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00:00During a camping trip, my older sister Chloe claimed she'd lost her most expensive necklace
00:03and tearfully begged me to go back into the woods to look for it.
00:06I went alone.
00:07In the dim forest, my foot snapped into a steel animal trap.
00:10I video called Chloe for help.
00:12Chloe, please, help me!
00:14Only to see her laughing so hard she could barely sit upright,
00:17waving the necklace that was supposed to be missing.
00:18Got you, Emma. I was just bored.
00:20And now the ghost game starts.
00:23Nobody gets to help you, and nobody gets to talk to you.
00:27My parents' annoyed faces flashed across the screen.
00:29You're old enough to know better. That's on you.
00:32Don't call us. Ghosts can't be heard during the ghost game.
00:34They turned the camera away and went back to grilling trout for Chloe over the campfire.
00:38Blood slowly soaked through my jeans.
00:40With no one else left to call, I tried Ethan.
00:42He had lived on the same street as me since we were kids,
00:44and he'd been my boyfriend for five years.
00:46The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered.
00:49He said slowly,
00:50Chloe already said the game has started. Don't break the rules.
00:53Just play along.
00:54I'm taking her to see the fireflies first.
00:56I'll come get you when the game's over.
00:58Then he hung up.
00:59I stared at the black screen and finally understood.
01:01Once again, every single one of them had abandoned me.
01:04The ghost game had started because Chloe was terrified that after I was born,
01:08I would steal some of our parents' love from her.
01:10To prove they loved her more, mom and dad had always gone along with it.
01:13When I was eight, Chloe announced,
01:15Game starts.
01:16And my parents ignored me while my fever climbed to 104 degrees.
01:19When I was 17, she said the same thing, and Ethan left me stranded on the day of my SAT,
01:24making me miss the test.
01:26And now, for the first time, I didn't want to play anymore.
01:29I stopped begging them for help.
01:31Instead, I called 911 and contacted the nearest National Park Rescue Service.
01:36If they wanted to pretend I didn't exist, I'd make it permanent.
01:39By the time the rescue team found me, I was already showing signs of hypothermia.
01:42My limbs were so stiff I could barely feel them.
01:44In the darkness, I stared at the family photo on my lock screen.
01:47Chloe stood in the center, wrapped in our parents' arms.
01:50I was at the far edge, shoulders tense, looking like I didn't know where to put myself.
01:54The ghost game had been going on when that picture was taken, too.
01:57My parents had known.
01:58They had smiled for the photo anyway.
01:59Three seconds later, I changed my lock screen.
02:02Over here! Bring the stretcher!
02:05One of the rescuers treated my leg and frowned.
02:07Going this deep into the woods alone at night is dangerous.
02:09Where's your family?
02:12The wound from the trap hurt so badly, my scalp went numb.
02:15I said nothing.
02:16I couldn't bring myself to explain that my parents, my sister, and my boyfriend
02:19had knowingly left me to die because of a childish game.
02:22The truth sounded too absurd to say out loud.
02:24The rescuers carried me down the trail.
02:26About 15 minutes later, we passed the campsite where my family was staying.
02:29Mom and Dad were gathered around the fire, making dinner.
02:32The smell of grilled trout drifted toward me.
02:34Chloe's favorite?
02:35I was severely allergic to fish and shellfish.
02:37Go easy on the salt.
02:39Chloe doesn't like it too salty.
02:40Ethan was crouched beside her, holding a camera and adjusting the angle.
02:44The light's better here.
02:45Turn a little.
02:47Yeah, perfect.
02:48When he pressed the shutter, the matching ring I had handmade for him last year was still
02:51on his left ring finger.
02:53Instinctively, I almost called out.
02:55Mom, Dad, Ethan.
02:57But the words died in my throat because Chloe suddenly announced,
03:01The ghost game lasts until tomorrow morning.
03:03Nobody talks to Emma.
03:04Whoever talks to her first loves her more than me.
03:07My parents immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed to reassure her.
03:09How could you think that?
03:11Of course you're our favorite.
03:12Well, do what you say.
03:14Nobody's going to look for her tonight.
03:15Emma owes you anyway.
03:16We know how much you lost when she was born.
03:18Owes her?
03:19That was the word they had used my whole life.
03:21I owed Chloe.
03:22That was why when my high fever turned into severe pneumonia at eight years old and I spent
03:25two weeks in the hospital, neither of my parents came to visit.
03:28They left me with a private nurse and took Chloe to the amusement park.
03:31If my only crime was being born, 20 years of punishment should have been enough.
03:34Ethan hesitated.
03:35Emma's afraid of the dark.
03:37Can she really make it back alone?
03:38For one stupid second, I thought maybe he still cared.
03:40Then I watched him grin and switch his phone to airplane mode.
03:44Relax.
03:44I put one of the traps on the trail she'd have to take back.
03:47She won't be showing up anytime soon.
03:50Tonight, I'm all yours.
03:51That killed whatever hope I had left.
03:53Chloe happily looped her arm through his.
03:55You're the best.
03:56If Emma hadn't come along, it would have always been you and me.
04:00She's the one who got between us.
04:01Ethan looked at her with pure indulgence.
04:03I suddenly remembered the first time Chloe had ever suggested the ghost game.
04:07Back then, Ethan had been the first person to object.
04:09When I got locked in a storage closet, left outside in the pouring rain,
04:12or treated like I didn't exist by my own family,
04:15he had wiped away my tears again and again.
04:17He had sworn he would never take part in such a cruel game.
04:20I couldn't even remember when he had changed.
04:22Just before they loaded me into the ambulance,
04:24I used the last of my strength to open my work email.
04:26My transfer request to the London office was still marked,
04:28Pending Confirmation.
04:29I hit submit.
04:30After 20 years, I was quitting the game.
04:32Not just the game, this family too.
04:36I spent three days in the hospital.
04:38I went through the stitches, dressing changes, and bandaging alone.
04:42During those three days, my parents didn't call once.
04:44Not even a text.
04:45Meanwhile, Chloe's social media kept updating.
04:48First, she posted that she had nicked her finger while cutting fruit,
04:50and mom and dad immediately took time off work to stay home with her.
04:53Then she showed off a designer bracelet she had casually mentioned wanting,
04:57saying Ethan had brought it back specially for her from a business trip.
05:00The comments were exactly what I expected.
05:02My baby girl should never have to suffer.
05:04Don't thank me.
05:04You deserve the best, as long as you're happy.
05:07Then a notification from my company appeared.
05:09My transfer to the London office had been officially approved.
05:11I read the notice twice.
05:13Then I clicked accept.
05:15The day I was discharged,
05:17I looked down at the ugly centipede-like scar on my calf
05:19and took a cab home by myself.
05:21The house was as lively as always.
05:23Chloe sat on the couch watching reality TV, laughing with Ethan.
05:26Mom and dad were in the open kitchen cutting fruit for her.
05:29I stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind me.
05:32No one looked over.
05:33Only the sound of the door made Ethan glance up.
05:35His eyes stayed on me for a second.
05:37Something complicated crossed his face, as if he wanted to say something.
05:40But Chloe gave him one look.
05:42He turned away.
05:42I knew it.
05:43The ghost game had started again.
05:44In the past, I would have cried.
05:46I would have done anything to make them speak to me, even once.
05:49Now I only thought, quiet is actually kind of nice.
05:52I went upstairs to the attic room I had lived in for 20 years.
05:54It was the smallest room in the house, with a ceiling so low I could almost touch it by
05:58raising my hand.
05:59I folded my clothes into a suitcase one by one.
06:01Halfway through packing, Ethan secretly texted me behind Chloe's back.
06:04Does your leg still hurt?
06:07I stared at the message and laughed.
06:09When I had begged him for help in the woods, he hadn't asked whether I was in pain.
06:13When I had spent three days in the hospital alone, he hadn't asked then either.
06:17Now he remembered.
06:18Too late.
06:18Not long after, my parents called from outside my door.
06:21Come downstairs for dinner.
06:23Chloe says the ghost game is over.
06:24At the table, Chloe slipped an arm around my shoulders.
06:27Come on.
06:28I was just messing with you.
06:29Don't be so sensitive.
06:30The same excuse.
06:31Every time she hurt me, she called it a joke.
06:34Maybe it was a joke to her.
06:35It had never felt like one to me.
06:36I shifted away from her touch.
06:38Chloe immediately stumbled as if I had shoved her.
06:41Emma!
06:42Chloe was trying to be nice to you.
06:44Do you really have to be so hard on her?
06:45My parents instantly turned on me, too.
06:47My injured legs struck the edge of the table.
06:49She's your sister.
06:50How can you be so cruel?
06:52I clenched my teeth and made no sound.
06:54From the day Emma was born, she took half of mom and dad's attention away from me.
06:58Half of yours, too.
07:01I just wanted one little game.
07:03Why does she have to take even that from me?
07:05And I've been working so hard on her engagement party in three days.
07:09I wanted to surprise her.
07:12Emma, you really hurt me.
07:13I listened to her turn everything around on me and didn't argue.
07:16There was no point.
07:17Sure enough, my parents immediately backed her up.
07:19Chloe has been calling relatives all morning, confirming the venue, ordering flowers and cake.
07:25She's doing all of this for you.
07:27Ethan looked at me with open disappointment.
07:29I was originally going to wait until next year before seriously discussing the wedding.
07:34Chloe was the one who suggested we have an engagement party first.
07:38She was worried you'd think I wasn't serious about you.
07:40She wanted you to be happy.
07:41And this is how you treat her?
07:42Chloe had never even allowed my parents to properly celebrate my birthday.
07:46She hated the idea of everyone paying attention to me for one day.
07:49Since I was 10, I had spent every birthday alone in the attic, lighting one candle for myself.
07:53And now she suddenly cared about my engagement party?
07:55I didn't believe it.
07:57After the three of them carefully escorted Chloe back to her room, I got a message from my supervisor.
08:02Emma, what's the earliest you can fly to London?
08:04I watched the four of them disappear farther away from me.
08:08Three days.
08:11I had no appetite after lunch.
08:13I went back to the attic on an empty stomach.
08:16After comforting Chloe, Ethan pushed open my door.
08:18His expression was stern.
08:20Emma, what you did earlier was way out of line.
08:24Out of line?
08:24I almost laughed.
08:25Ethan, whose boyfriend are you?
08:27I'm the one who got hurt.
08:28Not her.
08:29He paused.
08:30She's your sister.
08:31Can't you give her a little grace?
08:32Grace, you know how Chloe gets when she feels left out.
08:34Can't you just let her have this?
08:36I had heard those excuses for 20 years.
08:37Because she was my sister, I had given in again and again.
08:40If I kept giving in, one day I really would let them push me straight into the grave.
08:44Ethan noticed blood seeping through my bandage.
08:47His voice softened.
08:48Come on.
08:49I'll help you take care of that.
08:51He took my hand.
08:52I looked at him.
08:54Ethan, do you actually want to marry me?
08:56We had been together five years.
08:58I had imagined getting engaged to him.
08:59Marrying him, building a life with him more times than I could count.
09:02But how was I supposed to trust a man who had deliberately set an animal trap in my path
09:06just to make another woman happy?
09:08Ethan frowned.
09:09Of course I do.
09:10Who marries someone they don't love?
09:12I'm telling you, that camping trip was the last time I'll ever play the ghost game with
09:15Chloe.
09:16There won't be another time.
09:17He looked completely sincere.
09:18Just like every other time he had promised never to let me get hurt again.
09:21And every time, I had still ended up as the joke.
09:24I would never forget that freezing night.
09:26Just then, Chloe appeared in the doorway, visibly annoyed.
09:29You've been talking to Emma forever.
09:31There's a new movie out tonight.
09:33Come with me?
09:33The hand holding mine immediately let go.
09:35Ethan was already walking toward her.
09:37Take care of the wound yourself.
09:38I'll go pick out your engagement ring tomorrow.
09:39Their footsteps faded.
09:41I remembered the summer night when I was 19.
09:43Ethan had confessed his feelings at the end of our street and promised that no matter
09:46what happened, I would always be his first choice.
09:48Five years later, I wasn't first anymore.
09:51Maybe I never had been.
09:52The house went quiet again.
09:53I went to the office alone and finished all of my handover paperwork.
09:58By the time I got home, it was dark.
10:00I had barely opened the door when I heard Chloe's excited voice.
10:03Mom, Dad, Ethan, you have to cooperate with me at the engagement party the day after tomorrow.
10:07First, we send Emma to the hotel alone.
10:09Then we go hang out at the beach.
10:10Everyone puts their phone on silent.
10:12Nobody answers her.
10:13Especially you, Ethan.
10:14You can't show up.
10:14I want her thinking everyone's coming right up until the last minute.
10:17Then we ghost her.
10:17With that many friends and relatives there, someone's bound to post it.
10:21She'll be humiliated.
10:22Chloe sounded thrilled.
10:23My parents agreed, without hesitation.
10:25Of course.
10:26We already talked to Ethan's mother.
10:28She's in on it, too.
10:30Emma's the only one who doesn't know.
10:32I stood outside the room and felt the cold spread through my body.
10:34Ethan's mother had always been kind to me.
10:36She had even said she would treat me like her own daughter after we got married.
10:39Apparently, she was willing to help Chloe humiliate me, too.
10:42Ethan hesitated.
10:43Isn't that a little unfair to Emma?
10:45Emma, we already promised we'd be there, and-
10:48You two are getting married.
10:49This will obviously be our last ghost game.
10:52Ethan, you're not seriously going to deny me one last request, are you?
10:55A short silence.
10:58Then he said,
10:59Okay.
11:00I stood in the dark and smiled bitterly.
11:01Of course, he had broken his promise again.
11:04Before coming home, I had planned to tell him the truth.
11:06I was transferring to London.
11:08There was no need to talk about a wedding anymore.
11:10We were done.
11:11But standing there, I suddenly realized there was nothing left to say.
11:14Fine, I would play one final round with them before I left.
11:17Exactly the way they wanted.
11:19Then this unimportant person would disappear for good.
11:22On the day of the engagement party, I woke up early.
11:25I packed my passport, visa, and work documents carefully into my carry-on.
11:29The dress Ethan had brought me the night before hung in my closet.
11:32He had said today was important, and I needed something special.
11:35It was cream-colored with elaborate lace around the neckline and sleeves.
11:38Chloe's favorite color.
11:39Chloe's favorite style.
11:40Not mine.
11:42Three large boxes of gummy candy and Chloe's favorite flavors.
11:45I had never opened them.
11:46An anniversary bracelet with Chloe's initials engraved inside.
11:49I had never worn it.
11:51I left the dress in the closet, along with every gift Ethan had ever given me.
11:55One suitcase held everything I had accumulated in 20 years under that roof,
11:59and somehow it barely weighed anything as if I had never really belonged there at all.
12:03A location pin appeared in the family group chat.
12:05Emma, go to the hotel first.
12:07We'll be there later.
12:08There's a surprise waiting for you.
12:09I replied with one word.
12:11Then my parents posted a screenshot of a transfer.
12:14Happy engagement.
12:15We hope you'll always be happy.
12:17It was the first time since I was 10 that they had said anything so gentle to me.
12:20If I hadn't overheard their plan the night before,
12:22I might have fooled myself into believing they still loved me.
12:25Now I knew.
12:26Their tenderness was just another part of the trap.
12:29Then Ethan called.
12:29His voice was unusually warm.
12:31Emma, you're going to love the ring I picked.
12:33See you later.
12:34Okay, I'll wait for you.
12:36A loving sister, devoted parents, a boyfriend by my side,
12:39they had built me a beautiful little fantasy for the newest round of the ghost game.
12:43This time I wasn't playing.
12:44At that moment, a co-worker who was transferring with me texted.
12:48Emma, boarding starts soon.
12:49Don't be late.
12:51I pulled my suitcase toward the door.
12:53As I passed the kitchen, I saw the refrigerator covered in Polaroids.
12:57Chloe laughing.
12:58Chloe crying.
12:59Chloe baking cookies for the first time.
13:01Chloe behind the wheel for the first time.
13:03Every tiny moment of her life had been carefully preserved.
13:06Only one photo belonged to me.
13:08I was looking down in it.
13:09My nose read from crying.
13:10No one had spoken to me that day.
13:12Across the white border, someone had written in marker.
13:151000th ghost game complete.
13:17I tore the photo down and slipped it into my coat pocket.
13:19The last proof that I had ever existed in that house.
13:22When the plane rose above the clouds, I left the family group chat.
13:25Then I deleted and blocked mom, dad, Chloe, and Ethan one by one.
13:29From now on, none of them would ever find me again.
13:31At 11 that night, Ethan glanced at his watch in the beachside restaurant.
13:35He was finally getting restless.
13:37Shouldn't we head back?
13:38It's late.
13:38Emma's still waiting at the hotel.
13:40No rush.
13:41She's probably only just started crying.
13:43Give it a little longer.
13:44It'll be more effective.
13:45My parents nodded.
13:47Chloe's right.
13:48Emma has played the ghost game for years.
13:50She's used to it.
13:51She won't really be mad.
13:52Ethan thought about it and agreed.
13:54I had always been soft-hearted.
13:56Easy to comfort.
13:56If he stood me up once, I forgave him.
13:59One more time, probably wouldn't matter.
14:01Then the calls started coming.
14:02One after another.
14:04Relatives.
14:04Friends.
14:05Guests at the party.
14:07What is going on?
14:08You left an entire ballroom full of people sitting here and none of you showed up?
14:12We've been waiting since this afternoon.
14:13We haven't even seen the bride-to-be or the groom-to-be.
14:15No one's there?
14:16Where's Emma?
14:17She's the guest of honor.
14:18There's no way she wouldn't show.
14:19On the other end, Ethan's mother took the phone.
14:22I don't know what happened, but Emma never came.
14:24You need to get back here.
14:25Now.
14:26A terrible feeling came over Ethan.
14:28He immediately texted me.
14:30Message failed.
14:31He called.
14:32Blocked.
14:33My parents tried.
14:35So did Chloe.
14:36Same result.
14:37Emma blocked all of us?
14:39For the first time, they truly panicked.
15:03Inside was a DNA paternity report.
15:05The conclusion was unmistakable.
15:07Emma Miller and Robert Miller were biologically father and daughter.
15:10Ethan looked confused.
15:12Mr. Miller, why would Emma leave this for you?
15:14But all the color had drained from my parents' faces.
15:17A long time passed before dad finally spoke.
15:19His eyes read.
15:20Emma really is my daughter.
15:23I told you.
15:24I told you.
15:25I told you all those years ago.
15:26You were the one who kept suspecting me.
15:29I begged you to get a DNA test, but you were too afraid.
15:32And because of your suspicion, Emma suffered her whole childhood.
15:35Even Chloe froze.
15:36The ghost game had never been only about a spoiled little girl's childhood whim.
15:40The deeper reason went back to a major crisis in my parents' marriage before I was born.
15:43One day, dad came home from work early and saw one of mom's male co-workers dropping her off.
15:48Less than two weeks later, mom found out she was pregnant.
15:51They had a huge fight but never truly resolved anything.
15:54They fought, stayed together, and never spoke about it honestly again.
15:57But the suspicion never left dad.
15:59For years, he had wondered whether I was really his daughter.
16:01When he drank, the doubt turned into anger.
16:04The entire house lived under the weight of it.
16:05And little by little, everyone silently agreed that I was the extra one.
16:09So, when Chloe invented the ghost game, they indulged her.
16:11If they pretended I didn't exist, then all the uncomfortable questions could disappear with me.
16:16Everyone felt better.
16:17Everyone except me.
16:17Dad wiped his tears and carefully folded the report.
16:20Come on.
16:22We're finding Emma.
16:23We have to apologize.
16:24We're the ones who owe her.
16:26Mom nodded at once.
16:28And took a step forward toward my father.
16:31We'll bring her home.
16:32No one will ever ignore her again.
16:35Ethan grabbed his car keys.
16:37I'm coming too.
16:38Only Chloe stayed where she was.
16:40Clearly unhappy.
16:42My parents and Ethan searched every nearby neighborhood.
16:44Nothing.
16:45Her phone's off.
16:46She blocked us everywhere.
16:48What if something happened to her?
16:49All three of them went pale.
16:50Then Ethan remembered my office.
16:52He turned the car around.
16:53On the way there, he missed three turns.
16:55Because he had never bothered to learn how to get to my workplace.
16:58Rain began hitting the windshield.
17:00And Ethan suddenly remembered the last time it had rained this hard.
17:03I had texted and asked him to pick me up.
17:05He hadn't come.
17:06Chloe had bought too much at the mall and needed a ride.
17:08Once again, I had been the option he chose to abandon.
17:11At the front desk of my company, they waited while an employee made a call.
17:14A few minutes later, she shook her head apologetically.
17:17I'm sorry.
17:18Emma Miller no longer works at our U.S. headquarters.
17:21She has officially transferred to the London office.
17:23All three of them stared at her.
17:26London?
17:27A city on the other side of the Atlantic.
17:29And I had simply left.
17:30Mom clutched her chest.
17:32That far away.
17:33And she didn't say a word to us.
17:35Dad steadied her.
17:37For once, Ethan said nothing.
17:38He only walked faster toward the exit.
17:40No.
17:41I have to bring her back.
17:42When they eventually returned home, they discovered that the tiny attic room was already empty.
17:46All that remained were the dress Ethan had bought and the gifts that had never suited me in the first
17:50place.
17:50Watching everyone who had once revolved around her now fall apart because of me, Chloe finally snapped.
17:54She grabbed a glass and hurled it to the floor.
17:57She left.
17:57So what?
17:58Why are you all acting like the world ended?
18:00This house is better without her.
18:01I hope she never comes back.
18:04Shut up.
18:05Dad slapped her across the face.
18:06She is your sister.
18:07For the first time, Mom didn't rush to comfort her either.
18:10We spoiled you.
18:12We let you get away with too much.
18:13And we were wrong.
18:15This house belongs to Emma too.
18:16If you can't handle that, then you can move out.
18:18Their guilt had finally turned into anger.
18:20Chloe held her cheek and looked at Ethan.
18:22You're still on my side, right?
18:24Ethan stared at the candy on the table and the anniversary bracelet engraved with the wrong initials.
18:29Something tightened in his chest.
18:30For the first time, he realized just how long he had been ignoring Emma.
18:33No one should be on your side.
18:35I've indulged you for 20 years.
18:37Emma is the one who needs me now.
18:39I grew up with you too.
18:41Why do you love her and not me?
18:43Ethan's face darkened.
18:44Love doesn't work that way.
18:46You don't get someone just because you want them.
18:48Fine.
18:48You're all choosing her now?
18:50Then I'm leaving.
18:51She stormed upstairs to pack.
18:52For the first time, the house became frighteningly quiet.
18:55After the long flight across the Atlantic, I wasn't tired at all.
18:58It was already evening when I landed in London.
19:00I pulled my suitcase through customs and turned my phone back on.
19:03Calls and messages flooded in.
19:04My parents had left so many messages I could barely see the end of them.
19:07I deleted them all without reading.
19:09The message requests were all from Ethan.
19:11Emma, we need to talk.
19:13Talk about what?
19:14There was nothing left between us to talk about.
19:16I put my phone away.
19:17A new co-worker met me outside the airport.
19:19She helped load my suitcase into the trunk and spent the drive telling me about the office
19:23and the neighborhood.
19:23For the first time in years, I truly relaxed.
19:26I checked in at the London branch, then moved into the company apartment that night.
19:29When I opened the window, the smell of butter drifted from a bakery on the corner.
19:32A mild evening breeze moved through the room, carrying an oak leaf past the glass.
19:36It felt like a sign.
19:37My life was finally turning a new page.
19:39During my first month, I took over a major project and pulled several all-nighters.
19:43The result was strong enough that my boss took the whole team out to celebrate.
19:47In my second month, I met Maya, an Asian-American woman who lived next door.
19:51She invited me to markets, exhibitions, and coffee shops.
19:54She became my first real friend in London.
19:56No one here deliberately pretended I didn't exist.
19:58People remembered what I liked.
19:59They asked for my opinion.
20:01If I got too busy to eat, someone might bring me a sandwich without making a big deal about
20:04it.
20:05Being wanted.
20:06Being noticed.
20:06Those were things I had almost never experienced before.
20:09Now I had them.
20:09In my third month, an unfamiliar number called.
20:16My parents were crying on the other end.
20:18Hearing their voices again stirred almost nothing inside me.
20:21Mom spoke first.
20:22Emma, why did you go so far away?
20:24Do you really not want this family anymore?
20:26How are you supposed to take care of yourself alone in London?
20:29I'm worried about you.
20:31Funny.
20:31No one had worried about me when I was trapped alone in the woods.
20:34I don't want it anymore.
20:35And I can take care of myself.
20:36Dad took the phone.
20:37The man who had always been so hard and prideful sounded like he was choking back tears.
20:41Emma, I saw the DNA report.
20:43I'm sorry.
20:44We failed you as parents.
20:46You will always have a place in this family.
20:48Chloe moved out.
20:49No one will ever deliberately ignore you again.
20:51I laughed softly.
20:54I had secretly arranged the test in college.
20:57One day, I had come home and overheard my parents arguing behind a locked bedroom door.
21:01Dad said looking at me reminded him of his old suspicions and made him uncomfortable.
21:04Mom said she was exhausted and didn't want to deal with it anymore.
21:07A suspicion that had never been proven had become a chain around my neck for 20 years.
21:11Chloe was not innocent.
21:12But the reason she had been able to hurt me without consequences was because my parents
21:15had allowed it every single time.
21:17Their apology was 20 years too late.
21:19Chloe moving out is her decision.
21:21Whether I come back is mine.
21:22You always loved pretending you couldn't see me, right?
21:25Don't worry.
21:26Now you really never have to see me again.
21:28The other end went silent.
21:31Emma, that's not what we meant.
21:32We were wrong.
21:33I had run out of patience.
21:34I have work to do.
21:35Goodbye.
21:36Just as I was about to hang up, Ethan's urgent voice came through.
21:39Emma, wait!
21:43I didn't answer.
21:44Are you doing okay over there?
21:45I flipped through a project file.
21:48What answer are you hoping for?
21:49That I'm miserable?
21:51Sorry to disappoint you.
21:53I have a good job.
21:54I'm busy enough to sleep the second my head hit the pillow and I've made new friends.
21:58Ethan, my life without you is actually a lot better.
22:00His breathing changed.
22:01That's not possible.
22:03I know I screwed up, but I never meant for you to get that badly hurt.
22:06You can't erase five years over one mistake.
22:09I let out a short laugh.
22:11One mistake?
22:12Who left me stranded on the day of my SAT?
22:14Who deliberately put a trap on the trail I had to take at the campsite and nearly got me killed?
22:18That wasn't one mistake, Ethan.
22:20It was a pattern.
22:21Stop using the word love.
22:22It makes me sick.
22:24Panic finally entered his voice.
22:26Emma, that's not what I meant.
22:28I didn't know it would...
22:29Too noisy.
22:29I hung up.
22:31Back in the United States, everything fell apart.
22:34My parents seemed to age several years overnight.
22:37They looked exhausted.
22:38They sighed all day.
22:40Chloe moved thousands of miles away to another city and took everything she owned with her.
22:44Before leaving, she had a massive fight with my parents.
22:47Dad got so angry they nearly called an ambulance.
22:49If you leave, don't come back.
22:52You are only one year older than Emma, and for all these years you got the best of everything.
22:56What more could you possibly want?
22:57We spoiled you rotten!
22:59Mom was equally disappointed.
23:01Go wherever you want.
23:02You don't need to tell us.
23:03This house will always be waiting for Emma.
23:05We owe her.
23:06And so do you.
23:08Ethan didn't try to stop Chloe.
23:10He only gathered every photo, gift, and keepsake connected to her and threw them away.
23:14As if he had finally decided to cut himself off from the past.
23:17Two weeks later, Ethan showed up in London.
23:21I had just gotten home from work.
23:23London was in the middle of a rare heavy snowfall.
23:26He stood outside my apartment building in a grey coat, snow collecting on his shoulders and hair.
23:30The man who used to complain about driving across the city to pick me up had taken a red-eye
23:34flight across the Atlantic to find me.
23:36I felt nothing.
23:38The love, anger, humiliation, and resentment had all been left behind on the morning my plane took off from the
23:43United States.
23:45There was nothing left.
23:47His eyes lit up the moment he saw me.
23:49Emma!
23:49I stopped.
23:50I didn't speak.
23:52Ethan's voice was hoarse.
23:53I'm sorry.
23:54I contacted some of your old co-workers and finally found out roughly where you were living.
23:58I came because I need one chance to make this right.
24:01He hurriedly pulled a ring box from his coat pocket.
24:04I kept the ring.
24:06If you'll come back, we can still get married.
24:08Even now, he seemed convinced that I would eventually return to him.
24:11I looked at him carefully one last time.
24:14Ethan.
24:14Hope flashed across his face.
24:16Tell me.
24:16Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it.
24:18Five years was enough.
24:19We said what needed to be said.
24:21What ended is already over.
24:24You coming to London doesn't change anything.
24:26I used to wish you would notice me more, but that was before.
24:30Now, neither you nor that ring mean anything to me.
24:33I'm not interested in the future you're offering.
24:38Ethan's face grew paler and paler little by little.
24:40Emma, are you being honest with me?
24:42The snow was getting thicker and thicker.
24:43I looked at him calmly.
24:45The day you two conspired behind my back about how to ruin the engagement party,
24:48weren't every word you said the honest truth.
24:49Don't come back again.
24:50You are not welcome here.
24:52With that, I turned around and went into the apartment, without looking at his expression again.
24:55The days that followed were always very peaceful.
24:58None of the old acquaintances came to disturb again.
25:00In my third year in London, I briefly went back to the U.S. on a business trip for a
25:03project.
25:04Instead of going home, I checked into a hotel near the company.
25:07But somehow, my parents got wind of it.
25:09Late one night, when I was heading back to the hotel, I found them waiting for me by the entrance
25:12the whole time.
25:13We hadn't seen each other for three years, and the wrinkles on their faces had deepened considerably.
25:17Mom wiped her tears quietly, wanting to come closer, but not daring to.
25:21Emma, why didn't you tell your family you were coming back?
25:24We really miss you.
25:26Dad also forced out a cautious little smile.
25:28Now that you're back, you should go home and pay a visit?
25:31Since I'd already run into them, I eventually went back with them for a while.
25:34When I walked in the door, Mom handed me a brand new pair of slippers.
25:37Dad poured me a glass of water and adjusted the air conditioner to the most comfortable temperature setting.
25:42Have a seat for a moment first.
25:44Your mom will cook soon.
25:45You've lived in the United Kingdom for a few years, so you definitely haven't eaten home-cooked food for a
25:49long time.
25:50Watching them bustling around and acting with great caution, I didn't stop them.
25:53I looked around.
25:54It seems nothing has changed in this house.
25:56Yet it seems that everything has changed.
25:58It was surprising that the awards, certificates, and photos I received from primary school through high school were hung back
26:03up on the living room wall.
26:04Some of the edges and corners are already worn, tattered, and yellowed.
26:07I have no idea which dusty old trunk they dug them out of.
26:09They tried hard to prove that they hadn't really neglected me.
26:12And to make up for all those lost years.
26:14But deep down, everyone knows that time can never flow backward.
26:17Chloe has very few belongings already.
26:18The spot on the fridge door that used to be covered with her photos is now empty, too.
26:22After we walked in the door, Mom was almost constantly hovering around me.
26:24Hardly had I sat down when she brought the fruit over to me.
26:27This was your favorite when you were little.
26:28You don't even know if she still likes you, so stop messing with that stuff.
26:31Mom's hand froze for a moment.
26:33Soon he put the plate down again.
26:35Yeah, that's right.
26:36Dinner had no trout, no shrimp, nothing I was allergic to.
26:40Almost every dish was something I had loved.
26:41Emma, what do you like now?
26:43Tell me.
26:44I'll go buy it tomorrow.
26:45I glanced at her.
26:45I'm leaving tomorrow.
26:46With just one sentence, both people fell silent at the same time.
26:49Mother bowed her head and pinched the edge of her clothing.
26:52So soon.
26:53Dad looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself.
26:56During dinner, neither of them ate much.
26:58I picked up a piece of roasted chicken.
27:00Mom's eyes immediately turned red.
27:03You used to like chicken breast.
27:04Her voice trembled.
27:06I always thought it was too much trouble to make something separate for you.
27:08Chloe liked fish, so I made fish all the time.
27:10She swallowed hard.
27:11You were allergic to it.
27:13And somehow, I never once stopped to think there was anything wrong with that.
27:16Dad kept his eyes lowered.
27:18After a long silence, he suddenly spoke.
27:20When you were eight and ended up in the hospital, I actually went there.
27:23I looked up at him.
27:25I sat downstairs for half an hour.
27:27Then Chloe called, crying.
27:28She said we'd promised to take her to...
27:30His throat worked.
27:31So I left.
27:32For years, I told myself it was because I wasn't sure you were really my daughter.
27:35He paused.
27:36But eventually, I realized something.
27:38Even if you hadn't been mine, none of that would have been the fault of an eight-year-old girl.
27:42By the end, his eyes were red.
27:44Emma, I was a terrible father.
27:46I said nothing.
27:48Twenty years ago, I probably would have given anything to hear them say these things.
27:51Now that they finally had, all I felt was calm.
27:54Mom slowly reached toward my hand.
27:56Just before her fingers touched mine, she stopped and pulled back.
27:58Do you think maybe you could come visit us sometimes?
28:02I lowered my eyes and took a sip of water.
28:04I didn't answer.
28:06The tiny spark of hope in her eyes slowly faded.
28:08And in that moment, they finally understood.
28:11Some mistakes couldn't be fixed with an apology.
28:13And some children didn't spend their whole lives standing in the same place, waiting for their parents to finally turn
28:18around.
28:19Eventually, they brought up Chloe.
28:20Their disappointment was still obvious.
28:22She barely calls since she moved away.
28:24She doesn't even come home for the holidays.
28:26Emma, don't worry about her.
28:28She owes you.
28:30I almost laughed.
28:30They used to say, I owed Chloe.
28:33Now Chloe owed me.
28:34After more than twenty years, none of it could ever be balanced.
28:37I ate only a few bites before setting down my fork.
28:40I'm done.
28:41I still have work to take care of you.
28:42My parents followed me all the way to the front door.
28:44When are you leaving?
28:45Tomorrow.
28:46I picked up my bag.
28:48I've already arranged for your major expenses to be covered.
28:51You don't need to worry about money.
28:52Mom's eyes immediately filled with tears.
28:54Emma, that's not why we asked you to come home.
28:57Are you still angry with us?
29:00Dad quickly added,
29:01Don't leave so soon.
29:03Stay a few more days.
29:04I shook my head.
29:06I'm not angry anymore.
29:08I'm leaving.
29:09Take care of yourselves.
29:10I wasn't angry anymore.
29:12But I wasn't coming back either.
29:14The door closed behind me.
29:15The hallway light came on, then slowly dimmed.
29:18Through the door, I could hear my parents crying.
29:20They were only a few feet away, and still far enough that I had no desire to turn around.
29:25The next day, before I flew back to London, Ethan came to see me.
29:29I hadn't seen him in three years.
29:32He was much thinner.
29:33He was still wearing that familiar gray coat.
29:36Mutual acquaintances had told me that his family's company had been struggling badly over the past few years.
29:41Cash flow had nearly collapsed, and they were buried in debt.
29:44The man who had once lived a life of effortless comfort now spent every day meeting clients, chasing investors, and
29:50attending endless business dinners.
29:52Whatever pride he used to have, he had learned to swallow it if that was what it took to keep
29:55the company alive.
29:58He didn't mention any of that.
30:00He simply handed me his phone.
30:04You should prepare yourself.
30:05A local news report from the previous week filled the screen.
30:09Chloe had fallen from a cliff while traveling in the western United States.
30:12By the time rescuers reached her, she was already dead.
30:15I stared at the photo for a long time.
30:17When we were children, she had always wished I would disappear from the family.
30:21Neither of us could have imagined that she would be the first one to disappear from this world.
30:25In the face of death, 20 years of resentment suddenly felt very far away.
30:30Ethan spoke quietly.
30:32There are some things from her estate that could come to you.
30:35Her attorney will explain the details.
30:37I shook my head.
30:39I don't want anything.
30:42Leave whatever you can to my parents.
30:44Could you handle the rest?
30:46Ethan took back his phone.
30:48Sure.
30:49This time he didn't stop me.
30:51He didn't ask me to forgive him again.
30:54He only gave me a faint smile.
30:57Safe travels, Emma.
30:58I nodded, then turned and walked away.
31:02The next morning, I went to the U.S. headquarters for one final project meeting.
31:07The conference room was filled with senior leaders from both the North American and European divisions.
31:13On the screen behind me was the acquisition project my London team had spent nearly six months working on.
31:18When I finished my presentation, the room fell silent for two seconds.
31:22Then the group vice president at the head of the table closed the file in front of him.
31:25Emma, the London team deserves a great deal of credit for getting this deal across the finish line.
31:29He paused, then smiled.
31:31More accurately, you deserve a great deal of credit.
31:34Several regional executives began to applaud.
31:38The senior executive seated across from me slid a document across the table.
31:42The board has approved it.
31:44Starting next quarter, you'll officially take over as head of strategic projects for Europe.
31:48I lowered my eyes to the page.
31:50A new title.
31:51Broader authority.
31:53A substantial salary increase.
31:55And beneath that, a new reporting structure.
31:57I would no longer be responsible for a single project.
32:00I would be overseeing several of the most important business lines across the entire European division.
32:06My former supervisor, sitting beside me, nudged my arm with a grin.
32:11When you suddenly applied for the London transfer three years ago, I thought you just needed a change of scenery.
32:16Turns out you transferred yourself straight into management.
32:19By the time the meeting ended, several executives stayed behind to exchange contact information with me.
32:24One of them even invited me to an industry summit in Paris the following month.
32:28I stepped out of the conference room and stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
32:32The city stretched out far below me.
32:34Three years ago, I had left this place with a single suitcase.
32:37Back then, I thought I was running away.
32:40Now I finally understood.
32:41I hadn't run away.
32:43I had simply walked toward a life that actually belonged to me.
32:47My phone lit up.
32:49A message from my London team.
32:51Boss, the celebration dinner is waiting for you.
32:53It was followed by a ridiculous string of champagne emojis.
32:56I smiled.
32:57Then I typed back.
32:59Tomorrow, don't start without me.
33:01The screen went dark.
33:02My reflection appeared in the glass.
33:05Calm.
33:06Certain.
33:06There was no trace left of the girl who used to stand at the edge of every room, quietly waiting
33:11for someone to notice her.
33:12Outside the window, the sky stretched endlessly blue.
33:15Just like the life waiting ahead of me.
33:17All right.
33:19I will be looking for you.
33:19All right.
33:20You came.