- 2 days ago
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00:02I had just aborted my baby and boarded a flight to London
00:05when I received a $13 transfer from my billionaire husband.
00:08Serena accidentally forgot about your sister's surgery fee.
00:11Consider this as your compensation.
00:12This was your own mistake.
00:14Next time, for any expense over $200,
00:16remember to apply to Serena in advance.
00:18Why aren't you replying?
00:20Elena, don't think that just because you're carrying my child,
00:22you can do whatever you want.
00:24I want you to make a public statement tomorrow.
00:26Tell everyone your sister's emergency surgery had nothing to do with Serena.
00:31What's the big deal if her operation is delayed for a few days?
00:35I ignored every message, turned off my screen, and closed my eyes to rest.
00:40A moment later, my phone vibrated frantically.
00:43Why aren't you at home?
00:44What the hell did you go this late?
00:48Answer the phone, Elena.
00:50If you don't pick up right now,
00:51I will have your sister thrown out of the private clinic.
00:53After countless messages and calls went unanswered,
00:56Julian rushed to the nursing home in a panic
00:59because he knew I would never abandon my gravely ill sister.
01:03Staring at the empty hospital room,
01:05he grabbed a passing nurse and asked desperately,
01:10Where is the patient in this bed?
01:13Don't you know?
01:14She fell into critical condition.
01:16Her family called all night
01:18but couldn't raise enough money for the emergency procedure.
01:22She is already dead.
01:26Five days earlier,
01:27my sister's condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.
01:30I had called him to ask for $300,000 to cover her surgery,
01:34but his secretary, Serena, had kept my request from him.
01:38After he chose to protect his secretary,
01:40I want a divorce.
01:41I meant it.
01:42But he had only replied with three cold words.
01:45Stop making a scene.
01:46When Julian spoke to me,
01:48his eyes never left the laptop screen in front of him.
01:51It was as though the dull stream of numbers on the screen
01:53interested him more than our conversation.
01:56I'm serious.
01:57I want a divorce.
01:58Julian took a deep breath and rose to his feet,
02:01his expression cold.
02:02You're talking about divorce over something this significant?
02:06When I didn't answer,
02:07he frowned and went on,
02:08I was the one who approved suspending your sister's treatment.
02:11It had nothing to do with Serena.
02:13She was only following my orders.
02:15You hadn't stormed into the office and made a scene a few days ago.
02:17I wouldn't have done it.
02:18I've already told them to resume her treatment.
02:21I'm busy.
02:22I don't have time for your tantrums.
02:24Without waiting for my response,
02:25he turned and walked away,
02:27certain that I was only saying I wanted a divorce in the heat of the moment,
02:31certain that it wouldn't be long before I came back and lowered my head.
02:36If Julian had answered my call three days ago,
02:39I might still be groveling at his feet,
02:41doing everything I could to please him.
02:43I thought back to that day in the hospital corridor.
02:48Julian, lend me $300,000.
02:50My sister desperately needs this surgery.
02:53If it succeeds, she'll be able to walk again.
02:55Yet all I got was his impatient voice over the phone,
02:58as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
03:01Haven't I told you a hundred times?
03:03If you need money urgently, go to Serena.
03:05It's not like she'd refuse you.
03:08Getting money from Serena was as difficult as ever.
03:11$300,000 isn't a small amount, Elena.
03:15Without an itemized statement,
03:16how am I supposed to verify the money is really for the surgery?
03:20It's a hospital deposit, Serena.
03:22The hospital needs the money before the surgery.
03:24The itemized statement won't be available until after my sister is discharged.
03:28I've just seen people lie about what the money was for
03:30and falsify the accounts before.
03:33Julian's reputation is too important.
03:35I have to make sure everything is in order.
03:37She only smiled.
03:39Besides, Julian has a rule.
03:41Any personal expense over $200 has to be reported to him.
03:45Get the hospital documentation first,
03:47and then I'll submit it for approval.
03:52Later, I submitted the required documents,
03:54but the money never came.
03:55When I called to ask about it,
03:57she sounded as though she had only just remembered.
03:59Oh no, Elena.
04:01I've been so busy that I completely forgot.
04:04You're not mad at me, are you?
04:06Just like that, my sister missed her match.
04:08The doctor said it was her last chance to receive a compatible organ.
04:12But because the money never arrived,
04:14my sister lost her only chance to recover.
04:16That was the moment I finally decided to divorce him.
04:19Standing outside the study.
04:21Julian, tomorrow, 10 a.m.
04:23City Hall.
04:24Julian stopped and looked back at me,
04:27his expression cold.
04:28Elena, before you threat me with divorce,
04:30think carefully about who's paying for your life.
04:32Your sister's treatment still costs money,
04:34and you're carrying my child.
04:36Don't leave yourself with nowhere to go.
04:38Just then, his phone rang.
04:41Serena, this isn't your fault.
04:43I made the rules.
04:44If she wants to blame someone, she can blame me.
04:47Don't cry.
04:47I'll take you shopping tomorrow.
04:49Buy whatever you want.
04:51Listening to him comfort her so gently,
04:52I felt a dull ache spread through my lower abdomen.
04:55These past few days,
04:57I'd been so consumed with my sister's situation
04:59that I'd forgotten my prenatal checkup.
05:02Just then,
05:03my phone lit up with a message from the hospital.
05:05Dear Elena,
05:06you are seven weeks pregnant.
05:07Please attend your prenatal checkup as scheduled.
05:11The next day,
05:13Julian never showed up at City Hall.
05:15The message I sent wasn't answered until noon.
05:18Shopping on 5th Avenue with Serena.
05:20Busy.
05:21If you really want a divorce,
05:22file it through the court.
05:23I didn't reply.
05:25I went to the hospital.
05:26My sister lay in her hospital bed.
05:28She could barely move her fingers anymore.
05:30She was only five years older than me,
05:33yet chemotherapy had left her bald and painfully thin.
05:36When she saw me,
05:37she forced a smile.
05:39Elena,
05:40I don't want treatment anymore.
05:42My eyes instantly filled with tears.
05:44Don't say that.
05:46Our parents died when we were young.
05:48My sister raised me by herself.
05:50She was only a child herself,
05:52yet she worked to pay my tuition
05:53and sheltered me from every storm.
05:56The doctor called me into the hallway.
05:58Her condition isn't looking good.
05:59We can't afford to wait any longer.
06:00You need to prepare the rest of the treatment costs
06:02as soon as possible.
06:03I nodded and sold the last thing I had left my wedding ring.
06:06After examining it,
06:08the clerk offered me a disappointingly low price.
06:10The moment I got the money,
06:12I came across Serena's latest social media post.
06:14In the photo,
06:15she stood in front of a full-length mirror,
06:18smiling sweetly,
06:19with several Hermes bags in her hands.
06:21The caption read,
06:22Julian said I'm his pride and joy,
06:24so he insisted on buying these for me.
06:26I stared at the screen for a long time,
06:28until it slowly went dark.
06:31By nightfall,
06:32the next day,
06:33Julian finally realized something was wrong.
06:36He sent someone to the private care facility
06:38to look for me.
06:39Before anyone reported back,
06:41his assistant hurried into the office.
06:43Mr. Julian,
06:44Mrs. Julian asked someone to deliver this
06:46to the front desk.
06:48Julian opened the black velvet box.
06:50The moment he saw the clinical test tube
06:52and the tiny frozen embryo inside,
06:54all the color drained from his face.
06:56He stood there in a daze for a long time.
06:58Elena,
06:59is this some kind of joke?
07:00He slammed a hand onto the desk,
07:02the veins in his forehead bulging.
07:04He refused to believe Elena
07:05would actually go this far.
07:07This had to be another one of her tricks
07:08to force him to give in.
07:10He looked beneath them
07:11and found several legal documents
07:12at the bottom of the box.
07:14Divorce Agreement
07:15Elena's signature was already on it,
07:17firm and resolute.
07:19The assistant stood beside him,
07:21hardly daring to breathe.
07:22Hearing the commotion,
07:23Serena walked out of the lounge.
07:25The moment she saw what was inside the box,
07:27a flash of satisfaction crossed her eyes
07:29before she quickly replaced it
07:31with a look of concern.
07:33Mr. Julian,
07:34is Mrs. Julian playing hard to get again?
07:36Julian said nothing.
07:40There's no way she really had an abortion.
07:43Besides, her sister is still at the care facility.
07:47Doesn't her ongoing treatment
07:48still depend on your trust fund?
07:51Her words seemed to give Julian an excuse
07:53to hold on to what he wanted to believe.
07:55He tossed the divorce agreement back into the box.
07:58She only dares to make a scene
08:00because she knows I would never ignore my own child.
08:03Serena lowered her eyes.
08:05But Mrs. Julian seems emotionally unstable right now.
08:08Should I go explain the trust approval process to her?
08:11I don't want her to think
08:13I did something behind her back again.
08:15No.
08:16Julian rubbed his brow,
08:18irritation written across his face.
08:19If she wants time to cool off, let her.
08:21He sounded certain,
08:22yet his gaze couldn't help drifting back
08:24to the divorce agreement.
08:25For some reason,
08:26unease began to creep into his heart.
08:28He picked up his phone
08:29and opened his chat with Elena.
08:31The last message still sat there.
08:33Elena, I've been waiting for you for five hours.
08:36If you still don't come,
08:37your sister's surgery expenses
08:39will be rejected
08:40through the standard approval process.
08:41There was no reply.
08:43He stared at the screen for a few seconds
08:45before finally locking the phone.
08:48Elena wouldn't leave
08:50and she wouldn't get an abortion.
08:52She cared too much
08:53about her sister Clara to walk away.
08:56She'd always been terrified of losing me.
08:58Now she was just desperate,
09:00trying to force me to give in.
09:02If I didn't go after her,
09:03she wouldn't hold out for long.
09:05She'd come back on her own.
09:07With that thought,
09:08the unease in Julian's chest
09:09finally eased a little.
09:11Find out where she is.
09:12Yes, Mr. Julian.
09:14Mr. Julian.
09:17If Mrs. Julian comes back,
09:18will she hate me even more?
09:20This was never your fault.
09:21She's the one who doesn't understand compliance.
09:25But she's your wife.
09:26I don't want the two of you
09:27to fall out because of me.
09:29Julian said nothing.
09:30In the past,
09:31he would have comforted her immediately.
09:33But today,
09:34her tears unsettled him.
09:36Husband and wife.
09:38What kind of husband and wife
09:39were he and Elena?
09:40He couldn't even remember
09:42the last time he had really looked at her.
09:45His phone screen lit up again.
09:47It wasn't Elena.
09:49Julian's expression darkened.
09:51He had waited all afternoon,
09:52then from dusk until night fell.
09:54The neon lights of Manhattan
09:55blurred before his eyes,
09:57yet Elena never begged him,
09:58nor did she call.
09:59The empty test tube on his desk
10:01felt like a thorn,
10:02leaving him too restless to sit still.
10:04Finally,
10:05he couldn't take it anymore
10:06and dialed Elena's number.
10:08Powered off.
10:09He called again,
10:10still powered off.
10:12Julian shot to his feet.
10:13Have you found her yet?
10:15Just then,
10:15the assistant pushed the door open,
10:17his face deathly pale.
10:18Mr. Julian,
10:19we've received word
10:20from the care facility.
10:22Is Elena at the care facility?
10:25No, sir.
10:26Not Mrs. Julian.
10:29It's Mrs. Julian's sister,
10:32Clara Brooks.
10:33She has passed away.
10:37By the time Julian arrived
10:39at the care facility,
10:40the cold white lights
10:41in the hallway
10:41were almost blinding.
10:42He strode down the corridor
10:44at such a fast pace
10:45that his assistant
10:46could barely keep up.
10:47But the moment he pushed open
10:48the door to the VIP room,
10:49he came to an abrupt stop.
10:51The room was empty.
10:53The bed had been neatly made
10:54and the bedside table was bare,
10:56as though no one
10:57had ever stayed there.
10:58Julian stood in the doorway,
11:00his Adam's apple bobbing.
11:02Just then,
11:02a nurse walked past.
11:04When she saw him,
11:05she slowed to a stop.
11:06Are you a family member
11:07of Mrs. Brooks?
11:08Julian answered
11:08almost instinctively.
11:09I'm her brother-in-law,
11:10Elena's husband.
11:11The nurse's expression
11:13immediately turned complicated,
11:14then cold.
11:16Clara Brooks' funeral arrangements
11:17have already been taken care of
11:19by Miss Elena alone.
11:20She signed for the body
11:22and took it with her.
11:23When she left,
11:24she was as pale as a ghost.
11:26We told her to stay
11:28for observation a little longer,
11:30but she wouldn't listen.
11:32Julian's fingers stiffened.
11:34Where did she go?
11:36The nurse let out a cold laugh
11:38and shook her head.
11:39For the first time,
11:41panic spread completely
11:42across Julian's face.
11:44Julian pulled out his phone
11:45and dialed Elena's number again.
11:47It was still powered off.
11:48The cold, automated message
11:50repeated itself over and over,
11:52mercilessly reminding him
11:53that Elena truly didn't want
11:55to answer his calls anymore.
11:56Suddenly,
11:57memories of the past
11:58came flooding back.
11:59No matter how late he came home,
12:01Elena always left a light on for him.
12:03No matter how cold his words were,
12:06as long as he showed her
12:07the slightest bit of tenderness,
12:08she would smile through tear-filled eyes
12:10and tell him it was all right.
12:12So he had always believed
12:14she would never leave.
12:15She was carrying his child.
12:17Her only sister, Clara,
12:18was still lying in the hospital,
12:20waiting for money to save her life.
12:22How could she possibly walk away?
12:24But now,
12:25the hospital room was empty.
12:27Clara was gone.
12:28The last person in this world
12:30who could make Elena turn back,
12:31the last person she still
12:33had reason to stay for,
12:34was gone forever.
12:36It felt as though
12:37a massive weight
12:38had crashed down
12:39on Julian's chest,
12:40making even breathing hurt.
12:41He suddenly spun around,
12:43Find her!
12:43roared at his assistant.
12:45Now!
12:45Check every flight,
12:46every train,
12:47every hotel registration,
12:48anywhere her passport
12:49or identity could have been used.
12:50I want everything.
12:52His assistant answered nervously,
12:54Mr. Drew,
12:54I've already sent people
12:55to look into it.
12:57Faster!
12:58Julian's voice
12:59completely lost control.
13:01She's pregnant.
13:02She's in such a weak condition.
13:03She couldn't have gone far on her own.
13:06The moment the words left his mouth,
13:07he froze.
13:08Pregnant?
13:09What if the baby was real?
13:11Clara was already dead.
13:13What if Elena had really gone
13:14and terminated the pregnancy?
13:16Julian closed his eyes.
13:18His fists slowly tightened,
13:20his knuckles turning white.
13:21Just then,
13:22Serena hurried over.
13:23Her eyes were red and swollen,
13:25tear stains still visible on her face.
13:27She looked utterly pitiful.
13:29Julian looked up at her.
13:31His gaze was icy,
13:32without the slightest trace of warmth.
13:36Serena came to an abrupt stop.
13:38In the past,
13:39the moment she cried,
13:41Julian would protect her
13:42without hesitation.
13:43But this time,
13:44he didn't.
13:46Panic flashed across Serena's face.
13:48Her voice dropped.
13:49Mr. Julian,
13:51I'm not blaming her.
13:53I just thought
13:54she acted too impulsively.
13:57Clara was so seriously ill,
13:59but instead of staying by her bedside,
14:01she ran off in anger.
14:02What if something happened to the baby?
14:05Which one of you
14:05is a family member
14:06of Miss Elena Brooks?
14:08Julian immediately stepped forward.
14:10I am.
14:10I'm her husband.
14:12If you're her family,
14:13then there's something
14:14I believe you have the right to know.
14:16Julian's heart suddenly dropped,
14:17as though it had fallen
14:18into a bottomless abyss.
14:20Before Mrs. Brooks
14:21left the hospital,
14:22she underwent a pregnancy
14:23termination procedure.
14:24The baby is gone.
14:27A year later,
14:28I started over
14:29in another city.
14:30I found a new job
14:31as an administrative assistant
14:32at a small company.
14:34The pay wasn't high,
14:35but it arrived on time
14:36every month.
14:37I paid my own rent,
14:39utilities,
14:40and groceries.
14:42I rented a small
14:43south-facing apartment.
14:44It wasn't big.
14:45The balcony was only large enough
14:47for a small table
14:48and two potted plants.
14:49But every morning,
14:50sunlight slipped
14:51through the gap
14:52in the curtains
14:52and fell across the floor,
14:54as quiet,
14:55as a compensation
14:56that had come far too late.
14:58I loved that place.
14:59Back at the Sinclair House,
15:01I had lived in a large home.
15:03The closet was filled
15:03with expensive clothes,
15:04and the dining table
15:06was always set
15:07with an elegant dinner.
15:08But none of them
15:09ever truly belonged to me.
15:11Every expense
15:12had to be approved
15:12by someone else.
15:14Every request
15:14for help was questioned.
15:16I lived in a beautiful cage.
15:18Now,
15:18this little apartment
15:19was ordinary.
15:20Children played noisily
15:21downstairs in the evenings,
15:22and sometimes
15:23the smell of cooking
15:24drifted in from next door.
15:26But I was the one
15:26who closed the door.
15:27I was the one
15:28who turned on the lights.
15:30Everything in the refrigerator
15:31was bought by me.
15:32At last,
15:33I no longer had to explain
15:34why I needed to spend that money,
15:35and I no longer had to wait
15:37for anyone to toss me
15:38a little of their belated pity.
15:40For a long time
15:41after my sister passed away,
15:43I couldn't sleep well.
15:44I often dreamed of her
15:46lying in a hospital bed,
15:47reaching out to stroke my hair
15:49as she said,
15:50Elena,
15:50don't be afraid.
15:52Whenever I woke up,
15:53my pillow was always wet.
15:55Later,
15:55I found all kinds of things
15:57to keep myself busy.
15:58Going to work,
15:59working overtime,
16:00learning to cook,
16:02cleaning the apartment.
16:03When the weather
16:03was nice on weekends,
16:04I taught myself
16:05to take walks by the river.
16:07I broke my days
16:08into very small pieces.
16:10Eat on time today.
16:12Remember to water
16:12the plants tomorrow.
16:14The day after tomorrow
16:15is payday.
16:16Buy myself something I like
16:17that doesn't cost much.
16:19Little by little,
16:20I kept going.
16:21I thought Julian
16:22would never find me again.
16:23Or rather,
16:24even if he did,
16:25I no longer cared.
16:27Until that evening
16:27after work.
16:28Night had just begun to fall,
16:30and people streamed
16:31in and out
16:32of the office building.
16:33I walked out,
16:34carrying a document folder,
16:35checking the bus arrival time
16:37on my phone,
16:37when I suddenly heard
16:39someone call my name.
16:40Elena.
16:43That voice was far
16:44too familiar.
16:45So familiar
16:46that even after a year,
16:47it could still tear open
16:49the wounds
16:49that had only just begun
16:50to heal.
16:51I looked up.
16:52Julian was standing
16:53by the roadside.
16:54He had lost a lot of weight.
16:55The suits that had once
16:56fit him perfectly
16:57now looked almost loose
16:58on him.
16:59Dark circles shadowed
17:00his eyes,
17:00and his jawline
17:02was sharper than I remembered.
17:03He looked at me,
17:04his eyes filled with emotions
17:05I couldn't understand.
17:07I stopped walking.
17:07I didn't avoid him.
17:09I didn't run.
17:10I simply looked at him calmly.
17:12Julian took a step toward me,
17:13his voice hoarse.
17:15Sweetheart.
17:17I frowned.
17:18Only my sister
17:19had ever called me that.
17:20Hearing it from him now
17:21felt strangely unfamiliar.
17:22He seemed to sense
17:23my rejection as well.
17:24He stopped where he was,
17:26his Adam's apple bobbing.
17:27I'm sorry.
17:28He stood in front of me
17:29as though he had rehearsed
17:30this moment countless times
17:31in his mind.
17:32But when he finally saw me,
17:33only a few dry words came out.
17:35I've been looking for you
17:36this entire past year.
17:37I know I was wrong.
17:38What happened to your sister,
17:39I didn't handle it properly.
17:42And what happened to our baby,
17:44I failed you too.
17:44By the time he reached those words,
17:46his eyes had begun to redden.
17:47Looking at his reddened eyes,
17:49I felt nothing at all.
17:50In the past,
17:51the slightest frown from him
17:52would leave me anxious
17:53for half the day.
17:54Now,
17:54all I felt was tired.
17:58Are you finished?
17:59Elena,
17:59I'm not here to force you.
18:01I just want to make it up to you.
18:02You'll never have to lower yourself
18:03for money again.
18:04Whatever you want,
18:05I'll give it to you.
18:06A house,
18:07company shares,
18:08savings,
18:09or if you want to start
18:10a new company,
18:10I'll help you.
18:11I've also looked into the treatment
18:13Clara never had the chance
18:14to finish.
18:15If you're willing,
18:15I can set up a medical foundation
18:17in her name
18:17to help people like her.
18:19He looked at me.
18:20His eyes filled with hope
18:21so earnest,
18:22it was almost pleading.
18:23As long as you'll come back.
18:24As I listened,
18:26I suddenly found it all absurd.
18:27Back then,
18:28I had begged him
18:29for $300,000
18:30with all the humility
18:31I had left.
18:32I stood in that hospital hallway,
18:34clutching my phone,
18:35my voice trembling.
18:36My sister was still alive then,
18:38and so was our baby.
18:39I only needed him
18:39to help me once,
18:40but he told me
18:41to go to Serena,
18:42to fill out an application,
18:43and to wait for approval.
18:45Later,
18:45I lost everything,
18:46yet here he was,
18:48standing in front of me,
18:49casually telling me
18:50he could give me a house,
18:51company shares,
18:51or even a foundation.
18:53I lowered my head
18:54and let out a quiet laugh.
18:57Julian looked as though
18:58my smile had pierced him.
19:00Elena,
19:00I know you blame me,
19:01and you should.
19:01You can curse me
19:02or make me atone
19:03however you want.
19:04I won't let Serena
19:05interfere in our lives anymore.
19:06I've already removed her
19:07from her position.
19:08From now on,
19:09you'll be in charge
19:10of all the money at home.
19:11Julian,
19:12you still don't understand.
19:13What truly made me give up
19:14wasn't that you refused
19:15to give me the money.
19:17His lashes trembled.
19:18What was it?
19:19It was that you made me
19:20go through Serena
19:21for approval.
19:21My sister was lying
19:23in a hospital bed,
19:24and the doctor said
19:25there wasn't any more
19:25time to wait.
19:26I was pregnant
19:27and had no money,
19:28so I called you.
19:29You were my husband,
19:30but you told me
19:31to go to your secretary.
19:32Every time I asked for help,
19:34I had to lay my humiliation
19:35bare in front of her,
19:36wait for her to report it,
19:37and wait until she was
19:38in the right mood.
19:39She got to decide
19:40whether my sister
19:40could continue her medication
19:42and whether I could receive
19:43the money that would
19:44save her life.
19:44You knew all of that,
19:45yet you thought
19:46it was simply procedure.
19:47I didn't know she would-
19:49You knew.
19:51You just didn't think
19:52it mattered.
19:53You didn't care
19:53whether I was humiliated,
19:54whether I was begging,
19:55or even whether my sister
19:56would die because of the delay.
19:58You simply believed
19:59that because I was your wife,
20:00I should obey.
20:00You handed the hardest,
20:02most desperate moment
20:03of my life over
20:04to another woman
20:04for approval.
20:05From that moment on,
20:06I stopped being your wife.
20:08I became an outsider
20:09who had to go through
20:10layer after layer
20:11of approval
20:12just to deserve
20:12a little of your charity.
20:14All the color drained
20:15from Julian's face.
20:16He opened his mouth,
20:17but not a single word
20:18came out.
20:19Suddenly,
20:19I remembered
20:20that application form.
20:21When Serena handed it to me,
20:22she had smiled
20:23with gentle satisfaction.
20:25Julian had stood behind her
20:26and said,
20:27If you want the money,
20:27fill out the application.
20:28Once Serena approves it,
20:30I'll sign off on it.
20:31I will never forget
20:32that moment
20:32for as long as I live.
20:33I loved him so much
20:35back then.
20:35I loved him enough
20:36to give up my career,
20:37to learn how to be
20:38a proper Mrs. Julian,
20:40to make my entire world
20:41revolve around him.
20:42But he was the one
20:43who taught me
20:44that love without dignity
20:45is even more terrifying
20:46than poverty.
20:48Julian's eyes reddened,
20:49his voice trembling.
20:51Elena,
20:51I really do know
20:52I was wrong.
20:52Only now do I understand
20:53how hard it was
20:54for you back then.
20:55Can you give me
20:56one more chance?
20:57I'll never let you
20:58suffer like that again.
20:59I shook my head.
21:01It's too late.
21:02I took half a step back,
21:03avoiding the hand
21:04he reached out toward me.
21:05His hand froze in midair.
21:06There had been a time
21:07when all I wanted
21:08was for him to hold my hand,
21:09when Serena made things
21:11difficult for me,
21:11when I stood helpless
21:12at the payment counter,
21:14when my sister was
21:14critically ill.
21:15But not once
21:16had he done it.
21:17Now,
21:18I didn't need it anymore.
21:19Julian,
21:20I said,
21:21I'm doing well now.
21:22How is this a good life?
21:24You live in such
21:25a tiny apartment,
21:26squeeze onto buses,
21:28eat convenience store meals,
21:29and work overtime
21:30this late.
21:31But I chose all of it.
21:33I live in a small apartment
21:34because I can afford
21:35the rent.
21:36I take the bus
21:37because I choose to.
21:38What I eat
21:39and what I buy
21:39are my own decisions.
21:41I don't have to ask
21:42anyone for permission
21:43anymore.
21:43I don't have to watch
21:44Serena's expression
21:45and I don't have to
21:46wait for your charity.
21:47You don't think
21:48this is a good life,
21:49but to me,
21:50this is freedom.
21:50The light in Julian's eyes
21:52slowly shattered.
21:53What about me?
21:54I looked at him.
21:57You're part of the life
21:57I had to leave behind
21:58to be free.
22:01I didn't look at him again.
22:02I walked past him
22:03toward the bus stop.
22:04Elena,
22:04I'm not giving up.
22:05Do whatever you want.
22:06The bus pulled in
22:07right on time.
22:08I got on,
22:08tapped my card,
22:09and took a seat
22:10by the window.
22:11City lights slid
22:11past the window.
22:12I leaned back
22:13and let out a slow breath.
22:14The heart that had once
22:15ached at the mere sound
22:16of his name
22:17no longer pounded
22:18with pain.
22:19I had thought
22:19I would hate him,
22:20but it turned out
22:21that even hatred
22:22could fade.
22:22Meanwhile,
22:23Serena sat in the apartment
22:24Julian had once arranged
22:25for her,
22:26scrolling through the photos
22:27someone had sent to her.
22:28In the photo,
22:29Julian was standing outside
22:30an unfamiliar office building,
22:32speaking quietly to Elena.
22:34His eyes were filled
22:35with a desperation
22:35and determination
22:37Serena had never seen before.
22:39Serena gripped her phone
22:40so tightly
22:40that her knuckles
22:41turned white.
22:42Reflected in the darkened screen,
22:43her face looked pale
22:44and twisted.
22:46She had thought
22:46that once Elena was gone,
22:48everything would belong to her,
22:49but a year had passed.
22:50Not only had Julian
22:51not married her,
22:52he had even gone
22:53looking for Elena himself.
22:54Serena clenched her teeth,
22:56hatred rising in her eyes.
22:57She could not let Elena
22:58come back.
22:59She could not lose
23:00her last bargaining chip.
23:01She dialed a number.
23:02Find out where Elena
23:03is living now.
23:05The following afternoon,
23:06Serena came to my office.
23:07The receptionist called
23:08to say a Miss Vance
23:09was asking for me.
23:10When I walked into
23:11the reception area,
23:11a year had passed,
23:12yet she still looked
23:13as harmless and fragile as ever.
23:15The moment she saw me,
23:16she stood up.
23:17Miss Elena,
23:18I'm here to apologize.
23:19I was immature before
23:21and misunderstood
23:22the relationship
23:23between you and Mr. Julian.
23:25I truly didn't know
23:26you two weren't
23:27officially divorced yet.
23:29The expressions
23:29on my co-workers' faces
23:30changed instantly
23:31and whispers spread
23:33through the room.
23:34Serena,
23:34you don't have to
23:35put on an act.
23:36Miss Elena,
23:37why are you still
23:37treating me like this?
23:38I've already come here
23:39to apologize.
23:40This is a gift
23:40to make it up to you.
23:41I know things haven't
23:42been easy for you lately
23:43and I know Mr. Julian
23:44has been looking for you
23:45but when it comes to love,
23:46there has to be a first
23:47and a second,
23:48doesn't there?
23:48Only then did I understand
23:50why she had come.
23:51She wanted everyone
23:51to see me as the other woman
23:53who was trying to steal
23:54someone else's relationship
23:55and climb back up
23:56through a man.
23:56Take your gift and leave.
23:58Serena bit her lip.
23:59Then,
23:59in a voice only I could hear,
24:00Elena,
24:01and do you really think
24:01Mr. Julian is looking for you
24:02because he still loves you?
24:03He's only feeling guilty.
24:05Once that guilt fades,
24:06he'll abandon you
24:07all over again.
24:09I looked at her
24:10and found the whole thing ridiculous.
24:12Then you should be
24:12talking to him,
24:13not me.
24:14A vicious look
24:15flashed across her eyes.
24:16She suddenly grabbed my wrist.
24:18I frowned and shook her off.
24:19I hadn't used much force,
24:21yet she staggered backward
24:22as though I had shoved her hard.
24:25Miss Elena,
24:26I only wanted to apologize.
24:27Wani,
24:28why did you push me?
24:29I stood where I was,
24:30without the slightest desire
24:31to explain.
24:32Just then,
24:33the elevator doors opened
24:34and Julian strode over.
24:36Serena,
24:37are you okay?
24:39Mr. Julian,
24:40it's not Miss Elena's fault.
24:42I said something
24:43I shouldn't have.
24:44I watched the scene before me.
24:46There was no pain
24:46left in my heart,
24:47only a weariness
24:48I couldn't put into words.
24:49Some habits
24:50really were hard to break.
24:51Even after a year,
24:52his first instinct
24:53was still to protect Serena.
24:54This is between the two of you.
24:56Stop dragging me into it.
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