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Short filmTranscript
00:01how much did my husband love me to marry me Ethan proposed 99 times it wasn't until the
00:09hundredth proposal that I finally said yes Olivia Quinn you're the only woman I'll ever love if you
00:15say no today I'll come back tomorrow and if tomorrow doesn't work I'll come back the day
00:18after that I'll keep asking until you finally believe me that day in front of our families
00:23and closest friends I finally gave in on our wedding night I gave him a crystal box inside
00:31were 99 second chance cards each card represented one mistake I was willing to forgive as long as
00:38there were cards left I promised I would stay five years later every time he broke a promise
00:43because of his young assistant Chloe Hart he used one up then one day he realized something had
00:50changed I no longer cried and begged him to stay the only thing I asked was if you leave with
00:56Chloe
00:56tonight can I use another second chance card of course it's not like I've used that many use one
01:02if you want I nodded and watched him walk away what he didn't know was that tonight was his 97th
01:07card
01:07and there were only two left tonight was Blackwell Group's Celebration Gala it was also my third day
01:14out of the hospital after liver surgery the doctors had specifically told me to rest but I
01:20still came to support Ethan then Chloe Hart knocked over the champagne tower glass shattered across the
01:26ballroom floor champagne splashed all over one of our key business partners Mr. Harrison Ethan's first
01:33instinct wasn't to ask Chloe to apologize instead he immediately stepped in front of her protecting her
01:38Olivia apologize to Mr. Harrison for her I froze for a moment I thought I had misheard him Mr. Blackwell
01:47your assistant is the one who made the mistake she's the person who owes me an apology Chloe's eyes
01:52instantly turned red she tugged lightly on Ethan's sleeve I'm sorry I really didn't mean to Ethan
02:00gently patted her hand then leaned slightly closer to me lowering his voice so only I could hear go make
02:06it
02:06right with Mr. Harrison if it takes a few drinks just stay with him keep him calm he had forgotten
02:12that I was only three days out of surgery the doctors had made it clear that alcohol was off limits
02:17or maybe he simply didn't care whispers spread through the ballroom everyone knew it wasn't my fault
02:24everyone could see Ethan was determined to protect Chloe I wanted to refuse but Ethan seemed to do
02:30anticipate that silently he mouthed two familiar words second chance card five years ago Ethan Blackwell
02:37had proposed to me 99 times to honor that love I created 99 second chance cards on our wedding day
02:44as long as there were cards left our marriage would survive for the first three years Ethan never used a
02:50single one then Chloe entered our lives in just two years he burned through 96 cards and tonight he used
02:59the
02:5997th the gala had just ended without thinking I walked toward the front passenger seat and reached for the
03:05door handle a sharp click the doors were locked through the tinted window I saw Ethan slowly roll his window
03:13down
03:13his expression was calm take a cab I just had the interior detailed you smell like alcohol it's unpleasant if
03:20this had been before I would have immediately tried to explain myself tearfully insisting it was just a little
03:26alcohol nothing serious but this time I just nodded all right drive safe for a brief moment his grip on
03:32the steering wheel loosened he looked at me like he wanted to say something before he could say another
03:36word Chloe had already walked over Ethan I'm ready we can go she was wearing the formal jacket I had
03:43picked
03:43out for him that morning the dress underneath still carried faint stains from the champagne tower
03:47incident earlier but Ethan showed no sign of discomfort in fact he adjusted the collar of
03:52her jacket with careful hands it's cold outside don't get sick that soft and controlled tone was a
03:59different world from how he had spoken to me moments ago only after that did he turn back to me
04:04a brief
04:05flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes don't misunderstand Chloe just graduated she's not used to these kinds of
04:11events yet I'm just looking out for her I understand you've already used the second chance cards anyway
04:17I won't be upset he froze he mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to respond but before he could
04:23Chloe sneezed his attention snapped back to her instantly go home early the door closed the car pulled away
04:32into the Manhattan night disappearing down the street I stood there for a long time until the cold finally
04:37settled into my bones at home I pulled out the box where I kept the second chance cards it used
04:43to
04:43be full now there were only three left without hesitation I took out card 97 tore it in half and
04:49dropped it into the trash then I opened my laptop and started drafting the divorce agreement with Ethan
04:54Blackwell for fairness I called a professor from my law school days she had supervised my thesis and had
05:01been one of the most trusted academic mentors in my career professor if I were to divorce Ethan
05:06how should the assets be divided a divorce everyone at the university still remembers how
05:12he proposed to you 99 times how did it come to this how did it come to this I repeated
05:19it to myself
05:20maybe it started with the increasingly familiar scent of women's perfume on him maybe when he started
05:25coming home later and later or maybe when those second chance cards began disappearing one by one
05:31because of Chloe Hart I looked at the box my voice was steady when he uses the last two chances
05:37at that moment the door opened what chances Ethan stood in the doorway a paper bag in his hand tone
05:45casual but his eyes had already changed I hung up the phone and calmly closed my laptop nothing I was
05:51just talking to my law professor about some divorce related matters Ethan's expression changed he crossed the
05:56room almost immediately divorce you want a divorce no it's a case she's working on she wanted some
06:02opinion he studied me for a few seconds before the tension in his face eased slightly this is for you
06:08the logo on the bag belonged to a dessert shop I had always loved before we got married whenever we
06:13argued Ethan would buy me a cake from that store to make up with me the place was incredibly popular
06:18the
06:19line was usually at least two hours long he never asked anyone else to go for him no matter how
06:24bad the
06:24weather was he always waited in line himself once I felt bad and told him to send an assistant instead
06:30you should have sent an assistant Olivia it's okay for you I do it in a heartbeat the memory softened
06:37something in my chest I can't believe you still remember inside wasn't a cake it was clothing two
06:43pieces of clothing a faint smell of alcohol still lingered on both what is this Chloe's dress got stained
06:50since you've always been good at handling things like this I figured I'd bring it home with mine
06:54you can just take care of it when you have time and if it bothers you I can use a
06:58second chance card
06:59you still have plenty left don't you every word I wanted to say died in my throat I wanted to
07:04tell
07:04him there weren't plenty left including the one he had just used there was only one second chance card
07:09left but in the end I only looked at him for a long moment before taking the clothes to the
07:13laundry
07:13room over the years I had managed every detail of his life the suits that needed pressing before board
07:19meetings the ties that matched each gala fundraiser and investor dinner I handled all of it looking
07:24back now it felt almost ridiculous I had called it love to Ethan it had simply become a service he
07:31expected to exist nothing more I let out a quiet laugh closed the laundry room door and returned to the
07:37bedroom when he saw me come back so quickly he frowned that was fast already taken care of that dress
07:44is
07:45Chloe's favorite one I promised her it would be cleaned properly I picked up my skin care products
07:49and continued getting ready for bed without another word just then Ethan's phone started vibrating his
07:56expression softened the moment he saw who was calling he got out of bed immediately and walked out of
08:00the bedroom quietly I followed Chloe's cheerful voice drifted through the phone
08:05Ethan the dessert you bought me was amazing I've never had anything that good before but the line
08:11was so long I kind of feel bad for making you wait Ethan glanced toward the bedroom before lowering
08:16his voice it doesn't matter if you want it I'll go get it anytime it's not a big deal Chloe
08:22laughed
08:22softly what about my dress won't it be too much trouble for Olivia I don't want to make things
08:28difficult for you she's used to it besides your hands are too pretty for that kind of work I
08:33lowered my eyes and looked at my own hands years of taking care of a household had left them no
08:37longer soft or delicate so he had noticed he had simply never cared unable to listen any longer I
08:43retreated into the bathroom ten minutes later there was a knock at the door Olivia there's something I
08:50need to handle at the office I have to head out get some rest okay Ethan he stopped I looked
08:58at my
08:58reflection in the mirror at the tears silently running down my face my voice was barely above
09:04a whisper if you don't come home tonight can I use a second chance card of course Ethan smiled at
09:12me
09:12looking completely at ease don't worry I'll be home before midnight you definitely won't need that
09:16second chance card looking at the face that hadn't changed much over the past five years
09:20hours I forced down the bitterness in my chest and smiled faintly okay I'll wait for you three
09:28hours until midnight I paid extra for a delivery service to bring me a cake Ethan's assistant Zoe posted
09:34an Instagram story she complained about still being stuck at work according to her she was the only
09:40person left in the office at the same time Ethan texted me just got to the office be home soon
09:45two hours
09:46until midnight while scrolling through old photos I came across a picture from the day Ethan proposed
09:51on impulse I posted it five years already I captioned the photo more than five Ethan replied within
09:59seconds at the same time he sent me a photo of the city skyline beautiful night made me think of
10:05you
10:05I didn't reply because I recognized the buildings in the background they weren't anywhere near Blackwell
10:10group they were in midtown Manhattan near one of New York's most famous romantic restaurants
10:15just then Chloe posted close friends story and somehow I was the only one who could see it you got
10:21the ring I got his heart in the lower corner of the photo Ethan's left hand was clearly visible
10:26his wedding ring was nowhere to deceive one hour until midnight curled up on the couch I replayed our
10:32wedding video while eating the cake that had been delivered earlier for some reason the cake tasted
10:37salter with every bite I thought to myself that I probably wouldn't like it anymore after tonight
10:4230 minutes until midnight Ethan stopped replying to my messages I stopped bothering him instead I
10:48quietly began packing my things one minute until midnight I took the last remaining second chance
10:53card out of the box just as I was about to tear it in half the doorbell rang I froze
10:58then hurried
10:59to answer it good evening Miss Blackwell this is a gift purchased by Mr. Ethan Blackwell please sign here
11:04at the same moment a text from Ethan appeared on my screen sorry I'm staying at the office tonight
11:11use a second chance card if you want I'll bring you your favorite cake when you get home I was
11:15about to reply when I accidentally knocked into the bookshelf the framed wedding photo that had sat
11:20there for five years crashed to the floor glass shattered everywhere ma'am do you need help cleaning
11:26that up I shook my head then lowered my eyes to my phone and typed don't bring the cake Ethan
11:32Blackwell you've run out of second chance cards after a brief pause I sent another message let's get
11:39divorced the next second countless notifications flooded my phone I ignored the constant buzzing
11:45of my phone and turned it off from that moment on my five-year marriage to Ethan had truly come
11:50to an
11:50end in the hotel suite after seeing my message Ethan left me countless voice messages divorce
11:57stop kidding how could all those second chance cards possibly be gone already Olivia answer the
12:02phone let's talk he refused to believe I would actually ignore him again and again he called my
12:07number after hearing the automated voicemail for the 39th time Ethan finally started to panic no
12:13that's impossible it can't be she was fine before I left the image of me mentioning the second chance
12:18cards flashed through his mind I had been so calm so calm that it looked like I had already given
12:24up
12:25at that thought Ethan grabbed his jacket and hurriedly put it on Chloe wrapped her arms around
12:30his neck and snuggled against him Ethan you promised you'd stay with me all night distracted and anxious
12:35Ethan pushed her away without offering any explanation he rushed out of the hotel the entire
12:41drive home he kept calling me over and over again I never answered once the moment he
12:47stepped through the front door he was moving so fast that he accidentally stepped on something
12:52Ethan looked down his body froze it was our wedding portrait the shattered glass split our wedding
12:59photo in two just like our broken marriage slowly he crouched down and lifted the frame from the floor
13:05then carefully brushed away the shards of glass looking at the two young people in the photo smiling so
13:10happily Ethan felt his eyes began to sting after placing the portrait back where it belonged he
13:15started searching the house for me when he finally opened the walk-in closet and saw that my side was
13:20completely empty he was forced to accept the truth I was really gone he collapsed onto the couch in the
13:26living room and stared at the television screen in silence the proposal video playing on repeat was the
13:32last trace of me left in the house his fingers buried deep in his hair Ethan tried to think of
13:38where I might have gone as his gaze swept across the room it suddenly landed on the trash can nearby
13:43the pile of pink scraps inside looked painfully familiar so familiar that the sight of them nearly
13:48took his breath away slowly he crouched down and picked them up one by one then with extraordinary
13:52care he pieced them back together no more no less exactly 99 second chance cards he remembered
14:00five years ago when I placed those cards into the box Olivia trust me you'll never have to use them
14:06all then he remembered all the times he had casually asked to use a second chance card the love he
14:12had
14:12spent years building between us had been recklessly squandered during the two years since Chloe appeared
14:17until there was nothing left every time he broke a promise he bought me a gift what reason could I
14:23possibly have to be unhappy at that thought Ethan's eyes drifted toward the display cabinet in the living room
14:29then he froze once more the entire cabinet was filled with gifts he had given me over the years
14:34but upon closer inspection three identical watches sat prominently in the center one of them had been
14:40purchased just two hours ago suddenly Ethan remembered the limited edition necklace he had
14:45given Chloe yesterday the moment she said she liked it he had it flown in from France overnight
14:51whether in value or thoughtliness it far surpassed everything in front of him for the first time
14:57Ethan fell into deep contemplation when had it happened when had his once unique love for Olivia
15:02became careless and cheap that night he sat alone in the living room he drank an entire bottle of
15:08whiskey and still couldn't find the answer he was looking for the moment Ethan arrived at the office
15:14Chloe followed him inside Ethan here's the contract from yesterday she placed the file on his desk and
15:20walked over to his side resting a hand on his shoulder that kind of intimacy used to feel normal now
15:26it
15:26suddenly made Ethan uncomfortable Ethan opened the contract his expression darkened after the
15:30first page the contract was a total mess in the past before a single contract reached Ethan's desk
15:36I would reviewed it no fewer than three times I made sure every potential risk to the company was
15:41identified but this one who drafted this contract does no one in this company have basic professional
15:48competition anymore get Olivia in here I'd like to ask whether our general counsel still wants her job
15:53the color drenned from Chloe's face Ethan I drafted it all his anger died instantly looking at Chloe's
16:02reddened eyes and wounded expression Ethan felt an unfulfilled sense of exhaustion for the first time
16:08I'm sorry Ethan maybe you're right maybe I'm not qualified for this job at all all I ever do is
16:14cause
16:14trouble for you with that she turned to leave instinctively Ethan reached out and grabbed her
16:19arm but when he met Chloe's tearful eyes he suddenly froze I had never looked at Ethan that way before
16:25no matter what happened I always found a way to solve the problem I was nothing like Chloe every time
16:32Chloe made a mistake I was the one who cleaned up the mess eventually whenever Chloe screwed something up
16:38Ethan would instinctively push it onto me to fix as if it had always been my responsibility
16:45slowly he released Chloe's arm you should go Chloe's face alternated between red and pale without the
16:53reassurance she had expected tears nearly spilled from her eyes seeing that Ethan rubbed his temples
16:58impatiently redo the contract bring it back when you're certain there are no problems biting her lip
17:03Chloe finally left the office unwillingly a co-worker who had always been close to me
17:08secretly snapped a photo of the scene and sent it to me Olivia that little assistant who keeps
17:14stealing everyone else's credit got kicked out of Ethan's office today serves her right inside the
17:19office Ethan kept dialing my number again and again the calls never connected he kept telling
17:25himself that I was just angry yet every time his eyes landed on my empty office the irritation inside
17:30him grew stronger he couldn't even focus on work anymore Mr. Blackwell is there something you need
17:38did Olivia take the day off the H director froze for a moment then looked at him in confusion Ms.
17:42Blackwell resigned what when did that happen who approved it why wasn't I informed the HR director
17:47looked completely bewildered she submitted the resignation last night you personally approved it this
17:53morning the word struck Ethan like a bolt of lightning he froze in place then he abruptly opened his
17:59computer and clicked open the resignation letter his gaze fell to the bottom of the page approved by
18:05Ethan Blackwell his own signature a crushing sense of panic swept through him withdraw it right now the
18:12process has already been completed just then Chloe walked into the office carrying a document with no
18:18return address gone was the pitiful expression from earlier there was even a trace of satisfaction in
18:23her eyes Ethan an overnight delivery arrived for you Ethan's gaze swept across the first page
18:31the next second he collapsed back into his chair it took him a long time to recover finally he picked
18:38up
18:38his phone and called a friend help me find out where this package was sent from
18:44after hanging up Ethan remained in his office long after everyone else had gone home eventually he
18:53unlocked my office and sat down at my desk his eyes settled on the framed photo of us
19:01one memory after another flashed through his mind nine years ago Ethan met me for the first time at a
19:07university debate tournament back then i was confident and unstoppable standing behind the podium i dismismontled
19:15every argument with sharp logic and unwavering composure whenever an opponent challenged me i always had the
19:23perfect response ready after the competition most people described me as intimidating difficult and
19:30impossible to approach Ethan however called me rational brilliant and decisive from that day on he pursued me relentlessly
19:42it took us two years to go from strangers to lovers and another two years to go from lovers to
19:48husband and wife
19:49even now Ethan still remembered the day he proposed he remembered the way i blushed and nodded yes
19:56the joy he felt in that moment exceeded even the thrill of closing a multi-billion dollar acquisition
20:02then somewhere along the way our marriage began to fall apart but even now he couldn't pinpoint
20:08exactly where things had gone wrong all he knew was that the distance between us kept growing
20:14many luck time employees had tried to warn him but by then Ethan had become too accustomed to having
20:20everyone follow his decisions he never took their advice seriously looking back now he
20:25realized that if he had listened to even one of them perhaps we would never have ended up here
20:31nine years together and this was how it ended anyone would think it was a tragedy
20:39just then his phone rang
20:42the address has been traced but are you sure you want to go yourself you'll have to fly there
20:47Ethan's parents had both died in a plane crash ever since then airplanes and flying had become his
20:53greatest fear even when black weld group had overseas business it was usually me who carried the signed
20:59documents and flew out to handle everything in person what happened why are you suddenly leaving the country
21:08olivia left what
21:13let me ask you something for the past three years did all of you think i crossed the line with
21:18chloe did all of
21:20you think i was betraying olivia i understand now i was wrong ever since chloe showed up i found myself
21:28drawn to
21:29her without even realizing it she reminded me of olivia when we first met back then olivia wasn't
21:36carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders she was brilliant confident and radiant she always
21:43seemed to know exactly what she wanted but i never should have confused the two of them for the past
21:49two
21:49years i've used up all the 99 chances olivia gave me i never imagined we'd end up apart but now
21:57she
21:58doesn't want me anymore the line fell silent okay i understand the call ended a moment later a text
22:06message appeared on his screen the divorce papers were mailed from this address go there and ask around
22:12you might be able to find olivia after a seven hour flight i arrived safely in paris the moment i
22:21landed my former professor was already waiting at the airport with several colleagues from the law firm
22:27everyone welcomed me warmly this was my third time in paris in the past whenever i came here for work
22:34ethan would call me back to new york the moment a contract was signed now free from the burden of
22:40that
22:40life i felt lighter than i had in years because from this day forward i only had to live for
22:46myself
22:48and ethan would never find me here my professor looked at me with a sigh back in law school i
22:53had
22:54been one of her most promising students the only person who could rival me was my senior daniel brooks
22:59but then i married ethan i turned down her offer to join the paris firm i also gave up the
23:05career
23:05path she had carefully planned for me years in advance before i left she had looked at me seriously
23:10there had been both regret and disappointment in her eyes olivia i'm truly glad you decided to come
23:17back
23:21the divorce papers have already been delivered as for the divorce proceedings i'll have daniel handle
23:27them i guarantee complete fairness then i'll have to count on you daniel when i get my settlement
23:34drinks and a vacation in the south of france are on me
23:40come on let's get you familiar with your new work environment what i didn't expect was to run
23:46into ethan so soon on my very first day at the firm i saw him standing outside the building at
23:52first i
23:52thought i was imagining things i even rubbed my eyes several times but no matter how many times i looked
23:58it was
23:58still ethan in just a few days he had become noticeably thinner dark circles shadowed his eyes
24:05he looked as though he might collapse at any moment yet he remained stubbornly planted at the entrance
24:10refusing to leave the moment he saw me he hurried towards me instinctively i took a step back putting
24:16distance between us the hurt in ethan's eyes was immediate olivia don't be mad anymore i was wrong
24:22over the past two years i paid too much attention to chloe because she reminded me of
24:25the olivia i met nine years ago i mistook that feeling for love but after you left i finally
24:31realized it was never love the person i've always loved is you i looked at him with thinly veiled
24:37mockery forcing down the wave of nausea rising in my stomach but his declaration continued these years
24:42i've watched everything you've done maybe it was because you became so capable so successful so strong
24:48you put so much pressure on me that i started feeling like you'd changed you became rational
24:53powerful almost like a machine that never made mistakes so when chloe appeared i found myself
24:58drawn to her it felt like i was seeing the olivia i first fell in love with all over again
25:04olivia
25:06i don't want to divorce and i don't want to lose you i even got on a plane for you
25:11can't you forgive
25:12me just this once by the time he finished tears were streaming down his face but all i felt was
25:18cold
25:18this was the man i had loved for nine years he had emotionally cheated on me yet he was still
25:24desperately searching for excuses worse he was trying to shift part of the blame onto me because
25:31i became more rational he said i had changed because i became more successful he said i made
25:37him feel pressured because i grew he fell in love with someone else everything he once praised about me
25:44had somehow become the reason he betrayed our marriage how ridiculous i looked at him calmly
25:51not a ripple stirred in my voice wrong is wrong when you betray someone you have to accept the
25:57consequences if a simple apology could erase every mistake we wouldn't need courts or lawyers
26:04ethan we're over later i heard from my colleagues that ethan had remained outside the building for the
26:10entire day he ignored the stairs from strangers and the cold wind but what was the point some things
26:17once lost are lost forever for two years i gave him 99 chances and he wasted every single one of
26:25them
26:25after leaving the law firm ethan didn't return to his hotel right away instead he sat alone by the scene
26:32the autumn wind was cold enough to cut through layers of clothing yet he seemed completely oblivious to it
26:38staring only at a photo of me on his phone it had been taken years ago shortly after we got
26:43married
26:43in the picture i was leaning against his shoulder smiling brightly and without restraint nothing like
26:48the woman i was now calm distant so indifferent that even looking at him felt unnecessary just then
26:54his phone vibrated an unfamiliar email had arrived the sender was my former professor the message
27:00itself was brief if you truly want to know what you've lost look through these attached was a single
27:05compressed file after a moment's hesitation ethan opened it the first document was an offer letter
27:10it came from one of paris's most prestigious international law firms annual salary five
27:15hundred thousand dollars global partner track program the date on the email was exactly one
27:20month before our wedding ethan's breathing caught he had never known about any of this he continued
27:24scrolling the second document was an email from daniel brooks to me olivia i know you're
27:30hesitating but if you accept this position you'll make partner within five years don't give up your
27:35future for anyone ethan's grip on his phone tightened suddenly he remembered that period of time i had been
27:42busy every day interviews applications endless paperwork then for reasons he never questioned i suddenly
27:52gave it all up at the time it had seemed perfectly natural to him after all we were about to
27:59get married
28:02wasn't it normal for his wife to stay in new york the third document was something i had written to
28:07my
28:07professor it had been saved during the second year of our marriage ethan opened it the moment he finished
28:13reading he froze blackwell group has been expanding lately ethan only sleeps three or four hours a night
28:20if i stay at the firm we'll barely have any time together i want to leave and help him at
28:25least
28:26that way he won't have to carry everything alone the message ended there nothing followed yet those few
28:33short sentences made it difficult for ethan to breathe for the first time he realized the truth olivia
28:42why did you join black wet group i hadn't joined black wet group because i loved the job i had
28:47done it
28:47because i was worried about him because i didn't want him carrying the burden alone because i had
28:53willingly given up the career i loved for his sake the fourth document was from my professor the email
28:59contained only a single sentence one day i hope he deserves that sacrifice it felt as if something
29:05exploded inside ethan's mind suddenly memory after memory came flooding back the countless nights i stayed
29:12awake reviewing contracts the boardroom conflicts i resolved on his behalf the negotiations i flew
29:18across the world to handle the legal department i built from the ground up for blackwell group and
29:23what had he done he had taken all of it for granted he had convinced himself that i was simply
29:28supposed to be there supposed to stand behind him supposed to never leave only now did ethan finally
29:40understand it wasn't that i couldn't live without him it was that i had given up an entire world that
29:44had once been within reach for him he sat there beside the seine head lowered silent for a very long
29:50time tears fell one by one onto the screen of his phone unfortunately the realization had come too late
29:59the olivia who had once been willing to give up everything for him didn't want him anymore
30:05for seven straight days ethan showed up outside the law firm rain or shine every time he saw me he
30:12wore
30:12the same heartbroken expression he never openly harassed me yet somehow managed to make it obvious
30:18to everyone that there had once been something between us naturally daniel noticed ethan as well
30:24every time he walked past him he would casually slip a freshly printed divorce settlement agreement into
30:30ethan's hands the two men seemed to be engaged in a silent competition my professor didn't want ethan
30:36affecting my work so she arranged a firm retreat during the trip i finally got to experience all the
30:44things ethan i had talked about doing for years but never found the time for skiing mountain climbing
30:53skydiving
30:57chasing the northern lights every experience reminded me how vibrant life could be compared to that
31:04marriage suddenly didn't seem all that important on my first day back at work ethan didn't appear he
31:12left behind only one message i won't give up then he returned to new york back to the mess chloe
31:17had made of blackwell group every day former colleagues sent me updates chloe got yelled at
31:23until she cried three times today chloe was demoted from executive assistant to administrative assistant
31:29chloe got transferred to the administrative department in just a few days chloe had been demoted several
31:36times she became the target of all of ethan's anger as for me i simply smiled and continued living my
31:44new
31:44life gradually everything began falling into place within six months i won 15 cases my name started gaining
31:54recognition in legal circles across europe in my free time i rode gondolas through the canals of venice
32:01or traveled to sicily to watch the sea whenever i felt exhausted i would disappear into a small fishing
32:09village along the lagonian coast for a week during that first year apart ethan received 99 divorce
32:15settlement agreements yet he refused to sign a single one it seemed he wanted to summon the same
32:20persistence he had once used to pursued me as if determination alone could make me soften and take
32:26him back at first i admit my heart would still waver from time to time but the updates from new
32:34york quickly extinguished that foolish sympathy at one point ethan personally visited my parents
32:41he confessed everything and tearfully expressed his regret what he forgot was that children often
32:48take after their parents i don't tolerate betrayal and neither do they after hearing everything my mother
32:57throw him out of the house then she immediately called me and told me she fully supported my decision
33:03to divorce him any lingering hesitant i had disappeared completely after that ethan never appeared outside
33:11the firm again two years later i accepted a commercial litigation case from new york by then we had been
33:21separated for two years the divorce had already become final for the first time in years i boarded a flight
33:28back to new york when i arrived my parents looked a confident self-assured woman i had become for the
33:36first time they were truly at ease we have daniel to thank he sent us photos and videos of you
33:43almost
33:43every day otherwise we never would have stopped worrying i turned toward the man standing behind me and
33:49smiled knowingly mr brooks what's the legal penalty for invading someone's privacy again
33:57daniel cleared his rote the tips of his ears turned bright red well if there was a legitimate reason
34:04and if the family provided authorization a court might take that into consideration
34:12his answer made everyone laugh the light-hearted moment eased the emotions of our reunion as we
34:17headed home together my father finally told me why ethan had disappeared in an attempt to climb higher
34:24chloe sold intimate photos of herself and ethan to the media blackwell group was immediately
34:29dragged into a public scandal the stock price plummeted
34:36many business partners who had once worked closely with me terminated their contracts on the spot
34:42several newly signed partners were caught in the fallout as well the company lost hundreds of
34:46millions of dollars massive breach of contract claims followed ethan completely lost control he
34:54physically assaulted chloe in his office eventually he was convicted of assault and sentenced to three
34:59months in jail blackwell group never survived long enough to see his release overwhelmed by debt the
35:06company filed for bankruptcy protection as for chloe the scandal destroyed her reputation she was
35:12blacklisted across the industry no respectable company would hire her in the end she found herself
35:18working at a small restaurant enduring contempt from both customers and management every single day
35:24the next time i saw ethan was at a corporate gala two years later as the lead attorney responsible for
35:31taking a company public i was treated as one of the evening's most honored guests meanwhile in a corner
35:38of the ballroom ethan stood holding a glass of wine he was forcing polite conversation with business
35:42partners he once looked down upon one drink after another the site reminded me of myself years ago back
35:49when i drank until my stomach bled just to help him build his empire the moment our eyes met i
35:54saw it
35:54all in his gaze embarrassment shock pain and regret across the crowded room i raised my champagne glass toward
36:03him then slowly took a sip this toast was for the love we had lost and for the woman i
36:12became after surviving it