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Watch full-length drama films featuring powerful business leaders, hidden identities, family secrets, impossible love stories, revenge, and inspiring personal journeys. Every movie delivers engaging storytelling and memorable characters.
Enjoy high-quality drama entertainment with English subtitles and discover new trending stories uploaded on a regular basis.
#FullDrama #DramaMovies #LoveDrama #RomanceMovie #CEO #Billionaire #AsianMovies #Trending #DramaChannel #MovieLovers
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FunTranscript
00:00I had made plans with Andrew to go pick up our marriage license, but when I waited until 4 p
00:04.m., he still hadn't shown up.
00:06I opened Facebook and saw him announcing his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Lily, he typed, looking forward to the
00:12future.
00:13The video featured Andrew's romantic proposal and the happy moments of them holding their marriage license together.
00:20At the city hall, the newlyweds were still handing out candies.
00:23When the candy reached me, the bride looked at me curiously and asked,
00:28Hey, where's your boyfriend? All my candies are for couples.
00:32I sat on a bench, watched couples stroll past, gripped my phone, and felt miserable.
00:37My tears kept dropping. I forced out a wry smile and said,
00:41He's registering with someone else.
00:43The screen of my phone glowed. The scene of Andrew's proposal to Lily played out again.
00:48The picture froze, hurting me again.
00:50Seeing the dumbfounded appearance of the newlyweds, I stood up and walked away.
00:54I didn't want to break down in front of strangers.
00:57Andrew had proposed to me two weeks ago.
00:59On my birthday, right in the middle of the crowd, he suddenly dropped to one knee and whipped out a
01:03ring.
01:04Charlotte, you are the love of my life. I want to grow old with you.
01:07I was so moved.
01:09Yes! Yes, I will!
01:13But now, I stared at that post on my phone.
01:16I felt like the world's biggest joke.
01:18I couldn't help but play that video again, searching for details.
01:21For the first time, his smile made me sick to my stomach.
01:24Andrew and I grew up together.
01:26We started as high school classmates, then fell for each other in college.
01:29We were together for almost ten years.
01:31All our little moments, the jokes, the fights, all the laughter and tears, keep replaying in my mind.
01:37In his circle, everyone saw me as Andrew's future wife.
01:41I whipped up different meals for him every day and never missed a holiday when it came to gifts.
01:45Just last night, when he got home, he held me in his arms.
01:48I'm home, baby. Missed you.
01:50Andrew, gazing at me with love, he grinned.
01:53After all these years, you finally became my wife.
01:58Overnight, I became the biggest joke.
02:00How could someone change so suddenly?
02:02Maybe he had some hidden reasons.
02:04I suddenly panicked, quickly took a taxi, and rushed back home.
02:08When I was opening the door, I heard him and his friend Peter talking inside.
02:13Andrew, have you lost it?
02:14You and Charlotte were both set to get your marriage license today.
02:17Just what the hell is going on?
02:19What do you expect me to do?
02:23Lily's bipolar episodes are getting worse.
02:26She said she just wanted a family.
02:28I was the only hope she had left.
02:30Now she has no one but me.
02:31How can I even think of leaving her at such a critical moment?
02:34You know I've always loved her.
02:35Andrew's voice was getting more and more intense.
02:38It turned out it wasn't me who could shake him like this.
02:40It was always Lily.
02:42I stood there, completely stunned.
02:44He said he always loved Lily.
02:45What about me?
02:47What the hell are you talking about?
02:48You've lost your damn mind!
02:50Peter snapped.
02:51Peter was so pissed by Andrew's insane logic.
02:53Even if Lily was sick, you could have at least talked to Charlotte before pulling something like this.
02:58Who marries someone else without even a word?
02:59What do you expect Charlotte to feel?
03:01You can't even imagine how urgent it was.
03:04If I didn't propose, she would have jumped off the building.
03:08How could I possibly stop and talk to Charlotte?
03:11So when Lily threatened to end it all, Andrew's first move was to propose to her, not call the police.
03:16What a joke.
03:17My heart twisted hard.
03:18I had to cling to the door, gasping for breath just to stay upright.
03:21And what about Charlotte?
03:23We're all friends.
03:23We've watched you two together for ten whole years.
03:26What do you think you're doing to her?
03:28Peter shouted.
03:28He glared at Andrew, his anger barely contained.
03:31Charlotte will understand me.
03:33Anyway, we just have to wait until Lily's condition is stable.
03:36Once she doesn't want to commit suicide, I'll talk to her about the divorce.
03:39It won't be long, maybe a year or so.
03:42Charlotte's been with me for ten years.
03:44She won't hold it against me.
03:46Charlotte is so understanding.
03:48She loves me.
03:50She'll never leave me.
03:52When I heard those words, I let my hand fall away from the doorknob.
03:56Suddenly, I didn't have the guts to listen to another word.
03:59How could he assume I'd understand?
04:00I turned and left, wandering aimlessly into the street.
04:04All those years with Andrew just kept playing over and over in my head.
04:08In the classroom, he blushed and confessed to me.
04:11After the finals, we headed down to the beach and walked, talking about where life would take us.
04:15I tried cooking for him for the first time on his birthday.
04:18I swear I'll always treat you right.
04:20And he kissed me.
04:21I'll never leave you.
04:22I know.
04:24I gave everything to this guy, and he was supposed to be with me for the rest of my life.
04:29And on the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, he stabbed me in the back.
04:34The weather was fickle, changing as quickly as someone's promise.
04:37People scattered, scrambling to dodge the rain.
04:40But my steps were heavy, and even as the rain soaked me to the bone, I kept wandering down the
04:45street in a daze.
04:46A screech of brakes and a splash of water, Andrew jumped out, rushing to pull me into the passenger seat.
04:52He started gently drying my hair with a towel, his face as natural and relaxed as if nothing had happened.
04:58Darling, why didn't you answer the phone?
05:01I was seriously losing my mind trying to reach you.
05:04Listening to his words, I felt like I could puke.
05:07Don't call me that!
05:08Your wife is Lily, not me!
05:10Open your damn eyes and look!
05:12I shoved his hand away, opened the car door.
05:14The door hung open, and his car just sat there, silent and still in the downpour.
05:19It was the first time in ten years that I'd ever sworn at him.
05:22I dashed through the pouring rain.
05:24Andrew caught up.
05:25He held an umbrella, grabbed my wrist from behind,
05:28and with a forceful tug, pulled me straight into his arms.
05:31Please hear me out.
05:34I didn't have a choice.
05:38Don't do this.
05:39Just give me another chance.
05:41Let's go home, and we can talk there.
05:43He still smelled the same, that scent from his laundry detergent.
05:47The words were also the sweet words I was used to hearing.
05:50Looking at him, I suddenly felt a wave of revulsion rise up inside me.
05:55My blood rushed, my vision went dark, and I was out cold.
05:58Guess I crashed from the combo of skipping meals,
06:01emotional overload, and getting drenched in the rain.
06:04When I finally came to, I realized I was in hospital,
06:07and every joint in my body was hurting badly.
06:10I must have caught a fever.
06:12Andrew was sitting by my bedside, holding my hand, and looking concerned.
06:15Darling, you're finally awake.
06:18You really scared me.
06:20While I was unconscious, I drifted into a dream.
06:23In the dream, we got our marriage license.
06:25I was wearing the wedding dress I'd designed and sewn myself,
06:29holding his arm as we stepped into the chapel,
06:31surrounded by the sacred sound of wedding bells.
06:33But in the end, a dream was just a dream.
06:37I'm sorry.
06:39I told you about Lily before.
06:42She and I had been together since we were kids,
06:44until she had to move away when high school started.
06:48We've been in touch, but after I met you, I've only cared about you.
06:53Just recently, she showed up out of the blue, arms covered with fresh cuts.
06:58She said she wanted to have a family with me,
07:00and if I didn't give her that, she was going to end it all.
07:04As he spoke, Andrew's usually captivating eyes grew teary.
07:07I couldn't stand by and watch her take her own life, could I?
07:11When she's better.
07:12But I promise, I'll divorce her.
07:15It won't take long.
07:17I promise.
07:19And what if she never gets better?
07:21Andrew paused, about to say something.
07:23But his phone rang, his face instantly darkened.
07:26He shot me a look, turned his back on me, and picked up the call.
07:32Darling, I'm busy right now.
07:34Once I'm done, I'll come home and stay with you.
07:36Make sure you take your medicine, and I'll bring your favorite tiramisi.
07:39How could I not love you?
07:41Come on.
07:42I married you, didn't I?
07:43He added.
07:44He dropped his voice.
07:45But every loving word he whispered to another woman echoed loud and clear in the ward.
07:49My fiancé just called someone else, darling, right in front of me.
07:53My eyes instantly welled up, tears streaming down.
07:56Andrew ended the call.
07:57And the moment he saw me crying, he rushed over, trying to wipe away my tears.
08:02I slapped his hand away hard.
08:04Don't touch me.
08:06You make me sick.
08:08Andrew paused, looking stunned.
08:10He said,
08:11Can you quit making such a scene?
08:14Can't you have a little empathy for me?
08:18Why is it so impossible for you to see things from my side?
08:24I promise, once she's healthy, I'll divorce her and make you my wife.
08:31It's not like you'll be waiting forever.
08:33What's the rush?
08:35All right, darling.
08:36Be reasonable.
08:37I need to talk to you seriously.
08:40My wedding with Lily got put together last minute.
08:43So I want to use your wedding dress.
08:45Don't worry, you two are about the same size, so it'll fit.
08:48I'll make sure it doesn't get ruined.
08:50He looked me straight in the eyes, still calling me darling.
08:54But just minutes ago, he'd called another woman the same thing.
08:57And now, without a single shred of shame,
09:00he was asking to use the dress I'd stitched together with my own hands for his wedding to someone else.
09:16Later that night, I lay alone in my bed.
09:19I opened the video again, the one where Andrew and Lily announced their marriage.
09:23But this time, it didn't hurt as much,
09:25and the tears that had been flowing so easily just hours ago were gone.
09:29Why should I let myself feel miserable over a guy who couldn't care less about me?
09:32At least I saw through that jerk's mask before the marriage license was signed.
09:36Guess life wasn't completely unfair to me after all.
09:39Soon came the day of Andrew and Lily's wedding.
09:42For the past few days, Andrew kept pestering me non-stop about borrowing the wedding dress.
09:48I told you, I don't do rentals.
09:51Come on, Charlotte.
09:52Just let Lily wear it once.
09:54Fine.
09:55You can rent it for $50,000.
09:57No way I was letting my work go for cheap.
10:00$50,000?
10:01Why don't you just rob a bank instead?
10:04Just then, I heard Lily's girlish, almost whining voice over the phone.
10:08Babe, I really want this one.
10:10The dresses at those bridal storps are ugly, and none of them fit me.
10:14All right, $50,000 it is.
10:16Plus, Lily really hopes you'll make it to our wedding.
10:19Sure thing.
10:20I'll be there.
10:22Of course I'd be there, but I sure wasn't going there to give them my blessing.
10:26Andrew was downright generous when it came to Lily.
10:28Normally, he wouldn't part with a penny, but for Lily, he transferred all $50,000 into my account that very
10:34night.
10:35As for the wedding dress I'd poured my heart into designing and making, now it made me sick to see
10:40it.
10:40There was no way I'd ever wear it again.
10:42At least, selling it to him meant my effort wasn't completely wasted.
10:46On the day of their wedding, I put extra effort into getting ready before making my appearance.
10:51We'd spent so much time planning the venue and the reception, but all he did was swap the bride's name
10:57on the invitations, and all my effort was in vain.
11:00When Andrew spotted me, his eyes widened with surprise.
11:04Charlotte, I just knew you'd show up.
11:06Having you here today means a lot.
11:09He reached out and took my hand.
11:11I quickly pulled my hand back.
11:14Really, Andrew?
11:15Holding another woman's hand at your wedding?
11:18Lily might see it.
11:19I let out a scoff, spun around, and dropped myself into an empty seat.
11:23All eyes were fixed on the happy couple.
11:25No one even seemed to notice I was there.
11:28The wedding kicked off soon.
11:29I'd spent days convincing myself I was tough enough to get through this.
11:33But seeing the guy I'd loved for ten years walking down the aisle with another woman was still hard.
11:38No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop my nose from stinging.
11:41So, our beautiful bride, do you have anything to say?
11:44Lily took the mic, looking a little shy.
11:47With her radiant glow today, she was nothing like the wilting, miserable girl I'd seen before.
11:52See the wedding dress I'm wearing?
11:54She deliberately cast a glance in my direction.
11:57I've always dreamed of becoming Mrs. Andrew Turner.
11:59I designed this wedding dress myself, working on every little detail, every single stitch over the years.
12:06And now, I'm wearing my creation as I stand beside the man I love.
12:10My body went rigid.
12:11I couldn't tear my eyes away from Lily up on that stage.
12:14Did she really claim the dress was her design?
12:16I spent years designing that dress, revising it again and again, choosing the fabric with care, sewing every stitch by
12:23hand.
12:24Now, my work somehow became hers.
12:27That wedding dress is absolutely gorgeous.
12:29I think it's the most beautiful one I've ever seen.
12:32Who knew Lily had such talent?
12:34Maybe I'll have her custom make my daughter's wedding dress when the time comes.
12:39So, did the groom know about all this?
12:41The MC teased.
12:42Andrew shot me a guilty look.
12:44The moment our eyes met and he saw just how pissed I was, he instantly avoided my gaze.
12:49Yeah, I've always known this dress is Lily's way of showing how much she loves me.
12:55Isn't this the perfect moment for a kiss?
12:57Lily gave Andrew a shy look and he gazed back at her with all the warmth and affection in his
13:02eyes.
13:03The timing was just right.
13:05Suddenly, I stood up, my three-inch heels clicking loudly as I strode confidently onto the stage.
13:11I snatched the mic from the MC, took a deep breath and said,
13:14Hi everyone, I'm Charlotte, the groom's ex-girlfriend.
13:17I'm here to offer my blessings today and I'd like you all to check out this video.
13:21As soon as I finished speaking, the video I'd prepared started playing on the big screen.
13:26Today's my 28th birthday.
13:28I, Andrew Turner, want to ask Charlotte to spend the rest of my life with me.
13:31Next came the audio clip I'd secretly recorded of Andrew sweet-talking Lily over the phone.
13:36Darling, I'm busy right now.
13:38How could I not love you?
13:39I married you, didn't I?
13:41The guests kept their eyes glued to the big screen, watching the drama unfold.
13:45She must be kidding, right?
13:47The MC turned pale.
13:49Well, now you all see what the real Andrew is like.
13:53One minute, he's putting on this big show of devotion for me,
13:56and the next, he's secretly tying the knot with someone else.
14:00If I were a man, I'd want two wives, too.
14:05Why are you doing this to me?
14:06You wicked bitch!
14:08I'm sick!
14:11All I ever wanted was a family with him!
14:14Do you have to ruin that?
14:16Oh, being sick is your excuse for stealing someone's man?
14:20For slapping your own name on someone else's design?
14:23If you really made this dress yourself, then how do you explain that painfully tight waist?
14:28I just put on a few pounds, that's all.
14:31Oh, you gained weight, but the bust is still loose.
14:35What's this fabric called?
14:37How many crystals did you stitch on it?
14:40Do you even have a clue?
14:42You made me sell you the wedding dress I made for myself,
14:45and now you're showing off my work as if you crafted it,
14:49basking in the glory of someone else's effort.
14:53And Lily just stared at me, terrified and utterly speechless.
14:56That's enough!
14:57Andrew shouted suddenly.
14:59He came over and gave me a shove, still recovering and a bit unsteady from my illness.
15:03My ankle twisted, and I nearly fell.
15:05Andrew's eyes flickered, and for a moment he seemed about to help,
15:08but he held himself back.
15:09Please, can't we deal with this somewhere private later?
15:13The guests started murmuring and gasping.
15:15There were quite a few guests here who were classmates and friends of both me and Andrew.
15:20I had no idea what kind of story he'd spun for them before today.
15:23Meanwhile, Lily's family and friends were really starting to get riled up.
15:27What do you mean, Andrew?
15:29Are you admitting it's true?
15:31Boy, I watched you grow up.
15:32How could you propose to one girl and then marry Lily?
15:35What do you take our family for?
15:37People were swarming the stage, demanding answers.
15:39I got what I came for.
15:41I gave my aching ankle a quick rub and headed out.
15:43I stepped back into the place Andrew and I used to call home.
15:46It had been years, and his traces were everywhere.
15:49It was funny.
15:50He'd started a whole new life with another woman,
15:52and yet so much of his stuff is still lying around here.
15:55I spent the entire afternoon clearing out every last thing of Andrew's.
15:59I tracked down one of his friends to get his new address,
16:02and then hired a moving company to haul all of his stuff over there.
16:05I had just gotten home when Andrew appeared out of nowhere.
16:08You could tell he had just come out of a fiasco,
16:10and definitely the one who had gotten the short end of the stick.
16:13He followed me inside, froze on the spot,
16:16and stared wide-eyed around the now empty house.
16:19His face then contorted with rage.
16:22Seriously, Charlotte?
16:23What the hell is up with you today?
16:25Didn't we have a deal?
16:26I stepped back a bit, keeping some distance between us.
16:29A deal?
16:30What kind of deal did we actually make?
16:33Did I say I'd sit quietly and let your sweet little wedding go off without a hitch?
16:38Or was I supposed to fake a smile and wish you and your new wife all the best?
16:42I fired back.
16:44I went through the drama and spent hours gutting his things from my place.
16:47Now I found myself eerily calm.
16:49Andrew's face got even darker.
16:51He grabbed my shoulders and pinned me hard against the wall.
16:54After all I've said, you still don't get it?
16:57I told you.
16:58Being with her is just for show.
17:00I only pretended to care she'll get better, and then I'll come back to you.
17:05Charlotte, you're the one I really want as my wife.
17:08He said.
17:10Girlfriend?
17:11Really?
17:13The moment you got that marriage license with her, we were done.
17:16I said.
17:17I braced myself against the freezing wall, forcing out a cold, mocking smile.
17:22We're done?
17:22Andrew echoed.
17:23He stood there, totally dazed for a couple seconds, and then suddenly, he started to yell.
17:29No way!
17:30Breaking up isn't just your decision, Charlotte.
17:32I'm not letting you walk away like that!
17:35I couldn't help but laugh at how reasonable he thought he was.
17:38Don't make me laugh.
17:40Legally, you're her husband now, and you just held a big wedding for the whole world to see.
17:44Now you show up in front of me, do you want to cheat behind her back?
17:47I asked.
17:48With that, I shoved him off me hard.
17:50I added.
17:52You said that you loved her while I was stuck in that hospital bed.
17:56You said there's no way you'd marry her if you didn't.
18:01I must say, I'm impressed by how you were able to fall in love with two women.
18:07I, I...
18:08Andrew stammered, completely lost for words.
18:10I strode straight to the door, threw it open.
18:13Enough already.
18:15Chasing after your ex on your wedding day?
18:18Shame on you.
18:20Lily's so crazy about you.
18:22Guess she'll just shrug this off like it's no big, big deal.
18:24Why don't you just go home to her and play the devoted husband?
18:28The door slammed behind him with a bang, and finally, I felt like I could breathe again.
18:33I crashed for a nap, and when I woke up, it was dark.
18:36I checked the clock.
18:37It turned out it was still early.
18:39It wasn't evening.
18:40The sky was just packed solid with dark clouds, and soon, the rain started pouring down.
18:45Suddenly, my phone lit up with a call from an unknown number, worried it might be a client.
18:50I picked up.
18:53Hello, is this Miss Charlotte Quinn from apartment 16006?
18:57Your boyfriend's been hanging around the security booth.
19:00I told him to go home, but he said you wouldn't let him in.
19:03Look, whatever drama's going on, you two really need to sort it out yourselves.
19:07The guy said, it was the security guard from the front gate.
19:10No wonder I thought I heard someone pounding on the door while I was napping.
19:13But I was sleepy, so I ignored it.
19:16Well, I'm single right now and have no boyfriend.
19:21If you mean Andrew Lane, he's married to someone else.
19:24If you need to bother his wife, here's her number.
19:26I told him the number.
19:28The guard clearly wasn't expecting that.
19:30I ended the call.
19:31I had no idea how a cheater had the nerve to shamelessly pester me like he was in the right.
19:35I had no clue if Andrew ever actually left or not.
19:38But for the next week, he blew up my phone non-stop.
19:41I blocked him.
19:42But I saw him lurking around outside the apartment complex.
19:45Thank God I decked out head to toe in a sun jacket and mask and slipped past him.
19:49Meanwhile, a bunch of our mutual friends started blowing up my phone too.
19:53Some were genuinely worried, checking in to see how I was holding up.
19:57But honestly, most of them were basically acting as Andrew's personal PR team.
20:01I blocked every one of those too.
20:03We could really see people's true colors when things got ugly.
20:06Since they were still trying to get me to forgive him after all this crap,
20:09then they weren't my friends anymore.
20:11I took some time off work.
20:12My boss heard the whole story and felt pity for me.
20:15Take every vacation day you have.
20:17It just wasn't good for me to keep staying locked up at home,
20:20especially since every corner was filled with memories of Andrew.
20:23Even after I'd packed away all his belongings,
20:25the memories just wouldn't leave me alone.
20:27I signed up for a group headed to see the Northern Lights,
20:30and the very next evening, I slipped away into the night.
20:33For the next two weeks, I couldn't receive any calls from home.
20:37All I did was lose myself completely in the comfort of travel.
20:40Back when Andrew and I planned our honeymoon,
20:42I had wanted him to join me to see the Northern Lights,
20:44a dream I'd held onto for so many years.
20:47He'd hugged me close, his face full of hope.
20:49When we're old, we can look back at them together.
20:52But in the end, when I finally witnessed the Northern Lights, I was there alone.
20:56Due to the trip, my thoughts settled and my mood lifted.
20:59And even my body, beat and drained from that last illness, finally bounced back.
21:04However, I'd barely stepped off the jet bridge after that brutal flight.
21:07Over ten hours, when cops and airport staff blocked my path in the arrivals corridor.
21:13Are you Miss Charlotte Quinn?
21:15One of the cops asked.
21:16He scrutinized me for a moment, clearly matching my face to whatever photo he had in the system.
21:21I thought nervously about whether or not I had broken the law.
21:24I passed over my ID to him, palms slick with sweat.
21:28Only then did the cops start explaining what was going on.
21:31Good to see you're okay.
21:32He said.
21:32But why would you travel overseas all alone without telling anyone?
21:36Do you have any idea how worried your family was?
21:40Family?
21:41I echoed, caught off guard.
21:43My parents split up when I was just a kid.
21:45They both built new lives, started new families, and had new kids.
21:49My mom's side even moved abroad to settle down.
21:52I didn't think they would ever be worried enough about me to call the cops.
21:55Seeing how confused I looked, the younger cop kindly leaned in to explain the situation to me.
22:00Actually, it was your boyfriend, Mr. Andrew Lane.
22:03He said he couldn't get in touch with you for a whole month.
22:06When he went to your apartment and found nobody there, he came to the police crying, convinced something bad must
22:11have happened to you.
22:12So it was Andrew again.
22:14My mood nose-dived.
22:15I hated it when he kept haunting me.
22:17The peace I'd found on my trip suddenly felt smothered, like someone had shoved a wad of cotton into my
22:22chest and left me gasping for air.
22:24I'm really sorry for taking up your time, I said.
22:27I apologize for whatever trouble he caused.
22:30And just so you know, he's not my boyfriend.
22:33This whole situation is making me seriously uneasy.
22:35I just want to go home now.
22:37I rubbed my temples and started dragging my suitcase toward the exit, but the elder cop stopped me, blocking my
22:42way.
22:43Please wait a moment.
22:44He said.
22:44We've already informed Mr. Lane.
22:46We need to wait for him to arrive before you can leave.
22:49I felt like shit, but I wasn't about to argue with the cops.
22:52I just stood there, waiting quietly.
22:54It didn't take more than a few minutes before Andrew came running over.
22:57His hair was a mess.
22:59His face was flushed beet red, and he couldn't stop panting, looking completely frantic.
23:04The moment his eyes landed on me, they lit up like fireworks.
23:08God, I'm so glad you're okay.
23:10I was really scared.
23:11I thought something terrible happened.
23:13Without thinking, he rubbed my hand tightly.
23:17Charlotte, next time you head off somewhere far, at least drop me a message.
23:21He added.
23:21Do you have any idea how worried I've been all this time?
23:23His eyes were red, like he'd either cried or hadn't slept for days.
23:27He definitely looked thinner than before, worn out, with stubble he hadn't bothered to shave.
23:32You know, young lady, your boyfriend clearly cares a whole lot about you.
23:36Next time, maybe let him know you're safe, alright?
23:40All of a sudden, everyone was looking at me like I was just some bratty, unreasonable girl stirring up trouble.
23:45I whipped out my phone and showed the cops Andrew's old marriage license post on social media.
23:50I said,
23:51If you run his info, you'll see he's already married.
23:54This married guy won't leave me alone, keeps pestering me.
23:56And now he's using the police to dig into my whereabouts.
24:00Honestly, I feel seriously threatened by all this.
24:03I reported him to the cops, making it crystal clear just how messed up all that was.
24:08The elder cop's face went stiff.
24:09He double-checked the marriage license and then stared at Andrew, his disbelief written all over his face.
24:15What do you think you're doing?
24:16I'm warning you right now.
24:18This kind of behavior is straight up illegal.
24:20Public resources aren't here for you to abuse like some psycho stalker.
24:24The other cop was quickly on guard and moved to stand by my side.
24:27He said,
24:28Ms. Quinn, I apologize for all this.
24:30I'll personally see you home and we'll be taking this man in.
24:32He won't bother you again.
24:34Andrew was taken aside by the cops for a stern warning.
24:37I turned down the young officer's kind offer to escort me and grabbed a cab home on my own.
24:41I figured after all that mess, Andrew would finally stop bothering me.
24:45At the very least, I thought I'd get a break from him for a while.
24:48But when I got home from work the next day, I was totally surprised.
24:52Andrew had somehow let himself into my apartment, wearing an apron, and had cooked a whole feast of all my
24:58favorite dishes.
24:59Back when things were sweet between us, it was almost always me doing the cooking.
25:03Him in the kitchen?
25:04That was a rare sight.
25:05Hey, you're back.
25:06Did you rest well last night?
25:08Jet lag must be brutal after coming back.
25:10Andrew said.
25:11He hurried over and tried to take my coat and bag, all eager to help.
25:14But I ignored him, quietly putting my things away, not giving him a glance.
25:18He withdrew his hand, looking a bit embarrassed.
25:20Andalou, dinner's just ready. Come eat while it's hot.
25:23I didn't move, but just gave him a cold glare with a furrowed brow.
25:27How the hell did you get into my place?
25:29You do know breaking in is illegal, right?
25:32Are you seriously trying to get me to call the cops?
25:35I asked, voice icy.
25:37Panic and helplessness flashed across Andrew's face.
25:40He quickly shook his head.
25:42I'm sorry.
25:43I know it was wrong.
25:45I just tried your favorite celebrity's birthday as the code, and it actually worked.
25:50Please, just forgive me this once, okay?
25:52Okay?
25:52Don't call the cops.
25:53He pleaded.
25:55Please leave my home now.
25:57I'm busy and have no time to put up with a stranger.
26:00I said coldly.
26:01Maybe calling him a stranger cut Andrew deep.
26:03He flinched, his whole body wobbling for a moment.
26:06He reached out and grabbed my wrist, a look of desperation flashing in his eyes.
26:10He said, I'm sorry.
26:13I know I completely lost it before.
26:16I've been thinking a lot lately.
26:17I was so panicked because of Lily that I just acted recklessly.
26:21I screwed up, and I'm really sorry.
26:23Please, just give me one more shot.
26:26Andrew got more and more worked up.
26:29I'll find a way to talk to her and finally put an end to this messy marriage.
26:33If it were in the past, I'd have probably melted seeing him cry like that,
26:37hugging him, forgiving everything in an instant.
26:39But now, I didn't even know how much of what he said was true anymore.
26:44No need, I replied coldly.
26:46Let me make myself clear, Andrew.
26:48I don't love you anymore, and I'm not marrying you, I added.
26:52Andrew panicked and got closer, pulling me into a hug.
26:55Don't, Charlotte, please.
26:57I love you.
26:59I really do.
27:01It's only these past few days that I've realized how much I need you in my life.
27:05You have no idea how I've been surviving every single day.
27:08He begged.
27:10So what about Lily?
27:12Didn't you say you loved her yourself?
27:15That's what you told Peter, remember?
27:17Don't tell me you were even lying to your friend, I said.
27:20As I spoke, I shot Andrew a sarcastic glare.
27:22He explained.
27:24No, you just don't get it.
27:25Lily had just been released from the hospital after trying to end her life.
27:29She was crying her eyes out, saying that she'd only ever love me, and that she'd rather die than live
27:34without me.
27:35I got dragged into her storm, and honestly, I even tricked myself into believing I loved her for a while.
27:41Andrew kept staring at me, desperate for me to believe him.
27:44His arms clamped around me so tightly that it actually hurt, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't
27:49break free.
27:50I just sighed and said,
27:51Just let me go first, will you?
27:53Don't touch me.
27:55Okay, okay, I'm sorry.
27:57Andrew murmured.
27:57He finally snapped out of it and quickly let go of me, but just then, his phone rang.
28:02He answered it with obvious irritation.
28:04What?
28:04I'm busy right now.
28:05Don't, I'm-
28:06Suddenly, his face went stiff, and panic flickered hard in his eyes.
28:12Yeah, yeah, I heard you.
28:14I'm coming now.
28:16He stammered.
28:16He fumbled to hang up and then shot me a silent, uneasy look.
28:19I didn't even need to ask.
28:21I already knew who was on the other end.
28:23Hurry up and go.
28:24She's your wife, remember?
28:26Andrew pleaded, his lips trembling.
28:28I'll be back as soon as I can.
28:30Wait for me, please.
28:31He barely hesitated before throwing open the door and rushing out in a panic.
28:34I watched his figure vanish and let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of disappointment settle in.
28:40When it came down to it, he'd never truly pick me.
28:42Not once.
28:43That night, I ended up eating dinner alone.
28:45After all, I wasn't about to let good food go to waste.
28:49And honestly, since we hadn't officially broken up yet, I figured I might as well treat it like a breakup
28:54meal.
28:54From that moment on, I decided I was done with Andrew.
28:57No more ties.
28:58No more drama.
28:59After that day, Andrew just disappeared.
29:01He didn't show up in front of me again.
29:03And for a solid week, he stayed radio silent.
29:06The daily bombardment of calls and messages that used to drive me nuts had stopped cold.
29:11Then, out of nowhere, our mutual friend Peter called me.
29:14I knew right away what was coming.
29:17It's about Lily, I said.
29:19Peter was silent for a few seconds.
29:20He finally sighed.
29:22She's gone.
29:23He added.
29:24She tried to end her life before, but never like that.
29:27After she married Andrew, everything just spiraled.
29:30Her episodes got way worse.
29:32Andrew kept looking for you like crazy, couldn't eat, and couldn't sleep.
29:37And Lily?
29:38She couldn't cope either.
29:40She just started to unravel alongside him.
29:42That day, Andrew went to your apartment again, and Lily couldn't get through to him.
29:45She broke down, went up to the roof, and she jumped.
29:48By the time she got to the hospital, it was already too late.
29:51Letting it all sink in, Andrew's reckless, immature choices ended up hurting all of us.
29:56Me, himself, and even more, Lily, who had already been so fragile.
30:00Peter continued in a low voice.
30:02The funeral's this afternoon.
30:03I really hope you can make it.
30:05Andrew needs someone there for him.
30:07Honestly, I'm still mad at him for what he did.
30:09But he looks like he's falling apart, like he's dead on his feet.
30:13I'm worried about him.
30:14Please, just come.
30:15I remembered how Peter had scolded Andrew, standing up for me.
30:18I appreciated it more than I could say.
30:21At a moment like that, there was no way I could turn him down, I said softly.
30:25All right, just drop me location.
30:27I'll head over this afternoon.
30:29I made sure to show up a little late.
30:31I was pretty sure Lily's family wouldn't want to see me there.
30:34Honestly, even though I'd hated her, and was still pissed about everything she'd pulled,
30:39she was gone.
30:40And there was no point in stirring up drama at her funeral.
30:43When I walked in, only Andrew was there.
30:46He just stared at Lily's photo, completely frozen like a statue.
30:50There was no telling what was running through his head right then.
30:53I walked over and lightly patted him on the shoulder.
30:56I muttered,
30:56Andrew, are you okay?
30:59She's gone.
31:00I doubt she'd want to be trapped in heartbreak forever.
31:04Whether it was my words or my touch, Andrew shuddered violently all of a sudden.
31:08He snapped his head around to look at me.
31:10A look of disbelief written all over his face.
31:13His eyes were puffy and red.
31:15He looked like he'd cried for days.
31:17Then before I could say anything else, Andrew hugged me tight,
31:21his whole body trembling.
31:23Andrew's voice was raw with emotion.
31:26Charlotte, you didn't give up on me, right?
31:30I still have you.
31:32Looking at him now, like the walking dead,
31:35I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him.
31:38Honestly, seeing anyone fall apart like that would make me feel bad for them.
31:42I replied,
31:44No, Andrew.
31:46I only came because Peter let me know what happened.
31:49I'm just here to pay my respects and hope you pull yourself out of this and move forward.
31:53But you came because you were worried about me, right?
31:56I'd show up for any friend in your shoes.
31:57I pulled his arms away and stepped back.
32:00Your wife's photo is still here.
32:01Let's not do this now, okay?
32:02When I mentioned Lily's photo, Andrew's face just fell apart.
32:07He gripped his head with both hands.
32:09He murmured,
32:22Seeing Andrew sobbing like that,
32:24I just felt a mix of pity and helplessness.
32:27I said,
32:28If only you'd been decisive about your feelings from the start instead of wavering between us.
32:32And if you had talked things through with Lily,
32:34maybe she never would have gone down that path.
32:37I looked at Andrew, disappointed and resigned.
32:40I added,
32:42It was your irresponsibility and wishful thinking that led to this, Andrew.
32:45You only thought about yourself and never once did you consider what it was like for any of us.
32:49That's it.
32:49From now on, we're just strangers.
32:51All our memories are nothing but pain.
32:52I really hope you figure things out and learn to be a decent person.
32:55Don't let anyone else down like this again.
32:57With that, I turned and walked away, never once looking back.
33:00No, Charlotte, please don't leave me.
33:03Andrew begged.
33:04Even when I was dozens of feet away,
33:05his broken cries still reached me.
33:08Faint, but gutting.
33:09But I didn't stop.
33:10I was sure that for both of us there was no turning back.
33:13Three weeks after the funeral the story got out.
33:16I never found out who leaked it.
33:17A guest from the wedding, or one of Lily's friends,
33:20or just someone with a phone and a grudge.
33:23All I know is that I woke up one morning to a hundred notifications,
33:26and by noon the whole city had an opinion about Charlotte Quinn,
33:30the bride who got left at the marriage bureau,
33:32and then turned her ex's wedding into a circus.
33:35The clip from the big screen was everywhere.
33:37The audio too.
33:38Him calling Lily the love of his life
33:40and then calling me darling in the same breath.
33:42People I had not spoken to since high school were tagging me,
33:45calling me brave.
33:46I did not feel brave.
33:48I felt done.
33:49Then Lily's parents gave an interview.
33:51I watched it at lunch, alone in the break room.
33:54Lily's mother looked ten years older than she had at the wedding.
33:56My daughter had been sick.
33:59Andrew married her like she was a charity case and a shield.
34:02Then spent the marriage running after Charlotte instead of getting her real help.
34:07My girl didn't kill herself.
34:09Andrew's lies killed her.
34:11Some of it was not fair.
34:12Lily had made choices too.
34:14But I remembered Andrew's voice at my door.
34:16She's sick.
34:17Charlotte will understand.
34:19And I thought.
34:20He built his whole life on other people's patience.
34:22The world runs out.
34:24His office put him on leave.
34:25Then let him go.
34:26The friends who had spent a month playing his PR team went quiet one by one.
34:30The way people do when loyalty starts costing something.
34:33Peter called though.
34:34Peter always called.
34:35He's not eating.
34:36He keeps saying that if you would just forgive him, everything would fix itself.
34:41Charlotte, I'm tired.
34:42I've been tired for months.
34:44I don't know how you lasted ten years.
34:45Neither do I.
34:46I said.
34:47I did not feel sorry for him.
34:49I had cried at Lily's funeral.
34:50For a girl who had been handed a loaded gun and told it was a ring.
34:54For Andrew, I felt nothing but a distant relief that he was finally someone else's problem.
34:58The funny thing about the story going viral was that it was good for business.
35:02My boss, who had handed me every vacation day without a question,
35:06came to my desk with a printed email.
35:08New York Bridal Week, my boss said.
35:10They want a designer with a story.
35:11I told them you.
35:13Your story.
35:13The one you survived.
35:15If I were you, I'd make it about second chances.
35:17That night I sat on the floor of my apartment with a sketchbook.
35:20The apartment where Andrew had once cooked me dinner and cried,
35:23and promised to leave his wife.
35:25Past midnight I stopped sketching other people's weddings and started sketching my own.
35:29The one I had planned with him for years.
35:31I tore out the page and drew a bride with no groom beside her.
35:35Just her, standing in the light, alone, and fine with it.
35:39I named the collection, Chapter 2.
35:41New York in the spring was louder and dirtier and more beautiful than the movies.
35:45And for the first three days I was sure I had made a mistake.
35:48The other designers had teams and mood boards, and interns who fetched their coffee.
35:52I had a suitcase and a sketchbook.
35:55The show was called, Chapter 2.
35:56Every dress was for a woman who had to start over.
35:59A bride in ivory, whose husband had died.
36:02A bride in pale gold, whose first wedding was a mistake she was still paying for.
36:06A bride with no veil, because she was not hiding from anything anymore.
36:10I had poured four months of grief and anger and, slowly, peace, into those seams.
36:16And on the morning of the show I stood backstage and watched strangers touch the fabric like
36:20it meant something.
36:21That was where I met Noah.
36:23He was the photographer the magazine had sent.
36:25Tall, quiet, the kind of face you forget until he smiles.
36:29I noticed him because of a model, a plus-size girl near tears because the sample did not fit.
36:34The dress is wrong, Noah said, crouching to her eye level.
36:37Not you.
36:38The dress.
36:40They'll fix it, and if they don't, I'll burn this place down and we'll say it was a gas leak.
36:44The girl laughed so hard she snorted.
36:46I laughed, too, from across the room.
36:48And he looked up and caught me.
36:50And something in his eyes said he had been waiting for me to laugh all along.
36:54I kept my distance after that.
36:55I was good at it by then.
36:57I had built a whole life out of polite smiles and closed doors and sketchbooks full of other
37:01people's happiest days.
37:02He did not push.
37:04He shot the show, then me backstage, and I forgot about him until an envelope arrived
37:09at my hotel the next morning.
37:10It was a single print.
37:11Me, in the empty venue after everyone had left, sitting on the edge of the stage, shoes off,
37:17hair down, laughing at something I could not even remember.
37:20I looked the way I used to look before Andrew, the way I had looked when I still believed
37:25the world was mostly kind, on the back, in pencil.
37:28Keep this one.
37:29It's you.
37:30I kept it.
37:30I told myself it was for the collection.
37:32It was not.
37:33Noah did not call it dating.
37:35He said he was, in the neighborhood.
37:37So often I started to suspect he had moved into mine.
37:40He showed up at the studio with two coffees.
37:43Mine made the way I liked it, which I had never told him.
37:46He sent photographs of ordinary things, with notes that said, for your next collection,
37:51or, thought of you.
37:52I told him about Andrew on a Tuesday, walking by the river, not all of it.
37:56Ten years.
37:57I said.
37:58High school and college, and the apartment, and the meals I cooked, and the license he
38:03never came to get, and the wedding where he married someone else, and the dress I made.
38:06Noah listened.
38:07He did not interrupt.
38:09Did not try to fix it.
38:10Did not tell me Andrew was garbage, and I was better off.
38:12When I finished, he said,
38:14That wasn't love, Charlotte.
38:16I know.
38:17Good.
38:18Then you're ahead of most people.
38:19He walked me to my door and said goodnight like it was easy.
38:22Goodnight, Charlotte.
38:22I stood in the hallway with my hand on my chest, my heart doing something it had not
38:27done in years.
38:28Home, meanwhile, was burning itself down without me.
38:31Lily's parents had found a lawyer who called the marriage fraud with a ring, and the internet
38:35convicted Andrew before any judge did.
38:38He lost the house, the job, the friends, one by one, until only Peter remained, out of
38:43guilt as much as loyalty.
38:45He's talking about coming to find you.
38:46Peter said.
38:47Charlotte, he's not right in the mind.
38:49He says if he can just see you, you'll remember.
38:52Remember what?
38:53That he left me at the marriage bureau?
38:56I remember it fine.
38:57I should have known he would come anyway.
38:59He found me at the after party of my second show.
39:02I was talking to a buyer when the room went quiet.
39:04He was thinner, older, his good suit hanging off him, his eyes red.
39:09He dropped to his knees in the middle of the floor and pulled out a ring box.
39:12Charlotte, I never stopped loving you.
39:14One more chance.
39:16I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.
39:18Ten years earlier, that would have been the happiest moment of my life.
39:22Six months earlier, it would have gutted me.
39:25Now I looked down at a man who had proposed to me, then to Lily, then to me again.
39:29Like love was a parking spot you could circle forever.
39:32And I felt tired.
39:34Stand up, Andrew.
39:35Please.
39:36I've lost everything.
39:37My job, the house.
39:38You're all I have left.
39:39No.
39:40You're all you have left.
39:41And you spent ten years making sure that was true.
39:43Phones came out.
39:44I did not care.
39:45Let them watch the girl who waited all day at the marriage bureau finally stop waiting.
39:49You proposed to me on my birthday, and I said yes.
39:52Then you proposed to Lily on the day we were supposed to sign.
39:55I was never your plan, Andrew.
39:57I was your parking spot.
39:58Something in his face shifted.
40:00Grief curdling into anger.
40:02The mask slipping the way it always did when he did not get what he wanted.
40:06You did this to me.
40:07You and your pride.
40:08If you had just...
40:09Security.
40:10I said.
40:11They carried him out still shouting.
40:12I excused myself to the bathroom and sat on the floor and shook for a while.
40:17Not from sadness, but from the ridiculous relief of it being over.
40:21When I came out, Noah was waiting by the door.
40:23He just held out his hand and I took it, and we walked out into the night.
40:27That spring, Noah asked me to come to Iceland with him.
40:30Come to Iceland with me.
40:32Not a date.
40:33An assignment.
40:34He was shooting the Aurora for a magazine, and he needed someone to carry the lenses and
40:38tell him which shots were ugly.
40:41Yes.
40:41Before I could talk myself out of it.
40:43On the plane, I was quiet too long.
40:45Talk to me.
40:46He said.
40:47I've seen the lights once before.
40:50After everything with Andrew.
40:52I went alone, the way I had planned to go with him.
40:55I stood in the snow by myself and watched the sky turn green, and I thought, well...
41:01At least the sky kept its promise.
41:04Noah was quiet for a long time.
41:06Then we'll make this one ours.
41:08A new picture.
41:09The lights came on our third night, when I had almost given up.
41:13We had stood in the dark for hours, breath frosting, feet numb, and then the sky opened,
41:18green and purple and silver, rolling like something was breathing behind it.
41:22I forgot to be careful.
41:23I grabbed his arm and laughed and cried a little, and he did not take a single photograph.
41:28He just stood there, watching me watch the sky.
41:30On the flight home, I started sketching.
41:33A dress.
41:33White.
41:34But not the kind of white that means untouched.
41:36Silver thread through the hem like light.
41:38Like the sky that night.
41:40Like a promise I had once made to myself standing alone in the snow.
41:44It was the first wedding dress I had designed for myself since the one I sold to Andrew.
41:48I did not know who for.
41:49I just knew I was making it.
41:51I did not tell him.
41:52I wanted to see if he would still be there when I was ready.
41:55He was.
41:56The morning we went to get our marriage license, I woke at 5 and could not go back to sleep.
42:01Old habits.
42:02The body remembers what the mind tries to forget.
42:05I sat on the edge of the bed, coffee going cold,
42:08checking my phone every 30 seconds for the text that never came 10 years ago.
42:12At 8 the door opened.
42:13Noah, 5 minutes late, 2 coffees in his hands and a paper bag from the bakery on the corner,
42:19hair still wet.
42:20You're late, I said.
42:225 minutes, there was a line.
42:235 minutes.
42:24I repeated, and started laughing and could not stop, and he set the coffee down and held
42:29me until I did.
42:30At the city hall, a bride handed candies to the couples, just like the ones who had been
42:35there the day I sat on a bench alone.
42:37She held out the box to us.
42:38All my candies are for couples.
42:40She said.
42:40I took two.
42:41I signed my name next to his, and it did not feel like a gamble.
42:45It felt like breathing out.
42:473 months later we had a small wedding by the lake.
42:49I wore the dress with the silver hem, the one I had started on the plane home from Iceland.
42:54My mother flew in, the mother I had not seen in years, and cried into my shoulder, sorry
42:59for all the years she missed.
43:01I cried too, because I had been waiting for that apology as well.
43:04Peter cried harder than both of us.
43:06The ceremony was short, and Noah's hands shook when he put the ring on my finger, and I loved
43:11him for it.
43:12Andrew was not there.
43:13He was not even in the same country.
43:15Peter had told me that Andrew moved back to his hometown, a small job at his uncle's
43:19shop, therapy twice a week.
43:21He asked Peter to tell me he was sorry and that he would not look for me again.
43:25He's not the man you knew.
43:26Peter said carefully.
43:27Well, maybe he is, and he's trying.
43:29I don't know.
43:30I'm tired of keeping score.
43:32Then stop.
43:33It was never your score to keep.
43:34I had stopped keeping score months before, somewhere between the Aurora and the after
43:39party, and a Tuesday walk by the river.
43:41Andrew had taken ten years from me, and I had gotten them back one ordinary day at a time.
43:46That night, after the last guest left and the lake went dark, we sat in the kitchen of
43:51our small house in our wedding clothes, eating leftover cake with our hands.
43:55Noah got down on one knee.
43:57You already signed the paper.
43:58It's a little late for this.
43:59He pulled out a ring, not the one from the ceremony, a different one, small and plain,
44:04catching the light like water.
44:06I was going to do this in Iceland, but I wanted it to be today.
44:09Why today?
44:10Because ten years ago today, some idiot proposed to someone else on the day he was supposed
44:13to marry you.
44:14I wanted you to have a better memory of this day.
44:16I wanted you to know I chose you, on purpose, every day, on purpose.
44:20I did not answer right away.
44:22I looked at this patient, ordinary, extraordinary man who had never once made me feel like a backup
44:28plan, and I thought about the versions of myself who had gotten me there, the girl on
44:32the bench, the woman in the hospital bed, the designer on the stage, the one who had
44:37stood alone under a green sky and decided she was enough.
44:40Then I took the ring, put it on, kissed him, and said,
44:45Yes, and I'll choose you back, every day, on purpose.
44:49Ten years I gave to a man who proposed to someone else on the day we were meant to wed.
44:54It took me a while to learn the difference between love and a habit that hurts.
44:57But I know it now.
44:59Love is not the grandest gesture.
45:01It is the person who shows up on an ordinary Tuesday, and then the next, and then every
45:06day after that, until forever stops being a word, and starts being a life.
45:11Noah proposed to me in our kitchen, on the day we wed.
45:14And this time, when the ring came out, no one else in the whole world was getting one.