- 9 hours ago
Divorcing the Obsessive Billionaire - Full Movie 2026
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Before I met Silas, my life was anything but easy. My mother Mary had a weakness for a handsome face.
00:06She fell hard and fast, sleeping with my father without bothering to dig into his background. Then she got pregnant.
00:11It was only after I was born that she realized the man she loved belonged to New York's old money
00:18elite, the kind of wealth where a casual wave of his hand could have set her up for life.
00:22The catch? My father, Richard, was nothing more than a glorified gold detcher. He had married into the Sterling family
00:28to climb the social ladder. My mother was just his dirty little secret.
00:36When his wife, Eleanor, found out, all hell broke loose. Richard always acted like a king around my mother, but
00:45in front of Eleanor, he cowered like a beaten dog.
00:48Richard, please look at her. She's your daughter.
00:51Get out!
00:54My mother struggled to raise me alone. We scraped by. She worked a food cart in the cold rain, sold
00:59cheap trinkets on the street, and ran blindly from municipal police until her lungs burned and one of her shoes
01:05came off.
01:08Eventually, she reached her breaking point. She swore she was going to get me a better life.
01:12I have no idea how she managed it, but she secured a certified DNA test proving Richard was my father.
01:17She showed up at the gates of the Sterling estate, screaming until her voice gave out, demanding he take me
01:22in. Terrified of a public scandal, the alito-wit pricks finally caved. That was the day I was torn away
01:28from her.
01:29Serena, Serena, you'll never go to bed hungry again.
01:32But she was so incredibly naive. Richard looked at me like a stain on his tailored suit. And Eleanor loathed
01:40my very breathing. The household staff followed their lead, treating me like I was invisible, like I was trash.
01:48And my half-sisters? They made it their daily mission to make my life a living hell. My mother never
01:54knew any of this, though. That moment at the estate gates was the last time I ever saw her.
01:59She had terminal cancer and couldn't afford the medical bills. Once she knew I was inside, she walked straight into
02:05the freezing river and let the current take her.
02:07I grew up in the Sterling house as their so-called adopted daughter, walking on eggshells every single day.
02:13When I was 15, I stumbled upon a boy in the estate's garden. He had sliced his arm open on
02:18some rose thorns, blood dripping down his skin.
02:20Yet, he seemed completely numb to the pain, staring blankly ahead with his noise-canceling headphones blocking out the world.
02:27I swallowed my hesitation, ran back inside, and grabbed some antiseptic spray and bowed-ups.
02:34I carefully cleaned the wound and patched him up. Only later did I find out his name was Silas Vance.
02:40His grandfather, Arthur, had brought him over for a business dinner. For whatever twisted reason, Arthur decided I was the
02:46one.
02:47He wanted me to marry his grandson-son. The Vances were old money. New York elite.
02:52So naturally, Richard agreed before Arthur could even finish his sentence.
02:56When my stepsisters caught wind of it, they backed me into a corner, their malicious laughter echoing in the hall.
03:01You think you hit the jackpot, you little bitch? If this was a real prize, do you honestly think he'd
03:05hand it to you?
03:08That Silas guy is a total freak. He's got autism and some manic shit. He belongs in an asylum, not
03:14a marriage.
03:15But because of that engagement to Silas, Eleanor finally stopped looking at me like I was garbage.
03:21The air in the Sterling house shifted. I could finally breathe without checking over my shoulder.
03:26They stopped the relentless bullying. During those quiet moments, my mind always drifted back to that skinny boy in the
03:32garden, lost in his music.
03:34He had no idea that simply existing had pulled me out of my personal hell.
03:38A deep, anchoring sense of gratitude took root in my chest.
03:41I started researching his conditions, reading every psychology book I could find, preparing myself for how to survive in his
03:48world.
03:48Then, at 20, bound by a contract in the chains of our families, I put on a white dress and
03:53married Silas Vance.
03:54On our wedding night, the second the bedroom door shut, he completely lost it.
03:59Get away from me. Don't you dare stay in my room.
04:02Get out! I said get the fuck out!
04:03My shoulders slumped, a hot, suffocating wave of humiliation burning my cheeks as I stared at the floor.
04:09I kept track of his prescription bottles, dragged him to his psychiatric appointments.
04:13From then on, I took over Silas' care, exhausting myself running between my college classes and the Vance estate,
04:21managed his strict diet, and even laid out his clothes.
04:25Thankfully, Simus wasn't completely made of stone.
04:29Slowly, he started reacting to my presence.
04:31The scream of get out, faded into silence.
04:34If I passed out on the couch from exhaustion, I'd wake up with a blanket awkwardly thrown over me.
04:39And once, when Cramps had me curled in a fetal position,
04:43he silently set a heating pad and a mug of steaming chamomile tea on the nightstand.
04:48But he never touched me, never shared my bed.
04:51Silas was the sole heir to the Vance Empire,
04:53and Arthur was ruthlessly obsessed with securing a great-grandson.
04:57He pressured me constantly, his threats hanging in the air.
05:00You married into the Vance family to carry on our bloodline.
05:03It's your duty, plain and simple.
05:05But what was I supposed to do?
05:06Silas didn't want me, and I wasn't going to force him.
05:10Finally, in our fifth year, Arthur lost the last of his patients.
05:13Without any warning, he had his security guards shove Silas into my bedroom,
05:18lock the heavy oak door from the outside,
05:20trapping us inside so we'd be forced to consummate the marriage.
05:24When I tried to reach him, a heavy shard of glass from a smashed lamp splashed across my skin,
05:30and the impact of a thrown chair knocked me to the floor.
05:33By the time the first light of dawn crept in,
05:35the physical and emotional emotion and exhaust completely crushed me,
05:39and I blacked out on the floor.
05:41The next day at noon, the sound of something else shattering jolted me awake.
05:45Silas was still tearing the room apart.
05:47He smashed my phone against the wall, ripped the TV down,
05:49and kicked the remaining chairs aside.
05:51Seeing me awake, he stalked over, clutching an unbroken mirror.
05:55He shoved it in my face.
05:57The mirror showed me exactly what a wreck I was.
05:59Bruised all over, clothes torn,
06:01my skin cut by shards that had flown during his meltdown.
06:04He pointed at my reflection, his eyes hollow and filled with pure disgust.
06:09You're filthy.
06:10God, it's disgusting!
06:12I hate you!
06:14Just get out of my sight.
06:16My body felt like it had been run over by a truck that day.
06:19My knees buckling with every step.
06:22But the moment his episode peaked,
06:24Silas vanished.
06:26I had no choice but to go looking for him.
06:28By the time I finally dragged myself back to the estate gates,
06:31gasping for breath, it was already one in the morning.
06:34Silas finally returned.
06:35But there was a girl standing next to him.
06:37She had a sweet, bright smile with deep dimbles.
06:40I've never met anyone who thinks the way I do.
06:42Meeting you was the best part of tonight.
06:44That was when I realized Silamis had gone to Lincoln Center alone.
06:47His phone had died, and since he couldn't navigate his way back, she had escorted him home.
06:53Silamis was a musical prodigy.
06:55He had studied under masters and opened his own studio, composing award-winning pieces.
07:00I just stood there in the shadows of the porch, listening.
07:03They talked for 30 minutes, and he never even noticed I was there.
07:06It wasn't until Thomas, the old butler, couldn't bear to watch anymore, that he finally spoke up.
07:12Mr. Van, it's getting very late.
07:14You should turn in.
07:15Mrs. Van has been waiting for you.
07:17The girl turned toward the voice, freezing for a second, before looking back at Silamis.
07:22Is this your wife?
07:23A flash of extreme discomfort crossed Silamis' face.
07:25He stayed silent for a moment before giving a stiff nod.
07:28I don't like her.
07:29I hate her.
07:30The girl's name was Chloe.
07:32Chloe gently tugged at his sleeve, her eyes curving into a smile.
07:36Well, it is late.
07:37We'll see each other next time.
07:38From that day on, whatever fragile piece Silas and I had built completely shattered.
07:42He refused to speak a single word to me.
07:44For his birthday, I gifted him a pair of high-end noise-canceling headphones.
07:48They were known for pristine audio quality and were constantly sold out.
07:53I had pre-ordered them six months in advance, but Silas just took them,
07:57dropped them on the hardwood floor, and crushed them under his heel right in front of me.
08:02I don't like you.
08:03I don't want your crap.
08:04It's garbage.
08:05I don't want it!
08:07He spent that birthday out with Chloe.
08:09Since their first meeting, they had stayed in constant contact.
08:13Recently, she had even started interning at his studio.
08:17When he came home that night, there was a silver ring on his finger, a birthday gift from her.
08:22Staring at the crushed plastic and wires of the headphones on the floor,
08:26a cold, heavy exhaustion settled deep into my bones.
08:30The next day, Arthur suddenly called, demanding I go into Simus's private study.
08:35He needed a specific file handed over to his secretary immediately.
08:39I hesitated.
08:40Silas strictly forbade me from crossing that threshold, but Arthur pushed, insisting it was urgent, and the secretary was already
08:49waiting at the door.
08:50Swallowing my anxiety, I went in, grabbed the file, and meticulously put everything back exactly as I found it.
08:57But Silas found out anyway.
08:59His phone was linked to the smart home security app.
09:01His jaw clenched so tight, the muscle fluttered, a dark storm brewing in his eyes.
09:06You are not allowed in there.
09:08You don't cross that line!
09:10Because I had merely stepped inside for two minutes to grab a folder,
09:14he hired a cleaning crew to scrub the study from top to bottom.
09:18I stared at him numbly, the question finally clawing its way out of my throat.
09:22Why am I not allowed in?
09:24Lately, you've been inviting Chloe to our house all the time.
09:27You two locked themselves inside that study for entire days just talking about music.
09:32Why is Chloe permitted to go in there, yet I'm not allowed to cross the threshold at all?
09:37Why her, but never me?
09:39Also, I'm not filthy.
09:41Why would you have a crew scrub the room just because I walked in?
09:44She is different from you.
09:46She understands music.
09:47She gets it.
09:49You don't.
09:50You walking in there ruins it.
09:52It wasn't the first time I had heard those exact words.
09:55Back when I first entered the Sterling household,
09:59my stepsisters used to scream the exact same thing at me.
10:03The fight drained out of me all at once.
10:05I was so damn tired of living like this.
10:08I wanted a divorce.
10:10Once the thought of divorce took root in my mind, it spread like a wild vine.
10:14A week later, I went to see Arthur Vance.
10:16I looked him in the eye and told him I was out.
10:18Arthur sat on the massive leather sofa in his grand estate,
10:21tapping his index finger rhythmically against the mahogany table.
10:24Why?
10:25I told him Simus had found someone he wanted.
10:27Arthur listened and fell into a long silence.
10:29Finally, he cleared his throat, his gaze locking sharply onto mine.
10:33Serena, do you know why I chose you as my grandson's wife out of everyone else?
10:37Because I gave him a band-aid in the garden?
10:40No.
10:41I had your background thoroughly investigated.
10:45I knew you were genuinely kind.
10:48And I knew being an illegitimate daughter had left you in an impossible position.
10:52You were despised in the sterling house just for breathing.
10:56You desperately needed a way out.
10:59With your engagement to Silas as a shield, those people wouldn't dare trample you so openly anymore.
11:05Serena, I will reconsider the divorce.
11:07Go back to the estate for now.
11:09Besides, Simus is the other party in this marriage.
11:11It can't happen without his consent.
11:12I nodded, stood up, and left the room.
11:15A cold spring rain was pouring outside, the wind welling.
11:20As I stepped out the front door of the estate, my feet suddenly rooted to the spot.
11:25Silas was standing by the half-open door.
11:27I had no idea how long he had been standing there, or how much he had heard.
11:31The moment his eyes met mine, his jaw clenched so hard his face went sheet white.
11:35You said you want a divorce?
11:40When I gave him a firm yes, Simus went dead silent.
11:43His brow furrowed, wheels turning in his head.
11:46After a long pause, come be pause.
11:49Then, after the divorce, will you still take care of me?
11:53Simus, divorce means we become strangers.
11:56I won't be your wife anymore, and I have zero obligation to take care of you.
12:02I see.
12:03The rain was coming down harder now, slanting sideways and soaking half his shoulder.
12:08Silas stared at me, dead serious, and shook his head.
12:11No divorce.
12:13If we divorce, no one will take care of me.
12:15Don't you want Chloe?
12:16Then have her take care of you, handle all your damn day-to-day needs.
12:20No, she's busy.
12:21She has to compose.
12:23She can't be trapped at home all day.
12:25You're free.
12:26You take care of me.
12:28Silas, if you just want a damn caretaker, use your money and hire a nurse.
12:32Before I came, didn't your old caregiver manage just fine?
12:36Before I came, didn't rails if you want to be.
12:38My throat tightened.
12:40Not wanting to trigger a full-blown meltdown, I turned and walked back toward the estate.
12:44He trailed right behind me, chanting, no divorce like a broken record.
12:49When I didn't respond, he dug his nails in harder, until drops of blood welled up.
12:54I truly didn't understand what Silas was being so stubborn about.
12:57When I finally asked, he stuttered for a while before dropping one word.
13:02Habit.
13:03Habits can be changed.
13:05When I first started taking care of you, you hated it too.
13:07It just takes time to adjust.
13:10You'll get used to someone else.
13:15No!
13:15We are not divorcing!
13:17You have to listen to me!
13:19You know, and I did it going, we'd like to avoid!
13:24And the second he saw Chloe at the front door, his eyes lit up.
13:28The divorce he was just fighting over was indently thrown out of his mind.
13:32They walked straight into his private study.
13:34Before shutting the door, soon, the sweeping notes of the grand piano seeped through the heavy wood.
13:39Mixed with Chloe's bright, echoing laughter, the room sounded sickeningly alive.
13:44When Chloe came out of the study, it was already 10 p.m.
13:47It was pouring outside.
13:49Silas glanced at the rain and stopped her.
13:52It's raining.
13:53You'll get sick.
13:54Stay here tonight.
13:57Dummy, I didn't bring pajamas.
13:59How can I stay?
14:00She has some.
14:03How can you answer for someone else?
14:06This is my house, not hers.
14:09The clothes were bought with my money.
14:11I make the damn rules.
14:16Well then, Mrs. Vance, I guess I'll be staying the night.
14:19I hope I'm not interrupting any marital duties.
14:23Simus was right.
14:24This wasn't my home.
14:26It was time to pack my bags.
14:28After two days of searching, I signed a lease on a modestly priced studio apartment.
14:34Silas walked in just as I was folding my clothes into a suitcase.
14:37Since I brought up the divorce, his hostility towards me had now backed slightly.
14:41Very rarely, he would even initiate a conversation.
14:45Packing?
14:46Are you throwing those out?
14:48No.
14:51You should.
14:52They're hideous.
14:53You have no eye for aesthetics.
14:55You don't know how to put things together.
14:58Then what looks good?
14:58Like what Chloe wears.
15:00That looks good.
15:01You need to learn from her.
15:03I have money.
15:04I can buy them for you.
15:08A year ago, Silas and I attempted a trip to the mall.
15:11He personally picked that exact dress off the rack and handed it to me.
15:15I still clearly remember his reaction when I stepped out of the fitting room.
15:22Beautiful.
15:24Beautiful.
15:27It was the exact same dress, yet now he found it hideous and tasteless.
15:32Was it the dress that changed or the man looking at it?
15:35I lowered my gaze and shoved the white dress into the suitcase anyway.
15:38No thanks.
15:39I like my own style.
15:40A dark flash of irritation instantly clouded Silas' eyes.
15:44He dropped a cold, suit yourself, and stormed out of the room.
15:47The door slammed shut with a bang that made my ears ring.
15:50I only slept in that small studio for one night before buying a ticket to Sedona, Arizona.
15:55When I was little, my mother always coaxed me, promising that life would get better.
15:59She said once she saved up enough money, she would take me on a trip.
16:02After she was gone, I told myself the same lie.
16:05Once I saved enough, I would travel the world.
16:08It turned out that having money didn't guarantee a ticket to freedom.
16:11Because you had chains.
16:12Because you had no time of your own.
16:14But right now, I was finally standing underneath the breathtaking red rock canyons of Sedona.
16:19The dry mountain wind swept across the waters of Oak Creek, scattering the shapes of the clouds in the sky.
16:25I put my earbuds in, rented a bike, and rode aimlessly along the red dirt trails.
16:31Past the desert wilderness covered in cacti's.
16:35The drappled light filtering through the pine forests.
16:38And the ancient, weathered rock formations.
16:41A massive crowd of people escaping high-pressure lives gathered here.
16:44We wandered through local artist markets, browsing handmade clay pottery and crystal healing booths.
16:50As night fell, we sat on the ground under a canopy of stars, trading our broken stories.
16:56There was a medical student pushed to the brink of a bake-down who dropped out to wander.
17:01She said here, her days were finally no longer chopped into tiny fragments by scalpels and exams.
17:07There was a man undergoing a long journey of healing from severe trauma.
17:11He said no one knows what tomorrow holds.
17:15But at least right now, his soul was regrowing.
17:19We met only briefly, brushing against the most hidden, tender corners of each other's hearts.
17:24And then, like the creeks in the canyons, flowed our separate ways, never to cross paths again.
17:31A few days later, I hiked up Airport Massa alone to watch the sunrise.
17:36When the first ray of sunlight pierced the horizon, it shattered like gold coins across the crimson canyons.
17:43In my entire life, I had never felt the crushing weight of freedom so profoundly.
17:48No damn alarm clocks.
17:49No endless lists of Medicaid seders or minds on my phone.
17:52If I wanted to, I could spend the entire day just staring blankly and at the red rocks in the
17:57distance.
17:58Sitting on the shuttle bus heading back to the airport, I dialed Arthur's number.
18:04Serena, come back quickly.
18:07Silas, he is in a very, very bad state.
18:12I ended up making a trip back to the Vance estate anyway.
18:16When he realized I was actually gone, Silas descended into absolute fury.
18:21He had no idea how to function on his own.
18:25For instance, faced with the rows of prescription bottles in his medicine cabinet, he had no clue how many pills
18:31of each anti-anxiety med to take daily.
18:33Before, I was always the one pouring him a glass of water and placing the exact dose into his palm.
18:39He had an important press event for a new piece that day, but he couldn't find the silk tie that
18:43matched his tailored suit to save his life.
18:46He called my phone frantically, only to hit a cold voicemail.
18:50Left with no choice, Arthur threw money at the problem and hired a high-end professional caretaker named Martha.
18:56But Martha had no idea how to navigate Silas's temper and was left completely paralyzed by his outbursts.
19:03When I walked through the doors, Simus had visibly lost a lot of weight, his jawline sharp as a blade.
19:09Seeing me, his face instantly darkened, and he coldly turned his head away.
19:13What the hell are you doing back here?
19:15Weren't you leaving?
19:17I hate you.
19:19Liar.
19:20While I was traveling, Arthur used his connections to track down the landlord of the apartment I rented.
19:26Silas stared at the suitcase in my hand and let out a low, cold scoff.
19:30The Stirlers kicked you out like trash.
19:33You don't even have a doghouse to sleep in.
19:35In the end, you still had to crawl right back, didn't you?
19:38I couldn't be bothered to defend myself.
19:40I just silently hauled my luggage toward my bedroom.
19:43But the exact second I turned my back, the corner of Silas's mouth unconsciously ticked up.
19:49His tightly coiled mood seemed considerably lighter, but he had absolutely no idea why I was really back.
19:55If I lost that apartment, I could find another one.
19:58I could hire a lawyer if I had to.
19:59I could even grab my passport, leave New York entirely, and start fresh somewhere no one knew me.
20:06Back in Arizona, Arthur and I had a long conversation over the phone.
20:09I explicitly told him I had already consulted at a divorce attorney.
20:13I could file for divorce directly with the court.
20:15Even if he unleashed his legal team to make me lose the first round, I didn't care.
20:19On the other end of the line, Arthur descended into dead silence.
20:23Just when I thought he was going to hang up on me, he finally spoke.
20:27I paid top dollar for a new caretaker, but she has zero idea how to handle Silas's temper.
20:33Stay and take care of him for one final month.
20:36Make sure every detail is properly handed over.
20:39As compensation, after one month, I won't have my lawyers block your divorce filing.
20:44Plus, I'll have a check cut for one million dollars for you.
20:47The deal was simply too good.
20:49With that money, I'd have enough to start a new life anywhere.
20:53I couldn't refuse.
20:56So, Silas had no idea this was the final month I would ever be in his life.
21:01Thomas told me that over the two weeks I was gone, Silas had barely touched a proper meal.
21:06But tonight, sitting at the dining table, he swallowed down two portions of pasta.
21:11Mm-hmm. Praise me.
21:15I pushed down my emotions and, just like every day for the past five years, softened my voice.
21:21You did great.
21:22Once he turned and went into the study, I immediately grabbed the new caretaker, Martha, and whispered,
21:28He craves positive reinforcement.
21:30Praise him often.
21:31If he messes something up, absolutely never point it out on the spot.
21:34Wait until he's calm and bring it up casually later.
21:37Since I came back, it was as if someone hit play on Silas's daily routine again.
21:41He hadn't shown a single sign of a manic episode.
21:44Until today.
21:45When Martha walked into his room carrying a glass of water for his meds,
21:48the piercing sound of shattering glass suddenly tore through the walls.
21:52By the time I rushed into the room, the floor was a complete disaster zone.
21:55Shattered glass and anti-anxiety pills were scattered everywhere.
21:59Silas stood there barefoot.
22:00A sharp shard of glass had sliced into the sole of his foot, blood steadily trickling down his skin.
22:06Why is she here?
22:08Why isn't it you?
22:10This is supposed to be your job.
22:12Why are you replacing yourself?
22:15I don't want anyone else.
22:17I don't want her.
22:19I only want you to give me my meds.
22:21Swallowing a sigh, I turned around, poured a fresh glass of warm water,
22:25tapped out the exact dosage, and handed it to him.
22:28Watching him obediently swallow the pills,
22:30and seeing his breathing finally level down.
22:33Why does it have to be me?
22:35When I saw it wasn't you walking in, I got a little scared.
22:39What were you scared of?
22:42I was scared you were handing me off to someone else.
22:45His grip on my wrist tightened.
22:47And then you would just leave, and you wouldn't want me anymore.
22:50Silas was still death-gripping my sleeve like a drowning man.
22:53From now on, it has to be you every day.
22:55No replacements.
22:56Promise me you won't leave.
22:57I truly didn't have an ounce of energy left to clean up the wreckage of his emotions.
23:01Okay. I promise. I won't leave.
23:03No replacements.
23:04That noon, I saw Chloe again.
23:07He's been looking for this piece forever.
23:09Please give it to him for me.
23:11Simus is right upstairs. Why don't you take it in yourself?
23:13No.
23:14He doesn't want to see me anymore.
23:17Serena.
23:18I fell in love with Silas.
23:19It was obvious, wasn't it?
23:20I nodded. I'd have to be blind not to see it.
23:23When I first saw him at Lincoln Center,
23:25everyone around him was in groups.
23:27He was the only one standing there entirely alone,
23:30completely out of sync with the rest of the world.
23:34I locked onto his face in the crowd instantly.
23:42When I found out his phone was dead,
23:44I immediately jumped at the chance and offered to take him home.
23:47I'm not stupid.
23:48Two sentences into our conversation,
23:50I realized his brain was wired differently than normal people.
23:53But I actually found that incredibly charming.
23:56He was so pure, completely unfiltered.
23:59After you moved out, Arthur Vance contacted me himself.
24:02He told me you had filed for divorce.
24:03When I heard that news, I was secretly thrilled.
24:06I told him that since he wanted a divorce,
24:08he should just let you go.
24:09I told him I was more than willing to take over
24:11the responsibility of caring for him.
24:12But do you know what the outcome was?
24:18Do you want to come inside for a cup of coffee?
24:24I baked him a strawberry shortcake from scratch.
24:27He stared at it for a long time,
24:28and then he actually turned to me
24:30and said that strawberries were your favorite.
24:33Strawberries were her favorite.
24:36But do you know what absolutely broke me?
24:39And then what?
24:41I asked him point the bound
24:43if he was ever going to divorce you.
24:44Absolutely not.
24:50I think I really lost my mind that night.
24:51I was just so desperate to prove
24:53that he had feelings for me too.
24:54So I barged right into his bedroom
24:56and stripped off my clothes right in front of him.
24:59I told him if he wanted to, he could try.
25:01Right before he kicked me out,
25:02he was so furious the vines in his neck were popping.
25:05I thought you were better than all those shallow women,
25:07but you're just his goddamn damn chief.
25:08I never want to lay eyes again.
25:11As I was being thrown out the front doors,
25:13I looked back.
25:14He was curled up on the sofa,
25:16buried in that pile of plushies you made,
25:18and he was very, very softly calling your name.
25:20When I first fell for a married man,
25:22I could still brainwash myself.
25:24I told myself Silas didn't love you at all,
25:26that you used a marriage contract
25:28to chain a socially enalved genius to your side.
25:31In love, the one who isn't loved is the real homewrecker.
25:34Lately, Silas had become unusually clingy.
25:37He would even rack his brain awkwardly
25:40trying to strike up conversations with me out of thin air.
25:43Where'd you go during the half month you disappeared?
25:44I opened my phone gallery,
25:46showing him the photos and videos from Sedona.
25:48I don't like spock.
25:49My leg is like traveling mobile.
25:51The heavy legs, right?
25:53It'll fill that legs here.
25:56It's just a studio scene.
25:57It's a thing where I laugh at it.
25:59The designs were incredibly aesthetic.
26:01If you had been there,
26:02you definitely would have taken a second look.
26:04Have you ever seen native pottery,
26:06pressing and blueprint pressing,
26:07or wood board prints?
26:08Look, this clay figurine is one I made myself.
26:11Isn't it meaningful?
26:12I opened my phone gallery,
26:14showing him the photos and videos from Sedona,
26:16sharing the moments that brought me back to life.
26:18Have you ever seen native pottery,
26:20botanil pressing, or wood board prints?
26:23Look, this clay figurine is one I made myself.
26:26Isn't it meaniously?
26:27I even went foraging in the forest with a local guide.
26:30We hiked along the creek all afternoon
26:32and picked a basket full of wild berries and mushrooms.
26:35It was the first time I so viscerally felt
26:38that just being alive could being alive
26:40could be this rewarding.
26:41Oh, sorry, am I talking too much too much?
26:44It's fine.
26:45Keep talking.
26:46I'm listening.
26:47He just sat there quietly,
26:49listening to me animatically describe the red rocks,
26:51the wild winds, and the starry skies.
26:53When I finally finished,
26:54he suddenly asked,
26:56Do you really love traveling that much?
26:59Without a shed of hesitation,
27:00I nodded emphatically.
27:02His eyes darkened slightly.
27:03I always feel like I'm only safe
27:05when I'm inside my own house,
27:06but it's fine.
27:07We can try.
27:08Try what?
27:11Lately, he barely went to his studio downtown anymore,
27:14preferring to stay holed up in the house all day.
27:17That afternoon,
27:18he suddenly yelled my name from the study.
27:20I walked to the doorway,
27:22asking him from across the hall what he wanted.
27:24What do you want?
27:25He pushed the heavy oak door open
27:27and waved me over.
27:28Come in.
27:29My feet instantly nailed to the floor.
27:32My brain immediately flashed back
27:34to the terrifying image
27:35of the last time I accidentally stepped into the study,
27:38his manic episode.
27:39The veins popping in his neck,
27:40him screaming at me to get the hell out.
27:52The glow of the setting sun
27:53poured through the floor to cleaning windows,
27:56hitting him straight in the back,
27:57bathed in the backlit sunset.
27:59The tips of his hair was dyed a piercing pale gold.
28:02His thick, butterfly-wing lilashes lowered,
28:05fingers leaping across the black and white keys,
28:07notes cascading from his fingertips like a waterfall.
28:09There are people in this world
28:10who are completely tone-deaf, like me.
28:12I didn't understand adagios, legawis,
28:14or incredibly complex chord structures.
28:22Did it sound good?
28:24It did.
28:25It was really beautiful.
28:28It's just a rough draft.
28:29It's far from perfect.
28:31If I tweak the harmonies, it will be better.
28:35What's the name of the piece?
28:37I haven't decided yet.
28:39This piece was written for you.
28:41Your birthday is in a few days.
28:43This is your gift.
28:44My breath hitched in my throat.
28:45Never in my wildest dreams
28:46did I expect him to give me a gift like this.
28:48Do you know why I am the way I am?
28:50I had asked Arthur about his condition before.
28:53The shrewd old man brushed it off,
28:55telling me that a negligent maim
28:56caused Silas Silic catch a severe fever
28:58when he was little, damaging his brain.
29:00His fingers began to tremble violently.
29:03Just recalling the past
29:04was already draining every ounce of oxygen
29:06from his lungs.
29:07It's okay.
29:08If it's too painful,
29:10you don't have to force yourself to say it.
29:12I have to say it.
29:13I want you to know.
29:15Back then, my dad pursued my mom
29:17like a madman for four straight years
29:18before she finally withstood her family's pressure
29:20and agreed to marry him.
29:22But just two years into their marriage,
29:23my mom found out that the man who swore he loved her
29:26was keeping mistresses on the side.
29:29The first time he got caught,
29:30my mom completely broke down.
29:32My dad dropped to his knees,
29:34crying and sworing he would change.
29:36But then came the second time,
29:38the third time,
29:38the fourth time.
29:39I even...
29:40I even walked in on my dad
29:42and some disgusting woman
29:43on the couch in our own house.
29:44God, it was so fucking sickening.
29:47My mom couldn't take
29:48the endless humiliation anymore,
29:50so she packed us up and moved out.
29:52But my dad tracked us down like a ghost,
29:54dropping to his knees again,
29:55begging for forgiveness.
29:57For my sake,
29:57my mom caved again
29:58and took me back to that house.
30:00But the second we moved back,
30:01she found out my dad
30:02had never cut things off with that woman.
30:06Even during the days
30:07he was crying outside our apartment,
30:09begging my mom to come home,
30:10he had his mistress stashed
30:11in a hotel nearby.
30:12My mom was in my room
30:14coaxing me to sleep
30:15while my dad was in the very next room
30:16fucking that woman.
30:18At this point,
30:19Sima snapped his eyes open,
30:20the depths of them
30:21filled with a chilling despair.
30:22But this time,
30:23my mom didn't cry
30:24and she didn't throw things.
30:25She was as calm as a corpse.
30:26She even suggested
30:27the three of us
30:28took a family vacation out of state.
30:30That night,
30:31in a completely unfamiliar city,
30:33in an unfamiliar hotel suite,
30:36my dad, covered in blood,
30:38fought back like a madman.
30:39He clamped his hands
30:40around my mom's throat,
30:41strangling her.
30:43And me?
30:45My mom had deadbolted me
30:46out on the balcony beforehand.
30:49I pounded on the glass door,
30:51screaming until my throat tore,
30:53but I couldn't get in.
30:54All I could do was watch.
30:56In the gossip circles
30:57of the New York elite,
30:58the Vanser's love story
30:59was a modern fairy tale.
31:01Back then,
31:01Richard Vance Sother
31:02was set for a business alliance
31:03but fell in love at first sight
31:05with a girl
31:05from an unordinary background.
31:07The girl didn't want to be dragged
31:08into the mud of old money
31:09and flatly refused.
31:10Richard relentlessly pursued her
31:12for four entire years
31:13before his devotion
31:14finally won her over.
31:15After the wedding,
31:16they were famous
31:17for being incredibly in love.
31:18It wasn't long before
31:19they had the Vance family heir,
31:21Silas.
31:22But sadly,
31:22the good die young.
31:24The public story
31:25was that during a family vacation,
31:27Simus's mother
31:27suffered a sudden
31:28fatal heart attack.
31:29Unable to bear the agony
31:30of losing the love of his life,
31:32Richard shot himself
31:33in their hotel room,
31:34dying for love.
31:35But who the fuck
31:36would have guessed
31:37that beneath this
31:37sickeningly sweet fairy tale
31:39lay nothing but betrayal,
31:40murder,
31:40and absolute glore,
31:42and the Silas
31:42who was locked on the balcony
31:43forced to watch his parents
31:45slaughter each other
31:45was only six years old.
31:47His mind simply couldn't handle
31:48that kind of devastating impact.
31:50Serena,
31:52I'm tearing this open
31:53to show you
31:53because I want you to know me,
31:54the absolute entirety of me,
31:55including the ugliest,
31:56most rotting scars.
31:57I know I'm sick,
31:58severely sick,
31:59but I'll take my meds.
32:01I'll fight like hell
32:02to overcome it.
32:03From now on,
32:04you can walk into this study
32:05whenever you want.
32:05I will absolutely
32:06never scream at you again.
32:08If you want,
32:08you can hold my hand too.
32:09I swear to God,
32:10I won't shake you off.
32:11I'll take my pills on time
32:12like a normal person.
32:13I won't explode at you
32:14like a lunatic anymore.
32:15Serena, let's go on a trip together.
32:16I want to try for you
32:17to go to a completely
32:18unfamiliar place.
32:19And after we make it back alive,
32:20I'll give you a proper birthday.
32:22Holding my hand
32:23in a vite grip,
32:24he opened the tablet
32:24on his desk
32:25and stared dead
32:26at the cities on the map,
32:27treating it with the same
32:28absolute rigority
32:29as his sheet music.
32:31I walked out the hallway,
32:33dialed Arthur's number,
32:34and told him Silas
32:35had initiated
32:36a trip out of state.
32:41Is the handover
32:42with Martha
32:43completely finished?
32:44Right now,
32:45there was less than
32:45a week left
32:46of the final 30 days
32:47I had promised to stay.
32:49If I went on this trip
32:50with Silas now,
32:51the exact second
32:51we landed at the airport
32:52and returned to the estate
32:54would be the exact second
32:55I dragged my suitcase away
32:56and walked out
32:57of his life forever.
32:58Every dosage,
32:59every detail Martha
32:59needed to know,
33:00I've already handed over perfectly.
33:01I swallowed the dryness
33:02in my throat and replied,
33:02Arthur gave a heavy,
33:04hmm, over the phone.
33:05Since he's willing
33:05to step out of this house,
33:07go, take him
33:07to see the outside world.
33:08Silas and I studied
33:09the map for a long time.
33:11In the end,
33:11we decided to fly
33:12to the vast wilderness
33:13of Montana.
33:14Silas studied travel guides
33:16with the same exacting riggery
33:18he brought to complex sheet music,
33:19putting together
33:20an insanely detailed
33:21itinerary.
33:22He even dug out
33:23an expensive DSR camera
33:25specifically for this.
33:26I can take pictures of you.
33:27He was an absolute
33:27control freak.
33:28He was an itinerary
33:29was packed airtight.
33:31He had even pre-decided
33:31exactly what calorie
33:32count food we would eat
33:33for every single meal
33:34on every single day.
33:35When we stepped
33:36into the first class cabin,
33:37I could distinctly feel
33:38Silas's breathing
33:39start to hitch.
33:41Maybe it was
33:42the severe trauma
33:42of being deadbolt
33:43on that balcony
33:44watching a slaughter unfold,
33:46but he violently rejected
33:47any confined space
33:48he couldn't escape from.
33:50A plane isn't a road trip.
33:51Once it takes off,
33:52you don't even have the power
33:52to tell them to pull over.
33:54If you feel even slightly panicked,
33:55we get off right now.
33:56Don't fucking force it.
33:58I'm fine.
33:59We're going.
33:59I don't want to ruin
34:00your mood again.
34:00After finally landing,
34:01we chartered an SUV
34:03and bounced along
34:03desolate highways
34:04for four straight hours
34:05before reaching
34:06the National Park Reserve
34:07in Montana.
34:08The entire ride,
34:09every single nerve
34:10in Silas's body
34:11was pulled as tight
34:12as a bowstring.
34:12Serena, I'm fine.
34:14After arriving
34:14at our hotel suite,
34:15I went into the bathroom
34:17alone to take a hot shower
34:18and wash off the exhaustion.
34:26Hearing the bathroom door open,
34:28his head snapped up
34:29like he'd been electrocuted.
34:31Desperate to hide his breakdown,
34:32he sucked in
34:33two massive breaths of air,
34:34frantically ripped open
34:35his suitcase,
34:36tapped out two strong
34:37anti-anxiety pills
34:38and swallowed them dry
34:39without water.
34:41I'm going to take a shower too.
34:42I'm fine.
34:43I'm really fine.
34:44Don't worry.
34:45Do you need me to tell you
34:46a bedtime story?
34:46No need.
34:47I'm about to fall asleep.
34:48You go to sleep too.
34:48Tomorrow,
34:49we'll go look at the planes together.
34:51But the next morning,
34:52the heavy,
34:53almost bruised-looking
34:54Darkles under his eyes
34:55instantly exposed the fact
34:56that he had stared
34:56at the clailing
34:57all night until dawn.
34:58He couldn't even choke down
34:59a piece of toast for breakfast,
35:00yet he hid in the bathroom,
35:01secretly throwing pills
35:02down his throat
35:03multiple times.
35:04Don't look at me.
35:05Look over there.
35:06Walk over a bit.
35:07I'll take a picture of you
35:08with the camera.
35:09He raised the heavy DSVR,
35:11but his index finger
35:12resting on the shutter
35:13was shaking wildly,
35:14completely out of his control.
35:16Jesus,
35:16why does his face
35:17look so awful?
35:18He looks like he's got
35:18severe altitude sickness.
35:19No way, right?
35:20The altitude here
35:21isn't even 2,000 meters.
35:23I just need a little more
35:24time to adjust.
35:24I'm really fine.
35:26He forced himself
35:26to pull me along,
35:27taking over a dozen photos,
35:28but every time he checked
35:29the screen,
35:29his brows furled tighter.
35:31This isn't right.
35:32I asked him softly
35:32what exactly was wrong.
35:33He didn't answer.
35:34His fingers,
35:34driven by extreme anxiety,
35:35were twisting the hem
35:36of his windbreaker so hard
35:37he was practically
35:38tearing the fabric.
35:39Kids these days
35:39will literally die for a photo.
35:41Your boyfriend's face
35:42is as white as corpse.
35:43Instead of rushing him
35:43to a hospital,
35:44you're actually making him
35:44hold that damn camera
35:45for your photo shoot?
35:46Serena,
35:47let's take pictures later.
35:48Let's just take a walk first,
35:50okay?
35:51I watched their
35:51retreating backs,
35:53suppressing the bitter ache
35:54in my chest,
35:55and sighed saltly.
35:58They looked so damn free.
35:59Hearing that,
36:00Silas suddenly grinted
36:01his teeth.
36:02He tried to speed up
36:02his pace,
36:03forcing himself to run
36:04with me across
36:04this wilderness,
36:05but this damn,
36:06completely exposed,
36:07unfamiliar environment
36:08terrified him.
36:10Every step he took
36:11was as stiff
36:11as walking through
36:12a minefield.
36:13Serena, you run.
36:14I'll just stand right here
36:15and capture it on camera
36:16for you.
36:17Forget it.
36:18Let's just walk slowly.
36:19That afternoon,
36:20I decided to try
36:21horseback riding.
36:22The horse picked up
36:23its hooves,
36:24gradually accelerating
36:25from a walk
36:25to a brisk trot.
36:27Silas gripped the camera tight,
36:28the shutter clicking wildly,
36:30one after another.
36:31Completely swallowed
36:32by the adrenaline rush
36:33of riding against the wind,
36:35I slowly closed my eyes,
36:36trying to feel
36:37even one second
36:38of fake freedom.
36:39Right then,
36:40a blood-cripping,
36:41distorted scream
36:42violently tore
36:42through the cold air
36:43and slammed into my eardrums.
36:44I jerked the reins hard
36:45and snapped my head around.
36:46It was Simus's voice.
36:48Simus had a full-blown
36:49manic episode.
36:50The trigger that set him off
36:51was a couple standing nearby.
36:53For whatever bullshit reason,
36:54the couple suddenly started
36:55arguing violently
36:56on the grass.
36:56The man lowered his voice
36:58and cursed,
36:58saying he was going to
36:59beat the hell out of her
36:59the second they got back
37:00to the hotel.
37:01The woman screamed
37:02like a maniac,
37:03pointing right in his face,
37:04yelling that if he dared
37:05to leave,
37:06she would stab a knife
37:07straight through his heart.
37:08When the man violently
37:10shoved the woman
37:10to the ground,
37:11Silas's sanity
37:12completely snapped.
37:13He charged forward
37:14like a lunatic,
37:15blocking the man's path.
37:17Once Silas went into
37:18a full-blown PTSD episode,
37:19he lost all ability
37:20to control himself.
37:22I held him tight,
37:23whispering reassurances
37:23in his ear over and over,
37:25fighting like hell
37:25to pull him back
37:26from that bloody
37:27childhood hallucination.
37:28It wasn't until the sun
37:29completely sank below
37:29the horizon
37:30that his violently shaking
37:31body finally started
37:31to calm down.
37:32I'm so sorry.
37:33I messed up.
37:33I made you worry.
37:35Taking a trip with me
37:36is just an absolute disaster,
37:37isn't it?
37:38No, it's not that bad.
37:39I looked at the photos
37:41from your trip to Arizona
37:41and those pictures,
37:42your smile was so full of life,
37:43but after you came back
37:44to our so-called home,
37:45you never smiled like that again.
37:47I wanted to see you smile,
37:50so I forced you
37:51to come on this trip,
37:52but through my camera lens,
37:54your eyes look dead.
37:56You look nothing like
37:57the radiant girl
37:58in those stranger's phones.
38:00When you were riding
38:00the horse just now,
38:01I tried so hard
38:02and I finally got one shot
38:03I was satisfied with,
38:04but I took exactly
38:04one fucking photo
38:05before I had an episode.
38:07Serena, I'm a piece of trash.
38:08I'm so damn useless.
38:09Chained to me,
38:10you have to be on edge
38:11even on a vacation.
38:12You don't even get to relax
38:13for a single second.
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