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