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Each movie brings exciting characters, surprising plot twists, touching relationships, and powerful stories that keep you watching until the final scene. From billionaire romances to inspiring life journeys, every film offers a unique experience.
Enjoy HD movies with English subtitles and stay tuned for regular uploads of the latest popular drama films.
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AmusantTranscription
02:15When I was 15, I stumbled upon a boy in the estate's garden. He had sliced his arm open on
02:19some rose thorns, blood dripping down his skin. Yet, he seemed completely numb to the pain, staring blankly ahead with
02:26his noise-canceling headphones blocking out the world.
02:28I swallowed my hesitation, ran back inside and grabbed some antiseptic spray and bowed-ups.
02:36I carefully cleaned the wound and patched him up. Only later did I find out his name was Silas Vance.
02:42His grandfather, Arthur, had brought him over for a business dinner.
02:45For whatever twisted reason, Arthur decided I was the one. He wanted me to marry his grandson's son. The Vances
02:51were old money. New York elite. So naturally, Richard agreed before Arthur could even finish his sentence.
02:58When my stepsisters caught wind of it, they backed me into a corner, their malicious laughter echoing in the hall.
03:03You think you hit the jackpot, you little bitch? If this was a real prize, do you honestly think he'd
03:07hand it to you?
03:10That Silas guy is a total freak. He's got autism and some manic shit. He belongs in an asylum, not
03:16a marriage.
03:17But because of that engagement to Simas, Eleanor finally stopped looking at me like I was garbage.
03:23The air in the sterling house shifted. I could finally breathe without checking over my shoulder.
03:29They stopped the relentless bullying. During those quiet moments, my mind always drifted back to that skinny boy in the
03:34garden, lost in his music.
03:35He had no idea that simply existing had pulled me out of my personal hell. A deep, anchoring sense of
03:41gratitude took root in my chest.
03:43I started researching his conditions, reading every psychology book I could find, preparing myself for how to survive in his
03:50world.
03:50Then, at 20, bound by a contract in the chains of our families, I put on a white dress and
03:55married Silas Vance.
03:56On our wedding night, the second the bedroom door shut, he completely lost it.
04:01Get away from me. Don't you dare stay in my room. Get out! I said get out!
04:05My shoulders slumped. A hot, suffocating wave of humiliation burning my cheeks as I stared at the floor.
04:10I kept track of his prescription bottles, dragged him to his psychiatric appointments.
04:15From then on, I took over Silas' care, exhausting myself running between my college classes and the Vance estate,
04:23managed his strict diet, and even laid out his clothes.
04:27Thankfully, Silas wasn't completely made of stone. Slowly, he started reacting to my presence.
04:33The scream of get out faded into silence. If I passed out on the couch from exhaustion, I'd wake up
04:39with a blanket awkwardly thrown over me.
04:41And once, when Cramps had me curled in a fetal position, he silently set a heating pad and a mug
04:47of steaming chamomile tea on the nightstand.
04:50But he never touched me, never shared my bed.
04:52Silas was the sole heir to the Vance empire, and Arthur was ruthlessly obsessed with securing a great-grandson.
04:59He pressured me constantly, his threats hanging in the air.
05:02You married into the Vance family to carry on our bloodline. It's your duty, plain and simple.
05:07But what was I supposed to do? Silas didn't want me, and I wasn't going to force him.
05:11Finally, in our fifth year, Arthur lost the last of his patients.
05:15Without any warning, he had his security guards shove Silas into my bedroom, lock the heavy oak door from the
05:21outside,
05:22trapping us inside so we'd be forced to consummate the marriage.
05:26When I tried to reach him, a heavy shard of glass from a smashed lamp splashed across my skin,
05:32and the impact of a thrown chair knocked me to the floor.
05:35By the time the first light of dawn crept in, the physical and emotional emotion and exhaust completely crushed me,
05:41and I blacked out on the floor.
05:43The next day at noon, the sound of something else shattering jolted me awake.
05:47Silas was still tearing the room apart.
05:49He smashed my phone against the wall, ripped the TV down, and kicked the remaining chairs aside.
05:53Seeing me awake, he stalked over, clutching an unbroken mirror.
05:57He shoved it in my face.
05:59The mirror showed me exactly what a wreck I was.
06:01Bruised all over, clothes torn, my skin cut by shards that had flown during his meltdown.
06:06He pointed at my reflection, his eyes hollow and filled with pure disgust.
06:11You're filthy.
06:12God, it's disgusting!
06:14I hate you!
06:16Just get out of my sight.
06:18My body felt like it had been run over by a truck that day,
06:21my knees buckling with every step.
06:24But the moment his episode peaked,
06:26Silas vanished.
06:28I had no choice but to go looking for him.
06:30By the time I finally dragged myself back to the estate gates,
06:33gasping for breath, it was already one in the morning.
06:36Silas finally returned.
06:37But there was a girl standing next to him.
06:39She had a sweet, bright smile with deep dimples.
06:42I've never met anyone who thinks the way I do.
06:44Meeting you was the best part of tonight.
06:46That was when I realized Silamis had gone to Lincoln Center alone.
06:49His phone had died, and since he couldn't navigate his way back,
06:53she had escorted him home.
06:55Silamis was a musical prodigy.
06:57He had studied under masters and opened his own studio,
07:00composing award-winning pieces.
07:02I just stood there in the shadows of the porch, listening.
07:05They talked for 30 minutes, and he never even noticed I was there.
07:08It wasn't until Thomas, the old butler,
07:11couldn't bear to watch anymore that he finally spoke up.
07:14Mr. Van, it's getting very late.
07:16You should turn in.
07:17Mrs. Van has been waiting for you.
07:20The girl turned toward the voice, freezing for a second,
07:22before looking back at Silamis.
07:24Is this your wife?
07:25A flash of extreme discomfort crossed Silamis' face.
07:28He stayed silent for a moment before giving a stiff nod.
07:30I don't like her. I hate her.
07:32The girl's name was Chloe.
07:34Chloe gently tugged at his sleeve,
07:36her eyes curving into a smile.
07:38Well, it is late.
07:39We'll see each other next time.
07:40From that day on, whatever fragile peace Silas and I had built
07:43completely shattered.
07:44He refused to speak a single word to me.
07:46For his birthday, I gifted him a pair of high-end noise-canceling headphones.
07:50They were known for pristine audio quality and were constantly sold out.
07:55I had pre-ordered them six months in advance,
07:57but Silas just took them, dropped them on the hardwood floor,
08:01and crushed them under his heel right in front of me.
08:04I don't like you.
08:05I don't want your crap.
08:06It's garbage.
08:07I don't want it!
08:08He spent that birthday out with Chloe.
08:11Since their first meeting, they had stayed in constant contact.
08:15Recently, she had even started interning at his studio.
08:19When he came home that night, there was a silver ring on his finger,
08:22a birthday gift from her.
08:24Staring at the crushed plastic and wires of the headphones on the floor,
08:28a cold, heavy exhaustion settled deep into my bones.
08:32The next day, Arthur suddenly called, demanding I go into Simus' private study.
08:37He needed a specific file handed over to his secretary immediately.
08:41I hesitated.
08:43Silas strictly forbade me from crossing that threshold.
08:46But Arthur pushed, insisting it was urgent,
08:49and the secretary was already waiting at the door.
08:52Swallowing my anxiety, I went in, grabbed the file,
08:55and meticulously put everything back exactly as I found it.
08:59But Silas found out anyway.
09:01His phone was linked to the smart home security app.
09:03His jaw clenched so tight, the muscle fluttered,
09:06a dark storm brewing in his eyes.
09:08You are not allowed in there.
09:10You don't cross that line!
09:12Because I had merely stepped inside for two minutes to grab a folder,
09:16he hired a cleaning crew to scrub the study from top to bottom.
09:20I stared at him numbly,
09:21the question finally clawing its way out of my throat.
09:25Why am I not allowed in?
09:27Lately, you've been inviting Chloe to our house all the time.
09:29You two locked themselves inside that study for entire days just talking about music.
09:34Why is Chloe permitted to go in there,
09:37yet I'm not allowed to cross the threshold at all?
09:39Why her?
09:40But never me.
09:42Also, I'm not filthy.
09:43Why would you have a crew scrub the room just because I walked in?
09:46She is different from you.
09:48She understands music.
09:50She gets it.
09:51You don't.
09:52You walking in there ruins it.
09:54It wasn't the first time I had heard those exact words.
09:58Back when I first entered the Sterling household,
10:01my stepsisters used to scream the exact same thing at me.
10:05The fight drained out of me all at once.
10:08I was so damn tired of living like this.
10:10I wanted a divorce.
10:12Once the thought of divorce took root in my mind, it spread like a wild vine.
10:16A week later, I went to see Arthur Vance.
10:18I looked him in the eye and told him I was out.
10:20Arthur sat on the massive leather sofa in his grand estate,
10:23tapping his index finger rhythmically against the mahogany table.
10:26Why?
10:27I told him Simus had found someone he wanted.
10:29Arthur listened and fell into a long silence.
10:32Finally, he cleared his throat, his gaze locking sharply onto mine.
10:35Serena, do you know why I chose you as my grandson's wife out of everyone else?
10:39Because I gave him a band-aid in the garden?
10:43No.
10:43I had your background thoroughly investigated.
10:47I knew you were genuinely kind.
10:51And I knew being an illegitimate daughter had left you in an impossible position.
10:55You were despised in the Sterling house just for breathing.
10:58You desperately needed a way out.
11:01With your engagement to Silas as a shield,
11:03those people wouldn't dare trample you so openly anymore.
11:07Serena, I will reconsider the divorce.
11:09Go back to the estate for now.
11:11Besides, Simus is the other party in this marriage.
11:13It can't happen without his consent.
11:14I nodded, stood up, and left the room.
11:17A cold spring rain was pouring outside, the wind welling.
11:22As I stepped out the front door of the estate,
11:25my feet suddenly rooted to the spot.
11:27Silas was standing by the half-open door.
11:29I had no idea how long he had been standing there,
11:31or how much he had heard.
11:33The moment his eyes met mine,
11:34his jaw clenched so hard his face went sheet white.
11:37You said you want a divorce?
11:42When I gave him a firm yes,
11:44Simus went dead silent.
11:46His brow furrowed,
11:47wheels turning in his head.
11:48After a long pause,
11:50come be pause.
11:51Then,
11:52after the divorce,
11:53will you still take care of me?
11:55Simus,
11:56divorce means we become strangers.
11:58I won't be your wife anymore,
12:00and I have zero obligation to take care of you.
12:04I see.
12:05The rain was coming down harder now,
12:07slanting sideways and soaking half his shoulder.
12:10Silas stared at me,
12:11dead serious,
12:12and shook his head.
12:13No divorce.
12:15If we divorce,
12:16no one will take care of me.
12:18Don't you want Chloe?
12:19Then have her take care of you,
12:20handle all your damn day-to-day needs.
12:22No,
12:22she's busy.
12:23She has to compose.
12:25She can't be trapped at home all day.
12:27You're free.
12:28You take care of me.
12:30Silas,
12:31if you just want a damn caretaker,
12:33use your money and hire a nurse.
12:35Before I came,
12:36didn't your old caregiver manage just fine?
12:38Before I came,
12:39didn't rails if you want to be.
12:41My throat tightened.
12:42Not wanting to trigger a full-blown meltdown,
12:44I turned and walked back toward the estate.
12:47He trailed right behind me,
12:49chanting,
12:49no divorce like a broken record.
12:51When I didn't respond,
12:53he dug his nails in harder
12:54until drops of blood welled up.
12:56I truly didn't understand
12:57what Silas was being so stubborn about.
12:59When I finally asked,
13:01he stuttered for a while
13:02before dropping one word.
13:04Habit?
13:05Habits can be changed.
13:07When I first started taking care of you,
13:09you hated it too.
13:10It just takes time to adjust.
13:12You'll get used to someone else.
13:17No!
13:18We are not divorcing!
13:19You have to listen to me!
13:21You know,
13:22and I did it going,
13:22we'd like to avoid!
13:26And the second he saw Chloe at the front door,
13:29his eyes lit up.
13:30The divorce he was just fighting over
13:32was indently thrown out of his mind.
13:34They walked straight into his private study.
13:36Before shutting the door,
13:38soon,
13:38the sweeping notes of the grand piano
13:40seeped through the heavy wood.
13:41Mixed with Chloe's bright,
13:43echoing laughter,
13:44the room sounded sickeningly alive.
13:46When Chloe came out of the study,
13:48it was already 10 p.m.
13:49It was pouring outside.
13:51Silas glanced at the rain
13:53and stopped her.
13:54It's raining.
13:55You'll get sick.
13:56Stay here tonight.
13:59Dummy,
14:00I didn't bring pajamas.
14:01How can I stay?
14:02She has some.
14:05How can you answer for someone else?
14:09This is my house,
14:10not hers.
14:11The clothes were bought with my money.
14:13I make the damn rules.
14:18Well then,
14:19Mrs. Vance,
14:20I guess I'll be staying the night.
14:22I hope I'm not interrupting any
14:23marital duties.
14:25Simus was right.
14:26This wasn't my home.
14:28It was time to pack my bags.
14:31After two days of searching,
14:33I signed a lease
14:34on a modestly priced studio apartment.
14:36Silas walked in
14:37just as I was folding my clothes
14:38into a suitcase.
14:40Since I brought up the divorce,
14:41his hostility towards me
14:43had now backed slightly.
14:44Very rarely,
14:45he would even initiate
14:46a conversation.
14:47Packing?
14:49Are you throwing those out?
14:50No.
14:53You should.
14:54They're hideous.
14:55You have no eye for aesthetics.
14:58You don't know how
14:59to put things together.
15:00Then what looks good?
15:01Like what Chloe wears.
15:02That looks good.
15:04You need to learn from her.
15:06I have money.
15:07I can buy them for you.
15:10A year ago,
15:11Silas and I attempted
15:12a trip to the mall.
15:13He personally picked
15:14that exact dress
15:15off the rack
15:16and handed it to me.
15:17I still clearly remember
15:19his reaction
15:20when I stepped out
15:21of the fitting room.
15:24Beautiful.
15:26Beautiful.
15:29It was the exact same dress,
15:31yet now,
15:32he found it hideous
15:33and tasteless.
15:34Was it the dress
15:35that changed
15:36or the man looking at it?
15:37I lowered my gaze
15:38and shoved the white dress
15:39into the suitcase anyway.
15:40No thanks.
15:41I like my own style.
15:43A dark flash of irritation
15:44instantly clouded
15:45Silas' eyes.
15:46He dropped a cold
15:47Suit Yourself
15:48and stormed out of the room.
15:50The door slammed shut
15:51with a bang
15:51that made my ears ring.
15:52I only slept in that
15:53small studio for one night
15:55before buying a ticket
15:56to Sedono, Arizona.
15:57When I was little,
15:58my mother always coaxed me,
16:00promising that life
16:01would get better.
16:01She said once she saved
16:03up enough money,
16:03she would take me on a trip.
16:05After she was gone,
16:06I told myself the same lie.
16:07Once I saved enough,
16:09I would travel the world.
16:10It turned out that having money
16:12didn't guarantee
16:12a ticket to freedom
16:13because you had chains,
16:15because you had no time
16:16of your own.
16:16But right now,
16:17I was finally standing
16:18underneath the breathtaking
16:19red rock canyons
16:20of Sedona.
16:21The dry mountain wind
16:23swept across the waters
16:24of Oak Creek,
16:25scattering the shapes
16:26of the clouds in the sky.
16:27I put my earbuds in,
16:29rented a bike,
16:30and rode aimlessly
16:31along the red dirt trails,
16:34past the desert wilderness
16:35covered in cacti's.
16:37the drappled light
16:38filtering through
16:39the pine forests,
16:41and the ancient
16:42weathered rock formations.
16:43A massive crowd of people
16:45escaping high-pressure lives
16:46gathered here.
16:47We wandered through
16:48local artist markets,
16:49browsing handmade clay pottery
16:51and crystal healing booths.
16:52As night fell,
16:53we sat on the ground
16:55under a canopy of stars,
16:57trading our broken stories.
16:58There was a medical student
17:00pushed to the brink
17:00of a bake-down
17:01who dropped out to wander.
17:03She said here,
17:04her days were finally
17:06no longer chopped
17:06into tiny fragments
17:08by scalpels and exams.
17:09There was a man
17:10undergoing a long journey
17:12of healing from severe trauma.
17:14He said no one knows
17:15what tomorrow holds,
17:17but at least right now,
17:19his soul was regrowing.
17:21We met only briefly,
17:23brushing against the most
17:24hidden, tender corners
17:25of each other's hearts.
17:27And then,
17:28like the creeks
17:28in the canyons,
17:30flowed our separate ways,
17:31never to cross paths again.
17:33A few days later,
17:35I hiked up Airport Massa
17:37alone to watch the sunrise.
17:39When the first ray of sunlight
17:40pierced the horizon,
17:42it shattered like gold coins
17:44across the crimson canyons.
17:46In my entire life,
17:47I had never felt
17:48the crushing weight
17:49of freedom so profoundly.
17:50No damn alarm clocks.
17:51No endless lists
17:52of Medicaid seders
17:53reminds on my phone.
17:54If I wanted to,
17:55I could spend the entire day
17:56just staring blankly
17:58and at the red rocks
17:59in the distance.
18:00Sitting on the shuttle bus
18:01heading back to the airport,
18:03I dialed Arthur's number.
18:06Serena,
18:07come back quickly.
18:10Silas,
18:11he is in a very,
18:12very bad state.
18:15I ended up making a trip
18:16back to the Vance estate anyway.
18:18When he realized
18:19I was actually gone,
18:20Silas descended
18:21into absolute fury.
18:23He had no idea
18:24how to function on his own.
18:28For instance,
18:29faced with the rows
18:30of prescription bottles
18:31in his medicine cabinet,
18:32he had no clue
18:33how many pills
18:33of each anti-anxiety med
18:35to take daily.
18:36Before,
18:36I was always the one
18:37pouring him a glass of water
18:39and placing the exact dose
18:40into his palm.
18:41He had an important press event
18:42for a new piece that day,
18:44but he couldn't find
18:45the silk tie
18:45that matched
18:46his tailored suit
18:47to save his life.
18:48He called my phone frantically,
18:50only to hit a cold voicemail.
18:52Left with no choice,
18:54Arthur threw money
18:54at the problem
18:55and hired a high-end
18:56professional caretaker
18:57named Martha.
18:58But Martha had no idea
19:00how to navigate
19:01Silas' temper
19:02and was left
19:03completely paralyzed
19:04by his outbursts.
19:05When I walked
19:06through the doors,
19:07Simus had visibly
19:08lost a lot of weight,
19:09his jawline sharp as a blade.
19:11Seeing me,
19:12his face instantly darkened
19:13and he coldly
19:14turned his head away.
19:15What the hell
19:16are you doing back here?
19:17Weren't you leaving?
19:19I hate you.
19:21Liar.
19:23While I was traveling,
19:25Arthur used his connections
19:26to track down the landlord
19:27of the apartment I rented.
19:28Silas stared at the suitcase
19:30in my hand
19:30and let out a low,
19:31cold scoff.
19:32The Stirlers kicked you out
19:34like trash.
19:35You don't even have
19:36a doghouse to sleep in.
19:37In the end,
19:38you still had to crawl
19:39right back,
19:39didn't you?
19:40I couldn't be bothered
19:41to defend myself.
19:42I just silently hauled
19:44my luggage toward my bedroom.
19:45But the exact second
19:47I turned my back,
19:48the corner of Silas' mouth
19:50unconsciously ticked up.
19:51His tightly coiled mood
19:53seemed considerably lighter,
19:54but he had absolutely
19:55no idea why I was
19:57really back.
19:58If I lost that apartment,
19:59I could find another one.
20:00I could hire a lawyer
20:01if I had to.
20:02I could even grab my passport,
20:03leave New York entirely
20:05and start fresh
20:06somewhere no one knew me.
20:08Back in Arizona,
20:10Arthur and I had a long
20:10conversation over the phone.
20:12I explicitly told him
20:13I had already consulted
20:14at a divorce attorney.
20:15I could file for divorce
20:16directly with the court.
20:17Even if he unleashed
20:18his legal team
20:19to make me lose
20:20the first round,
20:21I didn't care.
20:22On the other end
20:22of the line,
20:23Arthur descended
20:24into dead silence.
20:26Just when I thought
20:27he was going to hang up
20:28on me,
20:28he finally spoke.
20:30I paid top dollar
20:31for a new caretaker,
20:32but she has zero idea
20:34how to handle
20:34Silas' temper.
20:36Stay and take care of him
20:37for one final month.
20:38Make sure every detail
20:39is properly handed over.
20:41As compensation,
20:43after one month,
20:44I won't have my lawyers
20:45block your divorce filing.
20:46Plus,
20:47I'll have a check cut
20:48for one million dollars
20:49for you.
20:50The deal was simply
20:51too good.
20:52With that money,
20:53I'd have enough
20:53to start a new life anywhere.
20:55I couldn't refuse.
20:58So,
20:59Silas had no idea
21:00this was the final month
21:01I would ever be
21:02in his life.
21:04Thomas told me
21:05that over the two weeks
21:05I was gone,
21:06Silas had barely touched
21:07a proper meal.
21:08But tonight,
21:09sitting at the dining table,
21:11he swallowed down
21:11two portions of pasta.
21:14Mm-hmm.
21:15Praise me.
21:17I pushed down
21:18my emotions
21:19and,
21:20just like every day
21:21for the past five years,
21:22softened my voice.
21:23You did great.
21:25Once he turned
21:26and went into the study,
21:27I immediately grabbed
21:28the new caretaker,
21:29Martha,
21:29and whispered,
21:30He craves
21:31positive reinforcement.
21:33Praise him often.
21:33If he messes something up,
21:35absolutely never
21:35point it out on the spot.
21:36Wait until he's calm
21:37and bring it up
21:38casually later.
21:39Since I came back,
21:40it was as if someone
21:41hit play on Silas'
21:42daily routine again.
21:43He hadn't shown
21:44a single sign
21:45of a manic episode.
21:46Until today.
21:47When Martha walked
21:48into his room
21:49carrying a glass of water
21:50for his meds,
21:51the piercing sound
21:52of shattering glass
21:52suddenly tore
21:53through the walls.
21:54By the time I rushed
21:55into the room,
21:56the floor was a complete
21:57disaster zone.
21:58Shattered glass
21:59and anti-anxiety pills
22:00were scattered everywhere.
22:01Sima stood there barefoot.
22:03A sharp shard of glass
22:04had sliced into
22:04the sole of his foot,
22:06blood steadily trickling
22:07down his skin.
22:08Why is she here?
22:10Why isn't it you?
22:12This is supposed
22:13to be your job.
22:15Why are you
22:15replacing yourself?
22:18I don't want anyone else.
22:20I don't want her.
22:21I only want you
22:22to give me my meds.
22:23Swallowing a sigh,
22:25I turned around,
22:26poured a fresh glass
22:27of warm water,
22:28tapped out the exact dosage,
22:29and handed it to him.
22:30Watching him
22:31obediently swallow
22:32the pills,
22:33and seeing his breathing
22:34finally level down.
22:36Why does it have to be me?
22:37When I saw
22:38it wasn't you
22:38walking in,
22:39I got a little scared.
22:42What were you scared of?
22:45I was scared
22:45you were handing me
22:46off to someone else.
22:47His grip on my wrist
22:48tightened.
22:49And then you would
22:50just leave,
22:51and you wouldn't
22:52want me anymore.
22:52Silas was still
22:53death-gripping my sleeve
22:54like a drowning man.
22:55From now on,
22:56it has to be you
22:56every day.
22:57No replacements.
22:59Promise me
22:59you won't leave.
23:00I truly didn't have
23:01an ounce of energy left
23:02to clean up the wreckage
23:03of his emotions.
23:04Okay, I promise.
23:05I won't leave.
23:06No replacement.
23:06That noon,
23:07I saw Chloe again.
23:09He's been looking
23:10for this piece forever.
23:11Please give it to him for me.
23:13Simus is right upstairs.
23:15Why don't you
23:15take it in yourself?
23:16No.
23:17He doesn't want
23:18to see me anymore.
23:20Serena.
23:20I fell in love with Silas.
23:22It was obvious, wasn't it?
23:23I nodded.
23:24I'd have to be blind
23:25not to see it.
23:26When I first saw him
23:27at Lincoln Center,
23:28everyone around him
23:29was in groups.
23:30He was the only one
23:31standing there
23:32entirely alone,
23:33completely out of sync
23:34with the rest of the world.
23:37I locked onto his face
23:38in the crowd instantly.
23:44When I found out
23:45his phone was dead,
23:47I immediately jumped
23:48at the chance
23:48and offered to take him home.
23:50I'm not stupid.
23:51Two sentences
23:51into our conversation,
23:52I realized his brain
23:54was wired differently
23:55than normal people.
23:56But I actually found
23:57that incredibly charming.
23:58He was so pure,
24:00completely unfiltered.
24:01after you moved out,
24:03Arthur Vance
24:03contacted me himself.
24:04He told me you had
24:05filed for divorce.
24:06When I heard that news,
24:07I was secretly thrilled.
24:09I told him that
24:10since he wanted a divorce,
24:11he should just let you go.
24:12I told him I was more
24:13than willing to take over
24:13the responsibility
24:14of caring for him.
24:15But do you know
24:17what the outcome was?
24:20Do you want to come inside
24:21for a cup of coffee?
24:27I baked him
24:27a strawberry shortcake
24:28from scratch.
24:29He stared at it
24:30for a long time
24:31and then he actually
24:32turned to me
24:32and said that strawberries
24:33were your favorite.
24:36Strawberries were her favorite.
24:39But do you know
24:40what absolutely broke me?
24:42And then what?
24:44I asked him point the bound
24:45if he was ever going
24:46to divorce you.
24:47Absolutely not.
24:52I think I really
24:53lost my mind that night.
24:54I was just so desperate
24:55to prove that he had
24:56feelings for me too.
24:57So I barged right
24:58into his bedroom
24:58and stripped off my clothes
25:00right in front of him.
25:01I told him if he wanted to,
25:03we could try.
25:04Right before he kicked me out,
25:05he was so furious,
25:06the vines in his neck
25:07were popping.
25:08I thought you were better
25:08than all those shallow women,
25:09but you're just
25:10as goddamn Sam Chief.
25:11I never want to lay eyes again.
25:14As I was being thrown
25:15out the front doors,
25:16I looked back.
25:17He was curled up
25:18on the sofa,
25:19buried in that pile
25:19of plushies you made,
25:20and he was very,
25:21very softly calling your name.
25:23When I first fell
25:24for a married man,
25:24I could still brainwash myself.
25:26I told myself Silas
25:28didn't love you at all,
25:29that you used a marriage
25:30contract to chain
25:31a socially enelved genius
25:32to your side.
25:34In love,
25:35the one who isn't loved
25:35is the real homewrecker.
25:37Lately,
25:38Silas had become
25:39unusually clingy.
25:40He would even rack
25:41his brain awkwardly
25:42trying to strike up
25:43conversations with me
25:44out of thin air.
25:45Where'd you go
25:46during the half month
25:46you disappeared?
25:47I opened my phone gallery
25:48showing him the photos
25:49and videos from Sedona.
25:51I don't like spock,
25:52my leg is,
25:52like traveling mobile.
25:54You'll have your lads,
25:55right?
25:55It'll fill it next year.
25:58It's just studio
25:59seeing as if you're
26:00alive.
26:02The designs were
26:03incredibly aesthetic.
26:04If you had been there,
26:04you definitely would have
26:05taken a second look.
26:07Have you ever seen
26:08native pottery,
26:09pressing and blueprint
26:09pressing,
26:10or wood board prints?
26:11Look,
26:11this clay figurine
26:12is one I made myself.
26:13Isn't it meaningful?
26:14I opened my phone gallery
26:16showing him the photos
26:17and videos from Sedona,
26:18sharing the moments
26:19that brought me back
26:20to life.
26:21Have you ever seen
26:22native pottery,
26:23botanil pressing,
26:24or wood board prints?
26:25Look,
26:26this clay figurine
26:27is one I made myself.
26:29Isn't it meaniously?
26:30I even went foraging
26:31in the forest
26:32with a local guide.
26:33We hiked along the creek
26:34all afternoon
26:35and picked a basket
26:35full of wild berries
26:36and mushrooms.
26:38It was the first time
26:39I so viscerally felt
26:40that just being alive
26:42could being alive
26:42could be this rewarding.
26:44Oh, sorry,
26:45am I talking too much?
26:47It's fine.
26:48Keep talking.
26:49I'm listening.
26:50He just sat there quietly,
26:51listening to me
26:52animatically describe
26:53the red rocks,
26:54the wild winds,
26:55and the starry skies.
26:55When I finally finished,
26:57he suddenly asked,
26:59Do you really love
27:00traveling that much?
27:02Without a shed of hesitation,
27:03I nodded emphatically.
27:05His eyes darkened slightly.
27:06I always feel like
27:07I'm only safe
27:07when I'm inside my own house,
27:09but it's fine.
27:10We can try.
27:11Try what?
27:14Lately,
27:15he barely went to his studio
27:16downtown anymore,
27:17preferring to stay holed up
27:18in the house all day.
27:19That afternoon,
27:20he suddenly yelled my name
27:22from the study.
27:23I walked to the doorway,
27:25asking him from across the hall
27:26what he wanted.
27:27What do you want?
27:28He pushed the heavy oak door open
27:30and waved me over.
27:31Come in.
27:32My feet instantly nailed to the floor.
27:34My brain immediately flashed back
27:36to the terrifying image
27:38of the last time
27:38I accidentally stepped into the study,
27:40his manic episode.
27:41The veins popping in his neck,
27:43him screaming at me
27:44to get the hell out.
27:54The glow of the setting sun
27:56poured through the floor
27:57to cleaning windows,
27:58hitting him straight in the back,
28:00bathed in the backlit sunset.
28:02The tips of his hair
28:03was dyed a piercing pale gold.
28:05His thick,
28:06butterfly-wing lilashes lowered,
28:07fingers leaping across
28:08the black and white keys,
28:09notes cascading from his figure tips
28:11like a waterfall.
28:12There are people in this world
28:13who are completely tone-deaf,
28:14like me.
28:15I didn't understand
28:16adagios, lagawis,
28:17or incredibly complex chord structures.
28:25Did it sound good?
28:27It did.
28:28It was really beautiful.
28:30It's just a rough draft.
28:32It's far from perfect.
28:34If I tweak the harmonies,
28:35it will be better.
28:38What's the name of the piece?
28:40I haven't decided yet.
28:41This piece,
28:43it was written for you.
28:44Your birthday is in a few days.
28:46This is your gift.
28:46Hitched in my throat.
28:48Never in my wildest dreams
28:49did I expect him
28:50to give me a gift like this.
28:51Do you know why I am
28:52the way I am?
28:53I had asked Arthur
28:54about his condition before.
28:55The shrewd old man
28:56brushed it off,
28:57telling me that
28:58a negligent maim
28:59caused Silas Silic
28:59catch a severe fever
29:00when he was little,
29:01damaging his brain.
29:02His fingers began
29:04to tremble violently.
29:05Just recalling the past
29:07was already draining
29:08every ounce of oxygen
29:09from his lungs.
29:10It's okay.
29:11If it's too painful,
29:12you don't have to
29:13force yourself to say it.
29:14I have to say it.
29:16I want you to know.
29:17Back then,
29:18my dad pursued my mom
29:19like a madman
29:20for four straight years
29:21before she finally
29:22withstood her family's pressure
29:23and agreed to marry him.
29:24But just two years
29:25into their marriage,
29:26my mom found out
29:27that the man who swore
29:28he loved her
29:28was keeping mistresses
29:29on the side.
29:32The first time he got caught,
29:33my mom completely broke down.
29:35My dad dropped to his knees,
29:36crying and sworing
29:37he would change.
29:39But then came the second time,
29:40the third time,
29:41the fourth time.
29:42I even,
29:43I even walked in on my dad
29:45and some disgusting woman
29:46on the couch
29:46in our own house.
29:47God,
29:48it was so fucking sickening.
29:50My mom couldn't take
29:51the endless humiliation anymore,
29:53so she packed us up
29:54and moved out.
29:55But my dad tracked us down
29:56like a ghost,
29:57dropping to his knees again,
29:58begging for forgiveness.
29:59For my sake,
30:00my mom caved again
30:01and took me back
30:02to that house.
30:02But the second we moved back,
30:04she found out my dad
30:04had never cut things off
30:05with that woman.
30:09Even during the days
30:10he was crying
30:10outside our apartment,
30:11begging my mom
30:12to come home,
30:12he had his mistress
30:13stashed in a hotel nearby.
30:15My mom was in my room
30:16coaxing me to sleep
30:17while my dad was
30:18in the very next room
30:19fucking that woman.
30:20At this point,
30:21Sima snapped his eyes open,
30:23the depths of them
30:24filled with a chilling despair.
30:25But this time,
30:26my mom didn't cry
30:26and she didn't throw things.
30:28She was as calm as a corpse.
30:29She even suggested
30:30the three of us
30:30took a family vacation
30:31out of state.
30:33That night,
30:34in a completely
30:34unfamiliar city,
30:36in an unfamiliar hotel suite.
30:39My dad,
30:40covered in blood,
30:41fought back like a madman.
30:42He clamped his hands
30:43around my mom's throat,
30:44strangling her.
30:46And me,
30:48my mom had deadbolted me
30:49out on the balcony
30:50beforehand.
30:52I pounded on the glass door,
30:54screaming until my throat
30:55tore,
30:56but I couldn't get in.
30:57All I could do
30:58was watch.
30:59In the gossip circles
31:00of the New York elite,
31:01the Vanser's love story
31:02was a modern fairy tale.
31:03Back then,
31:04Richard Vance Sother
31:05was set for a business alliance
31:06but fell in love
31:07at first sight
31:07with a girl
31:08from an unordinary background.
31:09The girl didn't want
31:10to be dragged
31:11into the mud of old money
31:12and flatly refused.
31:13Richard relentlessly
31:14pursued her
31:14for four entire years
31:16before his devotion
31:17finally won her over.
31:18After the wedding,
31:19they were famous
31:19for being incredibly in love.
31:21It wasn't long
31:22before they had
31:22the Vance family heir,
31:24Silas.
31:24But sadly,
31:25the good die young.
31:27The public story
31:28was that during
31:28a family vacation,
31:29Simas' mother
31:30suffered a sudden
31:31fatal heart attack.
31:32Unable to bear the agony
31:33of losing the love
31:34of his life,
31:34Richard shot himself
31:35in their hotel room,
31:36dying for love.
31:38But who the fuck
31:39would have guessed
31:40that beneath
31:40this sickeningly sweet
31:41fairy tale
31:41lay nothing but betrayal,
31:43murder,
31:43and absolute glore.
31:44And the Silas
31:45who was locked
31:46on the balcony
31:46forced to watch
31:47his parents slaughter
31:48each other
31:48was only six years old.
31:49His mind simply
31:50couldn't handle
31:51that kind of
31:51devastating impact.
31:53Serena,
31:55I'm tearing this open
31:56to show you
31:56because I want you
31:56to know me,
31:57the absolute entirety of me,
31:58including the ugliest,
31:59most rotting scars.
32:00I know I'm sick,
32:01severely sick,
32:02but I'll take my meds.
32:04I'll fight like hell
32:04to overcome it.
32:06From now on,
32:07you can walk into this study
32:07whenever you want.
32:08I will absolutely
32:09never scream at you again.
32:10If you want,
32:11you can hold my hand too.
32:12I swear to God,
32:13I won't shake you off.
32:14I'll take my pills on time
32:15like a normal person.
32:16I won't explode at you
32:17like a lunatic anymore.
32:18Serena,
32:18let's go on a trip together.
32:19I want to try for you
32:20to go to a completely
32:21unfamiliar place,
32:22and after we make it back alive,
32:23I'll give you
32:24a proper birthday.
32:25Holding my hand
32:26in a vite grip,
32:26he opened the tablet
32:27on his desk
32:28and stared dead
32:29at the cities on the map,
32:30treating it with the same
32:31absolute rigority
32:32as his sheet music.
32:34I walked out the hallway,
32:36dialed Arthur's number,
32:37and told him Silas
32:38had initiated
32:39a trip out of state.
32:44Is the handover
32:45with Martha
32:46completely finished?
32:47Right now,
32:47there was less than
32:48a week left
32:49of the final 30 days
32:50I had promised to stay.
32:51If I went on this trip
32:53with Silas now,
32:53the exact second
32:54we landed at the airport
32:55and returned to the estate
32:57would be the exact second
32:58I dragged my suitcase away
32:59and walked out
33:00of his life forever.
33:01Every dosage,
33:01every detail Martha
33:02needed to know,
33:03I've already handed over
33:03perfectly.
33:04I swallowed the dryness
33:05in my throat and replied,
33:06Arthur gave a heavy,
33:06hmm, over the phone.
33:08Since he's willing
33:08to step out of this house,
33:09go, take him
33:10to see the outside world.
33:11Silas and I studied
33:12the map for a long time.
33:14In the end,
33:14we decided to fly
33:15to the vast wilderness
33:16of Montana.
33:17Silas studied travel guides
33:19with the same exacting riggery
33:20he brought to complex
33:21sheet music,
33:22putting together
33:23an insanely detailed
33:24tenorary.
33:25He even dug out
33:26an expensive DSR camera
33:28specifically for this.
33:29I can take pictures of you.
33:30He was an absolute
33:30control freak.
33:31He was an itinerary,
33:32was packed airtight.
33:33He had even pre-decided
33:34exactly what calorie count food
33:36we would eat
33:36for every single meal
33:37on every single day.
33:38When we stepped
33:39into the first class cabin,
33:40I could distinctly feel
33:41Silas' breathing
33:42start to hitch.
33:44Maybe it was
33:44the severe trauma
33:45of being deadbolt
33:46on that balcony
33:47watching a slaughter unfold,
33:49but he violently rejected
33:50any confined space
33:51he couldn't escape from.
33:52A plane isn't a road trip.
33:54Once it takes off,
33:55you don't even have the power
33:55to tell them to pull over.
33:56If you feel even slightly panicked,
33:58we get off right now.
33:59Don't fucking force it.
34:00I'm fine.
34:01We're going.
34:02I don't want to ruin
34:03your mood again.
34:03After finally landing,
34:05we chartered an SUV
34:06and bounced along
34:06desolate highways
34:07for four straight hours
34:08before reaching
34:09the National Park Reserve
34:10in Montana.
34:10The entire ride,
34:12every single nerve
34:12in Silas' body
34:14was pulled as tight
34:14as a bowstring.
34:15Serena, I'm fine.
34:16After arriving
34:17at our hotel suite,
34:18I went into the bathroom
34:20alone to take a hot shower
34:21and wash off the exhaustion.
34:29hearing the bathroom door open,
34:31his head snapped up
34:32like he'd been electrocuted.
34:34Desperate to hide his breakdown,
34:35he sucked in
34:36two massive breaths of air,
34:37frantically ripped open
34:38his suitcase,
34:39tapped out two strong
34:40anti-anxiety pills
34:41and swallowed them dry
34:42without water.
34:44I'm going to take a shower too.
34:45I'm fine.
34:46I'm really fine.
34:47Don't worry.
34:48Do you need me to tell you
34:48a bedtime story?
34:49No need.
34:50I'm about to fall asleep.
34:51You go to sleep too.
34:51Tomorrow,
34:52we'll go look at the planes together.
34:54But the next morning,
34:55the heavy,
34:56almost bruised-looking
34:57Darkles under his eyes
34:58instantly exposed the fact
34:59that he had stared at the Clayling
35:00all night until dawn.
35:01He couldn't even choke down
35:02a piece of toast for breakfast,
35:03yet he hid in the bathroom,
35:04secretly throwing pills
35:05down his throat
35:06multiple times.
35:07Don't look at me.
35:08Look over there.
35:09Walk over a bit.
35:10I'll take a picture of you
35:11with the camera.
35:12He raised the heavy DSVR,
35:14but his index finger
35:15resting on the shutter
35:16was shaking wildly,
35:17completely out of his control.
35:19Jesus,
35:19why does his face look so awful?
35:21He looks like he's got
35:21severe altitude sickness.
35:22No way, right?
35:23The altitude here
35:24isn't even 2,000 meters.
35:26I just need a little more time
35:27to adjust.
35:27I'm really fine.
35:28He forced himself
35:29to pull me along,
35:30taking over a dozen photos,
35:31but every time he checked
35:32the screen,
35:33his brows furled tighter.
35:34This isn't right.
35:35I asked him softly
35:35what exactly was wrong.
35:36He didn't answer.
35:37His fingers,
35:37driven by extreme anxiety,
35:38were twisting the hem
35:39of his windbreaker so hard
35:40he was practically
35:41tearing the fabric.
35:42Kids these days
35:42will literally die for a photo.
35:44Your boyfriend's face
35:45is as white as corpse.
35:46Instead of rushing him
35:46to a hospital,
35:47you're actually making him
35:47hold that damn camera
35:48for your photo shoot?
35:49Serena,
35:50let's take pictures later.
35:51Let's just take a walk first,
35:53okay?
35:53I watched their retreating backs,
35:56suppressing the bitter ache
35:57in my chest
35:58and sighed softly.
36:01They looked so damn free.
36:02Hearing that,
36:03Silas suddenly grinted his teeth.
36:05He tried to speed up his pace,
36:06forcing himself to run with me
36:07across this wilderness,
36:08but this damn,
36:09completely exposed,
36:10unfamiliar environment
36:11terrified him.
36:13Every step he took
36:14was as stiff
36:14as walking through a minefield.
36:16Serena, you run.
36:17I'll just stand right here
36:18and capture it on camera for you.
36:20Forget it.
36:21Let's just walk slowly.
36:22That afternoon,
36:23I decided to try horseback riding.
36:25The horse picked up its hooves,
36:27gradually accelerating
36:28from a walk
36:28to a brisk trot.
36:30Silas gripped the camera tight,
36:31the shutter clicking wildly,
36:33one after another.
36:34Completely swallowed
36:35by the adrenaline rush
36:36of riding against the wind,
36:38I slowly closed my eyes,
36:39trying to feel
36:40even one second
36:41of fake freedom.
36:42Right then,
36:43a blood-cripping,
36:44distorted scream
36:45violently tore through the cold air
36:46and slammed into my eardrums.
36:47I jerked the reins hard
36:48and snapped my head around.
36:50It was Simus's voice.
36:51Simus had a full-blown
36:52manic episode.
36:53The trigger that set him off
36:54was a couple standing nearby.
36:56For whatever bullshit reason,
36:57the couple suddenly started
36:58arguing violently on the grass.
36:59The man lowered his voice
37:01and cursed,
37:01saying he was going to
37:02beat the hell out of her
37:02the second they got back
37:03to the hotel.
37:04The woman screamed
37:05like a maniac,
37:06pointing right in his face,
37:07yelling that if he dared to leave,
37:09she would stab a knife
37:10straight through his heart.
37:11When the man violently
37:13shoved the woman to the ground,
37:14Silas's sanity
37:15completely snapped.
37:16He charged forward like a lunatic,
37:18blocking the man's path.
37:20Once Silas went into
37:21a full-blown PTSD episode,
37:22he lost all ability
37:23to control himself.
37:25I held him tight,
37:26whispering reassurances
37:27in his ear over and over,
37:28fighting like hell
37:28to pull him back
37:29from that bloody
37:30childhood hallucination.
37:31It wasn't until the sun
37:32completely sank below the horizon
37:33that his violently shaking body
37:34finally started to calm down.
37:35I'm so sorry,
37:36I messed up,
37:36I made you worry.
37:38Taking a trip with me
37:39is just an absolute disaster,
37:40isn't it?
37:41No, it's not that bad.
37:43I looked at the photos
37:44from your trip to Arizona
37:44and those pictures,
37:45your smile was so full of life,
37:46but after you came back
37:47to our so-called home,
37:48you never smiled like that again.
37:50I wanted to see you smile,
37:53so I forced you
37:54to come on this trip,
37:55but through my camera lens,
37:57your eyes look dead.
37:59You look nothing like
38:00the radiant girl
38:01in those stranger's phones.
38:02When you were riding
38:03the horse just now,
38:04I tried so hard
38:05and I finally got one shot
38:06I was satisfied with,
38:07but I took exactly
38:07one fucking photo
38:08before I had an episode.
38:10Serena, I'm a piece of trash.
38:11I'm so damn useless.
38:12Chained to me,
38:13you have to be on edge
38:14even on a vacation.
38:15You don't even get to relax
38:16for a single second.
38:17How could anyone possibly relax
38:18while dragging around
38:19a ticking time bomb
38:20who could emotionally detonate
38:21at any moment?
38:23Serena, I really am
38:24just an absolute piece of shit.
38:27Stop overthinking this bullshit.
38:29We already booked our return flight
38:31for first thing tomorrow morning
38:32this trip is over soon.
38:33Tomorrow we fly back to New York.
38:35The day after tomorrow
38:36is my 25th birthday.
38:38And the day after that,
38:40I'll take that $1 million check
38:42and vanish from his world forever.
38:43Silas stood up and followed me.
38:45He kept his head down
38:46the entire way back,
38:48dead silent.
38:49Even during the flight
38:50back to New York the next day,
38:52he was unhergingly quiet.
38:53He just occasionally
38:54pulled out his phone,
38:55typing rapidly on the screen
38:56as if arranging something.
38:57The moment his feet
38:58finally stepped back
38:59inside the Vance estate,
39:00his rigid shoulders
39:02violently slumped
39:02and his breathing
39:03finally leveled out.
39:06Good night, Serena.
39:07Tomorrow,
39:08I have a brand new
39:08birthday gift for you.
39:10But the next morning,
39:12when I opened my door,
39:13he was standing there
39:14dressed in a perfectly
39:15tailored formal suit.
39:16Serena,
39:17let's go to City Hall
39:18to sign the divorce papers.
39:21Why?
39:23Because you haven't been happy
39:25for a single second
39:26inside this house.
39:27And I don't want to keep
39:29draining your life
39:29like a damn vampire anymore.
39:31Serena,
39:32I've always been
39:32incredibly messed up
39:34and a complete idiot
39:35when it comes to emotions.
39:37It wasn't until
39:38the exact second
39:39you packed your bags
39:40and actually left me
39:41that it fucking hit me.
39:43I've been in love with you
39:44this whole time.
39:47I had some really
39:47dark thoughts in my head.
39:48I thought about using
39:49whatever despicable means
39:50necessary to keep you
39:51deadbullet to my side.
39:53But as long as you're with me,
39:54you're not happy.
39:56Really,
39:57in this hellhole,
39:58you're not happy at all.
40:01I've acted like a dead weight
40:02and ruined enough
40:03of your time.
40:04I don't want to watch
40:05you suffer anymore.
40:07So,
40:08I'm letting you go.
40:11The car pulled to a smooth stop
40:13in front of the grand steps
40:14of City Hall.
40:15Silas roughly wiped
40:16the tears off his face
40:17with his suit sleeve.
40:19With those bloodshot eyes,
40:20he got out of the car himself
40:22and opened the door for me.
40:27Happy 25th birthday, Serena.
40:32I'm giving you your freedom.
40:35In New York,
40:36there was a mandatory
40:3730-day cooling-off period
40:39before the final divorce decree
40:41could be issued.
40:42During those long
40:43and agonizing 30 days,
40:45Arthur tried more than once
40:47to convince me to turn back.
40:49Silas has completely realized
40:50he loves you.
40:51Do you still have to go through
40:52with this damn divorce?
40:54If you just nod your head
40:55and stay right now,
40:56the resources and status
40:58you'll have for the rest of your life
40:59are heights 99% of the world
41:01couldn't reach
41:02in their wildest dreams.
41:03just give him one last chance.
41:06No.
41:07The news of me completely moving
41:09out of the Vance estate
41:10sent an earthquake.
41:11Richard screamed curses at me
41:13over the phone
41:14for a solid half hour.
41:15Eleanor also viciously condemned me
41:18for being an ungrateful bitch.
41:20They roared that I should be
41:22on my fucking knees
41:23thanking Silas.
41:24What the fuck else do you want?
41:27Do you know that
41:28your eldest stepsister's husband
41:30has already knocked up
41:31three women on the side?
41:32She can swallow that humiliation
41:34for the sake of the family,
41:36so why the hell can't you?
41:39By the end of his rant,
41:41Richard grit his teeth
41:42and delivered his ultimatum.
41:44If I dared to sign
41:46those divorce per Simberg,
41:47he would immediately announce
41:49in the press
41:49that he was completely
41:51strevering our
41:51father-daughter relationship.
41:53Great.
41:54I couldn't ask for anything more.
41:5830 days later,
42:00Simas and I sat together
42:01in the cold, sterile office
42:02of the divorce attorney.
42:04We signed our respective names
42:06on the final divorce decree.
42:07Slid across the table toward me,
42:09right alongside the document
42:10declaring my absolute freedom,
42:11was a flimsy slip of paper,
42:12a check.
42:13Arthur's prenup
42:14truly had Silas' assets
42:15of over $1.5 billion
42:16protected airtight.
42:17By all rights,
42:18I was only supposed to get
42:19the $1 million
42:19Arthur had promised me.
42:20But Silas pushed that check
42:22right to my hand.
42:23It was a $150 million
42:25settlement check.
42:27He had actually
42:28torn up that damn prenup
42:29and directly transferred
42:31a tenth of his net worth
42:32to me.
42:33Serena,
42:34take this money.
42:35Go further.
42:36Climb those damn mountains
42:37you've always dreamed of.
42:38Go see the absolute
42:39vastest corners of this world.
42:42And,
42:43in the future,
42:46will I ever be able
42:47to see you again?
42:47Of course you can.
42:49I'll send you an invitation
42:50to my birthday party
42:51every year from now on.
42:54Serena,
42:55enjoy your freedom.
42:57The first time I realized
42:59I was so damn in love
43:00with Serena
43:01was at Arthur's estate.
43:02That day,
43:03she looked my grandfather
43:05dead in the eye
43:05and told him
43:06she wanted a divorce.
43:07My gut reaction
43:08was pure,
43:09violent resistance.
43:10I deliberately
43:11let Chloe stay the night.
43:12I purposely praised
43:13Chloe's clothes
43:14right in front of her face.
43:15I did every bastard thing
43:16in the book
43:16just to prove to myself
43:17that I didn't love Serena.
43:18That I didn't love
43:19this doll woman
43:20Arthur had forced
43:21into my life.
43:21And then,
43:22Serena dragged her luggage
43:23and walked out
43:23that door for good.
43:24The second I found out
43:26she had actually vanished,
43:27I was instantly
43:28swallowed by anger,
43:29panic,
43:29and a suffocating
43:30wave of self-hatred.
43:31I was furious
43:32that she didn't even
43:33leave me a damn goodbye.
43:35I was furious
43:35that she threw me away
43:36like trash.
43:37I wanted to drag her back
43:39like a lunaturk.
43:40Right then,
43:40Chloe showed up,
43:41trying to convince me
43:42to just ride the wave
43:42and sign the divorce papers.
43:44She even stripped off
43:44her clothes
43:45right in front of me
43:45wanting me to do that
43:46with her.
43:46A blind,
43:47irrational fury
43:47exploded in my chest
43:48instantly.
43:49I was violently repulsed
43:50by anyone getting close to me.
43:51I had zero desire
43:52to be intimate
43:52with any living,
43:53breathing creature.
43:54But in that exact
43:55split second,
43:55an insanely crazy thought
43:57flashed through my mind
43:58out of nowhere.
43:59If the person
43:59standing in front of me
44:00taking off her clothes
44:01was Serena,
44:02I actually fucking thought
44:03I could do it.
44:04I finally couldn't
44:05lie to myself anymore.
44:06I was in love with Serena,
44:08hopelessly,
44:09hopelessly in love.
44:10Later,
44:10she was finally forced
44:11to come back.
44:12I still mocked her
44:13with vicious words,
44:15but my heart
44:15was beating so fast
44:16from pure exery
44:17it felt like
44:18it was going to burst.
44:19I was terrified
44:20to my core
44:21that she was going
44:21to abandon me again.
44:22Though,
44:23I started desperately
44:24trying to win her over.
44:25I clumsily tried
44:26to make conversation.
44:27I composed a piano piece
44:28for her.
44:28I even ripped open
44:29my ugliest,
44:30bloodiest scars
44:31and showed them to her.
44:32But I realized
44:33she wasn't happy at all.
44:35I wanted to see her smile
44:37so badly,
44:37so I begged her
44:38to travel to Montana
44:39with me.
44:40And then I realized
44:40an incredibly cruel fact.
44:42It wasn't the traveling
44:43that brought Serena to life.
44:45It was getting away from me
44:46that brought her back
44:47from the dead.
44:48Traveling with me,
44:49she was even more
44:49exhausted than at home
44:51because she had to keep
44:52her nerves tightly crocked,
44:54watching me like
44:54a ticking time bomb,
44:56anticipating my next
44:57manic episode.
44:58She didn't even get
44:59to breathe freely
45:00for a single second.
45:01That day,
45:02sitting on the Montana plains,
45:03looking at her forced smile,
45:05my heart physically ached
45:06like it was being twisted
45:06by a knife.
45:07Why was her luck
45:08so fucking terrible
45:09that she had to waste
45:10her best 10 years
45:10on a piece of trash like me?
45:12If I kept her deadbolt
45:13to my side,
45:14would she ever be able
45:14to smile again
45:15for the rest of her life?
45:16I thought,
45:17if that's the case,
45:18then I'll just give her
45:19the one thing she wants most.
45:20What I originally planned
45:21to give her
45:22for her 25th birthday
45:23was the piece titled Serena.
45:25It took me countless
45:26sleepless nights,
45:27but I always felt like
45:28it was missing
45:28a crucial piece of its soul.
45:30I was a severe perfectionist.
45:31I couldn't stand
45:32anything flawed.
45:33Maybe it was damn fate
45:34mocking me,
45:35but I had to change the gift,
45:36so I boxed up freedom
45:37as a gift
45:38and gave it to her,
45:39along with that $150 million
45:40check she deserved long ago.
45:42All these years,
45:43because of me,
45:44she had suffered far too much.
45:45After signing the divorce papers,
45:47I deadbolt myself
45:48in the study
45:48and didn't take
45:49a single step out
45:50for weeks.
45:51I stared at the manuscript
45:52of the piece
45:53I wrote for Serena
45:53over and over.
45:55I revised it
45:56until my fingers cramped,
45:57but it still felt wrong.
46:03Can't you feel the pain?
46:06Aren't you going to do anything
46:08about all this blood?
46:10Until one night,
46:12Serena walked into my dream.
46:15Silas,
46:15from today on,
46:16let me take care of you, okay?
46:18Here,
46:18your birthday gift.
46:19I had to fight
46:20to get this limited edition
46:21six months in advance.
46:26I finally knew
46:27what that damn piece
46:28was missing.
46:28It was regret.
46:29It was the agonizing pain
46:31of letting go.
46:40It was the most flawless
46:42soul-soul-shedding piece
46:43I had ever written
46:44in my entire life.
46:45The title was Serena,
46:48dedicated to my forever lost
46:50one and only true love.
46:52Serena caused
46:53an explosive sensation
46:54in the global classical
46:55and contemporary music scenes
46:57upon release.
46:58I unconditionally gifted
47:00all of its copyrights
47:01and royalties to Serena.
47:02It belonged to her
47:04in the first place.
47:05We came to an unspoken agreement
47:07to only see each other
47:08once a year
47:09at her birthday party.
47:10For the remaining
47:12364 days,
47:13I could only repeatedly
47:15refresh her social media accounts
47:17like a sick vayor.
47:34I had gotten my hands
47:35on the most beautiful flower
47:37in the world
47:37only to lock her
47:38in a sunless greenhouse
47:39starving her
47:40until she withered into ash.
47:42After completely
47:43breaking free from me,
47:44she finally bloomed again.
47:46It was so fucking beautiful.
47:48For all the years to come,
47:50like a prisoner
47:50counting down his sentence,
47:52I desperately looked forward
47:53to every single one
47:54of Serena's birthdays
47:54because only on that day
47:56I could get a fleeting glimpse
47:57of her.
47:57To look at the girl
47:58who, without me,
47:59lived so incredibly vibrantly,
48:01shining with absolute brilliance.
48:03For all the years to come,
48:04like a prisoner
48:04counting down his sentence,
48:06I desperately looked forward
48:07to every single one
48:08of Serena's birthdays
48:08because only on that day
48:10I could get a fleeting glimpse
48:11of her.
48:11To look at the girl
48:12who, without me,
48:13lived so incredibly vibrantly,
48:15shining with absolute brilliance.
48:17Every year on my birthday he showed up right on time
48:19And he never failed to bring a gift
48:21That gift was always the most expensive
48:23And most thoughtful one at the entire party
48:25Arthur had called me a while back
48:26Probing me in his businessman tone
48:28Asking if I had ever considered remarrying Silas
48:31The old man sighed over the phone
48:34Telling me that from the exact day
48:36I dragged my luggers out of the Vance estate
48:38Silas hadn't let a single woman
48:40Come anywhere near him
48:41He had stayed single ever since
48:44Hearing that I just let out a dry quiet laugh
48:46And shook my head in refusal
48:47Without a second of hesitation
48:49I had once, truly, genuinely
48:51Ripped my entire heart out to love Silas
48:53He had once been the only shining figure in my dreams
48:56When I was a 15 year old
48:57Drowning in a swamp of malice
48:59But time is like a teracious storm
49:01Washing through a canyon
49:02No matter how profound the love once was
49:05It is ultimately ground into dust
49:07By the day after day coldness
49:09Defenses and emotional torture
49:11Those shattered glasses
49:13That bone deep despair
49:14They can't just be erased by a few beautiful melodies
49:17And a few drops of tears
49:18He finally learned how to love someone
49:20But I just don't need it anymore
49:22In the end
49:23He could only be the man I left behind in yesterday
49:25Forever
49:26I'm 끝나ic 37
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