- 2 days ago
She Gave Up Counting Long Before His Lies Ran Out
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00:02how much did my husband love me to marry me Ethan proposed 99 times it wasn't until the
00:09hundredth proposal that I finally said yes Olivia Quinn you're the only woman I'll ever love if you
00:15say no today I'll come back tomorrow and if tomorrow doesn't work I'll come back the day
00:19after that I'll keep asking until you finally believe me that day in front of our families
00:24and closest friends I finally gave in on our wedding night I gave him a crystal box inside
00:32were 99 second chance cards each card represented one mistake I was willing to forgive as long as
00:38there were cards left I promised I would stay five years later every time he broke a promise
00:44because of his young assistant Chloe Hart he used one up then one day he realized something had
00:51changed I no longer cried and begged him to stay the only thing I asked was if you leave with
00:57Chloe
00:57tonight can I use another second chance card of course it's not like I've used that many use one
01:02if you want I nodded and watched him walk away what he didn't know was that tonight was his 97th
01:07card
01:08and there were only two left tonight was Blackwell Group's Elebration Gala it was also my third day
01:14out of the hospital after liver surgery the doctors had specifically told me to rest
01:20but I still came to support Ethan then Chloe Hart knocked over the champagne tower glass shattered
01:26across the ballroom floor champagne splashed all over one of our key business partners Mr. Harrison
01:32Ethan's first instinct wasn't to ask Chloe to apologize instead he immediately stepped in front of her
01:38protecting her Olivia apologize to Mr. Harrison for her I froze for a moment I thought I had misheard
01:46him Mr. Blackwell your assistant is the one who made the mistake she's the person who owes me an
01:51apology Chloe's eyes instantly turned red she tugged lightly on Ethan's sleeve I'm sorry I really
01:59didn't mean to Ethan gently patted her hand then leaned slightly closer to me lowering his voice so only
02:05I could hear go make it right with Mr. Harrison if it takes a few drinks just stay with him
02:11keep him calm
02:12he had forgotten that I was only three days out of surgery the doctors had made it clear that alcohol
02:17was off limits or maybe he simply didn't care whispers spread through the ballroom everyone knew it wasn't
02:24my fault everyone could see Ethan was determined to protect Chloe I wanted to refuse but Ethan seemed to do
02:31anticipate that silently he mouthed two familiar words second chance card five years ago Ethan
02:37Blackwell had proposed to me 99 times to honor that love I created 99 second chance cards on our wedding
02:44day as long as there were cards left our marriage would survive for the first three years Ethan never
02:50used a single one then Chloe entered our lives in just two years he burned through 96 cards and tonight
02:58he used the 97th
03:06the gala had just ended without thinking I walked toward the front passenger seat and reached for the
03:12door handle a sharp click the doors were locked through the tinted window I saw Ethan slowly roll his
03:18window down his expression was calm take a cab I just had the interior detailed you smell like
03:24alcohol it's unpleasant if this had been before I would have immediately tried to explain myself
03:30tearfully insisting it was just a little alcohol nothing serious but this time I just nodded all right
03:36drive safe for a brief moment his grip on the steering wheel loosened he looked at me like he wanted
03:41to say something before he could say another word Chloe had already walked over Ethan I'm ready we can
03:47go she was wearing the formal jacket I had picked out for him that morning the dress underneath still
03:51carried faint stains from the champagne tower incident earlier but Ethan showed no sign of
03:56discomfort in fact he adjusted the collar of her jacket with careful hands it's cold outside don't get
04:02sick that soft and controlled tone was a different world from how he had spoken to me moments ago
04:08only after that did he turn back to me a brief flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes don't
04:14misunderstand Chloe just graduated she's not used to these kinds of events yet I'm just looking out
04:19for her I understand you've already used the second chance cards anyway I won't be upset he froze he
04:26mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to respond but before he could Chloe sneezed his attention snapped
04:32back to her instantly go home early the door closed the car pulled away into the Manhattan night
04:39disappearing down the street I stood there for a long time until the cold finally settled into my
04:44bones at home I pulled out the box where I kept the second chance cards it used to be full
04:50now there
04:51were only three left without hesitation I took out card 97 tore it in half and dropped it into the
04:56trash
04:56then I opened my laptop and started drafting the divorce agreement with Ethan Blackwell for fairness I
05:02called a professor from my law school days she had supervised my thesis and had been one of the most
05:08trusted
05:08academic mentors in my career professor if I were to divorce Ethan how should the assets be divided a
05:16divorce everyone at the university still remembers how he proposed to you 99 times how did it come to
05:22this how did it come to this I repeated it to myself maybe it started with the increasingly familiar
05:28scent of women's perfume on him maybe when he started coming home later and later or maybe when those
05:34second chance cards began disappearing one by one because of Chloe Hart I looked at the box my voice
05:41was steady when he uses the last two chances at that moment the door opened what chances Ethan stood in
05:48the doorway a paper bag in his hand tone casual but his eyes had already changed I hung up the
05:56phone and
05:57calmly closed my laptop nothing I was just talking to my law professor about some divorce related matters
06:01Ethan's expression changed he crossed the room almost immediately divorce you want a divorce no it's a
06:09case she's working on she wanted some opinion he studied me for a few seconds before the tension in his
06:13face eased slightly this is for you the logo on the bag belonged to a dessert shop I had always
06:19loved
06:20before we got married whenever we argued Ethan would buy me a cake from that store to make up with
06:24me
06:24the place was incredibly popular the line was usually at least two hours long he never asked anyone else to
06:31go for
06:31him no matter how bad the weather was he always waited in line himself once I felt bad and told
06:37him to send an
06:37assistant instead you should have sent an assistant Olivia it's okay for you I do it in a heartbeat the
06:44memory
06:44softened something in my chest I can't believe you still remember inside wasn't a cake it was clothing two pieces
06:51of
06:52clothing a faint smell of alcohol still lingered on both what is this Chloe's dress got stained since
06:59you've always been good at handling things like this I figured I'd bring it home with mine you can
07:03just take care of it when you have time and if it bothers you I can use a second chance
07:07card you still
07:08have plenty left don't you every word I wanted to say died in my throat I wanted to tell him
07:12there
07:12weren't plenty left including the one he had just used there was only one second chance card left but in
07:17the end I only looked at him for a long moment before taking the clothes to the laundry room over
07:22the years I had managed every detail of his life the suits that needed pressing before board meetings
07:27the ties that matched each gala fundraiser and investor dinner I handled all of it looking back
07:33now it felt almost ridiculous I had called it love to Ethan it had simply become a service he expected
07:39to exist nothing more I let out a quiet laugh closed the laundry room door and returned to the
07:47bedroom when he saw me come back so quickly he frowned that was fast already taken care of that
07:54dress is Chloe's favorite one I promised her it would be cleaned properly I picked up my skin care
07:59products and continued getting ready for bed without another word just then Ethan's phone started
08:04vibrating his expression softened the moment he saw who was calling he got out of bed immediately
08:09and walked out of the bedroom quietly I followed Chloe's cheerful voice drifted through the phone
08:15Ethan the dessert you bought me was amazing I've never had anything that good before but the line
08:21was so long I kind of feel bad for making you wait Ethan glanced toward the bedroom before lowering
08:26his voice it doesn't matter if you want it I'll go get it anytime it's not a big deal Chloe
08:32laughed
08:32softly what about my dress won't it be too much trouble for Olivia I don't want to make things
08:38difficult for you she's used to it besides your hands are too pretty for that kind of work I lowered
08:43my eyes and looked at my own hands years of taking care of a household had left them no longer
08:47soft or
08:48delicate so he had noticed he had simply never cared unable to listen any longer I retreated into the
08:54bathroom 10 minutes later there was a knock at the door Olivia there's something I need to handle at
09:00the office I have to head out get some rest okay Ethan he stopped I looked at my reflection in
09:08the
09:08mirror at the tears silently running down my face my voice was barely above a whisper if you don't come
09:16home tonight can I use a second chance card of course Ethan smiled at me looking completely at ease
09:24don't worry I'll be home before midnight you definitely won't need that second chance card
09:29looking at the face that hadn't changed much over the past five years I forced down the bitterness in
09:33my chest and smiled faintly okay I'll wait for you three hours until midnight I paid extra for a
09:42delivery service to bring me a cake Ethan's assistant Zoe posted an Instagram story she complained about
09:48still being stuck at work according to her she was the only person left in the office at the same
09:53time
09:53Ethan texted me just got to the office be home soon two hours until midnight while scrolling through
10:00old photos I came across a picture from the day Ethan proposed on impulse I posted it five years
10:06already I captioned the photo more than five Ethan replied within seconds at the same time he sent me a
10:13photo of the city skyline beautiful night made me think of you I didn't reply because I recognized the
10:19buildings in the background they weren't anywhere near Blackwell Group they were in Midtown Manhattan
10:23near one of New York's most famous romantic restaurants just then Chloe posted close friend's
10:29story and somehow I was the only one who could see it you got the ring I got his heart
10:34in the lower
10:34corner of the photo Ethan's left hand was clearly visible his wedding ring was nowhere to deceive
10:39one hour until midnight curled up on the couch I replayed our wedding video while eating the cake that
10:45had been delivered earlier for some reason the cake tasted salter with every bite I thought to
10:50myself that I probably wouldn't like it anymore after tonight 30 minutes until midnight Ethan stopped
10:56replying to my messages I stopped bothering him instead I quietly began packing my things one minute
11:02until midnight I took the last remaining second chance card out of the box just as I was about to
11:07tear it in half the doorbell rang I froze then hurried to answer it good evening Miss Blackwell this is
11:13a gift
11:13purchased by Mr. Ethan Blackwell please sign here at the same moment a text from Ethan appeared on my
11:19screen sorry I'm staying at the office tonight use a second chance card if you want I'll bring you
11:24your favorite cake when you get home I was about to reply when I accidentally knocked into the
11:29bookshelf the framed wedding photo that had sat there for five years crashed to the floor glass
11:34shattered everywhere ma'am do you need help cleaning that up I shook my head then lowered my eyes to
11:41my
11:41phone and typed don't bring the cake Ethan Blackwell you've run out of second chance cards after a brief
11:48pause I sent another message let's get divorced the next second countless notifications flooded my phone
11:59I ignored the constant buzzing of my phone and turned it off from that moment on my five-year
12:04marriage to Ethan had truly come to an end in the hotel suite after seeing my message Ethan left me
12:10countless voice messages divorce stop kidding how could all those second chance cards possibly be
12:16gone already Olivia answer the phone let's talk he refused to believe I would actually ignore him
12:22again and again he called my number after hearing the automated voicemail for the 39th time Ethan
12:27finally started to panic no that's impossible it can't be she was fine before I left the image of me
12:33mentioning the second chance cards flashed through his mind I had been so calm so calm that it looked like
12:40I
12:40had already given up at that thought Ethan grabbed his jacket and hurriedly put it on Chloe wrapped her
12:46arms around his neck and snuggled against him Ethan you promised you'd stay with me all night
12:50distracted and anxious Ethan pushed her away without offering any explanation he rushed out of the hotel
12:57the entire drive home he kept calling me over and over again I never answered once the moment he stepped
13:04through the front door he was moving so fast that he accidentally stepped on something Ethan looked
13:09down his body froze it was our wedding portrait the shattered glass split our wedding photo in two
13:16just like our broken marriage slowly he crouched down and lifted the frame from the floor then
13:22carefully brushed away the shards of glass looking at the two young people in the photo smiling so happily
13:27Ethan felt his eyes began to sting after placing the portrait back where it belonged he started searching the
13:32house for me when he finally opened the walk-in closet and saw that my side was completely empty
13:38he was forced to accept the truth I was really gone he collapsed onto the couch in the living room
13:45and
13:45stared at the television screen in silence the proposal video playing on repeat was the last trace
13:50of me left in the house his fingers buried deep in his hair Ethan tried to think of where I
13:56might have
13:56gone as his gaze swept across the room it suddenly landed on the trash can nearby the pile of pink
14:01scraps
14:02inside looked painfully familiar so familiar that the sight of them nearly took his breath away
14:08slowly he crouched down and picked them up one by one then with extraordinary care he pieced them
14:13back together no more no less exactly 99 second chance cards he remembered five years ago when I placed
14:22those cards into the box Olivia trust me you'll never have to use them all then he remembered all the
14:27times he had casually asked to use a second chance card the love he had spent years building between
14:33us had been recklessly squandered during the two years since Chloe appeared until there was nothing
14:39left every time he broke a promise he bought me a gift what reason could I possibly have to be
14:44unhappy
14:44at that thought Ethan's eyes drifted toward the display cabinet in the living room then he froze once more
14:50the entire cabinet was filled with gifts he had given me over the years but upon closer inspection
14:56three identical watches sat prominently in the center one of them had been purchased just two
15:01hours ago suddenly Ethan remembered the limited edition necklace he had given Chloe yesterday
15:06the moment she said she liked it he had it flown in from France overnight whether in value or
15:13thoughtliness it far surpassed everything in front of him for the first time Ethan fell into deep
15:18contemplation when had it happened when had his once unique love for Olivia became careless and cheap
15:24that night he sat alone in the living room he drank an entire bottle of whiskey and still couldn't
15:29find the answer he was looking for the moment Ethan arrived at the office Chloe followed him inside
15:38Ethan here's the contract from yesterday she placed the file on his desk and walked over to his side
15:43resting a hand on his shoulder that kind of intimacy used to feel normal now it suddenly made Ethan
15:49uncomfortable Ethan opened the contract his expression darkened after the first page the contract was a
15:54total mess in the past before a single contract reached Ethan's desk I would reviewed it no fewer
15:59than three times I made sure every potential risk to the company was identified but this one who drafted this
16:07contract does no one in this company have basic professional competicity anymore get Olivia in here I'd like to ask
16:13whether our general counsel still wants her job the color
16:16she turned to be and her drenned from Chloe's face Ethan I drafted it all his anger died instantly looking
16:23at Chloe's reddened
16:24eyes and wounded expression Ethan felt an unfamiliar sense of exhaustion for the first time I'm sorry Ethan maybe you're
16:32right
16:32maybe I'm not qualified for this job at all all I ever do is cause trouble for you with that
16:37she turned to leave instinctively Ethan reached out and grabbed her arm but when he
16:42met chloe's tearful eyes he suddenly froze i had never looked at ethan that way before no matter
16:48what happened i always found a way to solve the problem i was nothing like chloe every time chloe
16:54made a mistake i was the one who cleaned up the mess eventually whenever chloe screwed something
17:00up ethan would instinctively push it onto me to fix as if it had always been my responsibility
17:09slowly he released chloe's arm you should go chloe's face alternated between red and pale
17:16without the reassurance she had expected tears nearly spilled from her eyes seeing that ethan
17:21rubbed his temples impatiently redo the contract bring it back when you're certain there are no
17:25problems biting her lip chloe finally left the office unwillingly a co-worker who had always
17:31been close to me secretly snapped a photo of the scene and sent it to me olivia that little
17:37assistant who keeps stealing everyone else's credit got kicked out of ethan's office today
17:41serves her right inside the office ethan kept dialing my number again and again the calls
17:47never connected he kept telling himself that i was just angry yet every time his eyes landed
17:52on my empty office the irritation inside him grew stronger he couldn't even focus on work anymore
17:59mr blackwell is there something you need did olivia take the day off the h director froze for a moment
18:04then looked at him in confusion ms blackwell resigned what when did that happen who approved it why
18:09wasn't i informed the hr director looked completely bewildered she submitted the resignation last night
18:15you personally approved it this morning the word struck ethan like a bolt of lightning he froze in
18:21place then he abruptly opened his computer and clicked open the resignation letter his gaze fell to the
18:27bottom of the page approved by ethan blackwell his own signature a crushing sense of panic swept
18:33through him withdraw it right now the process has already been completed just then chloe walked into
18:39the office carrying a document with no return address gone was the pitiful expression from earlier
18:45there was even a trace of satisfaction in her eyes ethan an overnight delivery arrived for you
18:51ethan's gaze swept across the first page the next second he collapsed back into his chair
18:57it took him a long time to recover finally he picked up his phone and called a friend
19:04help me find out where this package was sent from
19:10after hanging up ethan remained in his office long after everyone else had gone home
19:17eventually he unlocked my office and sat down at my desk
19:23his eyes settled on the framed photo of us one memory after another flashed through his mind
19:29nine years ago ethan met me for the first time at a university debate tournament
19:34back then i was confident and unstoppable standing behind the podium
19:39i dismismantled every argument with sharp logic and unwavering composure
19:44whenever an opponent challenged me i always had the perfect response ready
19:50after the competition most people described me as intimidating difficult and impossible to approach
19:57ethan however called me rational brilliant and decisive
20:03from that day on he pursued me relentlessly
20:09it took us two years to go from strangers to lovers
20:13and another two years to go from lovers to husband and wife
20:16even now ethan still remembered the day he proposed
20:20he remembered the way i blushed and nodded yes
20:23the joy he felt in that moment exceeded even the thrill of closing a multi-billion dollar acquisition
20:29then somewhere along the way our marriage began to fall apart
20:33but even now he couldn't pinpoint exactly where things had gone wrong
20:37all he knew was that the distance between us kept growing
20:41many luck time employees had tried to warn him
20:44but by then ethan had become too accustomed to having everyone follow his decisions
20:49he never took their advice seriously
20:51looking back now he realized that if he had listened to even one of them
20:55perhaps we would never have ended up here
20:58nine years together and this was how it ended
21:02anyone would think it was a tragedy
21:07just then his phone rang
21:11the address has been traced but are you sure you want to go yourself
21:14you'll have to fly there
21:15ethan's parents had both died in a plane crash
21:18ever since then airplanes and flying had become his greatest fear
21:22even when blackwell'd group had overseas business
21:25it was usually me who carried the signed documents
21:28and flew out to handle everything in person
21:31what happened why are you suddenly leaving the country
21:37olivia left
21:38what
21:42let me ask you something for the past three years
21:44did all of you think i crossed the line with chloe
21:47did all of you think i was betraying olivia
21:50i understand now
21:52i was wrong
21:54ever since chloe showed up
21:56i found myself drawn to her without even realizing it
22:00she reminded me of olivia when we first met
22:02back then
22:03olivia wasn't carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders
22:08she was brilliant confident and radiant she always seemed to know exactly what she wanted
22:15but i never should have confused the two of them for the past two years i've used up all
22:20the 99 chances olivia gave me i never imagined we'd end up apart but now she doesn't want me anymore
22:29the line fell silent okay i understand the call ended a moment later a text message
22:36appeared on his screen the divorce papers were mailed from this address
22:39go there and ask around you might be able to find olivia
22:47after a seven hour flight i arrived safely in paris
22:51the moment i landed my former professor was already waiting at the airport
22:55with several colleagues from the law firm
22:58everyone welcomed me warmly
23:00this was my third time in paris
23:02in the past whenever i came here for work
23:05ethan would call me back to new york the moment a contract was signed
23:10now free from the burden of that life
23:12i felt lighter than i had in years
23:15because from this day forward i only had to live for myself
23:19and ethan would never find me here
23:21my professor looked at me with a sigh
23:23back in law school i had been one of her most promising students
23:27the only person who could rival me was my senior daniel brooks
23:31but then i married ethan i turned down her offer to join the paris firm
23:35i also gave up the career path she had carefully planned for me years in advance
23:39before i left she had looked at me seriously
23:42there had been both regret and disappointment in her eyes
23:45olivia i'm truly glad you decided to come back
23:53the divorce papers have already been delivered
23:56as for the divorce proceedings i'll have daniel handle them
23:59i guarantee complete fairness
24:03then i'll have to count on you daniel
24:05when i get my settlement
24:07drinks and a vacation in the south of france are on me
24:12come on
24:13let's get you familiar with your new work environment
24:16what i didn't expect was to run into ethan so soon
24:19on my very first day at the firm
24:22i saw him standing outside the building
24:23at first i thought i was imagining things
24:26i even rubbed my eyes several times
24:28but no matter how many times i looked
24:30it was still ethan
24:32in just a few days
24:33he had become noticeably thinner
24:35dark circles shadowed his eyes
24:37he looked as though he might collapse at any moment
24:40yet he remained stubbornly planted at the entrance
24:42refusing to leave
24:44the moment he saw me he hurried towards me
24:46instinctively i took a step back putting distance between us
24:49the hurt in ethan's eyes was immediate
24:53olivia don't be mad anymore i was wrong
24:55over the past two years i paid too much attention to chloe
24:58because she reminded me of the olivia i met nine years ago
25:00i mistook that feeling for love
25:02but after you left i finally realized it was never love
25:06the person i've always loved is you
25:09i looked at him with thinly veiled mockery
25:11forcing down the wave of nausea rising in my stomach
25:14but his declaration continued
25:16these years i've watched everything you've done
25:18maybe it was because you became so capable
25:20so successful so strong
25:22you put so much pressure on me that i started feeling like you'd changed
25:25you became rational
25:26powerful
25:27almost like a machine that never made mistakes
25:30so when chloe appeared i found myself drawn to her
25:34it felt like i was seeing the olivia i first fell in love with all over again
25:38olivia i don't want a divorce
25:42and i don't want to lose you
25:44i even got on a plane for you
25:45can't you forgive me just this once
25:47by the time he finished tears were streaming down his face
25:50but all i felt was cold
25:55this was the man i had loved for nine years
25:57he had emotionally cheated on me
25:59yet he was still desperately searching for excuses
26:03worse
26:04he was trying to shift part of the blame onto me
26:07because i became more rational
26:08he said i had changed
26:10because i became more successful
26:12he said i made him feel pressured
26:14because i grew
26:16he fell in love with someone else
26:18everything he once praised about me
26:20had somehow become the reason he betrayed our marriage
26:23how ridiculous
26:25i looked at him calmly
26:26not a ripple stirred in my voice
26:29wrong is wrong
26:30when you betray someone you have to accept the consequences
26:34if a simple apology could erase every mistake
26:37we wouldn't need courts or lawyers
26:39ethan
26:40we're over
26:41later
26:42i heard from my colleagues that ethan had remained outside the building for the entire day
26:46he ignored the stares from strangers and the cold wind
26:50but what was the point
26:51some things once lost are lost forever
26:55for two years i gave him 99 chances
26:58and he wasted every single one of them
27:03after leaving the law firm ethan didn't return to his hotel right away
27:07instead he sat alone by the scene
27:09the autumn wind was cold enough to cut through layers of clothing
27:13yet he seemed completely oblivious to it
27:16staring only at a photo of me on his phone
27:18it had been taken years ago
27:20shortly after we got married
27:21in the picture i was leaning against his shoulder
27:23smiling brightly and without restraint
27:25nothing like the woman i was now
27:27calm
27:28distant
27:29so indifferent that even looking at him felt unnecessary
27:31just then his phone vibrated
27:33an unfamiliar email had arrived
27:35the sender was my former professor
27:37the message itself was brief
27:39if you truly want to know what you've lost look through these
27:41attached was a single compressed file
27:43after a moment's hesitation
27:45ethan opened it
27:46the first document was an offer letter
27:48it came from one of paris's most prestigious international law firms
27:52annual salary
27:53five hundred thousand dollars
27:54global partner track program
27:56the date on the email was exactly one month before our wedding
27:59ethan's breathing caught
28:00he had never known about any of this
28:03he continued scrolling
28:04the second document was an email from daniel brooks to me
28:07olivia i know you're hesitating
28:10but if you accept this position
28:11you'll make partner within five years
28:13don't give up your future for anyone
28:16ethan's grip on his phone tightened
28:18suddenly he remembered that period of time
28:21i had been busy every day
28:23interviews
28:24applications
28:26endless paperwork
28:28then for reasons he never questioned
28:31i suddenly gave it all up
28:33at the time
28:34it had seemed perfectly natural to him
28:37after all
28:38we were about to get married
28:41wasn't it normal for his wife to stay in new york
28:44the third document was something i had written to my professor
28:47it had been saved during the second year of our marriage
28:50ethan opened it
28:51the moment he finished reading
28:53he froze
28:55blackwell group has been expanding lately
28:57ethan only sleeps three or four hours a night
28:59if i stay at the firm
29:00we'll barely have any time together
29:02i want to leave and help him
29:04at least that way
29:06he won't have to carry everything alone
29:10the message ended there
29:12nothing followed
29:13yet those few short sentences
29:15made it difficult for ethan to breathe
29:19for the first time
29:20he realized the truth
29:22olivia
29:22why did you join blackwet group
29:24i hadn't joined blackwet group because i loved the job
29:27i had done it because i was worried about him
29:30because i didn't want him carrying the burden alone
29:33because i had willingly given up the career i loved for his sake
29:37the fourth document was from my professor
29:39the email contained only a single sentence
29:42one day i hope he deserves that sacrifice
29:45it felt as if something exploded inside ethan's mind
29:48suddenly memory after memory came flooding back
29:52the countless nights i stayed awake reviewing contracts
29:55the boardroom conflicts i resolved on his behalf
29:58the negotiations i flew across the world to handle
30:00the legal department i built from the ground up for blackwell group
30:04and what had he done
30:05he had taken all of it for granted
30:07he had convinced himself that i was simply supposed to be there
30:11supposed to stand behind him
30:14supposed to never leave
30:16only now did ethan finally understand
30:22it wasn't that i couldn't live without him
30:24it was that i had given up an entire world that had once been within reach
30:27for him
30:28he sat there beside the seine
30:29head lowered
30:30silent for a very long time
30:32tears fell one by one onto the screen of his phone
30:36unfortunately
30:37the realization had come too late
30:40the olivia who had once been willing to give up everything for him
30:44didn't want him anymore
30:48for seven straight days
30:50ethan showed up outside the law firm
30:52rain or shine
30:53every time he saw me
30:55he wore the same heartbroken expression
30:57he never openly harassed me
30:59yet somehow managed to make it obvious to everyone that there had once been something
31:03between us
31:04naturally
31:05daniel noticed ethan as well
31:07every time he walked past him
31:09he would casually slip a freshly printed divorce settlement agreement into ethan's hands
31:14the two men seemed to be engaged in a silent competition
31:18my professor didn't want ethan affecting my work
31:21so she arranged a firm retreat
31:23during the trip
31:25i finally got to experience all the things ethan i had talked about doing for years but never found the
31:30time for
31:31skiing
31:34mountain climbing
31:37skydiving
31:40chasing the northern lights
31:42every experience reminded me how vibrant life could be
31:46compared to that
31:47marriage suddenly didn't seem all that important
31:51on my first day back at work
31:53ethan didn't appear
31:54he left behind only one message
31:56i won't give up
31:57then he returned to new york
31:59back to the mess chloe had made of blackwell group
32:04every day
32:05former colleagues sent me updates
32:06chloe got yelled at until she cried three times today
32:10chloe was demoted from executive assistant to administrative assistant
32:14chloe got transferred to the administrative department
32:18in just a few days chloe had been demoted several times
32:22she became the target of all of ethan's anger
32:25as for me
32:26i simply smiled and continued living my new life
32:30gradually
32:31everything began falling into place
32:33within six months
32:35months
32:35i won fifteen cases
32:38my name started gaining recognition in legal circles across europe
32:42in my free time
32:43i rode gondolas through the canals of venice
32:46or traveled to sicily to watch the sea
32:50whenever i felt exhausted
32:52i would disappear into a small fishing village along the lagonian coast for a week
32:59during that first year apart ethan received ninety nine divorce settlement agreements
33:04yet he refused to sign a single one
33:06it seemed he wanted to summon the same persistence he had once used to pursue me
33:11as if determination alone could make me soften and take him back
33:15at first i admit my heart would still waver from time to time
33:21but the updates from new york quickly extinguished that foolish sympathy
33:25at one point ethan personally visited my parents he confessed everything and tearfully expressed his regret
33:33what he forgot was that children often take after their parents
33:57after that ethan never appeared outside the firm again
34:04after that ethan never appeared outside the firm again
34:09by then we had been separated for two years the divorce had already become final
34:15for the first time in years i boarded a flight back to new york when i arrived
34:21my parents looked a confident self-assured woman i had become
34:25for the first time they were truly at ease
34:29we have daniel to thank he sent us photos and videos of you almost every day otherwise
34:34we never would have stopped worrying i turned toward the man standing behind me and smiled
34:39knowingly mr brooks what's the legal penalty for invading someone's privacy again
34:47daniel cleared his rote the tips of his ears turned bright red
34:50well if there was a legitimate reason and if the family provided authorization
34:56a court might take that into consideration
35:03his answer made everyone laugh the light-hearted moment eased the emotions of our reunion
35:08as we headed home together my father finally told me why ethan had disappeared
35:12in an attempt to climb higher chloe sold intimate photos of herself and ethan to the media
35:19blackwell group was immediately dragged into a public scandal
35:22the stock price plummeted
35:27many business partners who had once worked closely with me terminated their contracts on the spot
35:32several newly signed partners were caught in the fallout as well
35:36the company lost hundreds of millions of dollars
35:38massive breach of contract claims followed
35:43ethan completely lost control
35:45he physically assaulted chloe in his office
35:47eventually he was convicted of assault and sentenced to three months in jail
35:51blackwell group never survived long enough to see his release
35:54overwhelmed by debt the company filed for bankruptcy protection
36:00as for chloe the scandal destroyed her reputation
36:04she was blacklisted across the industry
36:06no respectable company would hire her
36:09in the end she found herself working at a small restaurant
36:12enduring contempt from both customers and management every single day
36:17the next time i saw ethan was at a corporate gala two years later
36:22as the lead attorney responsible for taking a company public
36:25i was treated as one of the evening's most honored guests
36:29meanwhile in a corner of the ballroom ethan stood holding a glass of wine
36:33he was forcing polite conversation with business partners he once looked down upon
36:37one drink after another
36:38the sight reminded me of myself years ago
36:41back when i drank until my stomach bled just to help him build his empire
36:44the moment our eyes met i saw it all in his gaze embarrassment shock pain and regret
36:52across the crowded room i raised my champagne glass toward him
36:57then slowly took a sip
37:00this toast was for the love we had lost
37:03and for the woman i became after surviving it
37:06and fear and she got lost his mind
37:06but i used to know that she was he was one of the others
37:07and he knows that she was one of the most thomas
37:07over the years there was only one of the most important things
37:07but i was very interested in the story
37:07and a few of the most important things
37:08and i was so interested in the story
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