- 27 minutes ago
I Was Never Your Wife - Ep - FULL ✅
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00:00After the wedding, Marcus was recruited by Harwick University on a seven-figure salary.
00:06I gave up everything to follow him to London.
00:08Three years have passed.
00:10I still didn't have a single valid visa for my name.
00:13The woman who had flown over with us, his assistant,
00:16had already secured permanent residency through Marcus's connections.
00:20You don't need any of that. I take care of you.
00:23Besides, residency applications take time. There's a formal process.
00:27My position is sensitive right now.
00:30I can't be seen pulling stregs.
00:31As for Jade, she gave up everything to follow me here.
00:35Getting her settled is what a good boss does.
00:37I softened. I put the suitcase down.
00:39Then came the day I went to handle some paperwork
00:42and handed over my marriage certificate for verification.
00:45The clerk looked at her screen and looked back up at me.
00:48Ma'am, the system doesn't show you as Mr. Marcus's spouse.
00:52You'll need to go home and sort that out.
00:53All this time, I had never been his wife. Not legally.
00:57No spousal visa. No work arrangement.
01:00I didn't say a word.
01:01I packed everything I could carry and booked the first train out of the city.
01:05After returning to my apartment that day, I tried the door three times.
01:09Three times the lock beeped. Verification failed.
01:13I double-checked the address. It was right.
01:15But the lock was different.
01:16I called Marcus. He picked up fast.
01:19What is it?
01:19Why is the lock changed? It was fine when I left that morning.
01:22Oh, this afternoon Jade said her lock was broken. She's used to hours and ordering one online would
01:27take too long. So I took ours off and had it put on her door. I got a new one
01:31for us,
01:31but it hasn't arrived yet. Find a hotel for tonight. I'm working late. I won't be back.
01:36Jade's lock broke, so he gave her hours. Then they sent me, the hostess, to the hotel.
01:41I thought I'd heard wrong. By the time the words reached my mouth, all that was left was,
01:46Okay.
01:46What else was there to say? Our home, with a stranger's fingerprint on the lock.
01:51I hung up. I found a budget hotel at the end of the street. 90 pounds a night. When I
01:57tapped my
01:57card, the balance was almost gone. When we first arrived in London, Marcus had given me a linked
02:03card with no limit. After a while, Jade started handling most of his purchases. His clothes,
02:09his watch, the travel mug on his desk. She was responsible for buying everything. Gradually,
02:14the card migrated to her. He said she had better taste. She said she was just doing her job as
02:20his
02:20assistant. I didn't push back. On our third wedding anniversary, dinner for two, candles on
02:26the table. The mood was just settling in when the doorbell rang. Jade stood in the doorway,
02:32slightly out of breath, holding a small box. She pressed it into his hands.
02:36Professor, it's your special night. I made sure to pick these up for you.
02:39She glanced at me and smiled easily.
02:41You always say this brand is the most comfortable. Thoughtful of me, isn't it? Don't I deserve some
02:45credit? Marcus took the box. He made an awkward sound in his throat. She waved and left. The door
02:51closed. He carried the box of condoms back to the table and set it down without looking at me.
02:56I looked at the box. I didn't speak. I never knew which kind he preferred. We'd been trying for a
03:01child. We hadn't been using anything. That candlelit dinner felt like a punishment. At the end of it,
03:07I said something had come up at the university. He picked up his jacket and left. The door clicked
03:12shut. And I understood that an assistant's duties could be that thorough. That night,
03:17I dreamed of the year we first arrived. Two heavy suitcases. The arrivals terminal. Marcus waiting
03:23at the gate. Back then, he was still the man who had gone red-eyed with guilt because I had
03:28left
03:28everything behind to come to him. The man who carried my bags. Who let me lean on him when I
03:33was tired.
03:34Then Jade arrived. Marcus said she had sacrificed a lot to follow him here. He had to help her. So
03:40he
03:40helped her get residency. Found her a job. And now, helped her take the lock off my door. Three years
03:46of trying to justify my presence. Three years of refusing to just be a housewife. And in all that
03:51time, I had missed so many small things. Like every weekend, something's come up at the university.
03:57Gone all day. When I asked what, he always said, you wouldn't understand. Like the time he forgot a
04:03document and I brought it to his office. Two toothbrushes on the bathroom sink. One blue, one pink.
04:08I never looked too closely. The next morning, I went to buy a train ticket home. Waiting in line,
04:14I thought about the queue at customs three years ago. It had been just as long. But I was about
04:18to
04:19see the man I loved, so I didn't feel it at all. Then a girl waved from behind him. Professor,
04:24what a
04:25coincidence. I was on the same flight as Claire. Marcus smiled and took her suitcase. He turned to me.
04:30I forgot to mention, Jade's coming on to keep working as my assistant. She's a long way from
04:35home. It wasn't easy for her. Jade smiled sweetly at me. Look after me, okay? My smile stiffened
04:40slightly. I nodded. In the car, I watched them talk. When she spoke, Marcus turned to listen. When
04:46she pointed out something in the sky, he looked where she pointed. A friend came back to New York
04:51and called me. Claire, that thing you asked me to look into? She hesitated. I could only access
04:56registration records. They're strict about privacy over there. I couldn't pull the full file.
05:01It's fine. Whatever you find. Two seconds of quiet. The wife registered Marcus in London. Her
05:08last name is the same as Jade's. I held the phone. I didn't speak. Are you okay? I'm fine. Thank
05:14you.
05:14I hung up. The same last name as Jade. His wife is not even me. Those first months in London,
05:22I tried to find work. My specialty was art history. Nice enough that nothing came up. Hundreds of
05:28applications. No response. Or a polite no. Being rejected, again and again, was something I didn't
05:35know how to hold. I spent those nights awake, turning it over. Was I not good enough? Finally,
05:41I went to Marcus. I said, haltingly. Could you ask around? There's that spousal arrangement in
05:47the talent package, isn't there? I wondered if there was something available. I couldn't finish.
05:52I had never asked for a favor in my life. I knew technically it was something I was entitled to,
05:57as his spouse. Part of the university's relocation terms. But saying it out loud made my face burn,
06:04like I was doing something shameful. Sure. He said, without looking up from his papers. If you want
06:09to work, I'll ask around. I felt a small loosening in my chest. That was three months before anything
06:14more was said. He said he'd been busy. He'd get to it. By then, Jade had already been at Harwick
06:20for
06:20months. Good hours. Good pay. Marcus said she'd applied through the normal process. I believed him.
06:26Looking back, her qualifications were below mine. Her professional experience was thinner. She
06:32struggled even with everyday English. I had applied through the same channels. Not a word back.
06:37The answer had been in front of me the whole time. I just hadn't been willing to see it.
06:42The line moved forward. My turn. I pushed my travel document through the slot. The clerk typed for a
06:48moment. Her brow creased. Ma'am, I can't issue a ticket with this document. Why not? She turned the
06:55screen slightly toward me. The system shows your permitted stay has expired. Expired? Your last extension
07:01application wasn't approved. There's no valid leave to remain on record for you. Three years. I had been in
07:06London for three years without a single valid permit. What do I do now? You'll need to go to
07:11the immigration office first. Once you have a died departure clearance, you can purchase a ticket. I
07:16didn't even have a legal right to be here. Then what had these three years been? I left the station
07:21and called the immigration consultant. Margaret, I need to ask about my situation. My extension
07:26applications have never gone through. I'm looking at a significant fine now. What happened? Mrs.
07:32Claire, that shouldn't be the case at all. Marcus is a Harwick professor. Spousal dependent
07:36application should have been straightforward. Were all his sponsorship documents filed?
07:40He said they were. That's strange. Let me pull something up. Silence for a moment. When she came
07:45back, her voice was quieter. Can I ask you something direct? When Marcus sponsored you, did he go through
07:50the spousal visa pathway? Family reunification? I held the phone. I didn't answer. The system is showing
07:56that the spousal slot linked to Marcus's file was approved by a woman whose last name matches his
08:00assistance. He did file something for you, but not as a spouse. A different route. That route was
08:06discontinued at about a year ago, which is why your renewal stopped going through. Understood. Thank
08:11you, Margaret. I hung up. I stood still and let the pieces settle. Three years ago, the day I arrived,
08:17Marcus had said he would handle all the paperwork. He took my documents, told me later it was sorted.
08:23I hadn't asked again. What I had thought was love, crossing an ocean, starting over, had become an
08:29illegal overstay. I spent the rest of the afternoon running from office to office. In the end, there
08:35was only one way out. Marcus, my former sponsor, had to submit a signed statement, confirming that
08:41he had failed to notify me of the change in sponsorship status, and that my overstay was not
08:47deliberate. Then I could pay the fine, apply for a short stay departure permit, and leave legally.
08:52Simple. One signature. But how do you ask for that? Since you gave my spousal slot to someone else,
08:58can you sign here so I can go? And if we were counting, what about the last three years? Did
09:04we
09:04settle that too? I went back to what Marcus called home. He wasn't there. The door was shut. I didn't
09:10wait. I called a locksmith. Once everything was in order, I went to university. His office door was
09:17slightly ajar. Professor, this artist residency with the Harwick Foundation, you're really putting
09:23me forward for it? Jade's voice. A note of practice delight in it. I know I'm not really qualified. This
09:29should go to Claire. It's literally her field. I stopped outside the door. An artist residency. I had
09:35never heard Marcus mention it. Art history. My program in New York takes eight people a year. I
09:41was one of them. It was the kind of degree that led somewhere. Curators, specialists, department heads.
09:47I had given all of that up. And this opportunity, he had never even suggested I apply. Don't worry
09:54about it. I've already made the call. As for Claire, she has me. She doesn't need these things. And
10:00honestly, with your abilities, if you'd had the same opportunities she did, you'd have done just as
10:05well. So my years of work were just opportunities in his mind. My specialty, the thing I was proudest
10:11of, was something anyone could match with the right breaks. The door opened. Jade stepped out.
10:17Claire, are you here to see the professor? This floor is staff only, though. Maybe wait downstairs
10:23in the lobby? Love does something for a person. Move. I reached out to push past her. She stumbled
10:29back dramatically, falling into the office. Marcus stood up from his desk. He looked
10:35at me, cold. Then he crouched down to help her up. Are you hurt? She bit her lip and shook
10:41her head. I'm fine. I lost my balance. It wasn't Claire's fault. Marcus straightened and looked
10:46at me. Jade was just doing her job. What was that for? I looked at him, then at Jade, blinking
10:53up at him with red-rimmed eyes. I didn't bother. I need you to sign a statement for the immigration
10:58office. What statement? I handed him the pages. He took them, scanned the first few lines,
11:04and stopped. You came here and pulled that stunt for this? Claire, when did you get like
11:09this? Sign it, or I go to the dean right now and ask how a professor's spousal residency
11:14slot ended up filed under his assistant's name. Claire, enough. Don't forget who's been keeping
11:20you. Without me, you can't stay in this country. You can't go anywhere. Go home. We'll talk
11:26tonight. I looked at him for two seconds. When he begged me to come to London, he said,
11:31I'll take care of you. Now he said, don't forget who keeps you. Sign it now, and we can
11:36both walk away with some dignity. His gaze hardened. Security. Two uniformed men appeared. He glanced
11:42at me. Please see my wife out. She's not feeling well. He leaned close and said quietly, we'll
11:48talk tonight, okay? Don't make this into something. There was nothing left to say tonight. By nine
11:54that evening, Marcus was driving home. He thought about the afternoon, pushed it aside. Those pages
12:00she brought, he hadn't even finished reading them. Immigration statement? Claire was home all day. What
12:06did she need documents like that for? The new lock was on the door, slightly ajar. He stopped.
12:12The lights were on inside. He pushed the door open and walked to the bedroom.
12:16The spousal slot thing. I've explained this. Jade needed it more than you did. She came all this
12:22way. She deserved to be taken care of. Stop making it into something. He put his hand on the door
12:27handle. He pushed it open and stopped. Ten minutes later, two police officers stood in front of Marcus,
12:33notebooks open. Mr. Marcus, you're certain this is a burglary? Yes. His voice was tight. My wife's
12:39documents, clothes, personal belongings, all gone. And when I came home, the door wasn't locked.
12:45Someone must have gotten in. The other officer examined the lock. It's new. No signs of forced
12:52entry. Marcus hesitated. I replaced the lock yesterday. I hadn't had a chance to program
12:56her print yet. You hadn't programmed her print. So how was your wife getting in? Marcus opened his
13:01mouth. How was she getting in? Wait for him to come home or stand at the door. He thought suddenly
13:09of
13:09how many times she had done exactly that over three years. Waited until dinner went cold.
13:15Waited until dark. Waited until he texted to say he wasn't coming back. What I mean is... He
13:21continued. She probably couldn't get in so she called a lock Nifno herself. The lock on there
13:26now. The one I installed. You're saying your wife couldn't get into her own home? And instead of
13:30calling you or waiting, she called a lark mister and changed the lock herself? Marcus opened his mouth.
13:34Yes. Her contact number. Off. It's been off. I can't get through. The officers exchanged a look.
13:42When did you last see her? This afternoon. In his office, he had called security to walk her out.
13:48This afternoon. She was still home this afternoon. Anything else missing? Besides her belongings?
13:52No. A pause. Just hers. Mr. Marcus, this may not be a burglary. It looks like your wife changed the
13:59lock, packed her things and left. That's not possible. She wouldn't leave.
14:06The flat was intact. Nothing valuable missing. Only her things. Only hers. But he held the line.
14:15My wife loves me. She left a career in New York to come here with me. She wouldn't just walk
14:19out.
14:20Mr. Marcus, did you and your wife have an argument this afternoon? An argument. He thought of her
14:25standing at his desk, holding out those pages. The way she had looked at him when security walked her
14:31out. Too calm. No argument. One officer finished writing. The other returned from checking the
14:37building's internal cameras. Broken, as it turned out. We'll try to pull footage from outside. In the
14:43meantime, we'd suggest reaching out to your wife's family or friends. See if anyone knows where she
14:48might be. Marcus nodded. The officers left. He stood in the doorway and looked at the door,
14:53still slightly open. Family or friends? She had neither in London. Three years, and she had not made a
14:59single friend here. He had told her she didn't need to work. Didn't need a social life. She had
15:04him. He found his mother-in-law's number. Let it ring. She answered warmly. Oh, is everything all
15:09right? Calling this late? Marcus's throat moved. Has Claire been in touch today? No. Why? She lost her
15:16phone, he said. Just checking around. He hung up. He scrolled through his contacts. Her college
15:21roommate. Her closest friend from New York. Her old colleagues. He had none of their numbers. Not one.
15:29He stood in the hallway and thought about all the time she had asked to go back. My best friend's
15:34getting married next month. I want to go. There's a reunion next week. I haven't seen these people in
15:39years. My mom hasn't been well. I want to check on her. Every time he said, don't bother. It's too
15:46much
15:46trouble. And she had stayed. He had assumed she was listening to him. Now he understood. She stayed
15:52because she knew he didn't want to go with her. And she wouldn't go without him. He tried her number
15:57again. Off. Still off. He walked to the bedroom. Stood in front of her side of the wardrobe. Empty.
16:03Three years. She had followed him here and given up everything. A career that was going somewhere.
16:08A mentor who believed in her. Her circle. Her friends. The life she would have had. She had never
16:14once said she regretted it. His phone rang. The police station.
16:22Mr. Marcus. We pulled footage from the cameras outside the building. At approximately 5 o'clock
16:27this afternoon, your wife left with a suitcase. No signs of distress. She was alone. He held the
16:32phone and didn't speak. At this stage, it appears she left of her own accord.
16:37She was really gone. Marcus slid down against the wardrobe until he was sitting on the floor.
16:43He looked at the wedding photo on the opposite wall. White dress. Dark suit. Both of them looking
16:49at the camera. Smiling. Three years. Marcus. Will we stay together? Yes.
16:57Then I believe you. And she had. For three years, she had believed him. He dropped his head into his
17:04hands. His phone buzzed. A transaction alert. The linked card he had given Jade. Just charged.
17:10A boutique in the city. $13,800. Women's handbags. Marcus stared at the screen. A couple of days ago,
17:19Jade mentioned wanting a new bag. He had said sure without thinking. $13,800.
17:25Claire's allowance was $2,000 a month. Out of that, groceries. Utilities. Everything. Enough to get
17:32by. Nothing more. She had never asked for anything else. The one time she came to him with a request,
17:38standing in his office, holding those pages, he hadn't finished reading them. He got up,
17:43called Margaret. Professor? It's late. Something wrong? Has Claire been in touch with you? She came
17:53to sort out the paperwork. To leave the country legally. She had come to his office today to get
17:58that sorted. That was all she wanted. A signature so she could go. There's something else I think you
18:03should know. When she came to see me, she mentioned the marriage certificate. She knows it's not real.
18:09The phone nearly left his hand. She knows? Yes. That's why she stopped asking about the spousal
18:17visa route. The call ended. The sound in his ears like static. His shoulders began to shake. Jade sent
18:23a message. A string of cheerful texts about the bag needing a matching outfit. More transaction alerts
18:29followed within minutes. He thought about when he had first handed her that card. Her first purchase
18:34had been a full wardrobe. Things befitting, she'd said. The assistant of someone in his position. But
18:40Claire had nothing. He had asked her to give up her career, her friends, her entire life. And in three
18:46years, what had he given her? A fake marriage certificate. A visa status that was never going
18:51to come through. An illegal overstay she didn't even know she was in. And he, her supposed husband,
18:58had let all of it slip from his mind entirely. Too busy building a life in London for someone else.
19:03He didn't know what he was doing. He drove to the transit terminal and sat there until morning.
19:09No record of Claire leaving the country. He stood in the terminal hall and stared at that
19:14information for a long time. No departure on record. She was still here. As long as she was in
19:20the city, he could find her. And if he could find her, he could explain. It's Marcus. I need your
19:25help.
19:26I want to get Claire's status sorted. Whatever it takes. Tell me what to do and I'll do it.
19:31Margaret met him at a cafe. He sat down and went straight to it.
19:37What's the fastest way to get her proper documentation? I'll cooperate with anything.
19:41Mr. Marcus, you've known the fastest way if she's your spouse.
19:44Mr. Marcus, you've known the fastest way if she's your spouse.
19:49Margaret, about the marriage certificate, I want to explain. A few years ago, someone looked into it
19:54for me. Told me that for the exceptional talent visa, it was cleaner to come in as single. Get
19:58settled first, then sort out the spouse paperwork later. Claire's mother was ill at the time. She wanted
20:03to see us properly married before. I had two certificates made up just to ease her mind. I
20:08intended to register properly once we were stable. Mr. Marcus, that's not true. There's no such rule.
20:13Who told you that? My assistant, she looked into it, said it wasn't common knowledge. Margaret was quiet
20:20for a moment. I've been an immigration consultant in this city for 15 years. The exceptional talent
20:25Vasa has never had any such requirement. Being married doesn't complicate the application.
20:31If anything, a spouse accompanying you is a positive factor. The year you joined Hartwick,
20:36several other professors came over with their entire families. Spousal visas were processed normally.
20:41The fastest cases were done in three months.
20:44Three years ago, Jade helped him prepare his application materials. She had been insistent.
20:49Professor, it's really better not list yourself as married. The background checks get complicated.
20:54Get to London, get settled, and then handle the spouse paperwork. It won't cause any delays.
20:59He had believed her. He had always handed the administrative side of things to her.
21:03She knew what she was doing. He trusted her completely. So he had shown up at Claire's
21:07mother's bedside with two forged certificates to put the old woman's mind at ease. He had intended
21:13to register properly once they were settled. There was always something in the way.
21:17The day Jade had confirmed she was coming to London.
21:21Professor, I'm giving up everything to follow you. You're responsible for me now.
21:24That I hope to build a life in London. To put down roots. It would mean so much,
21:31she said, if I could stay.
21:33A woman who had come all this way. He agreed without thinking. She had taken the spousal slot
21:39that should have been Claire's. Gotten residency. Gotten a job. Used the card he had meant for his wife.
21:44Mr. Marcus. Margaret's voice. He looked up.
21:48The assistant. That's Jade, isn't it? He said nothing.
21:51Margaret let out a long breath. He stood to leave. His phone rang. Harwick administration.
21:58Professor Marcus, we need you to come into the dean's office this afternoon at three.
22:02There are some matters that require your explanation in person. It concerns your personnel file
22:07and your spousal sponsorship documents. Someone has submitted a formal complaint to the university.
22:15Marcus sat in the conference room in the dean's suite. Two documents on the table in front of him.
22:20Professor Marcus, can you confirm these are both genuine?
22:23Under UK law, bigamy is a criminal offense.
22:26The university has received a notice of cooperation with the Home Office.
22:29We also need an explanation regarding the marital status declaration you submitted when you joined
22:34the faculty. That he had concealed a marriage? Did he register a second one in London to give
22:39Jade residency? That he had left Claire waiting three years without so much as a legal right to
22:44be in the country. He couldn't say any of it. The investigators came in quickly afterward.
22:50Professor Marcus, were you unaware that falsifying documents is a criminal matter or that two
22:55condurent marriages constitute bigamy? He had just not bothered to think. The things he hadn't
23:00bothered to think about, someone else had spent three years thinking about them instead. Jade had
23:05thought about it for three years. How to stay. How to secure her position. How to move into space
23:11beside him, inch by inch, until it was hers. And Claire. Claire had stood in a kitchen for three years
23:18waiting. Waiting for him to come home for dinner. Waiting for him to remember they had a home.
23:23Waiting for him to take even a small part of his attention away from the things he couldn't be
23:28bothered to think about. And give it to her. He never did. Marcus was suspended from all teaching
23:34and research. His salary stopped during the investigation. When he walked out of the dean's
23:39suite, Jade was in the corridor. Her face was white. Her eyes were red. She came toward him.
23:46They've suspended me too. They called to say the placement has been withdrawn.
23:50Marcus looked at her. That coat was new. She bought it last week. The bag on her arm.
23:56$13,800. Charged last night. Claire never touched luxury labels.
24:03The card? Give it back. Professor?
24:06That card was for Claire. Not for you. She shifted the bag behind her. Her eyes went redder.
24:12I've been with you for three years. You followed me for three years. She waited for me for three years.
24:17You told me not to register for the marriage. You planned this from the beginning, didn't you?
24:22Her expression confirmed it. I just wanted to stay.
24:26Marcus looked at her and felt nothing but exhaustion. She just wanted to stay. So Claire had to go. He
24:32had
24:33stood here for three years and had not seen it. The legal proceedings were ugly. Jade refused to dissolve
24:38the registered marriage. She hired a lawyer and went after compensation, reinstatement, and a public
24:44statement from Marcus acknowledging their relationship as a genuine marriage. Marcus gave
24:49her none of it. She had come to London with nothing. She left with three years of employment
24:54on her record, residency status, and the debt from the card repayments the court ordered. Marcus didn't
25:00come out of it much better. He went back to New York several times to find Claire. Everyone in her
25:05neighborhood said she hadn't come back. Back and forth. Weeks becoming months. No job. No home. No one.
25:11He rented a small flat, far from where they lived. Some nights, he went and stood in the corridor
25:16outside their old building, where she used to wait for him. No one stood in that spot anymore.
25:22One year later, the London Art Fair. Marcus had been pulled along by a former student.
25:27Come and look. It'll do you good. He wandered through the rooms without much purpose. Then he stopped.
25:33To his left, in front of a large canvas, stood a woman. She was wearing a deep gray dress. Her
25:38hair was
25:39longer than he remembered. Pulled back loosely. She was turned slightly away, speaking to someone
25:44beside her. A quiet smile at the corner of her mouth. Marcus stopped breathing for a moment.
25:49He moved toward her without thinking. She was thinner, but she looked well. Her eyes were bright.
25:55When she spoke, she made small gestures with her hands, the way she always had. She smiled again.
26:00That smile. He hadn't seen it in three years. Not in London. He had seen it once. When they were
26:06first
26:06married. He walked faster. He just needed to get to her. Tell her what exactly. Was he wrong?
26:12That he had spent a year looking? That the certificate was fake, but he had never meant
26:16to deceive her. He had just been too busy. Too stupid. Claire. She turned. The moment she saw him,
26:22the smile left her face.
26:24The smile left her face.
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