- 8 hours ago
The Last of 99 Goodbyes
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Short filmTranscript
00:00in the hospital for three days and for those three days my phone stayed silent i didn't receive a
00:04single call from my family i didn't call anyone either i didn't scroll through their instagram
00:09reads like i used to trying to keep up with every little update in their lives instead i just quietly
00:14rested in my hospital bed and dragged my weak body around for checkups and payments even on the day i
00:19was discharged i didn't tell a soul i simply packed my own things endured the pain in my abdomen and
00:24slowly made my way home when i pushed the door open the laughter inside the house abruptly stopped
00:30everyone was gathered in the living room my fiancee joel was sitting beside yaida with his arm
00:35casually draped around her shoulders the moment he saw me he pulled his hand back and gave me an
00:39awkward smile sophia you're back where have you been these past few days my brother joshua norton
00:46let out a cold snort where else would she have gone to she just didn't want to show up to
00:49yetette's
00:50birthday party she always has to ruin things for her since she can't stand seeing vivi happy
00:56i didn't say a word i just headed straight for my room joshua seemed surprised that i didn't argue
01:02with him wait sophia normally whenever he accused me of being selfish i would break down in tears and
01:10desperately defend myself but this time i'd kept quiet my mom rushed over to me with a glass of juice
01:17sophia we were so busy with vivi's birthday the other day that we missed your calls
01:21don't be mad at us okay she placed a glass of mango juice in my hand although my heart had
01:27long
01:27since stopped expecting anything it still arced faintly i was allergic to mangoes but evivine loved
01:33them there was always mango flavored food and drinks in the house because of that but no matter how many
01:38times i reminded them no one ever remembered that i couldn't have mangoes i handed the glass back to mom
01:43and quietly stepped back i'm not mad i'll just go to my room just as i turned around a loud
01:48noise came
01:49from the living room dad abruptly stood up and slammed his hand on the table why have you been
01:53walking around with that sour face ever since you came in your mother already apologized and even gave
01:57you your favorite drink what's with that attitude it looks like we've spoiled you too much my heart
02:03twisted and even breathing hurt tears blurred my vision but i still lifted the glass from mom's hand
02:09and drank it all in one go i then gently set the empty glass down and wiped away my tears
02:15i calmly looked at dad if that's the one who likes mangoes i am not i'm allergic to them but
02:20it doesn't
02:20matter i already drank it all can i go to my room now sophia why didn't you say something earlier
02:26if
02:26you were allergic to it who told you to drink it you're so stubborn mom panicked and quickly patted my
02:32back dad looked embarrassed but he still harshly replied you could have just explained yourself
02:36you've always had that unlikable attitude you're nothing like vivi she knows how to communicate
02:42yvette's voice drifted over from the couch dad don't say that about sophia you'll make her sad
02:47she sounded gentle but the smugness in her eyes was impossible to hide yvette had always used my
02:53dullness to highlight her perfection no matter what it was she loved comparing herself to me she would
02:59only be satisfied when she got to trample me i should have felt hurt but my heart only felt numb
03:04even when
03:05faced with such humiliation i felt no emotions anymore i'm sorry it won't happen again the
03:10moment the words left my mouth everyone in the room stared at me in shock
03:19my obedience caught everyone off guard after a brief silence dad finally said that's more like it
03:26we're family there's nothing we can't talk about i only say these things for your own good
03:32yeah i know i obediently nodded with a numb smile fixed on my face upon seeing that i wasn't upset
03:38they relaxed and returned to the living room with yvette i paused for a moment and continued up the
03:43stairs toward my room but just as i stepped onto the staircase someone grabbed my wrist joel had come
03:48up beside me without my noticing he leaned in close and whispered are you really not angry his gentle tone
03:55made my eyes staying all over again i felt a rush of grievance rise in my chest but i could
04:01only shake
04:02my head my throat tightened and i couldn't utter a single word joel however looked relieved i knew
04:08you'd be the sensible one you never get upset over the little things actually there's something i wanted
04:14to talk to you about he turned his head away avoiding my eyes we should postpone the wedding next week
04:23i promised your sister that i'd take her to see the northern lights at aurora bay when she turns 18.
04:29now that her birthday's over she won't stop begging me to keep my promise so i thought why not take
04:36the
04:36whole family along for a trip what do you think
04:42the invitations haven't gone out yet it's just a wedding so pushing it back a few days won't matter
04:46he said with a faint smile and a hint of affection in his eyes after being abandoned 99 times why
04:52would
04:52i still expect any love them when i didn't respond joelie impatiently scrapped his head come on seph
04:58evelde's never been abroad before it's her first time going somewhere that far as her family we should
05:03be there for her besides you've never seen the northern lights either think of it as an early
05:07honeymoon i didn't answer immediately i lifted my head and looked straight at my heart flutter now filled
05:11with nothing but entitlement and carelessness joel do you even remember what i'm allergic to or
05:15or my favorite color the dish i like the most the song i hum when i'm happy with every question
05:20i ask joel's gaze splintered away a little more he instinctively wanted to say something but i
05:24gently raised man to stop him you don't know do you after all these years together you don't know
05:28the first thing about me stuff what's the point of all this we're talking about the wedding you're
05:32right there's no point you want to take yevel to see the northern lights you want to postpone the
05:37wedding and you want me to be understanding and considerate fine i've been sensible my whole life but from
05:42now on i never want to be that person again sure what did you say i said i agree to
05:54cancel the wedding
06:00he corrected me with a frown on his face cancel no one's canceling anything i said postpone we can't
06:08just cancel the wedding i lowered my head a faint bitter smile tugged at my lips was there really a
06:14difference as long as a vet was around she would never let our wedding happen joel was still waiting
06:19for my answer but i didn't want to say another word i turned and walked toward the stairs
06:27seth wait he reached out to grab me the moment his fingers touched my wrist i shook him off
06:32don't touch me my voice wasn't loud but it cut through the air like a blade joel froze a flash
06:39of embarrassment crossing his face you want to postpone the wedding fine take her to see the northern
06:44lights fine i said yes to everything what else do you need from me i just thought you'd be more
06:51understanding
06:57i understand perfectly i understand that i will never come first not to you not to anyone in this house
07:06i looked at him with no anger no tears just the calm of someone who had completely let go
07:11joel opened his mouth but nothing came out are you upset because i'm going to aurora bay with joel
07:17yvette's voice came from behind me dripping with false innocence i ignored her and kept walking
07:21yvette had always been that way even if i did nothing all she had to do was cry or pout
07:25in front of our
07:26family and everyone would rush to defend her joshua was the first to lose his temper that's enough
07:31seth didn't you hear vivi talking to you one moment you say you're not angry and at the next you're
07:35giving everyone an attitude is this how you treat your family i didn't look back i kept climbing
07:39one step two steps my skin began to prinkle a tightness spread at the back of my throat i needed
07:46to get to my room and take my medication but joshua clearly wasn't done with me where do you think
07:52you're going we're not done talking i need my medicine the mango juice don't give me that you're just
08:03trying to get attention like always his hand grabbed my hair and yanked backward pain exploded
08:11i lost my balance and fell down the stairs
08:20i fell to the floor and pain shot through both my knees don't be mad at sophia yvette said wiping
08:28the
08:29corners of her eyes it's all my fault i shouldn't have turned 18 so soon if i had waited a
08:35little
08:35longer then the trip wouldn't have clashed with her wedding i caught the tiny smirk tugging at her lips
08:42you're being ridiculous you can't decide when you grow up this happened because she picked the wrong date
08:49for her wedding it's not because of you joshua snapped he stared at me irritation written all over
08:56his face you love sulking right fine stay here and sulk joshua grabbed me and shoved me into the storage
09:03room next to the stairs i started to panic and fumbled for the handle but i heard the click of
09:09a lock
09:09from the other side before i could reach for it he had locked the door stay put joshua coldly said
09:17you can come out when you've had the time to think about your actions no please let me out i'm
09:24allergic to mangoes i need my medication i screamed but joshua's voice was already fading as he pushed
09:32yethrin out the main door i made a reservation at a seafood restaurant it's almost time for our
09:41reservation so we should leave soon he said but sophia she'll be fine a few hours in there will teach
09:53her a lesson joshua replied yeah she has such a bad temper locking her in there might be a good
10:02idea
10:03i'll bring her some of her favorite shrimp later come on joel she'll be fine in there for a few
10:10hours
10:11instantly terror surged through me i pounded on the door with all my strength and screamed i'm not mad
10:16anymore i'll apologize to you bet i'll do anything just let me out i can't breathe i'll die if i
10:24don't
10:24take my medication my voice cracked into a shrill plea but no one answered i crumpled to the floor
10:34the itching spread from my back to my face and soon my throat began to close as well
10:43mom and dad had seen me drink the mango juice they knew i was allergic to it but they forgot
10:47about me they remembered yvette's favorite seafood restaurant but forgot that i had downed a glass of
10:52mango juice just five minutes ago desperation pushed me to my feet i twisted the doorknob with all my
10:57might but the door was locked from the outside and wouldn't budge i frantically searched my pockets
11:05but the foam i had been holding on to must have flown somewhere when joshua had grabbed me
11:08soon the rash spread all over my body my face had swollen up from the reaction and i could barely
11:13see through my eyes not to mention breathing became difficult too if i couldn't escape i would
11:18die in the storage room as i searched for something to break the lock i finally spotted my phone that
11:22had
11:22been tossed to the corner overjoyed i picked it up with trembling hands however neither my parents
11:33my brother nor joel answered my calls
11:45suddenly a message from joshua popped up on the screen don't come to aurora bay with us you'll make
11:51yvette sad if you do tears spilled from the corners of my swollen eyes i should have known better than
11:56to
11:57expect anything from them in the end i dialed for emergency services my fingers trembled so violently
12:02that i nearly dropped the phone the screen was swam before my eyes blurry doubled then blurry again
12:07i forced myself to focus pressing the phone against my i opened my mouth 911 what's your emergency my
12:15throat had swollen nearly shut please storage room can't breathe i wasn't even sure if the dispatcher
12:27heard me ma'am i can't understand you are you having a medical emergency can you tell me your address
12:35i could hear the voice but it was growing distant as if someone were slowly turning down the volume of
12:41the world the light seeping through the crack under the door dim or maybe my eyes were failing
12:49darkness crept in from the edges of my vision i slid down the wall my body too heavy to hold
12:58upright
12:59the phone slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor at the seafood restaurant joshua had ordered
13:07enough expensive seafood to cover the table it made yvette's mouth water there's way too much i can't
13:13possibly finish all of this josh maybe we should cancel an order or two it's fine we got all the
13:17dishes you said you wanted to try we can just ask for takeout if we can't finish them
13:21yvette's lips curled upward slightly but she pretended to protest wouldn't letting sophia eat our leftovers
13:27be a little rude what's wrong with that she's never had any of this before at least you can finally
13:33get a taste of these dishes thanks to you the moment joshua said that the table fell silent
13:38suddenly it hit everyone that i really hadn't tasted any of these dishes before despite being
13:43five years older than yvette they had never once taken me out for a nice meal joshua was the first
13:49child and the pride of the family my parents had poured all their time and attention into him
13:53by the time i came along they were too busy tutoring joshua and expanding their business to pay much
13:59attention to me they had simply left my care to a nanny when yvette arrived their careers were
14:04flourishing every bit of the affection they felt guilty for not giving me went straight to her
14:10unaware of the silence around the table yvette kept up her innocent act maybe you should order a
14:16separate portion for sophia if she finds out she's eating my leftovers she'll probably get upset again
14:20mom hesitated for a moment before saying don't serve the shrimp or the lobster just yet we'll have
14:26them to go when we leave your sister loves those things but she hasn't had them in a while yvette
14:31froze she hadn't expected her performance to backfire but mom i wanted some lobster too
14:38vivi be good we already have more than we can eat let those two dishes be for your sister i'll
14:44bring
14:44you back here next time mom said yvette was visibly unhappy she had always gotten the first pick of
14:51everything so she couldn't stand that i was being prioritized now but i hadn't had lobster in months
14:57why does she get to have it all dad frowned vivi there's already the king crab and prime beef on
15:03the
15:03table your mother's only saving the cheapest dish for your sister why are you making a fuss yvette's
15:09heart skipped a beat she realized she had gone too far and had aroused mom's and dad's suspicion
15:16i just wanted to save the best for sophia i'll take the cheaper dishes she deserves the fancy ones
15:21that's my good girl don't worry about it sophia doesn't understand much about these things you
15:26don't need to give in to her exactly sophia can't handle expensive food anyway she's allergic to mangoes
15:31who knows what seafood might do to her just then there was a loud clang as the spoon slipped from
15:35mom's
15:36hand but she didn't notice the mess instead her face went pale as she jumped to her feet didn't
15:40sophia drink mango juice earlier joshua locked her in the storage room will she be okay dad's expression
15:44darkened as the realization hit him too meanwhile joshua was still confused what are you talking
15:48about what allergy he had been on the phone when i drunk the mango juice earlier he hadn't heard my
15:53conversation with mom and dad joel didn't waste another second he grabbed the car keys and said i'm
15:59going back she has to be fine we'll come with you yvette was in disbelief what about dinner where are
16:05you
16:05guys going but no one answered her by the time they'd rushed back home the front gate of the villa
16:10had
16:10already been broken open neighbors had gathered outside too whispering and pointing towards the house
16:14as they approached the crowd mrs watson next hit has raised her voice over the noise the police came
16:18about two hours ago and broke your door down they carried someone out under a white sheet
16:25mrs watson's words hit like a thunderbolt mom let out a sharp broken cry and staggered backward
16:31until she hit the garden fence her hands flew to her mouth but a scream still escaped through her
16:37fingers sofia my baby no no no she clawed at the air as if trying to grab her daughter back
16:43from death
16:44dad didn't speak he just turned and lemsh toward the house his polished shoes slipping on the gravel
16:49he fell once got up and crashed through the broken front door inside he saw the storage room door
16:54splintered floor scuffed an empty syringe wrapper left behind by the paramedics he dropped to his knees
16:59right there and pressed his forehead to the cold tiles his shoulders shaking with silent sobs
17:03joel pulled out his phone with trembling hands and dialed sofia again the call went straight to
17:06voicemail he tried three more times then threw the phone against the car it shattered he didn't care
17:11he slid down the side of the car buried his face in his hands and whispered i was going to
17:14take
17:14her sister to see the lights i postponed our wedding god i'm a monster behind them yvelt watched it all
17:19she bit her lower lip not to hold back tears but to suppress a smile then she walked over to
17:24joel
17:24crouched down and gently placed a hand on his back joel don't blame yourself sofia would have
17:28wanted you to be happy her voice was soft soothing and utterly fake as she spoke she
17:33broke in the door of the villa and allowed herself one satisfied she's really gone mom's eyes rolled
17:39back and she collapsed joshua caught her just in time dad's face went pale as he stumbled into the
17:44house when he saw the storage room door that had been forced open he fell to the floor my daughter
17:50sophia panic flooded joel's face his voice trembled as he said no that can't be stuff was just fine just
17:57now she has to be fine now too when he finally snapped out of his panicked state he turned to
18:02rush outside but yavit stopped him joel don't go mom fainted you have to get her to the hospital
18:07joshua was holding mom upright as he helplessly looked at joel joel gritted his teeth get her in
18:12the car we'll go to the hospital and see soph too by the end of his sentence his voice was
18:18already
18:19breaking with that they hurried to the hospital the moment they arrived mom woke up
18:24sophia she cried out tightly grabbing joshua's hand she's fine right she's still in the storage
18:30room go let her out already joshua looked away he couldn't meet mom's gaze soph isn't in the storage
18:36room anymore we're gonna see her now joshua said guiltily see her what do you mean see her mom blankly
18:41murmured when the nurse led them to the morgue up she nearly fainted again the only patient brought in
18:47today could not be saved the nurse said please come in and take a look opening the door with pity
18:53in her eyes this is your fault why did you lock her in there you killed her give me back
19:00my daughter
19:00no that's impossible it was just an allergy how could she be dead it's my fault why did i make
19:10her
19:10drink that juice why didn't i remember she was allergic in the center of the room stood a single
19:16bed covered with a white sheet mom suddenly broke down and pounded on joshua's chest joshua stumbled
19:21back from her blows but all he could do was numbly fix his eyes on the body before him he
19:26was filled
19:26with disbelief dad fell to his knees he tore at his hair in anguish joel staggered toward the bed his
19:33hands
19:33shook as he tried to lift the sheet but he failed multiple times everyone was drowning in grief
19:39but only your rent stared at the body with cold eyes her lips were curled outward she was clearly
19:45in a good mood now that i was dead she was probably the happiest of them all
19:51no one would compete with her for mom's and dad's love anymore everyone including joel would belong to
19:59her alone mom dad joshua joel yvette said with false sympathy sophia wouldn't want to see you like this
20:08it was just an accident none of this is anyone's fault please don't blame yourselves she lowered her
20:16gaze trying her best to hide her smirk as she stepped closer to the bed she turned to joel with
20:21feigned curiosity i heard that sudden deaths can distort the face but sophia loved looking pretty
20:27i'm sure she still looks beautiful now with that she eagerly lifted the white sheet she wanted to expose
20:33me at my ugliest moment so that they would be horrified by how i look don't joel shouted he
20:39squeezed his eyes shut he couldn't bring himself to look at the body just then alanda's screen pierced
20:44no that's not sophia joel's eyes flow open beneath the sheet was the body of a man in his 50s
20:50or 60s
20:51what's going on if that's not sophia then where is she mom and dad hurried forward the moment they saw
20:56the body their eyes wowed it's not sophia thank goodness wait where's sophia if she isn't here
21:02where could she have gone on her lips she's probably hiding somewhere laugh at us she knows how worried
21:07everyone gets so she's pretending to be dead just to see all of you cry for her dad's face flushed
21:14red
21:14he let out a snort ridiculous sophia's gone too far this time doesn't she know how worried we'd be
21:19joshua's and joel's faces darkened as well their early embarrassment now mixed with a renewed
21:23resentment toward me joel immediately pulled out his phone to call me when the line wouldn't
21:27connect he tapped the screen in anger that's enough sophia do you think this is funny how could you
21:33play such a cruel prank on us you better come back and apologize right now or i'll cancel the wedding
21:39at the same time joshua sent me his own the storage room doesn't mean you can take revenge on me
21:44message
21:44if you have any decency don't having calmed down from the shock mom and dad were now more embarrassed
21:50than heartbroken too none of them wanted to see me anymore mr jones served our family for over 20
21:55years he was one of us we'll give him a proper burial now they turned their attention fully to our
22:01butler alfred jones's funeral no one bothered to ask where i went yvette was the only one happy about
22:09my disappearance even during the funeral she couldn't stop humming to herself
22:19when they got home she was the first to speak up even though sophia's gone we shouldn't break
22:24off the engagement with the gram family i'm willing to marry joel in her place she shyly lowered her head
22:30but everyone stared at her in shock bb what are you saying your sister's just upset your sister's
22:36just upset she'll come back sooner or later joel is her fiance whether or not the engagement goes on
22:42has nothing to do with dad said disagreeing without hesitation even joel looked uncomfortable
22:48bb i've always thought of him as a sister the only woman i love is sophia
22:54i could never marry you yvette's face was filled with disbelief you all say you love me more so why
23:04does that always get what's bad watch your mouth she's your sister mom snapped her tone harder than
23:13yvette had ever heard before she's not my sister i wish she'd just die yvette screamed and bolted
23:21upstairs to her room everyone exchanged glances as they silently stood in the living room
23:29then mom's eyes fell on the takeout boxes of seafood on the table she asked sophia's never had any
23:34of this has she the room they began to realize how little i had mattered in the household mom and
23:39bad always asked about joshua's grades and checked on events routines pampering her in every way yet
23:44they didn't even know what i liked or what i was allergic to they didn't even know how my studies
23:48were going i was like a dispensable presence to them and now that i was gone they'd finally realized
23:54how much they'd neglected me we can't really blame sophia for what she did if she comes back
23:59i'll forgive her for everything by the time the paramedics broke down the door i had already
24:03passed out in the storage room fortunately they were professionals one of them immediately
24:08administered an epinephrine shot dragging me back from the edge of death your throat swelled up due
24:14to a severe allergic reaction the doctor said as he helped me onto a stretcher the swelling's gone
24:18down now but you should still go to the hospital for a full checkup just then alfred the butler
24:22came running in from the backyard the sight of the paramedics crowding the house made him freeze
24:25what's going on here how did you get in he turned and saw me lying on the stretcher with a
24:31swollen
24:31face immediately his breathing stopped and he clutched his chest before collapsing to the floor
24:38the doctor was shocked quick get him into the ambulance after a moment of chaos the doctor
24:44turned to me and said hang on i'm sorry that man just went into cardiac arrest we have to rush
24:48him
24:48to the hospital right now the ambulance can't fit another patient i summoned the last of my strength and
24:53said save him first i'm fine now i'll go to the hospital later i'll transfer you the money but just
25:00make sure he survives after the ambulance took alfred away i weakly returned to my bedroom there was
25:11barely anything in there there were just a few sets of clothes an old diary and a nearly empty bottle
25:17of
25:17facial cleanser there weren't any jewelry or bags in there upon thinking of yvette's huge walk-in closet
25:23and her vanity full of accessories i couldn't help but let out a bitter smile this closet is perfect
25:29i had never mattered and mattered in this family so i should leave there was no place for me here
25:35anymore i casually packed my clothes into an old suitcase and looked at the diary filled with 99 entries
25:41of hurt and disappointment i didn't take it with me and left it in the corner of the room
25:48when i was little i wrote an entry every time i felt ignored i had believed that if i were
25:53obedient
25:53enough my parents and brother would one day notice me and love me a little more but i was wrong
25:58no
25:58matter how good i was no matter how much i tried i could never compete with a vet's slightest frown
26:03i should have left earlier i said to myself nodding as i lifted the heavy leather socus but it's not
26:08too
26:08late now i took the little money i had saved to buy them gifts and kept it all for myself
26:12when the plane took
26:13off all the pain from being left behind and all the love i'd never received stayed behind in that
26:18house after studying vocal music i had always dreamed of going to vendonia to continue my studies
26:22but i never dared to leave home i had saved up some money to buy gifts for my family and
26:26to get joel
26:26an expensive watch but i'd never thought of saving even a little for myself now i would take back all
26:31the love i'd given them if no one loved me then i'd love myself vendonia truly was the city of
26:35music
26:35everything i had dreamed of learning was here so i threw myself into my studies day and night when i'd
26:41first
26:42arrived in this foreign country everything had felt strange but i filled my time by practicing music
26:46absorbing knowledge like a sponge even the strictest professor eventually sighed and said relax a little
26:56sophia at this rate you'll collapse in class don't worry professor i still have plenty of energy i replied
27:03with a smile in one year i completed all my vocal performance credits during my second year i took up
27:09music composition and dance by my third year my mentor invited me to perform at his concert
27:19me no way i i've never performed on stage before but my mentor simply patted my shoulder and
27:26confidently smiled don't underestimate yourself he said you're my most gifted student your tone is pure
27:35and has a rare quality to it he looked at me with a deep gaze there's also something in your
27:40music
27:41that tells stories something that moves people to tears i don't know what you've been through to write
27:47songs filled with such sorrow but let me tell you every bit of suffering you've endured will become part
27:52of the path that leads you to success believe in yourself sophia show them what you can do
28:00you deserve to shine instantly my tears fell
28:09so someone really could hear my pain through my music they could feel my story just by listening to
28:14it that was the power of music and that was the reason i was willing to dedicate my life to
28:19it
28:20the concert was a huge success i performed an original piece of mine
28:24and stunned the audience everyone remembered my distinct tone and the emotion behind my pieces
28:31as my mentor had said my past didn't break me it lifted me higher inspiration flowed endlessly
28:38my pieces evolved from raging at fate to forgiving my past to celebrating life's brief beauty
28:45i poured my journey into every note letting people witness my transformation
28:51soon my name spread everywhere they called me the generation's most legendary musician my mentor took
28:57me on tour in my fifth year away from home i finally returned to my home performed my new song
29:03when the last note faded the applause didn't stop for a long time on my way backstage
29:08i suddenly saw faces i hadn't seen in five years mom dad joshua and joel they all looked emotional
29:15sofia it's really you we finally found you mom cried as she stepped forward with trembling hands
29:21why did you block all of us it's been five years with no word from you we thought something had
29:25happened to you before i could answer joel rushed towards me he looked worn out his eyes red and
29:30hollow he had an air of sadness i'd never seen in him before sif are you okay i've missed you
29:36so much
29:36his voice was heavy with longing back then i might have felt my heart stir but now i simply stepped
29:42back and calmly said i told you i was calling off the engagement five years ago we're over
29:50when i boarded the plane back then i had blocked them all before blocking joel specifically i'd sent
29:56him a breakup message that was my way of giving our failed relationship a decent goodbye but he clearly
30:02didn't see it that way his eyes grew ready i never agreed to call it off we didn't break up
30:08we were
30:08just fighting breakups don't need mutual consent and wasn't it better that i'd walked away
30:15you're free to be with yvonne now i said joel's face tightened that's not true i've only ever loved
30:24you yvonne is just a sister to me i nodded right and to protect your sister you cancelled our wedding
30:32you left me again and again for her she's your sister too can't you just be more understanding
30:37he reflectively said but the moment those words left his mouth regret flashed across his face i
30:43stared at joel until he looked away in guilt only then did i nod and said you're right i should
30:48make
30:48room for her that's why i decided to give you to her isn't that the perfect outcome joel opened his
30:52mouth to respond but i waved him off my feelings for you faded a long time ago when you'd repeatedly
30:56told
30:56me to step aside i don't love you anymore and i'm done sacrificing myself for you no one cherished
31:01me but i learned to cherish myself i didn't spare him another glance and started walking towards the
31:05backstage exit but before i could leave the others blocked my way joshua looked at me with a conflicted
31:11expression you've really made something of yourself over these past few years sophia we read your diary
31:17we had no idea you had gone through so much pain he said sighing deeply i remember tossing that diary
31:24into a corner before i left i didn't think they would dig it up and read it dad's voice grew
31:28heavy
31:29like he was carrying the weight of a great misunderstanding that hadn't been resolved for
31:33years he explained how they had poured everything into their careers to give us a better life and in
31:38the process they had neglected me yvette's birth made them feel guilty about the childhood i had missed
31:44and to make up for that they'd showered her blood he said that they had ignored me for so long
31:51that they
31:51didn't know how to connect with me anymore they had simply forgotten how to love me i listened quietly
31:58offering no response mom's eyes shimmering a gift we were wrong to forget about your allergy that day you
32:06must have been in so much pain she said in a trembling voice his tears welled up in my eyes
32:11you must have felt so
32:12awful it was all our fault your father and i are sorry sophia we can make it up to you
32:20will you forgive us those were the words i had wanted to hear so badly when i was a teenager
32:26every time they abandoned me i dreamed that one day they would finally realize how much they had hurt me
32:32and apologize for it but now it was too late i wasn't the little girl who was waiting for them
32:37to
32:37love her anymore noticing my silence their faces turned even sadder mom and dad wanted to keep
32:42talking but i had already lost my patience all right are you done you can leave if you are i
32:49have
32:49another show to prepare for don't waste my time i coolly said how can you call this a waste of
32:54time
32:54apologizing to you joshua said raising his voice he couldn't understand why i was so cold to them he
33:00thought it was just a misunderstanding i had once loved them so he wondered how i had ended up the
33:05way i was
33:06now does an apology always have to be accepted i flatly asked joshua went silent we were standing
33:12backstage at the concert hall so people were passing by most of them were visitors from abroad who didn't
33:17understand our language but they still slowed down to watch the scene unfold i'd never liked being a
33:23spectacle especially now as a public figure i had to be careful with every move i made but right then
33:28anger consumed me and i let everything i had held inside spill out you always said you gave yavel the
33:33love that was meant for me but why i was the one you wronged so why was she the one
33:37who got all the
33:37love my eyes stung as memories of being invisible for years resurfaced i thought i had already made
33:44peace with it but my chest ached just as much as it used to you had expectations for joshua and
33:49affection for yavel but what about me i was just there joshua was your pride and yavel your precious
33:55darling i said pausing to take a shaky breath if you never wanted me why did you bring me into
34:01this world at
34:02all my voice softened to a whisper as i said i left you i'm far away from all of you
34:08now
34:09isn't it better this way by then mom's tears were streaming down her face sofia we were wrong
34:15we all were you're our daughter too blood ties can't be just severed just like this i'd rather
34:21not be your daughter at all with that i turned and walked backstage without looking back at the family
34:25now sobbing behind me maybe my words had cut too deep because the nortons never appeared before
34:30me again for a long time after that but somehow my past got dug up the incident of me getting
34:35locked in that storage room and the wedding joel had postponed to take yuvite on a vacation became
34:39known to my fans the people who loved my songs now cried for the girl behind them they condemned
34:43the heartless norton family and my ex-fiancé for betraying me a housekeeper who had always pitied
34:47me also spread word that a vet once said she'd take my place in marrying joel and wanted me to
34:52die
34:52online my fans get personally so they stormed the norton residence and pelstled yuvite with rotten
34:56vegetables and eggs joel's company was hit hard his products were bullicotted and the company's
35:01market value dropped by a billion overnight none of them dared to appear before me anymore as for
35:06yvette she was silently sent abroad before leaving she had sneered you think sofia's the only one with
35:13musical talent i'm even better than she is just wait until i come back i'll make sure the first thing
35:18i do is crush her under my feet she demanded to study in vendonia too she even went out of
35:22her way to
35:23find out what major and courses i had taken back then hoping to replicate my path to success but
35:27yuvite never cared about music she refused to take her lessons seriously during her three years abroad
35:31she learned she partied every night drifting from one man to the next when she ran out of money she
35:36resorted to various excuses to get money from mom and dad she even nearly depleted their entire savings
35:41joshua sensed something was wrong so he flew to vendovia himself to check on her soon he uncovered all
35:48her lies i wouldn't have had to lie aren't i the one you love the most or are you saving
35:53all your
35:54money for that bitch sophia joshua tried to talk some sense into her but elene grabbed a knife
36:03and stabbed him during the argument
36:10joshua survived but the injury left him with lasting complications
36:13his body would never fully recover my parents called it a family curse and they cut off iret
36:19completely without money iret spiraled even further and one day she simply disappeared the shock hit my
36:25parents hard they had worked all their lives only to spend their old age drowning in worry for their
36:31children they wanted to visit me but i was already a well-known musician with years of bookings
36:37they couldn't reach me even if they tried as for joel once he realized i would never go back to
36:43him
36:43he fell apart he stopped caring about work and spent his days drinking sending me endless messages
36:50trying to win back my love
36:56but i never read any of them i blocked every new number he texted me from after my career took
37:01off
37:01i changed my number for good severing the last thread that tied me to the past
37:05my music would carry my name to greater heights and forge me a brilliant future
37:09those people no longer deserved a place in my thoughts
37:12you
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