- 2 weeks ago
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🎈
FunTranscript
00:00The first time Ethan Lancaster told me he loved me, I already knew he was a rich boy pretending to
00:05be broke.
00:06But I played dumb and happily said yes.
00:12Ethan, are you out of your mind?
00:14You're blowing off a multi-million dollar deal to work hourly jobs with her?
00:23Don't look at me like that. You said she wasn't here.
00:26I thought maybe I had a little more time before this ended.
00:29Didn't think we'd be strangers this soon.
00:32Ella, do you really hate me that much? You won't even let me explain?
00:36I knew you were a liar from the start.
00:40It started three months earlier.
00:43I was wait and daring at a restaurant in the city, and I'd already worked 26 days straight.
00:48Ryan was by the window with a bunch of rich kids.
00:52They were laughing loud, and Ryan suddenly stood up and hit my tray.
00:57What, are you blind?
00:59Do you have any idea how much this coat costs?
01:02Sir, you stood up out of nowhere.
01:04Save it. Can you even afford it?
01:08Ella, apologize. Don't upset the customer.
01:11I knew arguing was pointless.
01:13In a place like that, the waitress doesn't get the benefit of the doubt.
01:17I'm sorry.
01:18Get out of my sight. Guess I'm just unlucky.
01:21What I didn't see was Ethan in the corner, looking up at me.
01:25Later, I found out that was the day Ryan started telling him I was after rich guys.
01:33By the time I got off, it was almost midnight.
01:36I just wanted to ride my scooter, back to my apartment, shower, sleep three hours, and go right back to
01:43work.
01:44Hey, you work here, right?
01:47That guy was out of line.
01:50Ryan, don't let him get to you.
01:52The second I saw him, I knew he was a liar.
01:56A year ago, he and Ryan came to the restaurant.
02:00They brought their own bottle of 1945 Roman A. Cornet.
02:04It wasn't on the menu.
02:06The manager came out personally to open it.
02:09That bottle was worth about $450,000.
02:13Back then, Ethan barely looked at it.
02:17I do deliveries around here, too.
02:19I'm Ethan.
02:20What's your name?
02:22I wanted to tell him to drop the act, but I was so tired.
02:26Even talking spelt like too much.
02:29Hey, I mean it.
02:31I'm not trying anything.
02:33Want to trade numbers?
02:34If you ever need anything, call me.
02:37I didn't answer.
02:39A man who drinks $450,000 wine isn't really out here making late night deliveries.
02:47I didn't have the energy to call him out.
02:50One look at my scooter on the ground, and whatever patience I had left was gone.
02:55The kickstand was probably broken again.
02:58It lay there, heavy as the life ahead of me.
03:03I swear.
03:05I was giving it everything I had.
03:08Careful.
03:09Don't let it crush your foot.
03:11Thanks.
03:13I should have left right then.
03:14Kindness from a liar can still be a trap.
03:16But on my 22nd birthday, someone helped me lift the scooter I couldn't.
03:22Why are you crying?
03:23What happened?
03:24Are you okay?
03:25Maybe he was just having fun with me.
03:28But in that moment, I decided to forget the 1945 Roman A. Conte.
03:33Where do you live?
03:35It's late.
03:36Want me to walk you home?
03:37No.
03:38I can handle it.
03:40Then, at least give me your number.
03:42What if the scooter tips over again?
03:44Life was hard.
03:46Hard enough that if someone wanted to get close to me, even a liar, I'd still be happy.
03:53So you're Ella Rivers.
03:55Rivers.
03:56That's a beautiful name.
03:58It's just a name.
04:00Nothing special.
04:01He thought he was stepping into my life.
04:04But from that second on, I agreed to step into his game too.
04:09After that, Ethan texted me every day.
04:12Good morning.
04:13Good night.
04:14What I'd eaten.
04:15Whether I was tired.
04:16I almost never texted back right away.
04:19Not because I was stringing him along.
04:21I really didn't have time.
04:25Customer didn't want it.
04:26I didn't drink it.
04:27Here.
04:29Thanks.
04:30Why do you always thank me?
04:33He really committed to the act.
04:35Sometimes I almost wanted to hand it to him.
04:38Not bad, Trust Run Air.
04:39You play broke pretty well.
04:42Ella.
04:43Can I date you?
04:46I don't have money or much going for me.
04:49I'm just a delivery driver.
04:53But I'll be good to you.
04:54I mean it.
04:56Listening to all those lies, I suddenly found it funny.
04:59If you wanted to watch some poor girl get spun around by love, fine.
05:03I'd play along.
05:05I needed the company too.
05:08Okay.
05:09You said yes?
05:11Mm-hmm.
05:13Didn't you say you'd be good to me?
05:18Looking back, that was probably the first real mismatch between us.
05:22He thought he'd won the bet.
05:24I thought I'd found company I didn't have to take too seriously.
05:36We became a couple on paper pretty fast.
05:39When Ethan asked to move in, I didn't say no.
05:42I wasn't worried he'd try anything.
05:45From day one, I could tell he looked down on this place.
05:49On a life like mine.
05:51You live here?
05:53Yeah.
05:54The rent's cheap.
05:55It's not bad.
05:57And it's close to work.
05:58The couch is fine.
06:00I'll respect your boundaries.
06:02Okay.
06:06He said it like some kind of gentleman.
06:09But I knew one night on that old couch would give him nightmares for life.
06:15I barely slept that night.
06:17Not because I was scared.
06:21I just wasn't used to hearing someone else breathe in the room.
06:27You're up this early?
06:29Early shift at the restaurant.
06:32Did you eat yet?
06:34I'll grab some bread on the way.
06:38I'll bring you something tonight.
06:42I didn't point out that real delivery drivers don't just bring home that much good food.
06:47Sure.
06:50Before I went home the next day, I thought Ethan was gone.
06:55For someone like him, one day of being poor was enough.
07:02You're back.
07:05A customer didn't want this, so I saved it for you.
07:09I looked at the takeout boxes, surprised.
07:13Thanks.
07:14There you go again.
07:16You don't have to thank me.
07:19It was my first time having eel over rice.
07:23The sauce was sweet and rich, and I ate slowly.
07:28Like finishing it too fast would end the happiness, too.
07:32Why are you eating so slow?
07:34You don't like it?
07:34No.
07:35It's good.
07:37What do you usually eat?
07:39Staff meals, discounted bread, sometimes noodles.
07:42That's really scraping by.
07:45Nothing wrong with cutting back.
07:47People suffer because they keep reaching for things that were never theirs, and call that happiness.
07:52You should have some, too.
07:54I already ate.
07:55Go ahead.
07:57I learned that lesson early.
08:00Anything extra, I treated like a gift life was only lending me.
08:08What is it?
08:10Nothing.
08:10Just the delivery group chat.
08:12He always blinked before he lied.
08:16I remembered that.
08:21Ella, who named you?
08:22Your mom or your dad?
08:25It was the first time he'd asked about my family.
08:29I didn't want to open that up to him.
08:31Not when I still didn't want him to leave.
08:34I don't know.
08:36How do you not know?
08:37Can't you just ask?
08:39They're both gone.
08:41His reaction was obvious.
08:43Guilt, discomfort, and that little jolt of panic when reality hits.
08:49It's okay.
08:50I lived with my uncle after that.
08:53They were good to me.
08:56I'll ask my cousin later.
08:57He might know.
08:59That's good.
09:00What's your cousin's name?
09:03Mark Hayes.
09:05I lied.
09:06Mark's family wasn't good to me.
09:09They lent me money for my parents' emergency treatment,
09:11then used that debt to keep me trapped.
09:15What about you?
09:17Who named you?
09:19My grandfather.
09:20He really cared about family traditions.
09:23I mean, he was just fissy about names.
09:26Then I guess you were born lucky.
09:29Lucky?
09:30I'm a delivery driver.
09:31But you're kind, you're handsome,
09:34and your family really loves you.
09:36You'll probably have a happy life.
09:39Oh.
09:41I meant it.
09:44People who grow up loved carry that with them.
09:49Even when they make themselves look worn down,
09:53you can still see they were protected.
09:57Ethan didn't just buy eel rice.
10:00He bought a new comforter and pillows, too.
10:03Though I knew most of it was really for himself.
10:08Ella, it's my birthday tomorrow.
10:12Happy birthday.
10:15A few days ago, on a delivery,
10:17someone ordered a tiny piece of cake for $90.
10:20Like, this big.
10:23What do you think a cake that expensive tastes like?
10:26I knew why he was bringing it up.
10:30What could be more fun than watching a poor girl spend money on you?
10:37I'll get you one after work tomorrow.
10:40What flavor do you want?
10:43No, no.
10:43I was just saying.
10:45Then should I boil you an egg?
10:47Yeah.
10:48No need.
10:48Really.
10:49The more he turned me down,
10:54the more it felt like he was waiting for me to take the bait.
10:58I redid next month's budget.
11:03If I skip a few decent meals,
11:06I can still scrape together $12.
11:08Want this mini strawberry cake?
11:11It's the last one today.
11:14How much is it?
11:16$12.
11:21I'll take it.
11:25By the time I got the cake home,
11:27I was so tired the little sugar flowers were starting to blur.
11:32If he comes back,
11:33I won't be alone.
11:35If he doesn't,
11:37I'll eat this pretty cake myself.
11:39Either way,
11:40something good happens today.
11:44Wait for me.
11:47Ella?
11:50I'm sorry I'm late.
11:51I had a lot of deliveries today.
11:53It's okay.
11:54I got you a cake.
11:58You actually bought one?
12:00I couldn't afford the $90 one.
12:02This is the nicest one I could get.
12:05Hope you don't mind.
12:06Happy birthday.
12:09Thanks.
12:11Let's share it.
12:14I took a careful bite.
12:17It was soft and delicate,
12:19sweet enough to cover a whole day's exhaustion.
12:24Why are you eating so slow?
12:26Watching your weight?
12:28No.
12:29It's my first time having cake.
12:31I wanted to really taste it.
12:35If it weren't for you,
12:36I never would have bought one for myself.
12:39Thanks, Ethan.
12:41I'm not big on sweets.
12:43You eat it.
12:45For a moment,
12:46we really were like some broke little couple.
12:48Both of us genuinely thinking about each other.
12:53Cut the crap.
12:55I get to pick any car in your garage.
12:58A bet's a bet.
13:02She really bought you one?
13:04I already sent you the pictures.
13:08She's that broke and still bought you a cake?
13:10That's pathetic.
13:12That's enough.
13:14She's a good kid.
13:16So the cake was part of the bet, too.
13:20I drew a line right then.
13:23The cake?
13:24Fine.
13:25Him staying?
13:26Fine.
13:28But if he asked me for money,
13:30or made up some story,
13:33I'd throw him out.
13:38The gas tank was empty.
13:40He changed it on an empty stomach.
13:43Then realized there still weren't enough eggs or noodles for both of us.
13:50Then he opened the fridge,
13:52saw the half-eaten little cake,
13:55and stopped complaining.
14:01I make decent money doing deliveries.
14:04If I keep it, I'll just blow it.
14:06You take it.
14:07Buy whatever you want.
14:10No.
14:11Just take it.
14:13You're pretty.
14:14You're sweet.
14:15And if I don't treat you right,
14:16what if you dump me?
14:20You're going out?
14:21I thought today was your day off.
14:25An in-home deep cleaning job I already booked.
14:30Oh, it's you.
14:31The app assigned jobs at random,
14:33and Ryan happened to be the client.
14:36Sometimes coincidence feels personal.
14:38Ryan, who are you with at the bar?
14:40And who the hell is this?
14:41Can you stop acting crazy?
14:47Ella Rivers, right?
14:48Need money?
14:49I've got something for you.
14:53Clean it up with your bare hands,
14:55and I'll give you $7,000.
14:58No gloves?
14:59He thought this would humiliate me,
15:01but whether it's $5,000 or $7,000,
15:04if it's legal and it's my choice,
15:06I'll earn it.
15:12Ella!
15:18When I came to again,
15:20the smell of disinfectant hit me first.
15:24You're awake.
15:25You're still feeling sick?
15:27The doctor said you're anemic,
15:28and malnourished.
15:30Did he pay me?
15:32What?
15:34Ryan said he'd give me $7,000
15:36to pick up trash and broken glass
15:38with my bare hands.
15:40He didn't pay, did he?
15:43No.
15:45I was getting you to the hospital.
15:47I didn't ask.
15:49Then ask him for me.
15:52I'll get it back for you.
15:53It was like he was choking on my reality
15:55for the first time.
15:57To him,
15:58passing out means asking if it hurts.
16:00To me,
16:01pain passes.
16:03Money doesn't just come on its own.
16:05How'd you get there?
16:07I was worried about you,
16:08so I followed you.
16:09I didn't think anything would actually happen.
16:12I didn't ask how he knew the exact floor.
16:14Liars always find a way.
16:17Don't take jobs like that again, okay?
16:20You're too pretty.
16:22What if some creep came after you?
16:24I didn't have a choice.
16:26I'd already taken the job.
16:28Then I'll go with you next time.
16:30Don't you have work?
16:32Skipping a few deliveries won't kill me.
16:35He was lying again.
16:38But this time,
16:39there was some clumsy sincerity in it.
16:44Ella,
16:45why is this month short by $300?
16:47That money your parents needed for the ER,
16:48you got down on your knees
16:49and begged my dad for it.
16:51I wasn't really asleep.
16:52I was just too tired to open my eyes.
16:54You said you'd quit school and work it off.
16:56Well, where is it?
16:59Stop reading that.
17:01Who is he?
17:03My cousin.
17:04He's sending you to a private club?
17:06What does he think you are?
17:08To him,
17:09I'm just someone who owes him money.
17:12At first,
17:13those messages hurt.
17:15After a while,
17:16I went numb.
17:18How much do you owe his family?
17:20Not much.
17:22How much, exactly?
17:23That's private.
17:24Please don't ask.
17:26We're together, aren't we?
17:27How is that private?
17:28Because we're together,
17:29I know how hard you work for your money.
17:30So don't worry about it.
17:32I'll handle it.
17:33The first part was a lie.
17:35The second part was true.
17:37Having you with me is enough.
17:40I still have some money, you-
17:41No.
17:42When I get home,
17:43I want to finish the rest of that cake.
17:52Ethan got the $14,000 back for me.
17:58Seven grand was what he owed.
18:00The other seven is for your medical bills
18:02and what he put you through.
18:04Did you at least thank him?
18:06Thank him?
18:07He's lucky I didn't kill him.
18:09That money let me breathe for a minute.
18:11Not enough to stop working.
18:16Ella, quit your job.
18:19I can cash out some savings.
18:21It'll cover you for a while.
18:24We'll talk later.
18:28I need to wash these clothes first.
18:29They still smell like booze from work.
18:32I'll do it.
18:38The washer had been broken forever.
18:41A guy like him had probably never done laundry,
18:44but he took it seriously.
18:48You're extorting me for her?
18:50You're done for.
18:56Didn't you already transfer me all your money?
18:59Where'd this come from?
19:03Credit, card, it's fine.
19:06I'll pay it off when I get paid.
19:09But don't spend money on me anymore.
19:11You don't earn it easily either.
19:15If I don't spend it on you,
19:16who do I spend it on?
19:18First we replace the washer,
19:20then the pan.
19:22That coating's all gone.
19:24The more real he felt,
19:26the more I knew the truth would be ugly
19:28when it finally blew up.
19:33The washer Mr. Lan ordered?
19:37Yeah.
19:38Bring it in.
19:42One form of address nearly made him
19:44break into a cold sweat.
19:45I acted like I didn't hear it.
19:48This is too expensive.
19:52Can we still send it back?
19:54Too late.
19:55The custom installation fee
19:56isn't refundable.
19:59Since when does a delivery wire
20:00pay for custom installation?
20:03There was a promo on the app.
20:05I'm good at snabbing coupons.
20:07His lies were getting lazier.
20:10I just didn't care enough
20:11to call him on it.
20:13Let's go out somewhere nice.
20:16We should celebrate your settlement.
20:20Under 150 a person.
20:23Okay.
20:23You pick.
20:26That kind of splurge
20:27was rare for me.
20:29I took a little of everything
20:30I wanted.
20:31Like I was proving
20:32I got to choose two.
20:36Get more steak.
20:38That's enough.
20:43I'm going to hit the restroom.
20:46You're really turning on me over her?
20:49It's only been a few days.
20:52You got dumped for screwing around.
20:54And now you're taking it out
20:55on everyone else.
20:57Get help.
21:00Did you forget who you are?
21:03I suddenly realized
21:04this game was slipping
21:05out of his control.
21:14The line was long.
21:18He didn't say anything
21:19and I didn't ask.
21:21We'd both gotten good
21:22at faking comm.
21:27I've been looking for you all day.
21:29You ripped me off
21:30smashed my phone
21:31and now you're just going to run?
21:33How much?
21:34I'll pay.
21:35Keep your money.
21:36Your girlfriend's pretty handy.
21:38Send her to clean my place
21:39every weekend
21:40and we'll call it even.
21:44Say that again.
21:46What, now you care?
21:47Didn't you say
21:47she was just for fun?
21:48If it's through a real app
21:49and pays a normal hour rate,
21:50maybe.
21:51But if it's picking up glass
21:52with my bare hands,
21:53pass.
21:57You don't need to deal with him.
22:02Sir,
22:02no fighting in the restaurant.
22:04Ella,
22:05finish eating
22:06and wait for me at home.
22:08I wasn't that worried.
22:10They were friends.
22:11At worst,
22:12they'd get into a fight.
22:13But when the seat
22:14across from me
22:15was empty again,
22:16I was suddenly
22:17back to eating alone.
22:19I finished the meal.
22:20It was already paid for.
22:22No point wasting it.
22:26You two really
22:27got in a fight?
22:33He didn't get
22:33the better of me.
22:36I'd just finished
22:37a batch of handcraft work
22:38and the glue fumes
22:39had my eyes watering nonstop.
22:41Ow.
22:43Hang on.
22:45I'm okay.
22:46Don't cry.
22:50I didn't explain.
22:51I let him misunderstand.
22:53I hate seeing you hurt.
22:55I'm really okay.
22:57He couldn't take me.
22:59Why are you so good to me?
23:03Ella,
23:04if I did something wrong,
23:05would you be mad?
23:06Would you stop talking to me?
23:09Like what?
23:10Like lying.
23:14I would.
23:16Even a little lie?
23:17I hate being lied to.
23:19Even a small lie
23:20is too much.
23:22I said it on purpose.
23:24I wanted to see
23:25if he'd stop.
23:27I was just asking.
23:29I didn't lie to you.
23:30I know.
23:33Ethan's the best person
23:35in the world.
23:35Why would he ever lie to me?
23:41Yeah.
23:42After that night,
23:43Ethan started texting me
23:45a lot more.
23:47You up?
23:48Eating yet?
23:49Tired today?
23:50Miss you.
23:53But I could never text back
23:54right away.
23:56If I was busy,
23:57I didn't have time.
23:58If I wasn't,
23:59I just wanted to close my eyes.
24:07I'm not doing deliveries anymore.
24:12I got a job near your restaurant,
24:14stocking a grocery warehouse.
24:17That's hard work.
24:18The pace steadier.
24:20If anything happens,
24:20I'm nearby.
24:22And we can have lunch together.
24:25Just because I text back late?
24:28You never text back.
24:29I miss you.
24:30Is that so wrong?
24:34I really didn't get
24:35how a trust fund egg's mind worked.
24:39If he was just pretending
24:40to be a delivery actor,
24:42wouldn't it be easier
24:43to kill time all day
24:44and come back at night
24:45to play boyfriend?
24:47I wasn't doing it on purpose.
24:49I know.
24:50Eat.
24:52Your old phone barely works.
24:54Use this one.
24:55It's too expensive.
24:57Take it back.
24:57I can't return it
24:58once it's opened.
25:07A new model.
25:08Over $1,000.
25:10My co-worker bought one
25:11a few days ago
25:12and put it on
25:13a two-year payment plan.
25:15Ethan, where are you
25:16getting all this money?
25:17An advance from the warehouse
25:19and a little on my credit card.
25:21He kept piling lye
25:22on top of lye.
25:24One day,
25:26there'd be no way out
25:27for either of us.
25:29I figured he'd last
25:30three days,
25:31tops.
25:33But he really did
25:34go haul freight
25:35in a grocery warehouse.
25:38New guy,
25:39keep your back straight.
25:40Drop a box,
25:41it comes out of your pay.
25:44Got it.
25:46Later,
25:47he showed me
25:47the blisters on his hands.
25:49To him,
25:50they were probably
25:51more real
25:51than any boardroom meeting.
25:59I made it.
26:00It doesn't look great,
26:01but you can eat it.
26:05Since when do you know
26:06how to cook?
26:07Learned from videos
26:08last night.
26:11A little salty?
26:14Then don't eat it.
26:15I'll get you something else.
26:17It's edible.
26:18He sat across from me,
26:20watching for my reaction.
26:22He was more nervous
26:23than I was.
26:27Don't come up short
26:28again this month.
26:29Things are tight
26:30at home too.
26:34Who was that?
26:37Spam.
26:39I knew he wanted to ask.
26:41He knew I didn't
26:42want to talk.
26:44For once,
26:45we understood each other
26:46without saying it.
26:53Come here.
26:54I'll put some antiseptic on it.
27:01It's okay.
27:02I'll blow on it.
27:03It'll hurt less.
27:07Ella.
27:09Yeah?
27:12I'll treat you right
27:12from now on.
27:17Did the power go out?
27:20This building does that
27:21all the time.
27:22It might not come back
27:23tonight.
27:27Baby.
27:29I'll be good to you
27:29from now on.
27:32It was the first time
27:33he'd called me that.
27:34His voice was clingy.
27:36Nothing like the trust fund
27:37heir who'd blow
27:38$450,000 on wine.
27:41Hmm.
27:44Why do you keep
27:45thanking me?
27:47Because no one ever
27:48says things like that
27:49to me.
27:50And hardly anyone's
27:51ever been good to me.
27:52You have.
27:53It means a lot.
27:57But I wanted to remind him
27:58there probably wasn't
27:59a future for us.
28:01Go to sleep.
28:02Yeah, just hold me
28:03a little longer.
28:04We both have work tomorrow.
28:06The most dangerous thing
28:07about us wasn't that
28:08he lied to me.
28:09It was getting used to
28:10someone waiting for me
28:11at home.
28:12He kept it up
28:13for three months.
28:15Lunch with me
28:16every day.
28:18Walking me home
28:18at night.
28:19Sending me money.
28:21Buying me things.
28:22Learning to do laundry
28:23and cook.
28:26He was always asking me
28:27to say I liked him.
28:29Always asking if I'd leave.
28:32I was getting tired
28:33of playing along
28:34and less and less sure
28:36how to end it.
28:52When I came back
28:53unexpectedly,
28:54Ethan was trying to cook.
28:56The whole place smelled
28:57like something had burned.
29:03Leave the door cracked
29:04so the smell can clear out.
29:07I'm going to lie down
29:08for a bit.
29:09Okay.
29:10I'll clean it up.
29:13I was exhausted.
29:15I just wanted
29:16a little more sleep.
29:21But before I could drift off,
29:22I heard footsteps outside.
29:27Ethan,
29:27are you out of your mind?
29:29You've got no time
29:30for a multi-million dollar deal,
29:32but you'll do
29:33hour shift work with her?
29:38Why are you glaring at me?
29:39You said she wasn't here.
29:41I'm not allowed to come over?
29:45The silence was almost absurd.
29:48When a lie blows up,
29:50it barely makes a sound.
29:53Ella, just let me explain.
29:56I'm leaving.
29:58I'll be back at six.
30:00That gives you enough time
30:01to move out.
30:04I'm not leaving.
30:05I didn't lie to you on purpose.
30:08Ryan said you ruined his clothes
30:10to chase his money.
30:13And I was stupid enough
30:14to believe him.
30:14Ryan, tell her!
30:15Yeah, I said it.
30:17This is on me.
30:19Let go.
30:21I'm sorry.
30:22I'm a piece of shit.
30:24But later, I really did.
30:29He probably thought I'd cry,
30:31demand answers,
30:32fall apart.
30:34But I'd known the answer
30:35all along.
30:37I just didn't think
30:38this day would come so soon.
30:42Ethan, don't make me say it twice.
30:45From that moment on,
30:47the delivery driver,
30:49who waited for me to come home,
30:52and the Lancaster Trust Fund air
30:54both disappeared.
30:58I didn't go back at six.
31:01Where are you?
31:02I cleaned the whole place.
31:04I cooked your favorite food.
31:06Can we just talk face to face?
31:07Please?
31:10He said he was serious about me.
31:13Said he'd been planning our future.
31:15But future was a light word to him.
31:18To me, it was too heavy.
31:22Don't come find me again.
31:25Let's part on good terms.
31:26I don't hate you.
31:28Take care.
31:30I blocked him and called Mia.
31:34You can stay as long as you need.
31:36What about the restaurant?
31:40I took time off.
31:42Then I'll quit.
31:44For now, I'll pick up house cleaning gigs.
31:46You think he'll come after you?
31:48He will.
31:51Then don't go back.
31:54Want me to come with you to get your stuff?
31:58No.
31:59He'll move out.
32:03Honestly, I wasn't sure.
32:05But I knew if I saw him again,
32:07he'd trap me with guilt, sincerity, and tears.
32:11I know how lonely I was.
32:13That's exactly why I can't overestimate my own soft heart.
32:17You look awful.
32:19Get some sleep first.
32:22I picked up two cleaning jobs for tomorrow.
32:27Ella.
32:29You already left him.
32:34You don't have to push yourself this hard.
32:37Mia didn't know debt lasts a lot longer than heartbreak.
32:40Don't play debt on me.
32:42When's the money coming this month?
32:44Once I pay back what I owe, I'll be fine.
32:47Ryan told me later.
32:49Ethan spent those days tearing through every place I might have gone.
32:57Ella quit.
32:59She didn't leave a new address.
33:01Did she say where she was going?
33:04Mr. Lancaster, this isn't your house.
33:12He thought if he explained, I'd listen.
33:15I didn't want to leave a single account he could use to find me.
33:23Ella.
33:24When he couldn't find me?
33:26It finally drew in the Lancaster family.
33:38The first time Victoria Lancaster heard my name
33:42was when her son blew off an important meeting to find me.
33:47You kept the board waiting 40 minutes for a waitress.
33:52She's not just some waitress.
33:54Clearly not.
33:55An ordinary girl wouldn't have you looking like this.
33:58That file probably had my debts,
34:01my work history,
34:02my address,
34:03and the date my parents died.
34:06Dead parents,
34:08medical debt,
34:09restaurant shifts,
34:11house cleaning gigs.
34:13Ethan, is this love or some savior complex?
34:16This is my business.
34:18Not once you started carrying the Lancaster name.
34:21Stay away from her.
34:23Then you'll get engaged to the match your family picked.
34:27Hell no.
34:31Take his phone.
34:32He doesn't leave this house without my permission.
34:39If you touch her,
34:40I'll never forgive you.
34:41Learn to take responsibility for your own stupidity first.
34:46Ryan told me all this later.
34:48He said Ethan had completely lost it.
34:53Ella,
34:54open up.
34:55It's serious.
35:02Who are you?
35:04Don't shut it.
35:05I'm here for Ella.
35:06It's serious.
35:10How'd you find this place?
35:12I'm not as stupid as Ethan.
35:15Fine.
35:16I'll stay out here.
35:18Victoria's coming for you.
35:22Ethan's mother?
35:24Yeah.
35:25He couldn't reach you,
35:26so he went looking.
35:27His family found out,
35:29and Victoria told him to stop screwing around
35:31and get engaged to the match they picked.
35:35Then he lost it.
35:38Said hell no,
35:39said he had a girlfriend.
35:40Now he's locked up at home,
35:42and they took his phone.
35:43Okay.
35:44I got it.
35:46That's it?
35:47What else do you want?
35:49You don't seriously think you and him have a shot,
35:51do you?
35:53Do you know how the Lankers got where they are?
35:57Even I don't mess with his mother.
36:00For once,
36:01Ryan sounded genuinely rattled.
36:03I know exactly what this is.
36:05What's that supposed to mean?
36:07A waitress stains your clothes by accident,
36:09and you decide she's after a rich guy?
36:11That's how you think, isn't it?
36:14I'm not arguing with you.
36:19Ethan asked me to give you this.
36:20Take it and get far away.
36:23No.
36:25Don't be dumb about money.
36:27I don't want his money.
36:31Victoria was more beautiful than I expected.
36:35And colder.
36:37Ella Rivers.
36:39Mrs. Clancactor.
36:41Ethan's getting engaged soon.
36:43I don't want you seeing him again.
36:45Fine.
36:46Then pay me.
36:49Did I say I'd pay you?
36:51No.
36:53But money works better than threats.
36:55You're blunt.
36:58If I take the money,
36:59I'll sign a receipt and a written guarantee.
37:02Show Ethan.
37:04Make him stop getting ideas.
37:06She probably thought I'd cry,
37:08talk about love,
37:09beg her to let us be together.
37:10But that costs too much.
37:12I can't afford it.
37:14How much do you want?
37:18This much.
37:20That's not much.
37:22Not to you.
37:23To me, it's enough.
37:26Enough to leave my son.
37:28Enough to leave the past behind.
37:30Sam.
37:34Round it up for her.
37:37In that moment,
37:39I didn't feel humiliated.
37:41I just felt a door to another life
37:43finally crack open.
37:47I wrote it plainly.
37:50I took Victoria Lanchester's money
37:52and agreed not to contact Ethan again.
37:58You're not even going to ask how he is?
38:00It wouldn't change anything.
38:05You're calmer than I expected.
38:07Poor people don't get to fall apart.
38:10We don't survive that.
38:12If you go back on this,
38:14I'll make sure you understand.
38:17The Lanchester family is not a charity.
38:20I won't.
38:23I didn't have the right to back out anyway.
38:25If you want something,
38:27it costs you.
38:30Ethan says he loves you.
38:35Then he can learn to love someone he can't have.
38:47When I walked out of the coffee shop,
38:50the sun was so bright it hurt.
38:55You want to transfer all of it?
38:57Pay these first.
39:00Then I did something I'd thought about countless times.
39:04I locked that version of me in the old account.
39:10The girl buried in debt,
39:12working every job she could,
39:15easy for anyone to find.
39:18I left the city.
39:22Mia was the only one I told.
39:25And I never went back to that apartment.
39:28I've paid off everything I owed your family.
39:30Don't contact me again.
39:33Where'd you get all that money?
39:35You get yourself a sugar daddy or something?
39:37I didn't answer.
39:39I wasn't going to explain how I survived anymore.
39:45I'd done enough of that when I was drowning in debt.
39:50I signed up for the exam as an independent test candidate.
39:55I worked shifts at a convenience store
39:57and a coffee shop by day,
39:59then studied till my eyes burned at night.
40:04It's not that I didn't want school.
40:06The year my parents were in emergency treatment,
40:09money mattered more than my future.
40:15Miss, we're closing.
40:19Sorry.
40:20Come earlier tomorrow.
40:22It's quieter over here.
40:29A stranger's kindness won't change your life.
40:33But it can get you through one more day.
40:36I stopped waiting for someone to save me.
40:40This time, I was getting myself out.
40:44Those exam days were brutally hot.
40:47My palms were sweating.
40:50But I was calmer than I'd ever been
40:53on a house cleaning gig.
40:58Turn off your phone.
41:00Leave it at the front.
41:04I knew I was a few years older
41:06than the other test takers.
41:09And I knew this might not change my life right away.
41:13But at least I chose it.
41:16The day the scores came out,
41:18I kept refreshing the page
41:20until my fingers went numb.
41:24I got into the school I wanted.
41:28That was when I realized
41:30there weren't many people
41:31I could share that news with.
41:33I made it.
41:35I knew it.
41:36You're incredible.
41:38I looked at that one line
41:40and finally smiled.
41:43Once school started,
41:44I had a new identity
41:46I could be proud of.
41:48Student.
41:49Such a simple word.
41:50And I cherished it.
41:53No customers barking at me.
41:55No wondering who'd curse me out next.
41:59That cheap, filling meal
42:01felt safer than any buffet ever had.
42:05I was still working part-time.
42:07Tuition, rent, living expenses.
42:09I had to count every dollar.
42:11Funds received.
42:12$500,000.
42:13The first big transfer hit
42:15and I knew it was Ethan.
42:17Then more came in.
42:18Added together,
42:19it was enough to blow through
42:20in this lifetime.
42:21Maybe the next one too.
42:23Ella, table three wants extra ice.
42:25Got it.
42:26I wanted to send it back.
42:28But a large bank transfer like that
42:30needed full account info.
42:31And between classes and work,
42:33I had to leave it alone for now.
42:35More than that,
42:37I wasn't about to let him
42:38throw me off again.
42:41As long as
42:43I didn't touch the money,
42:45it was just unfinished business.
42:50In early winter,
42:51I got off work late.
42:54And there he was outside,
42:56one more guy
42:57who wouldn't stop chasing me.
42:59Ella,
43:00why are you out so late?
43:02It's freezing.
43:04And you're dressed way too light.
43:07Let me take you to get a coat.
43:09No.
43:12What don't you like about me?
43:14You really think it's okay
43:15to keep stringing me along like this?
43:22I am not stringing you along.
43:25You're the one who won't leave me alone.
43:27You're the one who won't leave me alone.
43:28You're the one who won't leave me alone.
43:29You're the one who won't leave me alone.
43:33After all this time,
43:36Ethan finally looked like
43:37he was back where he belonged.
43:40Get lost.
43:47Ella, do you hate me that much?
43:50You quit your job,
43:51deleted your accounts,
43:52moved out,
43:52you won't even let me explain
43:53or make it right?
43:55Let go.
43:56I lied to you.
43:58I was an asshole.
43:59I judged you all wrong.
44:00But I really did fall for you.
44:02I've never been this serious about anyone.
44:09Ethan, we were never from the same world.
44:11If you want to play games,
44:12find someone else.
44:14Yeah, I don't deserve you.
44:17After what you've been through,
44:18I don't know if I could have made it.
44:21But I care about you.
44:23I worry about you.
44:25I love you.
44:27I knew you were lying from the start.
44:31What?
44:33A year ago,
44:34you and Ryan came into the restaurant
44:35and opened a bottle of 1945 Roman A. Conte.
44:38You forgot.
44:39I didn't.
44:43Then why pretend you didn't know?
44:46Why were you still so good to me?
44:49Because I had no dad,
44:50no mom.
44:52I was working myself to death
44:54just to pay off debt.
44:55No one cared.
44:56No one helped.
44:57I really thought about dying.
45:02That day,
45:03you picked up my scooter,
45:05handed me a tissue,
45:06asked if I was okay.
45:08I knew you were a liar.
45:09I was just lonely.
45:11So I played along.
45:12That's all.
45:14Ethan,
45:16I was never so in love with you
45:17that I couldn't walk away.
45:20And you didn't deceive my feelings,
45:22so stop carrying all that guilt.
45:25Don't say that.
45:27But I don't want to die anymore.
45:31I have a new life now,
45:32and walking into it alone
45:34doesn't scare me anymore.
45:38I don't need you anymore.
45:40And don't come looking for me again.
45:43I'm sorry.
45:45Ella, I'm sorry.
45:47I was the one who got hurt.
45:50But he looked even more broken than I did.
45:54Ethan's at the east gate
45:55of Northside University and City.
45:57Come get him.
46:02Don't touch me!
46:03Ella, don't go!
46:05I wasn't leaving to punish him.
46:06I was finally protecting myself.
46:11I'm sorry.
46:14I'll give you everything.
46:16Please don't abandon me.
46:18After that,
46:20Ethan kept texting,
46:21sending money,
46:23apologizing.
46:24I didn't answer.
46:27Any reply would just give him hope.
46:32This is due next week.
46:34Late work loses points.
46:36My life filled back up with classes,
46:38shifts,
46:38and bills.
46:40It wasn't romantic,
46:42but it was steady.
46:44Is he still trying to contact you?
46:47Yeah.
46:49Are you scared?
46:51I used to be scared because I had nowhere to go.
46:54Now,
46:55not so much.
46:58Good.
46:59Don't carry this by yourself.
47:00If anything happens,
47:01tell me.
47:03Hmm.
47:05Mia was one of the few gentle things left from my old life.
47:10She reminded me,
47:11a new life doesn't mean cutting everyone off.
47:14It means learning who gets to stay.
47:17I'm sorry about last time.
47:19I shouldn't have grabbed you.
47:21No, you shouldn't have.
47:23It won't happen again.
47:25Can I buy you a hot chocolate as a real apology?
47:28I said yes to hot cocoa with Daniel.
47:33Not because I had feelings for him.
47:36If you're uncomfortable,
47:38you can leave anytime.
47:40I won't push.
47:42Why do you like me?
47:47You're quiet,
47:48but you know your own mind.
47:51And when you do speak up in class,
47:53you always get right to the point.
47:56This time,
47:58he spoke softly
47:59and didn't pressure me for answers.
48:02With him,
48:03I didn't have to wonder
48:04if every word was part of some bet.
48:07I heard you're working a lot of part-time jobs.
48:12If you want,
48:13I can help organize your course materials.
48:16No,
48:17I can handle it.
48:19Okay.
48:19Then I'll just send you the key points from class.
48:23I knew this probably wouldn't go anywhere,
48:25but I wanted to try.
48:28Meet someone new,
48:29see what something new could feel like.
48:32Thanks.
48:33You're welcome.
48:35For our second date,
48:38I picked somewhere crowded.
48:48Give us a minute.
48:50I need to talk to Ella.
48:55Who are you?
48:56Someone I know.
48:58His family's rich.
49:01He got bored,
49:02pretended to be broke,
49:03and pretended to date me.
49:07Now he regrets it.
49:09He wants my forgiveness,
49:10so he won't leave me alone.
49:12That's it.
49:18Man, enough.
49:19Ella being nice doesn't mean
49:20you get to keep pushing her around.
49:22What,
49:22you gonna pull the rich boy attitude now?
49:28I'm not.
49:30I just want to talk to you.
49:31She doesn't want to talk to you.
49:35How much do you even know about her?
49:37At least I never lied to her.
49:41I didn't want to drag
49:42an innocent person into this.
49:44Daniel was just me
49:46trying to start over.
49:47He shouldn't have to absorb
49:49Ethan's mess.
49:52Daniel, you should go.
49:54You sure you'll be okay?
49:56I will.
49:58Call me if you need anything.
49:59I'll be nearby.
50:04Are you dating him?
50:09Ethan,
50:10keep this up
50:10and I'll send the video to Ryan.
50:13Isn't your precious image
50:14everything to you?
50:18Go ahead.
50:19If you'll forgive me,
50:21send it to whoever you want.
50:25Ryan,
50:26weren't you waiting to laugh at me?
50:28Here you go.
50:31Yeah, I'm an idiot.
50:33Ethan Lancaster is an idiot.
50:38For a second,
50:39I didn't know what to say.
50:41The trust fund heir
50:42who used to look down on everyone
50:44was tearing up
50:45the last dread of his pride himself.
50:48This doesn't change anything.
50:50It does.
50:51At least now you know.
50:53I didn't come here to save face.
50:57I know what you felt was real.
51:01But that doesn't undo the damage.
51:06Then what am I supposed to do?
51:08Nothing.
51:08Go back to your life.
51:10I can't go back without you.
51:15It sounded romantic,
51:16but it was pressure too.
51:18Like if I said no,
51:20I'd be destroying his life.
51:23That's your problem,
51:24not my responsibility.
51:30When I stepped out of the coffee shop,
51:32the rain was light,
51:33but it cut right through me.
51:36Ella,
51:37let me walk you back to campus.
51:39Just to the gate.
51:40I won't say anything.
51:42No.
51:43Then I'll stay behind you.
51:46Ethan, this is just exhausting me.
51:50I don't know how to stop thinking about you.
51:53Learn.
51:54Nobody's born knowing how.
51:57Poverty taught me to count every dollar.
51:59Debt taught me patience.
52:01Leaving him taught me not to carry someone else's pain for them.
52:05Watch out!
52:13In that second,
52:14I knew
52:16he was willing to risk his life to protect me.
52:20An ambulance!
52:22Somebody call an ambulance!
52:25Ethan,
52:25can you hear me?
52:28Are you okay?
52:30I'm okay.
52:31Don't talk.
52:33Step back.
52:34We need to examine him.
52:35I don't like owing anyone.
52:38But that day,
52:39he shoved me out of the car's path.
52:41That's the truth.
52:45How is he?
52:47He's not in danger,
52:49but he has multiple fractures
52:50and soft tissue injuries.
52:52He needs to cooperate with treatment.
52:56Are you happy now?
52:59I didn't ask him to do that.
53:02Go home.
53:03You're not needed here.
53:05I nod.
53:08Back then,
53:09I thought that was the last time
53:10I'd ever see him.
53:16He's refusing treatment.
53:20Ella,
53:20I need you to come see him.
53:24I went back
53:25and forth for a long time.
53:28Then I went to the hospital.
53:33Ella!
53:36Don't move.
53:39You came to see me.
53:41Does that mean you're not mad anymore?
53:44I heard you've been refusing treatment.
53:47I wasn't.
53:48I was just upset.
53:49I wanted to see you.
53:53You've seen me now.
53:54Listen to your doctors.
53:56Do the treatment.
53:57Get better.
53:59You're still young.
54:00Don't let this leave permanent damage.
54:02Okay.
54:03I'll listen.
54:04I'll do whatever you say.
54:05He was so obedient.
54:08Just like the guy
54:09who taught himself to cook
54:10in that cheap rental.
54:13But a hospital room
54:14isn't a way back.
54:18I didn't come here
54:19to give you hope.
54:22Then why are you here?
54:24Because you saved me.
54:26I owed you one visit.
54:28Just one?
54:30I knew that would hurt.
54:32But sometimes
54:33being cruel
54:33is kinder
54:34than leading him on.
54:39Ethan,
54:40I've always believed this.
54:42If you want something,
54:44you have to pay for it.
54:47Back then,
54:48I wanted you with me.
54:49So I was ready
54:50for whatever you and Ryan
54:51were going to do to me.
54:54But I didn't let him
54:55hurt you after that.
54:56I know.
54:58What about you?
55:00When this started
55:01and I was just your fun,
55:03what did you think
55:04it cost you?
55:06A payoff once the truth
55:08came out
55:08so I'd keep quiet?
55:11Or tears
55:12and a speech
55:13about how you really
55:15fell in love with me?
55:17No.
55:18That's not what I thought.
55:19But it is what you did.
55:28I don't think
55:29he's a bad person.
55:31A bad person
55:32wouldn't have pushed me away
55:33that night in the rain.
55:35But he still has to pay
55:36for the arrogance
55:36he started with.
55:39Now it's your turn.
55:42Until you really let me go
55:43and forget what happened
55:44between us,
55:46every second this hurts
55:47is part of the price.
55:49Get better.
55:51Pay the price
55:53then start your new life.
55:55Ella, don't go.
55:57Goodbye.
55:58Take care.
56:03That'll only make it
56:04harder on him.
56:05That's part of what
56:06he has to pay for.
56:07When you graduate,
56:08if you want it,
56:09there's a place for you
56:10at Lancaster Group.
56:11Internship or full-time.
56:13No.
56:14Do you understand
56:15what that means?
56:16I do.
56:17It means an easier road.
56:18But I'm not walking
56:19through another door
56:20your family opens.
56:22Victoria reached out
56:23a few more times
56:23after that.
56:24She said Ethan
56:25still couldn't move on.
56:26He'd cut himself off
56:27from his friends
56:28and was pulling away
56:29from his family too.
56:30I turned her down
56:31every time.
56:35My life couldn't be built
56:36on the Lancaster family's
56:37charity,
56:38guilt,
56:39or compensation.
56:42I kept going to class,
56:43working,
56:44taking exams,
56:45saving money.
56:47Sometimes I still
56:48got tired.
56:51Late at night,
56:52I'd think about
56:52that scooter he picked up
56:53and that little
56:55$12 cake.
56:57The warmth was real.
57:00So was the hurt.
57:03Admitting one
57:04doesn't erase the other.
57:07What does being alive
57:08mean to me now?
57:10I used to think
57:11the best kind of happiness
57:13was just not being in pain.
57:15Now I have a different answer.
57:18Just knowing I still
57:19have so many tomorrows
57:21to make a happy life
57:22for myself
57:22is enough.
57:24I want a life
57:25with joy
57:26and peace
57:27and I want the courage
57:28to pay whatever it costs.