- 25 minutes ago
Shattered Porcelain
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00He took me to a piercing studio.
00:02I'll give you 50 grand for each piercing. How much do you need?
00:07I didn't expect it to be a live stream.
00:09The locations of the piercings on my private parts were all voted on by the audience.
00:14My mother saw the live stream.
00:17She watched her daughter being stripped of dignity in front of millions.
00:21That night, she swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills.
00:25I couldn't even pay for her coffin.
00:27I washed his mistress's stained sheets, just to get money for my mother's funeral.
00:35I was born with skin as fragile as glass.
00:39The slightest touch makes it tear.
00:41After my family's decline, I asked my wealthy boyfriend for a loan.
00:45Instead, Sebastian Thorne took me to a piercing studio, with a cruel, mocking glint in his eyes.
00:52I'll give you 50 grand for each piercing.
00:55How much do you need?
00:57I knew he was deliberately torturing me, punishing me for raising a hand against his adopted sister.
01:04Yet, I still gave in.
01:06The first piercing went through a private area.
01:09I dug my nails into my palms until they bled.
01:12The second piercing went straight through my shoulder, leaving a trail of blood.
01:17After 10 piercings, I was shaking violently in extreme pain.
01:22Sebastian casually tossed a flimsy check onto me.
01:255 million.
01:275 million S. City current's a barely 2,000.
01:30I didn't cry or make a scene.
01:32I just picked it up.
01:34I squeezed out a smile for him.
01:36Thank you, Mr. Thorne.
01:39It's enough.
01:40Enough to buy a decent urn for my ashes one that won't let the wind in.
01:48Just as I reached for the last bill, Sebastian crushed my hand under his foot.
01:54You're calling me Mr. Thorne?
01:57He gripped my neck, forcing me to look him in the eye.
02:01Didn't you used to crawl after me?
02:03Begging to call me babe?
02:06Husband, why so quiet now?
02:09The piercings tugged at my skin with agonizing pain.
02:12Beads of blood seeping out all over my body.
02:15I lowered my head, compromising with abject humility for the first time.
02:20Sebastian, give me the divorce papers.
02:22There was a time when a single flinch from me would send him into a panic.
02:27Now, Sebastian's eyes held nothing but a cold lack of care.
02:31He curled his lip in a sneer.
02:33You want a divorce?
02:34You're a doll I trained with my own hands.
02:37Why should I let anyone else have my leftovers?
02:41Then he commanded,
02:43Give up the master bedroom to Isabella.
02:45She has a weak constitution and isn't used to the guest room.
02:53Walking out of the piercing studio, my skin felt as if it were being torn apart.
02:58I counted the medical money he gave me.
03:01There was an extra 200.
03:02Just as I was about to push the door open to return it, I heard the piercer's fawning voice.
03:08Mr. Thorne, the live stream you arranged has already surpassed 10 million figure.
03:13My mind went blank with a buzz, as if struck by a heavy hammer.
03:17My private piercings, watched by the entire internet.
03:21That shame broke me more than the physical pain.
03:24I was born with glass skin.
03:26A condition where even a needle could cause my flesh to rot.
03:30Back then, Sebastian knelt for 999 steps up the pilgrimage stairs to plead for my cure.
03:36He suppressed his desires for nearly 10 years, being careful even when hugging me.
03:42Only when my condition became steady did we truly belong to each other.
03:50Back then, he held me, his voice trembling.
03:54I will protect you with my life.
03:56But ever since he met Isabella Thorne at the art exhibition, everything changed.
04:01She was vibrant and bold, like a wild rose with thorns.
04:05The complete opposite of someone dutiful and reserved like me.
04:10Countless times in bed, Sebastian would pant heavily and whisper to her,
04:14Isabella, my life belongs to you.
04:20After hearing the piercer's report, Sebastian tapped his fingertips on the table and asked nonchalantly,
04:27Her face wasn't shown just now, was it?
04:30Rest assured, Ms. Vance's face was blurred the entire time.
04:33Trembling, I unlocked my phone.
04:36It turned out that the locations of the piercings on my private parts were all voted on by the live
04:42stream audience.
04:43Shoulder, private.
04:49It felt as though icy, bone-chilling nails were piercing through my entire body.
04:55Censored screenshots had already flooded the local forums.
04:58Everyone was trying to uncover the identity of the woman with the blurred face.
05:03Sebastian leaned back against the sofa, his tone casual.
05:08If Iris Vance had just behaved, she wouldn't have had to suffer like this.
05:12Once Isabella sees this news, she should finally be willing to take my call.
05:18Light snow drifted through the streets, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my blood.
05:23All because I couldn't stand seeing his birthday scarred into the small of her back.
05:28I had taken someone to get it lasered off.
05:31So this is how he takes his revenge on me.
05:34I wrapped my coat tightly around myself and fled the piercing shop like a wandering ghost.
05:39Sebastian has been with me for so many years.
05:42He knows perfectly well.
05:44My body simply cannot withstand having them removed.
05:48These piercings will leave permanent holes in my body.
05:51And bring me a lifetime of humiliation.
05:56I told the driver not to go back to the Thorn Mansion, but to drive straight to where mom lived.
06:02After my family's fall from grace, she had moved from the mid-level villa to the slums.
06:07The place was as small as a storage unit.
06:10The car had barely come to a halt when I heard the wail of an ambulance siren.
06:15Paramedics were rushing out of the building with a stretcher.
06:18The person on the stretcher lay motionless beneath a silent white sheet.
06:23My heart sank violently and my fingertips turned ice cold.
06:27Holding my breath, I dialed her number.
06:29Until my own voice, singing that familiar nursery rhyme,
06:35drifted out from beneath the white sheet.
06:37I rushed forward like a mad woman and ripped back the white sheet.
06:45Mom's eyes were wide and vacant.
06:50As if she had stared into the heart of a nightmare in her final moments.
06:54I screamed until my throat was raw.
06:56Tears falling like broken pearls.
06:59My mother's checkups were always fine!
07:02How could this happen?
07:06How could this happen?
07:15The medical examiner glanced at me.
07:18Your mother took an overdose of sleeping pills.
07:21No, I didn't believe it.
07:23Mom loved me too much.
07:25She would never leave me all alone.
07:27I unlocked her phone.
07:29On the screen, a message from an anonymous account flickered it was the link to the live stream.
07:35I collapsed to the floor, my strength gone.
07:38A sharp pain twisted in my chest as I broke down sobbing.
07:43It was me.
07:44I was the one who killed my own mother.
07:48In our chat history, she had left her final words.
07:52Iris, my darling.
07:54Don't let yourself be chained to a man who doesn't love you.
07:57My fragile glass doll, leave this darkness behind.
08:01Go find the sun again.
08:03Clutching my mother's cold hand, I wept like a child.
08:07My skin would ulcerate and fester at the slightest bump.
08:10My classmates looked at me like I was garbage, avoiding me like the plague.
08:16Only mom would hug me tight, repeating over and over.
08:21You're different from the others.
08:23You are my porcelain doll.
08:26If you don't want to go to school, mommy will homeschool you every day.
08:32But I was determined to fight fate, gritting my teeth and continuing school.
08:39The year one transferred high schools, I sat next to Sebastian.
08:43He was the one who chased away my bullies time and again.
08:47Even though it was out of his way, he walked me to and from school every day.
08:51Back then, I naively thought he was the light of my world.
08:56It turned out that besides mom, there really was someone who would protect me without asking for anything in return.
09:02When we graduated college, I secretly gave the dowry mom had saved for me to Sebastian to start his business.
09:09For once, fate finally treated me kindly.
09:13When the company turned its first profit, he placed the deed to a Riverview villa in the city center into
09:19my hands.
09:20Reporters crowded around to interview him.
09:25Mr. Thorne, why give your girlfriend such an expensive gift right after starting your business?
09:31Clad in a custom-made suit, he radiated the charm of a perfect gentleman.
09:36Back then, she sat on the back of my bicycle and lived in a basement with me for two years.
09:44I swore then that one day I would let her live in a house where she could see the sunlight
09:48and the waves.
09:50From now on, you can all call her Mrs. Thorne.
09:55Amidst the salute of fireworks, he knelt on one knee and pulled out a ring.
10:00Everyone said we were the model couple of the business world.
10:03They called it a fairy tale ending.
10:05The devoted wife who stayed through the storm, finally crowned in his glory.
10:10I sat withered in the morgue for the entire afternoon,
10:13until the staff member's voice pulled me back from my trance.
10:17Mrs. Thorne, this card still won't go through.
10:23That was the last card I had on me.
10:25The man who once bought me a Riverview house and jewelry had frozen every single one of my accounts.
10:31Just to coax a smile out of his adopted baby sister, Isabella.
10:36Swallowing the bitterness in my throat, I knelt humbly and begged.
10:40This is everything I have.
10:44Please, just let me lay my mother to rest.
10:47I'll find a way to pay the balance, I swear.
10:50The staff member looked at me with mockery.
10:52This isn't even enough to buy a coffin.
10:54He sneered.
10:55Just go apologize to Mr. Thorne.
10:58Soften up a bit.
10:59You can surely get this small amount of money from him.
11:02I took a shaky breath and unclasped the heavy gold cross from my neck.
11:06This is solid gold.
11:08It's worth at least $20,000.
11:11Please, have a heart.
11:14He snatched it eagerly, bit down to test it,
11:18and then violently smashed the cross onto the ground.
11:21I can't believe you had the gall to try and scam me
11:25with a cheap gold-plated piece of junk.
11:30The gold cross, engraved with my name and meant to keep me safe,
11:35now lay mangled and deformed from his blow.
11:37My tears finally broke free,
11:40crashing down onto the mangled lump of gold.
11:43Beneath the thin layer of gold leaf,
11:45the dull, dark copper stung my eyes.
11:48The gift was a sham, just like his love.
11:51Every word, every promise since the very beginning
11:54had been a calculated lie.
11:56I picked up the twisted piece of fake gold
11:58and used my last bit of change
12:00to catch a cab back to the Thorn Mansion.
12:03Outside the master bedroom,
12:05I heard Sebastian's lazy, teasing voice from inside.
12:09Every time I touch her, it's a chore.
12:11One wrong move and the sheets are stained with her blood.
12:14It's a total turn-off.
12:16You're much better.
12:18You're so obedient and you know so many more positions.
12:23I couldn't stop my anger and sadness.
12:26I screamed, kicking at the door like mad.
12:28The bastard!
12:30You poison mother!
12:31You killed my mother!
12:36The man's voice was thick with impatience and lingering lust.
12:40Iris, I'm not pouring any more money into your family's bottle.
12:44Don't use your mother's death as a pathetic plea for sympathy.
12:49Tears streamed down my face.
12:51I was sobbing so hard I could barely breathe.
12:54I have never lied to you, but what about you?
12:58Even the gold guardian cross you gave me was a fake.
13:02Sebastian fell silent for a few seconds,
13:05his tone laced with confusion.
13:07Iris, what the hell are you talking about?
13:09There was a rustling sound of someone getting up,
13:12but it was cut short by a woman's flirty whining.
13:15Sebastian, come on, a few more times.
13:18I haven't finished yet.
13:22Alright, whatever you say.
13:27After that, no matter how hard I kicked or how loud I cursed,
13:31it just became background noise to fuel their pleasure.
13:34My breakdown and extreme pain seemed to act as fuel for their lust.
13:42I collapsed to the floor,
13:44unconsciously murmuring his name.
13:46Sebastian.
13:48I wanted to tell on him to the man he used to be,
13:50the man who used to cherish me above all else.
13:53I don't know how much time passed before the bedroom door finally opened.
13:57I could see large, wet stains all over the bed.
14:01Those were my bridal linens handmade by my mother.
14:04I instantly realized just how intense they had been moments ago.
14:09Sebastian caught sight of the tears in the corners of my eyes,
14:12a complicated look flashing through his own.
14:15He frowned and instinctively reached his hand out toward me.
14:19But Isabella beat him to it,
14:21grabbing his hand and pressing it against her lower abdomen.
14:24Sebastian, you are incredible.
14:26I can feel you still inside me.
14:29I'm only 20,
14:30so I'm sure to get pregnant easily.
14:33Unlike Iris,
14:34she's nothing but a barren, broken doll.
14:37As she spoke,
14:38she shot a disdainful glance at my body.
14:44I was trembling all over,
14:46my voice shaking.
14:49You had a vasectomy?
14:51You said there was no way for us to have another baby.
14:55Sebastian's gaze swept over me indifferently.
14:57Yet it pierced my heart like a knife.
15:00Iris,
15:01I had the vasectomy reversed.
15:03Things have changed.
15:04I need an heir to carry on the thorn legacy.
15:07The last shred of hope was crushed and my heart turned to ash.
15:11If I hadn't given you my dowry as startup capital,
15:14how would you have ever built this fortune?
15:16Our first child.
15:18I lost it because my health was too frail.
15:21It was you who knelt in the church all night.
15:24Swearing you would never want children in this lifetime.
15:27You were the one who knelt in the temple all night.
15:30Praying and swearing that you'd never crave a child if it meant risking my life.
15:36I ripped the heirloom emerald bracelet from my wrist and smashed it onto the floor.
15:42The jagged shard sliced into my skin, drawing blood.
15:46I'm returning this heirloom bracelet to you.
15:49Sebastian, I will never believe a single word you say again.
15:53Sebastian didn't even look up, indifferently ordering the servant.
15:57Her wrist is cut.
15:59Bring the antiseptic ointment.
16:01Before I could speak, he suddenly sneered.
16:03Get some ointment for her wrist.
16:06We can't have you dying here.
16:08It's bad for business.
16:10My family has no room for a jinx like you.
16:12My throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton.
16:15I slapped away his reaching hand.
16:17Do you know?
16:19My mom swallowed sleeping pillets and killed herself
16:22exactly because she watched that livestream!
16:26You even froze all my cards!
16:28I can't even scrape together the money for her funeral!
16:31The only response I got was a vicious slap.
16:40Iris.
16:42To extort money, you'd even make up such despicable lot.
16:46In the moment our eyes met.
16:48The boy who once draped his jacket over me in the rain.
16:51And this man before me with eyes like ice,
16:54were like two completely different people.
16:56The air seemed to freeze solid.
16:59Until a ball of sticky, soiled bedsheets was thrown at my feet.
17:03Isabella snuggled into Sebastian's embrace.
17:07Sebastian, I'm too exhausted to move.
17:10Why don't you let Iris wash the sheets for us?
17:13I froze in place.
17:15Sebastian pinched Isabella's cheek,
17:17then turned to me and said,
17:20Wash this clean.
17:22I'll give you a hundred thousand
17:24after it's done.
17:28Remember,
17:29stop using your mother to scam people.
17:32If you want money,
17:34you have to be obedient.
17:38Just so mom could rest in peace,
17:41I gritted my teeth,
17:43bent down and picked up that disgusting thing.
17:46When I walked out of the bathroom,
17:48Isabella was leaning against the doorframe,
17:50looking at me with a faint,
17:52ambiguous smile.
17:54I can give you a sum of money
17:56to bring your mom's company back to life,
17:58she pointed to the documents on the table.
18:02Just sign the divorce papers.
18:03I stared at her blankly,
18:05my voice trembling.
18:07How did you get Sebastian's signature?
18:10Ever since she appeared,
18:11I had mentioned divorce to Sebastian countless times,
18:14but he ignored me every time.
18:17Isabella raised an eyebrow,
18:19her tone flippant.
18:20I said,
18:22I wanted that pink diamond ring from the auction.
18:24He didn't even ask the price,
18:26he just signed.
18:27That ring was worth 500 million.
18:31Sebastian couldn't possibly not know that.
18:36If he had been willing to pay just one third of that price,
18:40my mother wouldn't have been driven to a dead end.
18:43He would rather drop a fortune on a ring for his adopted sister
18:46than spare a cent to save my mother.
18:49Bitterness welled up in my throat.
18:52Final sign.
18:53Isabella took me to the underground garage.
18:55Get in.
18:57I'll take you to get the money.
18:58The car drove further and further into desolation.
19:02It wasn't heading toward the bank at all.
19:04I smashed the window with all my might,
19:06trying to jump out.
19:08A pill was forcibly stuffed into my mouth.
19:11My consciousness instantly plunged into darkness.
19:14When I opened my eyes,
19:16I was bound tightly to a chair.
19:18Isabella gripped my jaw fiercely,
19:20a knife hidden in her smile.
19:23Iris,
19:24do you know how many people out there
19:26are looking for you to collect debts?
19:31My heart sank violently,
19:33a subconscious panic setting in.
19:35She turned back and jerked her chin
19:37at the men behind her,
19:38whose faces were brutal and fleshy.
19:41She's the daughter of that fraud,
19:43Margaret Vance.
19:45Sebastian has already divorced her.
19:47She is nothing now.
19:49Do whatever you want with her.
19:52As soon as the words left her mouth,
19:55the men circled me like a pack of hungry wolves.
19:58I was pinned to the ground,
20:00forced to beg on my knees over and over.
20:03I'm sorry.
20:04I'm sorry.
20:05They roared at the top of their lungs.
20:08It's all because of your damn dead mother
20:10that we haven't been paid in three months.
20:12My eyes red,
20:13I screamed back.
20:15My mom is gone.
20:17Don't you dare talk about her like that.
20:22The men burst into raucous laughter,
20:24their tone filthy and vicious.
20:27Since your mom's dead,
20:29you can pay her debts with your body.
20:35Their rough fingernails scraped against my skin,
20:38feeling like sandpaper grinding against my bones.
20:41I curled into a ball,
20:43tears mixed with drops of blood hitting the ground.
20:46It felt like I was back in my childhood,
20:49being bullied all over again.
20:51Only this time,
20:52no one was coming to save me.
20:54They roughly tore my clothes to shreds.
20:57Seeing the piercings on my body,
20:59they howled in excitement.
21:01Wait,
21:01she's the bitch from the live stream.
21:03Come on,
21:04brothers.
21:05Let's see what the great Sebastian Thone's leftovers taste like.
21:09I scrambled backward desperately,
21:12but the ropes binding me only grew tighter.
21:15Just then,
21:16the phone that had been thrown to the ground started vibrating.
21:19Gritting my teeth,
21:21I crawled toward it.
21:22But Isabella stepped on the phone,
21:24crushing it under her foot as she sneered.
21:28Give it up.
21:29No one is coming to save you.
21:32With that,
21:33she locked the iron gate from the outside.
21:39That night,
21:40Sebastian called my number again,
21:42but it was already switched off.
21:44He checked the GPS tracker on my phone.
21:47It led him to the heart of the slums,
21:50the most dangerous part of the city.
21:51To his shock,
21:53my location showed up in the most depraved
21:55and chaotic part of the slums.
21:58Sebastian gripped the steering wheel tight
22:00and drove like a madman toward the location.
22:03Just as he turned into the alley,
22:05he overheard to drunken day laborers.
22:07That chick back there was wild.
22:10Those piercings on her body drove me crazy.
22:14Sebastian froze in his tracks,
22:16the blood rushing straight to his head.
22:19Sebastian grabbed the man by the hair,
22:22forcing his head back.
22:24Did any of you filthy animals lay a finger on her?
22:30Tell me where she is,
22:32or you're dead.
22:37He was filled with rage.
22:39I was the treasure he had protected for 10 years,
22:41and he would not allow anyone to hurt me.
22:44Seeing his custom-made suit,
22:46the day laborers immediately adopted a weak and fearful,
22:50begging on their knees posture.
22:52Wait, wait, boss, please.
22:55We didn't know who she was.
22:57It's all a mistake.
22:59Don't kill us.
23:00We'll take you to her right this second.
23:03With that,
23:04the two men led Sebastian deeper into the alley.
23:07A dozen shops ahead were lit with cheap neon lights.
23:11Heavily made-up women stood by the street,
23:14but upon seeing his face,
23:16cold as ice,
23:17they retreated in fear.
23:18They all knew they couldn't afford to offend such a powerful figure.
23:23Sebastian's knuckles turned white as he thought to himself.
23:26The punishment today was too harsh.
23:30I didn't even give her a chance to explain before making the decision on my own.
23:34If the consequences are truly that bad,
23:38how will someone as proud as her ever face me again?
23:44The day laborers led him into a barbershop.
23:48Going low, one said,
23:50Boss, the young lady you're looking for is right in there.
23:53Inside, a woman in a slip dress was lounging on the sofa,
23:57touching up her makeup.
23:59Sebastian strode over and yanked her up.
24:01The moment he saw her face,
24:04his suspended heart suddenly settled.
24:08It's not her.
24:09He whispered.
24:10Where on earth is Iris right now?
24:12Sebastian, consumed by fury,
24:15immediately dialed his bodyguard.
24:17My wife is missing.
24:19I want her location within 10 minutes.
24:22But no one expected what happened next.
24:25The bodyguard team,
24:26which the Thorne family spent a fortune on
24:28every year recruiting top talent nationwide,
24:31could not find me.
24:33Sebastian tore up the search report
24:35handed to him by the bodyguards.
24:37A vague suspicion surfaced in his mind.
24:44He immediately had Isabella brought to him,
24:47his eyes cold as knives.
24:50Someone said you were the last person to see my wife.
24:53I didn't want to suspect you,
24:55but the bodyguards have searched every corner of Seattle.
24:58Isabella, you'd better come clean.
25:00Isabella walked up to him and leaned into his embrace.
25:03Iris' family went bankrupt.
25:06Do you know how many people want revenge on her and her mother?
25:09Her mother is already dead.
25:12I just thought I'd hand her over
25:14to let those people take their revenge.
25:19Think of it as accumulating good karma for our child.
25:24Sebastian, I'm already pregnant with your child.
25:27Why should that barren hen stay in the Thorne family?
25:31Upon hearing this,
25:32Sebastian's hand clamped around her throat.
25:35The force of his grip seemed intended to kill her.
25:42Who gave you the right to act on your own?
25:48Tell me where Iris is, right now!
25:51If a single hair on her head is harmed,
25:54I will make you wish you were dead.
25:57Isabella covered her burning cheek,
25:59daring not to talk back any longer.
26:01I only sent her there.
26:04I know it's the real last to end of being at this bit.
26:07She continued to feign innocence.
26:10I paid off those workers.
26:11At most, they'd yell at her a bit.
26:13They wouldn't lay a hand on her.
26:14But Sebastian wouldn't believe a single word anymore.
26:18He drove straight to that abandoned warehouse
26:20on the outskirts of town.
26:22The main gate was ajar,
26:24and the warehouse was completely empty.
26:26Only a pool of darkened blood remained on the concrete floor.
26:30Sebastian dropped to his knees,
26:32ignoring the filth on the ground
26:34as he reached for a blood-stained emerald pendant.
26:37There was no mistaking it.
26:39This was mine the one piece of jewelry I never took off.
26:47His eyes drifted to the dark,
26:49sticky pool of blood on the concrete.
26:51His heart felt like it was being crushed in a vice.
26:54The pain making it impossible to breathe.
26:57He immediately ordered the security team
26:59to run a rushed DNA test on the blood.
27:02Then, dragging Isabella by the arm like she was trash,
27:06he hauled her to the underground chamber
27:08behind the warehouse.
27:10There was a three-meter deep pool there,
27:12already filled with ice.
27:14Isabella finally smelled the scent of death.
27:17Her face was ashen as she shrank back in fear.
27:21Sebastian, why did you bring me here?
27:23I'm so cold.
27:26Sebastian only gave her a cold look.
27:29Cold?
27:30You won't be feeling that for long.
27:33Two minutes later,
27:34two bodyguards roughly tore open Isabella's clothes,
27:38chaining her hands and feet.
27:44Isabella shivered uncontrollably from the cold and screamed.
27:48Sebastian, are you crazy?
27:51See? I'm carrying your child!
27:53But Sebastian stepped closer,
27:55his eyes devoid of warmth.
27:57Scared?
27:58When you pushed Iris toward those day labors,
28:00did you ever think she might be scared too?
28:02Isabella,
28:04did you really think climbing into my bed
28:06would let you replace her?
28:08You aren't even worth her shadow.
28:13He waved his hand,
28:14and the bodyguards immediately pulled the chains toward the pool.
28:18The moment Isabella's feet touched the water,
28:21her whole body seized up from the cold.
28:23The man before her was no longer the tender partner,
28:26but the grim reaper from hell.
28:29Speak.
28:30What exactly happened tonight?
28:33I want the truth,
28:35not your lies.
28:39He glanced at the time,
28:40his tone chilling.
28:42I'm counting to ten.
28:44If you don't talk,
28:47I'll sink you.
28:48Isabella went completely limp,
28:50snot and tears streaming down her face.
28:53I was wrong.
28:55I was just jealous of her.
28:58I wanted to teach her a lesson.
29:00She spilled everything,
29:01how she colluded with the workers,
29:03how she tricked Iris into going to the warehouse.
29:06After listening,
29:08Sebastian pushed her head down toward the water.
29:11His eyes were filled with poisonous,
29:13murderous intent.
29:15Isabella's voice cracked with terror.
29:20But you even live streamed today.
29:22To get revenge for me.
29:25I'm still carrying your child.
29:27How can you do this to me?
29:28Sebastian sneered.
29:30Do you really think I had the piercer use ordinary nails on her?
29:35I just wanted to teach Iris a lesson.
29:38To make her behave.
29:43Those were custom made nails.
29:46They dissolve completely after three days.
29:49No one would have known it was her in the live stream.
29:51But you took that as proof that I love her.
29:54And you decided to kill her.
29:56How could I not love her?
29:58She is the woman I would give my life to protect.
30:02Only I am allowed to cause her pain.
30:05Who the hell do you think you are?
30:08Isabella continued to scream in her defense.
30:11No!
30:13Sebastian!
30:13I must be special to you!
30:15Otherwise, you wouldn't have let me carry your child!
30:19He is your bloodline!
30:21He is supposed to inherit your family fortune!
30:25Sebastian's foot was already on top of her head, pressing down with increasing force.
30:30Before you go under, I might as well tell you one more thing.
30:35The child in your belly is actually an embryo from me and Iris.
30:40I had a doctor implanted in you.
30:47Isabella.
30:50When it comes down to it, you're just a tool for breeding.
30:58I had planned to treat you better, to let you help raise the child.
31:05But what a pity.
31:08You won't live to see that day.
31:11With those words, he kicked her hard and Isabella sank to the bottom.
31:16Sebastian had countless ways to make Isabella vanish instantly.
31:21But he felt that would be letting her off too easy.
31:25For a woman with a heart as poisonous as a snake,
31:28she deserved to simmer in fear until he lost interest completely.
31:33Isabella was pushed underwater in the freezing pool.
31:36Her body had gone numb from the extreme cold.
31:38Her limbs swollen and stiff.
31:40Just as she sank to the bottom,
31:42the rope around her neck yanked her violently upward.
31:46Leaving her coughing as if her lungs would tear apart.
31:51But this was only the beginning.
31:56The ropes binding her neck and limbs lowered her slowly once more.
32:01She was forced to teeter back and forth on the edge of drowning and suffocation.
32:05Sebastian knew she feared the cold and suffocation above all else.
32:09So he would make her taste the brink of death a hundred times beneath the water.
32:13Hours later, the call from the bodyguard finally came.
32:19Mr. Thorne, we've located Mrs. Thorne.
32:24The day laborers had all been rounded up.
32:28From them, Sebastian learned the truth.
32:32Moments after Isabella left the warehouse,
32:35the main doors were blasted open by a group of men in black.
32:41A man in a black trench coat had scooped up me and vanished into the night.
32:48Then where the hell is my wife?
32:52Sebastian's eyes were bloodshot as he demanded.
32:56But no one had the answer.
32:59He took a deep breath and radioed his men again.
33:07Turn Seattle upside down if you have to.
33:09Find her.
33:12That night, several middle-aged men appeared in the slums of Seattle,
33:16unconscious and with their limbs broken.
33:19When I startled awake from a chaotic nightmare.
33:22I found myself in a pristine white hospital room filled with sophisticated equipment.
33:28This wasn't an ordinary ward.
33:30It was run by the Global Medical Federation.
33:33It's a facility reserved for the world's most elite.
33:38A place that only accepted the elite who had made significant contributions to humanity.
33:45I realized with a silent start, what ends it seem.
33:50I hadn't expected that he would be the one to save me just in time.
33:55The man in the adjoining lounge saw I was awake and entered the room after an iris scan.
34:00I softly called out his name.
34:03At Liam, thank you for today.
34:07He gently took my hand, his voice steady and calm.
34:10There's no need for that between us.
34:11If I hadn't happened to be on break and contacted you,
34:14I dread to think of what might have happened.
34:21He paused, then lifted a bowl of nutrient porridge to feed me.
34:26Why did you go to a place like that?
34:29It's really not safe.
34:30I remained silent, unwilling to reopen those wounds.
34:33Even if he was my childhood sweetheart.
34:38Sebastian had his lover, his adopted sister and I had my childhood sweetheart of 10 years.
34:45It was just that after I got together with Sebastian, I had consciously kept my distance from Liam.
34:52Liam's parents were core researchers at the center, and he had grown up under my mother's care.
34:58In high school, he was selected for the medical center's elite training program, and now he was its youngest senior
35:05officer.
35:06We hadn't seen much of each other over the years, only confirming we were both well through occasional calls and
35:12messages.
35:12He had contacted me this time to share some major news.
35:20We've had a breakthrough with your glass skin condition.
35:24This new treatment is light years ahead of the junk Sebastian found.
35:28It was a world of difference compared to those folk remedies Sebastian had dug up.
35:33Just one of the specific pills would allow me to become a normal person within a week.
35:39As I swallowed the sugar-coated pill, I couldn't help but say thanks once more to the man standing before
35:44me.
35:45Aside from a flimsy.
35:48I didn't seem to have anything else to offer him in return.
35:51He had already become a chief of the highest medical rank, a height I could never hope to reach.
35:56A man like him truly lacked for nothing.
35:59After leaving the treatment control center, I never wanted to return to the Thorn Mansion,
36:04the cage that had imprisoned me for so many years.
36:07I'd act as if I had long since let go, leaving the unfaithful Sebastian and that iron cage to Isabella.
36:15I rented an apartment with a balcony by the river.
36:19Liam moved into the same complex, right next door.
36:24This proximity finally allowed my frayed nerves a moment of peace.
36:29It happened to be his rotation break.
36:32Occasionally, he would take me out for a drive.
36:35He would also invite me over to taste his cooking.
36:38I had never seen him like this wearing a cotton linen apron,
36:41tending to a pot of thick soup all afternoon.
36:45It completely changed my opinion of him.
36:49I'd often tease him.
36:51With skills like disness, even the center's Ristoshi menu couldn't keep you satisfied.
36:56A hint of grievance flashed in his eyes.
36:59Back when I was supporting remote outposts, all I had to gnaw on were compressed biscuits.
37:06Back then, I'd always think of Aunt Margaret's pork chop.
37:10It wasn't until I returned to headquarters that I got a dedicated dietary consultant.
37:17Hearing him mention my mother, the spoon in my hand clattered onto the table.
37:23He looked at me, his voice soft.
37:27I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.
37:29If you don't want to talk about it, I won't bring it up again.
37:35I shook my head, tears already welling up in my eyes.
37:39It had been so long since I tasted my mother's cooking, and I would never have the chance again.
37:45After I was rescued from the warehouse, Liam not only paid for my mother's funeral expenses but also arranged a
37:52grand memorial service for her.
37:54As for the truth behind the company's bankruptcy, he uncovered it using the Medical Alliance's Global Information Network.
38:02It turned out to be Sebastian's conspiracy all along.
38:05He had engineered a fatal contract.
38:07He siphoned off all the cash flow from my mother's company and bribed every financial institution, cutting off our escape
38:14route.
38:15Furthermore, Liam had used his resources to recover the diverted assets, getting the company back up and running.
38:22All the unpaid wages for the day laborers had been issued as well.
38:29Tragically, mom would never know.
38:33I patted his shoulder.
38:34It's okay.
38:36It seems we are the only two left who still remember her.
38:43I sniffled, trying hard to hold back my tears.
38:47Wasida Cibiza.
38:49If I hadn't married Sebastian, she could have lived happily and healthily for decades more.
38:55She only chose suicide.
38:59So she wouldn't be a burden to me.
39:03She gave me my life, yet she lost hers because of me.
39:10Last night, Liam and I talked all night about the past.
39:13We talked about how mom used to make sweet pork and corn stew for us in the summer.
39:19I would help mom wash the corn, and Liam would help chop it up.
39:23Every time, I was the one who ate the most meat.
39:28Confused, I asked mom why she wasn't eating any meat, wondering if she had lost her appetite.
39:33She just smiled and placed another piece of meat in my bowl.
39:37I used to have a taste for it when I was young.
39:42But somewhere along the way, I realized I'd rather see you full than eat it myself.
39:48That sentence stayed with me my whole life.
39:53It turns out the most loving lie in the world is, mom doesn't like the taste.
40:01I told Liam that my mother actually loved sweets back then.
40:05But to teach me to eat less sugar, she even gave up her favorite floral honey cake.
40:12Once, when I caught her, she smiled awkwardly.
40:17Sweetie, mom just had a tiny, tiny bite.
40:21Every time we would celebrate Christmas, mom and I would lie on the sofa watching the holiday variety show.
40:27The performances were playing on the TV.
40:30Mom turned to me and asked,
40:32Do you know what tune this is?
40:34I said I didn't.
40:36I know.
40:37Never learned it.
40:38Mom gave a proud little humph.
40:41This is that piano piece you practiced every single day.
40:45I still remember it, but you've forgotten it all.
40:48I smiled.
40:54Mom, but I played the violin.
40:59Then we both burst into laughter.
41:06I was born with glass skin syndrome.
41:09I was like a fragile porcelain doll, needing to be cradled in the palm of a hand and protected at
41:14all costs.
41:16It was truly exhausting.
41:17Yet my mother cared for me with meticulous devotion, beaming with delight.
41:23This beautiful porcelain doll is mine, and I'm going to take good care of her.
41:28That night, I didn't tell Liam about those heart-wrenching memories.
41:33Instead, I spoke of the sweet times I shared with mom.
41:37Her dying wish was for me to be safe and happy, so I would carry all those warm memories of
41:42her and live the rest of my life well.
41:43The loss of a loved one is a dampness that clings for a lifetime, but the part of me that
41:49was shaped by my mother will take her place and stay with me forever.
41:52Before sleep, I said softly to Liam,
41:55Thank you for saving me, and thank you for everything you've done.
41:59But I'm not ready to start another relationship.
42:04Before I can love someone else, I need to learn to love myself first.
42:10I looked into the tenderness in his eyes and added,
42:12But we will be partners for life.
42:15People always mistake dependency for love.
42:18Having survived a shattered marriage, I can no longer believe in spending the rest of my life with another person.
42:25Nor do I want to hear flimsy promises or make guarantees that cannot be kept.
42:30He nodded gently, he softly sang a nursery rhyme, lulling me to sleep.
42:37The night in Seattle was completely silent, leaving only two adrift souls, leaning on one another for warmth.
42:45A few days later, I took Liam's dog for a walk in the park.
42:49A Rolls Royce screeched to a halt beside me.
42:52The window rolled down to reveal Sebastian's agitated voice.
42:56Iris, are you really going to throw everything away because of one mistake?
43:02Get in the car now!
43:04I tightened my grip on the leash.
43:07Sebastian, you signed the divorce papers yourself.
43:12You're nothing but a stranger to me now.
43:17Please, have some dignity.
43:21Having said my piece, I tugged the dog along and kept walking.
43:25But Sebastian jumped out of the car and chased after me.
43:28He reached out and grabbed my arm.
43:31Don't go.
43:33Let's just talk properly, please.
43:38I shook off his hand violently, not even bothering to look at him.
43:43There's nothing to talk about.
43:44That was your signature on the divorce.
43:47Your Saree Force papers.
43:49Legally, we have absolutely no ties anymore.
43:56Sebastian, stop this harassment.
43:59Trying to trap someone who doesn't love you is just torture for both of us.
44:03It's completely pointless.
44:06He acted as if he hadn't heard a word, rambling on and on.
44:10He kept going on about how much effort it took to find me, and about the piercings on my body.
44:16He also claimed he had already tortured Isabella a thousand times over.
44:21I already knew about the nails.
44:23I knew the moment those nails began to dissolve and vanish from my skin.
44:28As for the rest of what he was saying, I couldn't care less.
44:31I finally stopped walking and turned my head.
44:34My voice as cold as ice.
44:37None of that matters anymore.
44:38What matters is that we will never have anything to do with each other again.
44:45Let the past rot in the past.
44:48Don't ever show your face in front of me again.
44:51Hearing this, Sebastian suddenly roared like a madman.
44:55Iris!
44:56Have you been seeing someone else all along?
44:59How else could you be so heartless?
45:04How could you forget me so quickly?
45:06Watching him lose control, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
45:11You're so arrogant.
45:13Does my life have to revolve around a man?
45:17I don't need to love someone else to stop loving you.
45:22I belong to myself.
45:25I am not your possession.
45:27I am not something you can just snatch away.
45:29And certainly not something you can trap whenever you please.
45:33As I spoke, I pulled out my phone.
45:36Now get the hell away from me.
45:38Just ahead is a restricted medical facility.
45:41My brother works there.
45:42One phone call from me.
45:44And he'll bring people out to pin you to the ground.
45:48But Sebastian seemed possessed.
45:51His eyes filled with a manic obsession.
45:54He gripped my wrist tightly, refusing to let go.
45:57Determined to drag me back to his car.
45:59I couldn't be bothered to struggle with him any longer.
46:01I barked a command to the Doberman on the leash.
46:05Wester, get him.
46:07The command took immediate effect.
46:09West was a working dog with professional protection training.
46:12And he obeyed my commands implicitly.
46:14He lunged forward.
46:16Sinking his teeth into Sebastian's calf and tearing open several bloody gashes.
46:20Sebastian stumbled from the pain.
46:23Dropping to one knee as cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
46:26I didn't even spare him a glance.
46:29Turning on my heel and walking straight away.
46:32Just then, my phone screen lit up with a booking confirmation notification.
46:37Booking confirmed at Iris Vance.
46:40Flight LX81 to Zurich, 8pm.
46:45I locked the screen, and my steps grew lighter.
46:49From now on, my life was finally rid of these toxic people and their mess.
46:54The past could no longer hold me prisoner.
46:59And like a bird, I would soar into a sky that belonged to me.
47:02The know, my evidence appeared before the end of the door.
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