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- 2 days ago
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00:00My older sister, Chloe, claimed she'd lost her most expensive necklace and tearfully begged me to go back into the
00:04woods to look for it.
00:05I went alone. In the dim forest, my foot snapped into a steep...
00:08Help me!
00:08...only to see her laughing so hard she could barely sit upright, waving the necklace that was supposed to be
00:13missing.
00:13Got you, Emma. I was just bored.
00:15And now the ghost game starts.
00:17Nobody gets to help you, and nobody gets to talk to you.
00:21My parents' annoyed faces flashed across the screen.
00:24You're old enough to know better. That's on you.
00:26Don't call us. Ghosts can't be heard during the ghost game.
00:29They turned the camera away and went back to grilling trout for Chloe over the campfire.
00:33Blood slowly soaked through my jeans.
00:35With no one else left to call, I tried...
00:38...Ethan.
00:40He had lived on the same street as me since we were kids, and he'd been my boyfriend for five
00:44years.
00:44The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered.
00:47He said slowly,
00:48Chloe already said the game has started. Don't break the rules.
00:51Just play along. I'm taking her to see the fireflies first.
00:54I'll come get you when the game's over.
00:56Then he hung up. I stared at the black screen and finally understood.
00:59Once again, every single one of them had abandoned me.
01:02The ghost game had started because Chloe was terrified that after I was born,
01:06I would steal some of our parents' love from her.
01:08To prove they loved her more, Mom and Dad had always gone along with it.
01:11When I was eight, Chloe announced,
01:13Game starts!
01:14And my parents ignored me while my fever climbed to 104 degrees.
01:17When I was 17, she said the same thing, and Ethan left me stranded on the day of my SAT,
01:22making me miss the test.
01:23And now, for the first time, I didn't want to play anymore.
01:27I stopped begging them for help.
01:29Instead, I called 911 and contacted the nearest National Park Rescue Service.
01:33If they wanted to pretend I didn't exist, I'd make it permanent.
01:36By the time the rescue team found me, I was already showing signs of hypothermia.
01:40My limbs were so stiff I could barely feel them.
01:42In the darkness, I stared at the family photo on my lock screen.
01:45Chloe stood in the center, wrapped in our parents' arms.
01:47I was at the far edge, shoulders tense, looking like I didn't know where to put myself.
01:52The ghost game had been going on when that picture was taken, too.
01:54My parents had known.
01:55They had smiled for the photo anyway.
01:57Three seconds later, I changed my lock screen.
02:00Over here! Bring the stretcher!
02:03One of the rescuers treated my leg and frowned.
02:05Going this deep into the woods alone at night is dangerous.
02:07Where's your family?
02:14Loan from the trap hurt so badly, my scalp went numb.
02:16I said nothing.
02:17I couldn't bring myself to explain that my parents, my sister and my boyfriend,
02:21had knowingly left me to die because of a childish game.
02:23The truth sounded too absurd to say out loud.
02:25The rescuers carried me down the trail.
02:27About 15 minutes later, we passed the campsite where my family was staying.
02:30Mom and Dad were gathered around the fire, making dinner.
02:33The smell of grilled trout drifted toward me.
02:35Chloe's favorite, I was severely allergic to fish and shellfish.
02:38Go easy on the salt.
02:40Chloe doesn't like it too salty.
02:41Ethan was crouched beside her, holding a camera and adjusting the angle.
02:45The light's better here.
02:46Turn a little.
02:48Yeah, perfect.
02:49When he pressed the shutter, the matching ring I had handmade for him last year was still
02:52on his left ring finger.
02:54Instinctively, I almost called out,
02:55Mom, Dad, Ethan.
02:58But the words died in my throat because Chloe suddenly announced,
03:02The ghost game lasts until tomorrow morning.
03:04Nobody talks to Emma.
03:05Whoever talks to her first loves her more than me.
03:08My parents immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed to reassure her.
03:10How could you think that?
03:12Of course you're our favorite.
03:13Well, do what you say.
03:15Nobody's going to look for her tonight.
03:16Emma owes you anyway.
03:17We know how much you lost when she was born.
03:19Owes her?
03:20That was the word they had used my whole life.
03:22I owed Chloe.
03:23That was why when my high fever turned into severe pneumonia at eight years old and I spent
03:26two weeks in the hospital, neither of my parents came to visit.
03:29They left me with a private nurse and took Chloe to the amusement park.
03:31If my only crime was being born, 20 years of punishment should have been enough.
03:35Ethan hesitated.
03:37Emma's afraid of the dark.
03:38Could she really make it back alone?
03:39For one stupid second, I thought maybe he still cared.
03:41Then I watched him grin and switch his phone to airplane mode.
03:45Relax.
03:45I put one of the traps on the trail she'd have to take back.
03:48She won't be showing up anytime soon.
03:51Tonight, I'm all yours.
03:52That killed whatever hope I had left.
03:54Chloe happily looped her arm through his.
03:56You're the best.
03:57If Emma hadn't come along, it would have always been you and me.
04:01She's the one who got between us.
04:03Ethan looked at her with pure indulgence.
04:04I suddenly remembered the first time Chloe had ever suggested the ghost game.
04:08Back then, Ethan had been the first person to object.
04:10When I got locked in a storage closet, left outside in the pouring rain, or treated like
04:14I didn't exist by my own family, he had wiped away my tears again and again.
04:18He had sworn he would never take part in such a cruel game.
04:21I couldn't even remember when he had changed.
04:23Just before they loaded me into the ambulance, I used the last of my strength to open my work
04:27email.
04:27My transfer request to the London office was still marked, pending confirmation.
04:31I hit submit.
04:32After 20 years, I was quitting the game.
04:34Not just the game, this family too.
04:41Spent three days in the hospital.
04:43I went through the stitches, dressing changes, and bandaging alone.
04:46During those three days, my parents didn't call once.
04:49Not even a text.
04:50Meanwhile, Chloe's social media kept updating.
04:52First, she posted that she had nicked her finger while cutting fruit, and mom and dad
04:56immediately took time off work to stay home with her.
04:58Then she showed off a designer bracelet she had casually mentioned wanting, saying Ethan
05:02had brought it back specially for her from a business trip.
05:04The comments were exactly what I expected.
05:06My baby girl should never have to suffer.
05:08Don't thank me.
05:09You deserve the best.
05:10As long as you're happy.
05:11Then a notification from my company appeared.
05:13My transfer to the London office had been officially approved.
05:16I read the notice twice.
05:18Then I clicked accept.
05:20The day I was discharged, I looked down at the ugly centipede-like scar on my calf and
05:24took a cab home by myself.
05:26The house was as lively as always.
05:28Chloe sat on the couch watching reality TV, laughing with Ethan.
05:31Mom and dad were in the open kitchen cutting fruit for her.
05:34I stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind me.
05:36No one looked over.
05:37Only the sound of the door made Ethan glance up.
05:40His eyes stayed on me for a second.
05:42Something complicated crossed his face, as if he wanted to say something.
05:45But Chloe gave him one look.
05:46He turned away.
05:47I knew it.
05:48The ghost game had started again.
05:49In the past, I would have cried.
05:51I would have done anything to make them speak to me, even once.
05:54Now I only thought, quiet is actually kind of nice.
05:56I went upstairs to the attic room I had lived in for 20 years.
05:59It was the smallest room in the house.
06:01With a ceiling so low, I could almost touch it by raising my hand.
06:04I folded my clothes into a suitcase one by one.
06:06Halfway through packing, Ethan secretly texted me behind Chloe's back.
06:09Does your leg still hurt?
06:36I was just messing with you.
06:37Don't be so sensitive.
06:38The same excuse.
06:39Every time she hurt me, she called it a joke.
06:42Maybe it was a joke to her.
06:43It had never felt like one to me.
06:44I shifted away from her touch.
06:46Chloe immediately stumbled as if I had shoved her.
06:49Emma!
06:50Chloe was trying to be nice to you.
06:52Do you really have to be so hard on her?
06:53My parents instantly turned on me, too.
06:55My injured legs struck the edge of the table.
06:57She's your sister.
06:58How can you be so cruel?
07:00I clenched my teeth and made no sound.
07:02From the day Emma was born, she took half of Mom and Dad's attention away from me.
07:06Half of yours, too.
07:09I just wanted one little game.
07:11Why does she have to take even that from me?
07:13And I've been working so hard on her engagement party in three days.
07:17I wanted to surprise her.
07:20Emma, you really hurt me.
07:21I listened to her turn everything around on me and didn't argue.
07:24There was no point.
07:25Sure enough, my parents immediately backed her up.
07:28Chloe has been calling relatives all morning, confirming the venue, ordering flowers and cake.
07:33She's doing all of this for you.
07:35Ethan looked at me with open disappointment.
07:37I was originally going to wait until next year before seriously discussing the wedding.
07:42Chloe was the one who suggested we have an engagement party first.
07:46She was worried you'd think I wasn't serious about you.
07:48She wanted you to be happy.
07:49And this is how you treat her?
07:51Chloe had never even allowed my parents to properly celebrate my birthday.
07:54She hated the idea of everyone paying attention to me for one day.
07:57Since I was 10, I had spent every birthday alone in the attic, lighting one candle for myself.
08:01And now she suddenly cared about my engagement party?
08:03I didn't believe it.
08:05After the three of them carefully escorted Chloe back to her room, I got a message from my supervisor.
08:10Emma, what's the earliest you can fly to London?
08:12I watched the four of them disappear farther away from me.
08:16Three days.
08:21I had no appetite after lunch.
08:24I went back to the attic on an empty stomach.
08:26After comforting Chloe, Ethan pushed open my door.
08:29His expression was stern.
08:30Emma, what you did earlier was way out of line.
08:34Out of line?
08:35I almost laughed.
08:36Ethan, whose boyfriend are you?
08:37I'm the one who got hurt.
08:39Not her.
08:39He paused.
08:40She's your sister.
08:41Can't you give her a little grace?
08:43You know how Chloe gets when she feels left out.
08:45Can't you just let her have this?
08:46I had heard those excuses for 20 years.
08:48Because she was my sister, I had given in again and again.
08:51If I kept giving in, one day I really would let them push me straight into the grave.
08:55Ethan noticed blood seeping through my bandage.
08:57His voice softened.
08:59Come on.
09:00I'll help you take care of that.
09:01He took my hand.
09:03I looked at him.
09:05Ethan, do you actually want to marry me?
09:07We had been together five years.
09:08I had imagined getting engaged to him.
09:10Marrying him.
09:11Building a life with him more times than I could count.
09:13But how was I supposed to trust a man who had deliberately set an animal trap in my path
09:17just to make another woman happy?
09:18Ethan frowned.
09:19Of course I do.
09:20Who marries someone they don't love?
09:22I'm telling you, that camping trip was the last time I'll ever play the ghost game with
09:26Chloe.
09:26There won't be another time.
09:27He looked completely sincere.
09:29Just like every other time, he had promised never to let me get hurt again.
09:31And every time, I had still ended up as the joke.
09:34I would never forget that freezing night.
09:36Just then, Chloe appeared in the doorway, visibly annoyed.
09:39You've been talking to Emma forever.
09:41There's a new movie out tonight.
09:43Come with me?
09:44The hand holding mine immediately let go.
09:46Ethan was already walking toward her.
09:47Take care of the wound yourself.
09:48I'll go pick out your engagement ring tomorrow.
09:50Their footsteps faded.
09:51I remembered the summer night when I was 19.
09:53Ethan had confessed his feelings at the end of our street and promised that no matter
09:56what happened, I would always be his first choice.
09:59Five years later, I wasn't first anymore.
10:01Maybe I never had been.
10:02The house went quiet again.
10:04I went to the office alone and finished all of my handover paperwork.
10:12Time I got home.
10:13It was dark.
10:14I had barely opened the door when I heard Chloe's excited voice.
10:16Mom.
10:17Dad.
10:17Ethan, you have to cooperate with me at the engagement party the day after tomorrow.
10:20First, we send Emma to the hotel alone.
10:22Then we go hang out at the beach.
10:23Everyone puts their phone on silent.
10:25Nobody answers her.
10:26Especially you, Ethan.
10:27You can't show up.
10:27I want her thinking everyone's coming right up until the last minute.
10:30Then we ghost her.
10:31With that many friends and relatives there, someone's bound to post it.
10:34She'll be humiliated.
10:35Chloe sounded thrilled.
10:36My parents agreed, without hesitation.
10:38Of course.
10:40We already talked to Ethan's mother.
10:42She's in on it, too.
10:43Emma's the only one who doesn't know.
10:45I stood outside the room and felt the cold spread through my body.
10:48Ethan's mother had always been kind to me.
10:49She had even said she would treat me like her own daughter after we got married.
10:53Apparently, she was willing to help Chloe humiliate me, too.
10:56Ethan hesitated.
10:56Isn't that a little unfair to Emma?
10:59We already promised we'd be there, and...
11:01You two are getting married.
11:02This will obviously be our last ghost game.
11:05Ethan, you're not seriously going to deny me one last request, are you?
11:08A short silence.
11:11Then he said...
11:12Okay.
11:12I stood in the dark and smiled bitterly.
11:14Of course, he had broken his promise again.
11:17Before coming home, I had planned to tell him the truth.
11:20I was transferring to London.
11:21There was no need to talk about a wedding anymore.
11:23We were done.
11:24But standing there, I suddenly realized there was nothing left to say.
11:27Fine.
11:28I would play one final round with them before I left.
11:30Exactly the way they wanted.
11:32Then this unimportant person would disappear for good.
11:39The day of the engagement party, I woke up early.
11:42I packed my passport, visa, and work documents carefully into my carry-on.
11:45The dress Ethan had brought me the night before hung in my closet.
11:48He had said today was important, and I needed something special.
11:51It was cream-colored with elaborate lace around the neckline and sleeves.
11:54Chloe's favorite color.
11:55Chloe's favorite style.
11:57Not mine.
11:58Three large boxes of gummy candy and Chloe's favorite flavors.
12:01I had never opened them.
12:02An anniversary bracelet with Chloe's initials engraved inside.
12:06I had never worn it.
12:07I left the dress in the closet, along with every gift Ethan had ever given me.
12:12One suitcase held everything I had accumulated in 20 years under that roof,
12:16and somehow it barely weighed anything as if I had never really belonged there at all.
12:20A location pin appeared in the family group chat.
12:22Emma, go to the hotel first.
12:23We'll be there later.
12:24There's a surprise waiting for you.
12:26I replied with one word.
12:27Okay.
12:27Then my parents posted a screenshot of a transfer.
12:30Happy engagement.
12:31We hope you'll always be happy.
12:33It was the first time since I was 10 that they had said anything so gentle to me.
12:37If I hadn't overheard their plan the night before, I might have fooled myself into believing they still loved me.
12:42Now I knew.
12:43Their tenderness was just another part of the trap.
12:45Then Ethan called.
12:46His voice was unusually warm.
12:48Emma, you're going to love the ring I picked.
12:50See you later.
12:50Okay, I'll wait for you.
12:52A loving sister, devoted parents, a boyfriend by my side.
12:56They had built me a beautiful little fantasy for the newest round of the ghost game.
12:59This time I wasn't playing.
13:01At that moment, a co-worker who was transferring with me texted.
13:04Emma, boarding starts soon.
13:06Don't be late.
13:12I pulled my suitcase toward the door.
13:14As I passed the kitchen, I saw the refrigerator covered in Polaroids.
13:18Chloe laughing.
13:18Chloe crying.
13:20Chloe baking cookies for the first time.
13:22Chloe behind the wheel for the first time.
13:24Every tiny moment of her life had been carefully preserved.
13:26Only one photo belonged to me.
13:28I was looking down in it.
13:30My nose read from crying.
13:31No one had spoken to me that day.
13:33Across the white border, someone had written in marker,
13:361,000th ghost game complete.
13:37I tore the photo down and slipped it into my coat pocket.
13:40The last proof that I had ever existed in that house.
13:43When the plane rose above the clouds, I left the family group chat.
13:46Then I deleted and blocked mom, dad, Chloe, and Ethan one by one.
13:49From now on, none of them would ever find me again.
13:52At 11 that night, Ethan glanced at his watch in the beachside restaurant.
13:55He was finally getting restless.
13:57Shouldn't we head back?
13:58It's late.
13:59Emma's still waiting at the hotel.
14:00No rush.
14:01She's probably only just started crying.
14:03Give it a little longer.
14:05It'll be more effective.
14:06My parents nodded.
14:07Chloe's right.
14:09Emma has played the ghost game for years.
14:11She's used to it.
14:12She won't really be mad.
14:13Ethan thought about it and agreed.
14:14I had always been soft-hearted.
14:16Easy to comfort.
14:17If he stood me up once, I forgave him.
14:19One more time probably wouldn't matter.
14:21Then the calls started coming.
14:23One after another.
14:24Relatives.
14:25Friends.
14:26Guests at the party.
14:27What is going on?
14:28You left an entire ballroom full of people sitting here and none of you showed up?
14:32We've been waiting since this afternoon.
14:34We haven't even seen the bride-to-be or the groom-to-be.
14:36No one's there?
14:37Where's Emma?
14:38She's the guest of honor.
14:39There's no way she wouldn't show.
14:40On the other end, Ethan's mother took the phone.
14:42I don't know what happened, but Emma never came.
14:45You need to get back here.
14:46Now.
14:46A terrible feeling came over Ethan.
14:49He immediately texted me.
14:50Message failed.
14:51He called.
14:52Blocked.
14:54My parents tried.
14:55So did Chloe.
14:56Same result.
14:58Emma blocked all of us?
14:59For the first time, they truly panicked.
15:10Are you Emma Miller's family?
15:12Yes.
15:13Where is she?
15:16She asked me to give this to you before she left.
15:29The next side was a DNA paternity report.
15:31The conclusion was unmistakable.
15:33Emma Miller and Robert Miller were biologically father and daughter.
15:36Ethan looked confused.
15:38Mr. Miller, why would Emma leave this for you?
15:40But all the color had drained from my parents' faces.
15:42A long time passed before Dad finally spoke.
15:45His eyes read.
15:45Emma really is my daughter.
15:49I told you!
15:50I told you all those years ago!
15:52You were the one who kept suspecting me!
15:54I begged you to get a DNA test, but you were too afraid.
15:57And because of your suspicion, Emma suffered her whole childhood!
16:01Even Chloe froze.
16:02The ghost game had never been only about a spoiled little girl's childhood whim.
16:05The deeper reason went back to a major crisis in my parents' marriage before I was born.
16:09One day, Dad came home from work early and saw one of Mom's male co-workers dropping her off.
16:13Less than two weeks later, Mom found out she was pregnant.
16:21A huge fight, but never truly resolved anything.
16:23They fought, stayed together, and never spoke about it honestly again.
16:26But the suspicion never left Dad.
16:28For years, he had wondered whether I was really his daughter.
16:31When he drank, the doubt turned into anger.
16:33The entire house lived under the weight of it.
16:35And little by little, everyone silently agreed that I was the extra one.
16:38So, when Chloe invented the ghost game, they indulged her.
16:40If they pretended I didn't exist, then all the uncomfortable questions could disappear with me.
16:45Everyone felt better.
16:46Everyone except me.
16:47Dad wiped his tears and carefully folded the report.
16:50Come on.
16:51We're finding Emma.
16:52We have to apologize.
16:54We're the ones who owe her.
16:56Mom nodded at once.
16:57And took a step forward toward my father.
17:00We'll bring her home.
17:02No one will ever ignore her again.
17:04Ethan grabbed his car keys.
17:06I'm coming too.
17:12Chloe stayed where she was, clearly unhappy.
17:14My parents and Ethan searched every nearby neighborhood.
17:17Nothing.
17:18Her phone's off.
17:19She blocked us everywhere.
17:21What if something happened to her?
17:22All three of them went pale.
17:23Then Ethan remembered my office.
17:25He turned the car around.
17:26On the way there, he missed three turns.
17:28Because he had never bothered to learn how to get to my workplace.
17:31Rain began hitting the windshield.
17:33And Ethan suddenly remembered the last time it had rained this hard.
17:36I had texted and asked him to pick me up.
17:38He hadn't come.
17:39Chloe had bought too much at the mall and needed a ride.
17:41Once again, I had been the option he chose to abandon.
17:44At the front desk of my company, they waited while an employee made a call.
17:47A few minutes later, she shook her head apologetically.
17:50I'm sorry.
17:51Emma Miller no longer works at our U.S. headquarters.
17:54She has officially transferred to the London office.
17:56All three of them stared at her.
17:58London?
18:03A city on the other side of the Atlantic.
18:05And I had simply left.
18:06Mom clutched her chest.
18:07That far away.
18:08And she didn't say a word to us.
18:11Dad steadied her.
18:12For once, Ethan said nothing.
18:14He only walked faster toward the exit.
18:16No.
18:17I have to bring her back.
18:18When they eventually returned home, they discovered that the tiny attic room was already empty.
18:22All that remained were the dress Ethan had bought and the gifts that had never suited me in the first
18:25place.
18:26Watching everyone who had once revolved around her now fall apart because of me,
18:29Chloe finally snapped.
18:30She grabbed a glass and hurled it to the floor.
18:32She left?
18:33So what?
18:33Why are you all acting like the world ended?
18:35This house is better without her.
18:37I hope she never comes back.
18:40Shut up.
18:40Dad slapped her across the face.
18:42She is your sister.
18:43For the first time, Mom didn't rush to comfort her either.
18:46We spoiled you.
18:47We let you get away with too much.
18:49And we were wrong.
18:50This house belongs to Emma too.
18:52If you can't handle that, then you can move out.
18:54Their guilt had finally turned into anger.
18:56Chloe held her cheek and looked at Ethan.
18:58You're still on my side, right?
19:03Ethan stared at the candy on the table and the anniversary bracelet engraved with the wrong initials.
19:07Something tightened in his chest.
19:09For the first time, he realized just how long he had been ignoring Emma.
19:12No one should be on your side.
19:14I've indulged you for 20 years.
19:16Emma is the one who needs me now.
19:18I grew up with you too.
19:20Why do you love her and not me?
19:22Ethan's face darkened.
19:23Love doesn't work that way.
19:25You don't get someone just because you want them.
19:27Fine.
19:27You're all choosing her now?
19:29Then I'm leaving.
19:30She stormed upstairs to pack.
19:31For the first time, the house became frighteningly quiet.
19:34After the long flight across the Atlantic, I wasn't tired at all.
19:36It was already evening when I landed in London.
19:38I pulled my suitcase through customs and turned my phone back on.
19:41Calls and messages flooded in.
19:43My parents had left so many messages I could barely see the end of them.
19:46I deleted them all without reading.
19:48The message requests were all from Ethan.
19:50Emma, we need to talk.
19:55About what?
19:56There was nothing left between us to talk about.
19:57I put my phone away.
19:59A new co-worker met me outside the airport.
20:00She helped load my suitcase into the trunk and spent the drive telling me about the office
20:04and the neighborhood.
20:05For the first time in years, I truly relaxed.
20:07I checked in at the London branch, then moved into the company apartment that night.
20:11When I opened the window, the smell of butter drifted from a bakery on the corner.
20:14A mild evening breeze moved through the room, carrying an oak leaf past the glass.
20:18It felt like a sign.
20:19My life was finally turning a new page.
20:21During my first month, I took over a major project and pulled several all-nighters.
20:25The result was strong enough that my boss took the whole team out to celebrate.
20:28In my second month, I met Maya, an Asian-American woman who lived next door.
20:33She invited me to markets, exhibitions, and coffee shops.
20:35She became my first real friend in London.
20:37No one here deliberately pretended I didn't exist.
20:39People remembered what I liked.
20:41They asked for my opinion.
20:42If I got too busy to eat, someone might bring me a sandwich without making a big deal about
20:46it.
20:46Being wanted.
20:47Being noticed.
20:48Those were things I had almost never experienced before.
20:50Now I had them.
20:51In my third month, an unfamiliar number called.
21:01Parents were crying on the other end.
21:03Hearing their voices again stirred almost nothing inside me.
21:06Mom spoke first.
21:07Emma, why did you go so far away?
21:09Do you really not want this family anymore?
21:11How are you supposed to take care of yourself alone in London?
21:14I'm worried about you.
21:16Funny.
21:16No one had worried about me when I was trapped alone in the woods.
21:18I don't want it anymore, and I can take care of myself.
21:21Dad took the phone.
21:22The man who had always been so hard and prideful sounded like he was choking back tears.
21:26Emma, I saw the DNA report.
21:28I'm sorry.
21:29We failed you as parents.
21:30You will always have a place in this family.
21:33Chloe moved out.
21:34No one will ever deliberately ignore you again.
21:36I laughed softly.
21:43I secretly arranged the test in college.
21:45One day, I had come home and overheard my parents arguing behind a locked bedroom door.
21:49Dad said looking at me reminded him of his old suspicions and made him uncomfortable.
21:52Mom said she was exhausted and didn't want to deal with it anymore.
21:55A suspicion that had never been proven had become a chain around my neck for 20 years.
21:59Chloe was not innocent.
22:00But the reason she had been able to hurt me without consequences was because my parents had allowed it every
22:04single time.
22:05Their apology was 20 years too late.
22:07Chloe moving out is her decision.
22:09Whether I come back is mine.
22:10You always loved pretending you couldn't see me, right?
22:13Don't worry.
22:14Now you really never have to see me again.
22:16The other end went silent.
22:19Emma, that's not what we meant.
22:20We were wrong.
22:21I had run out of patience.
22:22I have work to do.
22:23Goodbye.
22:24Just as I was about to hang up, Ethan's urgent voice came through.
22:27Emma, wait!
22:33I didn't answer.
22:34Are you doing okay over there?
22:35I flipped through a project file.
22:39What answer are you hoping for?
22:40That I'm miserable?
22:42Sorry to disappoint you.
22:43I have a good job.
22:44I'm busy enough to sleep the second my head hit the pillow and I've made new friends.
22:49Ethan, my life without you is actually a lot better.
22:51His breathing changed.
22:51That's not possible.
22:54I know I screwed up, but I never meant for you to get that badly hurt.
22:57You can't erase five years over one mistake.
22:59I let out a short laugh.
23:01One mistake?
23:03Who left me stranded on the day of my SAT?
23:05Who deliberately put a trap on the trail I had to take at the campsite and nearly got me killed?
23:09That wasn't one mistake, Ethan.
23:10It was a pattern.
23:11Stop using the word love.
23:13It makes me sick.
23:14Panic finally entered his voice.
23:17Emma, that's not what I meant.
23:18I didn't know it would...
23:19Too noisy.
23:20I hung up.
23:25Back in the United States, everything fell apart.
23:27My parents seemed to age several years overnight.
23:30They looked exhausted.
23:32They sighed all day.
23:33Chloe moved thousands of miles away to another city and took everything she owned with her.
23:37Before leaving, she had a massive fight with my parents.
23:40Dad got so angry, they nearly called an ambulance.
23:43If you leave, don't come back.
23:45You are only one year older than Emma, and for all these years, you got the best of everything.
23:49What more could you possibly want?
23:50We spoiled you rotten!
23:52Mom was equally disappointed.
23:54Go wherever you want.
23:55You don't need to tell us.
23:57This house will always be waiting for Emma.
23:59We owe her, and so do you.
24:01Ethan didn't try to stop Chloe.
24:03He only gathered every photo, gift, and keepsake connected to her
24:06and threw them away, as if he had finally decided to cut himself off from the past.
24:11Two weeks later, Ethan showed up in London.
24:18I'd just gotten home from work.
24:20London was in the middle of a rare heavy snowfall.
24:22He stood outside my apartment building in a gray coat,
24:25snow collecting on his shoulders and hair.
24:27The man who used to complain about driving across the city to pick me up
24:30had taken a red-eye flight across the Atlantic to find me.
24:33I felt nothing.
24:34The love, anger, humiliation, and resentment had all been left behind
24:39on the morning my plane took off from the United States.
24:41There was nothing left.
24:43His eyes lit up the moment he saw me.
24:45Emma!
24:46I stopped.
24:47I didn't speak.
24:48Ethan's voice was hoarse.
24:50I'm sorry.
24:51I contacted some of your old co-workers and finally found out roughly where you were living.
24:55I came because I need one chance to make this right.
24:58He hurriedly pulled a ring box from his coat pocket.
25:01I kept the ring.
25:02If you'll come back, we can still get married.
25:04Even now, he seemed convinced that I would eventually return to him.
25:08I looked at him carefully one last time.
25:10Ethan, hope flashed across his face.
25:12Tell me.
25:13Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it.
25:14Five years was enough.
25:16We said what needed to be said.
25:18What ended is already over.
25:20You coming to London doesn't change anything.
25:22I used to wish you would notice me more, but that was before.
25:27Now, neither you nor that ring mean anything to me.
25:30I'm not interested in the future you're offering.
25:37Ethan's face grew paler and paler little by little.
25:40Emma, are you being honest with me?
25:41The snow was getting thicker and thicker.
25:43I looked at him calmly.
25:44The day you two conspired behind my back about how to ruin the engagement party weren't every word you said
25:48the honest truth?
25:49Don't come back again.
25:50You are not welcome here.
25:51With that, I turned around and went into the apartment, without looking at his expression again.
25:55The days that followed were always very peaceful.
25:57None of the old acquaintances came to disturb again.
26:00In my third year in London, I briefly went back to the U.S. on a business trip for a
26:03project.
26:04Instead of going home, I checked into a hotel near the company, but somehow my parents got wind of it.
26:08Late one night, when I was heading back to the hotel, I found them waiting for me by the entrance
26:12the whole time.
26:13We hadn't seen each other for three years, and the wrinkles on their faces had deepened considerably.
26:17Mom wiped her tears quietly, wanting to come closer, but not daring to.
26:21Emma, why didn't you tell your family you were coming back? We really miss you.
26:26Dad also forced out a cautious little smile.
26:28Now that you're back, you should go home and pay a visit?
26:31Since I'd already run into them, I eventually went back with them for a while.
26:34When I walked in the door, Mom handed me a brand new pair of slippers.
26:37Dad poured me a glass of water and adjusted the air conditioner to the most comfortable temperature setting.
26:42Have a seat for a moment first. Your mom will cook soon.
26:45You've lived in the United Kingdom for a few years, so you definitely haven't eaten home-cooked food for a
26:48long time.
26:49Watching them bustling around and acting with great caution, I didn't stop them.
26:57It seems nothing has changed in this house, yet it seems that everything has changed.
27:01It was surprising that the awards, certificates, and photos I received from primary school through high school were hung back
27:06up on the living room wall.
27:07Some of the edges and corners are already worn, tattered, and yellowed.
27:10I have no idea which dusty old trunk they dug them out of.
27:12They tried hard to prove that they hadn't really neglected me, and to make up for all those lost years.
27:17But deep down, everyone knows that time can never flow backward.
27:20Chloe has very few belongings already.
27:21The spot on the fridge door that used to be covered with her photos is now empty, too.
27:25After we walked in the door, Mom was almost constantly hovering around me.
27:27Hardly had I sat down when she brought the fruit over to me.
27:30Dad, this was your favorite when you were little.
27:31You don't even know if she still likes you, so stop messing with that stuff.
27:34Mom's hand froze for a moment.
27:36Soon he put the plate down again.
27:38Yeah, that's right.
27:40Dinner had no trout, no shrimp, nothing I was allergic to.
27:43Almost every dish was something I had loved.
27:44Emma, what do you like now?
27:46Tell me.
27:47I'll go buy it tomorrow.
27:48I glanced at her.
27:48I'm leaving tomorrow.
27:49With just one sentence, both people fell silent at the same time.
27:52Mother bowed her head and pinched the edge of her clothing.
27:55So soon.
27:59Dad looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself.
28:02During dinner, neither of them ate much.
28:04I picked up a piece of roasted chicken.
28:06Mom's eyes immediately turned red.
28:08You used to like chicken breast.
28:10Her voice trembled.
28:11I always thought it was too much trouble to make something separate for you.
28:14Chloe liked fish, so I made fish all the time.
28:16She swallowed hard.
28:17You were allergic to it.
28:18And somehow, I never once stopped to think there was anything wrong with that.
28:22Dad kept his eyes lowered.
28:23After a long silence, he suddenly spoke.
28:26When you were eight and ended up in the hospital, I actually went there.
28:29I looked up at him.
28:30I sat downstairs for half an hour.
28:32Then Chloe called, crying.
28:34She said we'd promised to take her to...
28:35His throat worked.
28:37So I left.
28:38For years, I told myself it was because I wasn't sure you were really my daughter.
28:41He paused.
28:41But eventually, I realized something.
28:43Even if you hadn't been mine, none of that would have been the fault of an eight-year-old girl.
28:47By the end, his eyes were red.
28:50Emma, I was a terrible father.
28:52I said nothing.
28:53Twenty years ago, I probably would have given anything to hear them say these things.
28:57Now that they finally had, all I felt was calm.
28:59Mom slowly reached toward my hand.
29:01Just before her fingers touched mine, she stopped and pulled back.
29:04Do you think maybe you could come visit us sometimes?
29:11I didn't answer.
29:14I didn't answer.
29:27Eventually, they brought up Chloe.
29:29Their disappointment was still obvious.
29:31She barely calls since she moved away.
29:33She doesn't even come home for the holidays.
29:35Emma, don't worry about her.
29:37She owes you.
29:38I almost laughed.
29:39They used to say, I owed Chloe.
29:41Now Chloe owed me.
29:42After more than 20 years, none of it could ever be balanced.
29:45I ate only a few bites before setting down my fork.
29:48I'm done.
29:49I still have work to take care of.
29:51My parents followed me all the way to the front door.
29:53When are you leaving?
29:54Tomorrow.
29:54I picked up my bag.
29:56I've already arranged for your major expenses to be covered.
29:59You don't need to worry about money.
30:00Mom's eyes immediately filled with tears.
30:05Emma, that's not why we asked you to come home.
30:08Are you still angry with us?
30:10Dad quickly added,
30:12Don't leave so soon.
30:14Stay a few more days.
30:15I shook my head.
30:17I'm not angry anymore.
30:19I'm leaving.
30:20Take care of yourselves.
30:21I wasn't angry anymore.
30:23But I wasn't coming back either.
30:24The door closed behind me.
30:26The hallway light came on, then slowly dimmed.
30:29Through the door, I could hear my parents crying.
30:32They were only a few feet away, and still far enough that I had no desire to turn around.
30:36The next day, before I flew back to London, Ethan came to see me.
30:40I hadn't seen him in three years.
30:42He was much thinner.
30:44He was still wearing that familiar gray coat.
30:47Mutual acquaintances had told me that his family's company had been struggling badly over the past few years.
30:52Cash flow had nearly collapsed, and they were buried in debt.
30:55The man who had once lived a life of effortless comfort now spent every day meeting clients, chasing investors, and
31:01attending endless business dinners.
31:02Whatever pride he used to have, he had learned to swallow it if that was what it took to keep
31:06the company alive.
31:08He didn't mention any of that.
31:11He simply handed me his phone.
31:15You should prepare yourself.
31:16A local news report from the previous week filled the screen.
31:20Chloe had fallen from a cliff while traveling in the western United States.
31:23By the time rescuers reached her, she was already dead.
31:26I stared at the photo for a long time.
31:28When we were children, she had always wished I would disappear from the family.
31:32Neither of us could have imagined that she would be the first one to disappear from this world.
31:36In the face of death, 20 years of resentment suddenly felt very far away.
31:41Ethan spoke quietly.
31:43There are some things from her estate that could come to you.
31:46Her attorney will explain the details.
31:48I shook my head.
31:50I don't want anything.
31:53Leave whatever you can to my parents.
31:55Could you handle the rest?
31:57Ethan took back his phone.
31:59Sure.
32:00This time he didn't stop me.
32:02He didn't ask me to forgive him again.
32:05He only gave me a faint smile.
32:08Safe travels, Emma.
32:09I nodded, then turned and walked away.
32:16The next morning, I went to the U.S. headquarters for one final project meeting.
32:21The conference room was filled with senior leaders from both the North American and European divisions.
32:26On the screen behind me was the acquisition project my London team had spent nearly six months working on.
32:32When I finished my presentation, the room fell silent for two seconds.
32:35Then the group vice president at the head of the table closed the file in front of him.
32:39Emma, the London team deserves a great deal of credit for getting this deal across the finish line.
32:43He paused, then smiled.
32:45More accurately, you deserve a great deal of credit.
32:48Several regional executives began to applaud.
32:52The senior executive seated across from me slid a document across the table.
32:56The board has approved it.
32:57Starting next quarter, you'll officially take over as head of strategic projects for Europe.
33:01I lowered my eyes to the page.
33:04A new title.
33:05Broader authority.
33:06A substantial salary increase.
33:08And beneath that, a new reporting structure.
33:11I would no longer be responsible for a single project.
33:14I would be overseeing several of the most important business lines across the entire European division.
33:19My former supervisor, sitting beside me, nudged my arm with a grin.
33:24When you suddenly applied for the London transfer three years ago, I thought you just needed a change of scenery.
33:30Turns out you transferred yourself straight into management.
33:33By the time the meeting ended, several executives stayed behind to exchange contact information with me.
33:38One of them even invited me to an industry summit in Paris the following month.
33:42I stepped out of the conference room and stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
33:45The city stretched out far below me.
33:47Three years ago, I had left this place with a single suitcase.
33:51Back then, I thought I was running away.
33:53Now I finally understood.
33:55I hadn't run away.
33:56I had simply walked toward a life that actually belonged to me.
34:01My phone lit up.
34:02A message for my London team.
34:04Boss, the celebration dinner is waiting for you.
34:07It was followed by a ridiculous string of champagne emojis.
34:10I smiled.
34:11Then I typed back.
34:13Tomorrow, don't start without me.
34:15The screen went dark.
34:16My reflection appeared in the glass.
34:18Calm.
34:19Certain.
34:20There was no trace left of the girl who used to stand at the edge of every room,
34:24quietly waiting for someone to notice her.
34:26Outside the window, the sky stretched endlessly blue.
34:29Just like the life waiting ahead of me.