- 19 hours ago
Come Down and Hit Me 20eps HD ASM
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The worst years of my bipolar, I bought myself, a broke scholarship kid, 15 grand a month,
00:06I'd take a riding crop to that ridiculous body of his, slap that face, the one too pretty
00:11for its own good, I liked BDSM, loved playing with him most of all, finals week, stress
00:16through the roof, so I called him over to my place, the moment he walked in, he took
00:20the riding crop from my hand himself, dragged the leather tip across his own abs.
00:30Later, I wore myself out hitting him and fell asleep, how did I wake up here, did Ethan
00:37decide I went too hard and sell me off while I was unconscious, I look around, lost, everything
00:42is cold white, expensive sleek furniture, floors so grey they gleam, and these strangers, all
00:48staring at their phones, nobody looks at me, I swallow and get ready to slip out, the door
00:53opens without a sound, the man holding it bows with an apologetic smile, and Ethan walks in
00:58behind him, awake, he moves to the seat directly across from me, I stare as he lifts his wrist
01:05without thinking, a Patek Philippe sits on that lean, strong forearm, everything about
01:09him radiate, something that doesn't belong to him, something effortless and expensive,
01:14this is not the Ethan Mercer I remember, he doesn't look at me, opens his mouth, unhurried,
01:19this contract, contract, right, right, okay, he did sell me, my voice cuts through the
01:25room, what we had was consensual, you wanted out, you could have just said so, selling me
01:31off is a whole other level of low, everyone freezes, the round faced girl next to me taps
01:36my arm gently, Ethan, Ethan cuts her off, his gaze locks onto me, cold and flat, are you having
01:42an episode, he dares talk to me like that, the old Ethan Mercer, no matter how hard I hit
01:47him, would only press his hand to his face, look up at me with those damp hazy eyes, and grit
01:53out two words, more money, now he has the nerve to call me crazy, I shoot to my feet and
01:58swing,
01:59the slap cracks across his face, you want to get hit, I'll ask one more time, where is this,
02:08Ethan lifts his hand and wipes the corner of his mouth, watches me, that look, it's too
02:13complicated, for a second I'm sure he's about to hit me back, but a few seconds pass, he presses
02:18his lips tight, leans into my ear, want to keep going, get it out of your system, then we work,
02:25I can't bring myself to swing again, too many people, kills the momentum, I drop back into my
02:30seat, I'm leaving, now, Ethan lowers his head and goes back to the contract, suit yourself, then to
02:36the room, the rest of you go, it's past six, past six, what is even happening, my head spins, I
02:43wander the
02:43building for what feels like forever, and can't even find the elevator, the round-faced girl catches
02:49up, careful, gentle, Eden, want to head out together, we're the same direction, as she talks, she pulls
02:55out her phone, the date glows across the screen, 2026, it's, it's 2026, she gives me a puzzled look,
03:04yeah, 26, why, what year did you think it was, like getting hit by a truck, I wasn't so, son
03:12of a
03:12bitch, I time travel, the round-faced girl's name is Bree Keller, I fish for information carefully,
03:19each answer sinks my heart a little deeper into ice water, in the conference room, that was the
03:23entire strategic planning division, Bree breaks the silence, Eden, I seriously admire you, and I hit
03:30someone, in front of all of them, for what, you slapped the CEO in front of the entire team,
03:36I've never been so terrified, and so thrilled at the same time, cold sweat beads across my forehead,
03:43honestly, I've wanted to do that for months, my vision goes dark around the edges,
03:50Ethan Mercer, is the CEO, he was with me, the guy was dead broke, drowning in his father's
03:55gambling debt, raising an underage sister, without me, he couldn't have paid tuition,
03:59and now he's the CEO, and I just slapped the CEO in front of every department head in the company,
04:06something clicks, back in the meeting, you called me Eden, you know who I am, Bree stares at me like
04:11I've lost my mind, you're his EA, she's looking at me like I'm a special kind of stupid,
04:17executive assistant, Ethan Mercer's executive assistant, that's why I admire you, you slapped
04:23your direct boss, at least there's one piece of good news, seven years later, I still live in the
04:29most expensive part of Manhattan, Upper East Side, penthouse, the moment I walk in, Mrs. Delaney
04:34takes my coat, and hands me a glass of water, different housekeeper from seven years ago,
04:39but that's normal enough after all this time, I sink into the couch, the living room's changed a bit
04:43from what I remember, but the overall vibe is still mine, if this apartment's still here,
04:47the family hasn't gone bankrupt, I pissed off Ethan today, worst case, I quit tomorrow, I drift off on
04:53the couch, in my dream, Ethan's body's still warm around me, he's rubbing ointment into my hand,
04:58the one that went red from hitting him, something knots in my chest, aftercare wasn't part of our
05:02deal, but at some point, he started doing it anyway, every time, checking my palms for swelling,
05:08for redness from striking too hard, I think he was afraid I'd let him go, without my money,
05:12he and his sister would have been on the street, debt collectors circling, my eyes dropped to the
05:16riding crop marks across his chest, I frown, I hit too hard this time, the moment my fingers touch
05:21his skin, Ethan's lashes, flutter, he turns toward me, and his lips land on mine, soft as a feather,
05:27light, barely there, it tickles, his eyes open, cold and steady,
05:33Eden, we had a deal, you get my body for this, you don't get all of me,
05:39oh, right, the kid had his boundaries, I can't remember which time it was, I was drunk,
05:44shoved him against the wall and kissed him,
05:47Ethan's eyes rim red, fury locks every muscle in his body tight, he grabs my chin,
05:53fingers white-knuckled,
05:54Eden, I will never be with you, get that through your head,
05:59who wants to be with him, I pull my hand back, sheepish, then stop, wait, he leaned in first,
06:05a cold draft sweeps through, scattering the warmth from my palm, the dream dissolves with it,
06:10I open my eyes, half awake, and wander barefoot into the bedroom,
06:13directly across from the bed, hangs a framed photo, half my height,
06:17I freeze, cold sweat breaks out everywhere, sleep vanishes, a man and a woman in the frame,
06:22him in a suit, effortlessly handsome, her in a wedding gown that pools on the floor,
06:27smiling like the sun, it's my wedding photo, mine and Ethan Mercer's,
06:31at the same moment, movement at the front door,
06:34Mrs. Delaney's voice drifts in, fragments at first,
06:37then clear, warm in a way she never sounds with me,
06:40Mr. Mercer, you're back, Mrs. Mercer's home already, she's in the bedroom,
06:46can I fix you something to eat?
06:48No.
06:48Ethan's voice, heavy with fatigue,
06:50I'll go check on her,
06:51I turn my head, slowly, stiffly, one degree at a time, his eyes meet mine,
06:58Neither of us speaks,
06:59Ethan's cheek still seems to carry a red mark,
07:02I tuck my hand behind me,
07:04something uncomfortable twists in my chest,
07:07Come here, do I need to say it again?
07:09Every nerve in my body fires at once,
07:12voice like ice water,
07:13I flinch back,
07:14I hit him without permission,
07:16that was on me,
07:17in front of all those people,
07:18that kind of humiliation,
07:20it's like being stripped naked in public,
07:22I shuffle up to his chest,
07:23I'm sorry,
07:24Plant my feet,
07:25Ethan extends his hand toward me in silence,
07:29Don't move,
07:31But he catches my wrist in a sudden grip,
07:33he turns my hand over,
07:34examining my palm with care,
07:36Good,
07:37no swelling,
07:39His voice sounds blunt as a blade,
07:42Relieved,
07:42Don't hate me?
07:43Hate you?
07:44I could strangle you,
07:45I glance at my palm,
07:47still cradled in his fingers,
07:48he's rubbing it gently,
07:49Then why?
07:50I don't know how to finish the sentence,
07:52Feeling guilty?
07:54Then kiss me,
07:55That'll make us even,
07:56I blink,
07:57The Ethan from seven years ago,
07:59Would never have said that,
08:00What?
08:00He used to look at me,
08:02The way you look at trash,
08:03Cold,
08:04Always cold,
08:05Only in those first few seconds,
08:07After the riding crop landed,
08:08That's when something shifted in his eyes,
08:10Something wet,
08:11Something dazed,
08:12And underneath it,
08:13An emotion I could never name,
08:15There were moments,
08:16I almost believed he liked it,
08:19When I hit him,
08:19The doorbell rings,
08:20Mrs. Delaney answers it,
08:22The therapist,
08:23Ethan hired for me,
08:24Has arrived,
08:25And as it happens,
08:26It's the same one who treated me before,
08:28Dr. Julian Vaughn,
08:30Dr. Julian Vaughn,
08:32Used to be a senior psychiatrist,
08:34At NYU Langone,
08:36Ethan found me during your first year of marriage,
08:38Before that,
08:39Your family went through,
08:40A crisis,
08:42Your father's fund collapsed,
08:44The SEC got involved,
08:46Our sessions were suspended for a long time,
08:48I almost laugh,
08:50My father's fund collapsed,
08:53That can't be right,
08:55If that were true,
08:56How am I still living here,
08:57Dr. Vaughn studies me for a few seconds,
08:59A trace of pity crosses his face,
09:01I push down the acid burning in my chest,
09:04After your father's case,
09:05This apartment Woody Mistilized,
09:07Auctioned out in the bankruptcy proceedings,
09:10Ethan bought it back,
09:11So seven years later,
09:12This apartment doesn't belong to me anymore,
09:15It belongs to Ethan Mercer,
09:17I'm still here,
09:18Because he allows it,
09:19And listen to Dr. Vaughn continue,
09:21When I resumed your treatment,
09:22You were already married,
09:24You've been improving steadily,
09:26This sudden amnesia,
09:28I'll need to rework the entire plan,
09:31Dr. Vaughn,
09:32My voice cracks,
09:32Can you tell me how my father is doing?
09:35Hesitates for a few seconds,
09:36And opens his mouth to answer,
09:38Ethan pushes through the door,
09:39Your father, time's up,
09:40That's enough for today,
09:42I watch Dr. Vaughn leave,
09:43Helpless,
09:44No discussion,
09:45Then comes the wave,
09:46I can't hold back,
09:47I jerk my head up,
09:48My heart slams once,
09:49I lunge forward to stop him,
09:51But Ethan pins me to the chair with one hand,
09:53Raw choking frustration,
09:56Let go,
09:56What gives you the right to stop me,
09:58What gives you the right to keep me from asking,
10:00Because I'm the one paying for your treatment,
10:02Ethan pauses,
10:03Without me,
10:04Your father's debt would have buried you,
10:06You begged,
10:08Me to marry you,
10:10To protect you,
10:11I start shaking,
10:12Have you forgotten what you look like back then?
10:15Burns through my whole body,
10:17Peeling back everything ugly I've tried to hide,
10:20And my hand flies up almost on its own,
10:22Ethan catches my wrist,
10:23You can't stop hitting people,
10:24Can you?
10:24What right do you have to hit me now?
10:26A faint edge of mockery in his voice,
10:29Rage floods my chest like a dam breaking,
10:32The sting is sharp,
10:33The urge to keep going,
10:34Ethan yanks my arm behind my back,
10:36And locks it there,
10:37Eden,
10:38I can't hear a word,
10:39You need to learn to calm yourself down,
10:41Bite his hand,
10:42Full force,
10:43Copper floods my tongue,
10:44His grip is steel,
10:45His hand spasms,
10:46He doesn't pull away,
10:48His jaw tightens,
10:49And he grips my wrist harder,
10:50I pant through clenched teeth,
10:53For the first time in my life,
10:55I beg,
10:55Is my father dead?
10:57I'm not sad,
10:57I forgot what sad feels like a long time ago,
11:00His eye twitches at the sting,
11:02Ethan looks down at me,
11:04His silence is the answer,
11:06Your father couldn't handle the debt,
11:08He took his own life,
11:09I crumple to the floor,
11:10Without Ethan,
11:11I would have been the second one,
11:13He's right,
11:13What right do I have to hit him now?
11:15In my peripheral vision,
11:17I can barely hold my voice together,
11:19Ethan,
11:20I want a divorce,
11:21What did you just say?
11:23My voice goes quiet with them,
11:25A divorce,
11:27What's the reason this time?
11:29The hand at his side,
11:30Curls into a slow fist,
11:32Whether you married me for revenge,
11:34Or out of pity,
11:34It sure as hell wasn't love,
11:36I've done you wrong,
11:38I know that,
11:39But it's been years,
11:41Let it go,
11:42Let me go,
11:44Let yourself go,
11:45Memories surface,
11:46The truth is,
11:47I liked Ethan,
11:48But we started so ugly,
11:50That I never dared hope,
11:51He could feel anything for me,
11:53I told myself,
11:53Once he graduates,
11:55Once he doesn't need the money anymore,
11:57I'll let go,
11:58Disappear from his life for good,
11:59Nobody could have predicted,
12:01That seven years later,
12:02Everything would look like this,
12:04He says nothing for a long time,
12:06Then he walks out,
12:07And slams the door,
12:09That night,
12:10Ethan doesn't come home,
12:11The enormous apartment,
12:12Holds only me and Mrs. Delaney,
12:14Mrs. Delaney,
12:15Shouldn't you be off by now?
12:17I should be,
12:19But when Mr. Mercer's not home,
12:21I stay,
12:22Why?
12:23It's in my employment contract,
12:25If he's away,
12:26I stay with you,
12:27He just Venvo'd me overtime pay,
12:29And told me to keep an eye on you,
12:31Mrs. Delaney started after we got married,
12:33Thanks to her,
12:34I find a spreadsheet on Ethan's office computer,
12:36Every debt he's repaid on my behalf,
12:37Every dollar,
12:39Logged and tracked,
12:40If I want a divorce,
12:41I need to pay him back first,
12:42Only then are we even,
12:44The next day,
12:45I go to work like normal,
12:46The moment I step into the conference room,
12:48Every pair of eyes lands on me,
12:49Complicated expressions all around,
12:52Here's what you asked for,
12:53He takes the folder from me,
12:55Without expression,
12:56Drops it on the table with a flat smack,
12:58He tugs at the collar of his turtleneck,
13:00Revealing those sharp, cold eyes,
13:02I stand at his side,
13:03Obedient,
13:04The meeting runs until noon,
13:05Department heads file out one by one,
13:07Mr. Mercer,
13:08What would you like for lunch?
13:10Ethan ignores me,
13:11It used to be the other way around,
13:12He'd bring me food,
13:13After every session,
13:14I'd even make him feed me,
13:15Claiming my hand hurt too much,
13:17Mind you now,
13:18I call Mrs. Delaney,
13:19And ask what Ethan likes to eat,
13:21She rattles them off without thinking,
13:22Truffle mac and cheese,
13:24Lobster bisque,
13:26Grilled salmon,
13:27Those are all my favorites,
13:29Yes,
13:29You eat first,
13:31He eats what you leave,
13:33I don't know what I'm feeling when I open DoorDash,
13:35And order everything she listed,
13:37At checkout,
13:38Apple Pay pulls from Ethan's Amex Black,
13:40Six figure balance,
13:42My phone is the newest iPhone Pro Max,
13:44My bag is an unreleased Celine,
13:46This is the lifestyle I had before my family went under,
13:48I set the food on Ethan's desk,
13:50Gently,
13:51He doesn't bother looking up,
13:53Not hungry,
13:55It's all fresh,
13:56Not leftovers,
13:58Even less interesting now,
14:00Seriously?
14:00I stare at him,
14:01What is his problem?
14:03Ethan does not believe in separating work from personal grudges,
14:06He's got anger stored up,
14:07And he's freezing me out at the office,
14:09At this rate,
14:09I'll be fired,
14:10I find an empty corner and call for advice,
14:14Mrs. Delaney,
14:14Ethan won't even eat,
14:15How do I fix this?
14:17He's ignoring you?
14:18Honey,
14:18That's nothing,
14:19Ignore him for a few days,
14:21He'll come crawling back,
14:22Always does,
14:23What kind of marriage is this?
14:24But I'm the one who messed up,
14:26Shouldn't I be the one doing the groveling?
14:28Well,
14:29If you don't want to wait it out,
14:30I do have one trick,
14:31One trick?
14:32Tell me,
14:33Tell me now,
14:35Smack him again dear,
14:36That always resets me,
14:37I'm speechless,
14:38One Christmas Eve,
14:39Mr. Mercer cooked an entire dinner himself,
14:41You didn't touch a bite,
14:43You swept it all off the table,
14:44He was devastated,
14:46When I came to clean up,
14:47He was sitting on the floor,
14:49Crying,
14:50Silently,
14:51Next time I came in,
14:52You two were back to normal,
14:55Just like that?
14:57The whip dear,
14:58The whip fixes everything in this house,
15:00Excuse me?
15:00When the fight was at its worst,
15:02You went at him with the riding cup,
15:04I felt sorry for him,
15:05But then he grabbed your hand,
15:06And kissed your palm,
15:08The hand you hit him with,
15:10I'm crouched in the corridor,
15:11I glance left,
15:12Glance right,
15:13Look ahead,
15:14Look behind,
15:15When my head turns 45 degrees back,
15:18I see two long,
15:19Straight legs,
15:20I tilt my head up,
15:22Ethan's eyes meet mine,
15:25On the phone,
15:26Mrs. Delaney is still going full throttle,
15:28The harder you hit him,
15:29The harder he kissed you,
15:31Lord,
15:32I had to leave the room,
15:33I'm too old for that kind of show,
15:34You've lost your memory,
15:36But I haven't,
15:37You got angry again,
15:38Hit him with the other hand,
15:39He grabbed both your wrists,
15:41And pinned you on the bed,
15:42I silently hang up,
15:44A suffocating pause,
15:45Ethan cold and clipped,
15:47Go to internal Alidus,
15:48Get the planning report from the director,
15:50Okay,
15:51And tell the director of strategic planning to see me,
15:54His proposal has issues,
15:57Okay,
16:00Next time you bite me,
16:02Use the left hand,
16:04Okay,
16:05Wait,
16:06What?
16:08Ethan stands with his hands in his pockets,
16:10Perfectly straight,
16:11Perfectly untouchable,
16:13That same glacial composure,
16:15Whatever he's thinking,
16:16He won't say,
16:17Ethan seems determined to ignore me,
16:19Looks exactly like seven years ago,
16:20Cold to the bone,
16:22Eden,
16:23I'll give you a ride on my motorcycle,
16:26Bree has something come up,
16:27Can't leave with me tonight,
16:29Genuine,
16:30Hard to say no to,
16:31Downstairs,
16:32Ryan's already straddling the bike,
16:33In full riding gear,
16:35I reach for it,
16:36And a low horn sounds behind me,
16:38A black Bentley glides past like water,
16:41Roads are bad tonight,
16:42I'll take you home,
16:43Mr. Mercer,
16:44How'd you know I've always wanted to ride in a Bentley,
16:46Call yourself another one,
16:48Expense it,
16:49Ethan cuts him off,
16:50Voice cool as marble,
16:52You,
16:53Get in,
16:53The door shuts with a clean thud,
16:55Heat seals out the noise,
16:58I wasn't messing around,
17:00Ryan was just being nice,
17:01Don't flatter yourself,
17:03You want a divorce,
17:03Right?
17:05Might as well audition replacements,
17:06I'm not petty enough to care,
17:08Ethan's tone barely registers emotion,
17:11Me?
17:11Petty?
17:12Please!
17:13His voice is level,
17:14But something sharp presses just beneath the surface,
17:16I don't know how to answer,
17:17I close my mouth,
17:18Silence all the way home,
17:19The car stops,
17:21Ethan's voice out of nowhere,
17:25One affair wasn't enough,
17:26Now you're starting a collection?
17:28I have an affair,
17:30The kind of affair that means cheating,
17:31Ethan,
17:32What did I do wrong?
17:33What do I have to do to make you stop?
17:35Since we got married,
17:37I've let you hit me,
17:38I've given you everything you wanted,
17:40Why do you keep trying to leave?
17:42And on top of that,
17:43He seems to remember the amnesia,
17:45Takes a deep breath,
17:46His voice drains of energy,
17:47You've been seeing someone behind my back,
17:49You even brought him here,
17:50For six months,
17:51That's impossible!
17:52A bitter scoff,
17:55Your words, not mine,
17:57He's your first love,
17:59Better looking than me,
18:01Younger than me,
18:02I go still,
18:03After my father's fun collapsed,
18:05I married Ethan almost immediately,
18:07Before that,
18:08I was with him the whole time,
18:09I almost laughed,
18:11Since when do I have a first love?
18:13Ethan holds up his phone,
18:14Face tight,
18:15On the screen,
18:15A selfie,
18:16Me and some boy I've never seen,
18:18Tangled up on a couch,
18:19Arms around each other,
18:20Way too close,
18:23You've tried to divorce me over him,
18:25More times than I can count,
18:26That expression on his face,
18:28Like a husband who just caught his wife cheating,
18:31So what if he's younger?
18:33Eden, have your fun,
18:34But let's be real,
18:34Can he take a hit like I can?
18:36I hold it in for a few seconds,
18:37Then I burst out laughing,
18:38Fair?
18:39That's my nephew,
18:41He's in high school,
18:41What is wrong with you?
18:42Your nephew?
18:43Ethan's dark pupils flash,
18:45Like a meteor streaking through them,
18:47He zooms in on the photo,
18:48Comparing two similar faces,
18:50You lied to me,
18:51You didn't cheat,
18:52Something heavy,
18:53Settles in my chest,
18:54The laughter fades from my face,
18:56Without a sound,
18:57Yeah,
18:57Why did the future version of me,
18:59Lie to him?
19:00A week later,
19:01I meet Dr. Vaughn in secret,
19:02There are things I need to know,
19:03Starting with my father's death,
19:05Dr. Vaughn lets out a quiet sigh,
19:07Eden,
19:07I don't think you need to fixate,
19:08On your father's death,
19:10Your memory stopped seven years ago,
19:11Everything before that,
19:12You should still have,
19:13Of course I do,
19:15Seven years ago,
19:16Was the moment,
19:16I hated my father most,
19:18That was when I learned the truth,
19:19About how my mother died,
19:20My mother loved my father,
19:22From the days when he had nothing,
19:23To the days when he was worth hundreds of millions,
19:26She loved him the same,
19:27Even knowing he had hereditary bipolar,
19:29She married him,
19:30Had his child,
19:31A child who would almost certainly inherit it,
19:33She whispered in my ear,
19:34That she was very sick,
19:36A very,
19:36Very serious illness,
19:38She said,
19:39No cure,
19:40She told me I had to take care of myself,
19:41For years I believed her,
19:43Until I met Ethan,
19:44After one of our sessions,
19:45I was still buzzing,
19:46Why do you react like that every time I hit you,
19:48Don't tell me you're falling for me,
19:50Would you marry me if I asked,
19:51I will never forget what he said,
19:5320 year old Ethan,
19:54Eyes full of cold contempt,
19:56Marry you,
19:57So I can watch you destroy me,
19:58The way your father destroyed your mother,
20:00My mother's face floated up,
20:01That hollow, ruined smile,
20:03Her hand on my cheek,
20:05Gentle,
20:05Her voice breaking,
20:07Eden honey,
20:07Mommy can't save your father,
20:09And she can't save herself,
20:11I hate my father,
20:12Hate him for knowing he was sick,
20:14And refusing to get help,
20:15Hate him for knowing he'd hurt my mother,
20:17And never letting her leave,
20:19Until he finally destroyed her,
20:21Hate him for bringing me into the world,
20:23Another broken thing,
20:24Just like him,
20:26I pushed the chaos down,
20:27Dr. Vaughn,
20:28After my mother died,
20:29My father sent me to boarding school,
20:31We were never close,
20:33I suspect that's precisely why he sent you away,
20:36He was afraid of hurting you too,
20:38What father doesn't love his daughter,
20:40He was still my father,
20:42I have a right to know how he really died,
20:44My father's fund was massive,
20:46Ashford Capital didn't go down quietly,
20:48So why did he,
20:49Every article I found is about the financial scandal,
20:52Not a single one mentions how Richard Ashford actually died,
20:55Just one vague obituary,
20:57The color drains from Dr. Vaughn's face,
20:59Ethan lied to me,
21:02My father's death wasn't just a suicide,
21:05Dr. Vaughn picks up the stack and shakes his head,
21:07Eden,
21:08You really are something,
21:09Almost laughing,
21:11What?
21:11Ethan called me last night,
21:13He was happy,
21:14Said you were doing better,
21:16Said you still seemed to like him,
21:17Even without your memories,
21:18I pressed my lips together,
21:19If he knew what you've been up to,
21:21He'd be heartbroken,
21:22Say nothing,
21:23Since making up with Ethan,
21:24I've been acting like everything's fine,
21:26Eden,
21:26Why do you think Ethan lied to you,
21:28Dr. Vaughn looks me dead in the eye,
21:29Something shifts in him,
21:30Like he's made a decision,
21:32I drop my gaze,
21:33He sighs,
21:33He speaks slowly,
21:35You don't think he was trying to hurt you,
21:37Do you,
21:38He was protecting you,
21:40You'll recover your memories eventually,
21:42I don't want to keep lying to you,
21:44You and your father both have mental illness,
21:47Under extreme emotional stress,
21:49People like you are capable of crossing lines,
21:53You killed your father,
21:55Eden,
21:55A red fog floods my vision out of nowhere,
21:57Dr. Vaughn stares at me,
21:59Face blank,
22:00And repeats,
22:00You killed your father,
22:02Your father destroyed your mother,
22:04And you killed him,
22:06People like you and your father,
22:08Maybe the world was never built for you,
22:10I grip the edge of the table,
22:12Something buried deep in my skull,
22:14Is clawing its way out,
22:15Lines and fragments writhe and twist,
22:17Fighting to surface,
22:19What the hell did you say to her,
22:21Have you lost your goddamn mind,
22:23Doing my job,
22:25Mr. Mercer,
22:26Why do you think NYU Langone let me go,
22:28My methods are too aggressive,
22:30The mainstream doesn't approve,
22:32I feel like I've been asleep for a very long time,
22:35Seven years in a single dream,
22:37I didn't travel through time at all,
22:38I got sick,
22:39Lost seven years of memory by accident,
22:42Dr. Vaughn's brutal words ripped a crack in my brain,
22:45And through that crack,
22:46Memories tore back,
22:48Some of them,
22:48First,
22:49I didn't kill my father,
22:50After the fund collapsed,
22:51It was one wave after another,
22:53SEC investigations,
22:55Investor lawsuits,
22:56Debt collectors,
22:57The last time I saw him,
22:59Was in the old brownstone in Brooklyn Heights,
23:01My mother's room,
23:02The three of us lived there once,
23:03My father's voice was wrong,
23:06After my mother died,
23:08He'd never looked this worn,
23:09I didn't give you a sound mind,
23:10Or a whole family,
23:11And now I can't even give you money,
23:14He wasn't a father I was close to,
23:16But I won't drag you down,
23:18I didn't blame you,
23:19All those years of privilege were enough,
23:21I had a job,
23:23Two hands,
23:23Two feet,
23:24We could share the burden,
23:27Later,
23:27He replayed that moment,
23:29Over and over,
23:30It was that coldness,
23:31From the person closest to him,
23:33That sent him over the edge,
23:34Triggered another episode,
23:35Took the last of his reason,
23:37Late that night,
23:38He went back to Ashford Capital's corner office,
23:40Every financial record the company had,
23:42Was stored there,
23:43He destroyed what he could,
23:44Shredder,
23:45Hard drives wiped clean,
23:46Then,
23:46In that same office,
23:47He overdosed,
23:48Swallowed an entire bottle of prescription pills,
23:51And set a fire,
23:52The fire department put out the bling,
23:54Most of the documents were already Ash,
23:55Some things could never be traced again,
23:58The corporate legal team,
23:59And the insurance company,
24:00Controlled the narrative,
24:01The official statement read,
24:02Richard Ashford passed away,
24:04From cardiac arrest,
24:05During the course of the investigation,
24:06Cause of death,
24:07Sealed,
24:08The media kept it spotlight,
24:09On the financial scandal,
24:11Nobody cared how a fallen fund manager,
24:13Actually died,
24:14I didn't kill my father,
24:15But I was the thing that pushed him faster toward the edge,
24:18I ended the three year arrangement with Ethan,
24:20His debts were long paid off,
24:22Aside from a small ache of not wanting to let go,
24:24It cost me nothing,
24:26I had nothing left,
24:27Even with most of the financial records destroyed,
24:29The remaining liabilities and personal guarantees,
24:31Were enough to suffocate me,
24:33Without Ethan,
24:34My emotions had no outlet,
24:35I realized I couldn't keep going,
24:38I was so tired,
24:40I wanted to die,
24:42The rooftop of the Ashford capital building,
24:43Ethan on his knees,
24:45Begging me,
24:46Controlled and falling apart at the same time,
24:48He never gave me a kind look,
24:50Not once,
24:51Every glance said he despised me,
24:53But the moment he saw me about to jump,
24:55Something in him snapped,
24:57That shock,
24:58The sheer strangeness of his desperation,
25:00Is what stopped me from stepping off the edge,
25:02I stared as he took my hand in his,
25:04Gentle and terrified,
25:06Eden,
25:07I'm here,
25:08You wanna hit me,
25:08You can hit me,
25:09I won't charge you,
25:10Not now,
25:10Not ever,
25:11Just come down,
25:11Please,
25:12Come down and hit me,
25:12Just,
25:13I have nothing left to give you,
25:15I don't need,
25:16Marry me,
25:16I'll take care of you,
25:17I'll pay off the debt,
25:18Please,
25:19If you die,
25:20I won't survive either,
25:22From somewhere far away,
25:24Dr. Vaughn's voice calls me back,
25:26Eden,
25:27My mind resurfaces,
25:29Dr. Vaughn watches my eyes,
25:30A small smile on his face,
25:32Some of it came back,
25:35Ethan hovers beside me,
25:36Tense,
25:37How are you feeling?
25:38I look up at him,
25:39I'm fine,
25:40It's over,
25:41When you first married Ethan,
25:42You were in a very bad place,
25:43But he didn't give up,
25:45He found me,
25:46Over the years you've made real progress,
25:47As for why the amnesia happened,
25:49That's not my story to tell,
25:51Ask your husband.
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