Three years of marriage. Not one flower. Not one gift. Then she watches another woman receive everything she ever wanted from the man she loved.
She doesn't fight. She doesn't cry. She just leaves, and that's when his real trouble starts.
This is the full episode of "Shut Up My Ex, I'm Not Your Pet", a romance drama about love that goes unnoticed, self-respect and the price of taking someone for granted. Watch until the end to see how far he's willing to go once he realizes what he lost.
Who do you feel for most, and would you have walked away too? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
#RomanceDrama #FullEpisode #LoveStory #MarriageDrama #RelationshipDrama #ShortDrama #DramaSeries
She doesn't fight. She doesn't cry. She just leaves, and that's when his real trouble starts.
This is the full episode of "Shut Up My Ex, I'm Not Your Pet", a romance drama about love that goes unnoticed, self-respect and the price of taking someone for granted. Watch until the end to see how far he's willing to go once he realizes what he lost.
Who do you feel for most, and would you have walked away too? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
#RomanceDrama #FullEpisode #LoveStory #MarriageDrama #RelationshipDrama #ShortDrama #DramaSeries
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FunTranscript
00:00I was the highest-ranked mercenary on the dark web, and I threw it all away because one man said
00:04he'd give me a home.
00:05The world is too dangerous. I want to give you a home.
00:08I believed him. I fought my way out of the syndicate, buried my identity, and stayed by his side for
00:13three years.
00:14Until I heard him talking to his friends on the other side of the door.
00:17Girlfriend? Come on. She's just a bodyguard I happen to sleep with.
00:21Someone brought up a name, Millie Campbell. The second he heard it, his whole expression changed.
00:25His voice went soft in a way I'd never heard before.
00:27Millie's different. She's the purest girl in the world.
00:31I narrowed my eyes, pulled out my phone, and called Mr. K, the man who'd been waiting for me to
00:35come back.
00:36Boss, that S-Rake mission you mentioned last time? I'm in.
00:39You sure about that?
00:40It's a covert op. One full year with zero outside contact. I thought things were solid with your fiancé.
00:45I looked at the man I'd loved for three years, swirling his whiskey glass, still wearing that tender expression he'd
00:50put on the moment her name came up.
00:52Yeah, pretty sure.
00:53Mr. K didn't push.
00:55Good. Get your things together. I'm sending a car tomorrow.
00:58I hung up and pushed the door open. The second I stepped inside, every pair of eyes in the room
01:03landed on me, mocking, amused, not even trying to hide it.
01:06Oh look, Cassie's here! Garino, man, you really gotta stop making your girl drink for you.
01:11She's not his girl, she's his fiancé.
01:13Right, right. She took a bullet for him, and he put a ring on it!
01:18Bodyguard turned fiancé, gotta respect the hustle.
01:21These were Garino's best friends, trust fund brats, every single one of them.
01:24This wasn't the first time they'd talked about me like I was entertainment.
01:27He never once said anything to stop it.
01:29What, you really think you're his fiancé now?
01:32We're talking to you! You deaf!
01:34My silence clearly got under their skin.
01:35Even Volca can't shut you up.
01:39She's my lifeline tonight. Don't scare her off before she saves me.
01:43He glanced at me and tilted his chin toward the glass.
01:46They're just messing around, don't take it personally.
01:49It's my birthday, they've been pouring shots down my throat all night.
01:52If you hadn't showed up, I'd be done.
01:56When I still didn't say anything, Garino knew I was upset.
02:00Lay off. She doesn't like that kind of talk.
02:03For three years, Garino brought me to places like this.
02:06I used to think it meant something.
02:08That he wanted me in his world.
02:09That he was proud to have me there.
02:10Now I knew the truth.
02:12In his eyes, I was the help.
02:13A bodyguard he could take to bed.
02:15His friends rolled their eyes but shut up.
02:17Then a figure appeared in the doorway.
02:19She was all in white, looked nervous,
02:21clutching a gift box so tightly her knuckles.
02:23The instant she walked in, Garino shot to his feet.
02:26He pulled off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
02:30What are you doing here?
02:31I told you I'd come to you after.
02:33It's almost midnight.
02:35I wanted to give you this before your birthday was over.
02:39Right on cue, the guys started up again.
02:41This is Millie Campbell.
02:42Even cuter in person.
02:44Cute little bunny.
02:45He grabbed a glass off the table and hurled it across the room.
02:49Watch your mouth.
02:50You scare her, I'll end you.
02:52His reaction was so violent, so immediate.
02:54His friends had said one flirty comment to her and he'd lost it.
02:57But what they'd said to me minutes ago was ten times worse.
02:59And all he'd done was toss out a lazy warning with a smile on his face.
03:03I lowered my eyes and let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
03:05I picked up two glasses, stood.
03:07Ms. Campbell, nice to finally meet you.
03:10I'm Casilda, Casilda LaBianca.
03:13Garino grabbed it out of my hand and downed it in one go.
03:16She's a girl.
03:17Drinking's not good for her.
03:19I'll take it.
03:20Three years.
03:20Three years I'd been with this man and at every event like this, I was the one drinking
03:24on his behalf.
03:25Shot after shot.
03:26Glass after glass.
03:27I was his shield.
03:28She's a girl.
03:29Drinking's not good for her.
03:30What about me?
03:31Was I not a girl?
03:32I was about to say something when I noticed the necklace around her neck.
03:35A pendant hung from a thin chain.
03:36A slightly tarnished, misshapen bullet.
03:38I knew that bullet.
03:39I knew exactly where it had come from.
03:41Millie caught me looking.
03:42Her fingers closed around the pendant.
03:44Is something wrong, Casey?
03:45She mentioned last time she thought the necklace was interesting, so I just...
03:49I went ahead and gave it to her.
03:51I looked at him.
03:52There it was.
03:53Three years of living together.
03:54Three years of reading every shift in his expression.
03:57Did he really think I couldn't see through him?
03:59Hey.
04:01He wasn't explaining for my sake.
04:03He was rushing to get ahead of it.
04:04Terrified I might question Millie directly.
04:06But he didn't know me.
04:07Not really.
04:08I was never the kind of woman who begged or made a scene.
04:13Well, your date's here now, so I'll head home.
04:16Happy birthday, Guirino Hensley.
04:18I didn't wait for a reaction.
04:20I walked up.
04:21The moment I got home, my phone buzzed.
04:23A video.
04:23Someone had tagged me.
04:24On screen, Millie sat surrounded by a mountain of gifts.
04:27Shopping bags, wrapped boxes, a massive bouquet of red roses.
04:30She wore a little birthday hat, smiling at the camera.
04:32The caption read,
04:33When someone truly loves you, they treat you like a princess.
04:37First time learning that even people who aren't the birthday girl can get showered with presents.
04:42A few seconds later, the video disappeared.
04:44Then a text popped up.
04:45Sorry, Cassie.
04:46I tagged the wrong person by mistake.
04:48So embarrassing, Mun.
04:49I smiled and set my phone down.
04:50Didn't bother replying.
04:51Millie's little games were nothing to me.
04:53I'd survived things that would break most people in town.
04:56A passive-aggressive Instagram story wasn't going to be what got me.
04:59I went back to packing.
05:00But as I folded and sorted, the tears started falling before I could stop them.
05:04I didn't own much.
05:05A few sets of clothes.
05:06Some basics.
05:07That was it.
05:08In three full years, Garino had never once given me a gift.
05:11There was a time, early on.
05:12I'd curl up in his arms.
05:13How come you never get me flowers?
05:15Or a present?
05:16Every other boyfriend does that stuff.
05:20My Cassie isn't like those sugar babies.
05:23You'd never care about silly little things like that.
05:25I thought about the video again.
05:26Millie, sitting in the middle of that pile.
05:28Gifts she couldn't even carry.
05:30And it finally clicked.
05:31It was never, ever different.
05:32He just didn't want to bother.
05:34Then a familiar voice came from behind me.
05:36Why are you packing?
05:39Where are you going?
05:40My hands froze.
05:41The closet was a mess.
05:43Just organizing.
05:45Garino looked skeptical, but after a beat, he seemed to decide I had nowhere else to go.
05:48So he believed me.
05:49He sighed, pulled me into his arms, and held me against his chest.
05:52Don't overthink things.
05:54Millie's like a little sister to me.
05:57You're the one I'm going to marry.
05:58His voice dropped, soft and coaxing.
06:00The necklace.
06:01She said she thought it was cool, so I let her wear it for a couple days.
06:06If it bothers you, I'll get it back tomorrow.
06:08Don't be upset.
06:10Okay?
06:11Three years together, he knew every button to push.
06:13But this time, all I could smell was the faint trace of jasmine perfume clinging to his suit jacket.
06:18My nose burned.
06:19But before I could say anything, his phone rang.
06:21His face was tight with worry.
06:22What's wrong?
06:24A taxi driver's been following you?
06:26Don't panic.
06:27I'm coming right now.
06:28Get somewhere crowded first.
06:30Put me on speaker.
06:30Let him hear my voice.
06:31I slammed shut.
06:33The house went silent again.
06:34I smiled to myself and wiped the dampness from the corners of my eyes.
06:37That necklace, the one he'd brushed off so casually, was made from the bullet that nearly killed me.
07:10I was a top-tier mercenary.
07:12Contract's done.
07:12The other mercenary's dead.
07:15No one's coming for you anymore.
07:18You're safe.
07:20You're safe.
07:20I really thought he was crying because I was scared.
07:22He wasn't like me.
07:23Someone who'd spent half her life surrounded by corpses.
07:25But he shook his head.
07:26This world is too dangerous.
07:29I want to give you a home.
07:31Cassie.
07:32Stay.
07:33Stay with me.
07:35Please.
07:35I don't know if it was the look in his bloodshot eyes.
07:37So raw.
07:38So honest.
07:39Or the words themselves that broke me.
07:40I nodded.
07:41From that day on, I fought my way out of the syndicate.
07:43Buried my name and stayed by his side.
07:45I let myself believe we'd have a home.
07:47And the bullet?
07:48He'd had it made into a pendant.
07:49He wore it against his chest every single day.
07:51This bullet will remind me, every second of every day, that Cassie is the love of my life.
07:57Now that bullet hung around another one's neck, so it was time for me to go.
08:00Garino didn't come home until noon the next day.
08:02There was a business cocktail event that afternoon.
08:04He'd come back to pick me up.
08:06I glanced at the clock on the wall.
08:07Mr. K's car would be here in a few hours.
08:09I couldn't raise suspicion.
08:11Couldn't afford any complications.
08:12So I nodded, changed into a gown, and walked out the door on his arm.
08:15I did what I always did.
08:17Stayed close.
08:17Held his arm.
08:18Smiled at the right people.
08:20Clinked glasses in all the right conversations.
08:22Then a balding man with a gut like a beach ball stumbled.
08:24Not very like an accident.
08:26And his red wine splashed straight down the front of my dress.
08:28The wine trickled along my collarbone, dripping lower.
08:31The man didn't even pretend not to stare.
08:33Mr. Hensley, wow.
08:34Your date's quite something.
08:36Garino smiled and picked up a fresh glass of wine from the table and handed it to the man.
08:40You flatter me, Josh.
08:42Gotta bring someone pretty to these things, right?
08:44Since you seem to enjoy her company, I've got a private dinner reserved tonight.
08:48Join us.
08:48We can finally talk about that resort development deal.
08:51Josh's eyes lit up.
08:53I used to think that he wanted me there, that he was proud.
08:55Now I understood what I actually was.
08:57A bodyguard with decent reflexes.
08:59A human shield for drinks he didn't want to take.
09:01A bargaining chip for deals he needed to close.
09:03Everything except a fiancé.
09:04I forced a smile at both of them.
09:07I'm a bit of a mess right now.
09:08Let me go clean up.
09:09I'll be right back.
09:10By the time a staff member returned my dress, an hour had passed.
09:14Your dress, ma'am?
09:14And headed back toward the ballroom.
09:16But as I passed one of the private lounges, I noticed the door was cracked open.
09:19Moan coming from inside.
09:20You say you love me, so why won't you bring me to events like this?
09:24Am I that embarrassing?
09:26The men at these things are animals.
09:27You're too pure for places like this.
09:29I'd keep you locked in my heart if I could.
09:31I'd never let anything touch you.
09:33Slow down.
09:34Didn't you say Casilda's in the changing room?
09:35She could be right next door.
09:37Relax.
09:37These VIP lounges are soundproof.
09:39I made sure the door was shut.
09:40She won't hear a thing.
09:41I was calmer than expected.
09:42I smiled, looked away, and gently pulled the door shut for them.
09:46I'd barely made it downstairs when my phone rang.
09:49Cassie, where are you?
09:50I'm coming to get you right now.
09:52Change of plans.
09:52We need to move.
09:53I gave Boss the address of the hotel, then pulled my hair back into a ponytail.
09:57I didn't go back to the ballroom.
09:58Garino Hensley, goodbye forever.
10:01Mr. Hensley, your date went to change and never came back.
10:05Mr. Josh left shortly after.
10:07I really don't know where they went.
10:09What do you mean you don't know?
10:11He stammered something useless.
10:13I shoved him aside and swept every glass off the table.
10:16They shattered across the floor, and the whole room went dead silent.
10:20I pulled out my phone.
10:22Called her.
10:23Again.
10:23Again.
10:24Again.
10:25Every single time.
10:26Straight to voicemail.
10:28My mind started racing.
10:29Josh's reputation.
10:31The rumors I'd heard a hundred times and brushed off.
10:34The way men like him talked about women when they thought no one important was listening.
10:39Sick to his stomach with women.
10:41Liked them young.
10:43Liked them scared.
10:44Liked to play games.
10:45And I'd handed Kazzy to him on a silver platter.
10:49Smiled while I did it.
10:50I was about to tear the building apart when Josh waddled back through the door.
10:54Drink in hand.
10:55Smiling satisfied.
10:57What's going on?
10:58Why is everyone standing around?
11:00We not drinking anymore?
11:01I lunged at him.
11:03Grabbed his collar so hard the fabric ripped.
11:05Where is she?
11:06Where is she?
11:07Josh blinked.
11:08What did you do with her?
11:10Your date?
11:11Haven't seen her since she left to change.
11:12I went out for a smoke.
11:13And his face twisted with disgust.
11:15And frankly, Hensley, I'm embarrassed for you.
11:18Half an hour ago you were pimping her out like party entertainment, and now you're throwing punches?
11:23Men like you make me sick.
11:25If that girl really did run, although she's 100% to my taste, I'll have to say good for her.
11:30I stared at him.
11:31His expression didn't waver.
11:32He wasn't lying.
11:33Which meant Casilda hadn't been taken.
11:35She'd left.
11:36On her own.
11:37I stumbled out of the venue and told my driver to take me home.
11:41I don't remember the ride.
11:43I don't remember unlocking the door.
11:45But I remember the closet.
11:46Wide open.
11:47Empty.
11:48Every trace of her.
11:49Gone.
11:50Millie was leaning against the bedroom doorframe.
11:53I didn't even know when she'd gotten here.
11:54She let out a little laugh.
11:56Honestly, Garino.
11:58She's kind of dramatic, right?
11:59You two have been together this long and she's still playing hard to get?
12:02She's just throwing a tantrum over last night.
12:04I'll talk to her and tell her it was nothing.
12:06Besides, you said she's an orphan, right?
12:08No family.
12:09No connections.
12:10Where's she gonna go?
12:12Trust me.
12:12She wouldn't dare actually leave you.
12:15I didn't answer.
12:16I was staring at the empty closet and all I could hear was Casilda's voice from three
12:20years ago.
12:22I'm staying here for you, Garino.
12:24If you ever fall for someone else one day, don't lie to me.
12:28Don't lie to me.
12:30Don't hide it.
12:31Just tell me and I'll leave on my own.
12:32The night she agreed to stay, she'd look me dead in the eyes.
12:35That was who Cassie was.
12:36Her love was clean, direct, wide open.
12:39Garino?
12:40Are you even listening?
12:41She's just manipulating you.
12:43I've seen women like her before.
12:45My voice came out flat.
12:46Millie.
12:48Casilda is my girlfriend.
12:50Whatever's between us is none of your business.
12:53I need you to leave.
12:55Now.
12:56Millie scrambled to save herself.
12:58No, Garino.
12:59I was just jealous, okay?
13:01I said things I didn't mean.
13:03But honestly, isn't this a good thing?
13:04She left on her own.
13:06You told me you love me, right?
13:08Now you don't even have to go through the trouble of breaking up with her.
13:11You really don't know why she left.
13:12She's my girlfriend, Millie.
13:13Between me and her, whether we stay together or break up, that's between me and her.
13:16It's none of your business.
13:18I can't deal with this right now.
13:20Go.
13:21Home.
13:22Now.
13:22I lifted my head and looked at her dead in the eyes.
13:26Garino, tonight, I'm not feeling well.
13:28Can I just stay here, tonight?
13:30If you're not feeling well, go see a doctor.
13:33This is my home.
13:34Mine and Casilda's.
13:35You don't belong here.
13:37No.
13:38My driver will take you back.
13:41As for whatever's between us, we'll talk about it later.
13:44My expression must have been dark enough to kill whatever comeback she had left.
13:49She glanced back at me three times, and the more I thought about it, the more something felt wrong.
13:54Better than anyone.
13:55If this was just about what happened at my birthday party, just about the friends, the teasing, even the necklace,
14:01she would have been angry.
14:02But she wouldn't have left like this.
14:04Not this clean.
14:05Not this total.
14:06Something else happened.
14:08Something I didn't see.
14:09I want to know everything.
14:10Every single thing that happened in the last 48 hours.
14:13Find out.
14:14All of it.
14:14After he left, the house went quiet.
14:16I sat on the couch and looked around.
14:18There was nothing.
14:19Not a hair tie on the bathroom counter.
14:20Not a mug in the sink.
14:22Not a jacket draped over a chair.
14:24I tore through every room.
14:25Living room.
14:26Kitchen.
14:27Bedroom.
14:27Bathroom.
14:28Guest room.
14:29Nothing.
14:30This big house.
14:31And Casilda had never left a mark on it.
14:33Like she'd never existed here at all.
14:35I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts.
14:38Every single one.
14:39Top to bottom.
14:40And that's when it hit me.
14:41If Casilda turned off her phone, I had no way to reach her.
14:44None three years.
14:45Three years she'd lived under my roof.
14:47And the only connection I had to her was a phone number.
14:50I didn't know her friends.
14:51I didn't know her past.
14:52I didn't know anything about the world she came from.
14:55Because I'd never bothered to ask.
14:57She'd spent three years molding herself into my life.
15:00Showing up to my events.
15:01Fitting into my world.
15:03And I had never once tried to step into hers.
15:05Casilda had a journal.
15:06I'd teased her about it.
15:07Well, well.
15:08The Ice Queen has a soft side after all.
15:11When I was out there, it was kill or be killed.
15:13No friends.
15:14No one I could trust.
15:16Words were the only thing that never betrayed me.
15:18If you ever change your mind about us, I'll leave this notebook behind.
15:23You'll never know how much I loved you.
15:25I burst into the study.
15:26The pink notebook was sitting on the desk.
15:28Waiting.
15:28My hands were shaking so badly I could barely open it.
15:31Garino said he'd give me a home.
15:33Is that what a proposal is?
15:36I think so.
15:37That means I'm his fiance now.
15:39He worked late again tonight.
15:41But that's okay.
15:43Home means someone always leaves a light on for you.
15:45No matter how late you come back.
15:47I saw a video online today.
15:49Someone got proposed to with the biggest bouquet of flowers.
15:53Next Valentine's Day, I want flowers too.
15:55He said, I'm not the type of girl who needs that kind of thing.
15:58But I want to be that girl.
16:00I want a gift.
16:01I want someone to put me first.
16:03Gisela asked me to go shopping again.
16:05She says we're friends.
16:06I didn't know I was allowed to have friends.
16:08Garono's enough for me, really.
16:09But Gisela's sweet.
16:10I'll say yes.
16:12He's been out a lot lately anyway.
16:14Garino, you said you'd give me a home.
16:16Are you going to break that promise?
16:18It's okay if you are.
16:20Just be honest with me.
16:23Garino Hensley, goodbye.
16:25Every page, front and back.
16:27The entire notebook filled with me.
16:29I slammed the notebook shut and hit myself.
16:31Opened palm across the face.
16:33Again, again.
16:34Until my ears were ringing and my skin was on fire.
16:36I could still remember the exact moment that bullet tore into her chest.
16:40And how I'd sworn, right then, that I would never let her go.
16:43She didn't want?
16:45Wait.
16:45Gisela.
16:46Gisela.
16:47The only person in the world, Kazzy, called a friend.
16:50I grabbed my jacket and ran.
16:52My driver knew Gisela's address.
16:54He'd taken Casilda there enough times.
16:57I stood outside the villa, staring at the light in the window.
17:00My chest was so tight I could barely breathe.
17:03I knew.
17:03I already knew.
17:04That Casilda wouldn't be here.
17:06She never imposed on anyone.
17:07She'd rather disappear into thin air than be a burden.
17:10Cassie.
17:11Cassie.
17:12Gisela, come home with me.
17:15Cassie, I'm sorry.
17:16Please, just come home.
17:17I don't know how long I stood there.
17:19You piece of shit.
17:20You have some nerves showing up here.
17:22How dare you?
17:24The sting barely registered.
17:26If anything, my heart leaped.
17:28Because her rage meant she knew.
17:30Kazzy had contacted her.
17:32She might know where Kazzy was.
17:34Gisela, please.
17:34Do you know where she is?
17:36I know she's upset.
17:37I swear I'll never hurt her again.
17:38Please, just tell me.
17:40Upset?
17:41Upset?
17:41You think she's upset?
17:42I told her, I told her years ago that you weren't worth it.
17:45You think I don't know what you are?
17:46Every time you told her you were working late or on a business trip, she was with me.
17:51You think you can fool her?
17:52You can't even fool me.
17:53But you know what she said?
17:55She said she believed you.
17:56She said you two had a deal.
17:58That if you ever changed your mind, you'd tell her.
18:01So she trusted you.
18:02Gisela's eyes were red now.
18:04Her hands were balled into fists at her sides.
18:07Do you have any idea what these three years were like for her?
18:09That wound on her chest?
18:11Every time it rained, every time to wake her turn, she'd be up all night in agony.
18:14You slept in the same bed.
18:15How did you not notice?
18:16And I don't know what exactly was her job, but people kept coming after her.
18:19She'd show up at my door covered in blood asking me to help her patch herself up.
18:23And you never saw a thing?
18:24Not once?
18:25Even after all that, she never once thought about leaving you.
18:28She said you were going to get married.
18:30She said you promised her a home.
18:32Well, she's gone now.
18:33She left.
18:36She grabbed her phone and hurled it at my chest.
18:39It bounced off and hit the pavement.
18:41I picked it up.
18:42The screen was cracked, but I could still read the message Casilda had sent.
18:46An eagle forced to pretend to be a caged canary.
18:49It was always meant for the open sky.
18:52Gisela snatched the phone back.
18:54I don't know what she used to do for a living, but wherever she went, you'll never find her.
18:57Don't come back here.
18:58She turned and walked inside.
19:00The door slammed shut.
19:01I dropped to my knees on the cold concrete and cried.
19:04She was right.
19:05Gisela was right about everything.
19:06Casilda's love was always honest.
19:08Always clean.
19:09No tricks.
19:10No games.
19:11No leverage.
19:12And her leaving was the same way.
19:14Total.
19:15Absolute.
19:15No door left open.
19:17The next morning, I went to find Millie.
19:20Garino!
19:22I grabbed her jaw before she could finish.
19:25Squeezed until she whimpered.
19:26You know what I found?
19:28The hotel hallway camera footage.
19:30From that afternoon.
19:32You came to find me on purpose.
19:34You picked the lounge right next to the changing room on purpose.
19:37You left the door opened on purpose.
19:39Her eyes went wide.
19:40She tried to speak.
19:42I didn't let her.
19:43Three years you played innocent.
19:44Three years I bought your little act.
19:46The helpless girl routine.
19:47And the whole time you were scheming to push her out.
19:49You wanted to replace her?
19:50Congratulations.
19:50She's gone.
19:51But don't ever think for a second that you could be what she was.
19:54You're not even close.
19:55This is all my fault?
19:57Really, Garino?
19:58You want to stand there and play the heartbroken lover?
20:00You make me sick.
20:01If you really loved her, why'd you spend three years in my bed?
20:04If she mattered so much, why didn't you marry her?
20:07Why did you let your friends treat her like garbage while you sat there and smiled?
20:10You're a coward.
20:11You don't have the guts to face what you did, so you blame the woman instead.
20:15She left you because you deserved it.
20:18I stopped walking.
20:19I didn't turn around.
20:20I didn't say a word.
20:22Because she was right.
20:23Every word of it, it was all my fault.
20:25I failed her.
20:26I deserve this.
20:27I walked away.
20:29Behind me, I heard Millie's voice drop to a whisper.
20:32Garino Hensley.
20:34Don't think for a second I'm gonna let you just throw me away.
20:38For a long time after that, I stopped going out.
20:41No parties.
20:42No clubs.
20:43No dinners with friends.
20:44I went to work, and I came home.
20:46That was it.
20:47I bought groceries.
20:49I cooked meals.
20:50For two.
20:51Always for two.
20:52Even though I was the only one eating.
20:54I cleaned the house until it was spotless, even though no one was coming home to see it.
20:59And every night, I left every light on.
21:01Because Casilda once told me what home meant.
21:04Home means no matter how late you come back.
21:07Someone always leaves a light on for you.
21:09So the light stayed on.
21:11All night.
21:12Every night, I hired investigators.
21:14Private firms.
21:16People who specialized in finding those who didn't want to be found.
21:19I burned through every contact I had, legal and otherwise.
21:23I posted on forums I had no business knowing about.
21:27I threw money at the problem until my accountant started asking questions.
21:31Nothing.
21:32She'd vanished completely.
21:34Like smoke.
21:35Like she'd never existed.
21:37Except through one channel.
21:39It took me a year to figure out how to post a job on the dark web.
21:43After I'd finished another S-rank mission and made it back to base, Mr. K called me to his office.
21:51Your fiancé's been tearing the world apart trying to find you.
21:54Sure you don't want to go back?
21:55Ex-fiancé.
21:57Plus, if you're asking me that, you clearly don't know me as well as you think.
22:01Oh, I know you.
22:03Four years ago, you said you were leaving and you left.
22:06One year ago, you said you were coming back and you came back.
22:10Nobody on this planet is as clean-cut as you, Cassie.
22:13When I didn't respond, he slid his laptop across the table.
22:15Twenty million.
22:16D-rank mission.
22:17You want it?
22:18I raised an eyebrow.
22:19At our level, we didn't touch anything below A-rank.
22:21D-rank missions were grunt work, entry level.
22:24And twenty million was S-rank money.
22:25Who the hell would pay twenty million for a D-rank job?
22:28I turned the screen toward me and read the brief, then I understood.
22:31I'll take it.
22:33Mr. K exhaled another cloud of smoke, looking almost amused.
22:36Didn't think you would.
22:37Only a lovesick fool like Guirino Hensley would post something like this.
22:40Twenty million dollars just to meet you again.
22:43Twenty million for a D-rank job?
22:45I pushed the laptop back toward him.
22:47What kind of rich idiot would turn that down?
22:50Three days later, I landed at the airport.
22:51I spotted him the second I cleared the gate.
22:53He was standing at arrivals, a bouquet of roses in one hand and a red velvet ring box in the
22:57other.
22:58The moment he saw me, he dropped to one knee.
23:00Cassie, marry me.
23:02This time, I'll really give you a home.
23:05It's been a year.
23:07Come home.
23:08Please.
23:09Technically, the mission brief said, meet face to face one time.
23:12Which meant, strictly speaking, the job was already done.
23:14I took off my sunglasses.
23:15Guirino, four years ago, I already believed you once.
23:20We both know how that ended.
23:21My voice was steady, calm, final.
23:23You really think I'd make the same mistake twice?
23:26In my line of work?
23:28Making the same mistake twice means you're dead.
23:30There's no home left for us.
23:31We can't go back.
23:33I turned to leave.
23:34He grabbed my wrist.
23:36Cassie, I know I was wrong.
23:38Whether you believe me or not, it was always you.
23:41Every single day this past year, not one second went by that I didn't think about you.
23:45I messed up.
23:46I know that.
23:47But give me one more chance.
23:49This time, we'll really have a home.
23:50This time, I'll protect you.
23:52I swear.
23:53Please, Cassie.
23:54I didn't stop.
23:55I turned and walked toward the exit.
23:58Cassie, I'll wait for you.
24:00However long it takes.
24:02I'll wait.
24:03I'll wait until you forgive me.
24:05His voice cut off my sentence.
24:07A gasp ripped through the crowd behind me.
24:08Then a scream.
24:09I spun around.
24:10Garino was on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
24:13Millie stood over him, a short blade in her blood-soaked hands, laughing and sobbing at
24:16the same time, her face twisted into something barely human.
24:19You waited for her for a year?
24:21What about me?
24:22I waited for you for a year, too.
24:24I was carrying your baby, Garino.
24:27You made me get rid of it.
24:28You forced me.
24:30You killed our baby.
24:31And now you're on your knees proposing to her?
24:34How could you do this to me?
24:36How dare you?
24:37She crouched down, going for the knife again, a second.
24:39I closed the distance in two strides, drove my boot into her vest.
24:42She flew backward and hit the floor hard.
24:44Airport security formed within seconds, pinning her face down on me.
24:47She was still screaming, still clawing at the ground, still sobbing.
24:50I didn't hear another glance.
24:51I knelt beside Garino and pulled the emergency field dryer from my bag, the kind I always
24:55gave.
24:55I pressed it firmly against the wound.
24:57Cassie, you came back to save me.
25:00Does that mean-
25:01Right, right, right.
25:02One trembling hand reached for my face.
25:04F, no.
25:05I stood up before his fingers could touch my skin and rolled my eyes, did off my knees.
25:09It means you haven't wired my payment yet.
25:10Saving your life is an add-on.
25:1220 million doesn't cover it.
25:13Figure out the surcharge yourself.
25:14I put my sunglasses back on, turned, and walked out of the airport without looking back.
25:20Three days later, Gisela and I were curled up on the couch in a hotel suite, clinking
25:23glasses.
25:24My phone chimed.
25:25I glanced at the screen.
25:26A wire transfer notification.
25:27Gisela leaned over, looked at the number, and wrinkled her nose.
25:30Well, at least he's not cheap.
25:32She took a sip of wine and pointed her glass at me.
25:34But, Kashi, I'm telling you, trash men are never worth it.
25:37You better listen to me this time.
25:38I smiled and swirled the wine in my glass.
25:41The reason I didn't listen to Gisela back then was simple.
25:44I was still in love with him.
25:45Around him was like a snowfall.
25:46And I was a traveler suffering from snow blindness.
25:48But now, winter is over.
25:50Garino Hensley is nothing more than a closed chapter.
