- 9 hours ago
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00:00I had just aborted my baby and boarded a flight to London when I received a $13 transfer from my
00:05billionaire husband.
00:07Serena accidentally forgot about your sister's surgery fee.
00:09Consider this as your compensation.
00:10This was your own mistake.
00:12Next time, for any expense over $200, remember to apply to Serena in advance.
00:16Why aren't you replying?
00:18Elena, don't think that just because you're carrying my child you can do whatever you want.
00:23I want you to make a public statement tomorrow.
00:25Tell everyone your sister's emergency surgery had nothing to do with Serena.
00:28Elena, what's the big deal if her operation is delayed for a few days?
00:33I ignored every message, turned off my screen, and closed my eyes to rest.
00:38A moment later, my phone vibrated frantically.
00:41Why aren't you at home?
00:42What the hell did you go this late?
00:46Answer the phone, Elena.
00:48If you don't pick up right now, I will have your sister thrown out of the private clinic.
00:51After countless messages and calls went unanswered, Julian rushed to the nursing home in a panic.
00:57Because he knew I would never abandon my gravely ill sister.
01:01Staring at the empty hospital room, he grabbed a passing nurse and asked desperately,
01:08Where is the patient in this bed?
01:11Don't you know?
01:12She fell into critical condition.
01:14Her family called all night but couldn't raise enough money for the emergency procedure.
01:20She is already dead.
01:24Five days earlier, my sister's condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.
01:28I had called him to ask for $300,000 to cover her surgery, but his secretary, Serena, had kept my
01:34request from him.
01:36After he chose to protect his secretary...
01:38I want a divorce.
01:39I meant it.
01:40But he had only replied with three cold words.
01:43Stop making a scene.
01:44When Julian spoke to me, his eyes never left the laptop screen in front of him.
01:49It was as though the dull stream of numbers on the screen interested him more than our conversation.
01:54I'm serious.
01:55I want a divorce.
01:56Julian took a deep breath and rose to his feet, his expression cold.
02:00You're talking about divorce over something this significant?
02:03When I didn't answer, he frowned and went on.
02:06I was the one who approved suspending your sister's treatment.
02:09It had nothing to do with Serena.
02:11She was only following my orders.
02:13You hadn't stormed into the office and made a scene a few days ago.
02:15I wouldn't have done it.
02:16I've already told them to resume her treatment.
02:19I'm busy.
02:20I don't have time for your tantrums.
02:22Without waiting for my response, he turned and walked away.
02:25Certain that I was only saying I wanted a divorce in the heat of the moment.
02:29Certain that it wouldn't be long before I came back and lowered my head.
02:34If Julian had answered my call three days ago, I might still be groveling at his feet, doing everything I
02:40could to please him.
02:41I thought back to that day in the hospital corridor.
02:45Julian, lend me $300,000.
02:48My sister desperately needs this surgery.
02:51If it succeeds, she'll be able to walk again.
02:53Yet all I got was his impatient voice over the phone, as if it were the most natural thing in
02:58the world.
02:59Haven't I told you a hundred times?
03:00If you need money urgently, go to Serena.
03:03It's not like she'd refuse you.
03:06Getting money from Serena was as difficult as ever.
03:09$300,000 isn't a small amount, Elena.
03:12Without an itemized statement, how am I supposed to verify the money is really for the surgery?
03:18It's a hospital deposit, Serena.
03:20The hospital needs the money before the surgery.
03:22The itemized statement won't be available until after my sister is discharged.
03:26I've just seen people lie about what the money was for and falsify the accounts before.
03:31Julian's reputation is too important.
03:33I have to make sure everything is in order.
03:35She only smiled.
03:37Besides, Julian has a rule.
03:39Any personal expense over $200 has to be reported to him.
03:43Get the hospital documentation first, and then I'll submit it for approval.
03:49Later, I submitted the required documents, but the money never came.
03:53When I called to ask about it, she sounded as though she had only just remembered.
03:57Oh no, Elena.
03:59I've been so busy that I completely forgot.
04:02You're not mad at me, are you?
04:04Just like that, my sister missed her match.
04:06The doctor said it was her last chance to receive a compatible organ.
04:09But because the money never arrived, my sister lost her only chance to recover.
04:14That was the moment I finally decided to divorce him.
04:17Standing outside the study.
04:18Julian, tomorrow, 10 a.m.
04:21City Hall.
04:22Julian stopped and looked back at me, his expression cold.
04:26Elena, before you threat me with divorce, think carefully about who's paying for your life.
04:30Your sister's treatment still costs money, and you're carrying my child.
04:34Don't leave yourself with nowhere to go.
04:36Just then, his phone rang.
04:39Serena, this isn't your fault.
04:41I made the rules.
04:42If she wants to blame someone, she can blame me.
04:44Don't cry.
04:45I'll take you shopping tomorrow.
04:47Buy whatever you want.
04:48Listening to him comfort her so gently, I felt a dull ache spread through my lower abdomen.
04:53These past few days, I'd been so consumed with my sister's situation that I'd forgotten my prenatal checkup.
05:00Just then, my phone lit up with a message from the hospital.
05:03Dear Elena, you are seven weeks pregnant.
05:05Please attend your prenatal checkup as scheduled.
05:09The next day, Julian never showed up at City Hall.
05:12The message I sent wasn't answered until noon.
05:15Shopping on 5th Avenue with Serena.
05:18Busy.
05:19If you really want a divorce, file it through the court.
05:21I didn't reply.
05:22I went to the hospital.
05:24My sister lay in her hospital bed.
05:26She could barely move her fingers anymore.
05:28She was only five years older than me, yet chemotherapy had left her bald and painfully thin.
05:34When she saw me, she forced a smile.
05:37Elena, I don't want treatment anymore.
05:40My eyes instantly filled with tears.
05:42Don't say that.
05:43Our parents died when we were young.
05:46My sister raised me by herself.
05:48She was only a child herself, yet she worked to pay my tuition and sheltered me from every storm.
05:53The doctor called me into the hallway.
05:55Her condition isn't looking good.
05:57We can't afford to wait any longer.
05:58You need to prepare the rest of the treatment costs as soon as possible.
06:01I nodded and sold the last thing I had left my wedding ring.
06:04After examining it, the clerk offered me a disappointingly low price.
06:08The moment I got the money, I came across Serena's latest social media post.
06:12In the photo, she stood in front of a full-length mirror, smiling sweetly, with several Hermes bags in her
06:18hands.
06:19The caption read,
06:20Julian said I'm his pride and joy, so he insisted on buying these for me.
06:24I stared at the screen for a long time, until it slowly went dark.
06:29By nightfall, the next day, Julian finally realized something was wrong.
06:33He sent someone to the private care facility to look for me.
06:36Before anyone reported back, his assistant hurried into the office.
06:41Mr. Julian, Mrs. Julian asked someone to deliver this to the front desk.
06:45Julian opened the black velvet box.
06:48The moment he saw the clinical test tube and the tiny frozen embryo inside, all the color drained from his
06:53face.
06:54He stood there in a daze for a long time.
06:56Elena, is this some kind of joke?
06:58He slammed a hand onto the desk, the veins in his forehead bulging.
07:02He refused to believe Elena would actually go this far.
07:04This had to be another one of her tricks to force him to give in.
07:07He looked beneath them, and found several legal documents at the bottom of the box.
07:12Divorce Agreement
07:13Elena's signature was already on it, firm and resolute.
07:17The assistant stood beside him, hardly daring to breathe.
07:20Hearing the commotion, Serena walked out of the lounge.
07:23The moment she saw what was inside the box, a flash of satisfaction crossed her eyes,
07:27before she quickly replaced it with a look of concern.
07:30Mr. Julian, is Mrs. Julian playing hard to get again?
07:33Julian said nothing.
07:37There's no way she really had an abortion.
07:41Besides, her sister is still at the care facility.
07:45Doesn't her ongoing treatment still depend on your trust fund?
07:49Her words seemed to give Julian an excuse to hold on to what he wanted to believe.
07:53He tossed the divorce agreement back into the box.
07:56She only dares to make a scene because she knows I would never ignore my own child.
08:01Serena lowered her eyes.
08:02But Mrs. Julian seems emotionally unstable right now.
08:05Should I go explain the trust approval process to her?
08:09I don't want her to think I did something behind her back again.
08:13No.
08:14Julian rubbed his brow, irritation written across his face.
08:17If she wants time to cool off, let her.
08:19He sounded certain, yet his gaze couldn't help drifting back to the divorce agreement.
08:23For some reason, unease began to creep into his heart.
08:26He picked up his phone and opened his chat with Elena.
08:28Elena, the last message, still sat there.
08:31Elena, I've been waiting for you for five hours.
08:33If you still don't come, your sister's surgery expenses will be rejected through the standard approval process.
08:39There was no reply.
08:40He stared at the screen for a few seconds before finally locking the phone.
08:46Elena wouldn't leave, and she wouldn't get an abortion.
08:50She cared too much about her sister Clara to walk away.
08:54She'd always been terrified of losing me.
08:56Now she was just desperate, trying to force me to give in.
08:59If I didn't go after her, she wouldn't hold out for long.
09:03She'd come back on her own.
09:04With that thought, the unease in Julian's chest finally eased a little.
09:08I'll find out where she is.
09:09Yes, Mr. Julian.
09:12Mr. Julian, if Mrs. Julian comes back, will she hate me even more?
09:17This was never your fault.
09:19She's the one who doesn't understand compliance.
09:22But she's your wife.
09:24I don't want the two of you to fall out because of me.
09:26Julian said nothing.
09:28In the past, he would have comforted her immediately.
09:30But today, her tears unsettled him.
09:34Husband and wife.
09:35What kind of husband and wife were he and Elena?
09:38He couldn't even remember the last time he had really looked at her.
09:43His phone screen lit up again.
09:45It wasn't Elena.
09:46Julian's expression darkened.
09:48He had waited all afternoon, then from dusk until night fell.
09:51The neon lights of Manhattan blurred before his eyes.
09:54Yet Elena never begged him, nor did she call.
09:57The empty test tube on his desk felt like a thorn, leaving him too restless to sit still.
10:02Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and dialed Elena's number.
10:05Powered off.
10:07He called again, still powered off.
10:09Julian shot to his feet.
10:11Have you found her yet?
10:12Just then, the assistant pushed the door open, his face deathly pale.
10:16Mr. Julian, we've received word from the care facility.
10:19Is Elena at the care facility?
10:23No, sir, not Mrs. Julian.
10:27It's Mrs. Julian's sister, Clara Brooks.
10:31She has passed away.
10:35By the time Julian arrived at the care facility, the cold white lights in the hallway were almost blinding.
10:40He strode down the corridor at such a fast pace that his assistant could barely keep up.
10:44But the moment he pushed open the door to the VIP room, he came to an abrupt stop.
10:48The room was empty, the bed had been neatly made, and the bedside table was bare, as though no one
10:54had ever stayed there.
10:56Julian stood in the doorway, his Adam's apple bobbing.
10:59Just then, a nurse walked past.
11:01When she saw him, she slowed to a stop.
11:04Are you a family member of Mrs. Brooks?
11:05Julian answered almost instinctively.
11:07I'm her brother-in-law, Elena's husband.
11:09The nurse's expression immediately turned complicated, then cold.
11:12Clara Brooks' funeral arrangements have already been taken care of by Miss Elena alone.
11:18She signed for the body and took it with her.
11:21When she left, she was as pale as a ghost.
11:24We told her to stay for observation a little longer, but she wouldn't listen.
11:30Julian's fingers stiffened.
11:32Where did she go?
11:34The nurse let out a cold laugh and shook her head.
11:37For the first time, panic spread completely across Julian's face.
11:41Julian pulled out his phone and dialed Elena's number again.
11:44It was still powered off.
11:46The cold, automated message repeated itself over and over,
11:50mercilessly reminding him that Elena truly didn't want to answer his calls anymore.
11:54Suddenly, memories of the past came flooding back.
11:57No matter how late he came home, Elena always left a light on for him.
12:01No matter how cold his words were, as long as he showed her the slightest bit of tenderness,
12:05she would smile through tear-filled eyes and tell him it was alright.
12:09So he had always believed she would never leave.
12:12She was carrying his child.
12:14Her only sister, Clara, was still lying in the hospital, waiting for money to save her life.
12:20How could she possibly walk away?
12:22But now, the hospital room was empty.
12:24Clara was gone.
12:26The last person in this world who could make Elena turn back.
12:28The last person she still had reason to stay for was gone forever.
12:33It felt as though a massive weight had crashed down on Julian's chest, making even breathing hurt.
12:39He suddenly spun around.
12:40Find her!
12:41Roared at his assistant.
12:42Now!
12:43Check every flight, every train, every hotel registration, anywhere her passport or identity could have been used.
12:48I want everything.
12:49His assistant answered nervously.
12:51Mr. Drew, I've already sent people to look into it.
12:54Faster!
12:55Sure!
12:55Julian's voice completely lost control.
12:58She's pregnant.
12:59She's in such a weak condition.
13:01She couldn't have gone far on her own.
13:03The moment the words left his mouth, he froze.
13:05Pregnant?
13:06What if the baby was real?
13:08Clara was already dead.
13:10What if Elena had really gone and terminated the pregnancy?
13:13Julian closed his eyes.
13:15His fists slowly tightened, his knuckles turning white.
13:18Just then, Serena hurried over.
13:21Her eyes were red and swollen, tear stains still visible on her face.
13:25She looked utterly pitiful.
13:27Julian looked up at her.
13:28His gaze was icy, without the slightest trace of warmth.
13:33Serena came to an abrupt stop.
13:35In the past, the moment she cried, Julian would protect her without hesitation.
13:41But this time, he didn't.
13:43Panic flashed across Serena's face.
13:46Her voice dropped.
13:47Mr. Julian, I'm not blaming her.
13:51I just thought she acted too impulsively.
13:54Clara was so seriously ill.
13:56But instead of staying by her bedside, she ran off in anger.
13:59What if something happened to the baby?
14:02Which one of you is a family member of Miss Elena Brooks?
14:05Julian immediately stepped forward.
14:07I am.
14:08I'm her husband.
14:09If you're her family, then there's something I believe you have the right to know.
14:13Julian's heart suddenly dropped,
14:15as though it had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
14:17Before Mrs. Brooks left the hospital, she underwent a pregnancy termination procedure.
14:22The baby is gone.
14:24A year later, I started over in another city.
14:27I found a new job as an administrative assistant at a small company.
14:31The pay wasn't high, but it arrived on time every month.
14:34I paid my own rent, utilities, and groceries.
14:39I rented a small south-facing apartment.
14:41It wasn't big.
14:42The balcony was only large enough for a small table and two potted plants.
14:46But every morning, sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains and fell across the floor,
14:51as quiet, as a compensation that had come far too late.
14:55I loved that place.
14:56Back at the Sinclair house, I had lived in a large home.
15:00The closet was filled with expensive clothes.
15:02And the dining table was always set with an elegant dinner.
15:05But none of them ever truly belonged to me.
15:08Every expense had to be approved by someone else.
15:11Every request for help was questioned.
15:13I lived in a beautiful cage.
15:15Now, this little apartment was ordinary.
15:17Children played noisily downstairs in the evenings.
15:20And sometimes the smell of cooking drifted in from next door.
15:23But I was the one who closed the door.
15:25I was the one who turned on the lights.
15:27Everything in the refrigerator was bought by me.
15:29At last, I no longer had to explain why I needed to spend that money.
15:33And I no longer had to wait for anyone to toss me a little of their belated pity.
15:38For a long time after my sister passed away, I couldn't sleep well.
15:42I often dreamed of her lying in a hospital bed, reaching out to stroke my hair as she said,
15:47Elena, don't be afraid.
15:49Whenever I woke up, my pillow was always wet.
15:52Later, I found all kinds of things to keep myself busy.
15:55Going to work, working overtime, learning to cook, cleaning the apartment.
16:00When the weather was nice on weekends, I taught myself to take walks by the river.
16:04I broke my days into very small pieces.
16:07Eat on time today.
16:09Remember to water the plants tomorrow.
16:11The day after tomorrow is payday.
16:13Buy myself something I like that doesn't cost much.
16:16Little by little, I kept going.
16:18I thought Julian would never find me again.
16:20Or rather, even if he did, I no longer cared.
16:24Until that evening after work.
16:26Night had just begun to fall.
16:27And people streamed in and out of the office building.
16:30I walked out, carrying a document folder, checking the bus arrival time on my phone.
16:35When I suddenly heard someone call my name.
16:37Elena.
16:40That voice was far too familiar.
16:42So familiar that even after a year, it could still tear open the wounds that had only just begun to
16:47heal.
16:48I looked up.
16:49Julian was standing by the roadside.
16:51He had lost a lot of weight.
16:52The suits that had once fit him perfectly now looked almost loose on him.
16:56Dark circles shadowed his eyes.
16:58And his jawline was sharper than I remembered.
17:00He looked at me.
17:01His eyes filled with emotions I couldn't understand.
17:04I stopped walking.
17:05I didn't avoid him.
17:06I didn't run.
17:07I simply looked at him calmly.
17:09Julian took a step toward me.
17:10His voice hoarse.
17:13Sweetheart.
17:14I frowned.
17:15Only my sister had ever called me that.
17:17Hearing it from him now felt strangely unfamiliar.
17:20He seemed to sense my rejection as well.
17:21He stopped where he was.
17:23His Adam's apple bobbing.
17:24I'm sorry.
17:25He stood in front of me as though he had rehearsed this moment countless times in his mind.
17:29But when he finally saw me, only a few dry words came out.
17:32I've been looking for you this entire past year.
17:34I know I was wrong.
17:35What happened to your sister?
17:37I didn't handle it properly.
17:39And what happened to our baby?
17:41I failed you too.
17:42By the time he reached those words, his eyes had begun to redden.
17:45Looking at his reddened eyes, I felt nothing at all.
17:47In the past, the slightest frown from him would leave me anxious for half the day.
17:51Now, all I felt was tired.
17:55Are you finished?
17:56Elena, I'm not here to force you.
17:58I just want to make it up to you.
17:59You'll never have to lower yourself for money again.
18:01Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
18:03A house, company shares, savings.
18:06Or if you want to start a new company, I'll help you.
18:08I've also looked into the treatment Clara never had the chance to finish.
18:12If you're willing, I can set up a medical foundation in her name to help people like her.
18:16He looked at me.
18:17His eyes filled with hope so earnest, it was almost pleading.
18:20As long as you'll come back.
18:22As I listened, I suddenly found it all absurd.
18:25Back then, I had begged him for $300,000 with all the humility I had left.
18:29I stood in that hospital hallway, clutching my phone, my voice trembling.
18:33My sister was still alive then, and so was our baby.
18:36I only needed him to help me once, but he told me to go to Serena, to fill out an
18:40application,
18:40and to wait for approval.
18:42Later, I lost everything.
18:43Yet here he was, standing in front of me, casually telling me he could give me a house,
18:48company shares, or even a foundation.
18:50I lowered my head and let out a quiet laugh.
18:54Julian looked as though my smile had pierced him.
18:57Elena, I know you blame me, and you should.
18:59You can curse me or make me atone however you want.
19:01I won't let Serena interfere in our lives anymore.
19:03I've already removed her from her position.
19:05From now on, you'll be in charge of all the money at home.
19:08Julian, you still don't understand.
19:10What truly made me give up wasn't that you refused to give me the money.
19:14His lashes trembled.
19:15What was it?
19:16It was that you made me go through Serena for approval.
19:19My sister was lying in a hospital bed, and the doctor said there wasn't any more time
19:22to wait.
19:23I was pregnant and had no money, so I called you.
19:26You were my husband, but you told me to go to your secretary.
19:29Every time I asked for help, I had to lay my humiliation bare in front of her, wait for
19:33her to report it, and wait until she was in the right mood.
19:36She got to decide whether my sister could continue her medication, and whether I could receive
19:40the money that would save her life.
19:41You knew all of that, yet you thought it was simply procedure.
19:44I didn't know she would...
19:46You knew.
19:48You just didn't think it mattered.
19:49You didn't care whether I was humiliated, whether I was begging, or even whether my sister
19:53would die because of the delay.
19:55You simply believed that because I was your wife, I should obey.
19:58You handed the hardest, most desperate moment of my life over to another woman for approval.
20:02From that moment on, I stopped being your wife.
20:05I became an outsider who had to go through layer after layer of approval just to deserve
20:09a little of your charity.
20:11All the color drained from Julian's face.
20:13He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
20:16Suddenly, I remembered that application form.
20:18When Serena handed it to me, she had smiled with gentle satisfaction.
20:22Julian had stood behind her and said,
20:23If you want the money, fill out the application.
20:26Once Serena approves it, I'll sign off on it.
20:28I will never forget that moment for as long as I live.
20:30I loved him so much back then.
20:32I loved him enough to give up my career, to learn how to be a proper Mrs. Julian,
20:37to make my entire world revolve around him.
20:39But he was the one who taught me that love without dignity is even more terrifying than poverty.
20:45Julian's eyes reddened, his voice trembling.
20:48Elena, I really do know I was wrong.
20:49Only now do I understand how hard it was for you back then.
20:52Can you give me one more chance?
20:54I'll never let you suffer like that again.
20:56I shook my head.
20:58It's too late.
20:59I took half a step back, avoiding the hand he reached out toward me.
21:02His hand froze in midair.
21:03There had been a time when all I wanted was for him to hold my hand.
21:06When Serena made things difficult for me.
21:08When I stood helpless at the payment counter.
21:11When my sister was critically ill.
21:12But not once had he done it.
21:14Now, I didn't need it anymore.
21:16Julian, I said,
21:18I'm doing well now.
21:19How is this a good life?
21:21You live in such a tiny apartment,
21:23squeeze onto buses,
21:25eat convenience store meals,
21:26and work overtime this late.
21:28But I chose all of it.
21:30I live in a small apartment because I can afford the rent.
21:33I take the bus because I choose to.
21:35What I eat and what I buy are my own decisions.
21:38I don't have to ask anyone for permission anymore.
21:40I don't have to watch Serena's expression,
21:42and I don't have to wait for your charity.
21:44You don't think this is a good life,
21:46but to me this is freedom.
21:47The light in Julian's eyes slowly shattered.
21:49What about me?
21:51I looked at him.
21:54You're part of the life I had to leave behind to be free.
21:57I didn't look at him again.
21:59I walked past him toward the bus stop.
22:00Elena, I'm not giving up.
22:02Do whatever you want.
22:03The bus pulled in right on time.
22:05I got on,
22:05tapped my card,
22:06and took a seat by the window.
22:07City lights slid past the window.
22:09I leaned back and let out a slow breath.
22:11The heart that had once ached at the mere sound of his name
22:14no longer pounded with pain.
22:16I had thought I would hate him,
22:17but it turned out that even hatred could fade.
22:19Meanwhile,
22:20Serena sat in the apartment Julian had once arranged for her,
22:23scrolling through the photos someone had sent to her.
22:25In the photo,
22:26Julian was standing outside an unfamiliar office building,
22:29speaking quietly to Elena.
22:31His eyes were filled with a desperation and determination
22:33Serena had never seen before.
22:36Serena gripped her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
22:39Reflected in the darkened screen,
22:40her face looked pale and twisted.
22:42She had thought that once Elena was gone,
22:45everything would belong to her,
22:46but a year had passed.
22:47Not only had Julian not married her,
22:49he had even gone looking for Elena himself.
22:51Serena clenched her teeth,
22:53hatred rising in her eyes.
22:54She could not let Elena come back.
22:56She could not lose her last bargaining chip.
22:58She dialed a number.
22:59Find out where Elena is living now.
23:02The following afternoon,
23:03Serena came to my office.
23:04The receptionist called to say a Miss Vance was asking for me.
23:07When I walked into the reception area,
23:08a year had passed,
23:09yet she still looked as harmless and fragile as ever.
23:12The moment she saw me,
23:13she stood up.
23:14Miss Elena,
23:14I'm here to apologize.
23:16I was immature before and misunderstood
23:19the relationship between you and Mr. Julian.
23:22I truly didn't know you two weren't officially divorced yet.
23:25The expressions on my co-workers' faces changed instantly,
23:28and whispers spread through the room.
23:30Serena,
23:31you don't have to put on an act.
23:33Miss Elena,
23:33why are you still treating me like this?
23:35I've already come here to apologize.
23:36This is a gift to make it up to you.
23:38I know things haven't been easy for you lately,
23:40and I know Mr. Julian has been looking for you,
23:42but when it comes to love,
23:43there has to be a first and a second,
23:45doesn't there?
23:45Only then did I understand why she had come.
23:47She wanted everyone to see me as the other woman
23:49who was trying to steal someone else's relationship
23:51and climb back up through a man.
23:53Take your gift and leave.
23:54Serena bit her lip.
23:56Then,
23:56in a voice only I could hear,
23:57Elena,
23:58do you really think Mr. Julian is looking for you
23:59because he still loves you?
24:00He's only feeling guilty.
24:02Once that guilt fades,
24:03he'll abandon you all over again.
24:06I looked at her and found the whole thing ridiculous.
24:09Then you should be talking to him,
24:10not me.
24:11A vicious look flashed across her eyes.
24:13She suddenly grabbed my wrist.
24:14I frowned and shook her off.
24:16I hadn't used much force,
24:17yet she staggered backward as though I had shoved her hard.
24:21Miss Elena,
24:22I only wanted to apologize.
24:24Wani,
24:24why did you push me?
24:25I stood where I was,
24:27without the slightest desire to explain.
24:29Just then,
24:29the elevator doors opened,
24:31and Julian strode over.
24:33Serena,
24:34are you okay?
24:36Mr. Julian,
24:37it's not Miss Elena's fault.
24:39I said something I shouldn't have.
24:41I watched the scene before me.
24:42There was no pain left in my heart,
24:44only a weariness I couldn't put into words.
24:46Some habits really were hard to break.
24:48Even after a year,
24:49his first instinct was still to protect Serena.
24:51This is between the two of you.
24:53Stop dragging me into it.
24:57My manager hurried over.
24:59Elena,
24:59what is going on here?
25:01Julian suddenly looked up toward the corner of the ceiling.
25:03A security camera was mounted there.
25:05His expression changed.
25:07Pull the surveillance footage.
25:09Mr. Julian.
25:11Pull the surveillance footage.
25:12A few minutes later,
25:13the security footage was playing in the conference room.
25:15On the screen,
25:16Serena walked toward me on her own,
25:18grabbed my wrist,
25:19and after I shook her off,
25:20deliberately threw herself backward.
25:22Every movement was perfectly clear.
25:24The conference room fell into a suffocating silence.
25:27That's not what happened.
25:29Julian looked at her as though
25:30he were seeing her clearly for the first time.
25:32Was it always like this?
25:37Every time Elena said you made things difficult for her,
25:40every time she said you held up her money,
25:42every time she said you humiliated her on purpose,
25:43was it like this every single time?
25:45I didn't.
25:46I just loved you too much.
25:50Starting today,
25:51you don't need to come back to the company.
25:53Everything you've taken by abusing your position
25:55will be audited by finance,
25:57item by item.
25:58Whatever should be recovered will be recovered.
26:00And whatever responsibility you should bear,
26:02no one will go easy on you.
26:05Mr. Julian,
26:07I've been with you for so many years.
26:09You can't do this to me.
26:12Julian shook her hand off.
26:13Then he turned to me.
26:14There was a trace of caution in his eyes,
26:16as though finally standing up for me
26:18might earn back something he had lost.
26:20Elena,
26:20I'll give you the justice you deserve.
26:22You don't have to.
26:23What happens to her has nothing to do with me.
26:26The day of the divorce hearing,
26:27the weather was beautiful.
26:28By the time I arrived outside the courthouse,
26:30Julian was already waiting there.
26:32More than a year had passed since we last saw each other.
26:34He was even thinner than before.
26:36His suit was as immaculate as ever,
26:38but he was clutching a thick stack of documents so tightly
26:40that his knuckles had turned white.
26:42The moment he saw me,
26:43he walked over.
26:44Elena.
26:44I stopped.
26:45He held the documents out to me.
26:46This is a new property settlement proposal.
26:48The house,
26:49the shares,
26:50the savings,
26:50you can have all of it.
26:51Just please think it over one more time.
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