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