- 17 hours ago
Who's The Other Woman
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01The debt is mine. I'll settle it.
00:04And who might you be? This is family business. Stay out of it.
00:09That's $100,000. But for slapping her, and for threatening my son,
00:13you will be run out of this town by the end of the week.
00:15And if you so much as look at them again, you'll wish you'd never been born.
00:28Luna! You bitch! Come back!
00:31She can't run far! I drugged her soda ten minutes ago! She'll pass out soon!
00:40Sir, the car broke down. There is a nearby. I will go and have a look.
00:47Do you know what you are doing?
00:49Please, let me hide here. They want to kidnap me.
00:55Please don't let them take me away.
00:58Hey! Anyone inside? Have you seen a tall girl with brown hair, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans?
01:04No. There's no one else here but me.
01:06Are you sure? She took my money. My son and I have been looking for her for hours.
01:12I said no.
01:15Let's go, Dad. She can't have gone far. Let's search the woods.
01:23You're burning up. I have to take you to the hospital.
01:25No! I can't go to the hospital. They'll find me there. Please.
01:29You don't know what you're doing.
01:31I know. I know. Please save me.
01:42Mom, look how many bottles I picked up. After I sell them, I can buy you new sneakers. Your shoes
01:46have holes in them.
01:47Sweetheart, Mommy doesn't need new shoes. Once we save enough money, we can move out of that run-down apartment.
01:54And save money to find Dad! Once we find Dad, no one will dare bully us anymore.
02:01Jasper, I'm sorry. Mommy doesn't know who your father is either.
02:07What are you doing? This is all my income!
02:16All your income? You owe us more than that!
02:18You ran away six years ago. Cost me Miles Carter's wedding gift money. You're coming back with me today!
02:25Give me $3,000 next month. If you can't, I'll sue you in court for elder abuse and take away
02:29Jasper's custody!
02:33It's not your fault, baby. Mommy is useless.
02:36No, you have a dad. He is a very powerful man. He will definitely come find us.
02:42Arthur, stop rushing me. I know your 90th birthday is coming up soon.
02:46Push! If I don't push, I'll die without seeing my grand-grandson!
02:50If you don't bring me a grand-grandson today, don't call me Grandpa!
02:56Stop the car!
03:01Mom, this man looks exactly like the daddy I drew in my picture!
03:07Little guy, what's your name?
03:08My name is Jasper Snow.
03:12Jasper, I'll give you $10,000. You act in a play with me. Be my son for one day, okay?
03:17Act in a play? What kind of play?
03:19Pretend to be Be My Son and cheer up your great-grandpad.
03:21Once you're done acting, $10,000 is yours. You can use the money to find your dad.
03:29Sir, this...
03:30My name is Asher King. Don't worry, it's just acting.
03:34After it's done, I'll arrange a place for you to live as an extra.
03:56Mom, am I handsome?
03:58Yes, my handsome boy. Our Jasper is the most handsome.
04:05Must be fake. When has Asher ever been in a relationship?
04:09Just wait. We'll expose him soon enough.
04:15Grandpa!
04:18Oh, my sweet little one. Grandpa finally gets to meet you.
04:27Sweetheart, look. This is the room Grandpa prepared for you. It has dinosaur toys and Legos.
04:33Wow! Thank you, Grandpa!
04:35As long as you like it! From now on, this is your home!
04:39Hurry up and do the DNA test. Tomorrow at the party, I'll make them lose everything.
04:43Don't worry. I've already arraigned it with the lab, I know. The results will be ready tomorrow.
04:51Is this Asher's wife and son? They are so beautiful!
04:55Yes! A perfect match.
04:58Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to.
05:02It's okay.
05:05Aunt, watch your step.
05:07Oh!
05:09Oh!
05:10Oh!
05:10Oh!
05:11Oh!
05:11Oh!
05:12Oh!
05:15Jasper, come to Grandpa.
05:19Grandpa!
05:23What? Could it be he's Mr. Asher's son? Looks like there's a big announcement today.
05:29Grandpa, Jasper wish you a happy birthday. I drew this myself. I hope you like it.
05:34Grandpa, I know you love grandchildren. One grandson isn't enough, so I drew you five more.
05:42Sweetheart, you really know what your grandpa wants.
05:48Good, good. Thank you, Jasper.
05:53Mom, let's use the plates.
06:02Look at her. Does she look like a rich man's wife?
06:04Exactly. She must be some random woman he found just to make the old man happy.
06:10I said she was some noble lady, but I was clearly mistaken.
06:13Hilarious. Even my maid wouldn't eat like that.
06:15That's how construction mercants eat.
06:19Everyone, come look! The young lady of the King family is squatted on the ground, eating! How ridiculous!
06:26Mom, are you laughing at us?
06:29Sweetheart, Mom. Mom seems to have embarrassed you.
06:41What's wrong with squatting while eating? I squatted and ate when I was camping as a kid.
06:45That's right. When my great-grandfather came to America from Ireland, he squatted on the dock and ate, too.
06:54Look, it turns out squatting while eating is so noble and elegant.
06:59From now on, I will also squat to eat.
07:02Dad, why attitude's him fast?
07:05Sweetheart, as long as you success, everything you do is right.
07:12Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet. I have an important announcement to make.
07:15Everyone has been deceived. This child is not a king at all.
07:17This woman is not some lady of noble birth.
07:19She's just a single mother from the countryside bringing a bastard child to scam family's money.
07:22Marcus! What nonsense are you talking?
07:24I'm not talking nonsense.
07:25I've already taken Ashton in this child's hair for a DNA test, and the results will be here any minute.
07:29That's right. We have proof. Once the report comes out, let's see what they have to say.
07:33Uncle, you've gone too far.
07:35Too far? I'm doing this for the King family. I can't let outsiders ruin our reputation.
07:38I've also contacted her family. They're on their way.
07:44Brother, you've been deceived.
07:45This child is not your grandson at all. He's just someone Ashley hired to fool you.
07:49You bastard! How dare you lie to me!
07:54Don't you hit my dad!
07:56Dad? He's not your dad at all.
08:01Grandpa, are you okay?
08:02Mom, did Dad get hit because of me?
08:04No, it's not because of you. It's Mom's fault.
08:08Mom, we messed up, didn't we?
08:10Grandpa, he's not going to be okay, is he?
08:13You, a country woman with a child out of wedlock, dare to cling to our family and dream of rising
08:17to the top in one step?
08:19You're finished! The test results will be here any minute!
08:25I've been waiting day and night and finally got a grandson.
08:29I never thought it would be fake.
08:32Grandpa.
08:33Dad.
08:33Oh, brother. I told you long ago this grandson was fake.
08:37You just wouldn't believe me.
08:38When we got home, a month later, I married Damon Whitmore.
08:41A year later, we had our first baby.
08:42And now, I was pregnant with our second.
08:44Honestly, if it had not been for Damon's family memorial, I never would have set foot back in this country.
08:49And I definitely would not have run into Ethan.
08:57Madden's baby needs a dad on paper.
08:59I'll marry you once my dorses final.
09:02Everyone thought I would swallow my pride and wait another month.
09:06After all, I had already waited seven years.
09:08But that night, I left the country for an arranged marriage.
09:11I vanished from his world completely.
09:13Three years later, I returned with my husband for a family memorial.
09:16My husband had something urgent to handle at the last minute.
09:18So he asked his local branch to send someone to pick me up.
09:21I stepped out of the airport and froze.
09:23Behind the wheel was Ethan, my ex-fiancé.
09:26Ethan! Isn't that your obsessed ex?
09:28Isn't that Natalie?
09:30See? I told you guys she would come crawling back.
09:33Natalie disappeared for three years.
09:34Not a call, not a text.
09:36And now Ethan finally has money.
09:37And look who suddenly found her way back.
09:39She probably spent every night stalking his socials and crying into a cheap pillow.
09:43Natalie, if you're trying to stage a dramatic reunion, sweatpants were a bold choice.
09:47Couldn't you at least brush your hair first?
09:49Or did life without Ethan's get so bad you stopped trying altogether?
09:51You look like you came here to ask for a favor, not make a comeback.
09:55It was true.
09:55I used to spend hours getting ready for Ethan.
09:58Full makeup?
09:59Tight designer dresses.
10:00I always made sure I looked absolutely perfect for him.
10:02But I didn't need to do that anymore.
10:04I'm pregnant, so my husband won't let me wear makeup.
10:07He wants me to dress however feels best.
10:09He even has this plain-looking loungewear, custom-tailored for me in Paris.
10:13Listening to them mock me, it suddenly clicked.
10:15They had only read the name on the corporate dispatch.
10:18They had no idea the VIP they were picking up was me, a former acquaintance of mine.
10:22Anyway, it's nice having you back. Ethan actually spent years hunting for you and asking all over about-
10:26Ethan's face stiffened for a second. Then he acted like nothing happened.
10:29Madison's kid starts preschool next week. From now on, you're in charge of drop-off and pick-up.
10:33He was still incredibly arrogant.
10:35But I was not that naive little girl anymore.
10:37Seeing him only filled me with annoyance.
10:39I did not want to waste another second on them.
10:41When I was just about to tell them exactly who I was-
10:44Natalie, don't blame Ethan for this. He's only trying to look out for you.
10:48You disappeared for three years. Who knows what kind of shady things you had to do to survive.
10:52Look at you. Life really chewed you up.
10:54Ethan even wanted to give you a job as my personal secretary, but clearly, that would be too much for
10:59you.
10:59Don't worry. Being my nanny is honest work. No one's gonna look down on you for that.
11:03Alright. Natalie, drop the attitude.
11:05You clearly couldn't make it on your own.
11:07So stop making a scene. Take care of the kid, and learn your place.
11:13Don't worry. We still have a spare room for the nannies downstairs.
11:16Natalie, look how good Ethan is to you. He's giving you free room and board.
11:20Isn't babysitting better than whatever life you've been scraping by on?
11:22Hurry up and say thank you.
11:24Don't worry, dear. If my son acts up, I'll make sure he behaves.
11:27I won't let anyone give you a hard time.
11:30Give me a break. Who's giving her a hard time?
11:32She disappeared over one tiny misunderstanding.
11:34If life got rough out there, maybe she needed the lesson.
11:36Hearing that, my heart actually skipped a beat.
11:39Even now, he still thought doing the city hall wedding registration with Madison was only a tiny thing.
11:44The Ethan who used to love me was truly dead.
11:46He was no longer the boy who carried me across town, but whatever that love had been, it was all
11:50in the past.
11:51After all, I was about to give birth to my second baby anyway.
11:55Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go.
11:58The scene went quiet for a moment. Several people exchanged looks.
12:01Then they suddenly burst into laughter.
12:03Madison laughed like I had told a joke.
12:04Waiting for you? Do you even deserve that?
12:07Read the sign.
12:08We're waiting for Mrs. Whitmore.
12:09Do you even know who that is?
12:11Mrs. Whitmore is the lady of the Whitmore family.
12:13She is Damon Whitmore's lawful wife.
12:15And Mr. Whitmore is a ruthless billionaire.
12:17But in private, he is deeply devoted.
12:19People say he refused to get married back then because he was waiting for her.
12:23Everyone in our circle knows this.
12:24Don't bother sucking up to Damon.
12:25Suck up to Mrs. Whitmore.
12:27She is his entire world.
12:28Listening to them gossip about my marriage, I could not help smiling.
12:31After three years of marriage, Damon's business had grown bigger and bigger.
12:35And his reputation as a fiercely devoted husband had spread everywhere.
12:39Madison had always wanted to stand above me.
12:41She would never miss a chance to show off in front of me.
12:43To spoil his wife, Damon Whitmore once bought a diamond bracelet at Christie's.
12:47It's called Eternal Heart.
12:49It costs $20 million.
12:52Mrs. Whitmore is literally the most envied woman on Earth.
12:54That's the exact same bracelet.
12:59It's a pretty good fake.
13:01What broke delivery guy bought you this?
13:03A cheap knockoff as a gift?
13:04Pathetic.
13:07It really is a high quality fake.
13:09Way better than the replica I bought.
13:11But I'd never wear mine in public.
13:13That would be humiliating.
13:14Foreign knockoffs really are something.
13:16The wait almost feels real.
13:18Wait.
13:19Don't tell me you're saying you're the real Mrs. Whitmore.
13:21Natalie, are you seriously claiming you're the legendary billionaire's wife?
13:25Natalie, why don't you sell me this fake?
13:27I'll pay you double whatever that broke delivery guy paid.
13:31Give that back right now.
13:33Damon gave that to me.
13:36Shut your mouth!
13:39Natalie, are you trying to get us both killed?
13:41You think you can just casually drop Mr. Whitwell's name?
13:45Are you trying to drag me down with you?
13:47Do you have any idea how hard we fought for this airport pickup?
13:51Mr. Whitfield bought out Ethan's company last year.
13:53Now all of us depend on him to survive.
13:55The only way Ethan keeps his position is if we impress Mrs. Whitfield.
13:57And you're out here spreading insane rumors about knowing him?
14:00Are you trying to ruin Ethan's career?
14:05Don't push your luck.
14:06Natalie, you ungrateful little-
14:08Ethan was kind enough to keep you off the street.
14:10I know you're bitter about the past, but trying to wreck his career just to get back at him?
14:13That's sick.
14:14Hearing her say that felt exactly like three years ago.
14:17No matter what I did, Madison twisted it.
14:19She would feed Ethan her poisoned version of the truth.
14:22In the early days, he used to defend me.
14:24But by the end, he always took her side.
14:26Just like right now.
14:30You're such a bitter, jealous woman.
14:36For the sake of what we used to be, I'll let this slide.
14:38Take the cash.
14:39Go buy yourself something decent to wear.
14:40If you really don't want a Nanny Madison's kid, I'll pull some strings and get you a proper job next
14:44week.
14:45Don't worry.
14:46Ever since the Whitmore acquisition, this kind of money is pocket cheese to me.
14:50No thank you, sir.
14:51I don't take handouts from strangers.
15:00Natalie, I gave you money and you still refused?
15:02What do you mean?
15:02I'm a stranger to you?
15:04Since we've already broken up, it's better not to have any contact.
15:07Otherwise, people might understand.
15:08The company is holding a dinner for Mr. Whitmore in three days.
15:11I plan to take you there to see the world, but you need to buy a proper outfit first.
15:14Don't embarrass me when the time comes.
15:15There really is no needed.
15:16Natalie, you really have learned some attitude.
15:18Shoran, poor always have the worst piece and you don't want to go?
15:20Forget it.
15:20I'll take Madison.
15:22Ethan, I'll behave well.
15:23I absolutely would embarrass you.
15:24I did not want to keep getting tangled up with them.
15:26I hope that in three days you can still be this confident.
15:29I practically sprinted out of the arrival terminal.
15:31The fresh air outside finally pushed down the nausea churning in my stomach.
15:35My mind flashed back to three years ago.
15:39This is the best choice for our family.
15:41You have to accept it.
15:41Natalie, don't be childish.
15:42It's for your own good.
15:43I will never marry someone I don't love!
15:45Ethan, just elope with me.
15:50Let's leave here.
15:56Her child needs a legal father.
15:59I will divorce Madison in a month.
16:01Then marry you.
16:02Watching him hold her hand and walk into that clerk's office, I was completely done.
16:05I flew overseas for a blind date that very night.
16:08A month later, I married Damon Whitmore.
16:10A year later, we had our first baby.
16:12And now, I was pregnant with our second.
16:14Honestly, if it had not been for Damon's family memorial, I never would have set foot back
16:18in this country.
16:18And I definitely would not have run into Ethan.
16:27You said you wouldn't come, but your body is honest.
16:30If you want to chase me and make me turn back, you at least need to make me happy.
16:33For an occasion like today, you need to dress properly.
16:36Only then can you match my status.
16:39Natalie, I'm talking to you.
16:40Did you hear me?
16:40Our seats are right here.
16:42Where do you think you're going?
16:44Those are your seats.
16:46My seat is over there.
16:50Natalie?
16:51Tonight is Mrs. Whitworth's first public appearance.
16:53This year, this winter dare you wear that bracelet.
16:55Wait, is that the eternal heart bracelet?
16:57The one Mr. Whitworth bought for his wife?
16:59Tonight is Mrs. Whitworth's first public appearance?
17:01Is this woman trying to insult Mrs. Whitworth?
17:03She's Snoke in?
17:04Is she trying to embarrass us in front of Mr. Whitworth?
17:06Excuse me, Ethan.
17:07Is this young lady with you?
17:08No, I don't know her.
17:10Take that fake bracelet off and get out.
17:11Are you sure you want me to leave?
17:13What are you pretending for?
17:14Stop acting like you're important.
17:15Hurry up and take off the bracelet!
17:22Survived.
17:23But all the guests went quiet at once.
17:25Dominic stood out in any crowd without even trying.
17:28Red roses had always been my favorite.
17:30After one night with my foster father, Dominic, I found out I was pregnant.
17:34I clutched the pregnancy test and confessed my love to him.
17:37He rejected me.
17:38Then he got together with my best friend, Blair.
17:40Blair framed me for pushing her down the stairs and causing her miscarriage.
17:43Because of that, I was sent to London for college.
17:46When my water broke in the hospital, the pain nearly tore me apart.
17:49But I couldn't even afford the bill.
17:50So I called Dominic.
17:52Dominic, please.
17:53Could you lend me some money?
17:54I swear I'll pay you back.
17:55Aria, you knew today was my engagement party.
17:57Did you call just to ruin it?
17:59Blair was right.
18:00I've spoiled you rotten.
18:01And that night, the woman in your bed was me.
18:03Stop, Blair.
18:03Enough!
18:04Stop lying.
18:05If you refuse to change, don't even think about coming home.
18:07He hung up.
18:07While I am giving birth alone, Dominic is getting engaged to Blair.
18:11Five years later, I had been invited back to attend their wedding.
18:14The man standing across from me looked just as I remembered.
18:16He is your kid?
18:18I'm watching him for a friend.
18:20He looks a lot like me, right?
18:23When you see Blair, you need to apologize to her.
18:25You owe her a life.
18:27I froze for a second.
18:28Then I let out a bitter laugh and got into the back seat.
18:32Dominic rolled down the window and blew out a stream of cigarette smoke.
18:36Soon, the car stopped outside the familiar estate.
18:39It was Halloween.
18:39My head suddenly split with pain.
18:41For a moment, I almost felt safe.
18:47Dominic, I don't feel well.
18:48Can you come stay with me?
18:50Blair isn't feeling well.
18:51I have to check on her.
18:52You'll be fine, right?
18:52He carried our luggage to my room.
18:54Everything in this house looked the same.
18:56But I was no longer the princess he once sheltered.
18:58My wound had torn open again earlier.
19:00You come back and have nothing to say to me?
19:02You've been gone for five years.
19:03I'm sorry.
19:04I'll apologize to Blair when I see her.
19:06He turned and left.
19:09The day before the wedding, Dominic called me to the fitting room.
19:11My clothes used to fill half this closet.
19:13Now, there was no trace of them.
19:15When the bridesmaid's dresses were brought in, my stomach dropped.
19:17Most of the gowns were cut to show skin.
19:19Bare shoulders or arms.
19:20But my body now?
19:22Blair had picked these on purpose.
19:23If Dominic saw my scars, he would start asking for reasons.
19:26Then he would only think I was trying to blame Blair again.
19:28Dominic, do I have to try these on?
19:30I picked these for you.
19:32Are you still unhappy with me, Aria?
19:34We're best friends, right?
19:35If you don't like these, no worries.
19:36I have hundreds more picked out for you.
19:38She wanted to humiliate me.
19:40No, thank you.
19:41I'll just wear what I have on.
19:43Don't push your luck.
19:44Don't be so hard on her.
19:45I spent one whole night picking these out.
19:47But if Aria doesn't like, it's fine.
19:50We can go shopping together.
19:51I know I still can't walk for too long because she pushed me down.
19:54But after all, she's your-
19:55I said no!
19:57Dominic grabbed a glass and smashed it onto the floor at my feet.
20:00What the hell do you want?
20:03Why are you overreacting like this, Aria?
20:05Five years abroad and you've learned to hurt yourself for sympathy?
20:08It wasn't like that.
20:10You were never like this before.
20:11Doctor checked my wound.
20:12If Aria doesn't want to be a bridesmaid, that's totally fine.
20:15But Leo could be our ring baron.
20:16We don't have one yet.
20:18No, I don't agree.
20:20If it weren't for what you did to me, my child would be about his age right now.
20:24Just think of it as granting me one small wish.
20:27I still don't understand how she fell down the stairs.
20:29That's how it'll be.
20:31I didn't trust Leo's safety with them, so I followed every step from the fitting to the rehearsal.
20:36Nothing went wrong, but my unease only grew.
20:39The wedding day arrived.
20:40I stayed with Leo in the farthest corner, trying to make myself invisible.
20:44Isn't that Aria Montgomery?
20:46She dressed like she can barely pay rent.
20:48Dominic cut her off three years ago.
20:50I'd heard enough filthy comments about being an unwed mother over the years.
20:53These were nothing compared to what I'd already survived.
20:56But all the guests went quiet at once.
20:58Dominic stood out in any crowd without even trying.
21:01Red Roses had always been my favorite.
21:03Considered it.
21:06Were you threatening to call security on Evelyn Shaw over Damon Pierce's unpaid balance?
21:12Seven days before my wedding, I discovered my fiancé was already married to his brother's widow.
21:17My name is Evelyn Shaw.
21:18A week before my wedding, I flew back from London to finalize the paperwork for my marriage to Damon Pierce.
21:23The wedding planner wanted floral approvals.
21:25The venue needed final guest numbers.
21:27Whether the seating chart should read Evelyn Shaw or Evelyn Pierce's.
21:32I had stared at that question for a long time.
21:34For eight years, I had been waiting to become Mrs. Pierce.
21:38That morning, I sat across from my attorney in a private office.
21:42My attorney, Marion Vale, flipped through Damon's financial disclosures.
21:45Then her pen stopped moving.
21:47Evelyn, has Damon ever been married before?
21:50I frowned.
21:51No. Why?
21:52She turned her screen toward me.
21:54A marriage certificate filled the monitor.
21:57Damon James Pierce and Clara Marie Bennett filed 14 months ago.
22:00I stared at it until the letters blurred.
22:03Eight years.
22:04I had spent eight years building that man from nothing.
22:06His company, Pierce Digital.
22:08I funded the seed round.
22:09His penthouse on the Upper West Side.
22:11My down payment.
22:12His Porsche, his investor network, his reputation as a self-made tech genius.
22:16All of it was mine.
22:18Handed to him piece by piece while I stayed behind the scenes because he said he was not ready to
22:22go public with us.
22:24She's his late brother's widow.
22:26He told me he was just helping her with legal paperwork.
22:28My attorney's expression told me everything her words did not.
22:31I picked up my phone and called him.
22:34I said,
22:35The prenup lawyer found your marriage certificate, Damon.
22:39Two seconds of silence.
22:41Damon said,
22:42It's not what you think.
22:43Clara needed legal protection after my brother died.
22:45She has a daughter.
22:46I married her on paper so Lily could stay on my insurance and benefits.
22:49It means nothing.
22:50You've been legally married for over a year.
22:53And I would have told you eventually.
22:54You've waited eight years, Evelyn.
22:56What's a little longer?
22:59I closed my eyes.
23:03I have no interest in married men.
23:06Then I hung up.
23:07The last eight years hit me all at once.
23:12Then I called my assistant.
23:14Freeze Damon Pierce's access to everything.
23:16Black card, office credentials, building entry parking garage, all of it.
23:19Effective immediately.
23:20Not long after, my phone started lighting up.
23:23Damon's name kept flashing across the screen until I finally answered.
23:26What the hell is wrong with you?
23:28You're acting like a child, Evelyn.
23:30I explained the situation.
23:31You explained that you committed fraud.
23:33It's not fraud.
23:34It's a favor.
23:35Clara has no one.
23:36Lily calls me dad.
23:37What was I supposed to do?
23:38Let them end up on the street?
23:39Evelyn, please don't blame Damon.
23:40Blame me.
23:41I'm the one who-
23:42Evelyn, you're going to call your assistant and restore everything.
23:44Then you're going to apologize to Clara for making her feel unwelcome.
23:47Do that and we can move past this.
23:48I looked at the prenup glass on the table in front of me.
23:50Then I picked it up and fed it into the shredder.
23:53There's nothing to move past, Damon.
23:55There's no wedding.
23:56Evelyn.
23:56You brought a wife to our wedding paperwork.
23:59I brought a witness.
24:01To start pulling every asset record with Damon Pierce's name on it.
24:06Every building.
24:07Every account.
24:08Every share.
24:09He thought he was a self-made man.
24:11He was about to find out what happens when the woman who made him decides to unmake him.
24:15The next morning, Damon's car was waiting outside my building.
24:20Now he sat at the curb in the Porsche I had paid for, looking less like a man caught in
24:23a lie than a man waiting for his fiancée to stop embarrassing him.
24:27Get in.
24:28We're going shopping.
24:29Shopping?
24:29Clara is upset.
24:31Lily is upset.
24:32You made a scene yesterday.
24:33The least you can do is help fix it.
24:34Of course.
24:36He had married another woman, lied to me for 14 months, and somehow I was the one expected
24:40to fix the mood.
24:41Don't mind.
24:42I get carsick in the back.
24:43Old Evelyn would have argued, knew and felt nothing but a calm so steady it surprised
24:47even me.
24:48I slipped into the back seat because mine has a timestamp.
24:50Let him show who he is in front of witnesses and don't stop him when he does.
24:53So I sat behind them, phone in my coat pocket, recording everything Damon still believed
24:56he could get away with.
24:58Damon took us to a luxury boutique on Madison Avenue and held the door for Clara like she
25:03was his wife.
25:04Which, legally, she was.
25:06Clara and Lily need new things for the season.
25:08You should pick something too.
25:09God knows you could use it.
25:10I had spent three years overseas building his investor pipeline.
25:13He mistook exhaustion for neglect.
25:15He looked at me like I was the embarrassing one.
25:18Damon.
25:19Clara tried on dresses.
25:21Lily twirled in a princess gown.
25:22Damon stood beside them, patient and proud.
25:24Wrap that too.
25:26Whatever Lily wants.
25:28Looses.
25:29Daisy and Chirgandall the sending quent.
25:33She had spent all afternoon pretending to be the fragile wife, but the second that dress
25:38touched my hands, she looked afraid I might outshine her.
25:44So I tried it on.
25:58Clara was checking the child who had just shoved me.
26:00It's okay, sweetheart.
26:02Nobody's going to yell at you.
26:05She's a child.
26:06Evelyn, don't make a scene.
26:08She pushed me.
26:09Keep your balance.
26:09That's not her fault.
26:13You saw what happened.
26:17Let's go.
26:18She's not worth upsetting Lily over.
26:22I changed back into my own clothes.
26:24When I stepped back out, the VIP lounge was empty.
26:26No clue.
26:27Two weeks before the wedding, a fever brought back the hearing I'd lost ten years ago.
26:30Excited to share the good news.
26:32I grabbed a cab straight to his office.
26:33The first thing I heard him say was,
26:35That deaf girl doesn't deserve me.
26:37Vanessa, you're the one I want to marry.
26:39Because she kept saying her parents saved my life.
26:41I hit record.
26:43My heart died.
26:43I ripped it up.
26:44Dropped it in the trash.
26:45Then I called my uncle.
26:46I can hear again.
26:47I said it quietly and hung up.
26:49Then I bought a one-way ticket to LA two weeks before the wedding.
26:52A fever brought back the hearing I'd lost ten years ago, saving Axel.
26:58I grabbed a cab straight to his office, excited to share the good news.
27:01But after all these years, the first thing I heard him say was,
27:04That deaf girl doesn't deserve me.
27:06Vanessa, you're the one I want to marry.
27:08I got engaged to her.
27:09Because she kept saying her parents saved my life.
27:12Her laughter and gasps were clear over the phone.
27:15Relax.
27:16She's deaf.
27:17Besides, isn't this hotter?
27:18I listened to the moan.
27:20I hit record.
27:21My heart died.
27:22Then I bought a one-way ticket to LA for the exact day of the wedding.
27:25When his frantic calls came in, I sent him the recording and my message.
27:29Axel, I can hear.
27:31Axel snapped.
27:32Who's there?
27:33I held my breath tightly.
27:34A moment passed.
27:35I don't remember how I got home.
27:36When I flicked on the lights, I saw a trail of bloody footprints.
27:39That was when I realized I'd run out barefoot.
27:41The glass somewhere had sliced my foot open.
27:43I pulled the shards out, ripping skin with them.
27:45None of it hurt like my chest did.
27:46I lay on the couch in a daze.
27:48Tears soaked the pillow.
27:49I wanted this to be a dream.
27:50Two weeks from now, I'd still be Axel's bride.
27:53Walking into the wedding I'd been waiting ten years for.
27:55But the recording told me Axel had betrayed me.
27:57I don't know how long I lay there.
27:58A sharp pain in my foot woke me.
28:00I opened my eyes.
28:01Axel was holding my foot.
28:02Picking out the last bits of glass.
28:04Dabbing antiseptic on the cuts.
28:06It had been ten years since my parents died saving him in that fire.
28:08Since I'd gone deaf saving him too.
28:10Looking after me had become a habit.
28:12He finished bandaging me.
28:13He didn't ask where the cuts came from.
28:14He just sighed.
28:15Irritated.
28:16You know you can't hear.
28:17Why don't you just stay home?
28:18Then he must have remembered that I couldn't hear him anyway.
28:21His face hardened.
28:22Whatever.
28:22I won't marry a deaf girl anyway.
28:26That line cracked something open in my chest.
28:28I remembered high school.
28:29A group of bullies followed me down the street.
28:31Laughing.
28:32Saying things I couldn't hear.
28:34I kept my head down and limped forward as if nothing had happened.
28:36But the moment Axel came to pick me up.
28:38He charged at them without a second thought.
28:41And started fighting them.
28:44He came back to me.
28:45And pulled me into his arms.
28:46I signed to him.
28:47Why he'd fought them.
28:48He replied.
28:49They called you deaf.
28:50Hannah.
28:50That's not true.
28:51You have ears.
28:52I'm your ears.
28:53Okay?
28:53I'll always be your ears.
28:54He cried that day.
28:55Hard.
28:56That was the first time I understood how cruel the world was to deaf people.
28:59But I didn't care.
29:00Because Axel said he'd always be my ears.
29:02Now my ears were back.
29:04So why was the word coming out of his mouth like that?
29:06Deaf.
29:07I held my tears back.
29:08But maybe my expression gave it away.
29:10He pressed his lips together and signed fast.
29:12Does it hurt?
29:13His phone buzzed before I could answer.
29:15It was a voice message from Vanessa.
29:17Honey.
29:17You're so bad.
29:18My legs are still shaking from that kiss.
29:20Vanessa was his college friend.
29:22After they graduated, she became his secretary.
29:24They sent each other voice messages all the time.
29:26Late at night too.
29:27But I trusted Axel.
29:29I just assumed it was work.
29:30There's worse.
29:31Wanna try?
29:32Who are you texting?
29:33I said it out of nowhere.
29:35He looked at me suspiciously and asked.
29:37Can you hear me now?
29:39I gave no response like the usual deaf girl and he was relieved.
29:42He steadied himself fast and signed.
29:44A client?
29:45Rush order.
29:46The second he finished signing, he tapped record.
29:48I bought Hannah some lingerie.
29:50But your body is ten times better than hers.
29:53I bought you one too.
29:54You should put it on for me.
29:56Ew.
29:56I don't want to match that cripple freak.
29:58I didn't want to hear anymore.
29:59I limped back to the bedroom.
30:01I held the framed photo of my parents against my chest.
30:03Curled up in bed.
30:04Pulled the blanket over my ears.
30:06But the flirting outside came through anyway.
30:08Next time, different position.
30:10I want to do it in front of the mirror.
30:11Every word cut my heart.
30:13This Axel was so filthy.
30:15I didn't want him anymore.
30:16A few minutes later, the front door slammed.
30:18I sat up.
30:19It was midnight.
30:19I didn't have to ask where he was going.
30:21I looked at the gold foil wedding invitation on the nightstand.
30:24The one I'd spent two weeks picking out.
30:26I ripped it up.
30:27Dropped it in the trash.
30:28Then I called my uncle.
30:29Uncle.
30:31I want to come stay with you.
30:32With grandma and grandpa.
30:34His voice came back, worried.
30:35What happened, sweetheart?
30:36Then he remembered I couldn't hear.
30:38The line went quiet.
30:38I heard him typing.
30:40Nothing.
30:41I just miss you guys.
30:42My voice cracked.
30:43My uncle had built his empire in L.A.
30:45Real estate, finance, the works.
30:47He'd brought grandma and grandpa out there with him.
30:49When my parents died, he flew back to take me too.
30:51But I couldn't leave the house that still smelled like mom and dad.
30:54Later, I just couldn't leave Axel.
30:56Even when they begged, I kept saying no.
30:57Thank God.
30:58Thank God you finally came around.
31:00He sounded like he was about to cry.
31:02Then he caught himself.
31:03Hannah.
31:05Your ears.
31:06Yeah.
31:07I can hear again.
31:08I said it quietly and hung up.
31:10He booked me a flight.
31:11The morning of my wedding.
31:16Two weeks before the wedding, a fever brought back the hearing I'd lost ten years ago.
31:20Excited to share the good news.
31:22I grabbed a cab straight to his office.
31:23The first thing I heard him say was,
31:25That deaf girl doesn't deserve me.
31:27Vanessa, you're the one I want to marry.
31:29Because she kept saying her parents saved my life.
31:31I hit record.
31:32My heart died.
31:33I ripped it up.
31:34Dropped it in the trash.
31:35Then I called my uncle.
31:36I can hear again.
31:37I said it quietly and hung up.
31:39Then I bought a one-way ticket to L.A.
31:41Two weeks before the wedding.
31:42A fever brought back the hearing I'd lost ten years ago.
31:45Saving Axel.
31:48I grabbed a cab straight to his office.
31:50Excited to share the good news.
31:51But after all these years, the first thing I heard him say was,
31:54That deaf girl doesn't deserve me.
31:55Vanessa, you're the one I want to marry.
31:58I got engaged to her.
31:59Because she kept saying her parents saved my life.
32:02Her laughter and gasps were clear over the phone.
32:05Relax.
32:06She's deaf.
32:07Besides, isn't this hotter?
32:08I listened to the moan.
32:10I hit record.
32:11My heart died.
32:12Then I bought a one-way ticket to L.A. for the exact day of the wedding.
32:15When his frantic calls came in, I sent him the recording and my message.
32:19Axel, I can hear.
32:21Axel snapped.
32:22Who's there?
32:22I held my breath tightly.
32:24A moment passed.
32:25I don't remember how I got home.
32:26When I flicked on the lights, I saw a trail of bloody footprints.
32:29That was when I realized I'd run out barefoot.
32:31The glass somewhere had sliced my foot open.
32:33I pulled the shards out, ripping skin with them.
32:35None of it hurt like my chest did.
32:36I lay on the couch in a daze.
32:38Tears soaked the pillow.
32:39I wanted this to be a dream.
32:40Two weeks from now, I'd still be Axel's bride.
32:42Walking into the wedding I'd been waiting ten years for.
32:45But the recording told me Axel had betrayed me.
32:47I don't know how long I lay there.
32:48A sharp pain in my foot woke me.
32:50I opened my eyes.
32:51Axel was holding my foot, picking out the last bits of glass, dabbing antiseptic on the cuts.
32:55It had been ten years since my parents died saving him in that fire.
32:58Since I'd gone deaf saving him too.
33:00Looking after me had become a habit.
33:02He finished bandaging me.
33:03He didn't ask where the cuts came from.
33:04He just sighed.
33:05Irritated.
33:06You know you can't hear.
33:07Why don't you just stay home?
33:08Then he must have remembered that I couldn't hear him anyway.
33:11His face hardened.
33:12Whatever.
33:12I won't marry a deaf girl anyway.
33:15That line cracked something open in my chest.
33:18I remembered high school.
33:19A group of bullies followed me down the street, laughing, saying things I couldn't hear.
33:23I kept my head down and limped forward as if nothing had happened.
33:26But the moment Axel came to pick me up, he charged at them without a second thought and
33:31started fighting them.
33:33He came back to me and pulled me into his arms.
33:36I signed to him.
33:37Why he'd fought them.
33:38He replied.
33:38They called you deaf.
33:40Hannah, that's not true.
33:41You have ears.
33:42I'm your ears, okay?
33:43I'll always be your ears.
33:44He cried that day.
33:45Hard.
33:46That was the first time I understood how cruel the world was to deaf people.
33:49But I didn't care.
33:50Because Axel said he'd always be my ears.
33:52Now my ears were back.
33:54So why was the word coming out of his mouth like that?
33:56Deaf.
33:57I held my tears back, but maybe my expression gave it away.
34:00He pressed his lips together and signed fast.
34:02Does it hurt?
34:03His phone buzzed before I could answer.
34:05It was a voice message from Vanessa.
34:06Honey, you're so bad.
34:08My legs are still shaking from that kiss.
34:10Vanessa was his college friend.
34:12After they graduated, she became his secretary.
34:14They sent each other voice messages all the time.
34:16Late at night, too.
34:17But I trusted Axel.
34:19I just assumed it was work.
34:20There's worse.
34:21Want to try?
34:22Who are you texting?
34:23I said it out of nowhere.
34:24He looked at me suspiciously and asked,
34:26Can you hear me now?
34:29I gave no response like the usual deaf girl and he was relieved.
34:32He steadied himself fast and signed.
34:34A client?
34:35Rush order.
34:36The second he finished signing, he tapped record.
34:38I bought Hannah some lingerie.
34:40But your body is ten times better than hers.
34:43I bought you one, too.
34:44You should put it on for me.
34:45Ew.
34:46I don't want to match that cripple freak.
34:48I didn't want to hear anymore.
34:49I limped back to the bedroom.
34:51I held the framed photo of my parents against my chest,
34:53curled up in bed,
34:54pulled the blanket over my ears.
34:56But the flirting outside came through anyway.
34:58Next time, different position.
35:00I want to do it in front of the mirror.
35:01Every word cut my heart.
35:03This Axel was so filthy.
35:05I didn't want him anymore.
35:06A few minutes later, the front door slammed.
35:08I sat up.
35:09It was midnight.
35:09I didn't have to ask where he was going.
35:11I looked at the gold foil wedding invitation on the nightstand,
35:14the one I'd spent two weeks picking out.
35:16I ripped it up, dropped it in the trash.
35:18Then I called my uncle.
35:20Uncle, I want to come stay with you.
35:22With grandma and grandpa.
35:24His voice came back, worried.
35:25What happened, sweetheart?
35:26Then he remembered I couldn't hear.
35:27The line went quiet.
35:29I heard him typing.
35:30Nothing.
35:31I just miss you guys.
35:32My voice cracked.
35:33My uncle had built his empire in L.A.
35:35Real estate, finance, the works.
35:37He'd brought grandma and grandpa out there with him.
35:39When my parents died, he flew back to take me too.
35:41But I couldn't leave the house that still smelled like mom and dad.
35:44Later, I just couldn't leave Axel.
35:46Even when they begged, I kept saying no.
35:47Thank God.
35:48Thank God you finally came around.
35:50He sounded like he was about to cry.
35:52Then he caught himself.
35:53Hannah.
35:54Your ears.
35:56Yeah.
35:57I can hear again.
35:58I said it quietly and hung up.
36:00He booked me a flight the morning of my wedding.
36:04Considered it.
36:06Were you threatening to call security on Evelyn Shaw over Damon Pierce's unpaid balance?
36:12Seven days before my wedding, I discovered my fiancé was already married to his brother's widow.
36:17My name is Evelyn Shaw.
36:19A week before my wedding, I flew back from London to finalize the paperwork for my marriage to Damon Pierce.
36:23The wedding planner wanted floral approvals.
36:25The venue needed final guest numbers.
36:27Whether the seating chart should read Evelyn Shaw or Evelyn Pierce's.
36:32I had stared at that question for a long time.
36:34For eight years, I had been waiting to become Mrs. Pierce.
36:39That morning, I sat across from my attorney in a private office.
36:42My attorney, Marion Vale, flipped through Damon's financial disclosures.
36:45Then her pen stopped moving.
36:47Evelyn.
36:48Has Damon ever been married before?
36:50I frowned.
36:51No.
36:52Why?
36:53She turned her screen toward me.
36:54A marriage certificate filled the monitor.
36:57Damon James Pierce and Clara Marie Bennett filed 14 months ago.
37:01I stared at it until the letters blurred.
37:03Eight years.
37:04I had spent eight years building that man from nothing.
37:07His company, Pierce Digital.
37:08I funded the seed round.
37:10His penthouse on the Upper West Side.
37:11My down payment.
37:13His Porsche, his investor network, his reputation as a self-made tech genius.
37:17All of it was mine.
37:18Handed to him piece by piece while I stayed behind the scenes
37:21because he said he was not ready to go public with us.
37:24She's his late brother's widow.
37:26He told me he was just helping her with legal paperwork.
37:28My attorney's expression told me everything her words did not.
37:32I picked up my phone and called him.
37:34I said,
37:35The prenup lawyer found your marriage certificate, Damon.
37:39Two seconds of silence.
37:41Damon said,
37:42It's not what you think.
37:43Clara needed legal protection after my brother died.
37:45She has a daughter.
37:46I married her on paper so Lily could stay on my insurance and benefits.
37:50It means nothing.
37:51You've been legally married for over a year.
37:53And I would have told you eventually.
37:55You've waited eight years, Evelyn.
37:57What's a little longer?
37:59I closed my eyes.
38:03I have no interest in married men.
38:06Then, I hung up.
38:07The last eight years hit me all at once.
38:13Then I called my assistant.
38:14Freeze Damon Pierce's access to everything.
38:16Black card, office credentials, building entry parking garage, all of it.
38:19Effective immediately.
38:21Not long after, my phone started lighting up.
38:23Damon's name kept flashing across the screen until I finally answered.
38:27What the hell is wrong with you?
38:28You're acting like a child, Evelyn.
38:30I explained the situation.
38:32You explained that you committed fraud.
38:34It's not fraud.
38:34It's a favor.
38:36Clara has no one.
38:37Lily calls me dad.
38:38What was I supposed to do?
38:38Let them end up on the street?
38:39Evelyn, please don't blame Damon.
38:41Blame me.
38:41I'm the one who-
38:42Evelyn, you're going to call your assistant and restore everything.
38:45Then, you're going to apologize to Clara for making her feel unwelcome.
38:47Do that and we can move past this.
38:48I looked at the prenup draft on the table in front of me.
38:51Then I picked it up and fed it into the shredder.
38:54There's nothing to move past, Damon.
38:55There's no wedding.
38:56Evelyn.
38:57You brought a wife to our wedding paperwork.
38:59I brought a witness.
39:02To start pulling every asset record with Damon Pierce's name on it.
39:06Every building.
39:07Every account.
39:08Every share.
39:10He thought he was a self-made man.
39:12He was about to find out what happens when the woman who made him decides to unmake him.
39:15The next morning, Damon's car was waiting outside my building.
39:20Now he sat at the curb in the Porsche I had paid for, looking less like a man caught in
39:24a lie than a man waiting for his fiancée to stop embarrassing him.
39:27Get in.
39:28We're going shopping.
39:29Shopping?
39:30Clara is upset.
39:31Lily is upset.
39:32You made a scene yesterday.
39:33The least you can do is help fix it.
39:35Of course.
39:36He had married another woman, lied to me for 14 months, and somehow I was the one expected
39:41to fix the mood.
39:41Don't mind.
39:42I get carsick in the back.
39:44Old Evelyn would have argued, knew and felt nothing but a calm so steady it surprised
39:48even me.
39:48I slipped into the back seat because mine has a timestamp.
39:51Let him show who he is in front of witnesses and don't stop him when he does.
39:53So I sat behind them, phone in my coat pocket, recording everything Damon still believed
39:57he could get away with.
39:59Damon took us to a luxury boutique on Madison Avenue and held the door for Clara like she
40:03was his wife.
40:04Which, legally, she was.
40:06Clara and Lily need new things for the season.
40:08You should pick something too.
40:09God knows you could use it.
40:10I had spent three years overseas building his investor pipeline.
40:14He mistook exhaustion for neglect.
40:15He looked at me like I was the embarrassing one.
40:18Damon.
40:19Clara tried on dresses.
40:21Lily twirled in a princess gown.
40:22Damon stood beside them, patient and proud.
40:24Keep that one.
40:25Wrap that too.
40:26Whatever Lily wants.
40:28Looses.
40:29Daisy and Shurgandall the sending quent.
40:34She had spent all afternoon pretending to be the fragile wife, but the second that dress
40:38touched my hands, she looked afraid I might outshine her.
40:44So I tried it on.
40:58Clara was checking the child who had just shoved me.
41:01It's okay, sweetheart.
41:02Nobody's going to yell at you.
41:05She's a child.
41:06Evelyn, don't make a scene.
41:08She pushed me.
41:09Keep your balance.
41:10That's not her fault.
41:13You saw what happened.
41:18Let's go.
41:18She's not worth upsetting Lily over.
41:23I changed back into my own clothes.
41:25When I stepped back out, the VIP lounge was empty.
41:27No Clara.
41:27No Lily.
41:28No Damon.
41:29Only the sales associate behind the counter, wearing the smile of someone who had already
41:32decided I was the problem.
41:33Mrs. Shaw, Mr. Pierce has left.
41:35He's charged all selected items to your personal account.
41:39I'd opened that account years ago so Damon could buy suits for investor meetings.
41:44Now he'd used it to dress the wife he'd hidden all along.
41:51I left the bill under your name.
41:52Consider it a lesson in humility.
41:54Come home when you're ready to apologize.
41:56She can't pay?
41:57Why did she act like she owned the place five minutes ago?
41:59She's just another pretender.
42:00If there's an issue with payment, Miss Shaw, we'll need to call security.
42:04And now I stood in a luxury boutique, threatened with security over a bill I could pay ten times over
42:09with my own money.
42:14Security?
42:19Mr. Mercer.
42:24I knew the name the way a soldier knows the sound of an enemy's footsteps.
42:28Mercer Capital.
42:29Old money.
42:30Private equity royalty.
42:32Every founder in New York either wanted to impress him or prayed never to cross his path.
42:36Damon Pierce's most dangerous rival.
42:37For three years, Damon had tried to outrun him, outperform him, outrank him.
42:40For three years, I'd made it possible.
42:42I blocked Mercer's buyout offer.
42:43Clean directed messes before Kelphin's team could find them.
42:45I'd fought this man in the dark for a thousand days.
42:47And now here he was.
42:50Watching me messy, humiliated, trapped behind the bill Damon had left me.
42:55For one cold second, I thought Kieran Mercer had come to collect every war I'd ever fought for Damon.
43:07I hated that he saw it.
43:11If you're here to watch me embarrass myself, Mr. Mercer, get in line.
43:16I considered it.
43:19Were you threatening to call security on Evelyn Shaw over Damon Pierce's unpaid balance?
43:24Mr. Mercer, I was only following Mr. Pierce's instructions.
43:27This is not a payment issue.
43:29This is theft.
43:31Get your manager.
43:39Mr. Mercer, do you think I flew here to save Damon Pierce's face?
43:43I've spent three years trying to figure out who the real brain behind Pierce Digital is.
43:48And now I find her bleeding on a boutique floor while he buys dresses for his wife.
43:54Mrs. Shaw, I'm so sorry.
43:56I had no idea you were back in New York.
43:59Ms. Shaw is one of our parent company's primary investors.
44:02Mr. Pierce's authorization was revoked hours ago.
44:05Damon Pierce, Clara Bennett, and the child walked out after charging purchases to an account they no longer had permission
44:09to use.
44:09Of course.
44:10Save the receipt, file the report, and send Mr. Pierce the copy.
44:12Of course, Ms. Shaw.
44:14$178,000.
44:15Bold for a man living on borrowed power.
44:17You're Evelyn Shaw.
44:19And you're Kieran Mercer.
44:20You were very good at keeping me out.
44:23Careful.
44:24That almost sounded like a compliment.
44:26It was a warning.
44:28To me?
44:28To Damon.
44:31My mother did not steal anyone's place.
44:33She married father three years after your mother died.
44:37Please stop.
44:38We are still family.
44:39Family?
44:39Who is family with you filthy people?
44:41Yvette Balan, what are you doing?
44:43My fiancé, Seraphine, was the commander of the Light Knights.
44:47He was sacred, restrained, and untouchable.
44:49And I was the royal high priestess.
44:51I tried to tempt him many times, but he never lost control.
44:55I used to think he had sealed away all desire until the night before our wedding.
44:59I saw Seraphine kneeling beside Laurel's bed.
45:02Her limp hand closed around him, and his whole body went rigid, hot, and feverish.
45:07Hot sweat fell onto his white robe.
45:09His breath was ragged, his eyes dark.
45:11His face was lost in raw, forbidden desire.
45:15The only reason I agreed to marry your sister was so I could come see you every single day.
45:25After that night, I tore up our betrothal scroll.
45:27I'm not marrying Seraphine anymore.
45:30I'm marrying Arthur.
45:33Yvette!
45:34Have you lost your mind?
45:38Arthur was mutilated by a cursed blade three years ago.
45:42He beats people half to death over nothing.
45:44You're marching straight to your grave if you marry him!
45:48Mother, at this point it does not matter who I marry.
45:52Besides, do you really think we can refuse the Imperial family?
45:57In the receiving hall, father was smiling from ear to ear.
46:01It is an honour that his Minus would consider my daughter.
46:04But my elder daughter still sleeps under a holy curse.
46:07And my second daughter is bound to the Lancid family by engagement.
46:12An engagement is still only a contract.
46:15Break it.
46:18If Lady Yvonne Valian agrees to marry His Highness,
46:21the Imperial family will offer a vial of sacred sunblood as the bridegift.
46:24I hear it has awakened sleepers, sealed by curses before.
46:27I'll do it.
46:35Yvette, haven't you always loved Seraphine?
46:38Why so suddenly?
46:41I did not answer.
46:42Because every time I thought of what I had seen that night,
46:45my heart ached unbearably.
46:47My ten years of devotion suddenly felt like a joke.
46:53The vial of sacred sunblood worked.
46:56Within three days, Aurora woke up.
47:00Father was overjoyed to prepare a celebration feast for her.
47:04That was when I saw Aurora.
47:06She was wearing the gown Mother had spent months making for me.
47:09She stood among the temple guests, smiling like a saint.
47:13Yvette, may I borrow this gown for tonight?
47:15I just woke up.
47:17I had no time to prepare a new gown.
47:21Mother tugged at my sleeve.
47:22Your sister just recovered.
47:24Let her have it.
47:28Of course.
47:33May the light bless you, Yvette.
47:40This gown fits me better, doesn't it?
47:42Yatette is too thin.
47:44She cannot fill it up.
47:46My Aurora has awakened.
47:48From tonight on,
47:50she will return as the High Priestess of the Sun Temple.
47:58My Aurora has awakened.
48:02Suddenly, the hall doors opened.
48:04Sunlight poured in behind Seraphine.
48:06The moment Seraphine stepped into the hall,
48:08every voice fell silent.
48:10He walked straight to Aurora.
48:12Then, in front of everyone,
48:13he dropped to one knee.
48:15He bowed his head
48:16and kissed the back of her hand.
48:21Welcome back, my High Priestess.
48:24You were always the one I was sworn to say.
48:27My breath stopped.
48:28He was always so aloof, so proud.
48:30I had never seen him kneel before anyone.
48:32But as long as it was about Aurora,
48:34even the holiest knight would lose his heart.
48:37See?
48:37The one Seraphine really loves is Aurora.
48:39The marriage only fell to Yavit
48:40because Aurora was cursed and fell into sleep.
48:42I bet Yavit must be dying of embarrassment right now.
48:44I walked alone onto the terrace,
48:46but even the cold wind could not ease the pain in my chest.
48:49Then I heard footsteps behind me.
48:51Does it hurt?
48:53You must have enjoyed yourself while I was in a coma, didn't you?
48:56You even took my bedrothal to Seraphine.
48:59Father told me it was Arthur's sacred sunblood that woke me.
49:02But do not expect me to thank you.
49:05Remember this clearly, Yavit.
49:06You will always live in my shadow,
49:08just like when we were children.
49:10You only ever got what I had already grown tired of.
49:15You know it, Mina Grey,
49:16that's only Peter French.
49:32What have you done?
49:33The blade flashed with sacred light.
49:35A sharp wave of force cut across my leg.
49:38Blood instantly stained my dress.
49:40Aurora hides against Seraphine's chest,
49:43flashing me a triumphant smile.
49:44My eyes burned.
49:45I forced myself to turn away
49:48in that split second
49:49and crushed me against the stone step.
49:53Seraphine.
49:55Aurora suddenly pressed a hand to her forehead.
49:57Aurora leans weakly against Seraphine.
50:00I'm so scared.
50:01I feel dizzy.
50:05When I woke up again,
50:06Emma was sitting beside my bed
50:08in the temple healing chamber.
50:09Seraphine, that bastard!
50:11Stop crying, Emma.
50:14Remember?
50:15I'm marrying Arthur.
50:16Emma looked at me like her heart was breaking.
50:19Then Emma cried even harder.
50:22One of Seraphine's attendants came to me.
50:25Seraphine wanted to see me at the garden pavilion.
50:31Seraphine pushed a delicate white box across the table.
50:34Inside was a pair of pale blue lace gloves.
50:37I will still honor the betrothal.
50:39As long as you stop targeting Aurora.
50:44No need.
50:45It was always my sister's betrothal anyway.
50:48Before he could finish,
50:49Aurora appeared beside him.
50:51Use an eye.
50:51She was dressed in a pale blue gown.
50:53Her lace sleeves matched the gloves in the box exactly.
50:56It was not a gift chosen for me.
50:58Yvette,
50:59I asked Seraphine to bring you this.
51:00Do you like it?
51:02I forced a smile.
51:04My nails dug deep into my palm.
51:09When I returned to the Vaylin estate,
51:11I saw Mother limping down the stairs.
51:13Mother grips the railing,
51:14moving with difficulty.
51:16Mother!
51:18I rushed over to help her.
51:20My fingers brushed the bruises on her wrist.
51:24My voice trembled.
51:26Did Aurora push you again?
51:29Suddenly, the front door burst open.
51:31Aurora steps into the manor,
51:33tossing her cloak to a servant.
51:35Aurora walked in as if nothing had happened.
51:37I could not hold back.
51:40Aurora, why did you push my mother?
51:43Who told her to steal someone else's place?
51:45Aurora raised her hand
51:47and slapped Mother across the face.
51:49My mother did not steal anyone's place.
51:51She married father three years after your mother died.
51:55Please stop.
51:56We are still family.
51:57Family?
51:57Who is family with you filthy people?
51:59Yvette Balan, what are you doing?
52:02Seraphine stood in the doorway.
52:03Seraphine was still holding Aurora's forgotten cloak.
52:06Aurora's expression changed instantly.
52:08She threw herself into his arms, sobbing.
52:13Seraphine, my sister tried to hit me.
52:16I watched him pull her closer.
52:19I watched the revulsion in his eyes.
52:21Suddenly, it all felt absurdly funny.
52:26Consider it your apology to Aurora.
52:31Do not disgrace the Veiligan name again.
52:35Consider it your apology to Aurora.
52:37Aurora.
52:41Do not disgrace the Veiligan name again.
52:43I sat at the grand piano set beside the ceremonial platform.
52:47My fingers moved mechanically across the keys.
52:49From the corner of my eye,
52:51I saw Aurora glance at me again and again.
52:54The moment the final note faded,
52:56a deafening bang rang out.
52:58The lid crashed over my hands.
53:00Excruciating pain shot through all ten fingers.
53:03I screamed.
53:05My vision was going black.
53:13Instinctively, I looked toward Seraphine in the distance,
53:16but Aurora immediately grabbed his arm.
53:18Seraphine, the dawn procession is about to begin.
53:21Please, walk with me.
53:24Arthur sent his best royal physician.
53:27I think, perhaps his highness is not as terrible as the rumors say.
53:31We're a father in Aurora.
53:36Your father went to join Aurora's dawn procession.
53:38Arthur sent his best royal physician.
53:41I think, perhaps his highness is not as terrible as the rumors say.
53:46We're a father in Aurora.
53:48The whole capital is celebrating her return.
53:56That night, I returned to my room at the Valen estate.
53:59Everything related to Seraphine was still there.
54:01The letters I had written but never sent.
54:03The sketches I had drawn of him.
54:04And the broken betrothal scroll.
54:06I placed them all into the fireplace.
54:08The flames rose.
54:09One by one.
54:12The day I arrived at Arthur's estate,
54:14I was stunned by what I saw.
54:16The royal guards and palace servants...
54:19This is your home now.
54:23Don't be nervous.
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