- 2 weeks ago
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00:00As long as I speak a wish aloud, it comes true.
00:03But fate never gives anything for free.
00:07When I was a child, to cure my brother,
00:12I fell into a coma for a week.
00:15Later, to keep my gravely ill mother alive,
00:19I paid with my voice for two years.
00:23So after she died, I continued to pretend to be mute.
00:29That way, no one could force me to make wishes.
00:32But I was sold anyway.
00:34The Ashford family was offering a fortune for a bride
00:37for a spiritual marriage arrangement.
00:39Everyone in town thought the ritual smacked of something ominous.
00:43Whoever married into that family
00:44was basically being shoved alive into a cold coffin.
00:51Yet my father, Ray, submitted my natal chart anyway.
00:55The day he took that massive family settlement,
00:59there wasn't a trace of reluctant on his face.
01:05I thought I would die in this absurd marriage.
01:09But the way Adrian looked at me held no pity or disdain.
01:14Even though he was being dragged to the brink of death by his illness,
01:18he still pitied my background,
01:20afraid he would drag me down for the rest of my life.
01:23In the warmth of his voice,
01:25I couldn't help but let myself believe,
01:27just one more time,
01:29a man like him shouldn't die on this winter night.
01:32This will set you free.
01:35And so, I opened my mouth.
01:39I was born in Brayer Creek,
01:41a river cut right through the middle,
01:43flanked by low, disoppedated houses.
01:45My father, Ray Quinn,
01:47used to run a small logistics company.
01:51During the holidays,
01:52people would even drop by with cigars and whiskey.
01:57Later, he got hooked on online gambling.
02:00He lost everything we had.
02:03There was no money left.
02:04Not even to treat my brother's high fever.
02:07He smashed the coffee pop,
02:09taking it out on me.
02:10You're completely useless.
02:12If he dies, I'll strangle you.
02:15I looked at my brother's fever-purpled face,
02:18terrified,
02:19and instinctively pleaded with the heavens.
02:21Make him well.
02:23He did indeed recover,
02:25but I fell into a coma for a week.
02:30Evelyn, you scared Mommy to death.
02:33Only my mother cared about me.
02:36Later, she fell ill too.
02:38Women were fragile,
02:39and if she couldn't make it,
02:40it was God's will.
02:45Mom, please stay with me a little longer.
02:49My mother truly improved,
02:51but I lost my voice.
02:54It wasn't until she truly passed away
02:56that I gradually found my voice again.
02:59I knelt before her tombstone,
03:01listening to Ray and the relatives bicker
03:03over how to cut corners on the funeral,
03:05and decided to keep playing the mute.
03:09I was afraid that if he learned of my ability,
03:11he would recklessly force me to make wishes.
03:17That winter,
03:18a notice was posted
03:19on the Briar Creek Community Bulletin Board.
03:22Adrian, the heir to Boston's Ashford family,
03:25was critically ill.
03:26They were offering a vast sum
03:28to find a woman of appropriate age
03:29for a spiritual marriage arrangement
03:31suggested by a family medium,
03:32requiring a perfect astrological compatibility match.
03:35A baby-willing candidate
03:37would receive a $300,000 settlement,
03:40plus a condo in downtown Boston.
03:47To many here,
03:48it was an astronomical price
03:49they wouldn't see in a lifetime.
03:52They were the ruling family
03:53of the top-tier tech consonal,
03:55Ashford Biotech,
03:56with a threshold so high
03:58that even the richest man in town
04:00wouldn't dare try to climb it.
04:03But he was dying,
04:04marrying him waiting to become a widow.
04:07Old money families
04:09had many superstitious rules.
04:11This kind of ritual
04:12reeked of the macabre.
04:14Who knew if the girl who married in
04:16would be dragged down
04:17by the same bad luck?
04:21Neighbors said all the right things
04:23about what a shame it was
04:24to pass up so much money,
04:25then quietly kept a tighter watch
04:27on their own daughters.
04:28Lily!
04:31Only Ray was tempted.
04:32He owed gambling debts,
04:34and my brother would need money
04:36to establish himself in the future.
04:40So he submitted my natal chart.
04:45When the Bentley parked
04:46in front of our house,
04:48half the street came out
04:49to watch the spectacle.
04:51Ray couldn't read the words
04:52on the NTA.
04:53He just took the money.
04:55For once,
04:56he spoke to me gently.
04:57Evelyn, you're going to live
04:59the good life.
05:00A pedigree like the Ashford,
05:01so many people couldn't
05:02climb that ladder
05:03even if they tried.
05:04Once you're there,
05:05be obedient.
05:07Don't make yourself a nuisance.
05:09Now, as it rested on my shoulder,
05:11I didn't resist.
05:13This home had never belonged to me.
05:15Going anywhere else
05:16was all the same.
05:17A mute for a vegetable.
05:19It's a fitting match.
05:26I got into the car,
05:28holding only the old silver ring
05:30my mother left behind.
05:32The car drove into Boston.
05:35High risers stood one after another,
05:37slicing the sky into narrow strips.
05:39Through the car window,
05:40I spotted the prayer booth
05:41that hadn't yet been entirely cleared
05:43from the estate grounds.
05:44The butler, Mr. Harris,
05:46abruptly changed his expression
05:47and hastily ordered them removed.
05:49But I had already seen them.
05:52The flowers and signals
05:53ritual markings used
05:54for the spiritual ritual
05:55were plastered on the gateposts,
05:57like frozen blood.
05:58Madam, we have arrived.
05:59Please.
06:00The union ritual
06:01was extremely simple.
06:03I stood in the center of the hall,
06:04wearing a white gown
06:05that did not fit.
06:07There was no groom beside me,
06:09only a massive portrait.
06:10The man in the bookings
06:12was handsome, yet pale,
06:13his features gentle.
06:15His life,
06:16which should have been bright,
06:17was slowly dimming
06:18in the winter night.
06:19After the ritual,
06:20Mr. Harris led me upstairs.
06:23Corridors were lined
06:24with thick carpet,
06:25but Adeple made absolutely no echo,
06:27which made Wissiretly Marvel.
06:29He pushed open the bedroom door
06:30and said in a low outs,
06:36Mrs. Ashford,
06:37please go in.
06:38I peeked carefully inside,
06:40my eyes widening in astonishment.
06:45Adrian was even weaker
06:46than the rumors suggested.
06:48He leaned against the headbed,
06:50connected to monitors.
06:51The veins on the back of his hands
06:53stood out,
06:54densely dotted with needle marks.
06:56Yet his expression
06:57was exceptionally calm.
06:59After Mr. Harris' withdrawal,
07:01it was just the two of us
07:02in the room.
07:04Logically,
07:05he should have asked
07:05for the details
07:06of my natal chart,
07:07or,
07:08like Ray,
07:09told me to be obedient
07:10from now on.
07:11He merely raised his hand
07:13and pulled a document
07:14folged from beside his pillow.
07:15Miss Quinn,
07:17at midnight tonight,
07:19someone will pick you up
07:20at the side gate
07:20of the estate.
07:22Inside is cash,
07:23a trust-funded card,
07:24and a ticket
07:25to a small town in Maine.
07:27I stared at him,
07:28stunned.
07:29Adrian coughed twice,
07:30his lips going even paler.
07:31He caught his breath
07:32for a moment,
07:33frowning as he explained to me.
07:36My mother,
07:37desperate to save her son,
07:38resorted to superstition
07:39and made a mistake.
07:41I apologize to you
07:42on her behalf.
07:44But you shouldn't ruin your life
07:46just because of me.
07:47My gaze fell on his
07:48still trembling hands,
07:49and for a moment,
07:51I couldn't distinguish
07:52what I was feeling
07:53in my heart.
07:54So many people
07:55had walked through my life.
07:57Some despised me
07:58for being mute.
07:59Others called me
08:00trailer trash.
08:01Trailer trash!
08:02My own blood
08:04treated me as a tool
08:05to hoard wealth,
08:06something to be used
08:07and easily discarded.
08:09Other than my mother,
08:10only this man before me,
08:11a complete stranger
08:12who was sick
08:13and dying himself,
08:15wanted to push me
08:15out of the mine.
08:22I set the folder back down
08:24and chose not to leave.
08:26Adrian assumed I was afraid
08:27of the Ashford family's
08:28retaliation.
08:29He propped himself up
08:31and pressed the call bell.
08:33Soon, a young man
08:34pushed the door open
08:35and entered.
08:35His name was Ethan,
08:37Adrian's assistant.
08:38Send her away.
08:39Ethan looked troubled
08:40and cast a fleeting glance
08:42at the security camera
08:43in the corner.
08:44Mr. Adrian,
08:46Madam already knows.
08:47Adrian let out
08:48a low chuckle.
08:50Then tell her
08:51I am not dead yet.
08:52My wife answers
08:54to no one.
08:57My wife?
08:59Hearing that title,
09:00my eyelashes fluttered slightly.
09:05Not out of any
09:06romantic shyness.
09:08Just as Adrian finished speaking,
09:09his body suddenly
09:10conrusted violently.
09:11The monitors blared
09:12in alarm.
09:13He hunched over
09:13and coughed up
09:14a mouthful of blood.
09:15Crimson trailed down
09:16the corners of his pale lips,
09:17dripping onto the sheets.
09:22Ethan's face
09:23drastically changed
09:24as he turned
09:24and rushed out
09:25to shout for a doctor.
09:28The door was thrown open
09:30and shut,
09:31leaving the room
09:32filled only
09:32with the chaotic
09:33blare of alarms.
09:34I knew Adrian
09:36was truly about to die.
09:37Right before my mother passed,
09:39she looked exactly like this.
09:41Evelyn,
09:41don't be afraid.
09:42Mommy will get better.
09:44She was in so much pain
09:45she couldn't sleep all night,
09:47yet she still stroked
09:48my head.
09:49That was the first time
09:51she broke a promise.
09:52Later,
09:53my stepmother,
09:54Linda,
09:54moved into the house,
09:56bringing new rugs,
09:57coats,
09:57and a cabinet
09:58full of skincare products.
10:00She complained
10:01to anyone who would listen
10:02about her bitter fate,
10:03having to marry
10:04in a family
10:04and raise the kid
10:05left behind
10:06by the ex-wife.
10:07But the truly bitter one
10:08couldn't even open
10:09her mouth to speak.
10:10I thought I was already
10:11used to it,
10:12until Adrian gripped
10:13my wrist.
10:15Don't worry.
10:16He's in such a state,
10:17yet he's still
10:18trying to comfort me.
10:19His breath was
10:20incredibly weak,
10:21yet he didn't forget
10:22to urge me to leave.
10:23I will make them
10:24let you go.
10:26The rest,
10:27leave it to me
10:28to handle.
10:30The doctor's footsteps
10:31approached,
10:32getting closer
10:32and closer,
10:33yet Adrian's heart rate
10:35line slumped down
10:36little by little.
10:37I took out
10:37the silver ring.
10:38It pressed against
10:39my palm,
10:40repeatedly reminding me
10:41to keep silent.
10:42But I still used
10:43my throat,
10:44voiceless for years,
10:45to pray.
10:46Adrian, you must live.
10:51But I still used
10:52my throat,
10:53voiceless for years,
10:54to pray.
10:55Adrian, you must live.
10:58In the next second,
11:00the heart rate line
11:01on the monitor
11:01incredibly began
11:02to stabilize
11:03when Ethan burst in
11:05with the doctors.
11:07I had already
11:08lowered my eyes again,
11:09making not another sound.
11:11The doctors crowded
11:12around him
11:13while Adrian stared
11:14at me,
11:16stunned.
11:17Did you just speak?
11:19He asked whoresly.
11:21I held onto
11:22the edge of the bed
11:23as my vision
11:24suddenly went dark
11:25in waves.
11:26The chicken noodle soup
11:27my mother made for me.
11:28The dogwood blossoms
11:30that bloomed
11:30on the tree
11:31by our door.
11:32The serene profile
11:33of her face
11:34as she sewed
11:35my backpack at night.
11:37The winter sun
11:38in our yard.
11:39Those images
11:40flashed past my eyes
11:42frame by frame
11:43only to be torn
11:44to pieces
11:44by an invisible hand.
11:46Just as expected,
11:48the toll had begun.
11:52The next morning,
11:54Adrian woke
11:54before noon,
11:55something that hadn't
11:56happened since his accident.
11:58This was a rare occurrence
12:00since his car accident.
12:02Doctors wheeled
12:02equipment in and out.
12:04Yeah, great stuff.
12:05When the test results
12:06came back,
12:06the few people
12:07standing by the bed
12:08had changes
12:08in their expressions.
12:09The neuroinflammation markers
12:10have dropped significantly.
12:11Heart failure data
12:12is also rebounding.
12:13Oxygen levels
12:14are far more stable
12:14than last night.
12:15The attending physician
12:16flipped through the report
12:17three times,
12:18bewildered yet deeply
12:18over Lyle.
12:19This does not conform
12:20to medical logic.
12:22But everyone in the family
12:23believed the spiritual advisor
12:24was dead on.
12:25They said my natal chart
12:25brought immense vitality
12:26to my husband,
12:27and the marriage arrangement
12:28truly worked.
12:29By the time those words
12:30reached me,
12:30I was sitting by the window,
12:32already struggling
12:33to remember.
12:34I found I had forgotten
12:35the taste of my mother's
12:36chicken broth.
12:37I also could not remember
12:38whether the tree by the door
12:40had ever bloomed
12:40with white flowers.
12:41I remembered that they existed,
12:43but it felt like reaching
12:44through a layer of fog,
12:46entirely untouchable.
12:48Soon,
12:48Eleanor rushed in.
12:49Her footsteps were hurry
12:51as she entered the room.
12:52A black coat was draped
12:54over her shoulders,
12:55her makeup still impeccable,
12:56but her eyes were heavily
12:57bloodshot.
12:58She was Adrian's mother,
13:00and the board chair
13:01of Ashvin Biotech.
13:04I heard the butler say
13:05that when she was younger,
13:06she dominated the corporate board
13:08so fiercely
13:09that the old herd directors
13:10didn't dare lift their heads.
13:12Her methods were decisive,
13:14cool to the point
13:15of ruthlessness.
13:17When she saw Adrian
13:18sitting up on his own,
13:20her eyes instantly reddened.
13:22She was speechless
13:23for a long time.
13:25Mother.
13:27At that single word,
13:29Eleanor's tears fell.
13:30She quickly turned her head away,
13:31as if unwilling to lose
13:33her composure
13:33in front of outsiders.
13:35After a long while,
13:36she walked over
13:37and gently took my hand.
13:38Evelyn,
13:39thank God you are here.
13:41I had never been
13:42on the receiving end
13:43of anyone's gratitude before,
13:44and I felt somewhat
13:45at a loss.
13:47Eleanor didn't force me
13:48to speak.
13:49She had someone prepare
13:50a new suite for me
13:50in the West Wing.
13:55Clothes and daily
13:56decissities,
13:57all meticulously selected,
13:58were delivered.
14:02I stood at the entrance
14:03of the walk-in closet,
14:04staring at a rail
14:05full of unfamiliar
14:06new clothes,
14:07feeling even more bouldered.
14:10Back in the Quinn household,
14:11whenever Linda bought
14:12new clothes,
14:13they were always
14:14for my brother first.
14:16She said girls
14:17didn't need to dress
14:17too well,
14:18since they'd end up
14:19belonging to another family
14:20sooner or later.
14:22I didn't dare
14:23touch those clothes.
14:27When Adrian found out,
14:29he didn't mock me.
14:33He had Ethan download
14:34a handwriting app for me.
14:36Then he sat by the bed
14:37and taught me
14:38how to type on the tablet.
14:39His body was still weak,
14:41yet he taught
14:41with utmost patience.
14:43It's okay.
14:44If I typed a letter wrong,
14:46he waited.
14:47If I hand wrote slowly,
14:49he waited.
14:50Once,
14:50I stared at the screen
14:51for too long,
14:52my fingertips hovering,
14:53unable to move.
14:55Evelyn,
14:56it's okay if you
14:57don't want to write,
14:57but you will always
14:58have the right
14:59to express yourself.
15:00Since childhood,
15:02I was demanded
15:02to be decile,
15:04keep my mouth shut,
15:05and just follow orders.
15:07But now someone
15:07was telling me
15:08whether I remained
15:09silent or spoke,
15:10I could follow
15:11my own heart.
15:12He didn't press me
15:13about my ability,
15:14giving me space.
15:15This was far more
15:16precious than pity.
15:18Unfortunately,
15:18the Ashford family
15:19didn't consist only
15:20of Eleanor and Adrian.
15:22When the relatives
15:23from the collateral branched
15:24came to visit,
15:28their words were sharp
15:29and grating.
15:30This girl hit the jackpot,
15:32just a spiritual medium's ritual,
15:34and she gets into
15:35the Ashford estate.
15:38If Adrian really recovers,
15:40he surely can't spend
15:41the rest of his life
15:42with a mute country girl,
15:43right?
15:47The servants laughed
15:49behind my back,
15:50mocking me for slipping
15:51my way into an old
15:52money pedigree.
15:54They thought Adrian
15:55was just too blinded
15:56by illness right now
15:57to see clearly.
15:59Once he fully recovered,
16:01naturally,
16:01he would regret it.
16:03I didn't have much
16:04of a reaction,
16:05let alone argue with them.
16:07Forgetting cold scares
16:08and swallowing pain
16:09was what I was best at.
16:11At lunch,
16:12Adrian ate very little.
16:13The nutritionist
16:15had prepared
16:15a delicate meal,
16:16but he took only two bites
16:18before setting down
16:19his silver airs.
16:20I remembered the doctor
16:21saying he needed
16:22to replenish his nutrients.
16:24So,
16:25I went to the kitchen.
16:26I found some ingredients
16:27and wanted to make him
16:28a light bowl of stewed soup.
16:32The live-in housekeeper,
16:33Mrs. Doyle,
16:34stood watching,
16:35her expression
16:36tight with disapproval.
16:38Mrs. Ashford,
16:39you can leave
16:39these things to us.
16:41You've likely never seen
16:42these ingredients before.
16:43It would be a waste
16:44if you ruined them.
16:46A maid next to her
16:48couldn't hold back a snuff.
16:49What could she possibly make?
16:51Coming from a rust belt town,
16:53I bet she only knows
16:54how to boil cheap oatmeal.
17:01The year my mother was ill,
17:03I made soup for her
17:04many times.
17:05The heat had to be low,
17:07simmering it until tender
17:09so it wouldn't upset
17:10the stomach.
17:12After the soup was ready,
17:14I carried the tray upstairs.
17:17Just as I reached
17:18Adrian's door,
17:20Mrs. Doyle hurried after me.
17:22Madam,
17:23Mr. Adrian's diet
17:24is strictly arranged
17:25by the nutritionist.
17:26Don't harm him
17:27with these things
17:27of unknown origins.
17:29Wake up to complain,
17:30so her disrespect
17:31was entirely unkized.
17:32The door suddenly
17:33opened from the inside.
17:34Adrian stood there,
17:35leaning on the door porm.
17:36She is the lady
17:37of the Ashford estate.
17:38Under what authority
17:39are you stopping her
17:40from entering my room?
17:41Sir,
17:41I was just worried.
17:42He had no patience
17:43to hear her finish
17:44and indifferently
17:45instructed Ethan.
17:46Check the kitchen
17:47security footage.
17:48Fire anyone
17:48who said an ugly word
17:49to Evelyn today.
17:50Yes, sir.
17:54Mrs. Doyle turned
17:55deathly pale
17:56from terror
17:57while Adrian
17:58took the bowl
17:59of soup.
17:59He sat back
18:00on the edge
18:01of the bed,
18:02drinking it
18:02in large swallows.
18:03By the end,
18:05even the bottom
18:05of the bowl
18:06was clean.
18:07Evelyn,
18:08in the Ashford estate,
18:10you never have to
18:11swallow your egregious.
18:12He paused,
18:13a very faint smile
18:15surfacing in his eyes.
18:16You are my wife.
18:18I will always protect you.
18:20In this cold old house,
18:22a light was finally
18:23willing to shine for me.
18:27When spring arrived,
18:29Adrian began
18:29regular physical therapy.
18:31The snow in the courtyard
18:32hadn't entirely melted,
18:34but new buds
18:34were already forming
18:35on the branches.
18:36He walked in the corridor
18:38of the medical wing.
18:39I supported his arm,
18:41walking even more tensely
18:42than he did.
18:44Afraid I'll fall?
18:45I nodded.
18:47He shifted his cane
18:48to his other hand
18:49and gently brushed
18:50my fingertips.
18:51I'll walk slowly,
18:52so don't be afraid.
18:54Slowly,
18:54he was able to walk
18:56to the gardens.
18:58When the wind blew,
18:59he would stop
19:00to catch his breath
19:01by the white rose treckly.
19:05Eleanor was so delighted
19:07that she sent things
19:08to my room
19:08almost every day.
19:09I didn't dare accept them,
19:11afraid that fate
19:12had once again
19:13secretly attached
19:14a price laid.
19:17But Adrian accepted them
19:18on my behalf.
19:19You're not just boarding here.
19:21There's no need
19:22to be so reserved.
19:23From then on,
19:24he taught me many things,
19:26recognizing vocabulary,
19:28researching information,
19:29and even reading
19:30legal contracts.
19:33Sometimes when he was tired,
19:35he would lean back
19:36on the sofa
19:36and close his eyes
19:37to rest.
19:38I would then copy
19:39everything he had just taught
19:41into my notebook.
19:42I learned extremely fast,
19:44and he would encourage me.
19:46Evelyn is very smart.
19:47It's just that no one
19:49gave you the chance before.
19:50It wasn't long
19:51before Ray came knocking.
19:53You weren't shitting!
19:55He brought Linda,
19:56making a scene
19:57all the way
19:57to the estate's main gate.
19:59when the security guards
20:00blocked him.
20:02I am Evelyn's
20:02biological father!
20:04My daughter,
20:05married into the Ashford family,
20:06and is the lady of the house!
20:08On what grounds
20:09are you keeping me out?
20:15Adrian was at physical therapy
20:16in the medical wing.
20:18Eleanor initially had them
20:19brought into the formal
20:20sitting room,
20:21wanting to save me some face.
20:25But the moment Ray walked in,
20:27he crushed all dignity.
20:30He looking around
20:31with wide eyes
20:32then put on an act
20:33and sighed.
20:39He said,
20:40I had a hard life
20:40since childhood,
20:41and my mother dies early.
20:44How difficult it was
20:45for him to raise me
20:46all by himself.
20:47Eleanor's face darkened,
20:49but Ray didn't even notice.
20:51Evelyn can't speak
20:52and doesn't have any skills.
20:54For her to marry
20:55Mr. Adrian
20:56is thanks to the good
20:57morm of the Quinn ancestors.
21:01Now that she's moved up
21:02in the world,
21:03she can't ignore
21:04her blood relatives.
21:05I stood at the top
21:06of the stairs,
21:07my face gradually
21:07turning pale.
21:08Those words weren't new,
21:10but spoken in front of them,
21:11it still felt like
21:12being stripped naked
21:13in public.
21:13Eleanor turned around
21:14and noticed me.
21:17She dropped
21:18all pretend of civility.
21:19Mr. Quinn,
21:20you didn't give
21:21your daughter away
21:22in marriage.
21:23You signed an NDA
21:24and sold her
21:25for a clearly marked price,
21:27and now you're trying
21:28to extort
21:28the Ashvin family?
21:34In law?
21:36That's an ugly way
21:36to put it.
21:37I...
21:37Eleanor had already
21:38issued the order
21:39to revict them.
21:40From today on,
21:41if you harass
21:42my daughter in life
21:43again in the name
21:43of family,
21:44I will have security
21:45physically remove you
21:46and my legal team
21:47sue you for extortion.
21:48But we're her
21:50blood relatives.
21:51Her home is here.
21:53What kind of family
21:54are you?
21:54Get out!
21:59You ungrateful
22:00little bitch!
22:02We raised you
22:03and this is how
22:04you repay us?
22:05As he left,
22:06he cursed me
22:06for being ungrateful.
22:07I'd gotten ahead
22:08and turned my back
22:09on where I came from.
22:11Eleanor pulled my shoal
22:12snug around me,
22:13restoring her
22:14gentle demeanor.
22:17In the future,
22:18you don't have
22:18to see people like them.
22:20She was genuinely
22:20aching for me
22:21because her eyes
22:23looked so much
22:23like my mother's.
22:24When news of
22:25Adrian's recovery
22:26got out,
22:27Charlotte returned
22:28from abroad.
22:30She was once
22:30the person closest
22:31to Adrian during
22:32his youth.
22:33After his accident,
22:34someone in the family
22:35had sounded out
22:36the Sinclairs
22:37about a marriage.
22:38The Sinclair family
22:39refused quickly.
22:40No one wanted
22:40to marry their daughter
22:41to a dying man.
22:42Now,
22:43Charlotte had come
22:44calling with gifts.
22:45Eleanor saw right
22:46through her intentions.
22:47her attitude
22:48lukewarm at best.
22:49Yet Charlotte
22:50still found an opportunity
22:51to see me alone.
22:52She stood in the sunroom,
22:54her tone soft.
22:58Miss Quinn,
22:59you must know
23:00that Adrian only married you
23:01out of desperation
23:02during a critical time,
23:04resorting to superstition.
23:06He has always preferred
23:08educated,
23:09sophisticated girls
23:10with polish.
23:12and that we're alive
23:13and had it all
23:14that I know.
23:18You can't speak
23:20and you don't
23:20understand his world.
23:22Once he's
23:23completely recovered,
23:24your continued presence
23:25by his side
23:26will only make
23:27everyone embarrassed.
23:28At a time
23:28when I should have
23:29been angry,
23:30I suddenly panicked
23:31because his face
23:32was also gradually
23:33becoming blurry to me
23:35and I was terrified
23:36I wouldn't be able
23:37to hold on
23:38to even this shred
23:39of warmth.
23:40A few days later,
23:41the uncle's collateral
23:42branch hosted
23:43a dinner party.
23:44During the dinner,
23:45someone deliberately
23:46asked me to give a toast.
23:47Mrs. Ashford is a mute.
23:49Why not write
23:50a few words
23:51for us to see?
23:52I heard that kind
23:53of ritual
23:53is very effective.
23:54If you're really
23:55that capable,
23:56why not make Adrian
23:57recover completely
23:58by tomorrow?
23:59Isn't he still bedrin?
24:03Why do you always
24:04tease the country girl?
24:05She doesn't even understand.
24:07Surrounded in the middle,
24:08I felt as if I were
24:09back in the past
24:10being mocked
24:10by the crowd.
24:12Suddenly,
24:13a loud noise
24:13echoed from the doorway.
24:15Adrian,
24:16dressed in a casual suit,
24:17had rushed over.
24:18His gaze was cold
24:20and clear
24:20without a hint
24:21of decay.
24:22With one sweeping glance,
24:24the entire hall
24:24fell dead silent.
24:28He walked slowly
24:30to stand in front of me.
24:31My wife is not here
24:33for your amusement.
24:34Whoever embarrasses her again
24:35can get the hell
24:36out of the Ashford family.
24:37I stared blankly
24:38at his back.
24:39Like my mother,
24:40he was a man of his word.
24:41He truly would protect me?
24:43He didn't ask
24:44for anything in return,
24:45nor did he question
24:46whether I possessed
24:47the right pedigree,
24:48simply because
24:49I was Evelyn.
24:50Adrian purged swiftly
24:51against the collateral branch.
24:53He was ill,
24:54but not weak
24:54in the slightest.
24:55For several consecutive days,
24:57Ethan and the legal team
24:58swept through
24:58various properties,
24:59making examples
25:00of the offenders.
25:01From then on,
25:02no one dared
25:03to look down on me.
25:04Adrian started
25:05taking me out.
25:06He took me
25:07to Chinatown
25:08for dumpling soup.
25:09The shop was tiny,
25:11the glass windows
25:12fogged with steam.
25:13When the dumpling soup arrived,
25:15he pushed the saucer
25:16of vinegar towards me.
25:18You should like this.
25:19I lowered my head
25:20and took a taste.
25:21It was so hot,
25:23it numbed
25:23the tip of my tongue,
25:24but I still couldn't resist
25:26eating another one.
25:27Adrian smiled.
25:28Slow down.
25:29We can order more
25:30if it's not enough.
25:31He also took me
25:32to stroll
25:33through the markets.
25:34I loved listening
25:35to the vendors
25:36shouting their wares.
25:37He bought me
25:38a paper cone
25:39of roasted cheenuts.
25:40The paper bagged
25:41was hot,
25:42but holding it
25:42in my hands,
25:43I couldn't bear
25:43to let go.
25:45He just stood beside me,
25:46peeling them for me
25:47one by one.
25:48In that moment,
25:49I thought,
25:50I must have fallen
25:51in love with Adrian.
25:52His body gradually improved.
25:55From only being able
25:56to walk for 10 minutes,
25:58to being able
25:58to come downstairs
25:59for breakfast.
26:01Everyone changed
26:02their tune,
26:03praising the magic
26:04of the spiritual marriage
26:05and saying I was blessed.
26:07Only I knew
26:08it wasn't a blessing.
26:09It was traded
26:10for my spoken words,
26:11and the toll
26:12was beginning to show.
26:15My memory
26:15was getting worse
26:16and worse.
26:18One day,
26:18I stopped
26:19in the middle
26:20of the corridor.
26:21I suddenly couldn't
26:22remember which room
26:23was the bedroom.
26:28When Adrian found me,
26:29I was gripping
26:30the hem
26:30of my shirt,
26:31trembling.
26:35Evelyn,
26:36I'll help you
26:37look for it.
26:37Later,
26:38small labels
26:39were put up
26:39outside every room
26:40in the estate.
26:41Written on the
26:42master bedroom door
26:43was Evelyn
26:44and Adrian's home.
26:45Something ached
26:46deep in my chest,
26:47and I couldn't help
26:48but shed tears
26:49as I looked at it.
26:50Adrian also prepared
26:51many little notebooks
26:52for me.
26:53Some to write down
26:54daily trivia,
26:55some to note the names
26:57of family members,
26:58and one exclusively
26:59for things between
27:00the two of us.
27:01On the title page,
27:02he had written
27:03in his own hand,
27:04I am Adrian.
27:06If one day
27:07forget you,
27:07forget me.
27:08I will walk up to you
27:10and introduce myself
27:11all over again.
27:12When Eleanor realized
27:13my memory was fading,
27:14she cried in secret
27:15several times.
27:16I saw her staring
27:17blankly into the garden,
27:19dabbing her tears
27:20endlessly with a handkerchief.
27:21She even went to see
27:22that spiritual advisor.
27:24After returning,
27:25she remained silent
27:26for a long time.
27:30That night,
27:31she came to find me.
27:33This historically
27:34dominocing woman
27:34stood at my door,
27:36seemingly afraid
27:36to come in.
27:38I typed on my phone,
27:40it's not your fault.
27:41After Eleanor read it,
27:42her eyes grew red again.
27:44She cared for me
27:45as if I were her own
27:46biological daughter.
27:50I wasn't used
27:51to being cared for
27:51like this,
27:52yet,
27:53as if trying to make amends,
27:54she wanted to give me
27:55the best of everything.
27:56During lunch,
27:57she suddenly put down
27:58her silverwares.
28:01Evelyn,
28:03when I brought you
28:04into the estate,
28:04I had my own
28:05selfish motives.
28:06I was afraid
28:07Adrian would die
28:08all alone,
28:09and I was afraid
28:09that after his death,
28:10the collateral branch
28:11would fight for power
28:12and no one would protect
28:13what he left behind.
28:14At that time,
28:15I never thought
28:16that you were just
28:16a poor suffering child too.
28:18I am sorry.
28:19I never expected
28:21someone like her
28:21to bow her head
28:22and admit fault.
28:24She held my hand,
28:25but it's different now.
28:27No matter what happens
28:28to Adrian in the future,
28:30whether you want to stay
28:31or go,
28:32the Ashford family
28:33will protect you.
28:35I slowly typed
28:36in my phone's memo app,
28:38thank you, mother.
28:40This time,
28:41Eleanor couldn't hold back.
28:42She broke down
28:44and wept bitterly
28:45in front of me.
28:46When I returned
28:47to my room
28:48that night,
28:49Adrian was sitting
28:49on the edge
28:50of the bed
28:50waiting for me.
28:53Evelyn?
28:55I stopped
28:55and waited
28:56for him to speak.
29:00Adrian reached out
29:01and gently pressed
29:02the back of my hand.
29:04From now on,
29:05you don't need
29:05to make exceptions for me.
29:07Put yourself first
29:08in everything.
29:11I don't know exactly
29:12what is happening
29:13to you,
29:13but I can sense
29:15that every time
29:15I get better,
29:16it doesn't come
29:17from nothing.
29:21If the toll falls
29:22on you,
29:22then I would rather
29:23not have it.
29:24My eyes grew hot
29:25and I shook
29:26my head vigorously.
29:27No!
29:28You being alive
29:29is the best response
29:30I have ever received!
29:32I couldn't shout
29:33out loud.
29:33I only dared
29:35bury love deep
29:35in my heart.
29:36Adrian leaned in
29:37and hugged me,
29:38his voice trembling.
29:40Please don't make
29:41another wish for me.
29:44I want to live,
29:45but I don't want
29:46to live at the cost
29:47of your life.
29:50The unconditional
29:51favoritism he gave me,
29:53the silhouette of his back
29:54as he shielded me,
29:55these things should remain
29:56in my memory
29:57never to be erased.
29:59But fate never asked
30:01if I was willing.
30:02It only cared about taking.
30:05Half a year later,
30:06Adrian officially returned
30:08to Ashford Biotech.
30:10As the head of the
30:11Neuro Regeneration Project,
30:13he attended the
30:14Corporate Launch Bala.
30:16All of Boston watched
30:17Adrian take the stage
30:18once more,
30:18standing tall.
30:19In a black suit,
30:20he was composed and sharp,
30:22every inch of him
30:23restored to his former edge.
30:24He commanded an even
30:25more intimidating presence
30:26than before.
30:27When the cameras
30:28panned over him,
30:29the audience fell
30:30briefly silent.
30:31Everyone knew
30:32that doctors had once
30:33declared this man
30:34had at most
30:35three months left.
30:36Yet now,
30:37he stood under
30:38the spotlight,
30:39explaining the latest
30:40technology with
30:41utmost clarity.
30:43Because of this,
30:44some in elite circles
30:45could no longer sit still.
30:47With him back at the summit,
30:48I became an eyesal.
30:53A mute hillbilly out of the rust bank.
30:55On what grounds?
30:56The Ashford family
30:57is just grateful
30:58for her bedside care.
31:00Are they really going to let her
31:01be the lady of the house
31:02for the rest of her life?
31:03Adrian will divorce her
31:05sooner or later.
31:05While reviewing the consortium's
31:08project documents,
31:09I accidentally saw
31:10these online comments.
31:12Adrian had taught me.
31:13Other people's
31:14slighting remarks
31:15were not the truth
31:16about me.
31:17As for whether
31:18I was worthy,
31:19that certainly wasn't
31:20for them to decide.
31:22Therefore,
31:22I wasn't angry.
31:24The launch gala
31:25was my first time
31:26attending a public event
31:27as Adrian's wife.
31:29My evening gown
31:30was picked by Eleanor.
31:31A light,
31:32understated color.
31:34Nervous?
31:35Adrian helped me
31:36put on my earrings.
31:38I shook my head,
31:39though in truth
31:40I was terrified
31:40of embarrassing him.
31:43If there's anyone
31:44you don't want to deal with,
31:45just ignore them.
31:48The gala.
31:49Many people came up
31:50to make small talk,
31:51but their eyes
31:52couldn't hide
31:52their opposing scrutiny.
31:55Adrian was called away
31:56by corporate partners
31:57to discuss business.
31:59So I stood alone
32:00by the terrace.
32:01Before long,
32:02Camille walked over.
32:03holding a glass of champagne.
32:05She was the partner's daughter.
32:07Stunning and vibrant.
32:09Miss Quinn,
32:11do you know
32:11what kind of person
32:12Adrian used to be?
32:17He won international awards
32:19while studying
32:19at an Ivy League university
32:21and took charge
32:22of major projects
32:23by 22.
32:24The people standing
32:26by his side
32:26were always
32:27the absolute elite.
32:29You can't speak.
32:31You have no degree
32:32and no pedigree.
32:33You can't even
32:34integrate into his circle.
32:36Don't you find it exhausting
32:37standing beside him?
32:39I took out my phone
32:40and slowly typed.
32:42Are you done?
32:44Camille gave a soft cot,
32:45raising her brows.
32:47You should go ask him
32:48instead of coming here
32:49to harass me.
32:50She probably never expected
32:51that someone like me
32:52would fight back.
32:54Charlotte approached
32:55right at that moment.
32:57She had likely heard
32:58about my failing memory
32:59and deliberately asked,
33:01Miss Quinn,
33:03do you still remember
33:04who I am?
33:04My mind was completely blank.
33:08Her name had sunk
33:10to the bottom of the water,
33:11impossible to dredge up.
33:13Charlotte noticed
33:14my hesitation,
33:15a gleam of triumphant pleasure
33:17flashing in her eyes.
33:19Can someone like you
33:20who can't even remember faces
33:22truly take care of Adrian?
33:24Or are you just clinging
33:25to that tiny bit of past favor,
33:28refusing to leave?
33:30I hurriedly opened
33:31my small notebook,
33:32trying to find her name.
33:34The pages rustled
33:35beneath my fingertips.
33:36The mockery from onlookers
33:38had already swarmed in.
33:39Evelyn, affection shouldn't
33:41be about extorting gratitude.
33:46Camille quickly chammed in.
33:48You simply don't deserve him!
33:50The jeering abruptly stopped.
33:52I saw Adrian walking over.
33:54I didn't know how much
33:56he had heard,
33:57but his eyes were cold and dark.
34:02He took off his jacket
34:03and raped him over my shoulders,
34:05then turned to the crowd.
34:07You are all wrong.
34:10She isn't clinging to me.
34:12It's that I am entirely
34:13incapable of leaving her.
34:15Adrian grasped my hand.
34:17She exhausted herself
34:18for taking care of me
34:19and fell a little ill.
34:21It doesn't matter what she forgets.
34:22I will tell her anew
34:23every single day.
34:24The position of Mrs. Ashburn
34:26has never been about
34:27who can speak
34:28or who has the best pedigree.
34:30He put his arm
34:30around my shoulders.
34:32Snow melted away,
34:33and once again,
34:34I saw the new buds
34:35of spring in his eyes.
34:37I only want Evelyn Queen.
34:42Therefore,
34:43our marriage will not be dissolved.
34:44In the future,
34:45all family benefits
34:46and assets linked
34:46to Ashford Biotech
34:47will be written solely
34:48in her name.
34:50For my entire life,
34:52she will be my one
34:53and only wife.
34:54In Charlotte,
34:55the wine glass
34:55trembled slightly.
34:57I too many felt
34:58that all the hold meals,
34:59cold glares
35:00and bitterly cold nights
35:01I had twellowed
35:02over the years
35:03found an echo
35:04in disness and hate.
35:06Finally,
35:07someone was
35:07explicitly telling them.
35:09I was not someone
35:10left over.
35:11My throat felt
35:12as if it had been
35:13moistened by warm water.
35:14I didn't dare to speed
35:16broke through my fear
35:17at this moment.
35:18I stood on my tiptoes,
35:20leaned close to his ear
35:21and pushed myself
35:22to voice the words.
35:24Adrian,
35:25I love you.
35:30I might forget
35:31this gala,
35:32forget who Camille is
35:33and what Charlotte said.
35:36But this frantic
35:37heartbeat right now,
35:38I wanted to fight
35:40to keep it forever.
35:41Adrian resumed
35:42his investigation
35:43into the car accident
35:44from back then.
35:45The car had plunged
35:47off the overpass,
35:48smashing through
35:49the guardrail
35:50and flipping onto
35:51the access road below.
35:53The driver died
35:54on the spot.
35:54When Adrian was
35:55brought to the hospital,
35:57he had multiple fractures,
35:58severe nerve damage,
36:00and fell into a coma
36:01for nearly half a year.
36:02Everyone said
36:03it was an accident,
36:04but he never believed
36:05in coincidences.
36:08The investigation revealed
36:09the braking system
36:11had been tampered with.
36:12A week before the crash,
36:14the driver's account
36:15had received
36:16an offshore wire transfer.
36:18The funds were routed
36:19through three layers,
36:21ultimately tracing back
36:22to an offshore shell company
36:24owned by
36:24the uncle's
36:25collateral branch.
36:30At that time,
36:31Ashford Biotech
36:32had core patents
36:33about to launch.
36:34Adrian was the project head.
36:36If it succeeded,
36:37all the power
36:38his uncle had
36:39covately expanded
36:40on the corporate board
36:41over the years
36:41would be crushed
36:42back down.
36:43That was why
36:44he had his accident.
36:45After his coma,
36:47his uncle's branch
36:48sieved the opportunity
36:49to infiltrate the board.
36:51Under the guise
36:52of stabilizing
36:53the corporation,
36:54they took half
36:55of the consortium's empire.
36:56Now that Adrian
36:57was back alive,
36:59of course they panicked.
37:02And when they panicked,
37:04they started to bite.
37:06Not daring to attack
37:08Adrian headbond,
37:09they aimed their blades
37:10on me.
37:11Soon,
37:12many posts surfaced online.
37:14Claiming my father
37:15was a gambling addict
37:17and my family background
37:18was filthy.
37:19Claiming I had swindled
37:20the family through
37:21the superstitious means
37:22of a spiritual medium
37:23causing Adrian
37:24to abandon
37:25a proper old money marriage.
37:26Ray went on camera
37:27and cursed me
37:28as a heartless
37:29res wretch
37:30who had been
37:30rotten since birth.
37:32Linda chimed in,
37:33wiping away fake tears
37:35and hinting
37:36that I had
37:36a bizarre personality.
37:38I was shoved
37:39into the center
37:40of the tabloid storm.
37:44It felt like
37:45being thrown
37:45into a black,
37:46freezing river
37:47surrounded on all sides
37:48by voices
37:49condemning
37:49and humiliating me.
37:56Faced with the malice
37:58of strangers,
37:59I was momentarily
38:00speechless.
38:01Adrian had the viral
38:02headlines pulled
38:03and issued
38:04cease and desist
38:04letters.
38:06The uncle's branch
38:07quickly struck back
38:08by exploiting
38:09a procedural loophole
38:10in a comordium project.
38:11They planned to force
38:13him to hand over power
38:14at the corporate
38:15board meeting.
38:16Wait for me
38:17to come home
38:17for dinner.
38:21Before he left
38:22that morning,
38:22he smiled
38:23and reassured me.
38:26But what I waited
38:27for turned out
38:28to be a call
38:29from Ethan.
38:30At the board meeting,
38:32the collateral branch
38:33had used my identity
38:33as ammunition.
38:36They proposed
38:37that Adrian
38:37was compromised
38:38by my influence,
38:39his judgment impaired,
38:40and his post-illness
38:41mental state unstable,
38:42rendering him unfit
38:43to continue overseeing
38:44the consortium's
38:45core technologies.
38:46Adrian presented
38:47all sorts of evidence
38:48on the stand,
38:49turning the tables
38:50on them.
38:51Yet as he was leaving,
38:52the elevator
38:53suddenly malfunctioned.
38:55It was the exact
38:56same method
38:57as before.
39:11Adrian's trauma
39:12response erupted
39:13again,
39:13his heart rate
39:14plummeting.
39:15By the time
39:15I rushed
39:16to the hospital,
39:17he had already
39:18been taken
39:18into the emergency room.
39:20Eleanor had
39:21one hand
39:21against the wall,
39:22fighting hard
39:23not to collapse.
39:24Madam,
39:25the doctors say
39:26you need to prepare
39:27for the worst.
39:28The first wish
39:28merely pulled
39:29Adrian back
39:30from the edge
39:30of death,
39:31but someone
39:32still wanted him
39:33dead.
39:33The ER doors
39:34opened a crank.
39:35A nurse came out
39:37with a critical
39:37condition notice
39:38for the family
39:39to sign.
39:40I suddenly
39:41remembered that night
39:41when he held me
39:42and gently urged,
39:44I want to live,
39:45but I don't want
39:46to live at the cost
39:47of your life.
39:48If I didn't speak
39:48now,
39:49he truly would have
39:50no hope left.
39:51Then what meaning
39:52would my life
39:53have anyway?
39:54My throat ached
39:55as if it were
39:56splitting apart
39:57as I heard myself
39:58say,
39:59Adrian,
40:00you must come back
40:00safe and sound!
40:05As soon as the words
40:06fell,
40:07it was as if someone
40:08had hit the mute
40:09button on the world.
40:11Eleanor was shouting
40:12for me.
40:13Ethan rushed over
40:13to hold me up.
40:14The paper in the nurse's
40:16hand fluttered
40:16to the floor.
40:17I could see their lips
40:19moving,
40:19but I couldn't hear
40:20a single thing.
40:22The light above the ER
40:23went out
40:24and the doctor
40:25pushed the door open.
40:26He said a great deal.
40:28I saw him take off
40:29his mask,
40:30his expression
40:31finally relaxing.
40:32I felt like I was
40:33standing in a silent
40:34blizzard,
40:35everyone drifting
40:36further and further
40:37away.
40:38And then,
40:39the world spun
40:40and I plummeted
40:41into darkness.
40:43When I opened my eyes,
40:45I saw a young man
40:46sitting by the bed.
40:48Even frowning,
40:49he looked handsome.
40:51Evelyn.
40:51Realizing I was awake,
40:53his eyes instantly
40:53crinkled into a smile.
40:55I didn't have much
40:56of a reaction,
40:58continuing to study him.
40:59The man's face
41:00was pale,
41:01his features gentle,
41:02but I didn't know him.
41:04I shrank back,
41:05my voice horsky and dry.
41:07Who are you?
41:11That sliver of light
41:13in his eyes
41:13instantly shattered
41:14without a sound.
41:16Yet very quickly,
41:17he forced a smile
41:18back onto his face.
41:20My name is Adrian.
41:22I am your husband.
41:23It's okay.
41:23Don't be afraid.
41:25I'll take my time
41:26and tell you everything.
41:27The uncle's family
41:28was taken away
41:28by the police.
41:29The truth of the car accident
41:31was made public.
41:32Adrian reclaimed
41:33absolute control
41:34of the consortium.
41:35Those who used to stand by
41:37and watch the spectacle
41:38changed their tune.
41:39They said I was lucky
41:40and Adrian was so devoted.
41:43The suffering had passed
41:44and the sweetness
41:45had arrived.
41:47It seemed the ending
41:48should be perfectly whole,
41:50but the truly agonizing days
41:52were only just beginning.
41:53I had completely forgotten Adrian.
41:57I remembered Briar Creek.
41:59I still remembered
42:00that Ray sold me,
42:01but all memories
42:03regarding love
42:04had been utterly erased
42:05by fate.
42:06When Eleanor came to see me,
42:08she also felt like a stranger.
42:11I watched her hesitate to speak,
42:13holding back tears.
42:15My heart felt like
42:16a piece was missing,
42:18but I didn't know
42:19why it inked.
42:21Mother,
42:22Adrian,
42:23Eleanor,
42:24the people who had once
42:25made me feel warm
42:26had all vanished
42:27from my memory.
42:31Every morning,
42:32Adrian would sit by my bed
42:34and gently introduce himself.
42:35Good morning, Evelyn.
42:36My name is Adrian.
42:38I am your husband
42:39and I love you very much.
42:40The first time,
42:41I retreated in fear
42:43and he stopped instantly.
42:44Okay, I won't come closer.
42:46The second time,
42:47I frowned at him.
42:51He placed our marriage certificate
42:52and photos on the table,
42:54not forcing me to look at them.
42:56The 30th time,
42:57I finally asked him,
42:58Doing this every day,
43:00aren't you tired?
43:01Adrian smiled slightly.
43:03Not at all.
43:05Being able to meet you
43:06all over again
43:07is my good luck.
43:10Later,
43:11he took me out
43:12for dumpling soup.
43:13The shop was in an old alley,
43:15steam fogging up the glass.
43:17Used to like adding a bit more.
43:19He pushed the vinegar towards me.
43:21I frowned at the sourness
43:23and he poured me
43:24half a glass of warm water.
43:25He took me to the market
43:27to buy paper bags
43:28of roasted chestnuts.
43:29Used to complain
43:30they were too hot,
43:31yet couldn't bear
43:32to let them go.
43:33Holding the paper bag,
43:34watching the steam
43:35rise through my fingers,
43:36I still felt a sense
43:38of unfamiliarness,
43:39yet I didn't dislike it.
43:40He took me to see
43:41the white roses
43:42in the courtyard.
43:44He said one of the bushes
43:45was planted by me
43:46and its name
43:47was Snowdrop.
43:49I crouched before the pot.
43:50The blooms
43:51weren't spectacularly beautiful,
43:53but they had been
43:53exceptionally well cared for.
43:55At first,
43:56I always felt Adrian
43:57was simply
43:58an overly patient stranger.
43:59But gradually,
44:01I got used to him
44:01appearing every day.
44:02Got used to him
44:03looking at me earnestly
44:04when I felt uneasy,
44:06telling me,
44:06I will not leave you behind.
44:08However times you forget,
44:09I will tell you again.
44:11I opened those
44:12small notebooks.
44:14Adrian is wonderful.
44:15He doesn't love me
44:16out of guilt.
44:17If one day I forget,
44:19please try to believe him,
44:21believe him one more time.
44:22I will definitely
44:23fall in love with him
44:24all over again.
44:26Those words were
44:27clearly written by me,
44:28yet they felt like
44:29a letter left by someone else.
44:31Did I really love you
44:32that much before?
44:36Yes,
44:37but that doesn't matter.
44:39The you of right now
44:40can decide all over again
44:41whether you want
44:42to keep loving me.
44:45He respected the me
44:47of every single moment.
44:50Even if I might leave
44:51at any second,
44:52he refused to imprison me.
44:56Many years later,
44:57my memory was still poor.
44:58I would forget the date
45:00or whether I had just
45:01watered the flowers.
45:02Waking up on certain mornings,
45:04I would gaze quietly
45:05at Adrian in a trance.
45:07He would hold my hand
45:09just like when he was young.
45:10My name is Adrian.
45:12I am your husband
45:13and I love you.
45:14He handed the consortant
45:16over to trusted aides,
45:17carving out more time
45:19to stay by my side.
45:23We lived by the sea
45:25and in the mountains
45:26and we even returned
45:27to Breer Creek.
45:29The old bulletin board
45:30had long been torn down.
45:33That notice seeking
45:34a spiritual marriage
45:35from all those years ago
45:36felt like an absurd
45:37old dream.
45:39I stood at the entrance
45:40to the town
45:41looking at the widened street.
45:43Did I want to leave
45:44this place very badly
45:46back then?
45:47Adrian squeezed my hand.
45:48Yes.
45:49Did I leave in the end?
45:51He looked down at me,
45:53a very gentle light
45:54in his eyes.
45:55You left
45:55and we went to many places.
45:57We saw deep oceans
45:58and snowy mountains
45:59and ultimately
46:00you stayed by my side
46:01until today.
46:03I leaned softly
46:04against his shoulder.
46:06No matter how much time passed,
46:08I would never be able
46:10to remember
46:10the entirety of my past.
46:13But this life
46:14was entirely worth it.
46:18Epilogue
46:18Adrian's Perspective
46:20The Boston winter
46:21covered the city lightly
46:22like raven feathers.
46:24Ethan handed me the file.
46:26The marriage candidate
46:27Madam found.
46:28Name
46:28Evelyn Quinn
46:29Age 22
46:31Origin Briar Creek
46:32Natal Chart Attached
46:38In just a few thin pages,
46:40she wasn't written
46:41like a human being
46:42but as data.
46:43Whether I had three months left
46:45was highly up to heaven's will.
46:47Was my mother truly
46:48going to drag her
46:48into my deadly trap?
46:50She had been tough
46:51her whole life
46:51since I could remember
46:52she was the most
46:53cold-blooded leader
46:54of Ashford Biotech.
46:56Only when facing me
46:57did she utterly collapse.
46:59Adrian,
46:59mom just wants
47:01to try one more time.
47:03I didn't blame her.
47:06When people are pushed
47:08to the absolute brink
47:09they will always
47:10grasp at irrational things.
47:13Her fear of losing
47:14her son
47:14didn't mean someone else
47:16had to lose their life.
47:18So before Evelyn
47:19even walked through the door
47:20I had already
47:21arranged everything.
47:23As long as she
47:24wanted to leave
47:25no one in the family
47:26could stop her.
47:28Lying in bed
47:29I heard the brief sounds
47:30of the ritual downstairs.
47:32She was led in
47:33by the butler
47:33wearing an ill-fitted
47:35white dress.
47:39That night
47:40I was actually
47:41on the verge
47:41of giving out.
47:42I could clearly
47:43feel my body sinking.
47:45Like a receding tide
47:47exposing the desolate
47:48riverbed.
47:49The taste of blood
47:50welled up in my throat
47:52yet all I could think of
47:53was letting her go.
47:57Then
47:57I heard her voice.
48:01Adrian
48:01you must live!
48:04As light as rain
48:05falling on a windowsill
48:06yet it pulled me back
48:08from that cooling
48:08dark night
48:09helping me reclaim
48:10my vitality.
48:12For many days after
48:12I told myself
48:13it was a hallucination.
48:15A dying man
48:15would likely hear voices
48:16that didn't exist.
48:18My body
48:19gradually recovered.
48:24My mother said
48:25her prayers
48:25were finally
48:26not in vain
48:27but I grew
48:28increasingly uneasy
48:29because Evelyn
48:30started forgetting things.
48:32She was always
48:33looking anxiously
48:34at the room signs
48:35like a lost child.
48:37When I walked over
48:39she immediately
48:40hid her panic.
48:44I researched
48:45countless materials
48:46and asked many doctors.
48:47I even went to see
48:48scholars who studied
48:49parapsychology.
48:50The wishes of certain
48:51individuals can interfere
48:53with reality
48:53but such interference
48:54always demand a toll.
48:56Outside the window
48:57the traffic flowed
48:58endlessly
48:58my mind in turmoil.
49:01So fate hadn't shown me
49:02great mercy at all
49:03it was her bearing
49:04the sprunt of it for me.
49:07Sometimes
49:09love is not a sudden
49:10overwhelming flood.
49:12It's more like a fine
49:13steady dribble.
49:14At first
49:15it merely lands
49:17on your shoulders.
49:18By the time you realize it
49:19your entire heart
49:20is soaked through.
49:23I tried hard
49:24to shower her
49:25with favoritism.
49:28She had been mistreated
49:30by the world
49:30for too long
49:31so I wanted more
49:31than anything
49:32to let her know
49:33that being loved
49:33is not something
49:34that requires
49:35paying a price.
49:37When my uncle
49:37made a move
49:38against me
49:39I was actually
49:39prepared for it.
49:40I had found
49:41the evidence
49:42of the car crash
49:43and I had set a trap
49:46but I never expected
49:47them to strike again
49:48right after the board meeting.
49:49The moment
49:50the elevator plunged
49:51my body remembered
49:52the car crash
49:53before my mind did.
49:54The loss of control
49:55in a confined space
49:57the sound of grinding metal
49:58all of it forced me
49:59to face death directly.
50:01When we met again
50:02she had forgotten me.
50:04I hated my own life
50:05with a passion
50:06for causing her
50:07to suffer once again.
50:09Many people said
50:09Evelyn was lucky
50:10that marrying
50:11into the Ashford family
50:12had changed her fate.
50:14Every time I heard that
50:15I found it laughable.
50:16The one whose fate
50:17was truly changed
50:18was me.
50:18I paved the road
50:19for her to study
50:20to seek treatment
50:20to start her life anew.
50:22I hired the best doctors
50:23and psychologists
50:23and set aside
50:24enough assets for her
50:25all written exclusively
50:26in her name.
50:27I wanted her to be able
50:28to live well
50:29even if one day
50:29she left me.
50:31Every morning
50:31I sat by her bed
50:32keeping just the right
50:33amount of distance.
50:35Good morning Evelyn.
50:37My name is Adrian.
50:38I am your husband
50:39and I love you very much.
50:43She forgot the bond
50:44between us
50:45that transcended
50:45life and death
50:46but she was still
50:47the very same Evelyn.
50:49She would stop
50:49when she saw
50:50a stray cat
50:50quietly push the carrot
50:51she didn't like
50:52to the edge of her bowl
50:53and cup chestnuts
50:54at the market
50:54blowing on them carefully.
50:55She wasn't a replica
50:56of the past
50:57nor the lover
50:58from my memory
50:58who absolutely had to return.
51:00I wouldn't demand
51:01she remember me
51:02so when she asked me
51:03I gave her the power
51:05to choose.
51:06Humans are always greedy.
51:07I also wanted her
51:08to remember everything
51:09especially her standing
51:11on tipso to tell me
51:12but compared to
51:13having her remember
51:14I wished even more
51:15for her to be free.
51:17She had already lost
51:17too much because of me.
51:19I could not let love
51:20turn into yet another
51:21form of extortion.
51:23I took her to eat
51:24dumpling soup
51:26to buy roasted chestnuts
51:27to look at the
51:28white rose bush
51:29named Snowdrop.
51:31Every single time
51:32I treated it
51:33as the first time.
51:34If the things of the past
51:35couldn't be kept
51:36then I would simply
51:37give them to her
51:38all over again.
51:39I had a long enough
51:40lifetime to slowly
51:41pay her back.
51:44Many years later
51:45I still remember
51:47that very first night.
51:48The faint sounds
51:49of the monitors
51:49in the room
51:50the rain falling
51:51outside the window
51:52Evelyn opening her mouth
51:53to save me
51:54for the first time.
51:55Countless times
51:56I thought
51:56if time could rewind
51:58I must never
51:58let her speak those words
52:00yet if she hadn't
52:01spoken them
52:01I would never
52:02have had the chance
52:03to love her.
52:04This is the most painful
52:05yet most cherished
52:06paradox of my life.
52:08Even later on
52:09we both grew old.
52:10My condition
52:11had long since stabilized
52:12though I was still
52:13weaker than an average person.
52:14I'd cough
52:15when the weather
52:15turned cold
52:16and my old injuries
52:17would ache faintly
52:18before the rain.
52:19Evelyn's memory
52:20remained poor.
52:21Our home was covered
52:22in labels everywhere.
52:23Waking up
52:23in the early morning
52:24she gazed at me
52:25quietly for a long
52:26time again.
52:27This happened often
52:28she would briefly
52:29forget who I was
52:30unable to tell
52:31which year it was today.
52:32I was already used to it.
52:34My name is Adrian
52:35I am your husband
52:37and I love you.
52:38But Evelyn suddenly smiled.
52:41That I remember.
52:42I was stunned
52:43and she slowly added
52:45another sentence.
52:46You've said it
52:47for a lifetime.
52:48The sunlight streamed
52:49in through the window
52:50soothing my heart.
52:51It turned out
52:52that fate wasn't cruel
52:53every single time.
52:54It had taken away
52:54many of her memories
52:55but it had left me
52:56a lifetime
52:57to articulate my love
52:58to her over and over again.
53:00The lightest thing that was
53:00for aassee of SH's.
53:00But we're going to be
53:00I love you too.
53:00I love you too.
53:01You're going to be
53:01a little bit 지�
53:01I love you too.
53:02You