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Regrets Of The Don His Beloved Walked
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00:00:00En mi casamiento, mi fiancé me abandó en el altar y caminó hacia mi hermana, Hazel.
00:00:06Dios, no seas ridícula.
00:00:08¿Cómo podrías compararte con tu hermana?
00:00:11Me gustaría que una mierda de dormir con ti.
00:00:15Hey, Ivy, go beg Hazel.
00:00:18She'd probably lend you a man for the casamiento.
00:00:23Honestly, Ivy nunca ha medido con Hazel.
00:00:29Hazel put on a helpless look.
00:00:32Sorry, Ivy, I was just trying to help you test your fiancé's loyalty.
00:00:36Looks like I've messed up your wedding again.
00:00:48The wedding continues.
00:00:50The groom is now me.
00:00:52Then I became the wife of the most feared Mafia dune.
00:00:57Alex made no attempt to hide his disgust towards Hazel.
00:01:00Shameless slut.
00:01:02Know your place.
00:01:03If you need a man that badly, go spread your legs on the street for any tramp to fuck you.
00:01:08For three years,
00:01:10he spoiled me into the happiest woman in the world.
00:01:14One day, I came home early from a business trip
00:01:16and wanted to surprise him.
00:01:18Don Vitale.
00:01:19Adonis' sister is pregnant with your child.
00:01:22What if she finds out?
00:01:23Hazel and I, it was just a mistake.
00:01:26Ivy must never know.
00:01:28Keep it from her.
00:01:29I'll make it up to her later.
00:01:30I was stunned by the revelation.
00:01:32Instead of confronting Alessio,
00:01:34I turned away and quietly returned to our bedroom.
00:01:37He had promised me honesty when he married me.
00:01:39Yet, now he lied.
00:01:44So I would leave him.
00:01:45And I would never look back.
00:02:00Ivy?
00:02:01I thought you weren't back from your business trip until Friday.
00:02:04I forced a smile.
00:02:06I wrapped things up early.
00:02:08Wanted to surprise you.
00:02:10He crossed the room in three long strides,
00:02:12cupping my face with both hands.
00:02:14The warmth of his palms used to be my favorite thing in the world.
00:02:18Now it made my skin crawl.
00:02:20You're finally back.
00:02:22I miss you so much.
00:02:24His affectionate words made me wonder
00:02:26if the conversation I overheard was nothing but my imagination.
00:02:29Before I could crumble,
00:02:31I grabbed the stack of papers from the console
00:02:33and held them out.
00:02:35While you're here,
00:02:36could you sign these?
00:02:39Just some household bills.
00:02:40I want to get them out of the way.
00:02:43Sure.
00:02:43He took the bundle without a shred of suspicion,
00:02:46pulled a pen from his jacket,
00:02:47and began signing on the flagged lines.
00:02:49One after the other,
00:02:50his signature flowed elegant,
00:02:53camarily unsuspecting.
00:02:54I watched the pen glide across the divorce papers
00:02:56hidden near the bottom.
00:02:57He didn't even look at the headers.
00:02:58He trusted me that much.
00:03:00Or perhaps he simply never imagined
00:03:02I would do something like this.
00:03:04He finished and handed the papers back
00:03:06with a small smile.
00:03:08Done.
00:03:09Anything else?
00:03:10Or can I finally kiss my wife hello?
00:03:12Before I could respond,
00:03:13he pulled me into his chest.
00:03:14His lips descended toward mine,
00:03:16and I panicked.
00:03:17I turned my face away at the last moment,
00:03:19so his kiss landed awkwardly
00:03:20on the corner of my mouth.
00:03:22Alexio pulled back,
00:03:23confusion darkening his gaze.
00:03:25What's the matter?
00:03:29I ducked my head,
00:03:30letting my hair curtain my expression.
00:03:32Nothing.
00:03:34I'm just wiped out from the trip.
00:03:37Traveling always exhausts me.
00:03:39His brow smoothed with immediate concern.
00:03:42Then why didn't you say so?
00:03:45Sit down.
00:03:49He guided me to the sofa.
00:03:51His thumbs worked slow circles
00:03:53into the base of my neck,
00:03:55then drifted up to massage my temples.
00:03:58You push yourself too hard, sweetheart.
00:04:01I've told you a hundred times,
00:04:03if the job is making you miserable,
00:04:05just quit.
00:04:06I'll take care of you.
00:04:07In the past,
00:04:09words like those
00:04:10would have melted me
00:04:10into a puddle of gratitude.
00:04:12I would have turned around
00:04:13and kissed him.
00:04:15But now every syllable
00:04:16crushed my chest.
00:04:18Maybe you're right.
00:04:19I'll think about it.
00:04:20He pressed a kiss
00:04:21to the top of my head.
00:04:23Good girl.
00:04:25Now let me grab a quick shower.
00:04:27Don't move.
00:04:27I'll be right back.
00:04:31The moment the bathroom door
00:04:32clicked shut
00:04:33and the water started running,
00:04:34I let my mask slip.
00:04:37I sagged against the cushions,
00:04:39my eyes burning
00:04:40but stubbornly dry.
00:04:42A sharp buzz
00:04:44cut through the room.
00:04:45His phone,
00:04:46resting on the nightstand,
00:04:47lit up with an incoming call.
00:04:48I walked over,
00:04:50thinking I'd hand it to him
00:04:51in case it was urgent.
00:04:52Then I saw the name
00:04:53blazing on the screen.
00:04:55Hazel.
00:04:56My stomach plummeted.
00:04:58The phone vibrated
00:04:59twice more
00:04:59before going silent.
00:05:01I stood frozen,
00:05:02the device heavy in my hand.
00:05:04Just as I was about
00:05:05to place it back,
00:05:06a new notification
00:05:07flashed across the lock screen.
00:05:09My fingers moved
00:05:10before my brain
00:05:11gave permission.
00:05:12I typed in my own birthday.
00:05:15The phone unlocked instantly.
00:05:17I navigated to Hazel's thread.
00:05:23The most recent message
00:05:24contained a single image.
00:05:27A sonogram.
00:05:29I opened it.
00:05:30There,
00:05:30in grainy black and white,
00:05:32was the tiny,
00:05:33curled silhouette
00:05:33of a baby.
00:05:34I could already make out
00:05:36the curve of a head.
00:05:37That was my sister's child.
00:05:39And my husband
00:05:40was the father.
00:05:42I pressed my fist
00:05:43against my mouth
00:05:44to keep any sound
00:05:45from escaping.
00:05:46For 18 months,
00:05:48I had been trying
00:05:49to conceive with Alessio.
00:05:50But nothing happened.
00:05:52His relatives
00:05:53grew more vocal
00:05:54about the need
00:05:55for an heir.
00:05:56Yet Alessio
00:05:57had always stood
00:05:58in front of me
00:05:58like a shield.
00:05:59He'd say,
00:06:00kissing my forehead.
00:06:01We have time.
00:06:04I don't need a baby.
00:06:07I just need you.
00:06:09We'll have our own little world,
00:06:10just the two of us.
00:06:15But it was Hazel
00:06:16who had given him
00:06:17what I couldn't.
00:06:18My own sister.
00:06:19The one our parents favored
00:06:20while I faded
00:06:21into the wallpaper.
00:06:22She had always gotten
00:06:23everything I wanted.
00:06:24And now she had this, too.
00:06:26I closed the image
00:06:26and locked the phone.
00:06:27Then I arranged myself
00:06:29on the bed,
00:06:29propped against the pillows,
00:06:30scrolling idly
00:06:31through my own phone
00:06:32as though nothing
00:06:33had happened.
00:06:34Alexio emerged
00:06:35from the bathroom
00:06:35a few minutes later.
00:06:36A towel slung low
00:06:37on his hips,
00:06:38droplets still glistening
00:06:39across the hard planes
00:06:40of his chest.
00:06:40He glanced at his phone
00:06:42and I saw it.
00:06:42The brief flicker
00:06:43of tension in his jaw.
00:06:44The way his eyes
00:06:45cut to me
00:06:46and then away.
00:06:47Everything okay?
00:06:48He tucked the phone
00:06:49face down on the nightstand.
00:06:51Just business.
00:06:52Some gang from the south
00:06:53is trying to muscle in
00:06:54on one of our warehouses.
00:06:56I'll deal with it tomorrow.
00:06:57I felt my heart sink.
00:06:59He was lying again.
00:07:02He slid into bed
00:07:03beside me,
00:07:04his body curving
00:07:05around mine.
00:07:06I forced myself
00:07:06to relax,
00:07:07to play the part
00:07:08of the oblivious wife
00:07:09for just a few more days.
00:07:11The next morning,
00:07:12Alessio mentioned
00:07:13my family gathering
00:07:14while he was
00:07:14nodding his tie
00:07:15in front of the mirror.
00:07:17Day after tomorrow
00:07:18at your parents' estate.
00:07:20You don't have to come, Ivy.
00:07:22I know how much
00:07:23you dread those things.
00:07:29I know how much
00:07:30your parents barely
00:07:30look at you
00:07:31when Hazel's in the room.
00:07:32I hate watching you
00:07:33go through that.
00:07:34Every word was true
00:07:35and once I would have been
00:07:36so grateful
00:07:37for his protectiveness.
00:07:38Now I saw the real
00:07:39reason behind it.
00:07:40He didn't want me there
00:07:41because Hazel would be there.
00:07:43Her belly just beginning
00:07:44to show beneath
00:07:45her designer dress.
00:07:47I suppressed my bitterness.
00:07:49I'm going.
00:07:51It's a family occasion.
00:07:53Everyone will be there.
00:07:54It would look strange
00:07:55if I didn't show up.
00:07:56Something flickered
00:07:57behind his eyes.
00:07:58Guilt, maybe,
00:07:59or unease,
00:08:00but he smoothed it over quickly.
00:08:03Alright,
00:08:04if that's what you want.
00:08:06I would go to that gathering
00:08:07and look at my parents
00:08:08who had always showered Hazel
00:08:10with affection
00:08:10while I stood in the corner.
00:08:12I would see my sister
00:08:13who had taken everything from me.
00:08:15It doesn't matter anymore.
00:08:17In five days,
00:08:18none of this
00:08:19will have anything to do with me.
00:08:25On Saturday,
00:08:26we went to my parents' estate
00:08:28to attend the family gathering.
00:08:30The moment we stepped
00:08:31into the dining room,
00:08:32I saw my mother
00:08:33descended on Hazel.
00:08:35She cupped Hazel's face
00:08:37and kissed both cheeks
00:08:38while my father
00:08:39hovered nearby,
00:08:40beaming.
00:08:41There she is,
00:08:42my brilliant girl.
00:08:45I stood in the doorway,
00:08:47Alexio's hand
00:08:48on the small of my back,
00:08:49and waited for someone
00:08:50to notice I had arrived.
00:08:52But my parents
00:08:53never paid any attention to me.
00:08:56Alexio then cleared his throat.
00:08:58Alexio!
00:08:59Ivy?
00:09:00My father finally greeted us,
00:09:02his tone casual.
00:09:05You're here.
00:09:07When it was dinner time,
00:09:09everyone took a seat at the table.
00:09:11The dishes were a parade
00:09:13of Hazel's favorites.
00:09:14Truffle risotto,
00:09:16seared scallops,
00:09:17a delicate asparagus tart,
00:09:19and a chocolate souffle.
00:09:21I scanned the spread,
00:09:22searching for a single dish
00:09:24I loved,
00:09:25and found nothing.
00:09:27Mother soon launched
00:09:29into conversation
00:09:29before the appetizers
00:09:31were even cleared.
00:09:32We've been absolutely bursting
00:09:34to tell you.
00:09:35Hazel's jewelry collection
00:09:37won the Galleria Prize.
00:09:39Can you believe it?
00:09:40We're so proud of her.
00:09:44Mom, you're embarrassing me.
00:09:48Nonsense.
00:09:49This is a monumental achievement.
00:09:52My father lifted his glass
00:09:54toward Hazel,
00:09:55his eyes glistening
00:09:57with something I had spent
00:09:57my entire life failing to earn.
00:10:00To our daughter,
00:10:01the award-winning designer.
00:10:04My mother then turned
00:10:05her attention to me.
00:10:07And what about you,
00:10:09Ivy?
00:10:10Still tinkering
00:10:11with that little studio
00:10:12of yours?
00:10:13It's not a little studio.
00:10:15It's my business.
00:10:17A business that hasn't
00:10:18turned a profit
00:10:19in two years.
00:10:20She waved
00:10:21a dismissive hand.
00:10:23Hazel has real clients.
00:10:25Real awards.
00:10:28Maybe you should ask
00:10:29your sister
00:10:30for some advice.
00:10:31Before I could respond,
00:10:33Alessio set his fork down
00:10:34with a quiet,
00:10:35deliberate clink.
00:10:36Ivy's work has an originality
00:10:38that the market
00:10:39hasn't caught up to yet.
00:10:40Her designs have vision.
00:10:42That kind of talent
00:10:43doesn't go unnoticed forever.
00:10:46My father made a skeptical noise
00:10:48and pulled out his phone.
00:10:49Speaking of vision,
00:10:52have you seen Hazel's piece
00:10:53that won?
00:10:54Let me show you.
00:10:55He swiped through his photos
00:10:57and thrust the screen
00:10:58toward Alessio.
00:11:00Look at this.
00:11:02Brilliant, isn't it?
00:11:04I glanced over
00:11:06and my heart
00:11:07skipped a beat.
00:11:11On the screen
00:11:12was a pair of rings.
00:11:14I had sketched the design
00:11:16three months ago
00:11:17hoping to gift the ring
00:11:19to Alessio.
00:11:20My fingers went numb.
00:11:21Had never left my studio.
00:11:23I had never showed
00:11:24that design to anyone.
00:11:26It's exquisite.
00:11:28Alexo said,
00:11:29and I flinched
00:11:31as though he had struck me.
00:11:34Congratulations, Hazel.
00:11:36Thank you, Alessio.
00:11:38I opened my mouth.
00:11:39The words were forming.
00:11:41That's my design.
00:11:43How did you get it?
00:11:45The next second,
00:11:46Hazel rose from her chair,
00:11:48a glass of sparkling water
00:11:50in her hand.
00:11:51She tapped a spoon
00:11:52against the crystal
00:11:53with a delicate chime,
00:11:54and every head turned.
00:11:56I have some news.
00:11:59Her cheeks flushed.
00:12:00Wonderful news.
00:12:02My mother clasped her hands.
00:12:05Oh, tell us, darling.
00:12:07Hazel's eyes found mine.
00:12:09A slow, deliberate lock of gazes.
00:12:12Then her lips curved.
00:12:14I'm pregnant.
00:12:21The room erupted.
00:12:22My mother gasped
00:12:24and leeched from her chair
00:12:25to envelop Hazel
00:12:26in a trembling embrace.
00:12:28My father laughed.
00:12:30Who's the father?
00:12:32Do we know him?
00:12:34Hazel placed a protective hand
00:12:35over her stomach.
00:12:37The father's identity is...
00:12:40complicated.
00:12:42I'll be raising this baby
00:12:43on my own.
00:12:45When she said those words,
00:12:46her eyes never left mine.
00:12:48My mother's expression
00:12:50wavered for only a second
00:12:51before she rallied.
00:12:53Well, if that's what you want,
00:12:55we'll support you completely.
00:12:57This baby will be so loved.
00:13:00I didn't hear the rest.
00:13:02A roaring had started in my ears,
00:13:05drowning out every congratulation
00:13:06and exclamation.
00:13:08My fingers loosened.
00:13:09The wine glass slipped through them.
00:13:12It hit the edge of my plate
00:13:13and shattered.
00:13:14Shards scattered across
00:13:16the white table cloth.
00:13:18Every face turned toward me.
00:13:21Ivy!
00:13:22My mother's voice was sharp
00:13:24with irritation.
00:13:25Can't you be more careful?
00:13:27You're killing the mood.
00:13:31I reached out
00:13:32and gathered the shards
00:13:34into my palm.
00:13:35A sharp tyrol
00:13:37sliced through my fog.
00:13:38I looked down
00:13:40and saw a thin line of red
00:13:41welling across my index finger.
00:13:43The blood beaded
00:13:44and dripped onto the white shards.
00:13:47Ivy, stop!
00:13:49Alexia was at my side
00:13:51in an instant,
00:13:52his hands closing over my wrist.
00:13:55Let go.
00:13:56Let the nade handle it.
00:13:58You're bleeding.
00:14:01He pulled a handkerchief
00:14:02from his breast pocket
00:14:03and pressed it firmly
00:14:05against my palm.
00:14:06You never pick up broken glass.
00:14:08Never.
00:14:10Do you understand me?
00:14:12A maid soon appeared
00:14:13with a dustpan
00:14:14and a damp cloth.
00:14:15The broken glass vanished.
00:14:18Excuse me.
00:14:19I need to use the bathroom.
00:14:20The guest bathroom
00:14:21was quiet.
00:14:23I ran my uninjured hand
00:14:25under cold water.
00:14:28When I stepped out,
00:14:30Hazel was waiting for me.
00:14:31She leaned against the wall
00:14:32with her arms crossed.
00:14:34The picture of casual victory.
00:14:36Congratulations.
00:14:38You must be thrilled.
00:14:41I am.
00:14:42She tilted her head,
00:14:44studying me
00:14:45with the same expression
00:14:46she had worn
00:14:47when we were children
00:14:48and she had stolen
00:14:49my favorite doll.
00:14:50You look pale, Ivy.
00:14:52Are you feeling unwell?
00:14:54The rings.
00:14:55That was my design.
00:14:57How did you get it?
00:15:02Hazel smiled.
00:15:03I don't know
00:15:04what you're talking about.
00:15:05That was my own design.
00:15:07A very special person
00:15:09in my life
00:15:09gave me the inspiration.
00:15:11Every line of that piece
00:15:13belongs to him.
00:15:14She was telling me
00:15:15that Alessio
00:15:16had handed her my design,
00:15:18the thing I had
00:15:19poured my soul into,
00:15:20and she had worn it
00:15:22into the world
00:15:22as her own triumph.
00:15:24I was heartbroken.
00:15:26Hazel had taken
00:15:27our parents' affection
00:15:28before I was old enough
00:15:29to speak.
00:15:31Every boyfriend
00:15:32I had brought home
00:15:33in high school,
00:15:34I had ended up
00:15:35calling her number
00:15:36within a month.
00:15:38And now,
00:15:40now she had taken
00:15:41the design
00:15:42I had never showed anyone
00:15:43and the man
00:15:44I had married.
00:15:46She had taken
00:15:47everything from me.
00:15:49You've always wanted
00:15:50everything I had.
00:15:52Haven't you ever
00:15:53had enough?
00:15:54Hazel pushed off the wall
00:15:56and walked past me.
00:15:57No.
00:15:59I never have.
00:16:00Then she was gone.
00:16:03I stood in the hallway,
00:16:05my hand throbbing
00:16:06under Alessio's handkerchief,
00:16:08and felt the last ember
00:16:10of hope inside me die.
00:16:12I didn't return
00:16:13to the table.
00:16:16I found the front door
00:16:17and stepped outside
00:16:18into the cool night air.
00:16:20A few minutes later,
00:16:22Alessio emerged.
00:16:23I told them
00:16:24you weren't feeling well.
00:16:28Let's go home.
00:16:30We drove in silence
00:16:31for a long stretch.
00:16:33I pressed my forehead
00:16:34to the cold glass.
00:16:36Alexio's voice
00:16:37broke the quiet.
00:16:38Ivy,
00:16:39I know that was hard.
00:16:41I know your parents
00:16:42were the way
00:16:43they always are.
00:16:44And Hazel's announcement,
00:16:45I'm sorry you had
00:16:47to sit through
00:16:47all of that.
00:16:48I watched his profile,
00:16:50the strong line
00:16:50of his jaw.
00:16:52He sounded so sincere,
00:16:54yet he had actually
00:16:55betrayed me.
00:16:57I'm fine,
00:16:58I lied.
00:16:59It's just a lot.
00:17:01He was silent
00:17:02for a moment.
00:17:04Then he reached over
00:17:05and held my hand.
00:17:07I have an idea.
00:17:09Let's get away.
00:17:11Just the two of us.
00:17:14Get away where?
00:17:16I have a little island,
00:17:18the one my grandfather
00:17:19left me.
00:17:20There's this house
00:17:21by the shore,
00:17:23and the sunrise there.
00:17:26It's the most beautiful
00:17:27thing I've ever seen.
00:17:28He squeezed my hand.
00:17:30We can watch the sun
00:17:31come up.
00:17:32and forget about
00:17:33everyone else
00:17:34for a while.
00:17:35What do you say?
00:17:37I wanted to refuse,
00:17:38but there was a part
00:17:39of me,
00:17:40the foolish,
00:17:41stubborn part,
00:17:42that wanted one more
00:17:43sunrise with him.
00:17:45Okay,
00:17:47let's go watch
00:17:48the sunrise.
00:17:49Just one more
00:17:49sunrise.
00:17:50Then I would disappear
00:17:52from his world
00:17:52for good.
00:17:55The next day,
00:17:57I began packing my things
00:17:59for our trip
00:18:00to the island.
00:18:01I folded sundresses
00:18:02into my bag,
00:18:03tucked my passport
00:18:04into the side pocket
00:18:05next to the signed
00:18:06divorce papers,
00:18:07and pretended I was
00:18:08just a wife heading off
00:18:09on a romantic getaway
00:18:10with her devoted husband.
00:18:12By late afternoon,
00:18:13we were cutting across
00:18:14the water on his yacht,
00:18:16the coastline shrinking
00:18:17behind us.
00:18:20Alexio stood at the helm,
00:18:22one hand on the wheel,
00:18:24the wind tunseling
00:18:25his dark hair.
00:18:26Every so often,
00:18:28he would glance back
00:18:28at me,
00:18:29with that half-smile
00:18:30of his.
00:18:31This is the beginning
00:18:32of our escape,
00:18:33just the two of us.
00:18:35No business,
00:18:36no family,
00:18:38no distractions.
00:18:39I nodded,
00:18:41pretending I was
00:18:42really happy.
00:18:43The island soon emerged
00:18:45on the horizon.
00:18:46As the yacht glided
00:18:48toward the dock,
00:18:50I spotted something
00:18:51flickering on the beach,
00:18:53dozens of tiny flames,
00:18:54arranged in a semicircle
00:18:56around a table set
00:18:57for two.
00:19:00Alexio killed the engine
00:19:01and helped me
00:19:02onto the dock,
00:19:04his hand warm
00:19:05and steady in mine.
00:19:07Surprise.
00:19:11He murmured
00:19:12and led me down
00:19:13to the sand.
00:19:14The table was draped
00:19:16in white linen.
00:19:17Every dish
00:19:18was my favorite.
00:19:21He pulled out
00:19:22my chair,
00:19:23his eyes reflecting
00:19:24the candlelight.
00:19:26I know things
00:19:27have been difficult.
00:19:29Your parents,
00:19:31the family pressures,
00:19:32all of it.
00:19:34But I want you
00:19:35to know something,
00:19:36Ivy.
00:19:38Even if your family
00:19:39doesn't see your worth,
00:19:40I do.
00:19:42I will always
00:19:43stand by you.
00:19:44I looked at him.
00:19:46His jaw was strong,
00:19:48his eyes earnest,
00:19:50his mouth shaped
00:19:51into the gentlest
00:19:51curver of sincerity.
00:19:53Every word he spoke
00:19:55felt like a vow,
00:19:56but every word
00:19:57was actually a lie.
00:20:00Thank you.
00:20:01That means everything
00:20:03to me.
00:20:05He smiled,
00:20:07visibly relieved,
00:20:08and raised his glass.
00:20:11To us.
00:20:13To our second honeymoon.
00:20:16To us.
00:20:19He had just
00:20:20set his glass down
00:20:22and was reaching
00:20:23for the wine bottle
00:20:24to pour me another.
00:20:26When his phone buzzed
00:20:27against the tablecloth,
00:20:28the sound was sharp
00:20:30and intrusive.
00:20:31Alexio glanced
00:20:32at the screen
00:20:33and silenced it
00:20:34with a flick
00:20:34of his thumb.
00:20:36The phone buzzed again.
00:20:38He silenced it again,
00:20:40his jaw tightening
00:20:41almost imperceptibly.
00:20:44I swear.
00:20:47I told them...
00:20:48It buzzed a third time,
00:20:50consistent,
00:20:51the kind of call
00:20:52that would not be ignored.
00:20:53I watched the flicker
00:20:55of indecision
00:20:56cross his features.
00:21:00You should get that.
00:21:01It might be your underboss.
00:21:04Something could be wrong.
00:21:06I already knew
00:21:07who was calling.
00:21:08He'd told his men
00:21:09to leave him alone.
00:21:11So there was only
00:21:12one person it could be.
00:21:14Hazel.
00:21:16Alexio shook his head.
00:21:18I made you a promise.
00:21:20Today is about us.
00:21:22No business.
00:21:24The buzzing
00:21:25suddenly stopped.
00:21:27Then his screen
00:21:28lit up with a notification.
00:21:30He picked up the phone,
00:21:32read the message,
00:21:33and furrowed his brows.
00:21:36What is it?
00:21:38I asked on purpose.
00:21:40He was already rising
00:21:41from his chair.
00:21:42There's a situation.
00:21:44One of our operations.
00:21:46It's bad.
00:21:48Ivy.
00:21:49I need to go handle it
00:21:51in person.
00:21:52He rounded the table
00:21:53and cuffed my face
00:21:55in both hands,
00:21:56his thumbs brushing
00:21:57my cheekbones.
00:21:59I'll be back
00:21:59before sunrise.
00:22:01I swear it.
00:22:03We'll watch the dawn together.
00:22:05I looked up
00:22:06into his eyes.
00:22:07You're sure
00:22:08you can't stay?
00:22:10Even just for dinner?
00:22:12Something flickered
00:22:13in his expression.
00:22:15Guilt,
00:22:16maybe.
00:22:17Or regret.
00:22:19I'll make it up to you.
00:22:21I promise.
00:22:23He kissed me.
00:22:25And then he was
00:22:26striding up the beach
00:22:27toward the dock.
00:22:31The yacht's engine
00:22:32rumbered to life.
00:22:33I watched the boat
00:22:34shrink until it was a speck.
00:22:36Then nothing at all.
00:22:39I turned back
00:22:40to the table.
00:22:42The candles
00:22:43were still burning.
00:22:45Everything was
00:22:46exactly as it had been.
00:22:48Except I
00:22:49was utterly alone.
00:22:51I didn't eat.
00:22:53I carried my wine glass
00:22:54down to the water's edge
00:22:56and sat
00:22:57in the cool sand.
00:22:58I hugged my knees
00:22:59to my chest
00:23:00and let the wind
00:23:01whip my hair
00:23:02across my face.
00:23:04Midnight came
00:23:05and went.
00:23:06The candles
00:23:07on the table
00:23:07guttered and died
00:23:08one by one.
00:23:10Still,
00:23:11the horizon
00:23:11remained empty.
00:23:13I pulled out my phone
00:23:15and opened Instagram.
00:23:17Hazel's most recent post
00:23:19was 45 minutes old.
00:23:20It was a picture
00:23:21of a man's hand
00:23:23resting tenderly
00:23:24on a woman's belly.
00:23:25On the cuff
00:23:26was a pair
00:23:26of silver cufflinks
00:23:27engraved with
00:23:28an intricate
00:23:29interlocking pattern
00:23:30of vines.
00:23:31I had designed
00:23:32those cufflinks
00:23:33myself.
00:23:34Two years ago
00:23:35for Alessio's birthday.
00:23:37I had wanted him
00:23:38to carry something
00:23:39of me wherever he went.
00:23:40I stared at the screen
00:23:41until the letters blurred.
00:23:44My heart hurt a lot
00:23:46when I confirmed
00:23:47that my husband
00:23:48was really staying
00:23:49with my sister.
00:23:50My thumb hovered
00:23:51over Alessio's contact.
00:23:54I called him.
00:23:56The first time,
00:23:57it rang and rang
00:23:58and then went to voicemail.
00:24:01I hung up
00:24:01and called again.
00:24:03Same result.
00:24:05The third time.
00:24:08Someone picked up
00:24:09just as I was
00:24:09about to give up.
00:24:13Hello, Ivy.
00:24:14Hazel's voice was sweet.
00:24:16She sounded quite pleased.
00:24:18Put Alessio on.
00:24:20He's a little occupied
00:24:22at the moment.
00:24:22Our baby was giving me trouble.
00:24:25He's been so attentive.
00:24:28You'd be amazed
00:24:29at how quickly
00:24:30he dropped everything
00:24:31to come to us.
00:24:32A pause,
00:24:33filled with the soft rustle
00:24:35of what I imagined
00:24:35was her settling
00:24:36more comfortably
00:24:37into her pillows.
00:24:38You know, Ivy,
00:24:40I've always told you
00:24:41there isn't a man
00:24:43in this world
00:24:44I can't have
00:24:45if I want him.
00:24:46Alexio is no exception.
00:24:49And now that I'm
00:24:50carrying his child,
00:24:51she let the sentence
00:24:52trail off,
00:24:53pregnant with implication.
00:24:55Here's some advice.
00:24:56Be sensible.
00:24:58File the papers.
00:24:59Walk away with
00:25:00whatever shred of dignity
00:25:02you have left.
00:25:03You've lost.
00:25:04Ivy.
00:25:05You want Alessio?
00:25:07Fine.
00:25:08He's yours.
00:25:10Hazel had expected tears.
00:25:12Or maybe a satisfying outburst.
00:25:16Wait, Ivy?
00:25:18I ignored her
00:25:20and continued.
00:25:21My entire life,
00:25:23I've let you take
00:25:24what you wanted
00:25:25and stepped aside.
00:25:26My parents' affection,
00:25:28my boyfriends,
00:25:30my husband.
00:25:31You've helped yourself
00:25:32to all of it.
00:25:33And I've let you.
00:25:36Because some part of me
00:25:37still believe
00:25:38that if I was good enough,
00:25:40I'd eventually have
00:25:41something to call my own.
00:25:44Ivy.
00:25:45But I'm done
00:25:46being patient.
00:25:48I'm not going to let you
00:25:49walk all over me
00:25:50without paying the price again.
00:25:52What is that supposed to mean?
00:25:56Hazel's voice sharpened,
00:25:58losing its honeyed edge.
00:26:00Instead of replying,
00:26:01I hung up.
00:26:03I didn't sleep
00:26:04and just watch the sky.
00:26:06I was still alone.
00:26:08Alexia was nowhere
00:26:09to be seen.
00:26:16Two hours later,
00:26:18Alexio finally arrived
00:26:20at the island.
00:26:21He stepped onto the planks,
00:26:24exhausted,
00:26:25his shirt wrinkled,
00:26:27his jaw shadowed
00:26:28with stubble.
00:26:29The hospital trip
00:26:31had really worn him out.
00:26:32Hazel had alternated
00:26:34between tears
00:26:35and demands.
00:26:36and by the time
00:26:37the doctor reassured
00:26:38them both
00:26:38that the baby was fine,
00:26:40it had been nearly dawn.
00:26:43He had broken
00:26:44every speed limit
00:26:45getting back here.
00:26:47The beach was empty.
00:26:50The table from the night before
00:26:52still stood on the sand,
00:26:54the food ununtouched
00:26:55and spoiled.
00:26:57Alessio's underboss,
00:26:58Marco,
00:26:59was waiting
00:27:00at the edge of the sand.
00:27:01His expression was tense.
00:27:09Where is my wife?
00:27:12Alessio asked,
00:27:14still scanning the beach.
00:27:16Is she in the villa?
00:27:17Marco stepped forward
00:27:18and held out
00:27:20a Manali envelope.
00:27:22She's gone, boss.
00:27:24Gone where?
00:27:26Gone for a walk?
00:27:28She took the motorboat
00:27:30about an hour ago.
00:27:31I left this in the villa.
00:27:35Alexio took the envelope
00:27:36and tore it open.
00:27:39Inside were the divorce papers,
00:27:41signed and dated.
00:27:43Clipped to the top page
00:27:44was a small velvet pouch.
00:27:46He loosened the drawstring
00:27:47and tipped the contents
00:27:49into his palm.
00:27:50A ring slipped out,
00:27:52the very emblem
00:27:53of the Donna.
00:27:54Alessio stood rooted
00:27:55to the spot
00:27:56and stared at the signatures
00:27:58at the bottom
00:27:58of the divorce papers.
00:27:59His name,
00:28:01scrolled in his own
00:28:02unmistakable hand,
00:28:03sat right next to hers.
00:28:06Ivy Morris.
00:28:07Her letters were neat
00:28:09and deliberate,
00:28:10each stroke carrying
00:28:11a finality
00:28:12that made his chest contract.
00:28:13His signature.
00:28:16He had signed
00:28:17the divorce papers himself.
00:28:19When?
00:28:20How?
00:28:21And then it hit him
00:28:23with the force
00:28:24of a physical blow.
00:28:25The utility bills.
00:28:27That night,
00:28:28she had come home early
00:28:29from her business trip.
00:28:30The night she had stood
00:28:31in the hallway
00:28:32with that strange,
00:28:33brittle smile
00:28:34and handed him
00:28:36a stack of papers.
00:28:37He had signed
00:28:38every page
00:28:39without a second glance,
00:28:40his mind already drifting
00:28:41to the shower.
00:28:43She had played him.
00:28:45She had stood
00:28:46right in front of him,
00:28:48looked him in the eye,
00:28:49and handed him
00:28:50the document
00:28:51that would end
00:28:52their marriage.
00:28:52And he had signed
00:28:54it without hesitation.
00:28:56Because he trusted her.
00:28:58Because the thought
00:28:59of her deceiving him
00:29:00was so foreign
00:29:01it had never
00:29:01crossed his mind.
00:29:04Boss.
00:29:11I came by
00:29:12around seven this morning
00:29:13to bring your wife
00:29:14her breakfast,
00:29:14like you asked.
00:29:16The villa was empty,
00:29:17bed wasn't slept in.
00:29:19These were
00:29:20on the nightstand.
00:29:21She just
00:29:22left.
00:29:24Alexio's fingers
00:29:25tightened around
00:29:26the papers,
00:29:27crunching the edges.
00:29:29Ivy had planned this.
00:29:30She had orchestrated
00:29:32her escape.
00:29:33Please get us back
00:29:34to the mainland.
00:29:36Now!
00:29:39The moment
00:29:40the yacht docked,
00:29:41Alessio was off
00:29:42the boat
00:29:43and into his car.
00:29:44He drove
00:29:45like a man possessed,
00:29:47weaving through traffic.
00:29:49running lights
00:29:50he would normally
00:29:51have observed.
00:29:52The city blurred
00:29:53past his window.
00:29:54All noise
00:29:55and motion
00:29:56and he registered
00:29:57none of it.
00:30:00He burst
00:30:01through the front door
00:30:02and the silence
00:30:03hit him like a wall.
00:30:05The house
00:30:06felt different,
00:30:08emptier,
00:30:09colder.
00:30:10Ivy.
00:30:11He strode
00:30:12through the foyer
00:30:13into the living room.
00:30:14Empty.
00:30:16The kitchen.
00:30:18Empty.
00:30:19He took the stairs
00:30:21two at a time
00:30:22and threw
00:30:23open the bedroom door.
00:30:24She was not there either.
00:30:28I found the housekeeper
00:30:30in the hallway.
00:30:31My wife.
00:30:31When did she get home?
00:30:35Don Vitale,
00:30:36your wife
00:30:37didn't come home
00:30:38at all.
00:30:40I've been here
00:30:41since seven
00:30:41this morning.
00:30:43She never walked
00:30:44through the door.
00:30:45Alexio pulled out
00:30:46his phone
00:30:46and called Ivy's number.
00:30:47The line
00:30:48didn't even ring.
00:30:49A robotic voice
00:30:50informed him
00:30:50that the number
00:30:51was no longer
00:30:51in service.
00:30:52He tried again.
00:30:53Same result.
00:30:54He hurled the phone
00:30:55against the wall
00:30:56and it shattered
00:30:56into a spray
00:30:57of glass and metal,
00:30:58the pieces skittering
00:30:59across the hardwood floor.
00:31:00She was gone.
00:31:01His wife was gone
00:31:02and he had no idea
00:31:03where to look.
00:31:04Why would she do this?
00:31:05It couldn't be
00:31:06about the sunrise.
00:31:08Ivy wasn't petty.
00:31:09She wouldn't dissolve
00:31:10a marriage
00:31:10because he'd missed
00:31:11a sunrise.
00:31:12There had to be
00:31:13something else.
00:31:14Something bigger.
00:31:15Something that had been
00:31:16eating at her
00:31:16long before last night.
00:31:18And then the obvious answer.
00:31:19The one he had been dodging
00:31:20slammed into him
00:31:22with sickening clarity.
00:31:23Hazel.
00:31:24The baby.
00:31:25Ivy knew.
00:31:26There was no other
00:31:27explanation for the
00:31:28divorce papers.
00:31:29The careful,
00:31:30quiet vanishing act.
00:31:32Alessio was in his car again
00:31:33before he could think,
00:31:34driving across town
00:31:35to the apartment building
00:31:37where Hazel lived.
00:31:38He didn't knock.
00:31:39He used the key Hazel
00:31:40had given him months ago
00:31:41and let himself in.
00:31:42Hazel was lounging
00:31:43on her sofa
00:31:44in a silk robe,
00:31:45a cup of coffee
00:31:46steaming on the coffee table.
00:31:48She looked up
00:31:49with a smile
00:31:50that faded
00:31:50the instant
00:31:51she saw his face.
00:31:53Alexio?
00:31:54What's wrong?
00:31:55You look terrible.
00:31:58Did you tell her?
00:31:59He crossed the room
00:32:00and stood over her,
00:32:02his shadow falling across her
00:32:04like a shroud.
00:32:04Did you tell Ivy
00:32:06about the baby?
00:32:07About us?
00:32:08Hazel set down her coffee.
00:32:09Of course not.
00:32:10You asked me not to
00:32:11and I've kept my word.
00:32:13Why would I tell her?
00:32:14But she knows.
00:32:16Ivy signed
00:32:17the divorce papers.
00:32:18She left her ring.
00:32:19She's just
00:32:21gone.
00:32:22For a fraction
00:32:23of a second,
00:32:24something flickered
00:32:24in Hazel's eyes.
00:32:25Alessio was about
00:32:26to press her further.
00:32:30When hurried footsteps
00:32:31sounded in the hallway
00:32:32and Marco appeared
00:32:34in the doorway,
00:32:35his face ashen.
00:32:37Boss,
00:32:40you need to see this.
00:32:42Alexio snatched
00:32:43the phone Marco
00:32:44was holding out.
00:32:45The screen was open
00:32:46to Twitter,
00:32:46to Ivy's profile,
00:32:47to a video she had posted
00:32:49less than an hour ago.
00:32:50His thumb hovered
00:32:51over the play button
00:32:52for a heartbeat
00:32:53and then he pressed it.
00:32:57The video opened
00:32:59on Ivy's hand,
00:33:00her beautiful,
00:33:01graceful hand
00:33:02sketched with a colored
00:33:03pencil across cream paper.
00:33:04The camera was positioned
00:33:06above her drafting table,
00:33:07capturing every stroke
00:33:09as she brought a design
00:33:10to life.
00:33:11Two rings,
00:33:12interlocking.
00:33:13He watched her redrawing
00:33:14until the geometry
00:33:15was perfect.
00:33:16He watched her hold
00:33:17the finished rings
00:33:18up to the camera,
00:33:19turning them
00:33:20so the light
00:33:20caught the gem.
00:33:21Then the video cut to Ivy
00:33:23facing the camera directly.
00:33:24Her eyes sparkled
00:33:26with a joy
00:33:26that made his throat tighten.
00:33:28These rings are
00:33:29specially made for someone,
00:33:30her voice bright
00:33:31with affection.
00:33:32One for me
00:33:33and one for my husband.
00:33:35I designed them
00:33:36to represent what we have.
00:33:38She pressed the rings
00:33:39to her heart
00:33:40and grinned.
00:33:41I can't wait
00:33:42to give his to him.
00:33:43The screen went black.
00:33:46When it lit again,
00:33:48it was the present-day Ivy.
00:33:50Her hair was longer now,
00:33:52her face thinner,
00:33:54the sparkle in her eyes
00:33:56extinguished.
00:33:57She was sitting
00:33:58in what he recognized
00:33:59as the villa
00:33:59on the island,
00:34:00the morning light
00:34:01filtering through
00:34:02the windows behind her.
00:34:03I designed these rings
00:34:04three months ago.
00:34:05She said,
00:34:06her voice steady
00:34:06and hollow.
00:34:07I poured everything
00:34:08I had into them
00:34:09and then my design
00:34:10was stolen.
00:34:11My sister submitted it
00:34:12as her own work
00:34:12and won an award for it.
00:34:17Alexio's blood ran cold.
00:34:20But that's not
00:34:21the worst part.
00:34:22The worst part
00:34:22is that she didn't
00:34:23just steal my design.
00:34:25She stole my husband.
00:34:26Two,
00:34:27the man who was supposed
00:34:28to love me forever
00:34:29has been lying to my face.
00:34:31She paused.
00:34:31The camera caught
00:34:33the slight tremor
00:34:34in her chin
00:34:34before she steadied it.
00:34:37I loved you,
00:34:38honey.
00:34:39I loved you
00:34:40with everything I had
00:34:41and I thought
00:34:42that was enough.
00:34:43But I was wrong.
00:34:44So I'm letting you go.
00:34:46You can keep my sister.
00:34:47Her voice dropped
00:34:47to a whisper.
00:34:48Goodbye.
00:34:50The video ended.
00:34:51The screen froze
00:34:52on her face
00:34:53and Alessio felt
00:34:53something inside him
00:34:54splinter.
00:34:55The design.
00:34:57Hazel's award-winning
00:34:58collection.
00:34:58The one the whole family
00:34:59had celebrated.
00:35:00The one he had
00:35:01congratulated her for
00:35:02it was Ivy's.
00:35:03Ivy had created it,
00:35:05nurtured it,
00:35:06poured her soul into it
00:35:08and Hazel
00:35:09had stolen it.
00:35:10He turned to Hazel
00:35:11and the look on his face
00:35:13made her recoil.
00:35:14You told me
00:35:15that design was yours.
00:35:17Alexio,
00:35:18I can explain.
00:35:19It was hers.
00:35:22His voice was quiet,
00:35:24which made it worse.
00:35:25You took her work
00:35:26and you took her recognition.
00:35:28She was never enough
00:35:30for you.
00:35:31Alexio,
00:35:32you needed someone
00:35:33who could give you
00:35:33what she couldn't.
00:35:35Hazel slowly
00:35:35regains her composure.
00:35:37Don't you dare
00:35:38pretend this was about me.
00:35:40You've been trying
00:35:41to destroy her
00:35:41since the day
00:35:42she was born.
00:35:45Hazel opened her mouth
00:35:46to respond,
00:35:47but Alessio
00:35:48was already walking away,
00:35:50Marco falling
00:35:51into step behind him.
00:35:52Alexio felt so bad.
00:35:54He had signed
00:35:54the divorce papers
00:35:55without reading them.
00:35:56He had left her alone
00:35:58on the island
00:35:58while he rushed
00:35:59to another woman's bedside.
00:36:01He had done everything wrong
00:36:02and now Ivy had done
00:36:04the one thing
00:36:04he couldn't undo.
00:36:06She had stopped loving him.
00:36:08Once the video was live,
00:36:09I logged out
00:36:10and let go
00:36:10of everything that followed.
00:36:12I boarded a flight overseas
00:36:13and began a new life.
00:36:14I had chosen
00:36:15a small island
00:36:16in the Venetian lagoon.
00:36:17It was the opposite
00:36:18of New York
00:36:19in every conceivable way
00:36:20and that was precisely
00:36:21why I had come.
00:36:23I started a bookstore.
00:36:24Nothing fancy,
00:36:26just a quiet little place.
00:36:28Inside,
00:36:28the space was small
00:36:29but warm
00:36:30with exposed wooden beams,
00:36:33a few well-loved armchairs
00:36:34and shelves
00:36:35I had built myself
00:36:36from reclaimed timber.
00:36:37I arranged the books
00:36:38by feeling
00:36:39rather than genre.
00:36:40Customers told me
00:36:41they loved
00:36:41the unpredictability of it,
00:36:43the sense that the shop
00:36:43had a personality
00:36:44rather than a system.
00:36:45Every Monday morning,
00:36:46I created a new book recommendation
00:36:48in the front windows.
00:36:49People started coming
00:36:50from neighboring islands
00:36:51just to see
00:36:52what I would choose next.
00:36:57Some of them
00:36:58took photos
00:36:59and posted them online.
00:37:01I didn't mind.
00:37:02I had stopped
00:37:03checking social media
00:37:04obsessively,
00:37:05but on a rainy Tuesday
00:37:06about two weeks
00:37:07after my arrival,
00:37:09curiosity
00:37:09got the better of me.
00:37:11I opened Twitter
00:37:12and searched my own name,
00:37:14then Hazels.
00:37:15The results were staggering.
00:37:17The video I had posted,
00:37:19the one showing
00:37:20my design process
00:37:21for the rings,
00:37:22the one ending
00:37:23with my quiet goodbye,
00:37:26had been shared
00:37:27hundreds of thousands
00:37:28of times.
00:37:32News outlets
00:37:33had picked it up.
00:37:34Design blogs
00:37:35had written lengthy analysis
00:37:37comparing my sketches
00:37:38to Hazel's award submission.
00:37:39And the verdict
00:37:40was unanimous.
00:37:42Hazel had stolen my work.
00:37:44Hazel's social media accounts
00:37:46had been flooded
00:37:46with condemnation.
00:37:48Several brands
00:37:49she had collaborated with
00:37:50had released statements
00:37:51cutting ties.
00:37:52The design award
00:37:53she had won
00:37:54had been rescinded,
00:37:55the committee issuing
00:37:56a public apology
00:37:57for failing to verify
00:37:58the originality
00:37:59of her submission.
00:38:01She was finished.
00:38:02Her career,
00:38:04her reputation,
00:38:06the carefully constructed
00:38:07pedestal she had stood
00:38:08on her entire life,
00:38:09all of it had crumbled
00:38:11in the span
00:38:12of a single video.
00:38:13A few days later,
00:38:14I saw that Hazel
00:38:15had posted an apology video.
00:38:17I hesitated for a long moment
00:38:19before pressing play.
00:38:21I'm sorry, Ivy.
00:38:23I know saying that
00:38:24can't undo what I did to you.
00:38:26I don't expect you
00:38:28to forgive me right away.
00:38:29I just hope that
00:38:30someday
00:38:32you can find it
00:38:33in your heart
00:38:34to forgive me.
00:38:34I closed the video
00:38:36halfway through.
00:38:37I knew my sister.
00:38:39She wasn't sorry
00:38:40she had hurt me.
00:38:41She was sorry
00:38:42she had been caught.
00:38:43And forgiving her?
00:38:45That was out of the question.
00:38:47I made myself
00:38:48an espresso,
00:38:49straightened a stack
00:38:50of new arrivals,
00:38:51and settled behind
00:38:52the counter with a book.
00:38:54This was my life now.
00:38:56A quiet,
00:38:58uncomplicated,
00:38:59mine.
00:39:03The coffee shop
00:39:05next door
00:39:05was called
00:39:06Tasa Doro,
00:39:07and it was run
00:39:08by a man named Owen.
00:39:09He was tall and lean
00:39:11with sandy hair
00:39:12that fell across his forehead
00:39:13and the kind of easy smile.
00:39:15I had met him
00:39:16on my second day
00:39:17in the city,
00:39:18when I had wandered in
00:39:19looking for caffeine
00:39:20and found myself
00:39:22staying for an hour,
00:39:23charmed by the warmth
00:39:24of the place
00:39:25and the unharried way
00:39:27he talked to his customers.
00:39:28Owen started coming
00:39:29by the bookshop
00:39:30regularly.
00:39:31At first,
00:39:32he had genuine questions.
00:39:34Did I have any books
00:39:35on coffee roasting techniques?
00:39:37Was there a guide
00:39:37to Italian espresso traditions?
00:39:39Could I recommend
00:39:40something about
00:39:41the history of Venetian cafes?
00:39:42I found him a volume
00:39:43on coffee cultivation
00:39:44and another on
00:39:46the social history
00:39:47of European coffee houses,
00:39:48and he returned
00:39:49a few days later
00:39:50with a frothy cappuccino
00:39:51and a slice of pistachio cake
00:39:54to thank me.
00:39:55After that,
00:39:55his visits became
00:39:56more frequent.
00:39:57He would stop by
00:39:58in the late mornings,
00:39:59when the shop was quiet,
00:40:00and linger over
00:40:01the new arrivals table.
00:40:03He asked me
00:40:03about my weekly displays.
00:40:05He listened to my answers
00:40:06with genuine attention.
00:40:08His head tilted slightly,
00:40:09his eyes never straying
00:40:10to his phone.
00:40:12I recognized the signs,
00:40:14the way he found reasons
00:40:15to talk to me,
00:40:16the slight flush
00:40:17that crept up his neck
00:40:18when I caught him
00:40:19looking at me.
00:40:23Owen liked me.
00:40:24It was flattering
00:40:25and terrifying
00:40:26in equal measure,
00:40:27and I had no idea
00:40:29what to do with it.
00:40:30I wasn't ready.
00:40:31The wound of Alessio's betrayal
00:40:33was still too raw.
00:40:34I had spent my entire adult life
00:40:37loving one man,
00:40:38and when that love
00:40:39had shattered,
00:40:40it had taken pieces
00:40:41of me with it.
00:40:42I needed time
00:40:43to gather those pieces back.
00:40:44The thought of starting again,
00:40:46of opening myself
00:40:47to the possibility
00:40:48of another heartbreak,
00:40:49made me feel uncomfortable,
00:40:50so I kept things friendly
00:40:52and nothing more.
00:40:53I accept his coffee samples
00:40:55and his pastry recommendations.
00:40:57I let him linger,
00:40:58but I didn't invite him to stay.
00:41:00I answered his questions
00:41:01about books
00:41:02and deflected his questions
00:41:03about my past.
00:41:04And Owen,
00:41:05perceptive enough
00:41:06to sense the boundary,
00:41:07never pressed.
00:41:08They spoke in turn,
00:41:10their voices thick with emotion,
00:41:12and they apologized.
00:41:13They apologized for years
00:41:15of neglect,
00:41:16for the favoritism
00:41:17they had shown Hazel,
00:41:18for the countless ways
00:41:19they had made me feel
00:41:20invisible in my own family.
00:41:22We failed you.
00:41:23We understand now
00:41:25why you left.
00:41:26Please come home.
00:41:28We'll do anything
00:41:29to make things right.
00:41:33I watched the video twice.
00:41:36Then I closed it
00:41:37and set my phone
00:41:38face down on the counter.
00:41:39The apology was probably sincere.
00:41:41I believe that my parents
00:41:43were genuinely sorry,
00:41:44but sorry didn't erase
00:41:45a childhood spent
00:41:46standing in the corner
00:41:47while everyone applauded
00:41:48my sister.
00:41:49Sorry didn't fill
00:41:50the hollow place inside me
00:41:51that had been carved out
00:41:52by years of being told
00:41:54that I was less.
00:41:55I couldn't forgive them.
00:41:57What I could do
00:41:58was release them.
00:41:59I didn't wish them harm.
00:42:01I just didn't wish
00:42:02to be anywhere near them.
00:42:03One Tuesday in late October,
00:42:05Owen arrived
00:42:06with a new coffee blend
00:42:07he wanted me to try.
00:42:08It was a single origin
00:42:09Ethiopian
00:42:10with notes of
00:42:11blueberry and dark chocolate,
00:42:12and he was visibly
00:42:13excited about it.
00:42:14What do you think?
00:42:15It's a single origin
00:42:17Ethiopian blend
00:42:18with notes of
00:42:19blueberry and dark chocolate.
00:42:21I took a sip.
00:42:24It's excellent.
00:42:26Really?
00:42:27I nodded,
00:42:28and he smiled
00:42:29from ear to ear.
00:42:30He glanced down
00:42:31at the counter
00:42:31while I was making notes
00:42:33in the margin
00:42:33of my sketchbook,
00:42:34and his eyes
00:42:35caught the drawing
00:42:36I had been working on.
00:42:38It was a delicate bracelet,
00:42:40a chain of four-leaf covers.
00:42:42I had been playing
00:42:43with the idea
00:42:43for a few days,
00:42:44refining the proportions,
00:42:46trying to capture
00:42:47a sense of luck
00:42:48and lightness
00:42:48in the design.
00:42:49Did you draw this?
00:42:54Ivy,
00:42:55this is beautiful.
00:42:56The detail
00:42:57on the clover leaves.
00:42:58How do you even
00:42:59do that with a pencil?
00:43:01I shrugged,
00:43:02suddenly self-conscious.
00:43:04It's just a sketch,
00:43:06a rough idea.
00:43:07This doesn't look
00:43:08rough to me.
00:43:10He studied the drawing
00:43:11with genuine admiration.
00:43:13Were you a jewelry designer
00:43:14before you opened the shop?
00:43:15I hesitated.
00:43:16I hadn't told Owen
00:43:17anything about my past,
00:43:19but the direct question
00:43:20left me with no graceful
00:43:21way to deflect.
00:43:22I was.
00:43:23His eyebrows rose.
00:43:25And you gave that up?
00:43:26Why?
00:43:27The question hung
00:43:28in the air between us.
00:43:30I wanted a different
00:43:31kind of life.
00:43:32Sometimes you have
00:43:33to leave things behind
00:43:34to move forward.
00:43:35Owen nodded slowly.
00:43:36He didn't push,
00:43:37didn't ask for details.
00:43:39He just looked
00:43:40at the sketch
00:43:40one more time
00:43:41and said,
00:43:43Well,
00:43:43for what it's worth,
00:43:44I think you still
00:43:45have the talent.
00:43:46That design would
00:43:47make a stunning piece.
00:43:48A month later,
00:43:49Owen came into the shop
00:43:50with his phone
00:43:51in his hand
00:43:52and an expression
00:43:52of barely contained
00:43:53consignment.
00:43:54Ivy,
00:43:55look at this.
00:43:59He turned the screen
00:44:00toward me.
00:44:01It was an announcement
00:44:03for an international
00:44:04jewelry design competition,
00:44:06open to emerging
00:44:07and independent designers.
00:44:08The deadline was
00:44:10three weeks away.
00:44:12The theme was renewal.
00:44:15You should enter this.
00:44:17I stared at the screen
00:44:18for a long moment.
00:44:21I felt the old pull,
00:44:23the itch to create,
00:44:25the hunger to be seen,
00:44:26the part of me
00:44:28that had never stopped loving,
00:44:29the alchemy of turning
00:44:30an idea into something
00:44:32beautiful and tangible.
00:44:34Then the doubt crept in.
00:44:37I haven't designed
00:44:38professionally in months.
00:44:40My hands aren't
00:44:41what they used to be.
00:44:43I'd be competing
00:44:44against people
00:44:44who do this every day.
00:44:46So?
00:44:46Owen set the phone
00:44:47on the counter
00:44:48between us.
00:44:49Since when does that matter?
00:44:53If you have a passion
00:44:54for something,
00:44:55you don't abandon it
00:44:56just because you've been
00:44:57away from it for a while.
00:44:58You try.
00:44:59You put yourself
00:45:00out there.
00:45:02Even if you don't win,
00:45:04you'll know
00:45:05you didn't give up.
00:45:07I looked at the sketch pad
00:45:09still open on the counter,
00:45:10the four-leaf clover bracelet
00:45:12I had been refining
00:45:13for weeks.
00:45:14The design had grown
00:45:15more intricate
00:45:16since that first
00:45:17rough draft.
00:45:19I had added
00:45:20a hidden clasp
00:45:21shaped like a tiny star.
00:45:23Anonymous submissions
00:45:24are allowed.
00:45:28Owen added,
00:45:29clearly reading
00:45:31my hesitation.
00:45:32No one has to know
00:45:33it's you
00:45:34until you're ready.
00:45:36I submitted my entry
00:45:37three days before
00:45:38the deadline.
00:45:40The bracelet,
00:45:41which I had titled
00:45:42Second Spring,
00:45:43was accompanied
00:45:44by a brief artist statement.
00:45:47That said nothing
00:45:48about my past
00:45:49and everything
00:45:51about the design itself.
00:45:52The symbolism of the clover
00:45:54as resilience,
00:45:55the hidden star
00:45:57as the light
00:45:58that persists
00:45:58through darkness.
00:46:01Three weeks later,
00:46:03I received an email
00:46:05informing me
00:46:06that I had placed
00:46:07second
00:46:07out of over
00:46:09800 entries
00:46:10from designers
00:46:11around the world.
00:46:12I read the email
00:46:13five times
00:46:14before it sank in
00:46:15and then I sat
00:46:16at the counter
00:46:17and cried.
00:46:18I still had it.
00:46:20The part of me
00:46:21that created
00:46:21beautiful things
00:46:22had not been destroyed
00:46:24by everything
00:46:25that had happened.
00:46:26It had been waiting,
00:46:27patient and quiet,
00:46:28for me to return.
00:46:30I told Owen
00:46:31that afternoon.
00:46:34He showed up
00:46:35at the bookshop
00:46:36ten minutes later
00:46:37with a slice
00:46:38of tiramisu
00:46:39on a ceramic plate,
00:46:40a single candle
00:46:42stuck in the top.
00:46:43It's not a birthday,
00:46:45I said,
00:46:46laughing.
00:46:47It's a rebirth day.
00:46:49He corrected
00:46:51and set the plate
00:46:52in front of me.
00:46:55Make a wish.
00:46:56I closed my eyes
00:46:58and wished
00:46:59for nothing.
00:47:00I already had
00:47:01what I needed.
00:47:03You know...
00:47:07Owen said,
00:47:08leaning against the counter
00:47:09as I ate
00:47:10the tiramisu,
00:47:11You have something special.
00:47:13Not just skill.
00:47:15A lot of people
00:47:17have skill.
00:47:18You have a vision.
00:47:20A way of seeing
00:47:21the world
00:47:22that comes through
00:47:22in your work.
00:47:23Don't ever
00:47:24let anyone
00:47:26make you think
00:47:26you should give that up.
00:47:28I swallowed the last
00:47:30bite of cake
00:47:31and met his eyes.
00:47:33Thank you
00:47:35for pushing me,
00:47:37for believing in me
00:47:38when I didn't believe
00:47:39in myself.
00:47:40He smiled,
00:47:42a little shyly.
00:47:45One afternoon,
00:47:47I was sitting behind
00:47:48the counter
00:47:49of my bookshop,
00:47:50bent over a fresh
00:47:51sketch box
00:47:52with a pencil
00:47:53tucked behind my ear.
00:47:56When the bell
00:47:57above the door
00:47:58chimed
00:47:58and a familiar voice
00:48:00called out my name,
00:48:01I looked up
00:48:02and found Hazel
00:48:04standing in the entrance.
00:48:05She was visibly
00:48:07pregnant now.
00:48:08Her belly round
00:48:09beneath a loose coat.
00:48:10Her hair,
00:48:11which I had only
00:48:12ever seen
00:48:13in glossy,
00:48:14immaculate waves,
00:48:15hung limp
00:48:16and unwashed
00:48:16around her shoulders.
00:48:18Her face was bare
00:48:19of the meticulous makeup
00:48:20she had once applied
00:48:21and without it,
00:48:22she looked older.
00:48:23The fine lines
00:48:24around her mouth
00:48:25were deeper,
00:48:25the shadows
00:48:26beneath her eyes
00:48:27darker.
00:48:28Ivy.
00:48:31She spit my name
00:48:33like it was a curse.
00:48:34Her expression
00:48:35was a storm front
00:48:36of fury
00:48:37barely contained.
00:48:39Hazel,
00:48:40what are you doing here?
00:48:42Hazel stepped
00:48:42further into the shop,
00:48:44her gaze sweeping
00:48:45over the shelves,
00:48:46the armchairs,
00:48:47the window display
00:48:48I had spent
00:48:48the morning arranging.
00:48:50Is this where
00:48:51you've been hiding?
00:48:52In this little store
00:48:54in the middle of nowhere?
00:48:55You destroyed my life
00:48:57and then you just disappeared!
00:48:59Destroy your life?
00:49:00I rose from my stool
00:49:01behind the counter.
00:49:02You destroyed
00:49:03your own life.
00:49:05I just told the truth
00:49:06about what you did.
00:49:07You posted that video
00:49:08and turned the whole world
00:49:09against me!
00:49:10I lost everything!
00:49:12My contracts,
00:49:13my award,
00:49:13my reputation,
00:49:15everything I worked for
00:49:16gone because of you!
00:49:17You stole my design,
00:49:19you slept with my husband,
00:49:20you got pregnant
00:49:21with his child
00:49:22and flaunted it
00:49:23in my face
00:49:24at a family dinner,
00:49:25and you're angry at me
00:49:27for telling people
00:49:27what you did?
00:49:28How dare you!
00:49:33Hazel's face contorted.
00:49:35She grabbed a stack
00:49:36of books
00:49:37from the nearest display
00:49:38and hurled them
00:49:38to the floor.
00:49:40The carefully arranged tower
00:49:41I had built that morning
00:49:42toppled with a crash
00:49:44that sent books
00:49:45skidding across the tiles.
00:49:47The other customers
00:49:48browsing looked up
00:49:49with alarm.
00:49:50I met their eyes
00:49:51with an apologetic look
00:49:52and gestured
00:49:53toward the door.
00:49:53I'm so sorry.
00:49:55I need to close up.
00:49:57Something personal.
00:49:58They slipped out,
00:49:59leaving me alone
00:50:00with Hazel.
00:50:02You don't get to ruin me
00:50:04and just walk away!
00:50:05She screamed,
00:50:06sweeping her arm
00:50:07across a shelf.
00:50:08Paperbacks flew,
00:50:09pages fluttering.
00:50:10You were always the victim,
00:50:12weren't you, Ivy?
00:50:13Poor little Ivy,
00:50:15always in my shadow,
00:50:16always so hard done by.
00:50:18Well, congratulations!
00:50:19You finally won!
00:50:21Are you happy now?
00:50:22I stepped around the counter,
00:50:24my hands shaking.
00:50:26Get out of my shop.
00:50:27Now.
00:50:28Not until you fix this.
00:50:31Hazel advanced on me,
00:50:32her belly leading,
00:50:34her finger jatting the air.
00:50:38You're going to post
00:50:40another video.
00:50:41You're going to tell everyone
00:50:43that we collaborated
00:50:44on that design.
00:50:46That you were jealous
00:50:47of my success
00:50:48and omitted the truth
00:50:50to make me look bad.
00:50:51You're going to give me
00:50:52my life back!
00:50:54No.
00:50:55I am never going
00:50:56to lie for you.
00:50:57Not ever again.
00:51:00Hazel's hand flew up
00:51:01and I saw the wild
00:51:02hatred in her eyes.
00:51:04Before the blow landed,
00:51:05Owen's hand
00:51:06closed beyond her wrist.
00:51:07He had appeared
00:51:08in the doorway
00:51:09without a sound
00:51:10and his face
00:51:11was harder
00:51:12than I had ever seen it.
00:51:14He said sternly
00:51:15to Hazel,
00:51:16I think Ivy
00:51:17asked you to leave.
00:51:20Hazel yanked her arm
00:51:21free and stumbled back,
00:51:22her eyes darting
00:51:23between Owen and me.
00:51:25A bitter,
00:51:26ugly laugh
00:51:27tore from her throat.
00:51:31Oh, I see.
00:51:32You've already found
00:51:33yourself a new man.
00:51:35That didn't take long,
00:51:36did it?
00:51:37I always knew
00:51:38you were a hypocrite, Ivy.
00:51:40Judging for Alessio
00:51:41while you've got this boy
00:51:42warming your bed?
00:51:43You're one to talk.
00:51:45I said,
00:51:46stepping forward,
00:51:47the difference is
00:51:48that I'm not married anymore.
00:51:49I'm not betraying anyone.
00:51:51And whoever I choose
00:51:52to spend my time with
00:51:53is none of your business.
00:51:54I tilted my head,
00:51:56letting the next words
00:51:57land with deliberate precision.
00:51:59You wanted my husband.
00:52:01You can have him.
00:52:03You can have our parents, too.
00:52:05All that love and attention
00:52:06you've been hoarding
00:52:07your entire life.
00:52:09Keep it.
00:52:09I don't want any of it anymore.
00:52:11I'm done fighting you
00:52:12for things that were
00:52:13never mine to begin with.
00:52:14Hazel's face went red.
00:52:16She opened her mouth
00:52:17to speak.
00:52:18But whatever venom
00:52:18she had prepared
00:52:19was cut off
00:52:20by a new voice.
00:52:22Hazel,
00:52:23shut up.
00:52:26The words cut through
00:52:28the shop like a blade.
00:52:30I knew that voice.
00:52:32I had heard it
00:52:33whisper love in my ear.
00:52:35I looked past Hazel
00:52:36and saw Alexo
00:52:37standing in the doorway,
00:52:38his broad shoulders
00:52:39filling the frame,
00:52:40his dark eyes
00:52:41sweeping the scene.
00:52:43He had changed.
00:52:44He was thinner,
00:52:45the angles of his face sharper,
00:52:47the hollows beneath
00:52:48his cheekbones
00:52:49deeper than I remembered.
00:52:50There were shadows
00:52:51under his eyes
00:52:52that spoke of
00:52:53sleepless nights.
00:52:54The impexably tailored
00:52:55suits he had always worn
00:52:57were replaced
00:52:58by something simpler,
00:52:59darker.
00:53:01He looked like a man
00:53:02who had been hollowed out.
00:53:03His gaze found Hazel
00:53:05and his expression
00:53:06turned to stone.
00:53:07Get out!
00:53:08Right now!
00:53:10If you ever come
00:53:11near Ivy again,
00:53:13I will personally ensure
00:53:15that you regret it
00:53:16for the rest of your lives.
00:53:18Hazel's bravado crumpled.
00:53:20I watched the color
00:53:21drain of her face
00:53:22as she registered the threat.
00:53:24Alexio did not make
00:53:25Unal promises.
00:53:26She backed toward the door,
00:53:28her movements jerky
00:53:29and uncoordinated.
00:53:30And then she was gone,
00:53:32the bell above the door
00:53:33chiming in her wake.
00:53:36Then it was just
00:53:37the three of us.
00:53:41Alexio's eyes moved
00:53:42to the man
00:53:43still standing
00:53:44protectively beside me,
00:53:45and something flickered
00:53:46in his expression.
00:53:49Is this your new partner, Ivy?
00:53:51His voice was choir now,
00:53:53stripped of its command.
00:53:54I didn't correct him.
00:53:56I didn't owe him explanations.
00:53:58What are you doing here,
00:53:59Alessio?
00:54:00He took a step towards me
00:54:01and stopped
00:54:02when I instinctively retreated.
00:54:04The hurt that crossed his face
00:54:06was raw and unguarded,
00:54:07and it twisted something inside me,
00:54:10despite everything.
00:54:11I need to talk to you.
00:54:12He murmured softly.
00:54:13Please,
00:54:14just a few minutes alone,
00:54:16that's all I'm asking.
00:54:17I hesitated.
00:54:18Part of me wanted to refuse,
00:54:20to send him away,
00:54:21to protect the fragile peace
00:54:22I had built.
00:54:23But another part,
00:54:25the part that had loved him
00:54:26for years,
00:54:27knew that this conversation
00:54:28was inevitable.
00:54:29If I didn't have it now,
00:54:31he would come back.
00:54:32We needed to end this properly,
00:54:34with words instead of silence.
00:54:36I turned to Owen.
00:54:41Can you give us a moment?
00:54:43Owen's brow
00:54:44fertile-filled with concern.
00:54:47Are you sure?
00:54:47I can stay?
00:54:50I'll be fine.
00:54:52I touched his arm briefly,
00:54:54a gesture of reassurance.
00:54:56I promise.
00:54:57I'll come find you
00:54:58when we're done.
00:55:00Owen hesitated,
00:55:02then nodded.
00:55:04He gave Alessio
00:55:05a long, hard look
00:55:06and walked out,
00:55:07the door clicking shut
00:55:08behind him.
00:55:09The silence that followed
00:55:11was suffocating.
00:55:13Alessio stood
00:55:13in the wreckage
00:55:14of my bookshop,
00:55:15surrounded by the scattered books
00:55:17Hazel had thrown,
00:55:18and looked at me.
00:55:21Ivy.
00:55:22He moved toward me,
00:55:23his arms lifting
00:55:25as if to pull me
00:55:25into an embrace,
00:55:26and I stepped back
00:55:28so sharply
00:55:28I bumped into the counter.
00:55:30Don't touch me.
00:55:34Say what you came to say,
00:55:35and then go.
00:55:37He stopped,
00:55:38his hands falling
00:55:39to his sides.
00:55:40The divorce papers.
00:55:42I didn't know
00:55:42what I was signing.
00:55:43You handed them to me
00:55:45and I trusted you
00:55:45and I signed away
00:55:46my marriage
00:55:46without even reading
00:55:47the words.
00:55:51That's exactly
00:55:52the problem,
00:55:53Alessio.
00:55:54I wrapped my arms
00:55:56around myself,
00:55:57a barrier between us.
00:55:58I handed you papers
00:56:00and you signed
00:56:01without looking.
00:56:03That's how much
00:56:04you paid attention to me.
00:56:05That's how little
00:56:06you noticed
00:56:06what was happening
00:56:07right in front of your face.
00:56:10I know I failed you.
00:56:13His voice was harky,
00:56:15scraped raw.
00:56:16I know I lied.
00:56:18I know I kept things
00:56:20from you
00:56:20that I should have told you
00:56:22the moment they happened.
00:56:24But please, Ivy,
00:56:26please understand.
00:56:27I was terrified.
00:56:29I was terrified
00:56:30of losing you
00:56:31and I handled it
00:56:32all wrong.
00:56:34I hurt you
00:56:35and I will spend
00:56:36the rest of my life
00:56:37regretting it.
00:56:39Regret doesn't
00:56:40change anything.
00:56:42I shook my head.
00:56:43You slept with my sister
00:56:45and got her pregnant.
00:56:47You stood beside me
00:56:48at dinner
00:56:49and told me
00:56:49you loved me
00:56:50while she was
00:56:51carrying your child.
00:56:53You left me alone
00:56:54on an island
00:56:54to rush to her side.
00:56:57Every single choice
00:56:58you made
00:56:58was a choice
00:56:59against me,
00:57:00against us.
00:57:02I know.
00:57:06His voice cracked.
00:57:09I know what I did
00:57:10and I will never
00:57:13forgive myself for it
00:57:14but I need you to know
00:57:15I will never marry her.
00:57:17I will never be with her
00:57:18the way I was with you.
00:57:20She is carrying my child
00:57:22and I will provide
00:57:23for that child
00:57:24but she will never
00:57:25be my wife.
00:57:27The only woman
00:57:28I have ever loved
00:57:29is standing in front
00:57:30of me right now
00:57:31and I am begging her
00:57:33to look at me
00:57:34and see that I am
00:57:36still hers.
00:57:37I closed my eyes.
00:57:39The weight of his words
00:57:40pressed against my chest
00:57:41heavy and suffocating.
00:57:44I let out a sigh.
00:57:47I can't trust you,
00:57:49Alessio.
00:57:50You can apologize
00:57:51a thousand times
00:57:53and I can believe
00:57:54you mean every word
00:57:56but the trust is gone.
00:57:58It's broken in a way
00:57:59that can't be repaired.
00:58:00I don't know how
00:58:01to come back from that.
00:58:04I don't think I want to.
00:58:08Alexio shook his head
00:58:09and pleaded.
00:58:10Please, Ivy,
00:58:11don't do this to me.
00:58:13Do you remember
00:58:14our wedding vows?
00:58:16His face crumbled.
00:58:21I promised I would
00:58:23never betray you.
00:58:24Never lie to you.
00:58:27You did betray me.
00:58:28You did lie to me.
00:58:30The man who made those vows
00:58:32doesn't exist anymore.
00:58:34And neither does the woman
00:58:35who believed them.
00:58:36Alexio's shoulders sagged.
00:58:39He looked defeated
00:58:40in a way I had never seen before.
00:58:42Not the powerful Dawn,
00:58:44not the charming husband,
00:58:46but a man who had lost
00:58:47the only thing
00:58:48he had ever truly valued
00:58:50and knew he had no one
00:58:52to blame but himself.
00:58:53After a long while,
00:58:54he raised his head
00:58:55with a sad smile.
00:58:57Can I hold you?
00:59:00Just once.
00:59:01Just for a moment.
00:59:02As a goodbye.
00:59:03I should have said no.
00:59:07But something in his face,
00:59:09the raw, unguarded grief of it,
00:59:11made me nod.
00:59:13He stepped forward slowly,
00:59:15giving me time
00:59:15to change my mind,
00:59:17and then his arms
00:59:18were around me.
00:59:20He held me the way
00:59:21he used to hold me,
00:59:22in the quiet hours
00:59:23of the night,
00:59:24his hand cradling
00:59:25the back of my head,
00:59:26his face varied in my hair.
00:59:29I felt his body shake,
00:59:32and then I felt the wetness
00:59:33of his tears
00:59:34against my temple.
00:59:36I'm sorry.
00:59:41I'm so sorry, Ivy.
00:59:44I reached up
00:59:45and wiped the tears
00:59:45from his cheek
00:59:46with my thumb.
00:59:47The gesture so familiar
00:59:49it made my chest ache.
00:59:51I hope you find peace,
00:59:52Alessio.
00:59:53I hope your child
00:59:54is healthy and happy.
00:59:57I hope you live
00:59:58a good life.
00:59:59I will never marry
01:00:00your sister,
01:00:01his voice muffled.
01:00:03You are my wife.
01:00:04There will never be
01:00:05anyone else.
01:00:06He pulled back slowly,
01:00:08his hands lingering
01:00:09on my shoulders,
01:00:10as if he couldn't
01:00:11bear to let go.
01:00:12He looked at me
01:00:13for a long moment,
01:00:15memorizing my face,
01:00:16and then he turned
01:00:17and walked out
01:00:17of the shop.
01:00:19I watched him
01:00:20through the window
01:00:21as he'd appeared
01:00:21down the street,
01:00:22his silhouette swallowed
01:00:24by the golden
01:00:25afternoon light.
01:00:26I didn't move
01:00:27until he was gone,
01:00:28and then I lowered
01:00:30myself onto the stool
01:00:31behind the counter
01:00:31and let the tears
01:00:33fall freely,
01:00:34mourning not just
01:00:35the man I had loved,
01:00:37but the girl I had been
01:00:38when I loved him.
01:00:40Two months later,
01:00:41the news reached me,
01:00:43filtered through
01:00:44the grapevine
01:00:44of mutual acquaintances
01:00:46I hadn't entirely
01:00:47managed to severed.
01:00:48Hazel had been
01:00:49arrested for fraud.
01:00:51She had been
01:00:51running a scheme
01:00:52that promised
01:00:53investment returns
01:00:54on a jewelry venture,
01:00:55and she had built
01:00:56dozens of people
01:00:57out of their savings.
01:00:59One of her victims
01:01:00had confronted her
01:01:01outside her apartment
01:01:02building,
01:01:03and in the altercation
01:01:04that followed,
01:01:05Hazel had been pushed
01:01:06down a flight of stairs.
01:01:09She had lost the baby.
01:01:14After her release
01:01:15from the hospital,
01:01:16she had been transferred
01:01:17to a detention facility
01:01:19to await trial.
01:01:20Our parents had tried
01:01:21everything to get her out.
01:01:23Lawyers,
01:01:24bribes,
01:01:25pleas to anyone
01:01:26who would listen,
01:01:27but Alessio had blocked
01:01:28every attempt.
01:01:29I knew it was his way
01:01:30of avenging me.
01:01:32A final act of loyalty
01:01:33from a husband
01:01:34I no longer had.
01:01:35I read the news
01:01:37and felt very little.
01:01:38That was the strangest part.
01:01:40The woman who had
01:01:41tormented me
01:01:41my entire life,
01:01:42who had taken everything
01:01:43I had ever valued,
01:01:44had finally faced consequences.
01:01:46And I felt nothing.
01:01:48Not satisfaction.
01:01:49Not pity.
01:01:50Just a quiet,
01:01:51distant acknowledgement
01:01:52that the universe
01:01:53had finally balanced
01:01:54its scales.
01:01:55I looked up from my phone
01:01:57and gazed out the window
01:01:58of my book house.
01:01:59The afternoon sun
01:02:00was pouring through the glass,
01:02:02warm and golden.
01:02:04The shelves were neat again,
01:02:05the scattered books
01:02:07long since reshelved.
01:02:08The four-leaf clover bracelet
01:02:10sat in its display case
01:02:11on the counter,
01:02:12a small card beside it
01:02:13announcing the competition award.
01:02:15Owen was next door,
01:02:17probably pulling espresso shots
01:02:18and chatting with the regulars.
01:02:20And in a little while,
01:02:21I would close the shop
01:02:22and walk over
01:02:23for my afternoon coffee.
01:02:24This was my life.
01:02:26It was small and simple,
01:02:28but I had built it
01:02:29with my own hands,
01:02:30piece by piece,
01:02:32out of the wreckage
01:02:33of everything I had lost.
01:02:35I had finally arrived
01:02:37at the place
01:02:37I had been searching
01:02:38for my entire life.
01:02:39KONIEC!
01:02:41KONIEC!
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