💔Canceled Honeymoon [No Cut HD] - ✨The Ultimate Karma Revenge! | Free to Watch #ReelShort

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👑 The Best Revenge is Moving On...
They say karma never loses an address, and in Canceled Honeymoon, it delivers right to Julian’s front door! 📦💥
When Claire discovers her entire marriage was a scam built on lies and favoritism, she doesn't break—she glows up. Escaping the toxicity of Julian and his "sick" friend Bobby, Claire jets off to London to build an empire of her own and find a man who actually deserves her. 🥂 Watch the ultimate satisfying payoff as Julian’s life crumbles while Claire thrives. Don't miss this epic journey of self-love and sweet, sweet karma! Stream it exclusively on ReelShort! 🎬✨
⭐ GENRE: Getting Back at Ex, Karma, Female, Modern, Romance

Transcript

00:00:06I didn't know why he was bothering to explain when he'd moved in with me and Poppy bought

00:00:10the apartment directly above ours the very next day. He hadn't explained. When Poppy had giggled

00:00:16in our doorway, hanging off Julian and purring, sweetie, I'll always be on top of you. He hadn't

00:00:21explained then either. All he ever said was, Claire, you know what we are to each other.

00:00:27They were childhood sweethearts after all. Two old money families joined at the hip. Everyone

00:00:32had watched them grow up. For years, they've been the golden couple in every photo. Until

00:00:37Julian launched a three-year campaign chasing me in college. To him, that was proof enough

00:00:41that there was nothing between him and Poppy. Once I tore myself apart over it, I obsessed.

00:00:46I picked fights. But now, whatever they did had nothing to do with me anymore. I looked

00:00:50away. All I said was, yeah, of course. Then I started to wheel my suitcase past him. It

00:00:55was the answer he should have wanted. He didn't take it well.

00:01:00Say that again? I said, we're done, Julian. I'm breaking up with you.

00:01:08You're really not done throwing this tantrum, are you? And by the way, Claire, we had our

00:01:13wedding last week. If you're throwing a fit, the words divorce, not breakup.

00:01:20Before our honeymoon to the Amalfi Coast, my husband Julian cancelled our flight behind

00:01:25my back. He swapped them for tickets to Ibiza with his childhood best friend, Poppy. Even

00:01:32his pack of party boyfriends thought he'd gone too far and tried to talk him down.

00:01:40The fuck?

00:01:41Julian, this is messed up. Claire's been looking forward to it forever.

00:01:45Julian didn't care. He brushed them off without a second thought. It's Poppy's birthday wish.

00:01:50One more single girl trip with her before I'm locked down for good. Claire always blows

00:01:54everything out of proportion. This'll be good for her. Reminder she's not the center of

00:01:58the universe. The Poppy he was talking about was his weepy childhood playmate. And I was

00:02:03Claire. The wife he couldn't even bother to say my wife about. I didn't fight. I didn't

00:02:07argue. I pretended I had no idea, quietly cancelled the honeymoon, and bought a one-way ticket

00:02:13to another country on the other side of the ocean. My phone was lagging. The cancellation

00:02:17screen kept spinning. Meanwhile, on Poppy's pink tablet, an iMessage group chat called

00:02:22Astor's Royal Guard wouldn't stop lighting up. I tapped it open. Poppy's avatar filled

00:02:27the screen.

00:02:28What the hell is wrong with you assholes? Every single one of you is taking Claire's side.

00:02:32Like she's your bro, not me.

00:02:34Fine. You're right. It's all my fault. I'm just a bitch. I shouldn't have a birthday.

00:02:40I definitely shouldn't have wished for Julian to come with me. I should be like the rest

00:02:44of you, kissing Queen Claire's ass. You're her real friends. I don't matter at all. Happy

00:02:49now. Julian, who'd been ghosting me for two days claiming he was in meetings, replied in

00:02:54seconds. He at the other six guys and sent one thing. A single? Question mark.

00:02:59Sorry, sorry, sorry.

00:03:01It's just one bachelorette trip. Queen Poppy says jump. We don't just send Julie on.

00:03:07All six of us drop everything and show up as bodyguards.

00:03:11Screw you. Claire's the one you actually answered to.

00:03:14Claire, please. So they had a wedding. Big deal. Julian's still got that paperwork locked

00:03:19in his safe. She's a wife in name only. Legally, none of it counts. Last laugh's still up for

00:03:24grabs.

00:03:25I blinked, staring at the group chat that was so much livelier without me in it. If Poppy

00:03:30hadn't left her tablet in Julian's car, I wouldn't have even earned a peek at all this

00:03:34fun. And there I'd been, naively reading travel guides, hoping the honeymoon would make for

00:03:40great photos.

00:03:42I stared at the empty itinerary for a long time. Then I went back to the home screen, typed in

00:03:48a

00:03:48new destination, and made a call. Mom, I'll go to London with you. On the other end, my mother

00:03:56caught it immediately. Something was wrong. Back then, she'd turned down a once-in-a-lifetime job

00:04:01offer for my sake. Mom, I know you have questions. But right now, I don't have the energy to explain

00:04:08everything that just happened. I've made up my mind. Once I wrap up work and get my visa

00:04:13sorted, I'll fly out. Then I'll tell you everything. Mom went quiet for a few seconds. In the end,

00:04:19she didn't push. I hung up and collapsed onto the couch, trying to steady myself. Julian's

00:04:23friends had a point. We'd signed a prenup. We'd had a wedding. But he deliberately locked the

00:04:27marriage license. The one we still had to file with City Hall, in his safe. Until it was legally

00:04:32binding, I was just a wife who could be swapped out at any moment. Which, right now, meant I didn't

00:04:37have to wait for him to come home. No divorce proceedings. No drawn-out fights over assets.

00:04:41I pushed the wave of feeling back down, and forced myself up to start packing. In the closet,

00:04:46the his-and-hers vacation outfits, freshly pressed, seemed to grin at me. I'd designed them myself.

00:04:51For the honeymoon. For Julian. I'd pulled all-nighters. Revising them over and over.

00:04:57The final pieces had just come in today. Half an hour ago, I'd still been waiting for Julian

00:05:02to come home and try them on. Now, I just wanted to throw every single one of them in the

00:05:06trash.

00:05:08By the time I'd packed and dragged my suitcase to the door, it was the middle of the night.

00:05:18Julian, say it. Come on. You're my royal stallion. Giddy up. Yeah! Yeah!

00:05:23Through my stinging, blurred vision, I saw Julian, who hadn't been home in three days,

00:05:28giving Poppy a piggyback ride. Her face was flushed red. One hand had his ear in a death grip.

00:05:34The other was patting his head, demanding he neigh.

00:05:40Poppy's drunk.

00:05:41I didn't know why he was bothering to explain. When he'd moved in with me,

00:05:45and Poppy bought the apartment directly above ours the very next day, he hadn't explained.

00:05:50When Poppy had giggled in our doorway, hanging off Julian and purring,

00:05:54Sweetie, I'll always be on top of you. He hadn't explained then either. All he ever said was,

00:06:00Claire, you know what we are to each other. They were childhood sweethearts, after all.

00:06:05Two old money families joined at the hip. Everyone had watched them grow up. For years,

00:06:10they'd been the golden couple in every photo. Until Julian launched a three-year campaign chasing

00:06:14me in college. To him, that was proof enough that there was nothing between him and Poppy.

00:06:18Once I tore myself apart over it, I obsessed. I picked fights. But now,

00:06:23whatever they did had nothing to do with me anymore. I looked away. All I said was,

00:06:27yeah, of course. Then I started to wheel my suitcase past him. It was the answer he should

00:06:32have wanted. He didn't take it well.

00:06:36Say that again?

00:06:37I said, we're done, Julian. I'm breaking up with you.

00:06:43You're really not done throwing this tantrum, are you? And by the way, Claire, we had our wedding

00:06:49last week. If you're throwing a fit, the words divorce, not breakup.

00:06:55Breakup. Divorce. To Julian, they were the same kind of joke. He looked at me lazily,

00:07:01the way you humor a child who's being unreasonable. I didn't bother arguing. The corner of my mouth

00:07:06twitched. Call it whatever you want, but I couldn't leave. The standoff lasted only a few seconds.

00:07:23Julian instinctively reached down to help her up. She shoved him away.

00:07:27Don't touch me. I'm done. I'm done. The second she sees me, it's I want to break up. I'm leaving.

00:07:32Am I some kind of prop? Am I garbage? Why is she so disgusted by me?

00:07:38Julian, let's cut each other off. I am sick of walking on eggshells around her.

00:07:44It's all my fault. I shouldn't have ever shown up in your lives. I shouldn't have grown up with you.

00:07:50Right on cue, she launched into dramatic dry heaving, baking that she couldn't breathe,

00:07:54tearing through her Hermes bag for something. My pills! Where's my Xanax? I'm dying! Maybe I

00:07:58should just die. Anything's better than being treated like this every single time.

00:08:01The heat at my wrist disappeared. Julian had already pulled her into his arms,

00:08:06stopping her. It took maybe a few seconds. Poppy was gasping wildly against his chest,

00:08:13her eyes red. Happy now? It was always like this. The instant I showed even a hint of resistance,

00:08:22Poppy would declare an anxiety attack and start frantically hurting herself. Can't speak to her,

00:08:27can't touch her, can't even walk away. In the early days, Julian had begged me to humor her.

00:08:33Claire, you've been through it yourself. You know how it is. When she's like this,

00:08:37all you can do is go along with her. Because lives were on the line, I caved every

00:08:40time. I avoided the storm, but eventually, I figured it out. Poppy's condition only flared

00:08:46up when Julian wasn't choosing her over me. That so-called anxiety disorder, it was just

00:08:51possessedness in costume, forcing him to pick a side. I looked down at the smug little look

00:08:55on Poppy's face. I nodded. Sure. Very happy. Though, you moved a little too fast. You didn't

00:09:03get to find the pills. Your acting could use some work. Try harder next time. A flash of

00:09:09shock crossed Poppy's face. She froze, then started gearing up for round two. His tall frame

00:09:14loomed over me. Suddenly, my whole field of vision went dark. The shoulder that used to

00:09:19shelter me was now carrying another woman. Carrying her while blocking my way out.

00:09:25Claire, I really have been spoiling you too much. She has every right to make you pay for

00:09:32that. Be grateful, Claire. I'm the one holding her back.

00:09:36For a moment, the world went vacuum silence. I couldn't hear a thing. Even Poppy froze.

00:09:42Then she snapped out of it, jerked her hand free, and swung it hard at my face. A second

00:09:46before her palm hit me, Julian caught her wrist. Those eyes. The ones that used to watch over

00:09:51me through the night. That used to pull me out of nightmares. Tonight they were cold as

00:09:55ice. A flicker of disgust. A warning. You really thought you could just walk out on

00:09:59me? If she'd actually hit you, you'd be throwing a fit for days, right? She got hurt

00:10:05and you don't even care? When you're ready to be reasonable, you'll apologize to Poppy yourself.

00:10:13I stood there, watching the floor numbers climb, my whole body shaking. Cold, so cold. The kind

00:10:19that crept up from the bottom of you, that no coat, no matter how expensive, could keep out.

00:10:24Five years. Five whole years. My body could make a clean break. My heart couldn't pull free that fast.

00:10:32I don't know how long it took. Eventually, I flagged down a cab and headed to a hotel near work.

00:10:37Until I left the country, that's where I'd stay.

00:10:40While I waited for my visa, I had to close out the project I'd been leading for almost two years.

00:10:46My personal life was already a wreck. My career wasn't going to be. I buried myself in overtime,

00:10:53kept myself slammed, partly to speed things up, partly so I wouldn't have time to think.

00:10:57As long as I was busy, I couldn't dwell on anything else. Maybe it was the toll on my body

00:11:03and nerves. Lately, I'd been constantly tired, constantly nauseous. My boss reminded me to

00:11:08pull it together. The client was coming a-sting-in this afternoon to finalize the contract.

00:11:13At the head of the table sat someone I knew. Julian, in a sharp suit. And beside him,

00:11:19in a cinched-waist, backless cocktail dress, sat Poppy. My nails dug into my palms before I could stop

00:11:25them. My boss thought I had nerves and whispered,

00:11:28Relax, the proposal and the designs have already been signed off by their project lead. These two

00:11:32are just bored trust fund wabies playing at being adults. Smile through it, humor the rich kids,

00:11:36and we're done. Just give them your usual pitch.

00:11:40I drew a breath. I forced on a smile. I opened the deck and walked them through my design vision.

00:11:44Smooth, composed, point by point. Poppy propped her chin in her hand, nodding along all smiles

00:11:49under the table. My boss flashed me a discreet thumbs up. I exhaled, reading the room. Someone

00:11:55slid the contract across the table. Hmm, it's not doing it for me. The design's so boring. It

00:11:59gives me a headache just looking at it. I don't think I want a sign. The smile froze on my

00:12:05boss's

00:12:06face. I kept mine polite. Is there a specific element you're not happy with? Poppy didn't even

00:12:11glance at the contract. She held up her hand, admiring her fresh manicure. Hard to say.

00:12:17It's more of a feeling. Then she hooked her arm through Julian's. What do you think?

00:12:21Every eye in the room turned to him. Julian's eyes landed on me. On instinct, I looked away.

00:12:27Sounds like your project lead doesn't have much faith in her own work either. I'm suddenly losing

00:12:31interest in this investment. Pulling out. Oh, and just so you know, I've already authorized my people

00:12:39to begin a hostile takeover of your company. Congratulations, Claire. You'll be working for me

00:12:44very soon. Two years on this account. A thousand discarded drafts. I'd lost count of the nights I'd

00:12:50spent at my desk to get here. We were finally about to land. This was supposed to be the

00:12:54showcase project. The perfect closing chapter on this stage of my career. One careless sentence

00:12:58from him, and it was all stillborn. Back at the office, my boss came tearing in, white as a shield,

00:13:04shaking from head to toe. He was practically sobbing.

00:13:08Claire, he will destroy the whole firm. Please, just go apologize.

00:13:14It wasn't that I didn't want to save the project. It was that I knew exactly who Poppy was actually

00:13:21here for. The only way this project survived was if I disappeared.

00:13:28I just hadn't expected the one thing tying me to this city would get torn apart this fast.

00:13:32The wave of nauseous hit again. I stumbled out of the office. Julian, still here. His hands started

00:13:40wandering somewhere. It had no business going. I bit down on him with everything I had. The taste of

00:13:45blood bloomed thick between our mouths. Get out!

00:13:50Julian stood there, his expression unreadable.

00:13:58Claire, after all this time, why haven't you learned?

00:14:01I tried to twist away. The harder I fought, the tighter he held me.

00:14:06If you'd just apologized for what happened last time,

00:14:11none of this would be happening today.

00:14:16How hard is it to lower your head just once?

00:14:20Julian's voice was softer than any sweet nothing he'd ever whispered in my ear.

00:14:23But I was shaking anyway. Not from the cold.

00:14:26From a cramp tearing through my stomach.

00:14:29An eerie, sinking, dragging down feeling.

00:14:32Something was rushing out of me.

00:14:34A ridiculous thought surfaced in my mind.

00:14:37I tried to look down.

00:14:40Julian's grip on my chin held me in place.

00:14:42All I could do was bite my lip and hold on.

00:14:46Something warm slipped down my thigh.

00:14:49Dripping onto the carpet.

00:14:50Julian noticed.

00:14:59Claire, you...

00:15:06Before our honeymoon to the Amalfi Coast,

00:15:08my husband Julian cancelled our flight behind my back.

00:15:12He swapped them for tickets to Ibiza

00:15:14with his childhood best friend, Poppy.

00:15:17Even his pack of party boyfriends thought he'd gone too far.

00:15:21And tried to talk him down.

00:15:26The fuck?

00:15:27Julian, this is messed up.

00:15:29Claire's been looking forward to it forever.

00:15:31Julian didn't care.

00:15:33He brushed them off without a second thought.

00:15:35It's Poppy's birthday wish.

00:15:36One more single girl trip with her before I'm locked down for good.

00:15:39Claire always blows everything out of proportion.

00:15:42This'll be good for her.

00:15:43Reminder she's not the center of the universe.

00:15:44The Poppy he was talking about was his weepy childhood playmate.

00:15:48And I was Claire.

00:15:49The wife he couldn't even bother to say my wife about.

00:15:52I didn't fight.

00:15:53I didn't argue.

00:15:54I pretended I had no idea,

00:15:56quietly cancelled the honeymoon,

00:15:58and bought a one-way ticket to another country on the other side of the ocean.

00:16:01My phone was lagging.

00:16:02The cancellation screen kept spinning.

00:16:05Meanwhile, on Poppy's pink tablet,

00:16:07an iMessage group chat called

00:16:08Astor's Royal Guard wouldn't stop lighting up.

00:16:11I tapped it open.

00:16:12Poppy's avatar filled the screen.

00:16:14What the hell is wrong with you assholes?

00:16:16Every single one of you is taking Claire's side.

00:16:18Like she's your bro, not me.

00:16:20Fine.

00:16:21You're right.

00:16:22It's all my fault.

00:16:23I'm just a bitch.

00:16:24I shouldn't have a birthday.

00:16:26I definitely shouldn't have wished for Julian to come with me.

00:16:29I should be like the rest of you,

00:16:31kissing Queen Claire's ass.

00:16:33You're her real friends.

00:16:34I don't matter at all.

00:16:35Happy now.

00:16:36Julian, who'd been ghosting me for two days,

00:16:38claiming he was in meetings,

00:16:39replied in seconds.

00:16:40He add the other six guys and sent one thing.

00:16:43A single question mark.

00:16:46Sorry, sorry, sorry.

00:16:47It's just one bachelorette trip.

00:16:49Queen Poppy says jump.

00:16:51We don't just send Julian.

00:16:53All six of us drop everything and show up as bodyguards.

00:16:58Screw you.

00:16:58Claire's the one you actually answered to.

00:17:00Claire, please.

00:17:01So they had a wedding.

00:17:02Big deal.

00:17:03Julian still got that paperwork locked in his safe.

00:17:06She's a wife in name only.

00:17:08Legally, none of it counts.

00:17:09Last laughs still up for grabs.

00:17:11I blinked, staring at the group chat that was so much livelier without me in it.

00:17:15If Poppy hadn't left her tablet in Julian's car,

00:17:18I wouldn't have even earned a peek at all this fun.

00:17:21And there I'd been, naively reading travel guides,

00:17:25hoping the honeymoon would make for great photos.

00:17:28I stared at the empty itinerary for a long time.

00:17:31Then I went back to the home screen,

00:17:33typed in a new destination,

00:17:35and made a call.

00:17:37Mom,

00:17:39I'll go to London with you.

00:17:40On the other end,

00:17:41my mother caught it immediately.

00:17:43Something was wrong.

00:17:44Back then,

00:17:45she'd turned down a once-in-a-lifetime job offer for my sake.

00:17:48Mom,

00:17:49I know you have questions,

00:17:51but right now,

00:17:52I don't have the energy

00:17:53to explain everything that just happened.

00:17:56I've made up my mind.

00:17:58Once I wrap up work and get my visa sorted,

00:18:00I'll fly out.

00:18:01Then I'll tell you everything.

00:18:02Mom went quiet for a few seconds.

00:18:04In the end,

00:18:05she didn't push.

00:18:06I hung up and collapsed onto the couch,

00:18:08trying to steady myself.

00:18:09Julian's friends had a point.

00:18:10We'd signed a prenup,

00:18:11we'd had a wedding,

00:18:12but he deliberately locked the marriage license,

00:18:14the one we still had to file with City Hall,

00:18:16in his safe,

00:18:17until it was legally binding.

00:18:19I was just a wife,

00:18:19who could be swapped out at any moment,

00:18:21which, right now,

00:18:22meant I didn't have to wait for him to come home.

00:18:24No divorce proceedings.

00:18:26No drawn-out fights over assets.

00:18:28I pushed the wave of feeling back down,

00:18:29and forced myself up to start packing.

00:18:32In the closet,

00:18:32the his-and-hers vacation outfits,

00:18:34freshly pressed,

00:18:35seemed to grin at me.

00:18:36I'd designed them myself,

00:18:37for the honeymoon,

00:18:39for Julian.

00:18:39I'd pulled all-nighters,

00:18:41revising them over and over.

00:18:43The final pieces had just come in today.

00:18:45Half an hour ago,

00:18:46I'd still been waiting for Julian

00:18:48to come home and try them on.

00:18:49Now,

00:18:50I just wanted to throw

00:18:51every single one of them in the trash.

00:18:54By the time I'd packed

00:18:55and dragged my suitcase to the door,

00:18:57it was the middle of the night.

00:19:04Julian, say it.

00:19:05Come on.

00:19:06You're my royal stallion.

00:19:07Giddy up.

00:19:08Yeah, yeah.

00:19:09Through my stinging, blurred vision,

00:19:11I saw Julian,

00:19:12who hadn't been home in three days,

00:19:14giving Poppy a piggyback ride.

00:19:16Her face was flushed red.

00:19:18One hand had his ear in a death grip.

00:19:20The other was patting his head,

00:19:22demanding he neighed.

00:19:26Poppy's drunk.

00:19:27I didn't know why he was bothering to explain.

00:19:30When he'd moved in with me,

00:19:31and Poppy bought the apartment

00:19:32directly above ours the very next day,

00:19:34he hadn't explained.

00:19:36When Poppy had giggled in our doorway,

00:19:38hanging off Julian and purring,

00:19:40sweetie,

00:19:40I'll always be on top of you,

00:19:42he hadn't explained then either.

00:19:44All he ever said was,

00:19:46Claire, you know what we are to each other.

00:19:49They were childhood sweethearts, after all.

00:19:51Two old money families joined at the hip.

00:19:53Everyone had watched them grow up.

00:19:55For years,

00:19:56they'd been the golden couple in every photo,

00:19:58until Julian launched a three-year campaign

00:20:00chasing me in college.

00:20:01To him,

00:20:02that was proof enough

00:20:03that there was nothing between him and Poppy.

00:20:05Once I tore myself apart over it,

00:20:06I obsessed.

00:20:07I picked fights.

00:20:09But now,

00:20:09whatever they did

00:20:10had nothing to do with me anymore.

00:20:11I looked away.

00:20:12All I said was,

00:20:13yeah, of course.

00:20:14Then I started to wheel my suitcase past him.

00:20:17It was the answer he should have wanted.

00:20:19He didn't take it well.

00:20:22Say that again?

00:20:23I said,

00:20:24we're done, Julian.

00:20:26I'm breaking up with you.

00:20:30You're really not done throwing this tantrum, are you?

00:20:32And by the way, Claire,

00:20:34we had our wedding last week.

00:20:36If you're throwing a fit,

00:20:38the words divorce,

00:20:40not breakup.

00:20:42Breakup.

00:20:43Divorce.

00:20:43To Julian,

00:20:44they were the same kind of joke.

00:20:46He looked at me lazily,

00:20:47the way you humor a child

00:20:48who's being unreasonable.

00:20:50I didn't bother arguing.

00:20:51The corner of my mouth twitched.

00:20:53Call it whatever you want.

00:20:54But I couldn't leave.

00:20:55The standoff lasted only a few seconds.

00:21:02Enough!

00:21:03I can't deal with you two anymore!

00:21:09Julian instinctively reached down to help her up.

00:21:11She shoved him away.

00:21:12Don't touch me.

00:21:13I'm done.

00:21:14I'm done.

00:21:15The second she sees me,

00:21:16it's I want to break up.

00:21:17I'm leaving.

00:21:18Am I some kind of prop?

00:21:20Am I garbage?

00:21:20Why is she so disgusted by me?

00:21:23Julian!

00:21:24Let's cut each other off.

00:21:26I am sick of walking on eggshells around her.

00:21:30It's all my fault.

00:21:32I shouldn't have ever shown up in your lives.

00:21:34I shouldn't have grown up with you.

00:21:36Right on cue,

00:21:37she launched into dramatic dry heaving,

00:21:39baking that she couldn't breathe,

00:21:40tearing through her Hermes bag for something.

00:21:41My pills!

00:21:42Where's my Xanax?

00:21:43I'm dying!

00:21:44Maybe I should just die!

00:21:45Anything's better than being treated like this every single time!

00:21:47The heat at my wrist disappeared.

00:21:49Julian had already pulled her into his arms,

00:21:52stopping her.

00:21:53It took maybe a few seconds.

00:21:57Poppy was gasping wildly against his chest,

00:21:59her eyes red.

00:22:03Happy now?

00:22:04It was always like this.

00:22:05The instant I showed even a hint of resistance,

00:22:08Poppy would declare an anxiety attack

00:22:10and start frantically hurting herself.

00:22:12Can't speak to her.

00:22:13Can't touch her.

00:22:15Can't even walk away.

00:22:16In the early days,

00:22:17Julian had begged me to humor her.

00:22:19Claire, you've been through it yourself.

00:22:21You know how it is.

00:22:22When she's like this,

00:22:23all you can do is go along with her.

00:22:24Because lives were on the line,

00:22:26I caved every time.

00:22:27I avoided the storm,

00:22:29but eventually,

00:22:29I figured it out.

00:22:30Poppy's condition

00:22:31only flared up

00:22:32when Julian wasn't choosing her over me.

00:22:34That so-called anxiety disorder,

00:22:36it was just possessedness in costume,

00:22:38forcing him to pick a side.

00:22:39I looked down at the smug little look on Poppy's face.

00:22:42I nodded.

00:22:43Sure.

00:22:45Very happy.

00:22:46Though,

00:22:47you moved a little too fast.

00:22:49You didn't get to find the pills.

00:22:50Your acting could use some work.

00:22:53Try harder next time.

00:22:54A flash of shock crossed Poppy's face.

00:22:56She froze,

00:22:57then started gearing up for round two.

00:22:59His tall frame loomed over me.

00:23:01Suddenly,

00:23:01my whole field of vision went dark.

00:23:03The shoulder that used to shelter me

00:23:05was now carrying another woman.

00:23:07Carrying her

00:23:08while blocking my way out.

00:23:10Claire,

00:23:12I really have been spoiling you too much.

00:23:16She has every right to make you pay for that.

00:23:19Be grateful, Claire.

00:23:20I'm the one holding her back.

00:23:22For a moment,

00:23:23the world went vacuum silence.

00:23:24I couldn't hear a thing.

00:23:27Even Poppy froze.

00:23:28Then she snapped out of it,

00:23:30jerked her hand free,

00:23:31and swung it hard at my face.

00:23:32A second before her palm hit me,

00:23:34Julian caught her wrist.

00:23:35Those eyes.

00:23:36The ones that used to watch over me

00:23:37through the night.

00:23:38That used to pull me out of nightmares.

00:23:40Tonight they were cold as ice.

00:23:41A flicker of disgust.

00:23:43A warning.

00:23:43You really thought you could just walk out on me?

00:23:46If she'd actually hit you,

00:23:47you'd be throwing a fit for days, right?

00:23:50She got hurt and you don't even care?

00:23:54When you're ready to be reasonable,

00:23:56you'll apologize to Poppy yourself.

00:23:59I stood there,

00:24:00watching the floor numbers climb,

00:24:01my whole body shaking.

00:24:03Cold.

00:24:04So cold.

00:24:04The kind that crept up from the bottom of you,

00:24:06that no coat,

00:24:07no matter how expensive,

00:24:08could keep out.

00:24:10Five years.

00:24:12Five whole years.

00:24:13My body could make a clean break.

00:24:15My heart couldn't pull free that fast.

00:24:18I don't know how long it took.

00:24:20Eventually,

00:24:20I flagged down a cab

00:24:21and headed to a hotel near work.

00:24:23Until I left the country,

00:24:24that's where I'd stay.

00:24:26While I waited for my visa,

00:24:28I had to close out the project

00:24:29I'd been leading for almost two years.

00:24:32My personal life was already a wreck.

00:24:35My career wasn't going to be.

00:24:37I buried myself in overtime,

00:24:39kept myself slammed,

00:24:41partly to speed things up,

00:24:42partly so I wouldn't have time to think.

00:24:44As long as I was busy,

00:24:45I couldn't dwell on anything else.

00:24:47Maybe it was the toll on my body and nerves.

00:24:49Lately,

00:24:50I'd been constantly tired,

00:24:51constantly nauseous.

00:24:52My boss reminded me to pull it together.

00:24:55The client was coming a sting in this afternoon

00:24:57to finalize the contract.

00:24:59At the head of the table sat someone I knew.

00:25:02Julian,

00:25:03in a sharp suit.

00:25:04And beside him,

00:25:05in a cinched waist,

00:25:06backless cocktail dress,

00:25:07sat Poppy.

00:25:08My nails dug into my palms

00:25:10before I could stop them.

00:25:12My boss thought I had nerves and whispered,

00:25:14Relax,

00:25:15the proposal and the designs

00:25:16have already been signed off

00:25:17by their project lead.

00:25:18These two are just bored

00:25:19trust fund babies playing it being adults.

00:25:20Smile through it,

00:25:21humor the rich kids,

00:25:22and we're done.

00:25:23Just give them your usual pitch.

00:25:26I drew a breath.

00:25:27I forced on a smile.

00:25:28I opened the deck

00:25:29and walked them through my design vision.

00:25:30Smooth, composed,

00:25:31point by point.

00:25:32Poppy propped her chin in her hand,

00:25:34nodding along all smiles under the table.

00:25:36My boss flashed me a discreet thumbs up.

00:25:38I exhaled,

00:25:39reading the room.

00:25:40Someone slid the contract across the table.

00:25:43Hmm,

00:25:43it's not doing it for me.

00:25:44The design's so boring.

00:25:45It gives me a headache just looking at it.

00:25:48I don't think I want a sign.

00:25:50The smile froze on my boss's face.

00:25:52I kept mine polite.

00:25:54Is there a specific element

00:25:55you're not happy with?

00:25:57Poppy didn't even glance at the contract.

00:25:59She held up her hand,

00:26:00admiring her fresh manicure.

00:26:02Hard to say.

00:26:03It's more of a feeling.

00:26:05Then she hooked her arm through Julian's.

00:26:07What do you think?

00:26:08Every eye in the room turned to him.

00:26:09Julian's eyes landed on me.

00:26:11On instinct,

00:26:12I looked away.

00:26:13Sounds like your project lead

00:26:14doesn't have much faith

00:26:15in her own work either.

00:26:17I'm suddenly losing interest

00:26:18in this investment.

00:26:19Pulling out.

00:26:21Oh,

00:26:22and just so you know,

00:26:23I've already authorized my people

00:26:25to begin a hostile takeover

00:26:26of your company.

00:26:28Congratulations, Claire.

00:26:29You'll be working for me

00:26:30very soon.

00:26:32Two years on this account.

00:26:33A thousand discarded drafts.

00:26:35I'd lost count of the nights

00:26:36I'd spent at my desk to get here.

00:26:37We were finally about to land.

00:26:39This was supposed to be

00:26:40the showcase project,

00:26:41the perfect closing chapter

00:26:42on this stage of my career.

00:26:43One careless sentence from him,

00:26:44and it was all stillborn.

00:26:46Back at the office,

00:26:47my boss came tearing in,

00:26:49white as a shield,

00:26:50shaking from head to toe.

00:26:52He was practically sobbing.

00:26:54Claire, he will destroy

00:26:56the whole firm.

00:26:57Please,

00:26:58just go apologize.

00:27:00It wasn't that I didn't want

00:27:02to save the project.

00:27:04It was that I knew exactly

00:27:05who Poppy was actually here for.

00:27:08The only way this project survived

00:27:10was if I disappeared.

00:27:14I just hadn't expected

00:27:15the one thing tying me to this city

00:27:17would get torn apart this fast.

00:27:19The wave of nauseous hit again.

00:27:21I stumbled out of the office.

00:27:23Julian, still here.

00:27:25His hand started wandering somewhere.

00:27:27It had no business going.

00:27:28I bit down on him

00:27:29with everything I had.

00:27:31The taste of blood bloomed thick

00:27:33between our mouths.

00:27:34Get out!

00:27:36Julian stood there,

00:27:37his expression unreadable.

00:27:43Claire,

00:27:45after all this time,

00:27:46why haven't you learned?

00:27:47I tried to twist away.

00:27:49The harder I fought,

00:27:50the tighter he held me.

00:27:52If you'd just apologized

00:27:54for what happened last time,

00:27:57none of this would be happening today.

00:28:02How hard is it to lower your head

00:28:04just once?

00:28:06Julian's voice was softer

00:28:07than any sweet nothing

00:28:08he'd ever whispered in my ear.

00:28:10But I was shaking anyway.

00:28:12Not from the cold.

00:28:13From a cramp tearing through my stomach.

00:28:15An eerie, sinking,

00:28:17dragging down feeling.

00:28:18Something was rushing out of me.

00:28:20A ridiculous thought

00:28:22surfaced in my mind.

00:28:24I tried to look down.

00:28:26Julian's grip on my chin

00:28:27held me in place.

00:28:28All I could do

00:28:30was bite my lip

00:28:30and hold on.

00:28:32Something warm

00:28:33slipped down my thigh.

00:28:35Dripping onto the carpet,

00:28:37Julian noticed.

00:28:45Claire, you...

00:28:52Before our honeymoon

00:28:53to the Amalfi Coast,

00:28:54my husband Julian

00:28:56canceled our flight

00:28:57behind my back.

00:28:58He swapped them

00:28:59for tickets to Ibiza

00:29:00with his childhood

00:29:02best friend, Poppy.

00:29:04Even his pack

00:29:04of party boyfriends

00:29:05thought he'd gone too far

00:29:07and tried to talk him down.

00:29:12What the fuck?

00:29:13Julian, this is messed up.

00:29:15Claire's been looking forward

00:29:16to it forever.

00:29:17Julian didn't care.

00:29:19He brushed them off

00:29:19without a second thought.

00:29:21It's Poppy's birthday wish.

00:29:22One more single girl trip with her

00:29:24before I'm locked down for good.

00:29:25Claire always blows everything

00:29:27out of proportion.

00:29:28This'll be good for her.

00:29:29Reminder she's not the center

00:29:30of the universe.

00:29:31The Poppy he was talking about

00:29:32was his weepy childhood playmate.

00:29:34And I was Claire,

00:29:35the wife he couldn't even bother

00:29:37to say my wife about.

00:29:38I didn't fight.

00:29:39I didn't argue.

00:29:40I pretended I had no idea,

00:29:42quietly canceled the honeymoon,

00:29:44and bought a one-way ticket

00:29:45to another country

00:29:46on the other side of the ocean.

00:29:47My phone was lagging.

00:29:49The cancellation screen

00:29:50kept spinning.

00:29:51Meanwhile,

00:29:51on Poppy's pink tablet,

00:29:53an iMessage group chat

00:29:54called Astor's Royal Guard

00:29:56wouldn't stop lighting up.

00:29:57I tapped it open.

00:29:58Poppy's avatar filled the screen.

00:30:00What the hell is wrong

00:30:01with you assholes?

00:30:02Every single one of you

00:30:03is taking Claire's side.

00:30:04Like she's your bro,

00:30:06not me.

00:30:06Fine.

00:30:07You're right.

00:30:08It's all my fault.

00:30:09I'm just a bitch.

00:30:10I shouldn't have a birthday.

00:30:12I definitely shouldn't have wished

00:30:14for Julian to come with me.

00:30:15I should be like the rest of you,

00:30:17kissing Queen Claire's ass.

00:30:19You're her real friends.

00:30:20I don't matter at all.

00:30:21Happy now.

00:30:22Julian,

00:30:22who'd been ghosting me

00:30:23for two days

00:30:24claiming he was in meetings,

00:30:25replied in seconds.

00:30:26He at the other six guys

00:30:28and sent one thing.

00:30:29A single question mark.

00:30:32Sorry, sorry, sorry.

00:30:33It's just one bachelorette trip.

00:30:35Queen Poppy says jump.

00:30:37We don't just send Julian.

00:30:39All six of us drop everything

00:30:40and show up as bodyguards.

00:30:44Where are you?

00:30:44Claire's the one

00:30:45you actually answer to.

00:30:46Claire, please.

00:30:47So they had a wedding.

00:30:48Big deal.

00:30:49Julian still got that paperwork

00:30:51locked in his safe.

00:30:52She's a wife in name only.

00:30:54Legally, none of it counts.

00:30:55Last laugh's still up for grabs.

00:30:57I blinked,

00:30:58staring at the group chat

00:30:59that was so much livelier

00:31:01without me in it.

00:31:01If Poppy hadn't left her tablet

00:31:03in Julian's car,

00:31:04I wouldn't have even earned a peek

00:31:06at all this fun.

00:31:07And there I'd been,

00:31:09naively reading travel guides,

00:31:11hoping the honeymoon

00:31:12would make for great photos.

00:31:14I stared at the empty itinerary

00:31:16for a long time.

00:31:17Then I went back

00:31:18to the home screen,

00:31:20typed in a new destination,

00:31:21and made a call.

00:31:23Mom,

00:31:25I'll go to London with you.

00:31:26On the other end,

00:31:27my mother caught it immediately.

00:31:29Something was wrong.

00:31:30Back then,

00:31:31she'd turned down

00:31:31a once-in-a-lifetime job offer

00:31:33for my sake.

00:31:35Mom,

00:31:35I know you have questions,

00:31:37but right now,

00:31:38I don't have the energy

00:31:39to explain everything

00:31:40that just happened.

00:31:42I've made up my mind.

00:31:44Once I wrap up work

00:31:45and get my visa sorted,

00:31:46I'll fly out.

00:31:47Then I'll tell you everything.

00:31:48Mom went quiet

00:31:49for a few seconds.

00:31:50In the end,

00:31:51she didn't push.

00:31:52I hung up and collapsed

00:31:53onto the couch,

00:31:54trying to steady myself.

00:31:55Julian's friends had a point.

00:31:56We'd signed a prenup,

00:31:58we'd had a wedding,

00:31:58but he'd deliberately

00:31:59locked the marriage license,

00:32:00the one we still had to file

00:32:01with City Hall,

00:32:02in his safe,

00:32:03until it was legally binding.

00:32:05I was just a wife

00:32:05who could be swapped out

00:32:06at any moment,

00:32:07which, right now,

00:32:08meant I didn't have to wait

00:32:09for him to come home.

00:32:10No divorce proceedings,

00:32:12no drawn-out fights over assets.

00:32:14I pushed the wave

00:32:14of feeling back down

00:32:15and forced myself up

00:32:17to start packing.

00:32:18In the closet,

00:32:18the his-and-hers

00:32:19vacation outfits,

00:32:20freshly pressed,

00:32:21seemed to grin at me.

00:32:22I'd designed them myself,

00:32:23for the honeymoon,

00:32:25for Julian.

00:32:26I'd pulled all-nighters,

00:32:27revising them over and over.

00:32:29The final pieces

00:32:30had just come in today.

00:32:31Half an hour ago,

00:32:32I'd still been waiting

00:32:33for Julian to come home

00:32:34and try them on.

00:32:35Now,

00:32:36I just wanted to throw

00:32:37every single one of them

00:32:38in the trash.

00:32:40By the time I'd packed

00:32:41and dragged my suitcase

00:32:42to the door,

00:32:43it was the middle of the night.

00:32:50Julian,

00:32:51say it,

00:32:51come on,

00:32:52you're my royal stallion.

00:32:54Giddy up,

00:32:54yeah,

00:32:55yeah!

00:32:55Through my stinging,

00:32:56blurred vision,

00:32:57I saw Julian,

00:32:58who hadn't been home

00:32:59in three days,

00:33:00giving Poppy a piggyback ride.

00:33:02Her face was flushed red.

00:33:04One hand had his ear

00:33:05in a death grip.

00:33:06The other was patting his head,

00:33:08demanding he neigh.

00:33:12Poppy's drunk.

00:33:14I didn't know why

00:33:15he was bothering to explain.

00:33:16When he'd moved in with me

00:33:17and Poppy bought the apartment

00:33:18directly above ours

00:33:19the very next day,

00:33:21he hadn't explained.

00:33:22When Poppy had giggled

00:33:23in our doorway,

00:33:24hanging off Julian

00:33:25and purring,

00:33:26sweetie,

00:33:27I'll always be on top of you,

00:33:28he hadn't explained then either.

00:33:30All he ever said was,

00:33:32Claire,

00:33:33you know what we are

00:33:34to each other.

00:33:35They were childhood sweethearts

00:33:36after all.

00:33:37Two old money families

00:33:38joined at the hip.

00:33:39Everyone had watched them grow up.

00:33:41For years,

00:33:42they'd been the golden couple

00:33:43in every photo,

00:33:44until Julian launched

00:33:45a three-year campaign

00:33:46chasing me in college.

00:33:47To him,

00:33:48that was proof enough

00:33:49that there was nothing

00:33:50between him and Poppy.

00:33:51Once I tore myself apart over it,

00:33:53I obsessed.

00:33:53I picked fights.

00:33:55But now,

00:33:55whatever they did

00:33:56had nothing to do with me anymore.

00:33:57I looked away.

00:33:58All I said was,

00:33:59yeah, of course.

00:34:00Then I started to wheel

00:34:01my suitcase past him.

00:34:03It was the answer

00:34:04he should have wanted.

00:34:05He didn't take it well.

00:34:08Say that again?

00:34:09I said,

00:34:10we're done, Julian.

00:34:12I'm breaking up with you.

00:34:16You're really not done

00:34:17throwing this tantrum,

00:34:18are you?

00:34:18And by the way,

00:34:19Claire,

00:34:20we had our wedding last week.

00:34:22If you're throwing a fit,

00:34:24the words,

00:34:25divorce,

00:34:26not,

00:34:27breakup.

00:34:28Breakup.

00:34:29Divorce.

00:34:29To Julian,

00:34:30they were the same kind of joke.

00:34:32You looked at me lazily,

00:34:33the way you humor a child

00:34:34who's being unreasonable.

00:34:36I didn't bother arguing.

00:34:37The corner of my mouth twitched.

00:34:39Call it whatever you want,

00:34:40but I couldn't leave.

00:34:41The standoff lasted

00:34:42only a few seconds.

00:34:48Enough!

00:34:49I can't deal with you two anymore!

00:34:55Julian instinctively reached down

00:34:56to help her up.

00:34:57She shoved him away.

00:34:58Don't touch me!

00:35:00I'm done!

00:35:01The second she sees me,

00:35:02it's I want a breakup?

00:35:03I'm leaving?

00:35:04Am I some kind of prop?

00:35:06Am I garbage?

00:35:06Why is she so disgusted by me?

00:35:09Julian!

00:35:10Let's cut each other off!

00:35:12I am sick of walking

00:35:14on eggshells around her!

00:35:16It's all my fault!

00:35:18I shouldn't have ever

00:35:19shown up in your lives!

00:35:20I shouldn't have grown up with you!

00:35:22Right on cue,

00:35:23she launched into dramatic

00:35:24dry heaving,

00:35:25faking that she couldn't breathe,

00:35:26tearing through her Hermes bag

00:35:27for something.

00:35:27My pills!

00:35:28Where's my Xanax?

00:35:29I'm dying!

00:35:30Maybe I should just die!

00:35:31Anything's better than

00:35:32being treated like this

00:35:32every single time!

00:35:33The heat at my wrist

00:35:34disappeared.

00:35:35Julian had already

00:35:37pulled her into his arms,

00:35:38stopping her.

00:35:39It took maybe a few seconds.

00:35:43Poppy was gasping wildly

00:35:44against his chest,

00:35:45her eyes red.

00:35:49Happy now?

00:35:50It was always like this.

00:35:51The instant I showed

00:35:52even a hint of resistance,

00:35:54Poppy would declare

00:35:55an anxiety attack

00:35:56and start frantically

00:35:57hurting herself.

00:35:58can't speak to her,

00:35:59can't touch her,

00:36:00can't even walk away.

00:36:02In the early days,

00:36:03Julian had begged me

00:36:04to humor her.

00:36:05Claire, you've been

00:36:06through it yourself.

00:36:07You know how it is.

00:36:08When she's like this,

00:36:09all you can do

00:36:09is go along with her.

00:36:10Because lives were on the line,

00:36:12I caved every time.

00:36:13I avoided the storm,

00:36:15but eventually,

00:36:15I figured it out.

00:36:16Poppy's condition

00:36:17only flared up

00:36:18when Julian wasn't

00:36:19choosing her over me.

00:36:20That so-called

00:36:21anxiety disorder,

00:36:22it was just

00:36:23possessedness in costume,

00:36:24forcing him to pick a side.

00:36:25I looked down at the

00:36:26smug little look

00:36:27on Poppy's face.

00:36:28I nodded.

00:36:30Sure.

00:36:31Very happy.

00:36:33Though,

00:36:33you moved a little too fast.

00:36:35You didn't get to find the pills.

00:36:36Your acting could use some work.

00:36:39Try harder next time.

00:36:40A flash of shock

00:36:41crossed Poppy's face.

00:36:42She froze,

00:36:43then started gearing up

00:36:44for round two.

00:36:45His tall frame

00:36:46loomed over me.

00:36:47Suddenly,

00:36:47my whole field of vision

00:36:49went dark.

00:36:49The shoulder that used

00:36:51to shelter me

00:36:51was now carrying

00:36:52another woman.

00:36:53Carrying her

00:36:54while blocking

00:36:55my way out.

00:36:57Claire,

00:36:58I really have

00:36:59been spoiling you

00:37:00too much.

00:37:02She has every right

00:37:03to make you pay for that.

00:37:05Be grateful,

00:37:06Claire.

00:37:06I'm the one

00:37:07holding her back.

00:37:08For a moment,

00:37:09the world went

00:37:09vacuum silence.

00:37:11I couldn't hear a thing.

00:37:13Even Poppy froze.

00:37:15Then she snapped

00:37:15out of it,

00:37:16jerked her hand free,

00:37:17and swung it hard

00:37:17at my face.

00:37:18A second before

00:37:19her palm hit me,

00:37:20Julian caught her wrist.

00:37:21Those eyes.

00:37:22The ones that used

00:37:23to watch over me

00:37:23through the night.

00:37:24That used to pull me

00:37:25out of nightmares.

00:37:26Tonight they were

00:37:27cold as ice.

00:37:27A flicker of disgust.

00:37:29A warning.

00:37:29You really thought

00:37:30you could just

00:37:30walk out on me?

00:37:32If she'd actually

00:37:33hit you,

00:37:34you'd be throwing

00:37:34a fit for days,

00:37:35right?

00:37:36She got hurt

00:37:37and you don't even care?

00:37:40When you're ready

00:37:41to be reasonable,

00:37:42you'll apologize

00:37:42to Poppy yourself.

00:37:45I stood there,

00:37:46watching the floor

00:37:47numbers climb,

00:37:47my whole body shaking.

00:37:49Cold,

00:37:50so cold,

00:37:51the kind that crept up

00:37:51from the bottom of you

00:37:52that no coat,

00:37:53no matter how expensive,

00:37:54could keep out.

00:37:56Five years.

00:37:58Five whole years.

00:37:59My body could make

00:38:00a clean break.

00:38:01My heart couldn't

00:38:02pull free that fast.

00:38:04I don't know

00:38:04how long it took.

00:38:06Eventually,

00:38:06I flagged down a cab

00:38:07and headed to a hotel

00:38:08near work.

00:38:09Until I left the country,

00:38:10that's where I'd stay.

00:38:12While I waited

00:38:13for my visa,

00:38:14I had to close out

00:38:15the project I'd been

00:38:16leading for almost

00:38:16two years.

00:38:18My personal life

00:38:20was already a wreck.

00:38:21My career wasn't

00:38:22going to be.

00:38:23I buried myself

00:38:24in overtime,

00:38:25kept myself slammed,

00:38:27partly to speed things up,

00:38:28partly so I wouldn't

00:38:29have time to think.

00:38:30As long as I was busy,

00:38:31I couldn't dwell

00:38:32on anything else.

00:38:33Maybe it was the toll

00:38:34on my body and nerves.

00:38:35Lately,

00:38:36I'd been constantly tired,

00:38:37constantly nauseous.

00:38:39My boss reminded me

00:38:40to pull it together.

00:38:41The client was coming

00:38:42a-sting in this afternoon

00:38:43to finalize the contract.

00:38:45At the head of the table

00:38:47sat someone I knew.

00:38:48Julian,

00:38:49in a sharp suit,

00:38:50and beside him,

00:38:51in a cinched-waist,

00:38:52backless cocktail dress,

00:38:54sat Poppy.

00:38:54My nails dug into my palms

00:38:56before I could stop them.

00:38:58My boss thought I had nerves

00:39:00and whispered,

00:39:00Relax,

00:39:01the proposal and the designs

00:39:02have already been signed off

00:39:03by their project lead.

00:39:04These two are just bored

00:39:05trust fund babies

00:39:05playing at being adults.

00:39:06Smile through it,

00:39:07humor the rich kids,

00:39:08and we're done.

00:39:09Just give them

00:39:09your usual pitch.

00:39:12I drew a breath.

00:39:13I forced on a smile.

00:39:14I opened the deck

00:39:15and walked them

00:39:15through my design vision.

00:39:16Smooth, composed,

00:39:17point by point.

00:39:18Poppy propped her chin

00:39:19in her hand,

00:39:20nodding along all smiles

00:39:21under the table.

00:39:22My boss flashed me

00:39:23a discreet thumbs up.

00:39:24I exhaled,

00:39:26reading the room.

00:39:27Someone slid the contract

00:39:28across the table.

00:39:29Hmm,

00:39:29it's not doing it for me.

00:39:30The design's so boring.

00:39:31It gives me a headache

00:39:32just looking at it.

00:39:34I don't think

00:39:35I want a sign.

00:39:36The smile froze

00:39:37on my boss's face.

00:39:38I kept mine polite.

00:39:40Is there a specific element

00:39:42you're not happy with?

00:39:43Poppy didn't even glance

00:39:44at the contract.

00:39:45She held up her hand,

00:39:46admiring her fresh manicure.

00:39:48Hard to say.

00:39:49It's more of a feeling.

00:39:51Then she hooked her arm

00:39:52through Julian's.

00:39:53What do you think?

00:39:54Every eye in the room

00:39:55turned to him.

00:39:56Julian's eyes landed on me.

00:39:57On instinct,

00:39:58I looked away.

00:39:59Sounds like your project lead

00:40:00doesn't have much faith

00:40:01in her own work either.

00:40:02I'm suddenly losing interest

00:40:04in this investment.

00:40:05Pulling out.

00:40:08Oh,

00:40:08and just so you know,

00:40:09I've already authorized

00:40:10my people to begin

00:40:11a hostile takeover

00:40:12of your company.

00:40:14Congratulations,

00:40:14Claire.

00:40:15You'll be working for me

00:40:16very soon.

00:40:18Two years on this account.

00:40:19A thousand discarded drafts.

00:40:21I'd lost count of the nights

00:40:22I'd spent at my desk

00:40:23to get here.

00:40:23We were finally about to land.

00:40:25This was supposed to be

00:40:26the showcase project.

00:40:27The perfect closing chapter

00:40:28on this stage of my career.

00:40:29One careless sentence from him

00:40:30and it was all stillborn.

00:40:32Back at the office,

00:40:33my boss came tearing in,

00:40:35white as a shield,

00:40:36shaking from head to toe.

00:40:38He was practically sobbing.

00:40:40Claire, he will destroy

00:40:42the whole firm.

00:40:43Please,

00:40:44just go apologize.

00:40:46It wasn't that I didn't

00:40:47want to save the project.

00:40:50It was that I knew exactly

00:40:52who Poppy was actually

00:40:53here for.

00:40:54The only way this project

00:40:56survived

00:40:56was if I disappeared.

00:41:00I just hadn't expected

00:41:01the one thing tying me

00:41:03to this city

00:41:03would get torn apart

00:41:04this fast.

00:41:05The wave of nauseous

00:41:06hit again.

00:41:07I stumbled out of the office.

00:41:09Julian,

00:41:09still here.

00:41:11His hands started

00:41:12wandering somewhere.

00:41:13It had no business going.

00:41:14I bit down on him

00:41:15with everything I had.

00:41:17The taste of blood

00:41:18bloomed thick

00:41:19between our mouths.

00:41:20Get out!

00:41:22Julian stood there,

00:41:23his expression

00:41:24unreadable.

00:41:29Claire,

00:41:31after all this time,

00:41:32why haven't you learned?

00:41:33I tried to twist away.

00:41:35The harder I fought,

00:41:36the tighter he held me.

00:41:39If you'd just apologized

00:41:40for what happened

00:41:41last time,

00:41:43none of this

00:41:44would be happening today.

00:41:48How hard is it

00:41:49to lower your head

00:41:51just once?

00:41:52Julian's voice

00:41:53was softer

00:41:53than any sweet nothing

00:41:54he'd ever whispered

00:41:55in my ear.

00:41:56But I was shaking anyway.

00:41:57Not from the cold.

00:41:59From a cramp

00:42:00tearing through my stomach.

00:42:01An eerie,

00:42:02sinking,

00:42:03dragging down feeling.

00:42:04Something was rushing

00:42:05out of me.

00:42:07A ridiculous thought

00:42:08surfaced in my mind.

00:42:10I tried to look down.

00:42:12Julian's grip on my chin

00:42:13held me in place.

00:42:15All I could do

00:42:16was bite my lip

00:42:16and hold on.

00:42:18Something warm

00:42:19slipped down my thigh,

00:42:20dripping onto the carpet.

00:42:22Julian noticed.

00:42:31Claire, you-

00:42:38Before our honeymoon

00:42:39to the Amalfi Coast,

00:42:40my husband Julian

00:42:42canceled our flight

00:42:43behind my back.

00:42:44He swapped them

00:42:45for tickets to Ibiza

00:42:46with his childhood

00:42:48best friend,

00:42:49Poppy.

00:42:50Even his pack

00:42:50of party boyfriends

00:42:51thought he'd gone too far

00:42:53and tried to talk him down.

00:42:58The fuck, Julian?

00:43:00This is messed up.

00:43:01Claire's been looking forward

00:43:02to it forever.

00:43:03Julian didn't care.

00:43:05He brushed them off

00:43:05without a second thought.

00:43:07It's Poppy's birthday wish.

00:43:08One more single girl trip

00:43:10with her before I'm

00:43:10locked down for good.

00:43:11Claire always blows

00:43:12everything out of proportion.

00:43:14This'll be good for her.

00:43:15Reminder she's not

00:43:16the center of the universe.

00:43:17The Poppy he was talking about

00:43:18was his weepy

00:43:19childhood playmate.

00:43:20And I was Claire.

00:43:21The wife he couldn't

00:43:22even bother to say

00:43:23my wife about.

00:43:24I didn't fight.

00:43:25I didn't argue.

00:43:26I pretended I had no idea,

00:43:28quietly canceled

00:43:29the honeymoon,

00:43:29and bought a one-way ticket

00:43:31to another country

00:43:32on the other side

00:43:33of the ocean.

00:43:33My phone was lagging.

00:43:35The cancellation screen

00:43:36kept spinning.

00:43:37Meanwhile,

00:43:37on Poppy's pink tablet,

00:43:39an iMessage group chat

00:43:40called Astor's Royal Guard

00:43:42wouldn't stop lighting up.

00:43:43I tapped it open.

00:43:44Poppy's avatar

00:43:45filled the screen.

00:43:46What the hell is wrong

00:43:47with you assholes?

00:43:48Every single one of you

00:43:49is taking Claire's side.

00:43:50Like she's your bro,

00:43:52not me.

00:43:52Fine.

00:43:53You're right.

00:43:54It's all my fault.

00:43:55I'm just a bitch.

00:43:56I shouldn't have a birthday.

00:43:58I definitely shouldn't

00:43:59have wished for Julian

00:44:00to come with me.

00:44:01I should be like

00:44:02the rest of you,

00:44:03kissing Queen Claire's ass.

00:44:05You're her real friends.

00:44:06I don't matter at all.

00:44:07Happy now.

00:44:08Julian,

00:44:09who'd been ghosting me

00:44:09for two days

00:44:10claiming he was in meetings,

00:44:11replied in seconds.

00:44:13He at the other six guys

00:44:14and sent one thing.

00:44:15A single question mark.

00:44:18Sorry, sorry, sorry.

00:44:19It's just one

00:44:20bachelorette trip.

00:44:22Queen Poppy says jump.

00:44:23We don't just send

00:44:24Julie on.

00:44:25All six of us drop

00:44:26everything and show up

00:44:27as bodyguards.

00:44:30Who are you?

00:44:30Claire's the one

00:44:31you actually answer to.

00:44:32Claire, please.

00:44:33So they had a wedding.

00:44:34Big deal.

00:44:35Julian still got that

00:44:36paperwork locked in his safe.

00:44:38She's a wife in name only.

00:44:40Legally, none of it counts.

00:44:41Last laugh's still up for grabs.

00:44:43I blinked,

00:44:44staring at the group chat

00:44:45that was so much livelier

00:44:47without me in it.

00:44:48If Poppy hadn't left

00:44:49her tablet in Julian's car,

00:44:50I wouldn't have even

00:44:51earned a peek

00:44:52at all this fun.

00:44:54And there I'd been,

00:44:55naively reading travel guides,

00:44:57hoping the honeymoon

00:44:58would make for great photos.

00:45:00I stared at the empty

00:45:01itinerary for a long time.

00:45:03Then I went back

00:45:04to the home screen,

00:45:06typed in a new destination,

00:45:07and made a call.

00:45:09Mom,

00:45:11I'll go to London with you.

00:45:12On the other end,

00:45:14my mother caught it immediately.

00:45:15Something was wrong.

00:45:16Back then,

00:45:17she'd turned down

00:45:18a once-in-a-lifetime

00:45:19job offer for my sake.

00:45:21Mom,

00:45:21I know you have questions,

00:45:23but right now,

00:45:24I don't have the energy

00:45:25to explain everything

00:45:27that just happened.

00:45:28I've made up my mind.

00:45:30Once I wrap up work

00:45:31and get my visa sorted,

00:45:32I'll fly out.

00:45:33Then I'll tell you everything.

00:45:34Mom went quiet

00:45:35for a few seconds.

00:45:36In the end,

00:45:37she didn't push.

00:45:38I hung up and collapsed

00:45:39onto the couch,

00:45:40trying to steady myself.

00:45:41Julian's friends

00:45:42had a point.

00:45:42We'd signed a prenup,

00:45:44we'd had a wedding,

00:45:44but he deliberately

00:45:45locked the marriage license,

00:45:46the one we still had to file

00:45:48with City Hall,

00:45:48in his safe,

00:45:49until it was legally binding.

00:45:51I was just a wife

00:45:52who could be swapped out

00:45:53at any moment,

00:45:53which,

00:45:54right now,

00:45:54meant I didn't have to wait

00:45:55for him to come home.

00:45:56No divorce proceedings,

00:45:58no drawn-out fights

00:45:59over assets.

00:46:00I pushed the wave

00:46:01of feeling back down

00:46:01and forced myself up

00:46:03to start packing.

00:46:04In the closet,

00:46:05the his-and-hers

00:46:05vacation outfits,

00:46:06freshly pressed,

00:46:07seemed to grin at me.

00:46:08I'd designed them myself,

00:46:10for the honeymoon,

00:46:10for Julian.

00:46:12I'd pulled all-nighters,

00:46:13revising them over and over.

00:46:15The final pieces

00:46:16had just come in today.

00:46:17Half an hour ago,

00:46:18I'd still been waiting

00:46:19for Julian to come home

00:46:21and try them on.

00:46:22Now,

00:46:22I just wanted to throw

00:46:23every single one of them

00:46:24in the trash.

00:46:26By the time I'd packed

00:46:27and dragged my suitcase

00:46:28to the door,

00:46:29it was the middle

00:46:30of the night.

00:46:36Julian,

00:46:37say it,

00:46:37come on,

00:46:38you're my royal stallion.

00:46:40Giddy up,

00:46:40yeah,

00:46:41yeah.

00:46:41Through my stinging,

00:46:42blurred vision,

00:46:43I saw Julian,

00:46:44who hadn't been home

00:46:45in three days,

00:46:46giving Poppy

00:46:47a piggyback ride.

00:46:48Her face was flushed red.

00:46:50One hand had his ear

00:46:51in a death grip.

00:46:52The other was patting his head,

00:46:54demanding he neigh.

00:46:58Poppy's drunk.

00:47:00I didn't know why

00:47:01he was bothering to explain.

00:47:02When he'd moved in with me

00:47:03and Poppy bought the apartment

00:47:04directly above ours

00:47:05the very next day,

00:47:07he hadn't explained.

00:47:08When Poppy had giggled

00:47:09in our doorway,

00:47:10hanging off Julian

00:47:11and purring,

00:47:12sweetie,

00:47:12I'll always be on top of you,

00:47:14he hadn't explained then either.

00:47:16All he ever said was,

00:47:18Claire,

00:47:19you know what we are

00:47:20to each other.

00:47:21They were childhood sweethearts

00:47:22after all.

00:47:23Two old money families

00:47:24joined at the hip.

00:47:25Everyone had watched them grow up.

00:47:27For years,

00:47:28they'd been the golden couple

00:47:29in every photo.

00:47:30Until Julian launched

00:47:31a three-year campaign

00:47:32chasing me in college.

00:47:33To him,

00:47:34that was proof enough

00:47:35that there was nothing

00:47:36between him and Poppy.

00:47:37Once I tore myself apart over it,

00:47:39I obsessed.

00:47:40I picked fights.

00:47:41But now,

00:47:41whatever they did

00:47:42had nothing to do with me anymore.

00:47:43I looked away.

00:47:44All I said was,

00:47:45yeah,

00:47:46of course.

00:47:46Then I started to wheel

00:47:47my suitcase past him.

00:47:49It was the answer

00:47:50he should have wanted.

00:47:51He didn't take it well.

00:47:54Say that again?

00:47:55I said,

00:47:56we're done,

00:47:57Julian.

00:47:58I'm breaking up with you.

00:48:02You're really not done

00:48:03throwing this tantrum,

00:48:04are you?

00:48:05And by the way,

00:48:05Claire,

00:48:06we had our wedding last week.

00:48:08If you're throwing a fit,

00:48:10the words divorce,

00:48:13not breakup.

00:48:14Breakup.

00:48:15Divorce.

00:48:15To Julian,

00:48:16they were the same kind of joke.

00:48:18He looked at me lazily,

00:48:19the way you humor a child

00:48:20who's being unreasonable.

00:48:22I didn't bother arguing.

00:48:23The corner of my mouth twitched.

00:48:25Call it whatever you want,

00:48:26but I couldn't leave.

00:48:27The standoff lasted

00:48:28only a few seconds.

00:48:34Enough!

00:48:35I can't deal with you two anymore!

00:48:41Julian instinctively reached down

00:48:43to help her up.

00:48:43She shoved him away.

00:48:45Don't touch me.

00:48:46I'm done.

00:48:47The second she sees me,

00:48:48it's I want to break up.

00:48:49I'm leaving.

00:48:50Am I some kind of prop?

00:48:52Am I garbage?

00:48:52Why is she so disgusted by me?

00:48:55Julian!

00:48:56Let's cut each other off!

00:48:59I am sick of walking

00:49:00on eggshells around her!

00:49:03It's all my fault!

00:49:04I shouldn't have ever

00:49:05shown up in your lives!

00:49:06I shouldn't have grown up with you!

00:49:08Right on cue,

00:49:09she launched into dramatic

00:49:10dry heaving,

00:49:11faking that she couldn't breathe,

00:49:12tearing through her Hermes bag

00:49:13for something.

00:49:14My pills!

00:49:14Where's my Xanax?

00:49:15I'm dying!

00:49:16Maybe I should just die!

00:49:17Anything's better than being treated

00:49:18like this every single time!

00:49:19The heat at my wrist disappeared.

00:49:21Julian had already pulled her

00:49:23into his arms,

00:49:24stopping her.

00:49:25It took maybe a few seconds.

00:49:29Poppy was gasping wildly

00:49:30against his chest,

00:49:31her eyes red.

00:49:35Happy now?

00:49:36It was always like this.

00:49:37The instant I showed

00:49:38even a hint of resistance,

00:49:40Poppy would declare

00:49:41an anxiety attack

00:49:42and start frantically

00:49:43hurting herself.

00:49:44Can't speak to her.

00:49:45Can't touch her.

00:49:46Can't even walk away.

00:49:48In the early days,

00:49:49Julian had begged me

00:49:50to humor her.

00:49:51Claire, you've been

00:49:52through it yourself.

00:49:53You know how it is.

00:49:54When she's like this,

00:49:55all you can do

00:49:55is go along with her.

00:49:56Because lives were on the line,

00:49:58I caved every time.

00:49:59I avoided the storm,

00:50:01but eventually,

00:50:01I figured it out.

00:50:03Poppy's condition

00:50:03only flared up

00:50:05when Julian wasn't

00:50:06choosing her over me.

00:50:07That so-called anxiety disorder,

00:50:08it was just possessedness

00:50:09in costume,

00:50:10forcing him to pick a side.

00:50:12I looked down

00:50:12at the smug little look

00:50:13on Poppy's face.

00:50:14I nodded.

00:50:16Sure.

00:50:17Very happy.

00:50:19Though,

00:50:19you moved a little too fast.

00:50:21You didn't get to find the pills.

00:50:22Your acting could use some work.

00:50:25Try harder next time.

00:50:26A flash of shock

00:50:27crossed Poppy's face.

00:50:28She froze,

00:50:29then started gearing up

00:50:30for round two.

00:50:31His tall frame loomed over me.

00:50:33Suddenly,

00:50:33my whole field of vision

00:50:35went dark.

00:50:35The shoulder that used

00:50:37to shelter me

00:50:37was now carrying another woman.

00:50:39Carrying her

00:50:40while blocking my way out.

00:50:43Claire,

00:50:44I really have been

00:50:46spoiling you too much.

00:50:48She has every right

00:50:49to make you pay for that.

00:50:51Be grateful, Claire.

00:50:52I'm the one holding her back.

00:50:54For a moment,

00:50:55the world went vacuum silence.

00:50:57I couldn't hear a thing.

00:50:59Even Poppy froze.

00:51:01Then she snapped out of it,

00:51:02jerked her hand free,

00:51:03and swung it hard at my face.

00:51:04A second before her palm hit me,

00:51:06Julian caught her wrist.

00:51:07Those eyes.

00:51:08The ones that used to watch over me

00:51:09through the night.

00:51:10That used to pull me

00:51:11out of nightmares.

00:51:12Tonight they were cold as ice.

00:51:13A flicker of disgust.

00:51:15A warning.

00:51:15You really thought

00:51:16you could just walk out on me?

00:51:18If she'd actually hit you,

00:51:20you'd be throwing a fit

00:51:20for days, right?

00:51:22She got hurt

00:51:23and you don't even care?

00:51:26When you're ready

00:51:27to be reasonable,

00:51:28you'll apologize

00:51:28to Poppy yourself.

00:51:31I stood there,

00:51:32watching the floor numbers climb,

00:51:33my whole body shaking.

00:51:35Cold.

00:51:36So cold.

00:51:37The kind that crept up

00:51:37from the bottom of you.

00:51:38that no coat,

00:51:39no matter how expensive,

00:51:41could keep out.

00:51:42Five years.

00:51:44Five whole years.

00:51:45My body could make a clean break.

00:51:47My heart couldn't pull free that fast.

00:51:50I don't know how long it took.

00:51:52Eventually,

00:51:52I flagged down a cab

00:51:53and headed to a hotel near work.

00:51:55Until I left the country,

00:51:56that's where I'd stay.

00:51:58While I waited for my visa,

00:52:00I had to close out

00:52:01the project I'd been leading

00:52:02for almost two years.

00:52:05My personal life

00:52:06was already a wreck.

00:52:07My career wasn't going to be.

00:52:09I buried myself in overtime,

00:52:11kept myself slammed,

00:52:13partly to speed things up,

00:52:14partly so I wouldn't have time to think.

00:52:16As long as I was busy,

00:52:17I couldn't dwell on anything else.

00:52:19Maybe it was the toll

00:52:20on my body and nerves.

00:52:22Lately,

00:52:22I'd been constantly tired,

00:52:23constantly nauseous.

00:52:25My boss reminded me

00:52:26to pull it together.

00:52:27The client was coming

00:52:28a sting in this afternoon

00:52:29to finalize the contract.

00:52:31At the head of the table

00:52:33sat someone I knew.

00:52:34Julian,

00:52:35in a sharp suit.

00:52:36And beside him,

00:52:37in a cinched waist,

00:52:38backless cocktail dress,

00:52:40sat Poppy.

00:52:40My nails dug into my palms

00:52:42before I could stop them.

00:52:44My boss thought I had nerves

00:52:46and whispered,

00:52:46Relax,

00:52:47the proposal and the designs

00:52:48have already been signed off

00:52:49by their project lead.

00:52:50These two are just bored

00:52:51trust fund babies

00:52:51playing at being adults.

00:52:52Smile through it,

00:52:53humor the rich kids,

00:52:54and we're done.

00:52:55Just give them

00:52:55your usual pitch.

00:52:58I drew a breath.

00:52:59I forced on a smile.

00:53:00I opened the deck

00:53:01and walked them

00:53:01through my design vision.

00:53:02Smooth, composed,

00:53:03point by point.

00:53:04Poppy propped her chin

00:53:05in her hand,

00:53:06nodding along all smiles

00:53:07under the table.

00:53:08My boss flashed me

00:53:09a discreet thumbs up.

00:53:10I exhaled,

00:53:12reading the room.

00:53:13Someone slid the contract

00:53:14across the table.

00:53:15Hmm,

00:53:15it's not doing it for me.

00:53:16The design's so boring.

00:53:17It gives me a headache

00:53:18just looking at it.

00:53:20I don't think I want a sign.

00:53:22The smile froze

00:53:23on my boss's face.

00:53:24I kept mine polite.

00:53:26Is there a specific element

00:53:28you're not happy with?

00:53:29Poppy didn't even glance

00:53:30at the contract.

00:53:31She held up her hand,

00:53:32admiring her fresh manicure.

00:53:34Hard to say.

00:53:35It's more of a feeling.

00:53:37Then she hooked her arm

00:53:38through Julian's.

00:53:39What do you think?

00:53:40Every eye in the room

00:53:41turned to him.

00:53:42Julian's eyes landed on me.

00:53:43On instinct,

00:53:44I looked away.

00:53:45Sounds like your project lead

00:53:46doesn't have much faith

00:53:47in her own work either.

00:53:48I'm suddenly losing interest

00:53:50in this investment.

00:53:52Pulling out.

00:53:54Oh,

00:53:54and just so you know,

00:53:55I've already authorized

00:53:56my people to begin

00:53:57a hostile takeover

00:53:58of your company.

00:54:00Congratulations,

00:54:01Claire.

00:54:01You'll be working for me

00:54:02very soon.

00:54:04Two years on this account.

00:54:05A thousand discarded drafts.

00:54:07I'd lost count of the nights

00:54:08I'd spent at my desk

00:54:09to get here.

00:54:09We were finally about to land.

00:54:11This was supposed to be

00:54:12the showcase project.

00:54:13The perfect closing chapter

00:54:14on this stage of my career.

00:54:15One careless sentence from him

00:54:17and it was all stillborn.

00:54:18Back at the office,

00:54:20my boss came tearing in,

00:54:21white as a shield,

00:54:22shaking from head to toe.

00:54:24He was practically sobbing.

00:54:27Claire,

00:54:27he will destroy the whole firm.

00:54:29Please,

00:54:30just go apologize.

00:54:32It wasn't that I didn't

00:54:34want to save the project.

00:54:36It was that I knew exactly

00:54:38who Poppy was actually here for.

00:54:40The only way this project survived

00:54:42was if I disappeared.

00:54:46I just hadn't expected

00:54:48the one thing tying me

00:54:49to this city

00:54:49would get torn apart this fast.

00:54:51The wave of nauseous

00:54:52hit again.

00:54:53I stumbled out of the office.

00:54:55Julian,

00:54:55still here?

00:54:57His hands started wandering

00:54:58somewhere.

00:54:59It had no business going.

00:55:00I bit down on him

00:55:01with everything I had.

00:55:03The taste of blood

00:55:04bloomed thick

00:55:05between our mouths.

00:55:06Get out!

00:55:08Julian stood there,

00:55:09his expression unreadable.

00:55:15Claire,

00:55:17after all this time,

00:55:18why haven't you learned?

00:55:19I tried to twist away.

00:55:21The harder I fought,

00:55:22the tighter he held me.

00:55:25If you'd just apologized

00:55:26for what happened last time,

00:55:30none of this would be happening today.

00:55:34How hard is it

00:55:35to lower your head

00:55:37just once?

00:55:38Julian's voice was softer

00:55:39than any sweet nothing

00:55:40he'd ever whispered in my ear,

00:55:42but I was shaking anyway.

00:55:44Not from the cold,

00:55:45from a cramp

00:55:46tearing through my stomach.

00:55:47An eerie,

00:55:48sinking,

00:55:49dragging down feeling.

00:55:50Something was rushing out of me.

00:55:53A ridiculous thought

00:55:54surfaced in my mind.

00:55:56I tried to look down.

00:55:58Julian's grip on my chin

00:55:59held me in place.

00:56:01All I could do

00:56:02was bite my lip

00:56:03and hold on.

00:56:04Something warm

00:56:05slipped down my thigh,

00:56:06dripping onto the carpet.

00:56:09Julian noticed.

00:56:17Claire, you-

00:56:24Before our honeymoon

00:56:25to the Amalfi Coast,

00:56:26my husband Julian

00:56:28canceled our flight

00:56:29behind my back.

00:56:30He swapped them

00:56:31for tickets to Ibiza

00:56:32with his childhood

00:56:34best friend,

00:56:35Poppy.

00:56:36Even his pack

00:56:36of party boyfriends

00:56:37thought he'd gone too far

00:56:39and tried to talk him down.

00:56:44The fuck?

00:56:45Julian,

00:56:46this is messed up.

00:56:48Claire's been looking forward

00:56:48to it forever.

00:56:49Julian didn't care.

00:56:51He brushed them off

00:56:52without a second thought.

00:56:53It's Poppy's birthday wish.

00:56:55One more single-girl trip

00:56:56with her

00:56:56before I'm locked down

00:56:57for good.

00:56:57Claire always blows

00:56:58everything out of proportion.

00:57:00This'll be good for her.

00:57:01Reminder she's not

00:57:02the center of the universe.

00:57:03The Poppy he was talking about

00:57:04was his weepy childhood playmate.

00:57:06And I was Claire,

00:57:07the wife he couldn't even bother

00:57:09to say my wife about.

00:57:10I didn't fight.

00:57:11I didn't argue.

00:57:12I pretended I had no idea,

00:57:14quietly canceled the honeymoon,

00:57:16and bought a one-way ticket

00:57:17to another country

00:57:18on the other side of the ocean.

00:57:19My phone was lagging.

00:57:21The cancellation screen

00:57:22kept spinning.

00:57:23Meanwhile,

00:57:23on Poppy's pink tablet,

00:57:25an iMessage group chat

00:57:26called

00:57:26Astor's Royal Guard

00:57:28wouldn't stop lighting up.

00:57:29I tapped it open.

00:57:30Poppy's avatar

00:57:31filled the screen.

00:57:32What the hell

00:57:32is wrong with you assholes?

00:57:34Every single one of you

00:57:35is taking Claire's side.

00:57:36Like she's your bro,

00:57:38not me.

00:57:39Fine.

00:57:39You're right.

00:57:40It's all my fault.

00:57:41I'm just a bitch.

00:57:43I shouldn't have

00:57:43a birthday.

00:57:44I definitely shouldn't

00:57:45have wished for Julian

00:57:46to come with me.

00:57:47I should be like

00:57:48the rest of you,

00:57:49kissing Queen Claire's ass.

00:57:51You're her real friends.

00:57:52I don't matter at all.

00:57:53Happy now.

00:57:54Julian,

00:57:54who'd been ghosting me

00:57:55for two days

00:57:56claiming he was in meetings,

00:57:58replied in seconds.

00:57:59He at the other six guys

00:58:00and sent one thing.

00:58:01A single question mark.

00:58:04Sorry, sorry, sorry.

00:58:05It's just one

00:58:06bachelorette trip.

00:58:08Queen Poppy says jump.

00:58:09We don't just send

00:58:10Julie on.

00:58:11All six of us

00:58:12drop everything

00:58:12and show up as bodyguards.

00:58:16Screw you.

00:58:16Claire's the one

00:58:17you actually answered to.

00:58:18Claire, please.

00:58:19So they had a wedding.

00:58:20Big deal.

00:58:21Julian still got

00:58:22that paperwork

00:58:23locked in his safe.

00:58:24She's a wife

00:58:25in name only.

00:58:26Legally,

00:58:26none of it counts.

00:58:28Last laugh's

00:58:28still up for grabs.

00:58:29I blinked,

00:58:30staring at the group chat

00:58:31that was so much

00:58:32livelier without me in it.

00:58:34If Poppy hadn't

00:58:34left her tablet

00:58:35in Julian's car,

00:58:36I wouldn't have

00:58:37even earned a peek

00:58:38at all this fun.

00:58:40And there I'd been,

00:58:41naively reading

00:58:42travel guides,

00:58:43hoping the honeymoon

00:58:44would make

00:58:45for great photos.

00:58:46I stared at the

00:58:47empty itinerary

00:58:48for a long time.

00:58:50Then I went back

00:58:50to the home screen,

00:58:52typed in a new destination,

00:58:53and made a call.

00:58:55Mom,

00:58:57I'll go to London

00:58:58with you.

00:58:59On the other end,

00:59:00my mother caught it

00:59:00immediately.

00:59:01Something was wrong.

00:59:02Back then,

00:59:03she'd turned down

00:59:04a once-in-a-lifetime

00:59:05job offer for my sake.

00:59:07Mom,

00:59:07I know you have questions,

00:59:09but right now,

00:59:10I don't have the energy

00:59:11to explain everything

00:59:13that just happened.

00:59:14I've made up my mind.

00:59:16Once I wrap up work

00:59:17and get my visa sorted,

00:59:18I'll fly out.

00:59:19Then I'll tell you everything.

00:59:20Mom went quiet

00:59:21for a few seconds.

00:59:22In the end,

00:59:23she didn't push.

00:59:24I hung up and collapsed

00:59:25onto the couch,

00:59:26trying to steady myself.

00:59:27Julian's friends

00:59:28had a point.

00:59:29We'd signed a prenup,

00:59:30we'd had a wedding,

00:59:30but he deliberately

00:59:31locked the marriage license,

00:59:32the one we still had to file

00:59:34with City Hall,

00:59:34in his safe,

00:59:35until it was legally binding.

00:59:37I was just a wife

00:59:38who could be swapped out

00:59:39at any moment,

00:59:39which,

00:59:40right now,

00:59:40meant I didn't have to wait

00:59:42for him to come home.

00:59:43No divorce proceedings.

00:59:44No drawn-out fights

00:59:45over assets.

00:59:46I pushed the wave

00:59:47of feeling back down

00:59:48and forced myself up

00:59:49to start packing.

00:59:50In the closet,

00:59:51the his and hers

00:59:51vacation outfits,

00:59:52freshly pressed,

00:59:53seemed to grin at me.

00:59:54I'd designed them myself,

00:59:55for the honeymoon,

00:59:57for Julian.

00:59:58I'd pulled all-nighters,

01:00:00revising them over and over.

01:00:01The final pieces

01:00:02had just come in today.

01:00:03Half an hour ago,

01:00:05I'd still been waiting

01:00:06for Julian to come home

01:00:07and try them on.

01:00:08Now,

01:00:08I just wanted to throw

01:00:09every single one of them

01:00:10in the trash.

01:00:12By the time I'd packed

01:00:13and dragged my suitcase

01:00:14to the door,

01:00:15it was the middle of the night.

01:00:22Julian, say it.

01:00:23Come on.

01:00:24You're my royal stallion.

01:00:25Giddy up.

01:00:26Yeah, yeah.

01:00:28Through my stinging,

01:00:28blurred vision,

01:00:29I saw Julian,

01:00:30who hadn't been home

01:00:31in three days,

01:00:32giving Poppy a piggyback ride.

01:00:34Her face was flushed red.

01:00:36One hand had his ear

01:00:37in a death grip.

01:00:38The other was patting his head,

01:00:40demanding he may.

01:00:44Poppy's drunk.

01:00:46I didn't know why

01:00:47he was bothering to explain.

01:00:48When he'd moved in with me,

01:00:49and Poppy bought the apartment

01:00:51directly above ours

01:00:52the very next day,

01:00:53he hadn't explained.

01:00:54When Poppy had giggled

01:00:55in our doorway,

01:00:56hanging off Julian

01:00:57and purring,

01:00:58sweetie,

01:00:59I'll always be on top of you,

01:01:00he hadn't explained

01:01:01then either.

01:01:03All he ever said was,

01:01:04Claire,

01:01:05you know what we are

01:01:06to each other.

01:01:07They were childhood

01:01:08sweethearts after all.

01:01:09Two old money families

01:01:10joined at the hip.

01:01:12Everyone had watched

01:01:12them grow up.

01:01:13For years,

01:01:14they'd been the golden couple

01:01:15in every photo,

01:01:16until Julian launched

01:01:17a three-year campaign

01:01:18chasing me in college.

01:01:19To him,

01:01:20that was proof enough

01:01:21that there was nothing

01:01:22between him and Poppy.

01:01:23Once I tore myself

01:01:24apart over it,

01:01:25I obsessed.

01:01:26I picked fights.

01:01:27But now,

01:01:27whatever they did

01:01:28had nothing to do

01:01:29with me anymore.

01:01:29I looked away.

01:01:30All I said was,

01:01:31yeah, of course.

01:01:32Then I started to wheel

01:01:33my suitcase past him.

01:01:35It was the answer

01:01:36he should have wanted.

01:01:37He didn't take it well.

01:01:40Say that again?

01:01:41I said,

01:01:43we're done, Julian.

01:01:44I'm breaking up with you.

01:01:48You're really not done

01:01:49throwing this tantrum,

01:01:50are you?

01:01:51And by the way, Claire,

01:01:52we had our wedding

01:01:53last week.

01:01:55If you're throwing a fit,

01:01:56the words divorce,

01:01:58not breakup.

01:02:00Breakup.

01:02:01Divorce.

01:02:01To Julian.

01:02:02They were the same

01:02:03kind of joke.

01:02:04He looked at me lazily,

01:02:05the way you humor

01:02:06a child who's being

01:02:07unreasonable.

01:02:08I didn't bother arguing.

01:02:09The corner of my mouth

01:02:10twitched.

01:02:11Call it whatever you want,

01:02:12but I couldn't leave.

01:02:13The standoff lasted

01:02:14only a few seconds.

01:02:20Enough!

01:02:21I can't deal

01:02:22with you two anymore!

01:02:27Julian instinctively

01:02:28reached down

01:02:29to help her up.

01:02:29She shoved him away.

01:02:30Don't touch me!

01:02:32I'm done!

01:02:33The second she sees me,

01:02:34it's I want a breakup?

01:02:35I'm leaving?

01:02:36Am I some kind of prop?

01:02:38Am I garbage?

01:02:39Why is she so disgusted

01:02:40by me?

01:02:41Julian!

01:02:42Let's cut each other off!

01:02:45I am sick of walking

01:02:46on eggshells around her!

01:02:49It's all my fault!

01:02:50I shouldn't have ever

01:02:51shown up in your lives!

01:02:52I shouldn't have

01:02:53grown up with you!

01:02:54Right on cue,

01:02:55she launched into

01:02:56dramatic dry heaving,

01:02:57baking that she

01:02:57couldn't breathe,

01:02:58tearing through

01:02:58her Hermes bag

01:02:59for something.

01:03:00My pills!

01:03:00Where's my Xanax?

01:03:01I'm dying!

01:03:02Maybe I should just die!

01:03:03Anything's better

01:03:04than being treated

01:03:04like this every single time!

01:03:05The heat at my wrist

01:03:06disappeared.

01:03:08Julian had already

01:03:09pulled her into his arms,

01:03:10stopping her.

01:03:11It took maybe

01:03:12a few seconds.

01:03:15Poppy was gasping

01:03:16wildly against his chest,

01:03:17her eyes red.

01:03:21Happy now?

01:03:22It was always like this.

01:03:23The instant I showed

01:03:25even a hint of resistance,

01:03:27Poppy would declare

01:03:27an anxiety attack

01:03:28and start frantically

01:03:29hurting herself.

01:03:30Can't speak to her.

01:03:31Can't touch her.

01:03:32Can't even walk away.

01:03:34In the early days,

01:03:35Julian had begged me

01:03:36to humor her.

01:03:37Claire, you've been

01:03:38through it yourself.

01:03:39You know how it is.

01:03:40When she's like this,

01:03:41all you can do

01:03:41is go along with her.

01:03:42Because lives were

01:03:43on the line,

01:03:44I caved every time.

01:03:45I avoided the storm,

01:03:47but eventually,

01:03:48I figured it out.

01:03:49Poppy's condition

01:03:49only flared up

01:03:51when Julian wasn't

01:03:52choosing her over me.

01:03:53That so-called

01:03:53anxiety disorder,

01:03:54it was just

01:03:55possessedness in costume,

01:03:56forcing him to pick a side.

01:03:58I looked down

01:03:58at the smug little look

01:03:59on Poppy's face.

01:04:00I nodded.

01:04:02Sure.

01:04:03Very happy.

01:04:05Though,

01:04:05you moved a little too fast.

01:04:07You didn't get

01:04:07to find the pills.

01:04:08Your acting

01:04:09could use some work.

01:04:11Try harder next time.

01:04:12A flash of shock

01:04:13crossed Poppy's face.

01:04:14She froze,

01:04:15then started gearing up

01:04:16for round two.

01:04:17His tall frame

01:04:18loomed over me.

01:04:19Suddenly,

01:04:20my whole field

01:04:20of vision went dark.

01:04:22The shoulder

01:04:22that used to shelter me

01:04:23was now carrying

01:04:24another woman.

01:04:25Carrying her

01:04:26while blocking

01:04:27my way out.

01:04:29Claire,

01:04:30I really have

01:04:31been spoiling you

01:04:32too much.

01:04:34She has every right

01:04:35to make you pay

01:04:36for that.

01:04:37Be grateful,

01:04:38Claire.

01:04:38I'm the one

01:04:39holding her back.

01:04:40For a moment,

01:04:41the world went

01:04:41vacuum silence.

01:04:43I couldn't hear

01:04:44a thing.

01:04:45Even Poppy froze.

01:04:46Then she snapped

01:04:47out of it,

01:04:48jerked her hand free

01:04:49and swung it hard

01:04:50at my face.

01:04:50A second before

01:04:51her palm hit me,

01:04:52Julian caught her wrist.

01:04:53Those eyes.

01:04:54The ones that used

01:04:55to watch over me

01:04:55through the night.

01:04:56That used to pull me

01:04:57out of nightmares.

01:04:58Tonight they were

01:04:59cold as ice.

01:05:00A flicker of disgust.

01:05:01A warning.

01:05:02You really thought

01:05:02you could just

01:05:03walk out on me?

01:05:04If she'd actually

01:05:05hit you,

01:05:06you'd be throwing

01:05:06a fit for days,

01:05:07right?

01:05:08She got hurt

01:05:09and you don't even care?

01:05:13When you're ready

01:05:13to be reasonable,

01:05:14you'll apologize

01:05:14to Poppy yourself.

01:05:17I stood there,

01:05:18watching the floor

01:05:19numbers climb,

01:05:20my whole body shaking.

01:05:21Cold, so cold.

01:05:23The kind that crept

01:05:23up from the bottom

01:05:24of you,

01:05:25that no coat,

01:05:26no matter how expensive,

01:05:27could keep out.

01:05:29Five years.

01:05:30Five whole years.

01:05:31My body could

01:05:32make a clean break.

01:05:33My heart couldn't

01:05:34pull free that fast.

01:05:36I don't know

01:05:37how long it took.

01:05:38Eventually,

01:05:38I flagged down a cab

01:05:39and headed to a hotel

01:05:40near work.

01:05:41Until I left the country,

01:05:42that's where I'd stay.

01:05:44While I waited

01:05:45for my visa,

01:05:46I had to close out

01:05:47the project I'd been leading

01:05:48for almost two years.

01:05:51My personal life

01:05:52was already a wreck.

01:05:53My career

01:05:54wasn't going to be.

01:05:55I buried myself

01:05:56in overtime,

01:05:57kept myself slammed,

01:05:59partly to speed things up,

01:06:00partly so I wouldn't

01:06:01have time to think.

01:06:02As long as I was busy,

01:06:03I couldn't dwell

01:06:04on anything else.

01:06:05Maybe it was the toll

01:06:06on my body and nerves.

01:06:08Lately,

01:06:08I'd been constantly tired,

01:06:09constantly nauseous.

01:06:11My boss reminded me

01:06:12to pull it together.

01:06:13The client was coming

01:06:14a-sting-in this afternoon

01:06:15to finalize the contract.

01:06:18At the head of the table

01:06:19sat someone I knew.

01:06:20Julian,

01:06:21in a sharp suit.

01:06:22And beside him,

01:06:23in a cinched-waist,

01:06:24backless cocktail dress,

01:06:26sat Poppy.

01:06:27My nails dug into my palms

01:06:28before I could stop them.

01:06:30My boss thought I had nerves

01:06:32and whispered,

01:06:32Relax,

01:06:33the proposal and the designs

01:06:34have already been signed off

01:06:35by their project lead.

01:06:36These two are just bored

01:06:37trust fund wavies

01:06:38playing at being adults.

01:06:39Smile through it,

01:06:39humor the rich kids,

01:06:40and we're done.

01:06:41Just give them your usual pitch.

01:06:44I drew a breath.

01:06:45I forced on a smile.

01:06:46I opened the deck

01:06:47and walked them

01:06:47through my design vision.

01:06:48Smooth, composed,

01:06:49point by point.

01:06:50Poppy propped her chin

01:06:51in her hand,

01:06:52nodding along all smiles

01:06:53under the table.

01:06:54My boss flashed me

01:06:55a discreet thumbs up.

01:06:56I exhaled,

01:06:58reading the room.

01:06:59Someone slid the contract

01:07:00across the table.

01:07:01Hmm,

01:07:01it's not doing it for me.

01:07:02The design's so boring.

01:07:03It gives me a headache

01:07:04just looking at it.

01:07:06I don't think I want a sign.

01:07:08The smile froze

01:07:09on my boss's face.

01:07:10I kept mine polite.

01:07:12Is there a specific element

01:07:14you're not happy with?

01:07:15Poppy didn't even glance

01:07:16at the contract.

01:07:17She held up her hand,

01:07:18admiring her fresh manicure.

01:07:20Hard to say.

01:07:21It's more of a feeling.

01:07:23Then she hooked her arm

01:07:24through Julian's.

01:07:25What do you think?

01:07:26Every eye in the room

01:07:27turned to him.

01:07:28Julian's eyes landed on me.

01:07:29On instinct,

01:07:30I looked away.

01:07:31Sounds like your project lead

01:07:33doesn't have much faith

01:07:33in her own work either.

01:07:35I'm suddenly losing interest

01:07:36in this investment.

01:07:38Pulling out.

01:07:40Oh,

01:07:40and just so you know,

01:07:41I've already authorized

01:07:42my people to begin

01:07:43a hostile takeover

01:07:45of your company.

01:07:46Congratulations, Claire.

01:07:47You'll be working for me

01:07:48very soon.

01:07:50Two years on this account.

01:07:51A thousand discarded drafts.

01:07:53I'd lost count of the nights

01:07:54I'd spent at my desk

01:07:55to get here.

01:07:55We were finally about to land.

01:07:57This was supposed to be

01:07:58the showcase project,

01:07:59the perfect closing chapter

01:08:00on this stage of my career.

01:08:01One careless sentence from him,

01:08:03and it was all stillborn.

01:08:04Back at the office,

01:08:06my boss came tearing in,

01:08:07white as a shield,

01:08:08shaking from head to toe.

01:08:10He was practically sobbing.

01:08:13Claire, he will destroy

01:08:14the whole firm.

01:08:15Please, just go apologize.

01:08:18It wasn't that I didn't

01:08:20want to save the project.

01:08:22It was that I knew exactly

01:08:24who Poppy was actually here for.

01:08:26The only way this project survived

01:08:29was if I disappeared.

01:08:32I just hadn't expected

01:08:34the one thing tying me

01:08:35to this city

01:08:35would get torn apart this fast.

01:08:37The wave of nauseous hit again.

01:08:39I stumbled out of the office.

01:08:41Julian, still here?

01:08:43His hands started wandering somewhere.

01:08:45It had no business going.

01:08:46I bit down on him

01:08:47with everything I had.

01:08:49The taste of blood

01:08:50bloomed thick between our mouths.

01:08:52Get out!

01:08:54Julian stood there,

01:08:56his expression unreadable.

01:09:02Claire,

01:09:03after all this time,

01:09:04why haven't you learned?

01:09:05I tried to twist away.

01:09:07The harder I fought,

01:09:08the tighter he held me.

01:09:11If you'd just apologized

01:09:12for what happened last time,

01:09:16none of this would be happening today.

01:09:20How hard is it to lower your head

01:09:23just once?

01:09:24Julian's voice was softer

01:09:25than any sweet nothing

01:09:26he'd ever whispered in my ear.

01:09:28But I was shaking anyway.

01:09:29Not from the cold.

01:09:31From a cramp tearing through my stomach.

01:09:33An eerie, sinking,

01:09:35dragging down feeling.

01:09:36Something was rushing out of me.

01:09:39A ridiculous thought

01:09:40surfaced in my mind.

01:09:42I tried to look down.

01:09:44Julian's grip on my chin

01:09:45held me in place.

01:09:46All I could do

01:09:48was bite my lip

01:09:49and hold on.

01:09:50Something warm

01:09:51slipped down my thigh.

01:09:53Dripping onto the carpet,

01:09:55Julian noticed.

01:10:03Claire, you-

💔Canceled Honeymoon [No Cut HD] - ✨The Ultimate Karma Revenge! | Free to Watch #ReelShort

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