- 21 hours ago
I Was Never Adopted HD
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00I hadn't spoken to my parents in 10 years.
00:02Not since the day they screamed at me to get lost and never come back.
00:06So when my business partner told me the Brit Group, my father's company, had requested me.
00:11Personally as their wedding photographer, I almost laughed.
00:14Then I saw the groom's name, Jeffrey Beasley.
00:17The boy who used to climb over my backyard fence with candy in his pocket.
00:21The one who promised.
00:23When we grow up, I'll take you away from here.
00:26We'll see the world.
00:28He's marrying my sister.
00:32At the reception, my mother marched into my dressing room with tears in her eyes.
00:37Eileen!
00:38We raised you for 18 years!
00:40How can you be so heartless?
00:43I looked up at her, calm as ice.
00:46Mrs. Britt, please release me.
00:48I have work to do.
00:50Her face went ghost-white.good.
00:52Let her feel a fraction of what I felt at 12 years old.
00:55When they packed my bags and sent me to live alone in an old house.
00:58While my sister took my bedroom, my piano, my parents' love.
01:02But what they don't know yet, what none of them know, is that I'm not adopted at all.
01:06I'm their biological daughter.
01:08And today, I'm bringing the DNA proof to destroy a wedding.
01:12At a wedding shoot, I ran into my parents.
01:15I hadn't spoken to them for a decade.
01:17They were mingling with other guests, their smiles freezing the instant their eyes landed
01:22on me.
01:22Once the reception ended, they marched straight into the backstage dressing room.
01:26Why haven't you come home for the past 10 years?
01:29Mom blurted out her accusation.
01:31Her eyes were rimmed red as she glared at me.
01:33I didn't answer or look up.
01:35I focused on cleaning my camera lens.
01:37The next second, she stepped forward and seized my wrist.
01:40Her voice rose to a raw pitch.
01:42Yilin!
01:44We're your parents!
01:46We've raised you for 18 years!
01:50How can you be so heartless?
01:53I lifted my head with a frown.
01:55I was confused by her outburst.
01:5710 years ago, they were the ones who told me to get lost and never come back.
02:01I'd done exactly that.
02:02So what were they upset about now?
02:06Dad stood behind Mom.
02:08His eyes darted between my face and my camera equipment.
02:11He was clearly torn.
02:13After a moment, he spoke, as if grasping for a neutral topic.
02:17That's quite the camera, Eileen.
02:20It must have cost a lot, right?
02:21It's a tough business for a young woman.
02:23There was hesitation in his voice.
02:25You must be struggling.
02:26I remained silent.
02:28I screwed the lens cap on firmly.
02:31Infuriated by my lack of response, Mom tightened her grip on my wrist.
02:35Eileen!
02:37Are you even listening?
02:3910 years!
02:41Not a single call or message!
02:45What is wrong with you?
02:47Even a pet would show more gratitude!
02:50I studied her contorted expression.
02:52A sharp pain shot through my wrist.
02:56A decade had passed, yet their method of interrogation remained the same.
03:01I lifted my gaze.
03:02I spoke with deliberate calm.
03:04Mrs. Britt, please release me.
03:07I have work to do.
03:09She released my wrist as if burned.
03:12Mrs. Britt?
03:13She staggered back, all color draining from her face.
03:17I'm your mom!
03:19How dare you!
03:20Dad stepped in.
03:22He steadied her trembling shoulders.
03:24That's enough.
03:25Exhaustion and reproach heavy in his tone.
03:27Eileen, how can you speak to your mom like that?
03:29We realize there may have been misunderstandings back then, but she hasn't stopped missing you for the past 10 years.
03:38She's...
03:39I cut him off.
03:40There were no misunderstandings.
03:41My voice was soft as I placed the camera in its case.
03:44I followed your instructions.
03:46Get lost and never come back.
03:49I did exactly as you told me.
03:51I fixed my eyes on them with cold indifference.
03:53I stayed away for 10 years, just as you demanded.
03:57Their faces were ghastly pale.
03:59So what is this about?
04:00Mom's lips quivered.
04:01But before she could speak, Dad tightened his hold on her arm.
04:07Dad drew a shaky breath.
04:09He forced a strained, conciliatory smile.
04:12Ely, sorry.
04:14We shouldn't have said that back then.
04:17But we are family.
04:20Mel is getting married next month.
04:22You'll be there, right?
04:23If you don't want to attend as her sister, maybe you could photograph the wedding?
04:28I stared at them.
04:30I was struck by the sheer absurdity of it all.
04:32My schedule is booked.
04:34Please give Melanie my best wishes.
04:37I won't be intruding.
04:39With that, I turned and pushed open the door.
04:41The sound of Mom's broken accusations and Dad's frantic attempts to calm her faded behind me.
04:46I walked straight to the elevator without looking back.
04:49Only when the doors closed did I breathe a sigh of relief.
04:52I leaned against the cold metal wall.
04:54A dull ache began to throb at the base of my skull.
04:57It was a lingering after effect of a severe fever years ago.
05:00It always flared up on rainy days.
05:05Back at my temporary apartment, I finally unwound.
05:10My phone vibrated.
05:12It was Kimberly Cooley, my business partner.
05:15Ellie, the final payment for today's wedding just came through.
05:19Oh, about that couple who confronted you, is everything okay?
05:24They looked really upset.
05:25It's fine, I said, keeping my voice level.
05:28They're just my adoptive parents.
05:31Kimberly paused before replying.
05:33All right.
05:36Listen, we just got a very firm, non-negotiable collaboration request.
05:41From the Brit group.
05:42They're insisting you personally photograph a high-profile wedding.
05:46The Brit group was owned by my dad.
05:49A crushing sense of helplessness washed over me.
05:51My heart sank.
05:52Kimberly sounded worried.
05:54I'm afraid...
05:57We can't turn it down.
05:59I gripped the phone until my knuckles turned white.
06:02Ten years.
06:03I had thought I'd gone far enough to escape their shadow.
06:06Yet with a single move, they could still disrupt the life I had fought so hard to build.
06:12Understood, I said, my throat tight.
06:15Send me the details.
06:17Kimberly replied softly after a pause.
06:20Okay.
06:20The wedding itinerary arrived a few minutes later.
06:23When my eyes landed on the groom's name Jeffrey Beasley, the tears I'd held back all day finally fell.
06:32Jeffrey was the boy who had been my only comfort during the darkest years of my youth.
06:36Kimberly's message flashed again.
06:40Ellie, are you okay?
06:41Do you want me to come over?
06:43I took a deep breath.
06:44I wiped my face.
06:46I typed back.
06:47I'm fine.
06:49Please compile the client's specific requests.
06:51We'll discuss tomorrow morning.
06:53She replied quickly.
06:55Okay.
06:56Eileen, whatever you decide, I'm with you.
06:58I put the phone down and walked to the window.
07:00The night air was cool against my skin.
07:03It helped to clear the chaos in my mind.
07:05Jeffrey and I were so close once.
07:07He lived next door.
07:08We grew up together.
07:10Whenever I got scolded by my parents or pushed aside by Melanie Britt, I'd hide in the backyard and cry.
07:16He'd always climb over the low fence.
07:19Don't cry, A'Lili.
07:20Have this.
07:21He'd pull a piece of candy from his pocket like a magician.
07:24When we grow up, I'll take you away from here.
07:27We'll see the world.
07:31We'll both get into New York University.
07:34We'll always be together.
07:36Jeffrey was the only person who showed me kindness and care.
07:39He was the only one who, when the whole world made me feel worthless, would look me in the eye
07:43and say,
07:44You're good enough, A'Lili.
07:46You always have been.
07:48But now he was marrying Melanie.
07:50Memories, long held back, came rushing in.
07:54Until I was seven, I was the happiest child.
07:56When I was five, I got into a fight at preschool over a swing.
08:00I bit the other kid's arm.
08:01Terrified of getting in trouble, I hid under the slide in our complex after school.
08:06Dad found me.
08:07He wasn't angry.
08:08He actually whispered tips on how to win a fight next time.
08:12That evening, when mom found out, she made us both stand in the corner.
08:16Dad winked at me when she wasn't looking.
08:18I thought that warmth would last forever.
08:21Then, when I was seven, Melanie came home.
08:26I went from being their only child to being the adopted one.
08:29Melanie was three years older.
08:31She'd been kidnapped when she was three.
08:33With her return, my world was never the same.
08:35My parents had kept my adoption a secret.
08:38But, afraid Melanie would feel insecure, they told her the truth.
08:42One afternoon, she stood before me.
08:44Her voice was young but cold.
08:46Eileen, did you know?
08:48You're not their real daughter.
08:50They adopted you because I was gone.
08:53They were so sad without me, so they got you to take my place.
08:57They're my mom and dad.
08:59Not yours.
09:01For a moment, I was too shocked to move.
09:03Then I ran.
09:04I had to find my parents and hear them say it wasn't true.
09:07I prayed they would hug me and say,
09:09Don't listen to her nonsense, sweetheart.
09:11You're our baby girl.
09:12But mom looked away.
09:13Dad was silent for a long time before he confirmed it.
09:16Ely, it's true.
09:18We adopted you because we missed Mel so much, but we love you too.
09:22I hated that word in that moment.
09:24After that, nothing was the same.
09:28The carefree, mischievous girl vanished.
09:31I became quiet and cautious.
09:33I stopped laughing loudly.
09:34I stopped asking for things.
09:36At meals, I only took the food closest to me.
09:39I studied relentlessly.
09:40I brought home one award after another.
09:43I believed good girls didn't get abandoned.
09:45I learned to please them and Melanie.
09:47I gave her the new hair clip mom bought.
09:49I handed over the cool toy dad brought back from a business trip.
09:52But Melanie's eyes held nothing but resentment.
09:55No matter what I did, she saw me as the one who had stolen her life.
09:59And my parents' attention and affection poured almost entirely into their returned biological
10:03daughter.
10:04They worried she might feel insecure and neglected.
10:07So I, the adopted daughter, naturally became the one who could be overlooked.
10:12The atmosphere at home grew tense and heavy.
10:14I never stood in the corner with dad again.
10:16I was too afraid to make any mistake.
10:19I lived like a frightened bird.
10:20I was constantly terrified of being cast aside once more.
10:24Then, when I was 12, my worst fear came true.
10:30I got back from school that day to find Melanie in my room.
10:34She was holding my diary.
10:36What are you doing?
10:38I rushed to grab it back.
10:39She easily sidestepped me.
10:41A faint smirk played on her lips.
10:43Just seeing what my dear little sister writes about every day.
10:49I wish things were like before.
10:53Why don't mom and dad love me anymore?
10:56It's so unfair.
10:59Give it back!
11:00My voice trembled.
11:01That diary held all my secrets and my fragile side.
11:04She stood up.
11:05She held it above her head.
11:07Maybe mom and dad should see what their adopted daughter complains about every day.
11:11With that, she darted out of the room.
11:13The diary was in her hand.
11:16Mel!
11:16I chased after her.
11:18In the rush, she stumbled.
11:20Her foot caught.
11:21She tumbled down the stairs.
11:24Her scream echoed through the house.
11:29My parents burst from the study at the same time.
11:32Mom reached her first.
11:33When she saw Melanie's leg bent at an unnatural angle,
11:36she pointed a shaky finger straight at me.
11:39I was still standing at the top of the stairs.
11:41She pushed me!
11:44She blames me for everything in her diary!
11:46And now this!
11:47That's not true!
11:49I...
11:49I rushed to explain.
11:50Enough!
11:52Dad's roar was louder than I'd ever heard.
11:54Mom's gaze was icy.
11:56It frightened me.
11:58Diary?
11:59She read my diary without...
12:00I tried to explain.
12:02So you pushed her?
12:03Mom cut me off.
12:05Eileen, how could you be so cruel?
12:08I didn't push her!
12:09The tears finally spilled over.
12:11She fell!
12:12Still lying?
12:14Mom's hand came up.
12:16She struck my face hard.
12:19The sting on my cheek was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
12:22Dad stood behind her.
12:24Ellie.
12:26We always thought you were a sensible girl.
12:29His gaze was full of disappointment.
12:30Even though you're not our blood, we've never treated you poorly.
12:37But you.
12:40I said it wasn't me!
12:42My voice rose to a shout.
12:44Why won't you ever believe me?
12:47Believe you?
12:48A liar?
12:50Mom's laugh was cold.
12:52The ambulance arrived.
12:53As the paramedics carried Melanie down on a stretcher, she was still sobbing.
12:58Mom, I'm scared.
13:00Does Eileen hate me?
13:03Don't be afraid, sweetheart.
13:05I'm here.
13:06Mom held her hand tightly.
13:08She didn't once look back at me.
13:10My parents returned from the hospital late that night.
13:13I heard their footsteps stop outside my door.
13:16Mom pushed the door open.
13:19Pack your things.
13:20You're moving to the old house tomorrow.
13:22I stared, frozen.
13:24Then I dropped to my knees.
13:26No!
13:27Please, Mom, Dad, don't send me away!
13:31I'm sorry.
13:33I'll be good.
13:34I promise.
13:35Mel needs peace to recover.
13:37Mom looked down at me coldly.
13:39Seeing you will upset her.
13:41I won't bother her!
13:42I cried.
13:43I clutched at her legs.
13:45I can stay in the storage room.
13:47I can come home after you're all asleep.
13:49Please don't make me leave.
13:55Dad sighed.
13:57Eileen, this is for the best.
13:59For you and for this family.
14:01I won't go!
14:03This is my home!
14:05I was sobbing uncontrollably now.
14:07The housekeeper will bring meals each week.
14:10We'll transfer an allowance on time.
14:12I turned to Dad.
14:14I don't want money!
14:16I want you!
14:17I grasped his sleeve.
14:18Dad, you used to love me most.
14:21You said you'd always protect me.
14:24His voice was choked.
14:25Be reasonable, Eileen.
14:28Once Mel is feeling better...
14:29She'll never better!
14:30I screamed in despair.
14:32She's lying!
14:34Why won't you ever believe me?
14:36Eileen!
14:38If you make another scene, you can leave right now.
14:41I knelt on the floor.
14:42I looked at their distant looks.
14:44I finally understood what true hopelessness felt like.
14:47No matter how much I begged, they didn't want me anymore.
14:52The first night I moved into the old residence, I had a high fever.
14:56My forehead was burning.
14:57I shivered all over.
14:59I grabbed my phone and called my mom.
15:01Mom, I'm having a fever.
15:03I was so weak that my voice was hardly audible.
15:06There are fever reducers in the old house.
15:08Find them.
15:08Melanie has just undergone surgery.
15:11She needs a good rest.
15:12Knock it off.
15:13With that, mom hung up.
15:15Listening to the hang-up beeps, I felt a chill all over.
15:18It started raining outside.
15:19The rain splattered the window as if weeping for me.
15:22For the next week, I was invalid on the bed alone.
15:25The fever went back and forth.
15:26The housekeeper found something was wrong with me when she came to cook.
15:30She took me to the hospital.
15:31I lived all alone since I was 12 till I was 18.
15:36For parent-teacher conferences, the seat with my name on it was always empty.
15:41Melanie went to the same school as I did.
15:43Yet my parents always showed up for her.
15:46Sometimes, I ran into them in the hallway.
15:48Mom would look away with embarrassment.
15:50Dad would pretend he didn't see me.
15:52In those six years, Jeffrey was the only light ray in my life.
15:56He would secretly climb over the short wall of the old house and bring me snacks.
16:02Don't worry.
16:03Everything will be okay.
16:04He had comforted me.
16:06Eileen, let's apply to New York University together.
16:09In New York, no one can separate us.
16:12I had believed him.
16:13I studied as hard as I could.
16:15After the set, I walked past a downtown hotel.
16:18I saw a large, striking banner.
16:20Congratulations on Melanie Britt's good grades.
16:23My parents were receiving guests at the entrance.
16:25They were beaming.
16:27Melanie stood between them like a real princess, standing in a corner across the street.
16:31I watched this celebration that had nothing to do with me.
16:34I had thought I was dead inside.
16:36But why did it still hurt so much?
16:38It didn't matter though.
16:39I'd be gone soon anyway.
16:43The day I received the acceptance letter from the university, I opened it swiftly with
16:47excitement.
16:48But it was the badge of the USC that I saw.
16:50My blood turned cold instantly.
16:52I recalled my parents' odd behavior from several days ago.
16:56It dawned on me that they had altered my application form.
16:59I barged into the so-called home.
17:01It was the home from which I had been away for a long time.
17:04I slammed the letter on the coffee table.
17:05Why USC?
17:07I demanded.
17:08What's wrong with it?
17:09It's closed.
17:09Why did you change my application?
17:12Why?
17:13In a trembling voice, I snapped.
17:15Because we're your parents.
17:16Just then, Dad walked out of the study.
17:19He explained.
17:20Melanie also applied to New York University.
17:23With you around, she'll feel insecure.
17:28It's because of her again!
17:30The years of pent-up anger in my chest erupted.
17:32Her insecurity is the reason for everything!
17:36You said she read my diary because she felt insecure!
17:41She fell down the stairs because she felt insecure!
17:46Now, I have to go to a different university because she feels insecure!
17:54Eileen, mind your tone!
17:57What about my tone?
18:00What tone should I speak in?
18:03Tears streamed down my cheeks.
18:05I tried to hold them back.
18:06You kicked me out of the house when I was 12!
18:11You've neglected me for the past six years!
18:16Now, you're trying to destroy my future!
18:19What kind of parents are you?
18:21We've raised you for 18 years!
18:24Raise?
18:25It was more like charity!
18:28In your eyes, only Melanie is your daughter.
18:31I'm only an unwanted substitute!
18:34I wish you'd never adopted me!
18:38Get out!
18:39Since you hate us so much, don't ever come back again!
18:43I ran out.
18:44I sobbed in the rain until I was soaking wet.
18:47Why didn't they love me?
18:48Why was I adopted?
18:50Where were my biological parents?
18:52I cried and cried.
18:53At midnight, I snuck back for my ID.
18:56I happened to overhear my parents' conversation outside their bedroom.
19:02We shouldn't have told Mel that Ailey was adopted.
19:05But what's the point of being regretful now?
19:08I was too sad after Mel got lost.
19:11I didn't find out I was pregnant with Ellie.
19:15Mel was so sensitive when she returned.
19:18We could only lie that Ely was adopted.
19:21At least Ely was loved and happy before she was seven.
19:26But Mel couldn't be.
19:28She owes Mel.
19:30Stunned, I had to press my hands against the wall for support.
19:33My back slid down along the wall.
19:35It turned out I was their biological daughter.
19:37It turned out I had never stolen anybody's happy childhood.
19:41It was mine.
19:42Then, why did I have to suffer these years?
19:44That day, I left home and never came back.
19:46After I reached USC, I changed my phone number.
19:49I put my parents' contact information on the block list.
19:52Jeffrey and I went to different universities.
19:54Due to the distance, our relationship was nipped in the bud.
19:58Afterward, I heard that he had a girlfriend.
20:00Now, it seemed he was dating Melanie back then.
20:03I opened my eyes.
20:05I wiped my tearful face.
20:07The sight of the message stung.
20:08I wondered if Melanie knew the truth.
20:10But it didn't matter.
20:11I went to the drawer.
20:12I took the DNA test report done many years ago.
20:16Since they'd invited me, I'd go to the wedding.
20:18They destroyed my life for Melanie's happiness.
20:21I'd see how happy she was.
20:25The light from the glaring chandelier on the ceiling of the hotel hall spilled on the lens
20:30of my camera.
20:31It reflected my tense side face.
20:33My employee Fiona Blevins was crouching to open the device case.
20:37This was Melanie's wedding.
20:38Of course, the whole team should be here.
20:41I should have known better.
20:42Aline?
20:43Came a female voice, as sharp as a needle.
20:45My hands paused while holding the camera.
20:48When Melanie turned around, the skirt of her wedding dress swept across my feet.
20:52The pearls on the decoration hurt.
20:53Lifting her skirt with pale hands, she stared at me in disbelief.
20:57As if I were something filthy that had barged into her life.
21:00Jeffrey stood behind her.
21:02One of the buttons on the cuff of his sleeve was loose.
21:04Upon seeing me, he swiftly shifted his gaze to the dessert table far away.
21:09Who asked you to come?
21:11Melanie raised her voice and took a step forward.
21:13The guests all turned their heads to watch.
21:16You don't even have a decent job.
21:19You think you're good enough to be the photographer of my wedding?
21:26Frowning, Fiona attempted to step forward and make a retort.
21:29I pulled at her blouse gently.
21:31The coolness calmed me down a bit.
21:33My fingertip touched the camera belt.
21:35The host invited me.
21:37Melanie scoffed.
21:39The host?
21:40You mean my parents?
21:42Why would they invite an ingrate who refused to come home in the past 10 years?
21:47Her remarks hammered my heart.
21:49They caused a dull pain.
21:50The past flashed across my mind.
21:52One day, when I was 12, I had begged her on my knees not to tell on me.
21:57She had also smirked like that and said,
22:00You're unwelcome in this family anyway.
22:02Familiar footsteps came from the door.
22:04My parents walked over.
22:06Mom was in a crimson dress.
22:08She was oblivious to the fact that her pearl necklace was askew.
22:11Dad wore his tie loosely.
22:13At the sight of me, Mom stopped in her tracks.
22:16She had a complicated look in her eyes.
22:18Your dad and I invited Eilie.
22:21She's a good photographer, and her price is fair.
22:23Mom!
22:25Are you out of your minds?
22:27She's...
22:30She's your younger sister.
22:31Dad interrupted Melanie.
22:33His tone was lukewarm.
22:35He didn't spare a look at me.
22:37It was as if I were just an insignificant stranger.
22:41The wedding is about to begin.
22:43Knock it off!
22:43With a livid face, Melanie stared at me malevolently.
22:48She's a good photographer.
22:51She barely gets by with a camera.
22:54Mom and Dad raised you for 18 years, and you were away for 10 years.
22:59Now that you have a little money, you think you're better than us?
23:05Who bought dresses for you when you were a child?
23:08Who took you to kindergarten?
23:11Did you forget?
23:13The guests talked with each other as she spoke louder and louder.
23:16I tightened my grip on the camera.
23:18The blood drained from my knuckles.
23:20How I wish Mom and Dad could interfere, even if it was as simple as stop it.
23:25To my dismay, Mom just turned her head to look at the McCarens on the dessert table.
23:30Dad took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
23:33Then he tucked it back in restlessly.
23:35Mel, the wedding first.
23:37He urged.
23:38There was no explanation.
23:39Neither of them defended me, nor did they display a tinge of guilt.
23:44I looked down at my reflection in the mirror.
23:46I realized how pathetic I was.
23:4910 years had passed, and I was still expecting them to be fair.
23:53Fiona handed a cloth to me.
23:54I took it and wiped the lens slowly with it.
23:57I tried to repress the surging sadness.
24:00I'd come to work.
24:01Not to settle accounts with them, I told myself.
24:06After shooting the first section of the wedding, I drank water in a corner of the lounge.
24:11The warm water in the plastic bottle was bland, like the meager concern my parents showed at this time.
24:17Mom walked over with a glass of orange juice.
24:21Beads of juice clung to the body of the glass.
24:23She handed it to me.
24:25The beads fell onto my pants.
24:27They left wet marks on them.
24:29Ely, don't take what Mel said to heart.
24:33She was nervous about the wedding.
24:35Instead of taking the glass of orange juice, I took out my phone to transfer money.
24:40I'd calculated the amount countless times.
24:42$80,000.
24:44Including tuition from primary school to high school.
24:47Monthly allowances.
24:49Occasional meals the housekeeper made for me in the six years.
24:52Money couldn't buy back my youth.
24:54It couldn't make my altered application for university right.
24:58But at least, the accounts between us were even now.
25:02The notification for the successful transfer sounded particularly loud in the quiet lounge.
25:07Mom's face colored as she read the notification.
25:10Her hand shook.
25:12The juice stained her dress.
25:14But she paid no heed to it.
25:16Staring at me, she asked.
25:18Elyne, what do you mean?
25:20We raised you for 18 years!
25:23You think we're even now?
25:28What else?
25:29I put my phone back into my pocket.
25:31You raised me for 18 years.
25:33And I repaid you with $80,000.
25:37The extra is the interest.
25:40With the account settled, now we're square.
25:43Mom said in a choking voice.
25:45Square?
25:45Her eyes read.
25:47She attempted to touch my arm.
25:49I took a step back to move away.
25:51Her hand froze in midter.
25:53Tears ran down her face.
25:54They dropped on the floor.
25:55Do you hate us so much?
25:59Is there no familial affection for us at all in your heart?
26:03You had a fever when you were five.
26:05Your dad carried you on his back for three kilometers to take you to the hospital.
26:09The first time you won a prize, I took you out to buy you a new dress.
26:13Do you forget all about this?
26:14Scenes from the past flashed across my mind like an old movie, carrying me on his back.
26:20Dad ran in the rain, but his back felt extremely warm.
26:23There were floral patterns on the rim of the pink dress mom bought me.
26:27Sadly, these warm memories had waned after Melanie returned.
26:31Looking her in the eye, I declared slowly.
26:34I hate you for driving me into the old house when I was 12.
26:39I hate you for altering my application when I was 18.
26:43I hate you for asking me to knock it off when I had a fever of 39 degrees!
26:50Mom stopped crying.
26:52Her face was as pasty as death.
26:54Dad took her arm to support her.
26:57He looked at me.
26:58His eyes dripped with disappointment.
27:01Ely, we were wrong.
27:02But what you're doing is ruthless.
27:05Suddenly, Melanie marched over.
27:07Dad and Mom raised you for 18 years!
27:12First, you left without saying goodbye!
27:15Now, you want to cut ties with them?
27:18As an adopted daughter, you should be grateful that they didn't let you starve!
27:24How dare you talk about fairness with them!
27:28What an ingrate!
27:30I turned to my parents.
27:32My heart was racing.
27:33Finally, the right time had come.
27:35An adopted daughter?
27:38Is that what I am in your eyes?
27:40Mom's lips moved, but no words came out.
27:43Dad nodded with a sigh.
27:44Ely, we were wrong, but you're indeed adopted.
27:48Don't fixate on it.
27:49Laughing snidely, I took a step forward.
27:52In which children's home did you find me?
27:53Where are the adoption formalities?
27:55Can I have a look?
27:56A deathly silence ensued.
27:58The blood drained from Mom's face.
28:00Dad clenched his fists tightly.
28:02His knuckles went pale.
28:03Mom, tell her where you adopted her.
28:06Show her the formalities.
28:08Dumbfounded, Melanie shook Mom's arm.
28:11Neither Mom nor Dad spoke.
28:13They just stared at me.
28:14Panic was plain in their eyes.
28:16The last tad of hope in my heart was shattered as I met their gaze.
28:19They couldn't even come up with a good lie.
28:21But they'd fooled me for 10 years.
28:26My fingers trembled as I fumbled the laminated DNA test report in my purse.
28:31I'd kept it for 5 years.
28:33I cried in bed every time I read the result.
28:36The possibility of paternity is in excess of 99.999%.
28:41I wasn't a substitute for Melanie.
28:44I was their biological daughter.
28:46That was the truth.
28:47However, they wouldn't admit it.
28:49You can't say it?
28:52I will.
28:53I handed the report to my parents.
28:55Under the light, the plastic cover glared.
28:58They couldn't open their eyes.
29:00Mom was breathing rapidly.
29:02Dad wanted to take the report.
29:04But he withdrew his hand on second thought.
29:06You claim I'm adopted.
29:07I continued in a flat voice.
29:10It expressed my 10 years of sadness.
29:12Then, why is the possibility of paternity 99.999%?
29:16Why does the DNA test report say you're my biological parents?
29:20Melanie dashed over and snatched the report away.
29:23This can't be true.
29:24This report must be a forgery.
29:26You're using it to take everything away from me.
29:28A forgery?
29:29I looked at my parents.
29:30Ask your parents.
29:34Tears streamed down mom's cheeks.
29:37They stained the report.
29:39Dad's face was as pale as paper.
29:41His lips were trembling.
29:43He was too emotionally overwhelmed to speak.
29:45Afraid to hurt Melanie's feelings, you told her I was adopted.
29:51I believed you.
29:54I thought you'd love me all the same, as long as I was obedient and humored her.
29:58However, you turned my bedroom into a sunroom for her.
30:02You moved my piano into the storage room.
30:05You changed my application for university to USC behind my back.
30:09When I was feverish, you couldn't be bothered to check on me.
30:12You asked me to find the medicine on my own.
30:14More and more guests gathered around us.
30:17They whispered to each other.
30:19Some of them took photos of this scene.
30:21They're playing favorites!
30:24How could they treat their own daughter so horribly?
30:27For ten years, she didn't know her adoptive parents were her biological parents.
30:33Suddenly, mom dropped to her knees.
30:36Ely, I was wrong.
30:38We all were.
30:40Your dad and I were confused.
30:42We felt sorry for Mel and neglected you.
30:45Will you forgive us?
30:47We'll give you the house, the company, anything you want.
30:53I brushed mom's hands away.
30:55I took a step back.
30:56Her hands were cold and calloused.
30:58However, the touch failed to invoke the familial affection inside me.
31:02My heart could never be warm again.
31:03I don't want your house or company.
31:05I want the truth.
31:07I announced in a hoarse voice.
31:09Why did you lie to me?
31:12I'm also your daughter.
31:15Why do you only love her?
31:17Dad also knelt tearfully.
31:22Ely, I'm sorry I let you down.
31:25When Mel just came back, she cried every day.
31:30She was afraid that we wouldn't like her.
31:32Out of options, we told her you were adopted.
31:36Sadly, that didn't happen.
31:37We never meant to put you through all this.
31:40I laughed aught, but tears streamed down my face.
31:42At 12, I had to live alone in the old house.
31:46And I was too terrified to sleep.
31:49I could have been admitted to NYU, but I had to go to UCLA.
31:53You know why I was away for a decade?
31:57Because you told me to never come back.
32:01Not because I didn't want to return home.
32:04You think you can undo all this by your simple apology?
32:09Nice try.
32:13Suddenly, Melanie tore the DNA test report.
32:16She tore it once.
32:17Then again, shreds of paper scattered across the floor like snow.
32:21I don't believe it!
32:23I'm your daughter!
32:24She's not!
32:25The wedding is off!
32:26Her face was twisted with rage and terror.
32:29For 18 years, she had been the real daughter, the cherished one.
32:32The one they sacrificed everything for and now, in one moment, she had become the lie.
32:37She pulled off the veil.
32:38She tossed it onto the floor.
32:40She ran off.
32:41After a dazed moment, Jeffrey went after her.
32:43The director of the wedding ran to my dad in a fluster.
32:46Mr. Britt, the wedding...
32:49It's cancelled.
32:51Holding the camera, I said to Fiona,
32:53Put away the devices.
32:54We're done here.
32:56When I walked out of the lounge, mom's sobs came from behind me.
32:59The guests were whispering.
33:01But I didn't look back.
33:02The years of agony were finally off my chest today.
33:05It might have.
33:05Happened too late.
33:06But at least I was no longer the adopted daughter.
33:11At the entrance to the hotel, the cold autumn wind blew in my face.
33:15It brought a sense of desolation.
33:17Fiona carried the devices for me.
33:18She walked briskly.
33:20Afraid to bother me, as soon as I reached the roadside,
33:22urgent footsteps came from behind me.
33:24Aline, wait!
33:25Someone called.
33:26I turned around.
33:27It was Jeffrey.
33:28He had his suit jacket hanging from his arm.
33:31His hair was a mess.
33:32His forehead was sweaty.
33:33He ran to me.
33:34He was huffing and puffing.
33:36His chest was heaving violently.
33:38His eyes were full of guilt.
33:39He apologized in a husky voice.
33:42I'm sorry.
33:44I'm sorry I didn't go to find you back then.
33:47I'm sorry I got together with Melanie.
33:49I gazed at him under the sunshine.
33:50The fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were obvious.
33:53When we were little, he was always saying I had big doe eyes.
33:57Now, the glitter in his eyes was gone.
33:58One day, in my senior year in high school,
34:01he climbed over the tall wall with a candy in his hand.
34:03He said to me,
34:04Ely, after we're both admitted to New York University,
34:08I'll take you to the sea.
34:09The sweetness of the candy was vivid in my mind for many years.
34:15Why were you with her?
34:16My low voice faded in the wind.
34:18When I was in college, she found me one day.
34:21She told me you'd forgotten me.
34:23She said you'd gone to Los Angeles and would never come back.
34:26Jeffrey clutched his jacket.
34:27His knuckles were pale.
34:29She said you hated me for not putting in a good word for you.
34:34I... I panicked.
34:35I looked for you, but you changed your phone number.
34:38And the old house was empty.
34:40I thought you didn't want to see me anymore.
34:43An unbearable pang ran through my heart.
34:45The day I enrolled at USC,
34:48I came to New York University.
34:50I assumed he'd be waiting for me at the entrance.
34:52To my disappointment, I waited there all day.
34:55He never showed up afterward.
34:57I learned that he was already with Melanie back then.
35:00I wanted to be with you.
35:02Jeffrey's eyes reddened.
35:04They brimmed with tears.
35:07After the SET, I went to the old house to find you.
35:10Your parents told me you'd left and would never come back.
35:14I waited at the gate to the old house all night.
35:17The candy in my hand melted.
35:19Melted Dot like our terminated, long-gone relationship.
35:22Melanie and I have broken up.
35:24The wedding is off.
35:25He took a step forward to hold my hand.
35:27I retreated and moved away.
35:30Ellie, can we start over?
35:31I was wrong.
35:32I'll cherish you all the more.
35:36I looked at Jeffrey calmly.
35:38My youth adoration for him and expectations of our future had elapsed with time.
35:42They had worn out in lies.
35:43Jeffrey, we're not meant to be.
35:45He stiffened to hear my words.
35:46His face gradually went pale.
35:48All the color drained away, like a photograph left too long in the sun.
35:51His lips parted slightly, but no words came out of his mouth.
35:54He just stood there.
35:54He looked at me.
35:55Despair was plain in his eyes.
35:57The boy who used to climb over my fence with candy in his pocket.
35:59The teenager who waited all night at the gate of the old house with a melting sweet in his hand.
36:04The man who was about to marry my sister.
36:05They were all the same person, and none of them were the person I needed anymore.
36:09I didn't eat the candy.
36:10I turned around.
36:11I said to Fiona.
36:13Let's go.
36:14I left resolutely without looking back.
36:16Ely, I regret it.
36:18He said softly in the wind.
36:19I knew that, but what difference did it make?
36:21Some things were lost forever, like New York University, like the teenager himself.
36:28Over the next few days, my phone kept ringing non-stop.
36:30All calls were from my parents.
36:32I set my phone to silent.
36:33I put it in the drawer.
36:34I didn't want to hear their apologies.
36:35It was too late.
36:36I didn't need them anymore.
36:37Kimberly would tell me about their situation every day.
36:39This morning, your mom was crying downstairs at the studio.
36:43She was holding a photo of you as a child.
36:47Your dad came too.
36:48He was leaning on a cane.
36:50He looked much older.
36:52I just nodded.
36:53I asked her to keep them outside.
36:54I didn't let them in to disturb my work.
36:56On Friday night, after working overtime, I left the studio as soon as I turned into the alley.
37:00I heard familiar sounds of arguing.
37:02It was Melanie and my parents.
37:03Why do you get to apologize to her?
37:06Why do you give her the house?
37:08I'm your daughter!
37:09She was the one who pushed me down the stairs.
37:12She wrote in her diary to insult me.
37:14Have you forgotten it?
37:17How can you take her side?
37:22She didn't push you!
37:23Dad's voice was louder than ever.
37:25It was filled with exhaustion and anger.
37:27You fell on your own!
37:29You admitted it just yesterday!
37:31You even lied to us, saying she changed your homework.
37:35Saying she stole your necklace.
37:38How many things have you kept from us?
37:41I hid around the corner of the alley.
37:43I felt nothing in particular.
37:45Just a sense of irony.
37:46After all these years, they finally learned the truth.
37:48But I stopped caring long ago.
37:49So what if I admitted it?
37:51Melanie screamed.
37:53She took my place for seven years!
37:58If not for her, all your love would have been mine!
38:02I wanted her to suffer!
38:04Changing her college choices, driving her away.
38:07It was all me who made you do it!
38:09Why blame me now?
38:11You spoiled me!
38:13You said you'd love me forever!
38:15Mom's sobs came through.
38:17Mel, how could you say that?
38:19We thought you were just sensitive.
38:22We never imagined you'd be so cruel.
38:25Eili has suffered so much over the years.
38:28And we never knew.
38:30Suffered?
38:31What did she suffer?
38:33She lived in the old house.
38:34But I was kidnapped by traffickers!
38:37I've had it much harder than her!
38:39You should make it up to me!
38:41Dad sighed.
38:42His voice was hoarse.
38:43We were wrong.
38:44Wrong to always favor you.
38:46Wrong not to trust Eili.
38:49We owe her an apology.
38:51I didn't listen to the rest.
38:52I turned and went back to my apartment.
38:54I took out the severance agreement.
38:55I had prepared long ago from the drawer.
39:00I had spent a long time writing that agreement.
39:02It clearly stated,
39:03From now on,
39:04I have no familial relationship with Patrick Britt,
39:07Lella Valdez,
39:08or Melanie Britt.
39:09We will not interfere in each other's lives,
39:10nor bear any obligation of support or care.
39:13The Britt family's assets have nothing to do with me.
39:15The next day,
39:16I had my lawyer deliver the agreement to Dad's company.
39:19When the lawyer returned,
39:20he told me,
39:22Mr. Britt's hands were shaking as he read the agreement.
39:25Mrs. Britt cried and tore it up.
39:28Then she picked up the pieces
39:30and carefully glued them back together before signing.
39:33Melanie didn't sign and cursed you a few times.
39:36I nodded without saying anything.
39:38Whether she signed or not didn't matter.
39:40My parents' signatures were enough.
39:42Kimberly brought me a cup of hot coffee.
39:44She said it in front of me.
39:46Ely,
39:47do you really not regret it?
39:48After all,
39:49they're your parents.
39:50I looked out at the trees beyond the window.
39:52Their leaves were scattered all over the ground,
39:54bleak and desolate.
39:55No.
39:55I picked up the coffee and took a sip.
39:57It was bitter.
39:58I'm no longer the little girl who longed for their love.
40:00Cutting ties is better for all of us.
40:02All those years of grievances were like a cup of bitter coffee.
40:05Once swallowed,
40:06you can never spit it out.
40:07From now on,
40:07I only want to live for myself.
40:12Three months after signing the severance agreement,
40:14I packed my bags and left Los Angeles.
40:16This city carried too many memories for me.
40:19Some good.
40:20Some bad.
40:20And now it was time to let them go.
40:22I went to a small town in the south.
40:24I rented an apartment with a balcony.
40:26Outside the balcony stood an old
40:27locust tree.
40:29It bloomed with many fragrant white flowers in summer.
40:31Every morning,
40:32I took photos of the street.
40:33In the evenings,
40:34I sat on the balcony reading.
40:36Occasionally,
40:36I accepted a few photography jobs from out of town.
40:39Life was very peaceful.
40:41Kimberly would regularly send me messages about Los Angeles.
40:44Melanie was kicked out by her parents
40:46because she secretly took the family's money to gamble.
40:48She racked up a lot of debt.
40:50Later,
40:50she went to find Jeffrey,
40:52and the two of them still got married.
40:54But they argue every day.
40:56Jeffrey messed up his job too.
40:58He got fired by the company.
41:00Now,
41:00he spends every day drinking at home.
41:02When he's drunk,
41:03he yells at Melanie,
41:05and Melanie cries.
41:06Their life is a complete mess.
41:08I looked at the messages.
41:09I felt nothing inside.
41:11Whether their days were good or bad,
41:12it no longer had anything to do with me.
41:14I only occasionally thought of my childhood.
41:16Dad teaching me to ride a bike.
41:17Mom braiding my hair.
41:19Those warm scenes flashed through my mind like old movies,
41:21but quickly faded away.
41:25Two years later,
41:27I held a solo photography exhibition in the small town.
41:30Most of the photos on display were street.
41:31Scenes elderly people sitting at their doorsteps basking in the sun.
41:35They held palm fans.
41:37Children running through the alleys.
41:38They clutched ice cream in their hands.
41:40Some featured couples.
41:41Holding hands and smiling sweetly under the old locust tree.
41:45None of the Brit family appeared in these photos.
41:47Nor was there any trace of Los Angeles.
41:49Only my life as it is now.
41:50On the day the exhibition opened,
41:52many people came.
41:53I was signing my name in a corner of the gallery
41:54when someone gently tapped my arm.
41:56I looked up.
41:57I was stunned it was my parents.
41:58Mom's hair had turned much grayer.
42:00It was neatly combed.
42:02She was still wearing that dark red dress from years ago.
42:04Though it had faded from many washes.
42:06Dad leaned on a cane.
42:08His back was hunched.
42:09Deep wrinkles were etched into his face.
42:11He looked much older.
42:12They stood in front of one of my photos.
42:14It showed an old house.
42:15It was very much like the one I used to live in.
42:17Dad's fingers gently brushed the photo.
42:19His eyes were full of nostalgia.
42:22I said nothing.
42:23I continued signing my name.
42:24My heart was beating a little fast.
42:26But I felt very calm inside.
42:28I no longer hated them.
42:29Nor did I love them.
42:30They just felt a little unfamiliar.
42:34Dad slowly walked over.
42:36He held a brown envelope.
42:37He handed it to me.
42:39His hand was cold.
42:40It was covered in calluses.
42:41The result of years of holding a pen.
42:43Ely, this is an apology letter.
42:46We know you won't forgive us.
42:48But we still wanted to write it for you.
42:51I took the envelope.
42:51It was thick.
42:52When my fingertips touched his hand, he quickly pulled away, like a child who had done something wrong.
42:56We're leaving now.
42:58Take good care of yourself here.
43:01When it gets cold, remember to wear more clothes.
43:03Mom looked at me.
43:04Her eyes were red, but not crying.
43:06Her voice trembled a little.
43:07Don't catch colds all the time like you did when you were little.
43:10I nodded.
43:11I said nothing.
43:12They walked out slowly.
43:13Dad moved very slowly.
43:15Mom supported him, step by step, without looking back.
43:17The gallery lights were warm.
43:19I opened the envelope.
43:20I found several sheets of yellowed letter paper.
43:22The handwriting was crooked.
43:23It was Dad's writing.
43:25He wrote a lot.
43:26About the year.
43:27Melanie came back when I was seven, and how panicked they were about when I was 12 and
43:31got kicked out.
43:32How.
43:32He secretly went to the old house at night.
43:35How he saw me crying into my blanket, and how much it hurt him.
43:38About changing my college application when I was 18, and how much he regretted it, about
43:42how.
43:43Over the past 10 years, they tried to find me.
43:45And thought about me.
43:47The last line read.
43:48Ely, we're sorry.
43:50You must live well, better than us.
43:55Tears fell onto the letter.
43:56They blurred the ink.
43:57I read it again.
43:59And again, Dad's handwriting was crooked.
44:01Unsteady.
44:01The hand of an old man who had lost his fine motor skills.
44:05He wrote about the night they told Melanie I was adopted.
44:07How Mom had cried herself to sleep for a week afterward.
44:10How Dad had driven to the old house in the rain.
44:12Just to check if the light was still on in my window.
44:14He wrote about the day he changed my college application.
44:17I knew it was wrong the moment I signed it.
44:20But Melanie was crying.
44:21She said she'd run away if I didn't.
44:23I was a coward, Ely.
44:25I chose the easy path.
44:26And you paid the price.
44:28He wrote about the 10 years of silence.
44:29How Mom saved every photo of me she could find in a shoebox under her bed.
44:33How Dad drove past my old apartment building once a month.
44:36I pressed the letter against my chest.
44:38The paper was warm from my tears.
44:40All these years.
44:41I thought they had forgotten me.
44:42They hadn't.
44:43They were just too weak.
44:44Too guilty.
44:45Too broken to come find me.
44:47I folded the letter.
44:48I put it in my bag.
44:49I walked to the window.
44:50I watched my parents' figures slowly disappear around the corner.
44:53Dad leaned heavily on his cane.
44:55Mom's arm was linked through his they.
44:56Walked like to people carrying a weight they knew they could never put down.
45:00The wind was gentle.
45:01It brushed my face.
45:02It carried the scent of the old locust tree.
45:04I knew I would.
45:05But I would not hate them anymore either.
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