced lives, and for myself,
10:55living like a fool in a play arranged by others.
10:58Then I wiped away my tears, and started the car.
11:14At the law firm, I placed the USB drive in front of attorney David Lee.
11:19In it were backups of all the photos, along with the DNA test report, scanned hospital
11:24records, the perfume receipt, and information on Wendy Chen and Leo.
11:28I want a divorce.
11:29I want him to leave with nothing.
11:31I want custody of the child.
11:33I want him to pay the price he deserves to pay.
11:37Walking out of the law firm, I remembered what Frank had said 10 years ago when he proposed
11:42in Central Park.
11:43Vivian, I'll give you a lifetime of stability.
11:47So his lifetime was only 10 years.
11:49No, maybe not even 10 years.
11:52I took out my phone and called the company's second largest shareholder, also an old friend
11:56of my father's.
11:57Uncle Robert, regarding next week's board meeting, there are some things I'd like to
12:00discuss with you first.
12:01Frank had probably forgotten this company's name is Lynn.
12:04He was able to become CEO because I had persuaded my father to give him a chance back then.
12:09I could lift him up, and I could also make his fall very, very ugly.
12:19Two weeks after Frank left, I liquidated everything under my name that could be converted to cash.
12:25These days, every afternoon I went to the area near that charter school on the west side.
12:29Once when it rained, he didn't have an umbrella.
12:33He waited for half an hour under the awning of the convenience store by the school gate,
12:37and in the end ran home in the rain.
12:41I sat in the car, the rain blurring the car window.
12:44On Friday afternoon, I arrived near the school early.
12:48When I saw Leo come out, I got out of the car and pretended to be a passerby walking past.
12:54The folder in my hand fell in front of him.
12:57He paused for a moment, then bent down and picked it up for me.
13:06Thank you, kiddo.
13:08Has your mom not arrived yet?
13:10He shook his head.
13:11Mom is working overtime today.
13:14Then how are you getting home?
13:16I took an unopened bottle of water from my bag and handed it to him.
13:20By bus.
13:20Have some water.
13:21He hesitated for a moment.
13:23Then took it and said thank you quietly.
13:25I noticed that when he spoke, he habitually pressed his lips together slightly.
13:29Just like me.
13:30The shape of his eyes was also similar.
13:32Hooded lids.
13:33The outer corners slightly downturned.
13:36Does your mom often work overtime?
13:37He nodded.
13:38Then shook his head.
13:40Sometimes.
13:42What about your dad?
13:43He didn't speak and looked down at his shoes.
13:45Those sneakers had already started peeling at the edges.
13:48And the left shoelace was broken.
13:50I didn't ask anymore.
13:51Go buy yourself a new pair of shoes.
13:53I took $40 from my wallet and pressed it into his hand.
13:57He stepped back.
13:58No.
13:58I can't take this.
14:00Just take it as thanks for helping me pick up the folder.
14:03I put the money into the side pocket of his backpack and turned to leave.
14:09I glanced back.
14:11There was a somewhat lost look in his eyes.
14:16That night, I stood at the doorway of Ethan's room.
14:20He was playing with the Lego set Frank had just bought him.
14:23A limited edition spaceship.
14:25Quite expensive.
14:26I walked in and ruffled his hair.
14:28Mom?
14:30What's wrong?
14:31Is your homework done?
14:32Finished it a long time ago.
14:34Dad said if I make the top ten in the midterms, he'll take me to Disney World.
14:38I smiled.
14:39That's great.
14:40The moment I turned around, my smile vanished.
14:46Frank's completely different treatment of the two children was like a thorn lodged in my heart.
14:51My biological son was wearing peeling shoes and riding the bus alone, while this child was enjoying everything.
14:59Frank, who had been away on business for two weeks, finally came home.
15:04He set down his suitcase, and his first words were,
15:07Where's Ethan? Why is it so quiet?
15:10I signed him up for an after-school program, two hours in the evening.
15:14Why sign him up all of a sudden? He's only in fourth grade.
15:16I didn't answer.
15:18I smelled that perfume scent on him.
15:20He walked over to hug me.
15:22I turned aside to avoid him.
15:24Why do you smell like perfume?
15:26Who did you go to dinner with this time?
15:28Vivian, you're getting paranoid again.
15:30It rubbed off from dinner with a client.
15:32Can you stop being like this?
15:34I suddenly found it laughable.
15:36Only now could I see how bad his acting was.
15:39I took an envelope from the coffee table drawer and slowly pulled out the photos,
15:44laying them out on the table.
15:54Frank's face turned ugly.
15:55He picked up one of the photos and threw it back onto the table.
15:59You followed me?
16:02I smiled.
16:05Does it matter?
16:06What matters is,
16:07what would happen if these photos showed up at a board meeting or were sent to your clients?
16:13He collapsed onto the sofa across from me,
16:15his hands covering his face.
16:17What do you want?
16:18I stared at him, my voice somewhat cool.
16:20First, fire Wendy and guarantee you won't see her again.
16:23Second, tell me what happened at the hospital ten years ago.
16:25You're insane just based on a few photos.
16:27Frank, don't forget the company is named Hayes.
16:29My voice was icy.
16:30You are where you are today because of me.
16:31I can give and I can take away.
16:33I almost softened,
16:35but I remembered Leo's peeling shoes,
16:37remembered how he looked waiting alone for the rain to stop.
16:40For the sake of our ten years of marriage and our child,
16:43as long as you do what I say,
16:44we can keep going.
16:46After all, we still have Ethan.
16:50I turned and went to the bedroom,
16:52brought out a document,
16:54and handed it over.
16:55It was a pregnancy test report showing I was five weeks pregnant.
16:59Frank looked at the pregnancy test report,
17:01paused for a second,
17:03then looked up and stared at me.
17:06You're pregnant?
17:07Five weeks.
17:08The doctor said this time it's very stable.
17:10His expression shifted again and again.
17:12So, as long as you cut ties with Wendy completely,
17:15make her leave the company and our lives,
17:17I can let the past go.
17:18I continued.
17:19We still have Ethan,
17:20and now there's this child too.
17:22Frank's gaze fell on my belly.
17:24There was an obvious struggle in his eyes.
17:26I need to think.
17:27That night,
17:28the light in his room was turned off very late.
17:34The next morning,
17:35as I was drinking coffee,
17:36I watched Frank walk out with dark circles under his eyes.
17:40I pushed a glass of water toward him.
17:42He silently took it but didn't look at me.
17:44I've thought it over, Vivian.
17:48We...
17:49No need to say it.
17:50I cut him off and pulled the divorce agreement out of the folder,
17:53placing it on the table.
17:55His expression turned furious.
17:57What do you mean?
17:58Don't we have another child on the way?
18:01I said coldly,
18:02I told you I was pregnant
18:03and you needed an entire night
18:05to consider whether to break up with her?
18:07We have a child on the way.
18:08Can't you think about the child
18:10and about Ethan too?
18:11Child?
18:12I suddenly laughed.
18:13Are you talking about the child I raised for 10 years?
18:16Who turned out to be yours and Wendy's?
18:19Frank's face instantly went pale.
18:22He stumbled backward into the table.
18:24How do you know?
18:26When did you find out?
18:28I held my phone up in front of him,
18:30the screen showing a photo of the DNA test report.
18:34The password was Wendy's birthday.
18:36You've been using it for 10 years, right?
18:43His breathing quickened,
18:45tinged with panic.
18:47Let me explain.
18:48My voice was very calm,
18:50tinged with mockery.
18:52Explain how you switched the babies
18:54when I was giving birth.
18:56Explain how you got Wendy into the company?
18:59Or explain how the two of you
19:00have been laughing behind my back for 10 years
19:02at how stupid I was?
19:04I took a step closer.
19:06The most ridiculous thing is
19:08that occasional guilt you showed
19:09when looking at that child.
19:11Was it guilt for deceiving me
19:12or guilt for not treating your own son better?
19:15Leo.
19:16Frank suddenly seemed to remember something.
19:18Where is Leo?
19:18I want to see him!
19:20Too late.
19:21I turned and pulled open the door.
19:23Your son?
19:24No, our son is now somewhere you can't find him.
19:27Your and Wendy's son is still upstairs sleeping,
19:30unaware of what choice his biological father is now facing.
19:33Frank rushed over and grabbed my arm, furious.
19:35Vivian, you can't do this!
19:37That's my child!
19:39I shook him off.
19:40From the day you switched the babies,
19:42you were no longer fit to be a father.
19:45Now please leave my home!
19:49After I closed the door,
19:51I heard the sound of him pounding on it.
19:55Then came the sound of a car driving away.
19:58I knew where he was going to find Wendy
20:00and also to find the biological son he had lost for 10 years.
20:04But he wouldn't be able to find Leo.
20:13Three days earlier,
20:15when the private investigator had given me the information on Wendy,
20:18I had already gone to see the child again.
20:20I told him the truth.
20:22He was unusually calm.
20:24In those eyes that resembled mine was a maturity beyond his years.
20:27I always felt like I wasn't my mom's child.
20:30Otherwise, why would she be willing to leave me here to fend for myself?
20:33I held his hand and said I would take him away to start over.
20:37He was silent for a long time, then gently nodded.
20:41Yesterday afternoon's flight,
20:43my personal assistant accompanied him abroad.
20:46Over there was a good school, a house, new friends.
20:49Once I finished handling things on this end,
20:51I could go reunite with my son.
20:53The divorce agreement had been sitting on the table for three days.
20:58Frank finally came.
21:00He stood outside the door,
21:01dark circles under his eyes and unshaven.
21:04I hadn't seen him like this in a long time.
21:08Vivian, let's talk.
21:13I leaned against the doorframe in my loungewear,
21:16not letting him in.
21:17The agreement is written very clearly.
21:18There's nothing to discuss.
21:20I can't divorce you.
21:21For the sake of our ten years as husband and wife and our child.
21:24Which child?
21:24The one in the videos or the one upstairs?
21:27Frank's face instantly went pale.
21:29A week earlier, Wendy had sent over a pile of files.
21:32When I opened them, they were videos, one after another.
21:36In the videos, Leo was crying, being beaten, locked in a dark room.
21:40There was another clip where the child was only five or six
21:42and was whipped on the back with a clothes hanger for spilling milk.
21:45The email had only one line.
21:47Thank you for raising my son for all these years for me.
21:50I watched them all night, and by dawn I had thrown up three times.
21:53He seemed to want to explain.
21:55Those videos, Wendy, she sometimes couldn't control herself.
21:57That's your son.
21:58You went to see her every week, and all you noticed was that she changed your perfume
22:01and got new nails?
22:02You never saw the wounds on your son's body?
22:04He couldn't say a word.
22:05I've already hired a lawyer.
22:06If you don't want to sign, we'll go to court.
22:08The evidence of switching babies, the photos of your affair, and those videos,
22:10they will all become evidence.
22:11Are you crazy?
22:13He said in a low voice.
22:14The company is about to go public, and at a time like this...
22:17Before I closed the door, I said one last thing.
22:19So sign it, while I'm still leaving you some room.
22:25The door closed.
22:27He stood outside for a long time before leaving.
22:30Three days later, Frank signed.
22:32Four days after the divorce, Frank and Wendy's wedding photos appeared on Instagram.
22:37Wendy was wearing a white wedding dress.
22:39Frank had his arm around her, but his expression was a bit stiff.
22:42The caption read,
22:43Ten years of waiting.
22:45Finally together.
22:46I took a screenshot, then turned off my phone.
22:49In the afternoon, attorney David Lee called.
22:51Ms. Hayes?
22:52All the materials are complete.
22:53The transfer records from the baby switch back then,
22:55his and Wendy's communication logs,
22:57plus the abuse videos and medical records, it's enough to file a case.
23:00Thank you for your hard work.
23:01Understood.
23:02He paused for a moment.
23:03But are you really not going to see him one last time?
23:05He came to the office yesterday and wanted me to pass on a message.
23:08He said he knows he was wrong.
23:09Too late.
23:10Early the next morning, the plane took off.
23:13My personal assistant came to pick me up at the airport.
23:16She said to me,
23:18Leo has been doing a bit better this week.
23:20He's starting to be willing to talk.
23:22Yesterday, he even asked when you would arrive.
23:24My heart beat faster for a few moments.
23:28The car stopped in front of a white house.
23:30In the garden,
23:31A thin little child was crouching on the ground watching ants.
23:40I walked over and crouched down in front of him.
23:42I'm your mom.
23:43He looked at me for a long time,
23:45then gave a small nod.
23:47I carefully embraced him.
23:49He didn't pull away.
23:50I'm sorry.
23:51Mommy came too late.
23:53He trembled a little in my arms.
23:55For the next two weeks,
23:56I didn't work and focused entirely on being with him.
23:58I took him to the park.
24:00The first time he rode the carousel,
24:02he gripped the railing tightly.
24:04I took him to the library
24:05and discovered he liked books about stars.
24:09At night,
24:10only after he had fallen asleep,
24:12would I dare to gently stroke his hair.
24:15He still didn't talk much,
24:17but occasionally he would smile at me.
24:19At three in the morning,
24:21the bedroom door was gently blown open a crack by the wind,
24:24and faint sobbing sounds pierced my ears like needles.
24:26I jolted awake and almost immediately guessed it was Leo.
24:30Pushing open his door,
24:31moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains,
24:33casting mottled shadows on the floor
24:35and illuminating his small figure curled up on the bed.
24:38His hands were tightly clutching the blanket,
24:40knuckles white.
24:41His forehead was covered in cold sweat.
24:43His brows were furrowed into a deep frown.
24:46I walked over quickly,
24:47carefully sat on the edge of the bed,
24:48and gently wrapped my arms around his cold shoulders.
24:51His body stiffened for an instant,
24:53then he threw himself into my arms like a startled fawn,
24:55his crying suppressed and desperate,
24:57his tears instantly soaking my pajamas.
24:59That storage room was so dark,
25:01I called out for so long and no one answered.
25:03Rats crawled onto my feet.
25:04My heart felt like it was being repeatedly cut by a dull knife,
25:07a dense and relentless pain.
25:09Tears fell silently onto his hair.
25:10I thought of the videos Wendy had sent,
25:12of that child locked in the dark,
25:14shivering.
25:14I thought of the old and new scars crisscrossing his body.
25:16I wished I could tear apart everyone who had hurt him.
25:23When he had cried himself tired
25:25and his breathing had gradually steadied,
25:27I picked up the small lamp by the bedside
25:30and gently lifted his sleeve.
25:31On his arm,
25:33light brown scars crawled like ugly centipedes,
25:36marks from being whipped with a clothes hanger.
25:38On his back,
25:40there was still a faint bruise,
25:42left from when he had bumped into the corner
25:44of the storage room wall as a child.
25:45I gently traced those scars with the pads of my fingers,
25:49with a touch as light
25:50as if I were afraid of shattering a treasure.
25:53Does it hurt?
25:54He shook his head,
25:55tears still clinging to his lashes.
25:57Biting his lip,
25:58he said quietly.
25:58It doesn't hurt now,
25:59it's just that sometimes I dream about it,
26:01dream that I'm locked inside again,
26:03calling for mom,
26:03but mom's not there.
26:04I'm sorry,
26:05mommy came too late.
26:06From now on,
26:07mommy will never let you suffer again.
26:09That night,
26:09I held him on the sofa
26:10and sat there until dawn.
26:11I told him about how when I was little
26:13and afraid of thunder,
26:14my dad would hold me in his arms,
26:15counting stars and singing nursery rhymes.
26:17I told him about how when I first took over the company,
26:19I was bullied by senior employees
26:20and hid in the stairwell to cry,
26:22then wiped my tears and went back to negotiate.
26:24I told him about the mischievous interns at the company
26:26who spilled coffee on important contracts
26:27and turned pale with fright.
26:29He listened very quietly,
26:30occasionally looking up at me with those eyes
26:31that looked so much like mine,
26:33and asking,
26:33weren't you scared then mom?
26:35I was scared,
26:36but I knew that as long as I grit my teeth
26:38and push through,
26:39things would get better.
26:40And now,
26:41I have Leo,
26:42so I can't afford to be scared even more.
26:44He nodded,
26:45half understanding,
26:46and his little hand quietly gripped my finger.
26:48A few days later,
26:50I made a point of taking Leo
26:51to the Griffith Observatory
26:52on the outskirts of the city.
26:54We took a bus through stretches of wheat fields,
26:57the wind carrying the scent of grain.
26:59Leo leaned against the window,
27:00his eyes full of wonder.
27:02When night fell,
27:04the observatory dome slowly opened,
27:05and the sky full of countless stars
27:07spread across the deep blue canopy
27:08like crushed diamonds,
27:09so Dazzling One couldn't look away.
27:11The guide pointed at the constellation Orion
27:13and told the legend of the hunter Orion.
27:15Leo's eyes shone like stars,
27:17and the corner of his mouth
27:18slowly curved into a faint smile.
27:19On the way home,
27:20the bus swayed gently.
27:22He leaned against my shoulder
27:23and said quietly,
27:24Mom,
27:24the stars so far away,
27:26but just being able to see them
27:27makes me feel at ease.
27:28I held his hand tightly,
27:31feeling the warmth of his palm.
27:32My heart filled with tenderness.
27:34I knew that the wounds buried deep in his heart
27:36wouldn't disappear completely
27:37because of one trip to the observatory,
27:39just like those old scars.
27:40No matter how much care you give them,
27:42they still leave faint marks.
27:44But as long as I stayed by his side,
27:46warming him bit by bit with love and patience,
27:48the starlight would eventually pierce through the darkness
27:50and illuminate the road ahead of him.
27:55That afternoon,
27:57we were making cookies in the kitchen
27:58when the doorbell rang.
28:00Claire went to answer the door.
28:01I heard her say,
28:03Mr. Miller?
28:04The flower sifter in my hand
28:05dropped onto the counter.
28:06He was dragging an old suitcase in his hand.
28:09Vivian,
28:09I've been searching for half a month.
28:11I wiped my hands,
28:13walked out of the kitchen,
28:14and pulled the door shut.
28:15Now you know.
28:16You can leave.
28:18He looked toward the thin little figure
28:20in the kitchen and said,
28:20I want to see the child.
28:22Our child.
28:24These days I keep dreaming.
28:26Dreaming of him when he was little.
28:28Dreaming of Wendy hitting him.
28:29I never knew.
28:31You should have known.
28:32You just chose not to.
28:33He looked at my belly and asked,
28:34Is the child still there?
28:36Of course the child is still there.
28:37The doctor says everything is fine,
28:39and the baby will be born next spring.
28:41His face darkened,
28:42and his emotions suddenly became very agitated.
28:44He charged toward me.
28:46I sidestepped to dodge.
28:47He stumbled and crashed into the entryway cabinet.
28:49Vivian,
28:49I want to see my son.
28:51You can't do this.
28:52Frank,
28:53what you should be worried about right now
28:55isn't where my son is,
28:56but whether your son can be born safely.
28:59If you want your son to be born safely,
29:02deal with Wendy first.
29:03Settle the messy accounts between yourselves.
29:05After saying this,
29:06I threw him out.
29:07Now even looking at him disgusted me deeply.
29:10As I closed the door,
29:11I saw Frank collapse onto the ground,
29:13running his hands through his hair.
29:14He looked utterly pathetic.
29:16Fine.
29:17Let them put on their own dog-eat-dog show.
29:23Not long after,
29:24attorney David Lee called.
29:26Miss Lynn,
29:26it got very ugly,
29:27but the situation isn't as favorable as we'd hoped.
29:29It turned out that Frank and Wendy had already divorced,
29:31and were now battling in court against each other.
29:33Wendy was shouting herself horse in court,
29:36exposing how Frank had used his position to transfer money to her over the years,
29:39how he had promised to divorce and marry her,
29:41and how his attitude had abruptly changed after learning I was pregnant.
29:44I gripped my phone tightly,
29:46listening to the words on the other end,
29:47but my expression remained very calm.
29:49However,
29:50Frank shifted all the blame onto Wendy,
29:52saying she coerced him into switching the babies.
29:55The trial lasted a full two days.
29:57In the end,
29:58Wendy was sentenced to three years on multiple charges,
30:00including child abduction,
30:01document forgery,
30:02and commercial fraud.
30:03Frank,
30:04on the other hand,
30:05got himself off completely clean.
30:06He wept in court,
30:07saying he was also a victim,
30:09manipulated by Wendy for 10 years.
30:11That excuse sounded utterly absurd,
30:13but the jury bought it,
30:14or rather,
30:15the lawyer Frank hired was truly formidable.
30:17Before hanging up,
30:18attorney David Lee said quietly,
30:19Miss Hayes,
30:20I'm sorry,
30:21this result is far from ideal.
30:23If you're willing,
30:24we can plan the next step.
30:24It's enough.
30:25I cut him off.
30:26At least my child is back.
30:29Leo was doing his homework.
30:31I walked over and asked him,
30:33Liko,
30:34mommy made sure the bad people were punished,
30:36but maybe not heavily enough.
30:37Do you blame me?
30:38He looked up.
30:39Mom,
30:39I know very well
30:41who has been good to me
30:42and who hasn't.
30:43I covered my mouth,
30:44unable to hold back tears.
30:46He lowered his head
30:47and continued writing,
30:48adding quietly,
30:49You look really ugly when you cry.
30:51I laughed out loud,
30:52crying and laughing at the same time.
30:58These days,
30:59I had been desperately trying to make up
31:01for 10 years of lost maternal love.
31:03I transferred my company shares
31:05into his name.
31:06Though he was still young,
31:07I knew what the security meant.
31:09The school I found
31:11was the best private international program
31:13in the area.
31:13The principal looked at his previous transcripts
31:16and frowned deeply.
31:17For the past 10 years,
31:19Wendy had barely paid any attention
31:21to his studies,
31:22essentially leaving him to sink
31:23or swim on his own.
31:25His schoolwork lagged far behind
31:27that of children his age.
31:28I hired three private tutors,
31:30rotating through English,
31:32math, and science.
31:33Leo worked very hard,
31:35studying late into the night every day.
31:37One morning before dawn,
31:38I brought him milk
31:40and saw him slumped over his desk asleep,
31:42still clutching a pen in his hand.
31:44I didn't wake him.
31:46I just gently draped a blanket over him.
31:49On Friday afternoon,
31:50I want to pick up Leo from school.
31:52The school gate was crowded with parents.
31:54Leo ran out carrying his new backpack,
31:56his face flushed from exercise.
31:58Mom!
31:59I passed my math quiz today!
32:01Just as I was about to take the test paper,
32:04out of the corner of my eye,
32:05I caught a figure behind the glass window
32:07of the Starbucks across the street.
32:09Frank,
32:10sitting in the corner,
32:11with dark stubble on his chin,
32:13looking very haggard,
32:15not a trace left of the confident,
32:17commanding presence he'd once had
32:19as the company's CEO.
32:20Leo followed my gaze.
32:22I took his hand and said,
32:24Come on, let's go home.
32:28Just as I turned around,
32:30hurried footsteps sounded from behind.
32:32Frank had already crossed the street
32:34and was blocking our way.
32:35Vivian, can we talk?
32:42I motioned for Leo to get in the car first,
32:44then looked at the man before me and said,
32:46There's nothing left to talk about between us.
32:48Wendy is already in prison.
32:49I've taken care of everything.
32:50I've cut ties with her completely.
32:51Frank,
32:52Wendy was sent to prison by the lawyer I hired.
32:54Does that have to do with you?
32:56Weren't you the pathetical victim
32:57crying the hardest in court?
32:58I know I was wrong, Vivian.
33:00For the sake of the child,
33:02please forgive me this once.
33:03His gaze fell on my belly.
33:05Child.
33:06Yes, our child.
33:07I slowly smoothed the wrinkles from my jacket.
33:08Oh, that.
33:09It was fake.
33:11Frank froze.
33:12His eyes widened enormously.
33:14I took a step forward
33:15so he could see my flat stomach more clearly.
33:18It's been months.
33:19If I were really pregnant,
33:21I should be showing by now, shouldn't I?
33:26His gaze lingered on my belly
33:28for a very long time.
33:29It doesn't matter.
33:31It doesn't matter even without this child.
33:33We still have Leo.
33:34We still have 10 years of feelings.
33:36Frank, stop dreaming.
33:37Wake up.
33:37He acted as if he hadn't heard me
33:39and suddenly seemed to remember something.
33:41He pulled a Tiffany blue velvet box
33:43from the briefcase he was carrying.
33:45Then came the second.
33:46The third.
33:47He placed all the boxes on the ground.
33:49The small velvet boxes
33:51lined up on the ground in a row.
33:52It was somewhat laughable.
33:54I bought one every year.
33:55I just never gave them to you.
33:56Now I'm giving them all to you, okay?
33:57Please, just give me one more chance.
33:59I crouched down and opened the nearest box.
34:00Inside was a diamond necklace.
34:02The pendant in the shape of an iris.
34:04My favorite flower.
34:05Once upon a time,
34:06I would have been ecstatic over such a gift.
34:07Now, all I felt was disgust.
34:09A nauseating sensation.
34:10I stood up,
34:11put the necklace back in the box,
34:13and said,
34:13Frank, the time when I loved you most
34:15was when I would be so worried
34:16I couldn't sleep
34:16if you didn't reply to my messages.
34:18When I would make soup
34:19and bring it to the office
34:20when you worked late.
34:20When everything felt worth it
34:22the moment you said
34:22you've worked hard, honey.
34:24That time when I loved you most
34:25is long gone.
34:26To me now,
34:27these are no different than trash.
34:28He seemed to want to say something,
34:30but nothing came out.
34:31Quickly,
34:32his shoulders slumped.
34:33His whole body looked
34:34as if his spine
34:35had suddenly been ripped out.
34:36I didn't look at him again.
34:37I turned and walked toward the car.
34:39To me,
34:40none of it mattered anymore.
34:44Three years later,
34:46late autumn,
34:47Leo had grown much taller,
34:49his height reaching my shoulder.
34:51Mom,
34:51can you come to the
34:52parent-teacher conference next week?
34:53Of course.
34:54For my son's parent-teacher conference,
34:56I'd go even if the sky were falling.
34:58In these three years,
34:59Leo had become so mature
35:01and considerate
35:01it broke my heart.
35:02He would make his own pasta
35:04when I worked late,
35:04and he remembered to bring
35:06two umbrellas on rainy days.
35:07His grades had climbed
35:09from the bottom
35:09to the middle of the class,
35:10and he spoke English
35:12better than some local kids.
35:13Teachers said he had resilience.
35:15Neighbors praised him
35:16for being well-behaved.
35:17So polite.
35:19He really is.
35:19Only I knew
35:20what lay behind this maturity.
35:22On weekend evenings,
35:23we made dumplings together.
35:25The dumplings Leo made
35:26were always excessively neat,
35:28every fold identical.
35:30Leo,
35:30in front of Mom,
35:31you don't have to be this obedient.
35:32The hand he was using to pinch
35:33the dumplings paused
35:34for a moment.
35:35I crouched down
35:36and looked into his eyes.
35:37You can throw tantrums.
35:38Be difficult.
35:39Say no like other children do.
35:41Mommy doesn't love you
35:42because you're well-behavedly.
35:43I love you simply
35:44because you're you.
35:45But if I do something wrong,
35:46will you not want me anymore?
35:48I pulled him into my arms.
35:49Never.
35:50The most right thing
35:51I've ever done in my life
35:52was finding me.
35:53He didn't speak for a long time.
35:55Finally,
35:55he nodded gently.
35:59Leo's elementary school
36:00was holding an open house.
36:02I deliberately ended
36:03my company meeting early
36:04and drove to the school.
36:05The autumn sunshine
36:06was just right,
36:07filtering through the gaps
36:08in the leaves
36:08and spilling onto the playground.
36:10Warm and pleasant.
36:11Leo was participating
36:12in a relay race,
36:14running the last leg.
36:15His small figure
36:16was like a gust of wind,
36:17charging toward the finish line
36:18with everything he had.
36:20The moment he crossed
36:21the finish line,
36:22I couldn't help but stand up
36:23and applaud and cheer.
36:24He happened to look back right then
36:26and when he saw me,
36:27a radiant smile
36:28spread across his face.
36:29A smile so pure and bright
36:31that it made me feel
36:32all the sacrifices
36:33had been worth it.
36:34As the event was winding down
36:35and parents were leaving
36:36in twos and threes,
36:37I was holding Leo's hand,
36:38about to head to a nearby
36:39ice cream shop
36:40to make good on the promise
36:41of finish the race
36:42and you get a sundae.
36:43When a woman in a faded,
36:44cheap trench coat
36:45suddenly rushed over
36:46and blocked our path.
36:47It was Wendy.
36:48She was out of prison.
36:49Her hair was dry and brittle,
36:51hastily tied at the back
36:52of her head.
36:53Her face was sallow
36:54from prolonged malnutrition.
36:55Only her eyes,
36:56shot through with red veins
36:58and gleaming with
36:58venomous resentment,
37:00stared fixedly at me.
37:01Vivian!
37:02What gives you the right
37:03to take my son away?
37:04Her voice was shrill
37:06and grating,
37:06like fingernails
37:07scraping across glass,
37:09instantly drawing
37:10sidelong glances
37:11from many nearby parents.
37:13Some stopped in their tracks
37:15and Ida's curiously.
37:22I instinctively pulled Leo
37:23behind me,
37:24shielding him completely,
37:25and looked coldly at Wendy.
37:26Leo was never your son.
37:27You gave him nothing
37:28but abuse and neglect,
37:29not a shred of maternal love.
37:30You are not fit
37:31to be his mother.
37:32I carried him for nine months
37:33and gave birth to him!
37:34My blood runs through his veins!
37:35Wendy was so agitated
37:36she tried to lunge at me,
37:37but fortunately
37:37the school security guards
37:38arrived just in time
37:39and stopped her.
37:40She struggled,
37:41her hair coming loose,
37:42looking somewhat deranged.
37:42The company is gone
37:44and now I'm not even
37:45allowed to see my own son!
37:47Leo peeked out
37:48from behind me.
37:49There wasn't a trace
37:50of fear on his small face.
37:51He looked at Wendy
37:52with eyes that were
37:53calm beyond his years.
37:54I don't have a mother like you.
37:56You hit me,
37:57locked me in a dark room,
37:58never once cooked me a meal,
38:00and never once came
38:01to pick me up from school.
38:02Mom Vivian is my real mom.
38:04She does homework with me,
38:05takes me to the park,
38:07and makes me good food.
38:08Wendy froze,
38:08as if she had never imagined
38:10that the child she had carried
38:11for nine months
38:11and given birth to
38:12would say such words to her.
38:13She stared blankly at Leo.
38:15A few seconds later,
38:16she suddenly broke down
38:17into a bitter, piercing whale.
38:18I was forced back then!
38:20Frank only cared
38:20about your money!
38:21Do you know how much
38:22pressure I was under?
38:23I had no choice
38:24but to hit him!
38:25Pressure is not an excuse
38:26for abusing a child.
38:27I took out my phone
38:27and opened a pre-saved folder.
38:29Inside were Leo's medical records
38:30from that time,
38:31photos of the scars on his body,
38:33and backup copies
38:34of the videos
38:34of Wendy abusing him.
38:35These are all evidence.
38:36If you keep,
38:37immediately have my lawyer
38:38file a motion
38:38and apply for a restraining order
38:39permitting you from coming
38:40within 10 meters of Leo.
38:41Just then,
38:42a familiar figure
38:43came running over in a hurry.
38:44It was Frank.
38:45He looked even more haggard
38:46than three years ago.
38:47More than half of his hair
38:48had turned gray.
38:49The wrinkles at the corners
38:50of his eyes
38:50were deep enough
38:51to trap dust.
38:52He was wearing
38:52an ill-fitting jacket
38:53and looked utterly disheveled.
38:59When he saw Wendy,
39:00his brow immediately furrowed
39:02and his tone
39:03was full of impatience.
39:04What are you doing here?
39:06Didn't I tell you
39:07to stay away from them?
39:08Frank's gaze fell on Leo,
39:10his eyes incredibly complicated.
39:12Guilt,
39:12reluctance to let go,
39:14and a hint of helplessness.
39:15Vivian, I'm sorry.
39:16He opened his mouth
39:17as if to say something,
39:18but in the end
39:19only turned to me
39:20and said quietly,
39:21I didn't speak.
39:22I just watched him coldly.
39:23This man,
39:24who back then,
39:25for personal gain
39:26and selfish desires,
39:27switched his own
39:28biological son,
39:29leaving Leo to suffer
39:30for 10 years,
39:31and then after the truth
39:32came out,
39:33shifted all the blame
39:34onto Wendy
39:34and got himself
39:35off scot-free.
39:36Now his repentance
39:37and apology
39:37were worth absolutely
39:38nothing in my eyes.
39:39Mom, let's go.
39:40I don't want to see them.
39:42I crouched down
39:42and smoothed his wind-messed
39:44hair from his forehead,
39:45my voice gentle.
39:46All right.
39:47Let's go have that sundae.
39:48I took Leo's hand
39:49and turned to leave,
39:51not sparing a single glance
39:52back at Wendy
39:53and Frank behind us.
39:54From behind us
39:55came the sound
39:56of Wendy's wailing
39:57and Frank's attempts
39:58to calm her,
39:58along with the murmuring
40:00of the surrounding parents.
40:01But all of that
40:02no longer had anything
40:03to do with us.
40:04Leo held my hand tightly,
40:06his step steady,
40:08not looking back.
40:09That afternoon,
40:10I took Leo
40:10to eat his favorite
40:11chocolate sundae.
40:12He got it all over his face,
40:14like a little kitten.
40:15I took out a tissue
40:15and gently wiped the ice cream
40:17from the corners of his mouth.
40:18Mom,
40:18the sundae is really sweet.
40:21Every day from now on
40:22can be this sweet.
40:23I looked into his bright eyes,
40:25my heart completely clear
40:26and at peace.
40:27The dust of the past
40:28might occasionally be stirred up
40:29by the wind,
40:30but as long as Leo
40:31and I were together,
40:32walking forward side by side,
40:33we would surely move
40:34toward a brighter,
40:35warmer future.
40:36Those who had hurt us
40:37would ultimately be left
40:38behind in the dust,
40:39never able to affect
40:40our lives again.
40:44The late autumn rain
40:45came without warning.
40:46At dismissal time,
40:47heavy raindrops
40:48pelted noisily
40:48against the ground
40:49and the school gate
40:50was crowded with parents
40:51picking up their children.
40:52Holding an umbrella,
40:53I stood under the old oak tree
40:55we had agreed on
40:55and saw from a distance
40:57Leo walking out
40:57with his backpack,
40:58side by side
40:59with a classmate,
40:59a faint smile
41:00on his small face.
41:01This was the first time
41:02he had voluntarily
41:03walked out of school
41:03with a classmate.
41:04Just then,
41:05a woman in a red raincoat
41:06suddenly rushed over,
41:08grabbed Leo's arm
41:08and said in a sharp voice,
41:10Leo, come with me.
41:11Your mother is suffering in there.
41:12How can you be here
41:13living the good life?
41:14Who are you?
41:14I don't know you.
41:15I'm your aunt.
41:16That woman, Vivian,
41:17is a liar.
41:17She snatched you away
41:18from your real mother.
41:19You can be dumb and bun.
41:20With me,
41:20I'll take you to see your mom.
41:21The surrounding parents
41:22turned to look.
41:23A few kind-hearted people
41:25wanted to step forward
41:26and ask what was going on,
41:27but were forced back
41:29by Kelly's fierce glare.
41:30Leo's classmate
41:31was so frightened
41:32he stood rooted to the spot,
41:34not knowing what to do.
41:39My heart clenched.
41:40I rushed over quickly,
41:42cried Kelly's hand off
41:43with one motion,
41:44and shielded Leo behind me,
41:45my voice cold as ice.
41:47Let go of him.
41:48You have no right
41:49to touch my child.
41:52Kelly stumbled a step.
41:53After studying herself,
41:55she looked me up and down,
41:56her eyes full of jealousy
41:57and venom.
41:58Thief!
41:59You stole my sister's man,
42:00stole her money,
42:01and now you've stolen her child!
42:02How can you live with yourself?
42:04Conscience?
42:05I gave a cold laugh.
42:06The videos of your sister
42:07abusing Leo back then,
42:08the transfer records
42:09her and Frank conspying
42:10to switch the babies,
42:11and the proof that you,
42:12who as in the know,
42:12accepted benefits from Frank,
42:13I have all of it right here.
42:14Tell me,
42:15if this really went
42:16to the police station,
42:17whose conscience would be
42:18the one that come and hold up?
42:19The murmuring around us
42:20grew louder and louder.
42:22Some parents took out their phones
42:23and started recording video,
42:25and someone had already
42:26quietly contacted
42:27the school security guards.
42:28Kelly's face flushed red
42:29and then turned pale.
42:30Looking at the crowd
42:31that had gathered,
42:31a hint of panic
42:33crept into her eyes.
42:38She was still putting up
42:39a brave front,
42:40but had unconsciously
42:41taken a step back.
42:43I just want the child
42:44to know his real family.
42:45Leo suddenly stepped out
42:46from behind me,
42:47his small body
42:48standing very straight,
42:49his eyes steady
42:49as he looked at Kelly.
42:50Know his real family?
42:51I don't have an aunt like you,
42:52and I don't have a mother like that.
42:53Mom, Vivian's my real mom.
42:55She doesn't hit me,
42:55doesn't lock me up,
42:56cheats with meals,
42:56take me to school,
42:57and protects me.
42:58Go away.
42:58I don't want to see you
42:59ever again.
43:00Kelly stood stunned.
43:01Looking at the clear
43:02yet distant expression
43:02in Leo's eyes,
43:03she opened her mouth
43:04but couldn't say
43:05a single word.
43:05At that moment,
43:06the school security guards
43:07and the homeroom teacher
43:08hurried over.
43:09Seeing the scene,
43:10the homeroom teacher
43:11immediately stepped
43:11in front of us.
43:12I must ask you to leave
43:13the school entrant immediately
43:14or we will call the police.
43:15Kelly saw more and more
43:16people gathering around
43:17and knew that continuing
43:18to make a scene
43:18wouldn't end well for her.
43:19She shot me a vicious glare,
43:21muttered,
43:22just you wait,
43:22turned and rushed
43:23into the rain,
43:24quickly disappearing
43:25around the street corner.
43:26The rain was still falling.
43:27A few strands of Leo's hair
43:28were damp from the
43:29splashing rainwater,
43:30plastered against his forehead.
43:31Did that scare you?
43:32Mom, I'm not scared
43:34because I knew you
43:34would come to save me.
43:36Silly child,
43:37mommy will always be
43:38by your side.
43:39No matter what happens,
43:40I won't let anyone hurt you.
43:41Mrs. Hayes,
43:42I really didn't expect
43:43something like this to happen.
43:45Leo has had quite a fright today.
43:46Would you like to take him
43:47to the office first
43:48for some hot cocoa?
43:49Thank you, Mrs. Wong.
43:50I nodded and,
43:51holding Leo's hand,
43:52walked into the school building.
43:56In the office,
43:57the warmth of the hot cocoa
43:58traveled through the cup
43:59to his palms.
44:00Leo held the cup
44:01and said quietly,
44:02Mom,
44:03was what that aunt said true?
44:05Was I really born from Wendy?
44:07I crouched down,
44:08looked into his eyes,
44:09and said,
44:09Seriously,
44:10Leo,
44:11you are mom's biological son.
44:12As for who gave birth to you,
44:13that's not what's important.
44:15What's important is
44:16who raised you with love,
44:17who's willing to go
44:18to any lengths
44:18to protect you.
44:19In mom's heart,
44:20you are my treasure,
44:21the person I most want
44:22to protect in this lifetime.
44:23He blinked,
44:24his eyes reddening a little,
44:25but he nodded firmly.
44:26I understand, mom.
44:28I only recognize you as my mom.
44:30That night,
44:30for the first time,
44:31Leo voluntarily told me
44:32about how Wendy
44:33would occasionally bring Kelly
44:34to the house.
44:35Aunt Kelly always cursed at me
44:36for being stupid,
44:38said I wasn't as well behaved
44:39as Ethan,
44:39and would secretly take my things.
44:41Back then I used to thought,
44:42if only I had a mom
44:43who truly loved me.
44:44I pulled him into my arms
44:46and gently patted his back.
44:47That will never happen again.
44:49Mommy will give you all her love
44:50and make sure you're happy
44:51every single day.
44:52The rain outside the window
44:54gradually stopped,
44:55and moonlight filtered
44:56through the clouds,
44:57illuminating a corner
44:58of the room.
45:00I met Daniel
45:01at a community book club.
45:02I had accompanied Leo
45:03to borrow books
45:04and was drawn in
45:05by a sharing session
45:06on women's autobiographies.
45:08Daniel was the host
45:09in his early 40s
45:10and spoke with a gentle
45:12yet compelling voice.
45:13After the session ended,
45:14he stopped me at the door
45:15and said,
45:16Your perspective just now
45:16was very unique.
45:17Could I get to know you?
45:19That was how
45:20our conversation began.
45:21Daniel was a locally born
45:23Chinese American,
45:24his family originally
45:25from San Francisco.
45:27Divorced for five years,
45:29his daughter lived
45:30with her mother.
45:30He was a middle school
45:32history teacher
45:32and volunteered
45:33at the community center
45:34in his spare time.
45:36For our first official date,
45:37we went to the
45:38California Science Center
45:39and of course
45:40Leo came along too.
45:42Daniel didn't try too hard
45:44to win the child over.
45:45In the space exhibition area,
45:47he naturally started
45:48talking about the Apollo program.
45:50You know why astronauts
45:51bring a knife to space?
45:52Leo shook his head.
45:54To fix equipment,
45:55the most dangerous thing
45:56in space is a loose screw.
45:58Leo's laugh was very relaxed.
46:07Another spring had passed
46:09when Daniel came over
46:10for dinner at our home.
46:11After the meal,
46:12Leo did his homework
46:13and Daniel and I
46:14had tea on the patio.
46:15The night was cool.
46:17He draped his jacket
46:18over my shoulders.
46:20Leo has made
46:21some new friends recently.
46:22I saw him playing basketball
46:24with classmates.
46:25I was a bit surprised.
46:27The child had always
46:28been alone before.
46:29Children need time
46:30and so do you.
46:32He paused for a moment.
46:33That night,
46:34I told him about
46:35what happened 10 years ago.
46:37Daniel listened quietly.
46:38Only after I had finished
46:39did he gently take my hand.
46:41Walking through all of that alone,
46:42it must have been so hard.
46:44Those words made my eyes redden.
46:46So what I had needed
46:47was someone to see
46:48the weight behind the strength.
46:50Mom,
46:50if you like Uncle Daniel,
46:52you can be with him.
46:53When he said this,
46:54Leo was assembling
46:55a model airplane.
46:56Why are you suddenly
46:56saying this?
46:57I stared at him stunned.
46:58Because when you look at him,
47:00you smile,
47:00a real smile,
47:01not the fake kind.
47:02I sat down beside him.
47:04And what do you think about it?
47:05I hope someone loves you
47:07the way you love me.
47:08You deserve that.
47:09I hugged him.
47:10He had grown up
47:11without my noticing.
47:13Falling in love with Daniel
47:14was different from how it was
47:15when I was 20.
47:16No wild passion,
47:17no anxiety.
47:17It was a steady kind of intimacy.
47:20After dinner,
47:20we would take walks together.
47:22Listening to me talk about
47:23the trivial things at work
47:24and things about Leo's school,
47:25even the sale items at Whole Foods.
47:27Leo gradually accepted this rhythm.
47:29One day when I came home
47:30from working late,
47:31I saw them playing chess
47:32in the living room
47:32and soup was simmering
47:33in the kitchen,
47:34the aroma filling the house.
47:36In that moment,
47:36I realized that the happiness
47:38I'd thought was out of reach
47:39had long since landed gently
47:40in the palm of my hand.
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