- 9 hours ago
Shattered Porcelain HD 720p
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My family lost everything. I asked my wealthy boyfriend for a loan. Instead, he took me to
00:05a piercing studio. I'll give you 50 grand for each piercing. How much do you need? I didn't
00:12expect it to be a live stream. The locations of the piercings on my private parts were all voted
00:18on by the audience. My mother saw the live stream. She watched her daughter being stripped of dignity
00:24in front of millions. That night, she swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills. I couldn't
00:31even pay for her coffin. I washed his mistress's stained sheets just to get money for my mother's
00:37funeral. I was born with skin as fragile as glass. The slightest touch makes it tear. After my family's
00:47decline, I asked my wealthy boyfriend for a loan. Instead, Sebastian Thorne took me to a piercing
00:53studio with a cruel, mocking glint in his eyes. I'll give you 50 grand for each piercing. How much
01:01do you need? I knew he was deliberately torturing me, punishing me for raising a hand against his
01:08adopted sister. Yet, I still gave in. The first piercing went through a private area. I dug my
01:14nails into my palms until they bled. The second piercing went straight through my shoulder,
01:19leaving a trail of blood. After 10 piercings, I was shaking violently in extreme pain.
01:26Sebastian casually tossed a flimsy check onto me. 5 million. 5 million s city currents a barely 2,000.
01:35I didn't cry or make a scene. I just picked it up. I squeezed out a smile for him.
01:41Thank you, Mr. Thorne. It's enough. Enough to buy a decent urn for my ashes one that won't let the
01:48wind in. Just as I reached for the last bill, Sebastian crushed my hand under his foot.
01:59You're calling me Mr. Thorne? He gripped my neck, forcing me to look him in the eye.
02:05Didn't you used to crawl after me? Begging to call me babe? Husband? Why so quiet now?
02:13The piercings tugged at my skin with agonizing pain, beads of blood seeping out all over my body.
02:19I lowered my head, compromising with abject humility for the first time.
02:24Sebastian, give me the divorce papers.
02:27There was a time when a single flinch from me would send him into a panic.
02:31Now, Sebastian's eyes held nothing but a cold lack of care. He curled his lip in a sneer.
02:37You want a divorce? You're a doll I trained with my own hands. Why should I let anyone else have
02:44my
02:44leftovers? Then he commanded, give up the master bedroom to Isabella. She has a weak constitution
02:51and isn't used to the guest room.
02:57Walking out of the piercing studio, my skin felt as if it were being torn apart.
03:02I counted the medical money he gave me. There was an extra 200.
03:07Just as I was about to push the door open to return it, I heard the piercer's fawning voice.
03:13Mr. Thorne, the live stream you arranged has already surpassed 10 million figure.
03:17My mind went blank with a buzz, as if struck by a heavy hammer.
03:21My private piercings, watched by the entire internet. That shame broke me more than the
03:27physical pain. I was born with glass skin, a condition where even a needle could cause my
03:33flesh to rot. Back then, Sebastian knelt for 999 steps up the pilgrimage stairs to plead for my cure.
03:41He suppressed his desires for nearly 10 years, being careful even when hugging me.
03:46Only when my condition became steady did we truly belong to each other.
03:54Back then, he held me, his voice trembling.
03:58I will protect you with my life.
04:00But ever since he met Isabella Thorne at the art exhibition, everything changed.
04:05She was vibrant and bold, like a wild rose with thorns. The complete opposite of someone
04:11dutiful and reserved like me. Countless times in bed, Sebastian would pant heavily and whisper to her,
04:18Isabella, my life belongs to you.
04:24After hearing the piercer's report, Sebastian tapped his fingertips on the table and asked nonchalantly,
04:31her face wasn't shown just now, was it?
04:34Rest assured, Ms. Vance's face was blurred the entire time.
04:38Trembling, I unlocked my phone. It turned out that the locations of the piercings on my private parts
04:44were all voted on by the livestream audience.
04:47Shoulder private!
04:53It felt as though icy, bone-chilling nails were piercing through my entire body.
04:58Censored screenshots had already flooded the local forums.
05:02Everyone was trying to uncover the identity of the woman with the blurred face.
05:07Sebastian leaned back against the sofa, his tone casual.
05:11If Iris Vance had just behaved, she wouldn't have had to suffer like this.
05:15Once Isabella sees this news, she should finally be willing to take my call.
05:21Light snow drifted through the streets, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my blood,
05:27all because I couldn't stand seeing his birthday scarred into the small of her back.
05:31I had taken someone to get it lasered off.
05:34So this is how he takes his revenge on me.
05:36I wrapped my coat tightly around myself and fled the piercing shop like a wandering ghost.
05:42Sebastian has been with me for so many years.
05:45He knows perfectly well.
05:47My body simply cannot withstand having them removed.
05:51These piercings will leave permanent holes in my body
05:54and bring me a lifetime of humiliation.
05:58I told the driver not to go back to the Thorn Mansion,
06:02but to drive straight to where Mom lived.
06:04After my family's fall from grace, she had moved from the mid-level villa to the slums.
06:10The place was as small as a storage unit.
06:13The car had barely come to a halt when I heard the wail of an ambulance siren.
06:18Paramedics were rushing out of the building with a stretcher.
06:21The person on the stretcher lay motionless beneath a silent white sheet.
06:25My heart sank violently and my fingertips turned ice cold.
06:30Holding my breath, I dialed her number.
06:32Until my own voice, singing that familiar nursery rhyme,
06:37drifted out from beneath the white sheet.
06:39I rushed forward like a madwoman and ripped back the white sheet.
06:47Mom'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, tears falling like broken pearls.
06:59My mother's checkups were always fine!
07:02How could this happen?
07:13The medical examiner glanced at me.
07:15Your mother took an overdose of sleeping pills.
07:18No, I didn't believe it.
07:20Mom loved me too much.
07:22She would never leave me all alone.
07:24I unlocked her phone.
07:26On the screen, a message from an anonymous account flickered it was the link to the live stream.
07:32I collapsed to the floor, my strength gone.
07:35A sharp pain twisted in my chest as I broke down sobbing.
07:39It was me.
07:40I was the one who killed my own mother.
07:43In our chat history, she had left her final words.
07:46Iris, my darling, don't let yourself be chained to a man who doesn't love you.
07:52My fragile glass doll, leave this darkness behind.
07:56Go find the sun again.
07:58Clutching my mother's cold hand, I wept like a child.
08:02My skin would ulcerate and fester at the slightest bump.
08:05My classmates looked at me like I was garbage, avoiding me like the plague.
08:11Only mom would hug me tight, repeating over and over.
08:15You're different from the others.
08:18You are my porcelain doll.
08:20If you don't want to go to school, mommy will homeschool you every day.
08:26But I was determined to fight fate, gritting my teeth and continuing school.
08:31The year one transferred high schools, I sat next to Sebastian.
08:36He was the one who chased away my bullies time and again.
08:39Even though it was out of his way, he walked me to and from school every day.
08:43Back then, I naively thought he was the light of my world.
08:48It turned out that besides mom, there really was someone who would protect me without asking
08:53for anything in return.
08:54When we graduated college, I secretly gave the dowry mom had saved for me to Sebastian
09:00to start his business.
09:02For once, fate finally treated me kindly.
09:05When the company turned its first profit, he placed the deed to a Riverview villa in the
09:10city center into my hands.
09:12Reporters crowded around to interview him.
09:17Mr. Thorne, why give your girlfriend such an expensive gift right after starting your
09:22business?
09:23Clad in a custom-made suit, he radiated the charm of a perfect gentleman.
09:27Back then, she sat on the back of my bicycle and lived in a basement with me for two years.
09:36I swore then that one day I would let her live in a house where she could see the sunlight
09:41and the waves.
09:42From now on, you can all call her Mrs. Thorne.
09:47Amidst the salute of fireworks, he knelt on one knee and pulled out a ring.
09:52Everyone said we were the model couple of the business world.
09:55They called it a fairy tale ending, the devoted wife who stayed through the storm, finally
10:00crowned in his glory.
10:02I sat withered in the morgue for the entire afternoon, until the staff member's voice
10:08pulled me back from my trance.
10:10Mrs. Thorne, this card still won't go through.
10:14That was the last card I had on me.
10:17The man who once bought me a Riverview house and jewelry had frozen every single one of my
10:22accounts, just to coax a smile out of his adopted baby sister, Isabella.
10:28Swallowing the bitterness in my throat, I knelt humbly and begged.
10:32This is everything I have.
10:36Please, just let me lay my mother to rest.
10:38I'll find a way to pay the balance, I swear.
10:41The staff member looked at me with mockery.
10:44This isn't even enough to buy a coffin.
10:46He sneered.
10:47Just go apologize to Mr. Thorne.
10:50Soften up a bit.
10:51You can surely get this small amount of money from him.
10:54I took a shaky breath and unclasped the heavy gold cross from my neck.
10:58This is solid gold.
11:00It's worth at least $20,000.
11:04Please, have a heart.
11:06He snatched it eagerly, bit down to test it, and then violently smashed the cross onto the
11:12ground.
11:12I can't believe you had the gall to try and scam me with a cheap gold-plated piece of junk.
11:21The gold cross, engraved with my name and meant to keep me safe, now lay mangled and deformed
11:27from his blow.
11:28My tears finally broke free, crashing down onto the mangled lump of gold.
11:33Beneath the thin layer of gold leaf, the dull, dark copper stung my eyes.
11:39The gift was a sham, just like his love.
11:41Every word, every promise since the very beginning had been a calculated lie.
11:46I picked up the twisted piece of fake gold and used my last bit of change to catch a cab
11:51back to the Thorne mansion, outside the master bedroom.
11:55I heard Sebastian's lazy, teasing voice from inside.
11:59Every time I touch her, it's a chore.
12:02One wrong move and the sheets are stained with her blood.
12:05It's a total turn-off.
12:06You're much better.
12:08You're so obedient and you know so many more positions.
12:13I couldn't stop my anger and sadness.
12:16I screamed, kicking at the door like mad.
12:19Sebastian!
12:20You wasn't mother!
12:22You killed my mother!
12:25The man's voice was thick with impatience and lingering lust.
12:29Iris, I'm not pouring any more money into your family's bottom.
12:34Don't use your mother's death as a pathetic plea for sympathy.
12:39Tears streamed down my face.
12:40I was sobbing so hard I could barely breathe.
12:43I have never lied to you, but what about you?
12:48Even the gold guardian cross you gave me was a fake.
12:51Sebastian fell silent for a few seconds, his tone laced with confusion.
12:57Iris, what the hell are you talking about?
12:59There was a rustling sound of someone getting up, but it was cut short by a woman's flirty whining.
13:05Sebastian, come on a few more times.
13:08I haven't finished yet.
13:12All right, whatever you say.
13:16After that, no matter how hard I kicked or how loud I cursed,
13:20it just became background noise to fuel their pleasure.
13:23My breakdown and extreme pain seemed to act as fuel for their lust.
13:30I collapsed to the floor, unconsciously murmuring his name.
13:34Sebastian!
13:35I wanted to tell on him to the man he used to be the man
13:38who used to cherish me above all else.
13:41I don't know how much time passed before the bedroom door finally opened.
13:45I could see large, wet stains all over the bed.
13:49Those were my bridal linens handmade by my mother.
13:52I instantly realized just how intense they had been moments ago.
13:56Sebastian caught sight of the tears in the corners of my eyes,
13:59a complicated look flashing through his own.
14:03He frowned and instinctively reached his hand out toward me.
14:06But Isabella beat him to it, grabbing his hand and pressing it against her lower abdomen.
14:12Sebastian, you are incredible.
14:14I can feel you still inside me.
14:16I'm only 20, so I'm sure to get pregnant easily.
14:20Unlike Iris, she's nothing but a barren, broken doll.
14:25As she spoke, she shot a disdainful glance at my body.
14:31I was trembling all over, my voice shaking.
14:35You had a vasectomy?
14:37You said there was no way for us to have another baby.
14:41Sebastian's gaze swept over me indifferently, yet it pierced my heart like a knife.
14:47Iris, I had the vascomy reversed.
14:49Things have changed.
14:51I need an heir to carry on the Thorn legacy.
14:53The last shred of hope was crushed and my heart turned to ash.
14:57If I hadn't given you my dowry as startup capital, how would you have ever built this
15:02fortune?
15:03Our first child.
15:04I lost it because my health was to frail.
15:07It was you who knelt in the church all night, swearing you would never want children in this
15:12lifetime.
15:13You were the one who knelt in the temple all night, praying and swearing that you'd never
15:18crave a child if it meant risking my life.
15:23I ripped the heirloom emerald bracelet from my wrist and smashed it onto the floor.
15:27The jagged shard sliced into my skin, drawing blood.
15:32I'm returning this heirloom bracelet to you.
15:35Sebastian, I will never believe a single word you say again.
15:39Sebastian didn't even look up, indifferently ordering the servant.
15:43Her wrist is cut.
15:45Bring the antiseptic ointment.
15:47Before I could speak, he suddenly sneered.
15:49Get some ointment for her wrist.
15:52We can't have you dying here.
15:54It's bad for business.
15:56My family has no room for a jinx like you.
15:58My throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton.
16:01I slapped away his reaching hand.
16:03Do you know?
16:05My mom swallowed sleeping pillets and killed herself exactly because she watched that live
16:10stream!
16:12You even froze all my cards!
16:14I can't even scrape together the money for her funeral!
16:17The only response I got was a vicious slap.
16:26Iris, to extort money, you'd even make up such despicable lies.
16:31In the moment our eyes met, the boy who once draped his jacket over me in the rain, and
16:37this man before me with eyes like ice, were like to completely different people.
16:41The air seemed to freeze solid, until a ball of sticky, soiled bedsheets was thrown at
16:47my feet.
16:48Isabella snuggled into Sebastian's embrace.
16:52Sebastian, I'm too exhausted to move.
16:55Why don't you let Iris wash the sheets for us?
16:58I froze in place.
17:00Sebastian pinched Isabella's cheek, then turned to me and said,
17:05Wash this clean.
17:07I'll give you a hundred thousand, after it's done.
17:12Remember, stop using your mother to scam people.
17:17If you want money, you have to be obedient.
17:22Just so mom could rest in peace, I gritted my teeth, bent down and picked up that disgusting
17:28thing.
17:29When I walked out of the bathroom, Isabella was leaning against the doorframe, looking
17:34at me with a faint, ambiguous smile.
17:37I can give you a sum of money to bring your mom's company back to life, she pointed to
17:43the documents on the table.
17:44Just sign the divorce papers.
17:46I stared at her blankly, my voice trembling.
17:51How did you get Sebastian's signature?
17:53Ever since she appeared, I had mentioned divorce to Sebastian countless times, but he ignored
17:59me every time.
18:01Isabella raised an eyebrow, her tone flippant.
18:03I said I wanted that pink diamond ring from the auction.
18:08He didn't even ask the price, he just signed.
18:11That ring was worth 500 million.
18:14Sebastian couldn't possibly not know that.
18:18If he had been willing to pay just one-third of that price, my mother wouldn't have been
18:23driven to a dead end.
18:25He would rather drop a fortune on a ring for his adopted sister than spare a cent to save
18:30my mother.
18:31Bitterness welled up in my throat.
18:34Final sign.
18:35Isabella took me to the underground garage.
18:38Get in.
18:38I'll take you to get the money.
18:40The car drove further and further into desolation.
18:43It wasn't heading toward the bank at all.
18:46I smashed the window with all my might, trying to jump out.
18:50A pill was forcibly stuffed into my mouth.
18:52My consciousness instantly plunged into darkness.
18:56When I opened my eyes, I was bound tightly to a chair.
19:00Isabella gripped my jaw fiercely, a knife hidden in her smile.
19:05Iris, do you know how many people out there are looking for you to collect debts?
19:12My heart sank violently, a subconscious panic setting in.
19:17She turned back and jerked her chin at the men behind her, whose faces were brutal and
19:22fleshy.
19:22She's the daughter of that fraud, Margaret Vance.
19:26Sebastian has already divorced her.
19:29She is nothing now.
19:31Do whatever you want with her.
19:34As soon as the words left her mouth, the men circled me like a pack of hungry wolves.
19:40I was pinned to the ground, forced to beg on my knees over and over.
19:44I'm sorry.
19:46I'm sorry.
19:47They roared at the top of their lungs.
19:49It's all because of your damn dead mother that we haven't been paid in three months.
19:54My eyes red.
19:55I screamed back.
19:57My mom is gone.
19:58Don't you dare talk about her like that.
20:03The men burst into raucous laughter, their tone filthy and vicious.
20:08Since your mom's dead, you can pay her debts with your body.
20:15Their rough fingernails scraped against my skin.
20:18Feeling like sandpaper grinding against my bones.
20:22I curled into a ball, tears mixed with drops of blood hitting the ground.
20:27It felt like I was back in my childhood, being bullied all over again.
20:31Only this time, no one was coming to save me.
20:35They roughly tore my clothes to shreds.
20:37Seeing the piercings on my body, they howled in excitement.
20:41Wait, she's the bitch from the live stream.
20:44Come on, brothers.
20:45Brothers, let's see what the great Sebastian Thone's leftovers taste like.
20:50I scrambled backward desperately, but the ropes binding me only grew tighter.
20:55Just then, the phone that had been thrown to the ground started vibrating.
21:00Gritting my teeth, I crawled toward it.
21:02But Isabella stepped on the phone, crushing it under her foot as she sneered.
21:08Give it up.
21:09No one is coming to save you.
21:11With that, she locked the iron gate from the outside.
21:18That night, Sebastian called my number again, but it was already switched off.
21:23He checked the GPS tracker on my phone.
21:26It led him to the heart of the slums the most dangerous part of the city.
21:31To his shock, my location showed up in the most depraved and chaotic part of the slums.
21:37Sebastian gripped the steering wheel tight and drove like a madman toward the location.
21:42Just as he turned into the alley, he overheard to drunken day laborers.
21:46That chick back there was wild.
21:49Those piercings on her body drove me crazy.
21:53Sebastian froze in his tracks, the blood rushing straight to his head.
21:58Sebastian grabbed the man by the hair, forcing his head back.
22:03Did any of you filthy animals lay a finger on her?
22:09Tell me where she is, or you're dead.
22:14He was filled with rage.
22:16I was the treasure he had protected for ten years, and he would not allow anyone to hurt me.
22:22Seeing his custom-made suit, the day laborers immediately adopted a weak and fearful,
22:28begging on their knees posture.
22:29Wait, wait! Boss! Please! We didn't know who she was!
22:35It's all a mistake! Don't kill us!
22:38We'll take you to her, right this second!
22:41With that, the two men led Sebastian deeper into the alley.
22:45A dozen shops ahead were lit with cheap neon lights.
22:49Heavily made-up women stood by the street, but upon seeing his face, cold as ice, they retreated in fear.
22:56They all knew they couldn't afford to offend such a powerful figure.
23:01Sebastian's knuckles turned white as he thought to himself.
23:04The punishment today was too harsh.
23:08I didn't even give her a chance to explain before making the decision on my own.
23:12If the consequences are truly that bad,
23:16how will someone as proud as her ever face me again?
23:21The day laborers led him into a barbershop.
23:24Bowing low, one said,
23:26Boss, the young lady you're looking for is right in there.
23:29Inside, a woman in a slip dress was lounging on the sofa, touching up her makeup.
23:35Sebastian strode over and yanked her up.
23:38The moment he saw her face, his suspended heart suddenly settled.
23:44It's not her.
23:45He whispered.
23:46Where on earth is Iris right now?
23:49Sebastian, consumed by fury, immediately dialed his bodyguard.
23:53My wife is missing.
23:56I want her location within ten minutes.
23:58But no one expected what happened next.
24:00The bodyguard team, which the Thorne family spent a fortune on every year recruiting top talent nationwide,
24:08could not find me.
24:09Sebastian tore up the search report handed to him by the bodyguards.
24:14A vague suspicion surfaced in his mind.
24:20He immediately had Isabella brought to him, his eyes cold as knives.
24:26Someone said you were the last person to see my wife.
24:29I didn't want to suspect you, but the bodyguards have searched every corner of Seattle.
24:34Isabella, you'd better come clean.
24:36Isabella walked up to him and leaned into his embrace.
24:40Iris' family went bankrupt.
24:42Do you know how many people want revenge on her and her mother?
24:45Her mother is already dead.
24:48I just thought I'd hand her over to let those people take their revenge.
24:55Think of it as accumulating good karma for our child.
25:00Sebastian, I'm already pregnant with your child.
25:04Why should that barren hen stay in the Thorne family?
25:07Upon hearing this, Sebastian's hand clamped around her throat.
25:11The force of his grip seemed intended to kill her.
25:17Who gave you the right to act on your own?
25:23Tell me where Iris is, right now!
25:26If a single hair on her head is harmed, I will make you wish you were dead.
25:32Isabella covered her burning cheek, daring not to talk back any longer.
25:36I only sent her there.
25:39I know it's the real last Duenna being at this bit.
25:42She continued to feign innocence.
25:44I paid off those workers.
25:46At most, they'd yell at her a bit.
25:48They wouldn't lay a hand on her.
25:49But Sebastian wouldn't believe a single word anymore.
25:52He drove straight to that abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.
25:57The main gate was ajar, and the warehouse was completely empty.
26:01Only a pool of darkened blood remained on the concrete floor.
26:05Sebastian dropped to his knees, ignoring the filth on the ground as he reached for a blood-stained emerald pendant.
26:12There was no mistaking it.
26:14This was mine the one piece of jewelry I never took off.
26:20His eyes drifted to the dark, sticky pool of blood on the concrete.
26:25His heart felt like it was being crushed in a vice.
26:28The pain making it impossible to breathe.
26:30He immediately ordered the security team to run a rushed DNA test on the blood.
26:36Then, dragging Isabella by the arm like she was trash,
26:40he hauled her to the underground chamber behind the warehouse.
26:43There was a three-meter deep pool there, already filled with ice.
26:48Isabella finally smelled the scent of death.
26:50Her face was ashen as she shrank back in fear.
26:53Sebastian, why did you bring me here?
26:57I'm so cold.
26:59Sebastian only gave her a cold look.
27:03Cold?
27:04You won't be feeling that for long.
27:06Two minutes later,
27:08two bodyguards roughly tore open Isabella's clothes,
27:12chaining her hands and feet.
27:16Isabella shivered uncontrollably from the cold and screamed.
27:21Sebastian, are you crazy?
27:23I'm carrying your child!
27:25But Sebastian stepped closer,
27:27his eyes devoid of warmth.
27:29Scared?
27:30When you pushed Iris toward those day labors,
27:32did you ever think she might be scared too?
27:34Isabella,
27:36did you really think climbing into my bed would let you replace her?
27:40You aren't even worth her shadow.
27:45He waved his hand,
27:47and the bodyguards immediately pulled the chains toward the pool.
27:50The moment Isabella's feet touched the water,
27:53her whole body seized up from the cold.
27:56The man before her was no longer the tender partner,
27:59but the grim reaper from hell.
28:01Speak.
28:03What exactly happened tonight?
28:06I want the truth,
28:07not your lies.
28:11He glanced at the time,
28:12his tone chilling.
28:14I'm counting to ten.
28:16If you don't talk,
28:18I'll sink you.
28:20Isabella went completely limp,
28:22snot and tears streaming down her face.
28:25I was wrong!
28:27I was just jealous of her.
28:29I wanted to teach her a lesson.
28:32She spilled everything how she colluded with the workers,
28:35how she tricked Iris into going to the warehouse.
28:38After listening,
28:40Sebastian pushed her head down toward the water.
28:43His eyes were filled with poisonous, murderous intent.
28:47Isabella's voice cracked with terror.
28:51But you even live streamed today
28:54to get revenge for me.
28:57I'm still carrying your child.
28:59How can you do this to me?
29:00Sebastian sneered.
29:02Do you really think I had the piercer use ordinary nails on her?
29:07I just wanted to teach Iris a lesson
29:09to make her behave.
29:14Those were custom-made nails.
29:17They dissolve completely after three days.
29:20No one would have known it was her in the live stream.
29:21But you took that as proof that I love her.
29:24And you decided to kill her.
29:26How could I not love her?
29:29She is the woman I would give my life to protect.
29:32Only I am allowed to cause her pain.
29:36Who the hell do you think you are?
29:38Isabella continued to scream in her defense.
29:41No!
29:44Sebastian, I must be special to you!
29:46Otherwise, you wouldn't have let me carry your child!
29:50He is your bloodline!
29:51He's supposed to inherit your family fortune!
29:55Sebastian's foot was already on top of her head,
29:58pressing down with increasing force.
30:01Before you go under,
30:02I might as well tell you one more thing.
30:05The child in your belly
30:07is actually an embryo from me and Iris.
30:10I had a doctor implanted in you.
30:16Isabella.
30:19When it comes down to it,
30:22you're just a tool for breeding.
30:27I had planned to treat you better,
30:30to let you help raise the child.
30:34But what a pity.
30:37You won't live to see that day.
30:40With those words,
30:41he kicked her hard
30:43and Isabella sank to the bottom.
30:45Sebastian had countless ways
30:47to make Isabella vanish instantly.
30:50But he felt that would be letting her off too easy.
30:54For a woman with a heart as poisonous as a snake,
30:57she deserved to simmer in fear
30:59until he lost interest completely.
31:02Isabella was pushed underwater
31:03in the freezing pool.
31:05Her body had gone numb from the extreme cold,
31:07her limbs swollen and stiff.
31:10Just as she sank to the bottom,
31:12the rope around her neck
31:13yanked her violently upward,
31:16leaving her coughing
31:17as if her lungs would tear apart.
31:20But this was only the beginning.
31:24The ropes binding her neck and limbs
31:26lowered her slowly once more.
31:28She was forced to teeter back and forth
31:30on the edge of drowning and suffocation.
31:33Sebastian knew she feared the cold
31:35and suffocation above all else,
31:37so he would make her taste the brink of death
31:39a hundred times beneath the water.
31:41Hours later,
31:42the call from the bodyguard finally came.
31:47Mr. Thorne,
31:48we've located Mrs. Thorne.
31:52The day laborers had all been rounded up.
31:55From them,
31:57Sebastian learned the truth.
32:00Moments after Isabella left the warehouse,
32:02the main doors were blasted open
32:05by a group of men in black.
32:08A man in a black trench coat
32:10had scooped up me
32:11and vanished into the night.
32:16Then where the hell is my wife?
32:20Sebastian's eyes were bloodshot
32:22as he demanded,
32:24but no one had the answer.
32:27He took a deep breath
32:28and radioed his men again.
32:34Turn Seattle upside down
32:36if you have to.
32:37Find her.
32:40That night,
32:41several middle-aged men
32:42appeared in the slums of Seattle,
32:44unconscious and with their limbs broken,
32:46when I startled awake
32:48from a chaotic nightmare.
32:50I found myself in a pristine
32:52white hospital room
32:53filled with sophisticated equipment.
32:55This wasn't an ordinary ward.
32:58It was run by
32:59the Global Medical Federation.
33:01It's a facility reserved
33:03for the world's most elite.
33:05A place that only accepted
33:07the elite who had made
33:09significant contributions
33:10to humanity.
33:13I realized with a silent start,
33:16what ends pizza?
33:17I hadn't expected
33:19that he would be the one
33:20to save me just in time.
33:22The man in the adjoining lounge
33:24saw I was awake
33:25and entered the room
33:26after an iris scan.
33:28I softly called out his name.
33:31At Liam.
33:33Thank you for today.
33:34He gently took my hand,
33:36his voice steady and calm.
33:37There's no need for that
33:38between us.
33:39If I hadn't happened to be
33:40on break and contacted you,
33:42I dread to think
33:44of what might have happened.
33:47He paused,
33:48then lifted a bowl
33:49of nutrient porridge
33:50to feed me.
33:53Why did you go
33:54to a place like that?
33:55It's really not safe.
33:57I remained silent,
33:58unwilling to reopen
33:59those wounds.
34:01Even if he was
34:02my childhood sweetheart.
34:05Sebastian had his lover,
34:06his adopted sister,
34:07and I had my childhood
34:08sweetheart of 10 years.
34:11It was just that
34:12after I got together
34:13with Sebastian,
34:15I had consciously kept
34:16my distance from Liam.
34:18Liam's parents were
34:19core researchers
34:20at the center,
34:21and he had grown up
34:22under my mother's care.
34:25In high school,
34:26he was selected
34:27for the medical center's
34:28elite training program,
34:30and now he was
34:31its youngest senior officer.
34:32We hadn't seen much
34:34of each other
34:34over the years,
34:35only confirming
34:36we were both well
34:37through occasional calls
34:38and messages.
34:39He had contacted me
34:41this time
34:41to share some major news.
34:46We've had a breakthrough
34:47with your glass skin condition.
34:50This new treatment
34:51is light years ahead
34:52of the junk
34:53Sebastian found.
34:54It was a world
34:55of difference
34:56compared to those
34:57folk remedies
34:57Sebastian had dug up.
34:59Just one of the
35:00specific pills
35:01would allow me
35:02to become a normal
35:03person within a week.
35:05As I swallowed
35:06the sugar-coated pill,
35:07I couldn't help
35:08but say thanks
35:09once more
35:09to the man
35:10standing before me.
35:11Aside from a flimsy
35:13thank you.
35:14I didn't seem
35:15to have anything else
35:16to offer him in return.
35:17He had already
35:18become a chief
35:19of the highest
35:19medical rank,
35:20a height I could
35:21never hope to reach.
35:22A man like him
35:23truly lacked
35:24for nothing.
35:25After leaving
35:26the treatment
35:26control center,
35:28I never wanted
35:28to return to
35:29the Thorn Mansion,
35:30the cage that
35:31had imprisoned me
35:32for so many years.
35:33I'd act as if
35:34I had long since
35:35let go,
35:35leaving the unfaithful
35:37Sebastian and
35:38that iron cage
35:38to Isabella.
35:41I rented an apartment
35:42with a balcony
35:43by the river.
35:45Liam moved
35:46into the same
35:47complex,
35:47right next door.
35:50This proximity
35:51finally allowed
35:52my frayed nerves
35:53a moment of peace.
35:55It happened
35:56to be his
35:56rotation break.
35:58Occasionally,
35:59he would take me
36:00out for a drive.
36:01He would also
36:02invite me over
36:03to taste his cooking.
36:04I had never
36:05seen him like this
36:06wearing a cotton linen
36:07apron,
36:07tending to a pot
36:08of thick soup
36:09all afternoon.
36:11It completely
36:12changed my opinion
36:13of him.
36:14I'd often
36:15tease him.
36:17With skills
36:17like disness,
36:18even the center's
36:19Ristoshi menu
36:20couldn't keep you
36:21satisfied.
36:22A hint of grievance
36:23flashed in his eyes.
36:25Back when I was
36:26supporting remote
36:27outposts,
36:28all I had to
36:29gnaw on were
36:30compressed biscuits.
36:32Back then,
36:33I'd always think
36:34of Aunt Margaret's
36:35pork chop.
36:35It wasn't
36:37until I returned
36:37to headquarters
36:38that I got
36:39a dedicated
36:39dietary consultant.
36:43Hearing him
36:44mention my mother,
36:45the spoon in my
36:46hand clattered
36:47onto the table.
36:49He looked at me,
36:50his voice soft.
36:52I'm sorry,
36:54I didn't mean to.
36:55If you don't
36:56want to talk about it,
36:58I won't bring it
36:59up again.
37:01I shook my head,
37:02tears already
37:03welling up in my eyes.
37:04It had been so
37:06long since I
37:07tasted my mother's
37:08cooking, and I
37:09would never have
37:09the chance again.
37:11After I was
37:12rescued from the
37:13warehouse, Liam
37:14not only paid for
37:15my mother's funeral
37:16expenses but also
37:17arranged a grand
37:18memorial service
37:19for her.
37:20As for the truth
37:21behind the company's
37:22bankruptcy, he
37:23uncovered it using
37:24the Medical Alliance's
37:25global information
37:26network.
37:27It turned out to be
37:28Sebastian's conspiracy
37:30all along.
37:31He had engineered
37:32a fatal contract.
37:33He siphoned off
37:34all the cash flow
37:35from my mother's
37:36company and bribed
37:37every financial
37:38institution, cutting
37:39off our escape
37:40route.
37:41Furthermore, Liam
37:42had used his
37:43resources to recover
37:44the diverted assets,
37:46getting the company
37:46back up and running.
37:48All the unpaid wages
37:49for the day laborers
37:50had been issued as
37:51well.
37:54Tragically, mom
37:56would never know.
37:58I patted his
37:59shoulder.
38:00It's okay.
38:01It seems we are the
38:03only two left who
38:04still remember her.
38:08I sniffled, trying
38:10hard to hold back my
38:11tears.
38:12Wasida C.
38:13Beza.
38:14If I hadn't married
38:15Sebastian, she could
38:17have lived happily and
38:18healthily for decades
38:19more.
38:21She only chose
38:22suicide, so she
38:26wouldn't be a burden
38:27to me.
38:28She gave me my life, yet
38:30she lost hers because
38:32of me.
38:35Last night, Liam and
38:37I talked all night
38:37about the past.
38:39We talked about how
38:40mom used to make sweet
38:41pork and corn stew for
38:43us in the summer.
38:44I would help mom wash
38:46the corn, and Liam
38:47would help chop it up.
38:49Every time, I was the
38:51one who ate the most
38:52meat.
38:53Confused, I asked mom
38:55why she wasn't eating
38:56any meat, wondering if
38:57she had lost her
38:58appetite.
38:58She just smiled and
39:00placed another piece of
39:01meat in my bowl.
39:02I used to have a taste
39:03for it when I was
39:04young.
39:07But somewhere along
39:08the way, I realized
39:10I'd rather see you
39:11full than eat it
39:12myself.
39:13That sentence stayed
39:15with me my whole
39:16life.
39:18It turns out the most
39:19loving lie in the
39:20world is, mom doesn't
39:22like the taste.
39:25I told Liam that my
39:27mother actually loved
39:28sweets back then.
39:29But to teach me to
39:31eat less sugar,
39:32she even gave up her
39:33favorite floral honey
39:35cake.
39:36Once, when I caught
39:37her, she smiled
39:39awkwardly.
39:41Sweet eat, mom just
39:43had a tiny, tiny bite.
39:46Every time we would
39:46celebrate Christmas, mom
39:48and I would lie on the
39:49sofa watching the
39:50holiday variety show.
39:51The performances were
39:52playing on the TV.
39:54Mom turned to me and
39:55asked,
39:56Do you know what tune
39:58this is?
39:58I said I didn't.
40:00I know.
40:01Never learned it.
40:03Mom gave a proud little
40:04humph.
40:05This is that piano piece
40:06you practiced every single
40:08day.
40:09I still remember it, but
40:11you've forgotten it all.
40:13I smiled.
40:18Mom, but I played the
40:20violin.
40:23Then we both burst into
40:25laughter.
40:29I was born with glass
40:30skin syndrome.
40:32I was like a fragile
40:33porcelain doll, needing
40:35to be cradled in the palm
40:36of a hand and protected
40:37at all costs.
40:38It was truly exhausting.
40:41Yet my mother cared for
40:42me with meticulous
40:43devotion, beaming with
40:45delight.
40:51That night, I didn't
40:52tell Liam about those
40:54heart-wrenching memories.
40:55Instead, I spoke of the
40:57sweet times I shared
40:58with Mom.
40:59Her dying wish was for
41:00me to be safe and
41:01happy, so I would carry
41:03all those warm memories
41:04of her and live the rest
41:05of my life well.
41:06The loss of a loved one
41:08is a dampness that
41:09clings for a lifetime,
41:11but the part of me that
41:12was shaped by my mother
41:13will take her place and
41:14stay with me forever.
41:15Before sleep, I said
41:17softly to Liam,
41:18thank you for saving me
41:19and thank you for
41:21everything you've done.
41:22But I'm not ready to
41:23start another relationship.
41:27Before I can love
41:28someone else, I need
41:30to learn to love myself
41:31first.
41:32I looked into the
41:33tenderness in his eyes
41:34and added, but we
41:35will be partners for
41:36life.
41:37People always mistake
41:39dependency for love.
41:41Having survived a
41:42shattered marriage, I
41:44can no longer believe
41:44in spending the rest
41:45of my life with another
41:46person.
41:47Nor do I want to hear
41:49flimsy promises or
41:50make guarantees that
41:51cannot be kept.
41:52He nodded gently, he
41:54softly sang a nursery
41:56rhyme, lulling me to
41:57sleep.
42:00The night in Seattle was
42:01completely silent, leaving
42:03only two adrift souls,
42:05leaning on one another
42:06for warmth.
42:07A few days later, I took
42:09Liam's dog for a walk in
42:10the park.
42:11A Rolls Royce screeched to
42:13a halt beside me.
42:15The window rolled down to
42:16reveal Sebastian's agitated
42:18voice.
42:19Iris!
42:20Are you really going to
42:22throw everything away
42:23because of one mistake?
42:24Get in the car now!
42:26I tightened my grip on the
42:28leash.
42:30Sebastian, you signed the
42:32divorce papers yourself.
42:34You're nothing but a
42:36stranger to me now.
42:40Please, have some
42:41dignity.
42:43Having said my piece, I
42:45tugged the dog along and
42:46kept walking, but
42:48Sebastian jumped out of
42:49the car and chased after
42:50me.
42:51He reached out and
42:52grabbed my arm.
42:53Don't go.
42:55Let's just talk properly,
42:57please.
42:59I shook off his hand
43:01violently, not even
43:02bothering to look at
43:03him.
43:04There's nothing to talk
43:05about.
43:05That was your signature on
43:07the divorce.
43:08Your Sari Force papers.
43:10Legally, we have
43:12absolutely no ties anymore.
43:17Sebastian, stop this
43:18harassment.
43:20Trying to trap someone
43:21who doesn't love you is
43:22just torture for both of
43:23us.
43:24It's completely
43:26pointless.
43:27He acted as if he
43:28hadn't heard a word,
43:29rambling on and on.
43:32He kept going on about
43:33how much effort it took
43:34to find me, and about
43:35the piercings on my
43:36body.
43:37He also claimed he had
43:39already tortured Isabella
43:41a thousand times over.
43:42I already knew about
43:43the nails.
43:44I knew the moment those
43:46nails began to dissolve
43:47and vanish from my
43:48skin.
43:49As for the rest of what
43:50he was saying, I
43:51couldn't care less.
43:52I finally stopped
43:53walking and turned my
43:55head.
43:55My voice as cold as
43:57ice.
43:58None of that matters
43:59anymore.
44:00What matters is that
44:02we will never have
44:03anything to do with
44:05each other again.
44:06Let the past rot in
44:08the past.
44:10Don't ever show your
44:11face in front of me
44:12again.
44:12Hearing this, Sebastian
44:14suddenly roared like a
44:15madman.
44:19Iris!
44:20Have you been seeing
44:22someone else all along?
44:24How else could you be
44:25so heartless?
44:28How could you forget
44:29me so quickly?
44:31Watching him lose
44:32control, I couldn't
44:33help but laugh out loud.
44:36You're so arrogant.
44:38Does my life have to
44:40revolve around a man?
44:42I don't need to love
44:43someone else to stop
44:44loving you.
44:46I belong to myself.
44:49I am not your
44:50possession.
44:51I am not something you
44:52can just snatch away and
44:54certainly not something you
44:55can trap whenever you
44:56please.
44:57As I spoke, I pulled out
44:59my phone.
45:00Now get the hell away from
45:02me.
45:02Just ahead is a restricted
45:03medical facility.
45:05My brother works there.
45:07One phone call from me and
45:09he'll bring people out to
45:10pin you to the ground.
45:12But Sebastian seemed
45:14possessed.
45:15His eyes filled with a
45:16manic obsession.
45:18He gripped my wrist tightly,
45:20refusing to let go,
45:21determined to drag me back
45:22to his car.
45:23I couldn't be bothered to
45:24struggle with him any
45:25longer.
45:26I barked a command to the
45:27Doberman on the leash.
45:29Wester, get him.
45:31The command took immediate
45:33effect.
45:33West was a working dog with
45:35professional protection
45:36training and he obeyed my
45:37commands implicitly.
45:38He lunged forward,
45:40sinking his teeth in the
45:41into Sebastian's calf and
45:42tearing open several
45:43bloody gashes.
45:45Sebastian stumbled from
45:46the pain, dropping to
45:47one knee as cold sweat
45:49broke out across his
45:50forehead.
45:50I didn't even spare him a
45:52glance, turning on my
45:54heel and walking
45:55straight away.
45:56Just then, my phone
45:58screen lit up with a
45:59booking confirmation
46:00notification.
46:01Booking confirmed, at
46:02Iris Vance, flight LX-81
46:05to Zurich, 8pm.
46:09I locked the screen, and my
46:11steps grew lighter.
46:13From now on, my life was
46:15finally rid of these toxic
46:16people and their mess.
46:18The past could no longer
46:19hold me prisoner.
46:22And like a bird, I would
46:24soar into a sky that
46:26belonged to me.
46:27When I returned home, I
46:29found Liam had already
46:30prepared dinner.
46:31The sunset streamed through
46:32the window, spilling across
46:34the dining table.
46:36A wave of warmth spread
46:38through my heart.
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