- 1 week ago
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00:00Six years of marriage, my husband Lorenzo Moretti still wouldn't touch me.
00:03To figure out whether does he not want anyone, or does he just not want me,
00:07I started sending women his way.
00:09The first, the prettiest dancer at the Moretti family's private club.
00:13All she got in return was...
00:15Get her out.
00:16The second was the youngest daughter of an allied family.
00:19She pretended to get drunk at a dinner party, and deliberately fell into Lorenzo's arms.
00:24He didn't even lift a hand to steady her, just had his bodyguard return her to her father.
00:28The third one I handpicked myself.
00:30Cool, intelligent, even the way she talked sounded like exactly Lorenzo's type.
00:34She accompanied him through an entire business meeting.
00:37When she left, she brought back only one message.
00:40Mr. Morelli asked me to tell you, stop playing these games.
00:44Another failure. I let out a breath of relief.
00:47Stop testing him, girl. It's not that he doesn't love you, he's just not built to love anyone.
00:51At least he treats you well.
00:53The whole Morelli family knows you're his wife, he keeps you safe.
00:56Until the day I went to find him at Moretti Group headquarters.
00:59The building looked like an ordinary corporate office on the surface,
01:02but it was actually the innermost nerve center of the Moretti family.
01:06The top floor had two security checkpoints.
01:08Even I, his wife, could only wait outside the second door.
01:12But that day, when I opened the door to Lorenzo's office,
01:14I ran right into a girl coming out from inside.
01:17She was that girl permitted access to the restricted area.
01:20A place where even I wasn't permitted to enter freely.
01:23Something clicked.
01:25On the phone, Chloe was still talking.
01:27You booked the candlelit dinner for your anniversary, right?
01:30Make sure your makeup is perfect.
01:31Wear that dress.
01:33Boobs up, cinch the waist, spray perfume on your bra straps.
01:36Oh wait, what were you saying?
01:37I looked at the girl.
01:38She was eating the snacks I'd made for Lorenzo.
01:40Nothing.
01:41It's just, I think I want a divorce.
01:46What happened?
01:48Lily, don't give up now.
01:50Just keep giving him what he likes.
01:52Fake it till you make it.
01:54He'll catch feelings eventually.
01:55For six years, I kept the long hair Lorenzo liked.
01:58His favorite perfume.
01:59Words he wanted to hear.
02:01Over and over.
02:01Bending myself to fit his taste.
02:03Turning myself into nothing but an extension of his love.
02:06There's a new girl around Lorenzo.
02:09Lorenzo, this is the first time he's never kept one from me before.
02:13Every time I put someone near him.
02:14Within hours, his people would drop her file on my desk.
02:17Name, background, motive, crystal clear.
02:20He never hid anything from me.
02:21But this girl today, Lorenzo had never mentioned.
02:24I ran after her, heart pounding the whole time.
02:28I kept telling myself, she's just a new hire.
02:30He's probably just been busy.
02:32Hasn't had a chance to tell me yet.
02:33Lorenzo would never fall for anyone.
02:36Lorenzo, I did pretty well on this assignment.
02:39Would you consider making me full-time?
02:41He finished with the files.
02:43Set them in front of her.
02:44Go put these away.
02:46Emma did as she was told.
02:47The filing cabinet was tall.
02:48Stood on her tiptoes.
02:50Still couldn't reach.
02:51Lorenzo walked up behind her.
02:53Reached past her shoulder.
02:54Slid the files in.
02:55She stepped back.
02:56Tripped.
02:57Lorenzo caught her waist on instinct.
02:59Voice flat.
03:00That clumsy?
03:01But the tiniest smile at the corner of his mouth.
03:03I froze.
03:04Staring at his face.
03:05So he could smile after all?
03:10Lorenzo had already wiped the smile away.
03:12As if that moment was just my imagination.
03:15I can't walk you to the station tonight.
03:17My wife's waiting for me for dinner.
03:19HR comes in tomorrow.
03:21I'll have them process your full-time offer.
03:23The company can give you a housing allowance.
03:25Top it up a little and rent a place nearby.
03:27It's not safe living out in the suburbs.
03:30It's fine.
03:31I'm used to it.
03:33Lorenzo must have noticed she couldn't afford it.
03:35So he pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and looked up at her.
03:38I'll have the family office arrange an apartment for you.
03:41Garden Heights.
03:42Not far from here.
03:44Ten minute walk.
03:47Garden Heights?
03:49The company benefits are that good?
03:51I handled the Garden Heights place.
03:53I'll send you the money soon.
03:54This was the first time Lorenzo had ever lied to me.
03:57The apartment I'd handpicked, nearly a million dollars,
03:59had just become a company apartment.
04:01Go eat first.
04:03I'll have someone drop off the keys later.
04:07Lorenzo glanced at his watch.
04:09I'm heading out.
04:14The girl grinned and called a friend to share the news.
04:18My boss is seriously the nicest person ever.
04:22He covers food and housing.
04:23He's gorgeous, great temperament.
04:26He's been personally mentoring me on this project.
04:30Wait, do you think he likes you?
04:32Like.
04:33What a distant word.
04:34No way.
04:35He's married.
04:37He even said today is their fifth wedding anniversary.
04:40It's our six.
04:41Lorenzo couldn't even get that right.
04:43I was tired.
04:44This endless road of chasing Lorenzo.
04:46I didn't want to walk it anymore.
04:50Lorenzo and I had agreed on seven o'clock.
04:52I didn't show up until past nine.
04:54I tied my hair back, wiped off my makeup,
04:56and threw on a wrinkled pantsuit before walking in.
04:58This was a private restaurant under the Moretti family's name.
05:01The top floor served only their guests.
05:03Quiet, discreet.
05:05Even the waitstaff knew when to keep their eyes down.
05:07When Lorenzo saw me like this, he paused for a moment.
05:10Then his face reset, and he gestured for the waiter.
05:12Serve the food.
05:12Lorenzo didn't scold me for being late.
05:14He didn't ask why I showed up like this.
05:16Me, who always cared about looking perfect.
05:18He just went through the motions, like checking off a task.
05:21Set up my silverware, then pulled out a gift he'd prepared.
05:24A diamond-encrusted tiara.
05:26Want to try it on?
05:27He set it on my messy hair.
05:33Hmm.
05:35It doesn't quite work.
05:36You should have dressed up a bit.
05:38The meal was painfully silent.
05:40Without me carrying conversation, Lorenzo never would.
05:43Halfway through, his phone buzzed.
05:44He glanced at it and started eating faster.
05:46It was probably that girl arriving at Garden Heights.
05:48Lorenzo was in a hurry to deliver the keys.
05:55What did you get me?
05:56Lorenzo finally spoke.
05:58It was our routine.
05:58We were supposed to exchange gifts.
06:00Only then would the anniversary dinner be officially over.
06:03Nothing?
06:04Fine.
06:05Bill's paid.
06:07Just have the driver pick you up.
06:09Something came up at work.
06:10All these years, all he ever left me was his back walking away.
06:13I tilted my head up, holding back the tears.
06:15The people around me left one by one.
06:17When the restaurant was finally empty, a waiter came over softly.
06:21Ma'am, would you still like us to bring out the cake?
06:23Tonight, I was supposed to cut the cake with Lorenzo.
06:26No need.
06:27Then take him back to Garden Heights, where I'd hidden a surprise for him.
06:30I waved my hand and drifted out.
06:31Hollow.
06:32Chloe had sent a flood of messages.
06:33I opened them.
06:34An anonymous post on some overseas workplace gossip forum.
06:38The title read,
06:38My boss gave me a luxury apartment as employee housing.
06:42Is this normal?
06:43I tapped in.
06:43Photo was the apartment I decorated myself.
06:48Just moved in.
06:49There are fresh flower bouquets everywhere.
06:51And the bathtub is covered in rose petals.
06:53What company gives a movie a place at Garden Heights?
06:55Girl, he's into you.
06:56He's calling it a company perk so you won't feel pressured.
06:59Within minutes, the comments exploded into the thousands.
07:02Strangers online started shipping her and Lorenzo.
07:04Soon, OP posted an update.
07:06The photo showed the closet.
07:07A beautiful lace nightgown hanging inside.
07:10Below it, an opened box.
07:11Inside, several packs of ultra-thin condoms.
07:14Chloe's call popped up immediately.
07:18Lily, what the hell is going on?
07:20How did this woman end up in your and Lorenzo's new place?
07:22My head was a mess.
07:23I tried to speak.
07:24But all that came out were broken sobs.
07:26I went back to the post.
07:27Heard from people at work.
07:28His wife basically threw herself at him.
07:30She rejected multiple arranged marriages from her own family just to marry him.
07:34Nearly burned every bridge.
07:35But now she's just some bitter, unwanted housewife.
07:38If he really loved his wife, why would he give Garden Heights to another woman?
07:41The evidence kept piling up.
07:43Every comment screaming in my ears.
07:45Cruelly shattering my dream.
07:46They were telling me, no matter how much I gave, Lorenzo would never love me.
07:50Devotion doesn't guarantee devotion in return.
07:52I don't remember how I got home.
07:54Just the moonlight following me the whole way.
07:56And the tears that never stopped.
07:57It was past two in the morning when Lorenzo finally came home.
08:00I looked up at him with swollen eyes.
08:06Lorenzo?
08:08Let's divorce.
08:11Lorenzo changed his shoes and came to sit beside me.
08:14What's wrong?
08:15I tossed him my phone.
08:17He scrolled through the post, then looked up.
08:19Yeah, I gave the apartment to Emma.
08:21But I didn't know you'd done all that with the post.
08:23Her full name?
08:24Emma Brooks.
08:25When did she join the company?
08:26Last month.
08:27What position?
08:28Marketing.
08:28Why didn't you tell me beforehand?
08:31Tell you what?
08:32About this girl.
08:33You used to tell me about all of them.
08:35He got up and went into the bedroom.
08:36When he came back out...
08:38All of them?
08:39You mean the women you hired to test me?
08:41The cards spread open.
08:42The club dancer.
08:43The socialite at the family banquet.
08:44The girl I'd planted near him.
08:46All of them were there.
08:47Names.
08:48Backgrounds.
08:48Motives.
08:49Every last detail laid out.
08:51Lily, we've been married this long.
08:53Life's been pretty harmonious, hasn't it?
08:56Why do you keep obsessing over whether I love you or not?
09:00Does it really matter?
09:01These six years, Lorenzo had been good to me.
09:04The house, the cars, shares in Moretti Group.
09:06He'd given me all of it.
09:07He did all the husband things.
09:08Brought flowers home after work.
09:10He'd travel with me.
09:11Take me on picnics by the lake.
09:13The wind carried the smell of lake water.
09:15And the cedar scent on his skin.
09:17Every time that happened, I'd think, does Lorenzo like me too?
09:20He puts up with me.
09:21Takes care of me.
09:22Treats me with respect.
09:23Doesn't that mean he loves me?
09:25But every time I was close to believing it, I'd crash and burn all over again.
09:28Heard enough times, you go numb.
09:30I thought I could live like this forever.
09:32Then I realized, no, I can't do it.
09:35Lorenzo, love matters to me.
09:37If there's nothing real between us, then let's end this.
09:41And after that, let's never see each other again.
09:46So long I thought he was just gonna let us end, like that.
09:49Then suddenly he grabbed my hand and pressed it against his chest.
09:53My heart was pounding.
09:54I don't know.
09:55You're beautiful.
09:56Your long hair looks great.
09:58You look great in dresses.
09:59What about when I'm not dressed up?
10:01I cut him off.
10:02Lorenzo opened his mouth.
10:03Nothing came out.
10:05Would you like me with no makeup?
10:07Would you like me if I stopped catering to you?
10:09Like he really didn't get why I was asking.
10:11I grabbed my makeup and dumped it all over the floor.
10:13No mirror needed.
10:14Six years of habit was enough.
10:16I sat on the ground and started painting my face.
10:18I looked up at Lorenzo and forced an ugly smile.
10:21Do you like me like this?
10:22I rushed into the bedroom and pulled the prettiest piece from a closet full of lace lingerie.
10:26Did a clumsy spin.
10:27How about now?
10:30The next second I grabbed the scissors and hacked off my waist-length hair in one cut.
10:38Then sliced open the nightgown that had never been comfortable for a single second.
10:45Smeared the makeup across my face.
10:50Do you still like me now?
10:52Say it.
10:53Say it!
10:54Lily, have you lost your mind?
10:56I didn't even feel sad.
10:58Just empty.
10:59Hopeless.
10:59A pain so deep I couldn't scream.
11:01Couldn't even cry.
11:02What the hell is wrong with you making a scene like this?
11:04I started laughing.
11:06Doubled over.
11:07Laughing until I couldn't breathe.
11:09Laughing until my voice went raw.
11:11Lorenzo?
11:12Then what about Emma?
11:13He didn't answer.
11:14Then bent down to clean up the mess.
11:16I'm talking to you!
11:18Lorenzo held up his hands.
11:20His tone resigned.
11:21What about her?
11:23A senior colleague looking out for a new hire.
11:25Is that a crime?
11:26I asked only one thing.
11:28Do you like her?
11:29I'm drawn to her.
11:31Lily, she's not like you.
11:32She doesn't play all these games.
11:33I'd prefer you not bother her.
11:35This was the first time I'd ever heard Lorenzo openly admit he had feelings for someone.
11:39Every once of fight I'd held onto for six years just drained out of me.
11:43Fine.
11:45Morning.
11:46Lorenzo was in the kitchen making breakfast.
11:48Sat at the table putting together the divorce papers on my phone.
11:51Could have them delivered tonight.
11:53Don't wait up tonight.
11:54Company dinner tonight.
11:55I ignored him and kept scrolling through yesterday's anonymous post.
11:59Egged on by commenters.
12:01OP said she was going to test her boss.
12:02That evening, I followed the address Lorenzo had given me and went to the private restaurant
12:07where they were gathering.
12:08It was a Moretti family property.
12:10I got the manager to put me on the second floor.
12:12I had a clear view of everything happening inside their private room.
12:16Soon, Emma pushed the door open.
12:18Bad makeup.
12:18Tight mini skirt.
12:19She walked up to Lorenzo, looking a little uncomfortable.
12:22They talked for a sec.
12:23Then Emma sat down next to him.
12:25The post updated.
12:26Boss said this look doesn't really suit me.
12:28Said I looked better the way I was before.
12:30That means he likes the real you.
12:31He gave me a shopping gift card and told me to buy clothes I actually like.
12:35That dress Emma was wearing.
12:36I had the same one.
12:37Lorenzo liked it.
12:38So I wore it for two years.
12:40Even though it was torture.
12:41The heels that went with it gave me calluses.
12:43Ugly and painful.
12:44But he never once told me to just wear what I liked.
12:47The one who's loved gets to choose.
12:49I never got that.
12:51A few rounds of drinks in.
12:53Someone started a game of truth or dare.
12:55The bottle stopped.
12:56Pointed at Lorenzo.
12:57I instinctively looked at my phone.
12:59Every time before.
13:01Same.
13:01Dare.
13:02Call a random contact.
13:03Say.
13:04I love you.
13:05Everyone always assumed he'd call me.
13:07Then I'd hear them laughing on the other end.
13:08They were laughing at me.
13:10At how pathetic I was.
13:11And Lorenzo never once stopped them.
13:14Lorenzo's call popped up.
13:15I answered.
13:17Listened to him in silence.
13:18But I didn't say those three words back.
13:20That one minute felt like forever.
13:22Hmm.
13:22You still there?
13:23I hung up.
13:24Through the glass.
13:25I saw his face change.
13:27Soon he dialed another number.
13:29Emma's phone rang.
13:30She looked at the screen and answered with a smile.
13:32I read his lips.
13:33I love you.
13:34Six years I chased that love.
13:36Never got it.
13:37And Lorenzo just gave it away.
13:38Like nothing.
13:39I looked away.
13:40Walked out of the restaurant.
13:41Told the courier to leave the divorce papers at the front.
13:43front door.
13:44Then hailed a cab to the airport.
13:45Bought a ticket on the next flight out.
13:47His love.
13:48I didn't need it anymore.
13:52Plane broke through the clouds.
13:55I leaned against the window and suddenly thought of an afternoon ten years ago.
13:59I'd just graduated from college.
14:00And the Bennett family was already arranging marriages for me.
14:03My mother laid several photos in front of me.
14:06An heir to a casino family, the only son controlling the port business, behind each
14:09one ran a dark but solid line of mutual interest.
14:12Every girl has to marry eventually.
14:14In families like ours, love doesn't matter.
14:16Picking the right side does.
14:18I'm not marrying anyone until I find real love.
14:22Lily Bennett, you think being born into this world gives you the luxury of only caring
14:26about love?
14:27Marriage is an alliance.
14:29A bargaining chip.
14:30Not a fairy tale.
14:31Then I'll take my time.
14:32I'll find someone eventually.
14:34What's the point of getting married if you're not in love?
14:38The first time I laid eyes on Lorenzo at a family dinner, I forgot all of that.
14:42That night, the Moretti family had booked out an entire private estate.
14:45Bodyguards lined the entrance.
14:47Lorenzo sat at the far end of the long table.
14:49A simple white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, a faint scar across his wrist.
14:53The men beside him spoke in low voices.
14:55But he just sat there with downcast eyes, expression cold.
14:59Like the entire underworld should wait for him to speak first.
15:02He glanced up at me once, dark eyes, flat emotion.
15:04And just like that, I was gone.
15:06I started chasing him, hard.
15:08I heard he liked long hair, so I dyed mine back to black and never cut it short again.
15:12I heard he liked sexy women, so I threw out my hoodies and jeans, replaced them with bodycon
15:16dresses and heels.
15:17I heard he loved perfume, so I studied dozens of scent profiles and blended the one he liked
15:22most.
15:23Every time I saw him, I needed three hours to get ready.
15:26Even my tone of voice had to be rehearsed.
15:28Not too cutesy.
15:29Not too cold.
15:30Just right.
15:31Being with Lorenzo was like solving a math problem.
15:33Every day I was calculating how to get one step closer to his correct answer.
15:38Four full years.
15:39He finally agreed to marry me.
15:48The day he proposed, there were no flowers.
15:50No ceremony.
15:51Just the two of us late at night by the docks.
15:53He leaned against the hood of his car and pulled a ring from his pocket.
15:56Will you marry me?
15:57I sat beside him and held out my hand.
15:59Let him slide the ring on.
16:02I couldn't help it.
16:03I cried.
16:08Lily, what if I told you I don't know what it feels like to love someone?
16:11Would you still want to marry me?
16:12I told myself he just wasn't good at expressing it.
16:15I told myself that once we were married, he'd slowly fall for me.
16:18The wedding was grand.
16:19Black sedans packed the lot outside the church.
16:22Bodyguards stood in two rows and nearly every name that mattered in the underworld showed
16:26up.
16:26Everyone said I was lucky.
16:27Married to Lorenzo Moretti.
16:29Young, handsome, powerful beyond measure and willing to protect me.
16:33My mother held my hand and said, Lily, build a good life with Lorenzo.
16:40He says he doesn't understand love, but he's willing to give you his name, willing to make
16:44the entire Morelli family acknowledge you.
16:46That's already more than most people get.
16:49At first, after the wedding, I couldn't find a single fault with Lorenzo.
16:53Money was never an issue.
16:54Wherever I wanted to go, he'd send a driver and bodyguard with me.
16:57When he had time, he'd personally take me to dinner, take me traveling.
17:00He was, by all accounts, a perfectly adequate husband.
17:03It's just, his kindness always came on his terms.
17:06He never asked what flowers I liked.
17:07Never remembered my favorite dish.
17:09Not things I actually wanted.
17:11Once, I spotted a pair of ceramic mugs.
17:13One painted with a cat, the other with a dog.
17:16Cute.
17:16I bought them and handed him one.
17:18Lorenzo glanced at it.
17:20Too childish.
17:28I passed by with no idea where to go.
17:31My phone was full of missed calls.
17:33Lorenzo had called once.
17:35The rest were all Chloe.
17:36I called her back.
17:37It barely rang once before she picked up.
17:40Lily Benny, have you lost your damn mind?
17:42Where did you go in the middle of the night?
17:43Do you have any idea how worried I've been?
17:45Lorenzo said you disappeared.
17:47I nearly had a heart attack.
17:50Chloe, I got a divorce.
17:52Silence on the other end for a few seconds.
17:54Where are you?
17:55I'm coming to get you.
17:57Don't.
17:58I just need a few days to clear my head.
18:00Can you manage on your own?
18:02Yeah.
18:02After hanging up, I found a hotel near the airport.
18:05Didn't sleep all night.
18:06First thing in the morning, I went to a salon and got my hacked up hair fixed.
18:10Then hit the mall and bought a pile of t-shirts and pants.
18:13Shopped until 7 in the evening.
18:15Then went back to the hotel to pack up.
18:17A knock at the door.
18:18Hello, room service.
18:20A server wheeled in a cart.
18:22I didn't order anything.
18:24I said.
18:26Room 1208, Lily Bennett.
18:28Correct.
18:30That's me, but I didn't order this.
18:33The server didn't explain.
18:35The next second, my phone lit up.
18:48Tracked me down.
18:49Anger surged instantly.
18:51I called him directly.
18:52One ring.
18:52He picked up.
18:54Food okay?
18:56How did you know I'm here?
18:58You tracked me?
18:59Lorenzo let out a low laugh.
19:01The supplemental card sends spending alerts to my phone.
19:03I happened to see it.
19:04That hotel has good food.
19:06Thought I'd let you try it.
19:07Come home when you've had enough fun.
19:09I stared at the spread of elegant dishes and felt nothing but irony.
19:12He thought he was giving the best, but never once asked if I wanted it.
19:16Just like those white bone china cups.
19:18Lorenzo, did you sign the divorce papers?
19:20Silence on the other end.
19:22The sound of a lighter flicking.
19:23No.
19:25Come back when you've calmed down.
19:26We'll talk then.
19:26There's nothing to talk about.
19:28We're getting a divorce.
19:30Is this about Emma again?
19:33Nothing happened between us.
19:34Do you really have to be this sensitive?
19:36Think that poorly of me?
19:38That poorly of him.
19:39Those words again.
19:40For six years.
19:40Anytime I expressed dissatisfaction.
19:42I was sensitive.
19:43Paranoid.
19:44Unreasonable.
19:45But Emma?
19:45She wore my nightgown.
19:46Lived in my apartment.
19:47Used my bathtub.
19:48Smiled freely right in front of Lorenzo without a care in the world.
19:51And she was innocent.
19:52Easygoing.
19:53Guileless.
19:54Lorenzo, do you remember our wedding anniversary?
19:56Yesterday.
19:57Fifth year.
19:58It was our sixth.
20:03The other end went quiet for a long time.
20:06So long I thought Lorenzo had hung up.
20:08I smiled.
20:09You can't even remember that.
20:11There's no point in continuing this.
20:13I've already listed the Garden Heights apartment with an agent.
20:16Marital assets.
20:17Split them however the law says.
20:18I won't ask you for a cent more.
20:19Before he could say another word, I hung up.
20:21Blocked his number.
20:22Deleted all my social media accounts.
20:24My world was finally quiet.
20:26Early the next morning, my father called.
20:29Lily Bennett.
20:30What exactly do you think you're doing?
20:32The Marati Bennett alliance is tied to three shipping routes and two port contracts.
20:37You file for divorce now.
20:39And if Lorenzo turns on us, the Bennetts are the first to go down.
20:42So the news had already traveled back.
20:44Of course it had.
20:45This marriage was never just about me and Lorenzo.
20:47It was an alliance, a bargaining chip, a family insurance policy I'd traded the rest of my life for.
20:53Lily, sweetheart, I know you've been wronged.
20:55But in families like ours, who hasn't been?
20:58Your brother is taking over the Southern operations next month.
21:01You can't be selfish right now.
21:04Mom, I haven't been wronged for a day or two.
21:06It's been six years.
21:10Life isn't only live for yourself.
21:12I hung up, sat on the edge of the hotel bed, staring at the skyline of a city I didn't
21:16know.
21:17No wonder, all these years, every time I wanted to run, something kept pulling me back like a rope around
21:22my chest.
21:22I thought it was love.
21:24Turns out it was duty.
21:25But I didn't want to be bound by any of it anymore.
21:32I said goodbye to who I used to be.
21:34Completely.
21:35In this unfamiliar coastal city, I started a new life.
21:38I didn't contact the Bennett family again.
21:40I didn't contact Lorenzo either.
21:42Until everything was settled, I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts.
21:45Doing nothing was too boring, so I applied for a job at a bookstore I'd been frequenting.
21:49Every day, I organized shelves and made small talk with customers.
21:53I never wore a bodycon dress or heels again.
21:55Only then did I realize, a life without constraints was this comfortable.
21:59Six months passed.
22:00I gradually settled in.
22:01I rented a small apartment with a view of the ocean from the window.
22:05Mornings at the bookstore.
22:06Evenings cooking for myself.
22:07Every now and then, Chloe would call to yell at me.
22:10Then quietly ask if I needed money.
22:12My memories of Lorenzo were fading, bit by bit.
22:14If he hadn't kept stalling on signing the divorce papers, I think I might have already forgotten him.
22:19Nobody is irreplaceable.
22:21One ordinary evening, the bookstore was nearly empty.
22:23I was crouched on the floor organizing the bottom shelf.
22:26The wind chime at the door jingled.
22:30Welcome in.
22:31I didn't even look up.
22:32Just called out on reflex.
22:34The customer stood at the entrance and didn't move.
22:36I looked up.
22:37When I saw who it was, I froze.
22:40It was Lorenzo.
23:00He was still wearing a white dress shirt, buttoned all the way up.
23:03Not a single one undone.
23:04Hair neatly styled.
23:05Everything about him, head to toe, radiated composure.
23:08Lily, are you done being angry?
23:10Can you come home with me now?
23:13I ignored him, finished organizing the books, then stood up and looked at him.
23:17Sir, can I help you with something?
23:18If not, please leave.
23:19We're closing.
23:22I turned to walk away.
23:23The next second, a powerful grip seized my arm.
23:25I fell into his chest.
23:29Let go.
23:31Lorenzo, I said let go of me.
23:33His grip was crushing, like he was trying to press me into his bones.
23:36I couldn't break free no matter how I struggled.
23:39Lily, then I'll apologize.
23:42I was wrong, okay?
23:44Come home with me.
23:45This was the first time I'd ever seen Lorenzo lose his composure.
23:48The man who was always ice cold in the underworld.
23:50Right now, even his breathing was unsteady.
23:53Lily, I know how to love someone now.
23:55Give me one more chance, please.
23:56I pried his fingers off one by one.
24:02We're done.
24:03No, we're not.
24:04I didn't sign the divorce papers.
24:06Legally, we're still married.
24:08Married?
24:09Marriage means being each other's only one.
24:11It means carrying someone in your heart.
24:13Which part of that did you ever do?
24:15Lorenzo, it's precisely because we were married that I don't want this to get ugly.
24:19Let's part on good terms.
24:26Lorenzo was more stubborn than I expected.
24:29He dropped everything.
24:30Moretti Family Business.
24:31The legitimate companies.
24:32Handed it all off to his subordinates and planted himself in Southport.
24:35Before dawn, he'd be standing outside the bookstore.
24:37When it was almost time for my shift, he'd move to the outdoor cafe across the street and sit there
24:42the entire day.
24:43The summer sun was brutal.
24:44Everyone else sought shade.
24:46Only he stayed put.
24:47Drenched in sweat.
24:48I couldn't be bothered.
24:49At least he wasn't bothering me.
24:50It had been raining non-stop lately.
24:52The weather forecast said a hurricane was coming.
24:54The owner was out of town and asked me to bring in the merchandise from the entrance and lock up
24:58tight.
24:59I spent three hours on it.
25:00When I came out of the stockroom, it was already pouring outside.
25:03Blood water was seeping into the store.
25:05I rushed to pull down the roller shutter, but it jammed.
25:08Wouldn't budge no matter what I did.
25:09Watching the water about to destroy the books, I called out desperately.
25:13Can someone help me?
25:14Everyone on the street was rushing to get to safety.
25:16Just as I was about to give up, Lorenzo came charging through the rain.
25:19He grabbed the handle and wrenched the shutter down by brute force, then locked it somewhere.
25:24Rain water streamed down his hair and face.
25:26He looked at me.
25:27Lily, don't move.
25:28The water's too deep.
25:35The flood water was nearly waist high.
25:37Lorenzo found a wooden board, lifted me onto it, and pulled me all the way to my apartment.
25:42The rain hit so hard I couldn't keep my eyes open.
25:45All I could see was his back, leading the way ahead of me.
25:48Thankfully, the apartment wasn't far.
25:49At my door, he set me down, turned around, and left, without a single extra word.
25:54The next morning, the moment I opened the door, a figure collapsed inward.
25:58Lorenzo had never left.
25:59He'd stayed in his soaked clothes, slumped against my door all night.
26:02His forehead was burning, frighteningly hot.
26:04He was mumbling something incoherent.
26:06I cursed under my breath and dragged him inside.
26:08A man nearly 6'3", dead weight.
26:10The storm still hadn't let up outside.
26:13The pharmacy definitely wouldn't be open.
26:15I took his temperature.
26:16Nearly 104 baltif.
26:18All I could do was use ice packs to bring it down.
26:20I tore open his shirt and saw a patch of jagged scarring across his chest.
26:24Barely legible, but I could make it out.
26:26Lily Bennett.
26:28I love you, Lily.
26:29Lily, I love you.
26:33Delirious with fever, he kept repeating it.
26:35I stared at that scar, and suddenly it all felt absurd.
26:38I'd waited six years.
26:39Waited for him to see me.
26:40Waited for him to say he loved me.
26:42But by the time Lorenzo finally realized he loved me, I didn't need it anymore.
26:51That evening, Lorenzo woke up.
26:53He sat on the couch, watching me carefully.
26:55I tossed the medicine at him.
26:56Take it and go.
26:58Don't come back.
26:59I don't want to see you again.
27:03The light in his eyes slowly died.
27:05After a long moment, he bent down and picked up the medicine.
27:08After that, Lorenzo never appeared again.
27:10The outdoor cafe across from the bookstore was finally empty.
27:14I thought I'd feel unsettled.
27:15But in truth, all I felt was relief.
27:17Later, Chloe told me Emma had been transferred to a branch office long ago,
27:21then let go for underperformance.
27:22Lorenzo sold legitimate companies, handed off the Moretti family operation to someone else.
27:27Nobody knows where he went.
27:28I gave a small, mmm, didn't ask anything more.
27:30Two months later, I received a package mailed from another city.
27:33The sender was Lorenzo, inside the divorce papers.
27:37Terms clearly laid out.
27:38He walked away with nothing.
27:39Every marital asset, he forfeited.
27:41At the bottom of the documents, there was a handwritten letter tucked in.
27:44The handwriting was familiar.
27:46Thank you for teaching me what real love is, Lily.
27:48I hope we both find peace.
27:55I stared at that letter for a long time.
27:57Long enough for the sky outside the window to darken.
28:00Inch by inch.
28:01The old me probably would have cried.
28:03Would have read this letter over and over.
28:05Would have gone soft at the word.
28:07Love.
28:07Would have let myself think.
28:08Lorenzo finally came around.
28:10But now, all I felt was tired.
28:12Love that comes too late is like a cup of coffee gone cold.
28:15I crumpled the handwritten letter and tossed it in the trash.
28:19Then picked up the divorce agreement.
28:21Stroke by stroke, I signed my name, Lily Bennett.
28:24When I finished the last letter, my hand was steady.
28:27No tears.
28:27No regret.
28:28A few days later, my lawyer notified me.
28:30The process was complete.
28:32Lorenzo and I had finally, officially, nothing to do with each other.
28:35The Bennett family called several times.
28:37I didn't pick up.
28:39On the table sat the mugs I'd just bought.
28:41One with a cat.
28:42One with a dog.
28:43Childish as hell.
28:44But I loved them.
28:45The ocean breeze from the south blew through the window.
28:47I brewed a cup of hot tea, sat by the window, and watched the distant sea.
28:51This time, no black sedans.
28:54No bodyguards.
28:55No Lorenzo.
28:55I had finally escaped the cage called love.
28:57From now on, only freedom.
29:06I stared at that letter for a long time.
29:09Long enough for the sky outside the window to darken.
29:16Six years of marriage, my husband Lorenzo Moretti still wouldn't touch me.
29:20To figure out whether does he not want anyone, or does he just not want me, I started sending
29:25women his way.
29:26The first, the prettiest dancer at the Moretti family's private club.
29:30All she got in return was...
29:31Get her out.
29:33The second was the youngest daughter of an allied family.
29:36She pretended to get drunk at a dinner party and deliberately fell into Lorenzo's arms.
29:40He didn't even lift a hand to steady her.
29:42Just had his bodyguard return her to her father.
29:44The third one I handpicked myself.
29:46Cool, intelligent.
29:47Even the way she talked sounded like exactly Lorenzo's type.
29:50She accompanied him through an entire business meeting.
29:53When she left, she brought back only one message.
29:56Mr. Morelli asked me to tell you, stop playing these games.
30:01Another failure.
30:02I let out a breath of relief.
30:03Stop testing him, girl.
30:05It's not that he doesn't love you.
30:06He's just not built to love anyone.
30:07At least he treats you well.
30:09Well, the whole Morelli family knows you're his wife.
30:11He keeps you safe.
30:13Until the day I went to find him at Moretti Group headquarters.
30:16The building looked like an ordinary corporate office on the surface.
30:19But it was actually the innermost nerve center of the Moretti family.
30:22The top floor had two security checkpoints.
30:25Even I, his wife, could only wait outside the second door.
30:28But that day, when I opened the door to Lorenzo's office,
30:31I ran right into a girl coming out from inside.
30:33She was that girl permitted access to the restricted area.
30:37A place where even I wasn't permitted to enter freely.
30:40Something clicked.
30:41On the phone, Chloe was still talking.
30:44You booked the candlelit dinner for your anniversary, right?
30:46Make sure your makeup is perfect.
30:48Wear that dress.
30:49Boobs up.
30:50Cinch the waist.
30:51Spray perfume on your bra straps.
30:52Oh, wait.
30:53What were you saying?
30:53I looked at the girl.
30:54She was eating the snacks I'd made for Lorenzo.
30:57Nothing.
30:58It's just, I think I want a divorce.
31:02What happened?
31:05Lily, don't give up now.
31:07Just keep giving him what he likes.
31:09Fake it till you make it.
31:10He'll catch feelings eventually.
31:12For six years, I kept the long hair Lorenzo liked.
31:15His favorite perfume.
31:16Words he wanted to hear, over and over.
31:18Bending myself to fit his taste.
31:20Turning myself into nothing but an extension of his love.
31:22There's a new girl around Lorenzo.
31:26This is the first time.
31:27He's never kept one from me before.
31:29Every time I put someone near him.
31:31Within hours, his people would drop her file on my desk.
31:34Name.
31:34Background.
31:35Motive.
31:36Crystal clear.
31:36He never hid anything from me.
31:38But this girl today, Lorenzo had never mentioned.
31:41I ran after her.
31:42Heart pounding the whole time.
31:44I kept telling myself.
31:45She's just a new hire.
31:47He's probably just been busy.
31:48Hasn't had a chance to tell me yet.
31:50Lorenzo would never fall for anyone.
31:52Lorenzo, I did pretty well on this assignment.
31:55Would you consider making me full time?
31:57He finished with the files.
31:59Set them in front of her.
32:01Go put these away.
32:02Emma did as she was told.
32:03The filing cabinet was tall.
32:05Stood on her tiptoes.
32:06Still couldn't reach.
32:07Lorenzo walked up behind her.
32:09Reached past her shoulder.
32:10Slid the files in.
32:11She stepped back.
32:12Tripped.
32:13Lorenzo caught her waist on instinct.
32:15Voice flat.
32:16That clumsy?
32:17But the tiniest smile at the corner of his mouth.
32:20I froze.
32:21Staring at his face.
32:22So he could smile after all?
32:26Lorenzo had already wiped the smile away.
32:28As if that moment was just my imagination.
32:31I can't walk you to the station tonight.
32:33My wife's waiting for me for dinner.
32:36HR comes in tomorrow.
32:37I'll have them process your full time offer.
32:39The company can give you a housing allowance.
32:42Top it up a little and rent a place nearby.
32:44It's not safe living out in the suburbs.
32:46It's fine.
32:47I'm used to it.
32:49Lorenzo must have noticed she couldn't afford it.
32:51So he pulled out his phone.
32:52Tapped a few times.
32:53And looked up at her.
32:55I'll have the family office arrange an apartment for you.
32:58Garden Heights.
32:59Not far from here.
33:00Ten minute walk.
33:03Garden Heights?
33:05The company benefits are that good?
33:07I handled the Garden Heights place.
33:09I'll send you the money soon.
33:10This was the first time Lorenzo had ever lied to me.
33:13The apartment I'd handpicked, nearly a million dollars, had just become a company apartment.
33:18Go eat first.
33:20I'll have someone drop off the keys later.
33:23Lorenzo glanced at his watch.
33:25I'm heading out.
33:31The girl grinned and called a friend to share the news.
33:34My boss is seriously the nicest person ever.
33:38He covers food and housing.
33:40He's gorgeous.
33:41Great temperament.
33:42He's been personally mentoring me on this project.
33:47Wait.
33:47Do you think he likes you?
33:49Like.
33:49What a distant word.
33:50No way.
33:51He's married.
33:53He even said today is their fifth wedding anniversary.
33:56It's our six.
33:57Lorenzo couldn't even get that right.
33:59I was tired.
34:00This endless road of chasing Lorenzo.
34:02I didn't want to walk it anymore.
34:07Lorenzo and I had agreed on seven o'clock.
34:09I didn't show up until past nine.
34:10I tied my hair back, wiped off my makeup, and threw on a wrinkled pantsuit before walking in.
34:15This was a private restaurant under the Moretti family's name.
34:18The top floor served only their guests.
34:20Quiet, discreet.
34:21Even the waitstaff knew when to keep their eyes down.
34:23When Lorenzo saw me like this, he paused for a moment.
34:26Then his face reset, and he gestured for the waiter.
34:28Serve the food.
34:29Lorenzo didn't scold me for being late.
34:31He didn't ask why I showed up like this.
34:32Me, who always cared about looking perfect.
34:34He just went through the motions, like checking off a task.
34:37Set up my silverware, then pulled out a gift he'd prepared.
34:40A diamond-encrusted tiara.
34:42Want to try it on?
34:43He set it on my messy hair.
34:50Hmm.
34:51It doesn't quite work.
34:53You should have dressed up a bit.
34:54The meal was painfully silent.
34:56Without me carrying conversation, Lorenzo never would.
34:59Halfway through, his phone buzzed.
35:01He glanced at it and started eating faster.
35:03It was probably that girl arriving at Garden Heights.
35:05Lorenzo was in a hurry to deliver the keys.
35:12What did you get me?
35:13Lorenzo finally spoke.
35:14It was our routine.
35:15We were supposed to exchange gifts.
35:17Only then would the anniversary dinner be officially over.
35:19Nothing?
35:20Fine.
35:22Bill's paid.
35:23Just have the driver pick you up.
35:25Something came up at work.
35:26All these years.
35:27All he ever left me was his back walking away.
35:30I tilted my head up, holding back the tears.
35:32The people around me left one by one.
35:34When the restaurant was finally empty, a waiter came over softly.
35:37Ma'am, would you still like us to bring out the cake?
35:40Tonight, I was supposed to cut the cake with Lorenzo.
35:42No need.
35:43Then take him back to Garden Heights, where I'd hidden a surprise for him.
35:46I waved my hand and drifted out.
35:48Hollow.
35:48Chloe had sent a flood of messages.
35:50I opened them.
35:50An anonymous post on some overseas workplace gossip forum.
35:54The title read,
35:55My boss gave me a luxury apartment as employee housing.
35:58Is this normal?
35:59I tapped in.
36:00Photo was the apartment I decorated myself.
36:04Just moved in.
36:05There are fresh flower bouquets everywhere.
36:07And the bathtub is covered in rose petals.
36:09What company gives Anubia a place at Garden Heights?
36:11Girl, he's into you.
36:13He's calling it a company perk so you won't feel pressured.
36:15Within minutes, the comments exploded into the thousands.
36:18Strangers online started shipping her and Lorenzo.
36:21Soon, OP posted an update.
36:23The photo showed the closet.
36:24A beautiful lace nightgown hanging inside.
36:26Below it, an opened box.
36:28Inside, several packs of ultra-thin condoms.
36:30Chloe's call popped up immediately.
36:33Lily, what the hell is going on?
36:36How did this woman end up in your and Lorenzo's new place?
36:39My head was a mess.
36:40I tried to speak, but all that came out were broken sobs.
36:43I went back to the post.
36:44Heard from people at work.
36:45His wife basically threw herself at him.
36:47She rejected multiple arranged marriages from her own family just to marry him.
36:51Nearly burned every bridge.
36:52But now she's just some bitter, unwanted housewife.
36:55If he really loved his wife, why would he give Garden Heights to another woman?
36:58The evidence kept piling up.
36:59Every comment screaming in my ears.
37:01Cruelly shattering my dream.
37:03They were telling me, no matter how much I gave, Lorenzo would never love me.
37:06Devotion doesn't guarantee devotion in return.
37:09I don't remember how I got home.
37:10Just the moonlight following me the whole way.
37:12And the tears that never stopped.
37:14It was past two in the morning when Lorenzo finally came home.
37:16I looked up at him with swollen eyes.
37:24Lorenzo, let's divorce.
37:28Lorenzo changed his shoes and came to sit beside me.
37:31What's wrong?
37:32I tossed him my phone.
37:33He scrolled through the post, then looked up.
37:36Yeah, I gave the apartment to Emma.
37:38But I didn't know you'd done all that with the post.
37:39Her full name?
37:40Emma Brooks.
37:41When did she join the company?
37:43Last month.
37:43What position?
37:44Marketing.
37:45Why didn't you tell me beforehand?
37:47Tell you what?
37:48About this girl.
37:49He used to tell me about all of them.
37:51He got up and went into the bedroom.
37:53When he came back out...
37:54All of them?
37:55You mean the women you hired to test me?
37:57The cards spread open.
37:58The club dancer, the socialite at the family banquet, the girl I'd planted near him.
38:02All of them were there.
38:04Names, backgrounds, motives.
38:06Every last detail laid out.
38:08Lily, we've been married this long.
38:10Life's been pretty harmonious, hasn't it?
38:12Why do you keep obsessing over whether I love you or not?
38:16Does it really matter?
38:17These six years, Lorenzo had been good to me.
38:20The house, the cars, shares in Moretti Group.
38:22He'd given me all of it.
38:23He did all the husband things.
38:25Brought flowers home after work.
38:27He'd travel with me.
38:28Take me on picnics by the lake.
38:29The wind carried the smell of lake water and the cedar scent on his skin.
38:33Every time that happened, I'd think, does Lorenzo like me too?
38:37He puts up with me.
38:38Takes care of me.
38:39Treats me with respect.
38:40Doesn't that mean he loves me?
38:41But every time I was close to believing it, I'd crash and burn all over again.
38:45Heard enough times, you go numb.
38:46I thought I could live like this forever.
38:48Then I realized, no, I can't do it.
38:51Lorenzo, love matters to me.
38:54If there's nothing real between us, then let's end this.
38:57And after that, let's never see each other again.
39:03So long I thought he was just gonna let us end, like that.
39:06Then suddenly he grabbed my hand and pressed it against his chest.
39:09My heart was pounding.
39:10I don't know.
39:11You're beautiful.
39:12Your long hair looks great.
39:14You look great in dresses.
39:15What about when I'm not dressed up?
39:17I cut him off.
39:18Lorenzo opened his mouth.
39:20Nothing came out.
39:21Would you like me with no makeup?
39:23Would you like me if I stopped catering to you?
39:25Like he really didn't get why I was asking.
39:27I grabbed my makeup and dumped it all over the floor.
39:30No mirror needed.
39:31Six years of habit was enough.
39:32I sat on the ground and started painting my face.
39:35I looked up at Lorenzo and forced an ugly smile.
39:37Do you like me like this?
39:38I rushed into the bedroom and pulled the prettiest piece from a closet full of lace lingerie.
39:42Did a clumsy spin.
39:44How about now?
39:46The next second, I grabbed the scissors and hacked off my waist-length hair in one cut.
39:54Then sliced open the nightgown that had never been comfortable for a single second.
40:02Smeared the makeup across my face.
40:06Do you still like me now?
40:08Say it.
40:09Say it!
40:11Lily, have you lost your mind?
40:13I didn't even feel sad.
40:14Just empty.
40:15Hopeless.
40:16A pain so deep I couldn't scream.
40:18Couldn't even cry.
40:19What the hell is wrong with you making a scene like this?
40:21I started laughing.
40:22Doubled over.
40:23Laughing until I couldn't breathe.
40:25Laughing until my voice went raw.
40:28Lorenzo?
40:28Then what about Emma?
40:30He didn't answer.
40:30Then bent down to clean up the mess.
40:33I'm talking to you!
40:35Lorenzo held up his hands.
40:36His tone resigned.
40:38What about her?
40:39A senior colleague looking out for a new hire.
40:42Is that a crime?
40:42I asked only one thing.
40:44Do you like her?
40:45I'm drawn to her.
40:47Lily, she's not like you.
40:49She doesn't play all these games.
40:50I'd prefer you not bother her.
40:51This was the first time I'd ever heard Lorenzo openly admit he had feelings for someone.
40:55Every once of fight I'd held onto for six years just drained out of me.
40:59Fine.
41:02Morning.
41:03Lorenzo was in the kitchen making breakfast.
41:05Sat at the table putting together the divorce papers on my phone.
41:08Could have them delivered tonight.
41:09Don't wait up tonight.
41:11Company dinner tonight.
41:12I ignored him and kept scrolling through yesterday's anonymous post.
41:15Egged on by commenters.
41:17OP said she was going to test her boss.
41:19That evening, I followed the address Lorenzo had given me and went to the private restaurant where they were gathering.
41:24It was a Moretti family property.
41:26I got the manager to put me on the second floor.
41:28I had a clear view of everything happening inside their private room.
41:32Soon, Emma pushed the door open.
41:34Bad makeup.
41:35Tight mini skirt.
41:36She walked up to Lorenzo, looking a little uncomfortable.
41:38They talked for a sec.
41:39Then Emma sat down next to him.
41:41The post updated.
41:42Boss said this look doesn't really suit me.
41:44Said I looked better the way I was before.
41:46That means he likes the real you.
41:48He gave me a shopping gift card and told me to buy clothes I actually like.
41:51That dress Emma was wearing, I had the same one.
41:54Lorenzo liked it, so I wore it for two years.
41:56Even though it was torture.
41:57The heels that went with it gave me calluses.
42:00Ugly and painful.
42:01But he never once told me to just wear what I liked.
42:04The one who's loved gets to choose.
42:06I never got that.
42:07A few rounds of drinks in, someone started a game of truth or dare.
42:11The bottle stopped.
42:12Pointed at Lorenzo.
42:13I instinctively looked at my phone.
42:16Every time before, same, dare.
42:18Call a random contact.
42:20Say, I love you.
42:21Everyone always assumed he'd call me.
42:23Then I'd hear them laughing on the other end.
42:25They were laughing at me, at how pathetic I was.
42:28And Lorenzo never once stopped them.
42:30Lorenzo's call popped up.
42:32I answered.
42:33Listened to him in silence.
42:34But I didn't say those three words back.
42:36That one minute felt like forever.
42:38You still there?
42:39I hung up.
42:40Through the glass, I saw his face change.
42:43Soon, he dialed another number.
42:45Emma's phone rang.
42:46She looked at the screen and answered with a smile.
42:49I read his lips.
42:50I love you.
42:51Six years I chased that love.
42:52Never got it.
42:53And Lorenzo just gave it away, like nothing.
42:55I looked away.
42:56Walked out of the restaurant.
42:57Told the courier to leave the divorce papers at the front door.
43:00Then hailed a cab to the airport.
43:02Bought a ticket on the next flight out.
43:04His love.
43:05I didn't need it anymore.
43:09Plane broke through the clouds.
43:11I leaned against the window and suddenly thought of an afternoon ten years ago.
43:15I'd just graduated from college.
43:17And the Bennett family was already arranging marriages for me.
43:20My mother laid several photos in front of me.
43:22An heir to a casino family, the only son controlling the port business, behind each
43:26one ran a dark but solid line of mutual interest.
43:28Every girl has to marry eventually.
43:30In families like ours, love doesn't matter.
43:32Picking the right side does.
43:34I'm not marrying anyone until I find real love.
43:38Lily Bennett, you think being born into this world gives you the luxury of only caring
43:43about love?
43:44Marriage is an alliance.
43:45A bargaining chip.
43:47Not a fairy tale.
43:47Then I'll take my time.
43:49I'll find someone eventually.
43:51What's the point of getting married if you're not in love?
43:54The first time I laid eyes on Lorenzo at a family dinner, I forgot all of that.
43:58That night, the Moretti family had booked out an entire private estate.
44:02Bodyguards lined the entrance.
44:03Lorenzo sat at the far end of the long table.
44:06A simple white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, a faint scar across his wrist.
44:10The men beside him spoke in low voices.
44:11But he just sat there with downcast eyes, expression cold.
44:15Like the entire underworld should wait for him to speak first.
44:18He glanced up at me once.
44:20Dark eyes.
44:20Flat emotion.
44:21And just like that, I was gone.
44:22I started chasing him.
44:24Hard.
44:24I heard he liked long hair.
44:25So I dyed mine back to black and never cut it short again.
44:28I heard he liked sexy women.
44:30So I threw out my hoodies and jeans.
44:31Replaced them with bodycon dresses and heels.
44:34I heard he loved perfume.
44:35So I studied dozens of scent profiles and blended the one he liked most.
44:39Every time I saw him, I needed three hours to get ready.
44:42Even my tone of voice had to be rehearsed.
44:44Not too cutesy.
44:45Not too cold.
44:46Just right.
44:47Being with Lorenzo was like solving a math problem.
44:50Every day I was calculating how to get one step closer to his correct answer.
44:54Four full years.
44:55He finally agreed to marry me.
45:04The day he proposed, there were no flowers.
45:07No ceremony.
45:07Just the two of us late at night by the docks.
45:09He leaned against the hood of his car and pulled a ring from his pocket.
45:12Will you marry me?
45:13I sat beside him and held out my hand.
45:15Let him slide the ring on.
45:18I couldn't help it.
45:19I cried.
45:24Lily, what if I told you I don't know what it feels like to love someone?
45:27Would you still want to marry me?
45:29I told myself he just wasn't good at expressing it.
45:32I told myself that once we were married, he'd slowly fall for me.
45:35The wedding was grand.
45:36Black sedans packed the lot outside the church.
45:38Bodyguards stood in two rows.
45:40And nearly every name that mattered in the underworld showed up.
45:43Everyone said I was lucky.
45:44Married to Lorenzo Moretti.
45:45Young, handsome, powerful beyond measure and willing to protect me.
45:50My mother held my hand and said,
45:52Lily, build a good life with Lorenzo.
45:56He says he doesn't understand love, but he's willing to give you his name.
46:00Willing to make the entire Morelli family acknowledge you.
46:03That's already more than most people get.
46:05At first, after the wedding, I couldn't find a single fault with Lorenzo.
46:09Money was never an issue.
46:11Wherever I wanted to go, he'd send a driver and bodyguard with me.
46:14When he had time, he'd personally take me to dinner, take me traveling.
46:17He was, by all accounts, a perfectly adequate husband.
46:19It's just, his kindness always came on his terms.
46:22He never asked what flowers I liked.
46:24Never remembered my favorite dish.
46:25Not things I actually wanted.
46:27Once, I spotted a pair of ceramic mugs.
46:29One painted with a cat, the other with a dog.
46:32Cute.
46:32I bought them and handed him one.
46:35Lorenzo glanced at it.
46:36Too childish.
46:45Passed by, with no idea where to go.
46:48My phone was full of missed calls.
46:50Lorenzo had called once.
46:51The rest were all Chloe.
46:52I called her back.
46:53It barely rang once before she picked up.
46:56Lily Benny, have you lost your damn mind?
46:58Where did you go in the middle of the night?
47:00Do you have any idea how worried I've been?
47:02Lorenzo said you disappeared.
47:03I nearly had a heart attack.
47:06Chloe, I got a divorce.
47:08Silence on the other end for a few seconds.
47:11Where are you?
47:12I'm coming to get you.
47:13Don't.
47:14I just need a few days to clear my head.
47:16Can you manage on your own?
47:18Yeah.
47:19After hanging up, I found a hotel near the airport.
47:21Didn't sleep all night.
47:22First thing in the morning, I went to a salon
47:24and got my hacked up hair fixed.
47:27Then hit the mall and bought a pile of t-shirts and pants.
47:30Shopped until 7 in the evening.
47:31Then went back to the hotel to pack up.
47:33A knock at the door.
47:34Hello, room service.
47:37A server wheeled in a cart.
47:39I didn't order anything.
47:40I said.
47:42Room 1208, Lily Bennett.
47:44Correct?
47:47That's me, but I didn't order this.
47:49The server didn't explain.
47:52The next second, my phone lit up.
48:05Tracked me down.
48:06Anger surged instantly.
48:07I called him directly.
48:08One ring.
48:09He picked up.
48:11Food okay?
48:13How did you know I'm here?
48:15You tracked me?
48:16Lorenzo let out a low laugh.
48:17The supplemental card sends spending alerts to my phone.
48:19I happened to see it.
48:21That hotel has good food.
48:22Thought I'd let you try it.
48:24Come home when you've had enough fun.
48:25I stared at the spread of elegant dishes
48:27and felt nothing but irony.
48:29He thought he was giving the best,
48:30but never once asked if I wanted it.
48:32Just like those white-boned china cups.
48:34Lorenzo, did you sign the divorce papers?
48:37Silence on the other end.
48:38The sound of a lighter flicking.
48:40No.
48:41Come back when you've calmed down.
48:42We'll talk then.
48:43There's nothing to talk about.
48:44We're getting a divorce.
48:46Is this about Emma again?
48:49Nothing happened between us.
48:51Do you really have to be this sensitive?
48:53Think that poorly of me?
48:54That poorly of him.
48:55Those words again.
48:56For six years.
48:57Anytime I expressed dissatisfaction,
48:59I was sensitive, paranoid, unreasonable.
49:01But Emma?
49:01She wore my nightgown,
49:03lived in my apartment,
49:03used my bathtub,
49:04smiled freely right in front of Lorenzo
49:06without a care in the world.
49:08And she was innocent,
49:09easygoing, guileless.
49:10Lorenzo, do you remember
49:11our wedding anniversary?
49:12Yesterday.
49:13Fifth year.
49:14It was our sixth.
49:20The other end went quiet
49:21for a long time.
49:22So long I thought Lorenzo
49:23had hung up.
49:24I smiled.
49:26You can't even remember that.
49:27There's no point in continuing this.
49:29I've already listed
49:30the Garden Heights apartment
49:31with an agent.
49:32Marital assets,
49:33split them however the law says.
49:34I won't ask you for a cent more.
49:36Before he could say another word,
49:37I hung up.
49:38Blocked his number.
49:39Deleted all my social media accounts.
49:41My world was finally quiet.
49:42Early the next morning,
49:43my father called.
49:45Lily Bennett,
49:47what exactly do you think you're doing?
49:49The Marati-Bennett alliance
49:50is tied to three shipping routes
49:52and two port contracts.
49:53You file for divorce now,
49:55and if Lorenzo turns on us,
49:57the Bennetts are the first to go down.
49:58So the news had already traveled back.
50:00Of course it had.
50:01This marriage was never just about me and Lorenzo.
50:03It was an alliance,
50:04a bargaining chip,
50:06a family insurance policy
50:07I'd traded the rest of my life for.
50:09Lily, sweetheart,
50:10I know you've been wronged,
50:11but in families like ours,
50:13who hasn't been?
50:15Your brother is taking over
50:16the Southern operations next month.
50:18You can't be selfish right now.
50:20Mom, I haven't been wronged for a day or two.
50:23It's been six years.
50:27Life isn't only live for yourself.
50:29I hung up,
50:29sat on the edge of the hotel bed,
50:31staring at the skyline of a city I didn't know.
50:33No wonder,
50:34all these years,
50:35every time I wanted to run,
50:36something kept pulling me back
50:37like a rope around my chest.
50:39I thought it was love.
50:40Turns out it was duty,
50:41but I didn't want to be bound
50:42by any of it anymore.
50:49I said goodbye to who I used to be,
50:51completely.
50:52In this unfamiliar coastal city,
50:53I started a new life.
50:55I didn't contact the Bennett family again.
50:56I didn't contact Lorenzo either.
50:58Until everything was settled,
50:59I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts.
51:01Doing nothing was too boring,
51:03so I applied for a job
51:04at a bookstore I'd been frequenting.
51:05Every day I organized shelves
51:07and made small talk with customers.
51:09I never wore a bodycon dress or heels again.
51:12Only then did I realize,
51:13a life without constraints was this comfortable.
51:15Six months passed.
51:16I gradually settled in.
51:18I rented a small apartment
51:19with a view of the ocean from the window.
51:21Mornings at the bookstore.
51:22Evenings cooking for myself.
51:24Every now and then,
51:25Chloe would call to yell at me,
51:26then quietly ask if I needed money.
51:28My memories of Lorenzo were fading bit by bit.
51:31If he hadn't kept stalling
51:32on signing the divorce papers,
51:33I think I might have already forgotten him.
51:36Nobody is irreplaceable.
51:37One ordinary evening,
51:38the bookstore was nearly empty.
51:40I was crouched on the floor
51:41organizing the bottom shelf.
51:43The wind chime at the door jingled.
51:47Welcome in.
51:48I didn't even look up,
51:49just called out on reflex.
51:50The customer stood at the entrance
51:52and didn't move.
51:53I looked up.
51:54When I saw who it was,
51:55I froze.
51:56It was Lorenzo.
52:16He was still wearing a white dress shirt,
52:18buttoned all the way up,
52:19not a single one undone,
52:20hair neatly styled.
52:22Everything about him,
52:23head to toe,
52:23radiated composure.
52:25Lily,
52:25are you done being angry?
52:27Can you come home with me now?
52:29I ignored him,
52:30finished organizing the books,
52:31then stood up and looked at him.
52:33Sir, can I help you with something?
52:35If not, please leave.
52:36We're closing.
52:38I turned to walk away.
52:39The next second,
52:40a powerful grip seized my arm.
52:42I fell into his chest.
52:45Let go.
52:47Lorenzo, I said let go of me.
52:49His grip was crushing,
52:51like he was trying to press me into his bones.
52:53I couldn't break free,
52:54no matter how I struggled.
52:55Lily,
52:57then I'll apologize.
52:58I was wrong, okay?
53:00Come home with me.
53:01This was the first time
53:02I'd ever seen Lorenzo lose his composure.
53:04The man who was always ice cold in the underworld.
53:07Right now,
53:07even his breathing was unsteady.
53:09Lily,
53:10I know how to love someone now.
53:11Give me one more chance,
53:12please.
53:13I pried his fingers off one by one.
53:18We're done.
53:19No, we're not.
53:20I didn't sign the divorce papers.
53:22Legally,
53:22we're still married.
53:24Married?
53:25Marriage means being each other's only one.
53:27It means carrying someone in your heart.
53:29Which part of that did you ever do?
53:32Lorenzo,
53:32it's precisely because we were married
53:34that I don't want this to get ugly.
53:36Let's part on good terms.
53:43Lorenzo was more stubborn than I expected.
53:45He dropped everything.
53:46Moretti Family Business,
53:47the legitimate companies,
53:48handed it all off to his subordinates,
53:50and planted himself in Southport.
53:52Before dawn,
53:52he'd be standing outside the bookstore.
53:54When it was almost time for my shift,
53:55he'd move to the outdoor cafe across the street
53:57and sit there the entire day.
53:59The summer sun was brutal.
54:01Everyone else sought shade.
54:02Only he stayed put,
54:03drenched in sweat.
54:04I couldn't be bothered.
54:05At least he wasn't bothering me.
54:07It had been raining non-stop lately.
54:09The weather forecast said a hurricane was coming.
54:11The owner was out of town
54:12and asked me to bring in the merchandise
54:13from the entrance and lock up tight.
54:15I spent three hours on it.
54:16When I came out of the stock room,
54:18it was already pouring outside.
54:20Blood water was seeping into the store.
54:21I rushed to pull down the roller shutter,
54:23but it jammed.
54:24Wouldn't budge no matter what I did.
54:26Watching the water about to destroy the books,
54:28I called out desperately.
54:29Can someone help me?
54:30Everyone on the street was rushing to get to safety.
54:33Just as I was about to give up,
54:34Lorenzo came charging through the rain.
54:36He grabbed the handle
54:37and wrenched the shutter down by brute force,
54:39then locked it somewhere.
54:40Rain water streamed down his hair and face.
54:42He looked at me.
54:43Lily, don't move.
54:45The water's too deep.
54:52The flood water was nearly waist high.
54:54Lorenzo found a wooden board,
54:55lifted me onto it,
54:56and pulled me all the way to my apartment.
54:58The rain hit so hard,
55:00I couldn't keep my eyes open.
55:01All I could see was his back
55:03leading the way ahead of me.
55:04Thankfully, the apartment wasn't far.
55:06At my door, he set me down,
55:07turned around, and left
55:09without a single extra word.
55:10The next morning,
55:11the moment I opened the door,
55:13a figure collapsed inward.
55:14Lorenzo had never left.
55:15He'd stayed in his soaked clothes,
55:17slumped against my door all night.
55:19His forehead was burning,
55:20frighteningly hot.
55:21He was mumbling something incoherent.
55:23I cursed under my breath
55:24and dragged him inside.
55:25A man nearly 6'3",
55:26dead weight.
55:27The storm still hadn't let up outside.
55:29The pharmacy definitely wouldn't be open.
55:31I took his temperature.
55:32Nearly 104 Baotif.
55:34All I could do was use ice packs
55:35to bring it down.
55:36I tore open his shirt
55:37and saw a patch of jagged scarring
55:39across his chest.
55:40Barely legible,
55:41but I could make it out.
55:42Lily Bennett.
55:44I love you, Lily.
55:48I love you.
55:49Delirious with fever,
55:50he kept repeating it.
55:51I stared at that scar,
55:52and suddenly it all felt absurd.
55:54I'd waited six years.
55:55Waited for him to see me.
55:56Waited for him to say he loved me.
55:58But by the time Lorenzo
55:59finally realized he loved me,
56:01I didn't need it anymore.
56:08That evening, Lorenzo woke up.
56:09He sat on the couch,
56:10watching me carefully.
56:11I tossed the medicine at him.
56:13Take it and go.
56:14Don't come back.
56:16I don't want to see you again.
56:19The light in his eyes slowly died.
56:22After a long moment,
56:23he bent down and picked up the medicine.
56:25After that, Lorenzo never appeared again.
56:27The outdoor cafe across from the bookstore
56:29was finally empty.
56:30I thought I'd feel unsettled.
56:31But in truth,
56:32all I felt was relief.
56:34Later, Chloe told me
56:34Emma had been transferred
56:35to a branch office long ago,
56:37then let go for underperformance.
56:39Lorenzo sold legitimate companies,
56:41handed off the Moretti family operation
56:42to someone else.
56:43Nobody knows where he went.
56:44I gave a small,
56:45mmm,
56:46didn't ask anything more.
56:47Two months later,
56:47I received a package
56:48mailed from another city.
56:50The sender was Lorenzo,
56:51inside the divorce papers.
56:53Terms clearly laid out.
56:54He walked away with nothing.
56:56Every marital asset,
56:57he forfeited.
56:58At the bottom of the documents,
56:59there was a handwritten letter tucked in.
57:01The handwriting was familiar.
57:02Thank you for teaching me
57:03what real love is, Lily.
57:05I hope we both find peace.
57:11I stared at that letter for a long time,
57:14long enough for the sky outside the window to darken,
57:16inch by inch.
57:17The old me probably would have cried,
57:19would have read this letter over and over,
57:21would have gone soft at the word,
57:23love,
57:24would have let myself think.
57:25Lorenzo finally came around.
57:26But now,
57:27all I felt was tired.
57:29Love that comes too late
57:30is like a cup of coffee gone cold.
57:31I crumpled the handwritten letter
57:33and tossed it in the trash.
57:35Then picked up the divorce agreement.
57:37Stroke by stroke,
57:38I signed my name,
57:40Lily Bennett.
57:40When I finished the last letter,
57:42my hand was steady.
57:43No tears,
57:44no regret.
57:44A few days later,
57:45my lawyer notified me.
57:47The process was complete.
57:48Lorenzo and I had finally,
57:49officially,
57:50nothing to do with each other.
57:52The Bennett family called several times.
57:54I didn't pick up.
57:55On the table sat the mugs I'd just bought.
57:57One with a cat,
57:58one with a dog.
57:59Childish as hell.
58:00But I loved them.
58:01The ocean breeze from the south
58:03blew through the window.
58:04I brewed a cup of hot tea,
58:05sat by the window,
58:06and watched the distant sea.
58:08This time,
58:09no black sedans.
58:10No bodyguards.
58:11No Lorenzo.
58:12I had finally escaped the cage called love.
58:14From now on,
58:15only freedom.
58:23I stared at that letter for a long time.
58:25Long enough for the sky outside the window to darken.
58:30...
58:31...
58:32...
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