Em meio a luxo e tensões familiares, uma mulher confronta um homem sobre seus sentimentos. A trama sugere um passado conturbado e um romance complicado.
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00:00On our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband slid divorce papers across the table.
00:05Serena, my mom's sick, really sick.
00:08She's not gonna make it, and her dying wish is for us to split.
00:13It's just temporary, I promise.
00:15Once she's gone, we'll tie the knot again.
00:17He looked so wrecked, eyes red and hollow, that my heart caved.
00:20I said yes.
00:21Worst decision ever.
00:23Barely a week after we signed the papers, Caesar's Instagram lit up with wedding photos.
00:27Him and his high school sweetheart, all smiles.
00:30And his dying mom, beaming in the background, looking like she could run a marathon.
00:35Serena, when did you and Caesar split?
00:37Why didn't you tell me something this huge?
00:39I stared at her, totally thrown.
00:42Caesar and I had agreed to keep the fake divorce under wipes.
00:45How the hell did she know?
00:47No way.
00:48This had to be a prank.
00:49You're pulling my leg, aren't you?
00:50Caesar and I were solid.
00:52When he pitched the fake divorce, he was a mess.
00:54Tears in his eyes, voice breaking.
00:56Every detail of that moment was seared into me.
00:58How could he just up and marry someone else?
01:01I'm not joking, Serena.
01:02It's real.
01:04Panic clawed at me.
01:05I scrambled for my phone, hands shaking so bad I could hardly dial Caesar's number.
01:09But all I got was that cold, robotic voicemail message.
01:13I dove into our text zone and my stomach dropped.
01:15It was just me.
01:16Message after message of my love, my stupid little updates.
01:19Nowhere lies.
01:20Every word I'd sent now felt like a slap in the face.
01:23Desperate, I opened his Instagram, only to realize he'd blocked me.
01:27Laurel forwarded me the photos.
01:28My hands were trembling so much I could barely tap to open them.
01:32There she was.
01:33Orion Hayes, Caesar's high school flame.
01:35I'd seen her at our wedding, all drecked out in a fancy gown, hovering by Caesar like she was one
01:40saying I do.
01:41I'd asked and point down if there was still something between them.
01:44Nah, that's ancient history.
01:47But now, in the photo, they were grinning like newlyweds, practically glowing.
01:52The sight stabbed me right in the heart, and tears spilled over before I could stop them.
01:56Caesar, say something!
01:58You wouldn't lie to me, right?
01:59This is all fake, isn't it?
02:01You didn't marry to the void.
02:02No response.
02:03Not even a red receipt.
02:05On autopilot, I raced to the hospital, only to learn his mom had never been admitted.
02:11All those times Caesar choked about her illness, how he dropped weight in days, looking so broken it physically hurt
02:16to see him.
02:16Was it a lie?
02:17A perfectly staged con?
02:19If you want it out, why not just man up and say it?
02:21I'm not some clingy ex who'd beg him to stay.
02:22I needed to find him.
02:24I needed the truth, straight from his mouth.
02:25When we were planning our wedding, I was the one running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
02:30Buying the house, picking out furniture, setting up the venue, all of it.
02:33Caesar, he claimed he was too swamped at work to take a single day off.
02:37Now I see it for what it was.
02:38It wasn't about work, I just wasn't important enough for him to bother.
02:41The more I couldn't get answers, the more I needed to know the truth.
02:44I took leave for my job and went on a wild chase, searching every place I thought Caesar might be.
02:49But no matter where I looked, he was nowhere to be finding.
02:52Aside from the time his mom stayed at my place, I didn't even know where he lived.
02:55With no other options, I hightailed it to his workplace.
02:58His co-worker dropped a bombshell.
03:00Caesar had taken time off to plan a wedding.
03:03And there, at his wedding to someone else, I saw him for a fake divorce.
03:06Watching Caesar slip a diamond ring onto Orien's finger.
03:10His smile's brighter than the sun, but blinding in the worst way.
03:13His mom, who he'd sworn was on her deathbed, was standing there, practically glowing with joy.
03:17Gone was the sour look she used to give me.
03:19Caesar!
03:22My shout must have startled him because his whole body went rigid.
03:25He turned slowly, and the second he saw me, that dazzling smile vanished, replaced flash of panic and awkwardness.
03:31Keep it moving, folks!
03:32Don't ruin the big day!
03:34Wasn't this supposed to be a fake divorce?
03:36Didn't you say your mom was dying and just wanted to see you settled?
03:39Caesar, stand there in his sharp suit.
03:41But right then, he felt like a total stranger to me.
03:43Time flies, didn't it?
03:45Serena, can we talk about this after the wedding?
03:48It's not what you think.
03:48I can explain.
03:49But what hurt even more was knowing he wasn't the guy who'd once loved me with his whole heart anymore.
03:54What, Caesar big day, so you're spinning more lines to keep me quiet?
03:57We stood there, locked in a standoff, the air thick with tension.
04:01Nobody dared step in.
04:03Serena, before you start grilling Caesar, maybe take a hard look at yourself.
04:06You're married to him for five years and couldn't even give him a kid.
04:09Meanwhile, our son is already five.
04:12I froze, feeling like I'd been hit by a bolt of light.
04:15My mind went blank, my body rooted to the spot.
04:18Laurel, with her fiery temper, wasn't having it.
04:21She exploded, letting loose a string of curses.
04:24You two are absolute scum!
04:26Hooking up five years ago behind her back?
04:30Caesar, you had a kid with this woman and still played house with Serena all these years?
04:34What kind of snake are you, you jerk?
04:37I thought I'd found my forever.
04:39But over time, everything changed.
04:41He grew distant, cold.
04:43He'd shrug and say of just turns into family and didn't need work anymore.
04:47Caesar and I had been together since college.
04:49After graduation, I gave up everything.
04:52My hometown, my friends, my life, to move to his city and be with him.
04:56Back then, he was amazing.
04:58He handled all the chores, treated me with such tenderness.
05:02Naive as I was, I bought it, thinking love could naturally morph into something cozy and familiar.
05:06Now, I saw the truth.
05:07His love had long been given to someone else.
05:09All I got was the scraps, a hollow, duty, full kind of family.
05:13Is she telling the truth?
05:14My body ice cold.
05:15The desperate need for answers that had been driving me lately fizzled out, leaving me numb.
05:19He looked down, hesitating before muttering a quiet,
05:22Yeah, yeah.
05:23Got it.
05:23I said, my heart turning to stone.
05:25I turned to Laurel.
05:26Let's go.
05:26At that point, all I had left was my dignity and I was clinging to it.
05:29But then Caesar, leaving Oba behind, chased after me.
05:32Serena, I can explain.
05:34I had my reasons.
05:36Don't be mad.
05:38Once the wedding's over, I'll come talk to you, I swear.
05:42Explain what?
05:43Laurel snapped, shoving his hand off me and dragging me away.
05:47All the way to her place, she kept railing on Caesar, cussing him out left and right.
05:52I knew she was trying to make me feel better, but I couldn't hear it.
05:55I just wanted silence.
05:57When we pulled up to her building, I cut her off mid-rant, my voice calm but firm.
06:02Laurel, go home.
06:03I'll pack my stuff and come find you.
06:05You sure you don't need me to stay?
06:07She gave me a worried look, her brow frowned.
06:09I'm fine, don't worry.
06:10I forced a smile.
06:11If this was the end, I'd end it with my head held high.
06:13I didn't go down without a fight.
06:15The house we lived in?
06:16I'd bought it outright before we got married.
06:18It was mine, no question.
06:20Legally, he had no claim.
06:21I decided to sell it and take the money back home to spend time with my parents.
06:25The day the realtor came to check out the place, Caesar showed up out of nowhere.
06:31The second he saw a guy in the house, he lost it, not even bothering to ask who it was.
06:36Serena, we're just fake divorced and you're already bringing other guys home?
06:40I ignored him, politely telling the realist we'd reschedule.
06:44I walked the guy out, keeping it civil.
06:47But Caesar wasn't done.
06:49He blocked the door, getting in the realtor's face.
06:53Nobody's leaving until we clear this up.
06:55Back when we were in love, I was blind to his flaws.
06:58Thought they were quirks, even cute.
07:00Now, with the rose-colored glasses off, I saw him for what he was.
07:04Insufferable.
07:05Apologized to the realist again and sent the poor guy on his way.
07:08Back inside, Caesar was still at the entryway, fuming like he had any right to be.
07:12Serena, we agreed it was just a fake divorce.
07:14I stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
07:16Did you forget you're married to someone else now?
07:19I had no choice.
07:20He blanching into a frantic explanation.
07:22Orin and I, it's a fake marriage too.
07:24The kid was an accident.
07:25I didn't even know how it happened.
07:28My mom found out about him somehow and said she's dying, that she just wants to see her
07:32grandkid before she goes.
07:34He rambled on, acting like his excuses were perfectly reasonable, like I was the one being
07:38difficult.
07:39But his words meant nothing to me anymore.
07:42I wasn't buying it.
07:44Especially since his mom had looked perfectly healthy at the wedding, glowing like she was
07:48ready to run a marathon.
07:51Caesar, fake divorce or not, it's real now.
07:54I've already got a lawyer, and we're splitting everything.
07:59Caesar must have sensed I wasn't messing around because his tough guy act softened real quick.
08:04This house?
08:05I bought it before we got married.
08:08It's mine.
08:09I'm selling it, and you need to stop showing up here.
08:13Serena, look.
08:14I'm over you bringing some other guy home, okay?
08:17Let's not fight.
08:18Let's not fight.
08:20Once mom's gone, I swear I'll marry you again.
08:22No thanks.
08:23You've got a kid now.
08:25Go play house with Oveil.
08:26Three years of dating, five years of marriage.
08:29Early on, it was magic, but for years, I'd been than the one chasing Caesar's shadow.
08:33I was done.
08:35Exhausted.
08:36Back when we got together, I thought he was different, not the cheating type.
08:40Guess I was wrong.
08:41When he saw I wasn't budging, Caesar flipped out, throwing a tantrum like a spoiled kid.
08:48Serena, half this house is mine.
08:50You can't sell it.
08:52He ranted.
08:53And another thing.
08:54Our divorce was fake, just for show.
08:57Legally, it doesn't count.
08:59We're still married.
09:00I bit my tongue, but the words clawed their way out.
09:04Caesar, you've got some serious nerve.
09:06Whether you've got a claim to this house isn't up to you.
09:09It's up to the law, I added, pulling no punches.
09:12I kicked him out, slamming the door behind him.
09:16I paid for it in full before we tied them on.
09:19It's mine, plain and simple.
09:21As for the doors?
09:26Every Dottman's got an official seal.
09:28Want me to dig him out for you?
09:30Wait for my lawyer to call.
09:32I snapped, then tossed his luggage from the upstairs window.
09:35His clothes fluttered down like my heart.
09:38Shattered.
09:39Scattered.
09:39Broken.
09:40I'd told myself a million times he wasn't worth my tears.
09:43But eight years of love, real, fiery love, doesn't just vanish.
09:48He didn't give up, though.
09:49He kept showing up, banging on my door, splitting his time between me and Orien.
09:55I was over it.
09:56I had the locks changed and never let him in again.
09:59But Caesar's whereabouts couldn't stay hidden from his dying mom.
10:03A couple of days later, she showed up, trailing him like a bloodhound.
10:09She sneered.
10:11Serena, you're divorced, and you're still clinging to my Caesar?
10:15You couldn't even give him a kid, and you've got the gall to keep hounding him?
10:19Her words were pure venom, but I wasn't about to let her walk all over me.
10:23Why I don't have a kid?
10:25Oh, you know exactly why.
10:27When Caesar and I first got married, his mom moved in, claiming she'd help us get ready
10:32for a baby.
10:33She fed me these weird herbable conctions every day.
10:36I never got pregnant.
10:37Suspicious, I went to the doctor behind her back.
10:40Turned out those weren't Fertile's boosters, they were birth control pills.
10:43I'd wanted to confront her, but Caesar was in the middle of a big career break, stressed
10:47to the max.
10:48I didn't want to pile on, so I swallowed my anger, and what did that get me?
10:52Him having a kid with someone else.
10:53Mary's eyes flickered guilty, but she doubled down, all self-righteous.
10:56Blame your bad luck!
10:58You got what you deserved!
10:59Yeah, maybe I did.
11:01Weren't you supposed to be dying?
11:03I fired back.
11:05Guess that's your bad luck, huh?
11:07My words hit her like a slap.
11:09She clutched her chest, gasping, while Caesar stated her, shooting me a glare.
11:13Serena, my mom's not well.
11:15Don't push her like that, and you're not selling this house!
11:18Mary perked up at that, suddenly full of energy, jabbing a finger in my face.
11:23What gives you the right to sell my son's house?
11:29A booming voice cut in.
11:31Because the deed's in her name.
11:33I looked up, and there he was.
11:35My dad, standing tall, a familiar figure I hadn't seen in years.
11:40Dad!
11:41I gasped, stunned he'd come all this way for me.
11:45Dad, what are you doing here?
11:46I asked, my heart swelling.
11:50He grunt.
11:52I figured if I didn't show up, my little girl was gonna get steamrolled.
11:57Years ago, I'd ignored his warnings and followed Caesar halfway across the country to marry him.
12:01Furious, dad cut me off, and we hadn't spoken.
12:04But now, he must have heard about the divorce.
12:07Caesar, recognizing my dad, tried to play nice.
12:11Jack, it's not what you think.
12:13He started.
12:14My dad shut him down with a raised hand.
12:16Save it, kid.
12:18I don't want to hear it.
12:22With my dad there, Caesar didn't dare push his luck too hard.
12:26But his mom?
12:26She was relentless, going on about how my house was somehow her son's.
12:30I'd had enough, so I called my lawyer right then and there to sort out the property division.
12:35Mary, though, wasn't about to let it go.
12:37She insisted Caesar get his own lawyer.
12:40I don't trust you!
12:42Who knows what kind of shady people you're bringing in!
12:45So there we were, all of us sitting around, waiting for both lawyers to show up.
12:50The second they arrived, Mary grabbed the other lawyer's hand, practically begging.
12:55This house belongs to my son!
12:57You've gotta make sure he gets it back!
13:00The lawyer calmed her down, then turned to me and Caesar.
13:04Can you tell me when this house was purchased?
13:06Could I see the deed?
13:07Mary couldn't wait to butt in.
13:10I know this one.
13:11They bought it after they got together, so my son's got a claim to it.
13:17And how were the funds for the permits arcaded?
13:21I paid for it.
13:22Full cash.
13:24No matter how smooth-talking a lawyer you were, the truth didn't budge.
13:27A house bought by a woman with her own cash before tying the knot?
13:30That was hers.
13:31No ifs, ands, or buts.
13:33But Mary wasn't about to let the dust settle.
13:35She was still out here stirring the pie.
13:38How much could she make on her own?
13:40She must have used my son's money.
13:42He was just dumb enough to let her put only her name on the deed.
13:45Caesar just sat there, letting his mom spew nonsense, not saying a single word.
13:50I was done with him.
13:52Caesar, you got nothing to say?
13:54You know I never touched a dime of your money, don't you?
13:59All those years, him.
14:01I bend over backward to make his life easier.
14:04I kept the house spotless, handled most of the bills, and worked my tail off.
14:10Harder than he ever did.
14:12His money?
14:13Huh.
14:14He blew it all on schmoozing, networking, treating his buddies.
14:17Not a cent went to me.
14:20Even the debt-a-card he gave me before we got married?
14:23He took it back, claiming he needed it to buy a car.
14:27Spoiler.
14:28No car ever showed up.
14:29He kept saying he was short on cash.
14:32Our last anniversary, I'd scramped and saved to buy him a car as a surprise.
14:36I drove it to his office, ready to make his day.
14:39But his co-worker told me he wasn't even there.
14:43After a million calls, I found out his mom was sick.
14:46I wanted to visit her in the hospital, but Caesar shut me down, saying she didn't want to see me.
14:51And now?
14:52There he was, sitting like a spinless turtle, shrinking into himself.
14:56It made my skin crawl.
14:57Finally, I'd had it.
14:59Caesar, you want me to pull up every bank statement from the last few years and prove it?
15:03That got him.
15:04He shook his head, irritated, and snapped at his mom.
15:08Can you just stop?
15:09I didn't put a single penny into this house.
15:12It's fair and square.
15:14Mary kept at it, kicking up a fuss, until I had no choice but to play hardball.
15:18I brought up how Caesar had faked being sick to scam insurance, threatening to call the cops.
15:23That shut her up real quick.
15:24Caesar dragged her out, and they left.
15:26Watching them, I finally got why things between me and him had gone so bad.
15:30No matter how much he tried to play peacemaker with his mom, it was always a losing battle.
15:36After they were gone, I walked the lawyers out, when it was just me and dad in the house.
15:41He reached out, eyes all misty, and ruffled my hair like I was a kid again.
15:46You didn't even tell us you were getting divorced.
15:50If Laurel hadn't called, me and your mom would still be in the dark.
15:54What's that about?
15:55You really mad enough to cut us out?
15:59It was funny how people worked.
16:01You could tough it out when you were on your own, swallow any kind of pain.
16:05But the second someone shows they care, you were done for.
16:08Two sentences from dad, and I was fighting back tears, wiping my eyes like an embarrassed teenager.
16:16Dad, where's mom?
16:19You two doing okay?
16:20I hadn't been able to call him directly in years.
16:22He never picked up, so I'd have Laurel check in for me, listening in the side.
16:26With everything going on, I hadn't had the chance to ask about them lately.
16:30Mom had a cold a while back, wasn't feeling great.
16:32But she's bounced back.
16:34I didn't know what the future held, what else I'd have to face.
16:37But right then, I was just happy to have my dad there, soaking in the warmth of it.
16:43Dad, once I sell this house, I'm coming home with you to see mom.
16:49The next week, I sold the house for a steal, grabbed the cash, and headed back home with my dad.
16:53On the day we left, Laurel was a mess, tears streaming down her face, begging to come with me.
16:58Serena, what am I going to do without you?
17:01I'm going to be so damn lonely.
17:03I knew she was just missing me.
17:04That girl was about to tie the knot with a guy who was head over welfare.
17:08Lonely, my ass.
17:09Still, her words tugged at my heartstrings, leaving me with a pain of sadness.
17:13Quit being so dramatic.
17:15I'll be back for your wedding.
17:16Promise.
17:17But when I got home, I found mom still battling that stubborn cold.
17:21She'd been so worried about me, she refused to see a doctor.
17:24The second we pulled into the driveway, we rushed her straight to the hospital.
17:29That was when the doctor hit us with the bad news.
17:32She'd let it go too long.
17:33And it had turned into pneumonia.
17:35She needed to be admitted.
17:37I kicked myself for not coming back sooner.
17:42While I was camped out at the hospital, the man kept blowing up my phone.
17:46I ignored every call.
17:48When he wouldn't quit, I blocked his number and didn't give it a second thought.
17:52But then, the guy had the nerve to show up at my house.
17:55And who did he run into?
17:57My grandma, of all people.
18:00By the time I got back from making dinner for mom, there he was, charming the soft her in the
18:05living room.
18:06Her face lit up like a Christmas tree.
18:08Young love, huh?
18:09Can't even stand to be apart for a few days.
18:15I managed to get her to bed, then drag Caesar outside.
18:18What the hell are you doing here?
18:21Serena, your birthday's coming up.
18:23I'm here to spend it with you.
18:25I couldn't help but snuff.
18:27We'd been together for years, and every single birthday he'd conveniently forget because of some excuse or another.
18:34Now that we were done, he was chasing me across the state to play the devoted ex, give me a
18:38break.
18:41Caesar, don't you think this is a little pathetic?
18:43We're divorced.
18:44You've got a new family.
18:45Know your place and stop harassing me.
18:48Serena, you'll always be my for my heart.
18:50That's never going to change.
18:52Since I'd gotten back, I'd been running self-ratty at the hospital, taking care of mom.
18:56Grandma wasn't doing great either, and I hadn't had the heart to tell her about the divorce.
19:00Back when we were dating, my dad was dead set against me marrying Caesar.
19:04I was so lovesick, I'd beg grandma to talk him into it so we could make it official.
19:10If she found out we'd split, she'd probably blame herself.
19:13I couldn't do that to her.
19:15But then, because of Caesar's relentless hovering, Orion showed up.
19:23When I got the message and raced home, she was in my grandma's face, screaming her head off.
19:28Your precious Serena's a shumless homewrecker.
19:32Divorced and still throwing herself at Caesar, leaving me and my kid high and dry.
19:36No manners at all.
19:38What kind of family raises a daughter like that?
19:40Can't live without a man, huh?
19:42Clinging to Caesar like a leech.
19:45I tore into the house as fast as I could, but I was only in time to catch grandma as
19:49she collapsed, over-qualmed.
19:51I didn't even glance at Orion.
19:53In a blur of panic, I got grandma to the hospital.
20:00Serena, I'm so sorry.
20:02I had no idea Orion would track you down or go after your grandma.
20:05You gotta believe me.
20:06I didn't mean for this to happen.
20:13Caesar, get that out of here!
20:16Get out!
20:18Humiliated in front of everyone, he bristled, looking around before turning on me.
20:23Can you stop being so damn unreasonable?
20:25I said it wasn't on purpose.
20:27Why are you taking it out on me?
20:28My dad, swallowing his own grief, tried to calm things down and get Caesar to leave.
20:33But the guy wouldn't budge.
20:34Worst, he started mouthing off, blaming my parents for turning me against him, his tone dripping with disrespect.
20:40Listen, I know you've never thought I was good enough, but Serena's my wife now.
20:46Stop bad-mouthing me to her.
20:47If we're happy, doesn't that make your life easier too?
20:50I cut off his self-righteous rant, my face like stone, as I stared him down.
20:55Caesar, my grandma's dead.
20:57How long are you gonna keep acting like you're the victim here?
21:00You're the one who betrayed me first.
21:01You've got a wife, a kid.
21:02Why the hell are you still messing with my life?
21:04I regret it, okay?
21:07If hadn't been so stubborn about being with Caesar back then, grandma would still be alive.
21:12If I hadn't fallen for him, ignored everyone's warnings, and dug my heels in, she'd still be here.
21:19My words hit him like a slap.
21:21Stunned, he slunk away, tail between his legs.
21:25After I took care of grandma's funeral, I freed up my hands and called the cops.
21:31Officer, Caesar's been harassing me non-stop, making my life hell.
21:34And his wife?
21:36She barged into my house, screaming at an old lady until she dropped dead.
21:40The lead officer, startled by my hollow tone, nodded firmly.
21:44You bet we do.
21:45And just like that, Caesar and his wife, Orion, got an all-expenses-paid trip to the police station for
21:51a little chat.
21:53When Caesar's mom caught rid of it, she hopped in a cab and raced across town.
21:57The second she stormed into the station, her hand flew up, ready to smack me.
22:02But I'd been dealing with her crap for years.
22:05I wasn't about to let her touch me.
22:07Before she could land a hit, I grabbed her wrist and shoved her back hard.
22:10Serena, you ungrateful little brat!
22:13How dare you lay hands on your elders!
22:15Elder?
22:16You?
22:17Don't make me laugh.
22:19I am your mother-in-law!
22:22My mother-in-law's long gone.
22:25What?
22:26She sputtered, pointing a trembled finger at me, ready to unleash another tallade.
22:32But before she could, the officer who'd stepped out earlier stormed back in, slamming a stack of papers on the
22:38desk.
22:39What's with all the yelling?
22:40This isn't a damn flea market!
22:44Didn't you just get divorced and remarried?
22:46Why are you still harassing your ex?
22:49Caesar froze.
22:50He couldn't admit his new marriage was a shame, and every other excuse he might have had fell apart like
22:55a house of cards.
22:56In the end, he got slapped with two weeks in lockup.
22:59Oriel, though?
23:00Her situation was way worse.
23:03She'd illegally stormed into my home and screamed at my grandma until she died.
23:07That was serious stuff.
23:09According to the law, she was looking at three years behind bars.
23:12Oriel wasn't having it.
23:13She fought tooth-cleaned in her case, but nothing could erase the race that grandma died right in front of
23:19her.
23:19And Caesar, he didn't say a single word in her defense, just sat there stone-faced, watching her unravel.
23:25Mary, though, went to bat for both of them, shouting and arguing like it was her job.
23:29Guess it made sense.
23:30She'd always had a soft spot for Oriel, her precious daughter-in-law.
23:33Since the legal process had to play out, Oriel was stuck in a cell for the time being.
23:37I had some free time, so I dropped by to see her.
23:40She looked like a hot mess, but was still trying to act all high and mighty to save face.
23:45I didn't call her out on it.
23:46Her face twisted, and the fight drained out of her like air from a popped balloon.
23:50Has Caesars come to see you?
23:55Whether he has or hasn't, I'm still his legal wife.
23:59And your kid.
24:00You sure Caesar's taking care of him?
24:02That got her.
24:03She panicked, her voice sharp.
24:06What about my kid?
24:08What are you getting at?
24:09Spit it out!
24:12Word is, Caesar's too busy wallowing in self-pity to notice his own kid's been burning up with a fever
24:18for days.
24:18By the time they got him to the hospital, it was too late.
24:21He's still in a coma.
24:23Oriel's face crumpled, distalief washing over her.
24:26No way!
24:27That's impossible!
24:28Mary would never let that happen!
24:30Sure, if Caesar's mom was around, she'd probably have stepped up.
24:33But right now, she was too busy fighting her own battles to care about anyone else.
24:38Maybe it was karma for faking that illness to push me and Caesar into a divorce.
24:42But ever since Caesar got locked up, Mary took to her bed and never got up.
24:46By the time he made it home, she was too frail to even get out of bed, stuck in a
24:50hospital room with no one to look after her.
24:52As for Caesar, he came looking for me once, right after he got out of detention.
24:57I was knee-deep in starting my own business, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, too
25:02busy to even give him the time of day.
25:04One of my employees mentioned he'd parked himself outside my office all afternoon just waiting.
25:11Then he left without a word and never came back.
25:14My business took off and life was looking up.
25:16Before I knew it, the day of Newting's wedding rolled around.
25:19I slipped into the bridesmaid dress she'd picked out for me and headed to the venue.
25:24The second Laurel spotted me, she came barreling over.
25:28Whoa, Serena! Are you living your best life or what? You're absolutely glowing!
25:34Quit yapping, girl! Everyone's waiting for the bride!
25:39Serena, divorce damn good on you!
25:43Following her gaze, I caught my reflection in a mirror.
25:47Confident, radiant, like the version of myself I dreamed of being when I was younger.
25:52Too bad I met Caesar when I was head over yields for the idea of love.
25:56I thought he was my forever, gave up my parents, my job, my whole world to revolve around him.
26:01In the end, I lost not just the love, but myself, too.
26:06Good thing it wasn't too late to start over.
26:08When Laurel's wedding kicked off, Caesar showed up out of nowhere and plobbed down next to me.
26:14For once, he didn't spew any of his usual self-righteous nonsense.
26:19Serena, you're doing so much better without me.
26:22After the ceremony, he grabbed a glass of wine and turned to me, his voice soft.
26:27Can we talk?
26:29Just one last time, I swear.
26:32I don't see the point, Caesar.
26:33I started to walk away, but he grabbed my hand, his tone practically pleading.
26:39Please, Serena, just one last shot.
26:42I hesitated, then led him to the coffee shop across the street.
26:45He looked all kinds of melancholky, letting out a bitter huckle.
26:55This is the spot where I asked you out, huh?
26:57Then he looked at me, his voice heavy.
27:00Serena, I know I have no right to ask you for anything, but I'm getting married.
27:06I shouldn't have done what I did.
27:08I'm so sorry.
27:09He leaned closer, desperation creeping in.
27:12For the sake of all those years we had, can't you give me another chance?
27:17His eyes held that same nervous spark they had when he first asked me out, but I wasn't
27:21that wide-eyed girl anymore.
27:23Life had thrown too many punches, and my heart wasn't in the same place.
27:28We're done, Caesar.
27:29Some things, once you do them, there's no undoing.
27:32No matter why you did it.
27:34He walked away looking like a broken man, and that was the last I ever saw of him.
27:38A few days later, Mary passed.
27:40From start to finish, Caesar didn't show his face.
27:43No one claimed her body, and the hospital sent it straight to the crematorio.
27:47A year later, on my birthday, my phone rang with an unknown number.
27:52I had a hunch who it was, right as midnight hit, before the call cut off.
27:56Happy birthday.
27:57Later, over brunch with Laurel, she treaded lightly.
28:01Serena, you still got any soft spots for your ex?
28:05Laurel question hit me like a curveball, and I flashed a teasing grin.
28:09What's this now?
28:10You moonlighting as someone's wingman?
28:12The last few years had been a wild ride.
28:15My career was killing it, but my love life was a total bust.
28:18My parents were so stressed about it, they'd gone gray worrying I was still hung up on Caesar.
28:23They'd been dropping hints, subtle and not so subtle, for Laurel to fish for answers.
28:28But this time, it wasn't their doing.
28:31Just level with me, okay?
28:32You still care about him, or what?
28:35Nada.
28:36Done and dusted the day he tied the knot with someone else.
28:41She let out a huge sigh, hand on her heart like she dodged a bullet.
28:45Thank God.
28:46Alright, now I can spill the big news.
28:49What's with the mystery?
28:50Spill it already.
28:53Caesar's gone.
28:54He died.
28:56Oh.
28:58How'd it happen?
29:00Stomach cancer.
29:01He was already sick when he showed up at my wedding, believe it or not.
29:05Snuck out of the hospital just for it.
29:07Went right for treatment after.
29:09But on your birthday, he couldn't hang on anymore.
29:12He passed.
29:13That call, the one I'd brushed off, had been his last.
29:16A hollow ache settled in my chest.
29:19A mix of nostalgia and loss.
29:21Eight years of knowing him, five as his wife.
29:24Love or no love, it felt like losing a piece of my family.
29:29Here was hoping we didn't cross paths in the next life.
29:34Later, I stood at the city's highest rooftop, staring down at the glittering sprawl that had given me both XC
29:40and heartbreak.
29:41I tried to picture the places Caesar and I had gone together, but the memories had faded to a blur.
29:47We'd spun dreams of seeing the world, talked about chasing every corner of the globe once we had the cash.
29:52In the end, we'd only wandered a tiny slice of the city.
29:56The rest of the world?
29:57That was all me, solo.
30:00The wind up there was brutal, stinging my face like a slap.
30:04I barely glimpsed the shadows moving below before my assistant tugged me back inside,
30:10clotting like a worried mom.
30:12Miss Henry, you have to take care of yourself.
30:16If you don't, we'll miss your cooking.
30:18And then what's the point of showing up to work?
30:23Laying it on thick, huh?
30:24Nobody's ever raved about my cooking before.
30:27That's because they don't know what's good.
30:29Caesar, you hear that?
30:31You were the one who didn't appreciate what you had.
30:35I remembered slaving over dinners for him, only for him to pick at every dish.
30:40Griping that nothing was quite right.
30:48Later, when Oyel got out of prison, she reached out through a mutual friend.
30:52Saying she wanted to meet and talk.
30:55I'm not telling you where the kid is.
30:57The pain of losing my grandma, you're gonna feel that ten times worst.
31:01You and Caesar will never see him again.
31:04But if it helps, he's doing just fine.
31:07Oh, and Caesar?
31:08He's dead.
31:09I hung up, cutting the last tie to my past.
31:13From that moment I was Serena Hendry.
31:15Just me, free and clear.
31:17I folded my phone and set it aside, breathing in the cooled evening wind without a single weight weighing on
31:23my chest.
31:24All the tears, vicious lies, and long shattered years of pain finally faded away completely.
31:30No more clinging to empty promises.
31:32No more grief for people who never cherished me.
31:35I turned toward the bright, bright glow of my office downstairs, ready to keep building my own warm, steady future
31:42all by myself.
31:43The night was young, and a soft breeze-breeze wrapped around me.
31:48Everything felt exactly as it should.
31:50Good night.
31:51Good night.