- 14 hours ago
He Gave Her Dress Away - (2026) ✅ FULL EP
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I was at the boutique, checking on the wedding dress I had custom designed for myself.
00:05When a young woman walked in, the shop assistant came over and whispered to me.
00:09This girl had already rejected 99 dresses in their shop over the past three months.
00:14Her standards were impossibly high.
00:16Worse still, she had a ridiculously wealthy and doting husband
00:19who accompanied her through endless design changes without a single complaint.
00:23Just as the associate was venting her frustration, the girl's eyes landed on my dress.
00:28It was love at first sight.
00:30When she was told the dress wasn't for sale,
00:32she immediately pulled out her phone and called her husband.
00:36Minutes later, the boutique manager rushed over, looking panicked.
00:40She told me,
00:41Had Justpens bought the entire bridal shop,
00:43his first and only demand as the new owner, give his wife that exact dress?
00:48The manager begged me to part with it.
00:50I refused.
00:51I had designed this dress for my own wedding.
00:53Why would I give it to a stranger?
00:55Chloe, please, just think about it.
00:57She's the young madam of the Winston family.
01:00Getting on her good side could do wonders for your career.
01:03I froze.
01:04She is the young madam of the Winston family?
01:06Then who am I?
01:08Seeing my shock, a flicker of pride crossed the girl's face.
01:12You're a designer too, right?
01:13She smiled and gave me a polite nod.
01:15If you let me wear your dress to my wedding,
01:18I promise you'll make a name for yourself in the design world very quickly.
01:22My mind was reeling.
01:23I forced myself to breathe.
01:25Could I please see this lady's contract?
01:27When they handed me the paperwork,
01:29I flipped straight to the last page.
01:31There, signed in bold, arrogant strokes,
01:33was a name I knew better than my own,
01:36Vincent.
01:36The handwriting was so familiar,
01:38I thought I was hallucinating.
01:40This was the name that had filled the margins of my teenage notebooks.
01:44It was the name printed right next to mine
01:46on the welcome sign at our engagement party not that long ago.
01:50And now, here it was on a bridal contract,
01:53right next to the name Natalie.
01:55An absurd, undeniable reality crashed over me.
01:57My fiancé, Vincent, was having an affair.
02:02My knees felt weak.
02:04I took a sip of water,
02:06forcing the trembling out of my hands,
02:08and really looked at Natalie.
02:09She looked to be in her early twenties,
02:12radiant, youthful, and vibrant.
02:14And looking closely at her features,
02:16I saw a faint, haunting resemblance to how I looked when I was younger.
02:20That realization didn't bring me any comfort.
02:22It just made my stomach churn with disgust.
02:26Numbly, I nodded.
02:27I told them she could have the dress.
02:29Natalie clapped her hands in delight
02:31and turned toward the dressing room.
02:33Wait!
02:35I said, stopping her.
02:37This dress requires a very specific makeup look to really shine.
02:41Let me do it for you.
02:43Natalie was escorted to a private VIP makeup room.
02:46The cosmetics laid out for her were entirely different
02:49from what regular clients used.
02:51Seeing my surprise, Natalie covered her mouth and giggled.
02:55My husband refuses to let me share a makeup room with anyone else.
02:58He's a germaphobe when it comes to me.
03:00He had someone buy all of this brand new, just for me.
03:04Your husband treats you very well.
03:07Throwing money at me is all he can do right now.
03:10I'm here trying on my wedding dress,
03:12and he couldn't even make time to come with me.
03:14Oh, Mrs. Winston, don't joke like that.
03:17Mr. Vincent has been here with you
03:18almost every single time you've come in over the last few months.
03:21He must just be tied up with something truly unavoidable today.
03:24The flattery worked.
03:26Natalie smiled, appeased.
03:28Unless it was an absolute emergency, he'd definitely be here.
03:32Her smile was blinding.
03:34It stung my eyes.
03:35I couldn't help but remember how utterly disinterested
03:38Vincent had been in planning our wedding.
03:41When I picked a venue, he simply said,
03:43Whatever you decide is fine.
03:46When I booked a photography team for our engagement shoot,
03:49he bailed on me three separate times.
03:52I had spent months convincing myself he was just too busy with work.
03:56Now I knew the truth.
03:57It wasn't that he didn't have the time.
04:00He just couldn't be bothered to spare any effort on me.
04:02I picked up a brush and began adjusting her eyebrows.
04:06Out of nowhere, she asked,
04:08Chloe, were you planning to give that dress to someone?
04:11Why did the staff say it was not for sale?
04:13My hand paused.
04:15Oh, Yemba Lai designed my rune the wedding the dress.
04:19Natalie blinked, genuinely taken aback.
04:23Oh, wow. I'm so sorry.
04:26She apologized, but she made absolutely no move to give the dress back.
04:32It's just that I'm so in love with it.
04:36I'm so picky.
04:37I can't bear go if I finally like something,
04:39but I believe you can do even better.
04:43It's fine.
04:44I'm not in a rush anymore.
04:46Since I was doing her makeup, she couldn't hold it to her ear,
04:49so she put it on speaker.
04:51Hey, sweetheart.
04:52How's the fitting going?
04:53The voice was low, laced with an undeniable, overflowing fondness.
04:57He used to talk to me like that, too.
04:59Back when we first moved in together,
05:01every day he'd wake up earlier than me,
05:03lean in close and whisper,
05:05Chloe, time to wake up.
05:07If I ignored him, he'd tease me until we just ended up holding each other.
05:12But sitting there now, I realized with a sickening jolt
05:15that I couldn't even remember the last time he had woken me up like that.
05:19Vincent.
05:21I had almost forgotten what you sounded like when you were gentle,
05:24only to hear it through another woman's phone.
05:27How deeply painfully ironic.
05:29I'm still getting my makeup done.
05:31Honey, the dress is absolutely stunning.
05:34It's such a shame you're not here to see it.
05:36I really wanted to show you.
05:39Vincent's voice was pure indulgence.
05:41Be a good girl.
05:42I'm swamped today.
05:43I have a board meeting this afternoon,
05:45and I just can't get away.
05:47I'll come with you next time, I promise.
05:48No way!
05:50I finally found the perfect dress!
05:52How could you abandon me on such a big day?
05:56You're making me so sad.
05:58A soft sigh came through the speaker.
06:00All right, all right.
06:02I'll head over as soon as my meeting is done.
06:03I swear I can never say no to you.
06:05Hearing that, a hollow laugh escaped my lips.
06:08Just last night, I had told Vincent
06:10that I was picking up my finished wedding dress today.
06:12I asked if he could come with me.
06:14He said he's got meetings all day and can't make it.
06:17I pleaded.
06:18But he just pinched his nose, gave me a cold look, and said,
06:22Stop acting like a child.
06:25Then he walked into the bedroom and shut the door without looking back.
06:29Yet all it took was a little whine from Natalie,
06:31and he surrendered instantly.
06:33His schedule can be interrupted.
06:35I'm just not the woman he'd interrupt it for.
06:37Natalie giggled, flirted with him for another second, and hung up.
06:41Mrs. Winston, your husband treats you like a queen!
06:45It makes me so jealous!
06:47Natalie beamed, basking in the glow of her perfect life.
06:52Catching my eye, she asked,
06:54Chloe, when is your wedding?
06:55The question caught me off guard.
06:57Before I could answer, a rival designer from the boutique,
07:01someone who had never liked me,
07:03walked in holding some accessories.
07:06Hearing the question, she sneered.
07:08Her?
07:10She's been custom designing her dress for months,
07:12but none of us have ever seen this mythical fiancé of his.
07:18Who knows if he even exists?
07:20She turned a fawning smile toward Natalie.
07:22Not everyone has your luck, Mrs. Winston.
07:26Mr. Vincent runs a massive corporate empire,
07:30yet he still finds time to help you with all the tedious wedding prep.
07:34I lowered my eyes,
07:36having absolutely nothing to say in my defense.
07:39She was right.
07:41Vincent hadn't even given me a concrete date for the wedding.
07:45All this planning.
07:46It had been nothing but a one-woman show.
07:49Your fiancé doesn't help at all?
07:51You're doing everything alone?
07:54That's awful.
07:55You really need to think things through, Chloe.
07:59Don't marry the wrong man.
08:03She appears to mean well,
08:05but her patronizing tone is unmistakable.
08:07You're right.
08:08I'll think it over.
08:10What about you?
08:11When is the big day?
08:14Natalie thought for a moment.
08:15Sometime in the fall, probably.
08:17My husband said we should get legally married at City Hall first,
08:21and he'll handle everything else.
08:23All I have to do is pick out what I like.
08:25I froze.
08:27You're already legally married?
08:29Yep.
08:30We went on Valentine's Day.
08:32I thought the date was so romantic,
08:34so I pustered him until he agreed.
08:36He was originally supposed to fly out of state for a business trip that day.
08:42Chloe, am I being too childish?
08:43My mom says I never grow up,
08:45but my husband likes me just like that.
08:48He says he wants to spoil me,
08:50take care of me,
08:50and make sure I never have a worry in the world.
08:55Looking at her bright, untroubled smile,
08:58my heart turned to ash.
09:00Vincent had already married Natalie.
09:02On Valentine's Day.
09:06What a sick joke.
09:09Valentine's Day was my birthday.
09:11I had waited up for him until past midnight that night.
09:15He never came home.
09:17The next day, he claimed his out-of-state meetings ran late,
09:20and he missed his flight.
09:21I had believed him.
09:23I hadn't pushed it.
09:25Little did I know,
09:26while I sat alone waiting for him on my birthday,
09:29He was at City Hall marrying another woman.
09:32I had been with Vincent since I was 18.
09:35Today, I was 28.
09:36A decade.
09:38For 10 years,
09:39I watched him go from a boy who counted down the days
09:42until we were of legal age so he could marry me,
09:45to a man who found every excuse to delay the wedding.
09:48Lately, he avoided the topic of City Hall altogether.
09:51Now I knew why.
09:53He was already a married man.
09:55Natalie said Vincent promised her a lifetime.
09:58She had no idea I'd heard those exact same vows.
10:02Under a sky full of stars,
10:04he had dropped to one knee.
10:05As he slid the ring onto my finger,
10:07he swore he would love me forever,
10:10cherish me,
10:11and never let me suffer a single day in my life.
10:13In the end, he kept his vows.
10:16He just gave them to someone else.
10:18Once her makeup was done,
10:20Natalie headed to the fitting room to slip into the gown.
10:23I followed her in to help.
10:25As I was lacing up the corset back,
10:27she suddenly leaned in and whispered,
10:29Chloe, do you think you could loosen the waistline for me a little?
10:32I looked at her reflection in the mirror, confused.
10:36But this measurement is absolutely perfect on you.
10:40If I alter it, the silhouette won't be as flattering.
10:44Natalie lowered her voice even more.
10:46I'm pregnant.
10:47My husband doesn't know yet.
10:49I want to surprise him.
10:50By the time the wedding rolls around,
10:52I'll definitely have a bump.
10:53And I'm worried it'll be too late to alter it then.
10:56So please, help me adjust it now.
10:59And keep it a secret.
11:00The sudden bombshell left me completely, utterly paralyzed.
11:04It took me a long moment to process the words.
11:07And when I did, a creeping chill seeped into my bones.
11:10She was pregnant.
11:12Vincent was having a baby with another woman.
11:14Natalie rested a hand on her flat stomach,
11:17her face glowing with a profound, radiant joy.
11:20That happiness felt like shattered glass against my eyes.
11:24I mumbled an incoherent reply,
11:26fled the fitting room,
11:27and leaned against the closed door,
11:29gasping for breath,
11:30as I desperately tried to calm the turmoil surging inside me.
11:34I was pregnant two years ago,
11:36but Winston Group was restructuring,
11:38and Vincent was under enormous stress.
11:42He said it wasn't the time for a child
11:44and begged me to get an abortion.
11:47Because I loved him,
11:48I went through with it.
11:50And now Natalie was carrying his child.
11:52A dark, malicious thought curled in my mind.
11:55If Vincent finds out about this baby,
11:57he might not be as thrilled as she thinks.
12:00Just then, Natalie's phone buzzed on the vanity.
12:02It was Vincent.
12:04Chloe?
12:07Can you answer that for me?
12:08I'm tied up right now.
12:10I hesitated.
12:12But a sudden, vicious urge took root in my chest.
12:15If Vincent heard my voice on her phone,
12:18what would he do?
12:18Driven by a morbid curiosity,
12:21I swiped to answer.
12:23Hello?
12:23Unfortunately, I held back tears all afternoon,
12:26my voice hoarse,
12:27and Vincent didn't notice at all.
12:29Who is this?
12:31I sneered silently.
12:34Since my cover wasn't blown,
12:35I decided to play the part.
12:37I'm a stylist at the boutique.
12:39Mrs. Winston is in the fitting room right now.
12:42Is there a message you'd like me to pass along?
12:44Vincent suspected absolutely nothing.
12:46It's fine.
12:47I just called to tell her I ordered some coffee and pastries for her.
12:51Please remind her to eat something.
12:52I don't want her feeling unwell.
12:54His tone, so gentle and considerate,
12:56it was heartbreaking.
12:58Is Mrs. Winston feeling under the weather?
13:00I asked, pretending to care.
13:02Is there anything specific we should be careful of while assisting her?
13:05Vincent was silent for a beat.
13:08She's pregnant.
13:09She thinks I don't know yet,
13:11and I don't want to ruin her surprise.
13:13So please don't tell her I know.
13:15Just be extra careful with her.
13:19I ended the call,
13:20slowly sank to the floor,
13:22and buried my face in my hands.
13:24How stupidly pathetic.
13:26I thought he didn't want children,
13:28but the truth is he just didn't want mine.
13:30Chloe, you were blind,
13:32wasting ten years of your youth on a man like that.
13:35When Natalie finally stepped out of the fitting room,
13:37she was breathtaking.
13:39The dress I had painstakingly designed to fit my own body
13:42draped over her perfectly.
13:44Just like the man I had chosen for myself.
13:47Apparently, our tastes were identical.
13:50The boutique staff swarmed her,
13:53showering her with praise.
13:55Natalie soaked up the attention,
13:57practically glowing.
13:59She picked up the skirt,
14:00twirled,
14:01snapped a photo,
14:02and sent it to Vincent.
14:04Honey, look.
14:05Isn't it gorgeous?
14:07Didn't I tell you I have great taste?
14:10Vincent texted back almost instantly.
14:15Wear it for me when you get home.
14:22Oh, my God, Mrs. Winston.
14:24You two are so in love.
14:25It's criminal.
14:28Natalie blushed,
14:29clearly not expecting him
14:30to be so intimately flirtatious in public,
14:33and quietly tucked her phone away.
14:41My heart tasted like bile.
14:43I had spent three months
14:44sketching and refining that dress.
14:46Vincent had the opportunity
14:48to look at it every single day,
14:49but he never paid attention.
14:51He never cared to remember
14:52what it looked like.
14:53But the moment Natalie sent him a picture,
14:56he gave her his full, undivided attention.
14:58Was this the difference
14:59between being loved and being tolerated?
15:01I stood in the corner,
15:03watching the blush on Natalie's cheeks.
15:05She was wrapped in the kind
15:06of intoxicating happiness
15:08that I used to know so well.
15:10I grew up poor.
15:11I never had the money
15:12to take art classes
15:13or build a foundation in drawing.
15:16When I decided I wanted
15:17to pivot to fashion design,
15:19everyone doubted me.
15:20Everyone except Vincent.
15:22He was my rock.
15:22He believed in my dream
15:24more fiercely than I did.
15:25Once, passing a wedding dress shop,
15:27I was captivated by a vintage gown
15:29in the window,
15:30but it was a display piece,
15:32not for sale.
15:32I left disappointed
15:34and never mentioned it again.
15:35The next day,
15:36that exact dress
15:37was sitting in my bedroom.
15:40Chloe.
15:43Whatever you love,
15:44I will give you.
15:45Whatever you want to do,
15:46I will support.
15:47Spread your wings.
15:49I've got you.
15:50I asked him once
15:51why he was so good to me.
15:52He smiled,
15:53looking like the sun itself.
15:55Because we're soulmates,
15:57like a lock and a key.
16:00I was put on this earth
16:02to treat you right,
16:03and I plan on doing it
16:04for the rest of my life.
16:05I know,
16:06without a shadow of a doubt,
16:08that he truly loved me back then.
16:10But time ruins everything,
16:12doesn't it?
16:12Natalie admired herself
16:14in the mirror
16:14as a stylist
16:15knelt beside her,
16:16tidying the skirt.
16:17Mrs. Winston,
16:18this dress looks flawless on you.
16:20If you paired it
16:21with a statement necklace,
16:22maybe something
16:23with a pop of color,
16:24it would be absolutely legendary.
16:26Natalie touched
16:26her bare collarbone,
16:28her eyes lighting up.
16:31I knew something was missing!
16:34It's perfect timing.
16:35I just picked up a necklace
16:36from an auction house today.
16:37Let me try it on.
16:38She practically skipped over
16:39to her designer handbag
16:41on the sofa
16:41and pulled out
16:42a velvet jewelry.
16:44She trotted over to me,
16:45beaming with excitement.
16:47Look, Chloe!
16:50My husband won this for me
16:52at an auction recently.
16:55She popped the box open.
16:57A blinding flash of crimson
16:59caught the light.
17:00The moment my eyes
17:02focused on the necklace,
17:03the air was punched
17:04out of my lungs.
17:06I stared at the jewels.
17:08Then I looked at Natalie.
17:10Then back at the necklace.
17:12It took me a long,
17:14agonizing minute
17:15to accept that
17:16I wasn't losing my mind.
17:17That necklace was mine.
17:19More specifically,
17:20it was my late mother's.
17:23It was an heirloom
17:24passed down from my grandmother.
17:26An antique piece
17:28you couldn't find
17:28anywhere on the market.
17:31Years ago,
17:32the group was on the verge
17:33of bankruptcy.
17:34Vincent was deep in debt
17:36and utterly desperate.
17:37I couldn't bear
17:38to watch himself destruct.
17:40So I sold my mother's necklace.
17:42The money covered
17:42the critical gap
17:43in his company's finances,
17:45pulling the Winston group
17:46back from the grave.
17:47Even when my family
17:48was so poor
17:49we couldn't afford groceries,
17:50I never once considered
17:52selling that necklace.
17:53Vincent knew exactly
17:54what it meant to me.
17:55He knew the weight
17:56of my sacrifice.
17:58He had sworn to me,
17:59tears in his eyes,
18:00that he would track it down
18:01and buy it back for me
18:02no matter what it cost.
18:04But that necklace
18:04was bought by a private collector
18:06and vanished without a trace.
18:08This loss has been tormenting me,
18:10as if I betrayed my mother
18:11by failing to protect
18:12her last keepsake.
18:13Whenever the topic came up,
18:15Vincent was overwhelmed
18:16with guilt.
18:16He assured me
18:17he was using
18:18all his connections
18:18to find it.
18:19When did he finally
18:20track it down?
18:21And what exactly
18:22was going through his mind
18:24when he stood at that auction,
18:25spent a fortune
18:26to win it back,
18:28and then handed it
18:29to his mistress?
18:30My jaw locked so tight
18:31my teeth ached.
18:32My fingernails dug into my palms
18:34until the skin broke.
18:36Vincent!
18:37What the hell
18:37did he think I was?
18:39How dare he use
18:40my late mother's legacy
18:41to court another woman?
18:42What a monster he's become.
18:44Rage,
18:45hot and blinding,
18:46exploded in my chest.
18:47I couldn't breathe.
18:48I couldn't stay quiet anymore.
18:50I needed to rip him apart.
18:51Before I could say a word,
18:53the heavy doors
18:54of the VIP suite
18:55swung open.
18:59A tall, familiar silhouette
19:01walked in.
19:02Natalie, are you finished?
19:03I came to take you home.
19:04The sound of his voice
19:06sent a violent tremor
19:07through my body.
19:08Slowly, stiffly,
19:10I turned my head.
19:11Natalie's face lit up.
19:13She lifted the heavy skirt
19:15of the gown
19:15and practically threw herself
19:17into his arms.
19:18Honey, you made it!
19:21Vincent's eyes landed on me.
19:23The color instantly
19:24drained from his face.
19:26Chloe?
19:27He choked out.
19:28What are you doing here?
19:30I arched a brow,
19:32letting a razor-sharp smile
19:33touch my lips.
19:35What, am I ruining the mood?
19:37Vincent glanced at Natalie,
19:39who was clinging to his arm,
19:40and instinctively
19:41took a half-step away from her.
19:43His eyes darted back to me,
19:45wild with panic.
19:46What did you two talk about?
19:49A cold laugh escaped me.
19:51Even now,
19:52the man was trying
19:53to do damage control.
19:54I looked at Natalie.
19:55Her eyes were wide,
19:57darting between us
19:58in total confusion.
19:59She looked like a lost deer.
20:01Suddenly,
20:02the fire in my chest
20:03died down,
20:04leaving nothing but cold,
20:06exhausting pity.
20:07I didn't want to humiliate her
20:09in public.
20:10At the end of the day,
20:11she was just another idiot
20:12he had played.
20:13I took a deep breath,
20:14forcing my voice
20:15to remain dead calm.
20:16I looked dead
20:17into Vincent's eyes.
20:18Give me the necklace back.
20:20We will talk about
20:21everything else later.
20:22Without a second of hesitation,
20:24Vincent turned to Natalie
20:25and held out his hand.
20:27Give me the necklace.
20:28Natalie stared at him,
20:29bewildered.
20:30What?
20:31His voice dropped
20:32into a harsh,
20:33commanding bark.
20:34Give it to me.
20:35Now.
20:35Natalie was taken aback
20:37for a moment.
20:38She looked at Vincent's
20:39terrifying,
20:40grim expression,
20:41then lowered her head,
20:43took out the necklace
20:45she was holding,
20:46and handed it to him.
20:47The heavy rubies
20:48settled into my palm.
20:50I felt a fraction of my soul
20:52return to my body.
20:54Vincent lunged forward
20:55and grabbed my wrist.
20:56Chloe,
20:57where are you going?
20:58I violently ripped my arm
21:00out of his grasp.
21:02Deal with your mess first.
21:03We'll talk when you get home.
21:06I marched out of the boutique
21:07without looking back.
21:13The moment I got back
21:14to the apartment,
21:15I started packing.
21:17Clothes.
21:17My passport.
21:19My mother's photo albums.
21:21My sketch pads.
21:22The vase I bought
21:24at a flea market.
21:25The bedsheets monogrammed
21:27with our initials.
21:28The scarf Vincent
21:30had painstakingly
21:31hand-knitted for me
21:32our first Christmas together.
21:33There was so much.
21:35So much
21:36it overwhelmed me.
21:37My hands shook
21:38as I shoved things
21:39into suitcases.
21:41But the piles
21:42never seemed to end.
21:45A strangled scream
21:47ripped from my throat.
21:48I grabbed the knitted scarf
21:50and tore at it violently
21:51until the yarn snapped,
21:53slicing into my bleeding palms.
21:55I collapsed onto the floor,
21:57buried my face
21:58in my knees,
21:59and finally let the ugly
22:01broken sobs tear through me.
22:03There was too much history
22:05in this house.
22:07From the velvet curtains
22:08to the ceramic plates
22:09in the kitchen,
22:10every single object
22:12was something
22:13we had picked out together,
22:14buzzing with excitement
22:16for our future.
22:17When we bought this place,
22:18I told him I wanted
22:19to design the interior myself.
22:21He sat beside me for weeks,
22:23sketching floor plans,
22:25driving me to every
22:25furniture showroom
22:26in the city.
22:27Renovating is supposed
22:28to be stressful,
22:29but we had loved
22:30every second of it.
22:31Those days were filled
22:32with endless conversations
22:33about the life
22:34we were building.
22:35The only thing
22:36we never talked about
22:37was breaking up.
22:38I had been so goddamn certain
22:40we would make it to the end.
22:41Now, it was all just
22:42a punchline to a sick joke.
22:44Through blurred,
22:45tear-filled eyes,
22:46I looked around
22:47the beautiful apartment.
22:48From this day forward,
22:50none of this belonged
22:51to me anymore.
22:54Vincent burst in
22:54to find my suitcases
22:55by the door.
22:57I mocked his panicked face.
23:02Wow.
23:02Never thought I'd see
23:03the day you'd be
23:04in a rush to get home.
23:05Vincent ignored the sarcasm.
23:07Chloe, the necklace.
23:08I just won it
23:09at the auction recently.
23:10I wanted to surprise you,
23:11which is why I didn't tell you.
23:12But Natalie saw it
23:12and she wouldn't let it go.
23:13I only meant to let her
23:14borrow it for a few days
23:15before giving it back to you.
23:16I swear on my life,
23:17I never intended
23:17to give Mom's necklace to her.
23:19You have to believe me.
23:20He knew the necklace
23:21was my weakness,
23:22but too late.
23:23His words were static.
23:25Mom!
23:26From him turned my stomach.
23:29I turned from my coat.
23:31He saw the luggage,
23:32closed in,
23:33and grabbed my shoulders.
23:35Chloe, what are you doing?
23:36Where are you going?
23:37I stared into his
23:39indecipherable,
23:40stormy eyes.
23:41Anywhere but here.
23:45I'm just making room
23:46for you and your wife.
23:48Where else are you two
23:49going to live after the wedding?
23:50Vincent hugged me,
23:51voice cracking.
23:53She is not my wife.
23:55You are the only woman
23:56I have ever loved.
23:58I let out a harsh,
24:00barking laugh
24:01and shoved him off me.
24:02She's not your wife?
24:04I am.
24:06So you help her try dresses
24:07while I beg for five minutes?
24:08I grabbed my portfolio
24:10from the table
24:11and shoved it
24:12into his chest.
24:14Look.
24:15Does her dress
24:16look familiar?
24:17Vincent glanced
24:18at the sketches,
24:19shocked.
24:20He finally realized
24:21the dress Natalie stole
24:23was mine
24:24and he'd helped her.
24:25A heavy, suffocating silence
24:27fell over the room.
24:29Vincent swallowed hard,
24:30his voice dropping
24:31to a miserable whisper.
24:33Sorry, Chloe.
24:34I never meant to hurt you.
24:35She just reminds me
24:37of the younger you.
24:38I couldn't help
24:39spoiling her.
24:41Please give me
24:42another chance.
24:43Hearing this tragic,
24:44romantic confession,
24:45I actually burst out laughing.
24:47I laughed until
24:48I doubled over.
24:49I laughed until
24:50my ribs ached
24:51and my lungs burned.
24:52I looked at the man
24:53I had worshipped
24:54for a decade.
24:55Are you out of your mind?
24:57I choked out,
24:58wiping a tear
24:58from my eye.
24:59You love her
25:00because she looks like me?
25:02I am standing
25:03right in front of you
25:04breathing alive
25:05and you go out
25:06and find a cheaper knockoff?
25:08Does that make you feel
25:09like some kind of
25:10tragic, devoted romantic?
25:12Vincent flinched.
25:13Guilt turned to irritation.
25:15He hated being mocked.
25:17Chloe, stop talking
25:18to me like that.
25:19I apologized.
25:21I'll break up with her.
25:23But Brumique with her,
25:25you need to know
25:26when to drop it.
25:27I wrenched myself
25:28out of his grip.
25:29Break up with her?
25:30That's not how it works,
25:32Vincent.
25:32When you leave her,
25:33it's called a divorce.
25:34I watched the color
25:35drain from his face
25:36once again.
25:37Valentine's Day.
25:38What a romantic day
25:39to tie the knot
25:40at City Hall, huh?
25:41Did you have a nice time
25:43while you stood me up
25:44on my birthday?
25:45You're a real piece of work,
25:46Vincent.
25:47His face darkened
25:49into something ugly
25:49and unreadable.
25:51We aren't legally married.
25:52I lied to her.
25:54I told you
25:55I would never marry
25:56anyone but you.
25:57You have to believe me.
25:59I stared at him.
26:01Stunned.
26:01His confession only showed
26:03how hollow he was.
26:04He played us both.
26:06Lies to pacify me.
26:07A fake marriage
26:09to control her.
26:10He destroyed us,
26:11yet demanded a medal
26:12for his loyalty.
26:13I was done.
26:14I couldn't stay
26:15another second.
26:15I grabbed my suitcase
26:17and headed for the door.
26:18Vincent slammed his hand
26:20against the door.
26:20You are not leaving.
26:22You can yell,
26:23break things,
26:24hit me,
26:25but you are not
26:26leaving this door.
26:27Didn't shout or cry,
26:28I just looked at him calmly.
26:30Vincent,
26:30are you trying to
26:31illegally detain me?
26:32Of course not, but-
26:33Step aside,
26:34or your CEO makes
26:35front page for
26:35false imprisonment.
26:36That hit home.
26:37Scandal would crash
26:38the stock mom's necklace saved.
26:40I'll give you time
26:40to cool off,
26:41but I am not letting you go.
26:42His arm dropped slowly.
26:45I walked out
26:45without looking back.
26:47I returned to my old apartment
26:48in the East End.
26:50After my mother passed away,
26:51this place became
26:52a living nightmare.
26:54My father was a violent drunk.
26:55My mother took his fists.
26:57On her deathbed,
26:58she gave me her necklace
26:59and begged me to find a good man,
27:01not to repeat her mistake.
27:02After she died,
27:03I became my father's punching bag.
27:05For years,
27:06every inch of my skin was bruised.
27:08Then I met Vincent.
27:09He dragged me out of that hellhole
27:11without hesitation.
27:12For my sake,
27:13he fell out with his family
27:14and was exiled
27:15from Winston Group's inner circle
27:17for years.
27:17Later,
27:18as the company collapsed,
27:19I gave him the necklace,
27:21the leverage,
27:21to claw his way to CEO.
27:23On his appointment day,
27:24I took him to my mother's grave,
27:26laid flowers,
27:27and told her
27:28I'd found the right man.
27:29Vincent held my hand
27:30and swore on her tombstone
27:32to protect me forever.
27:33He broke his promise.
27:34Two years ago,
27:35my father died of liver cancer.
27:37Vincent wanted to gut
27:38and remodel the apartment,
27:39but I stopped him.
27:40I thought I'd never return.
27:42I really should have let him do it.
27:43At least I wouldn't be choking
27:44on dust right now.
27:46Scrubbing windows,
27:47my phone rang.
27:48It was Mia,
27:49my best friend
27:49and business partner.
27:51I answered,
27:52coughing violently
27:52from the dust.
27:54Chloe, babe,
27:54are you packed?
27:55We fly out to New York
27:56for the exhibition next week.
27:58Are you okay?
27:59You sound awful.
27:59Are you sick?
28:00I pushed open the balcony door
28:01and took a deep breath
28:02of fresh air.
28:04No, I'm fine.
28:04I'm just cleaning up
28:05my old apartment.
28:06It's a dust parlet.
28:07What the hell are you doing
28:08at the old apartment?
28:09I paused,
28:10then calmly told her everything.
28:12She went silent,
28:14stunned,
28:15short-circuited.
28:16When she finally spoke,
28:17her voice was low.
28:19Chloe, tell me this
28:20is a sick joke.
28:20That guy who looks at you
28:22like you're everything,
28:23how could he cheat?
28:24I couldn't blame her.
28:26I'd never told anyone
28:27how distant he'd become.
28:28To everyone,
28:29he was still
28:30the perfect fiancé.
28:31Until yesterday,
28:33even I wouldn't have
28:33believed it.
28:34I shook off the memories
28:35and steered back to work.
28:37A year ago,
28:38Mia and I started
28:39a bridal studio.
28:40My design was picked
28:41for NYFW.
28:43We fly next week.
28:44I never told Vincent.
28:46Doesn't matter now.
28:47After finalizing
28:48plans and thanking
28:49Mia for cursing him out,
28:50I hung up
28:51and collapsed
28:52on the moldy sofa,
28:53drained.
28:54I'd accepted reality,
28:55but reliving the betrayal
28:56to someone who rooted for us
28:58felt like a blade
28:59on an open wound.
29:00I needed work
29:01to keep my hands
29:03and brain too busy
29:04for Vincent Winston.
29:06Vincent bombarded me
29:07for days.
29:08I ignored him,
29:09still a wreck,
29:10and had nothing to say.
29:12Then came a text
29:13from someone unexpected.
29:15At the cafe,
29:16Natalie sat with a weak smile.
29:18No boutique arrogance.
29:20Hi, Chloe.
29:21I sat across.
29:23She looked exhausted.
29:24You don't look so good.
29:26Tears instantly
29:27welled in her eyes.
29:28It's been a nightmare.
29:29I just...
29:31I never thought...
29:32She choked on her tears.
29:34I slid a napkin
29:35across the table.
29:36Chloe, sorry for intruding
29:37on your relationship.
29:39Don't blame yourself.
29:40You're not at fault.
29:41Vincent is the liar.
29:43Don't tear yourself apart
29:44for his sins.
29:46I'm just a cheap copy of you.
29:48That's why he wanted me.
29:49Should thank you.
29:50Without your face,
29:51I'd never have this life.
29:52Stop.
29:53Replacement is a cheater's lie.
29:55If he loved either of us,
29:56he wouldn't do this.
29:57Don't cheapen yourself for him.
30:00Now I see why he loved you so much.
30:03You really are a good person.
30:05So, what are you going to do now?
30:09Chloe, I know this sounds
30:11horrible,
30:12but I can't let him go.
30:13You don't want him anymore, right?
30:15So, can you let me have him?
30:17Even if I'm just your stand-it,
30:19I don't care.
30:20I accept it.
30:21I stared at her, speechless.
30:23Why?
30:24You're so young.
30:24You have your whole life
30:25ahead of you,
30:26because I know I will never
30:26find a man like him again.
30:28But I know,
30:28stay with him
30:29and it'll eat you alive.
30:30He betrayed me today,
30:32you tomorrow.
30:33Then what?
30:34I know,
30:35but I love him.
30:36And more than that,
30:37I love the life he gives me.
30:39Chloe, the things I've gotten
30:40in the last few months
30:41are things I could work
30:42my entire life for
30:43and never touch.
30:44I can't give it up.
30:45I'm sorry.
30:46I'm just a shallow,
30:47materialistic woman.
30:49I had no response.
30:50Or what?
30:51Did you not actually
30:52break up with him?
30:53Are you just playing
30:54hard to get to make him beg?
30:55I'm not playing games.
30:56I am never getting back
30:57together with him.
30:58But Vince Mint
30:59isn't a handbag
31:00for me to hand over to you.
31:02If you want him,
31:03go fight for him yourself.
31:04Leave me out of it.
31:06Promise me.
31:08Promise me
31:09you'll never see him again.
31:11You're asking for too much, Natalie.
31:13I don't owe you any promises.
31:15I was kind
31:16because you were manipulated,
31:17but I won't tolerate
31:18your insecurities.
31:19You've crossed a line.
31:20She opened her mouth,
31:21but no words came out.
31:23It's your life.
31:23Just make sure
31:24you don't regret it.
31:25I turned to leave,
31:26tossing one last sentence
31:28over my shoulder.
31:30The day of the New York
31:31flight arrived.
31:33I was standing
31:33at the terminal with Mia,
31:35checking our boarding passes.
31:36When I heard someone
31:37shout my name,
31:38Vincent was pushing
31:39through the busy
31:39airport crowd,
31:40rushing toward me.
31:42For a second,
31:42I saw Vincent backlit
31:44in that dark alley,
31:45running to save me
31:46from my father.
31:47He was still handsome,
31:48but my heart didn't flutter.
31:49Nothing left.
31:50Vincent pulled me
31:51into a crushing hug.
31:52Chloe,
31:53I finally found you.
31:54I was wrong.
31:56I was so wrong.
31:57Please forgive me.
31:58I swear I'll never do it again.
31:59Please don't leave me.
32:01Please.
32:01I smiled,
32:02gently pushed him away.
32:04I owed him
32:05no explanation.
32:06Vincent,
32:07let's end it here
32:08while we still have
32:08some good memories.
32:11I don't want to remember
32:12just the screaming
32:13and hatred.
32:15It's better for both of us.
32:17I made one mistake.
32:20Just one.
32:21Why are you giving me
32:22the death penalty?
32:24Chloe,
32:24you're not being fair to me.
32:26My smile didn't waver.
32:27Vincent,
32:28you weren't fair to me
32:29or Natalie either.
32:31No.
32:32No,
32:32you love me.
32:33You can't just throw us away.
32:34You're just angry.
32:35You haven't forgiven me yet.
32:37That's all.
32:37I looked at his pathetic,
32:39broken expression and sighed.
32:40A few days ago,
32:41I thought I'd never get over you.
32:43But when you hugged me,
32:44just now,
32:45nothing.
32:46My heart didn't beat for you,
32:48Vincent.
32:49I've let it go.
32:50You should too.
32:51With that,
32:51I gave him a small wave,
32:53turned around,
32:53and his hands finally fell
32:55to his sides.
32:56It was truly,
32:58finally over.
32:59Sorry.
33:00He looks so pathetic.
33:02Ten years together,
33:03maybe you wanted an excuse
33:04to take him back.
33:04So I lied you were leaving forever
33:06to make him panic
33:07and make a last grand gesture.
33:08I just wanted to give you a choice.
33:09But if you were done,
33:10I wanted him gone too.
33:12I didn't want you to have regrets.
33:13Don't ever do it again.
33:15NYFW was a huge success.
33:18Our studio blew up overnight
33:19with global orders.
33:20As my career soared,
33:22the past faded.
33:23Three years flew by.
33:24No contact with Vincent,
33:26but Mia kept me posted over drinks.
33:28Natalie married Vincent
33:29because she was pregnant,
33:31but the old lady Winston
33:32refused to accept their daughter.
33:34She kept trying for a son,
33:36but it never happened.
33:37Once the thrill was gone,
33:39Vincent stopped spoiling her.
33:40So she had to bite her tongue
33:42and walk on eggshells
33:43just to keep living that fancy life.
33:46History repeated itself.
33:47Vincent got a new mistress.
33:49Natalie lost it,
33:50cornered her in a mall,
33:51and they got into a screaming,
33:53fist-fighting brawl.
33:54The video went viral.
33:55The scandal tanked Winston Group's stock.
33:58Furious,
33:58Vincent filed for divorce.
34:00Thank God you didn't take him back.
34:01That man is toxic waste.
34:03I just smiled,
34:04taking a sip of my drink,
34:06and kept my thoughts to myself.
34:08Do we have the displays ready
34:09for tomorrow's bridal expo?
34:10Because if we don't,
34:11I don't want to hear another word
34:12about this soap opera.
34:13Oh my God,
34:14the acrylic signs!
34:15I forgot to pick them up!
34:15I'll be right back!
34:16I watched her run out the door,
34:18laughing softly.
34:20I looked down at the beautiful,
34:22intricate gown
34:23taking shape on my sketch pad.
34:25In this life,
34:26the only person you should never betray
34:27is yourself.
34:28That's how you live without regrets.
34:30I learned that lesson
34:31just in time to walk away.
34:33Natalie didn't,
34:34but I suppose after everything,
34:36she probably understands it now.
34:38I'll be right back.
34:38to be fair and�al.
34:39Gathering hoop
34:39This is a신anız
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