- 8 hours ago
His Forever, My Son's Grave
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00I called my husband Steven 36 times the night our son was dying.
00:09He picked up once.
00:11In the background, I heard champagne glasses clinking and a woman laughing.
00:15Stop using Dave as an excuse to fish for attention.
00:18Then he hung up.
00:20At the funeral, Steven didn't show up.
00:22He didn't call.
00:23He didn't even know what had happened.
00:25That night, I found his comment under her Instagram post.
00:32You are my forever.
00:34Our son's portrait was still in the funeral hall smiling.
00:38I picked up my phone and typed back the only words I had left.
00:41Let's get a divorce.
00:44But Steven Lopez doesn't believe his son is dead.
00:47And the woman standing behind him is going to make sure he never does.
00:51On New Year's Eve, my son, David Lopez, was abducted by my husband Steven Lopez's arch nemesis.
01:00They strapped explosives all over his small body and demanded a ransom.
01:04As they threatened to kill him, I completely fell apart, frantically dialing Steven and begging him to deliver the money.
01:20But he never showed up.
01:22Watching David's tiny body collapse into a pool of blood, I dialed Steven again with trembling hands.
01:29My voice was desperate, humble to the point of humiliation.
01:35Please, please come save our son.
01:38His tone was thick with irritation.
01:44Liana, I'm in the middle of a massive deal.
01:47Stop using Dave as an excuse to fish for attention.
01:50From the other end of the line came the crisp clink of glasses and the flirtatious laughter of a woman.
01:55The moment the line went dead, the detonator triggered.
01:59David's crying stopped abruptly.
02:01Just like that, my baby boy died on his own birthday.
02:09Where is Steven?
02:11Dave is his own flesh and blood.
02:13How can he not show up at Dave's funeral?
02:15At the funeral home, my dad was shaking with rage.
02:18His eyes bloodshot.
02:20If I wasn't mistaken, Steven was probably celebrating the birthday of Jacqueline Schneider.
02:26His recently returned old flame.
02:31I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
02:35After a long silence, I forced a bitter smile.
02:42Dad, maybe he got held up on the way.
02:44I'll call and check.
02:51I slipped into a corner and dialed the number I knew by heart.
02:55Again and again.
02:56We're sorry.
02:58The number you have dialed is currently busy.
03:01After hearing that mechanical voice repeat countless times, I finally lost the strength
03:06to keep trying.
03:08My hand slowly fell to my side.
03:10My gaze drifted to David's small black and white portrait at the center of the hall.
03:15He was smiling so sweetly, one of his little front teeth missing.
03:19His words still echoed in my ears.
03:22Mommy, once my new tooth grows in, I can eat way more of your buffalo wings.
03:28But that tooth would never grow in now.
03:33When the kidnappers took him, he had been trembling with terror.
03:36Yet he clenched his tiny fists and tried to comfort me.
03:48But the superhero he believed in with all his heart never showed up.
03:52My tears finally spilled over.
03:56Even when the funeral ended and the last guest left, Stephen still hadn't appeared.
04:05Later, I saw an update from Jacqueline on Instagram.
04:09She posted nine photos.
04:12In the pictures, Stephen leaned in to light her birthday candles.
04:16The candlelight reflected across his handsome face, his eyes filled with tenderness.
04:21The caption read,
04:23May we always stay by each other's side.
04:26Below the post, Stephen's comments stabbed into my eyes.
04:34The irony was suffocating.
04:36Memories flooded back.
04:38For David's last birthday, the three of us had gone to an amusement park.
04:43Stephen had hoisted him high above his head while David grinned from ear to ear.
04:47That night, Stephen had held me close, whispering into my ear,
04:52Anna, I'm going to make you and Dave the happiest people in the world.
04:56We'll always be together.
04:58Looking back now, his promises felt like nothing but a cruel joke.
05:02I opened the comment section and, with every ounce of strength left in my body,
05:07typed out a single line.
05:08You two really disgust me.
05:11The second it was sent, my silent phone exploded with vibrations.
05:15Stephen bombarded me with messages.
05:18Liana, have you lost your mind?
05:20What the hell are you talking about on Jackie's feed?
05:22Delete it now.
05:24It's Jackie's birthday.
05:25Can't you be mature for once and stop causing trouble on her big day?
05:28I'm warning you, delete that comment immediately or you'll regret it.
05:32I stared at those furious, protective messages for a long time.
05:37The final, faint ember of love in my chest quietly burned out.
05:41I replied with composure,
05:43Let's get a divorce.
05:44Then, I blocked his number.
05:52The next day, I signed the papers my lawyer had drafted long ago.
05:56I arranged for a courier to deliver them straight to his office.
06:00After that, I went to the church to see the candle I had lit for David.
06:04But just as I reached the entrance, a familiar, honey-sweet voice drifted out.
06:09Steve, will Liana be angry that I moved Dave's candle and put Max's here instead?
06:14It was Jacqueline.
06:16Stephen's impatient voice followed.
06:18It's just a spot.
06:20What's there for her to be upset about?
06:22My feet froze to the floor, my blood turning to ice.
06:25When David was two, he had fallen gravely ill.
06:28Stephen had come to this very church and prayed for him for three days straight,
06:32filling the prayer room with candles.
06:38I'll light a candle for him every time I come here.
06:41That way, our Dave will always be safe.
06:44Every month after that, he would come with me to light one for David.
06:48And now, the once-loving father had moved David's candle away for Jacqueline's dog.
06:56Don't you dare touch it!
06:59I lunged inside, shielding the candle with my body.
07:03Stephen's brow furrowed even deeper.
07:06Liana, what are you doing here?
07:09You haven't even apologized for that Twitter post, and here you are looking for more trouble.
07:14Apologize?
07:14I let out a jagged laugh, pointing at the candle, my voice trembling with pure rage.
07:19Stephen, tell me, what exactly do I need to apologize for?
07:24Is it that I spoke the truth on Jacqueline's post?
07:28Or is it that I don't let you move Dave's candle for a damn dog?
07:33Jacqueline shrank behind Stephen.
07:39Anna, I'm so sorry.
07:41I just thought this was a beautiful spot, and I wanted Max to feel how much I miss him.
07:48I stepped toward her, a cold sneer on my face.
07:53And what about my son?
07:55What right do you have to let a dog take his place?
08:00Stephen shoved Jacqueline protectively behind him and glared at me.
08:04Liana!
08:05Enough of this drama!
08:06It's just a candle.
08:07Is it really that important?
08:09Do you have to make such a scene here?
08:11Jacqueline immediately put on a performance, her eyes welling with tears.
08:17Anna, I know you're still angry because Steve stayed with me that day, and that's why you're losing your temper
08:23now.
08:25But no matter how angry you are, you shouldn't make up lines about Dave being kidnapped.
08:32Steve was worried sick that day.
08:35Stephen looked at me with nothing but disdain and disappointment.
08:38Liana, Dave is your son!
08:41You'd actually invent a lie like that just because you're jealous?
08:44Do you even deserve to call yourself a mother?
08:46I stared at him, breathless with disbelief.
08:49I looked at the man I had loved for ten years and whom I thought was my rock.
08:54Now, he felt like a terrifying stranger.
08:57I wanted more than anyone in the world for David's death to be a lie.
09:03Stephen's tone softened slightly.
09:06Dave is perfectly fine.
09:08He doesn't even need this candle anymore.
09:11Jackie's dog just died, and she's heartbroken.
09:14Can't you show a little compassion?
09:16So, she was using my son's light to comfort her dead pet.
09:19The copper taste of blood rose in my throat.
09:22My vision swam, and the final thread of my sanity snapped.
09:27I grabbed a nearby burning candlabra.
09:31Scorchingly hot wax dripped onto the back of my hand, but I felt nothing.
09:35Get out!
09:36I held the flames toward them.
09:39If you dare touch my sons of this fake seers, I will kill you myself!
09:44The people around us began to stare in shock.
09:47Stephen hissed under his breath.
09:48Liana, have you gone crazy?
09:51Jackie and I are just friends.
09:55She just returned to the country.
09:58What's wrong with me looking after her a little?
10:01Just friends.
10:03Since Jacqueline appeared, his late nights for work became more frequent.
10:07The perfume clinging to his clothes grew more unfamiliar, and his attitude toward me and our
10:12son grew colder by the day.
10:14For David's sake, for the sake of our little family, I had looked the other way.
10:19But now, there was no reason to keep pretending.
10:24Tears escaped my eyes uncontrollably.
10:27Stephen blinked.
10:28Startled.
10:31I know you're just jealous.
10:35Look, once Jackie has settled in, I'll spend more time with you and Dave, okay?
10:40I promise.
10:42Just go home and talk to our son properly.
10:44Looking at Stephen's nauseating face, I swung the canlaber at him.
10:50It's not necessary anymore.
10:52All I want is for you to get out!
10:55The scalding wax splashed onto Stephen's arm.
10:58A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes then quickly twisted into deeper irritation and anger.
11:05Liana, don't push your luck!
11:08If you keep this up, we're going to get a dead...
11:10Every time we fought, Stephen used divorce as a threat.
11:14In the past, I had loved him so blindly that I would apologize first every time.
11:20But this time, I stared him straight in the eye and cut him off with a sneer.
11:24I couldn't ask for anything more.
11:26And just so you know, about the text and the divorce papers, I've already sent them to you yesterday.
11:33Stephen froze.
11:34A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes, his voice betraying a faint, involuntary tremor.
11:41What are you talking about?
11:43What texts?
11:44What divorce papers?
11:46A shadow of fear crossed Jacqueline's face.
11:49She clutched his sleeve with a practiced fragility.
11:52Steve, maybe she's just angry and saying things she doesn't mean.
11:59Don't take it seriously.
12:00Looking at that pitiful, doll-like face of hers, my stomach churned with violent revulsion.
12:06The image of David's horrific death and Stephen's betrayal surged into my mind.
12:11Every ounce of agony and resentment I'd suppressed surged to a breaking point.
12:15As she was still murmuring something, I summoned every bit of strength left in my body and caught her across
12:22the face with a resounding slap.
12:24The sharp sound echoed through the hallowed hall.
12:28Jacqueline gasped, clutching her cheek, staring at me in pure disbelief.
12:34Who do you think you are?
12:37My voice was cold as a winter grave.
12:39If you're going to be a mistress, learn some goddamn discretion.
12:43As long as Stephen and I are married, you are nothing but a homewrecker lurking in the shadows.
12:49Jacqueline collapsed into Stephen's arms, weeping piteously.
12:53Stephen was momentarily stunned by my outburst.
12:56But then, a sickening glimmer of smugness sparked in his eyes.
13:01I knew it.
13:02You only said you wanted a divorce because you're jealous.
13:05His tone softened, almost as if he were offering charity.
13:09Tell you what.
13:10Go tell Dave that I'll come home tonight and have dinner with you too.
13:13It was delusional.
13:14He actually believed my breakdown was some desperate ploy for his affection.
13:19Oh, and Jackie's coming with us.
13:22She's craving clam chowder.
13:23Make sure you prepare a part for her.
13:26Consider the soup an apology for the slap.
13:28As long as you behave yourself from now on, I promise our family will go back to the way it
13:32used to be.
13:37I don't need it.
13:39My voice was flat.
13:42And Dave certainly doesn't.
13:44Now, take your woman and get the hell out of my sight!
13:48Stephen's patience finally evaporated.
13:50His face turned livid as he spat out a final warning.
13:54Lyanna, I hope you won't regret this!
13:59He wrapped an arm around the whimpering Jacqueline and walked away without a single backward glance.
14:04I watched their retreating figures, my body swaying.
14:08I almost collapsed, but I forced my legs to hold.
14:14I returned to the spot where David's candle had been and lit a fresh one.
14:19This time, I lit it in my own name as David's mother.
14:27I had brought a small portion of David's ashes with me.
14:34I asked the church staff to help me seal them into a pendant, a small weight I could wear against
14:39my heart.
14:41I'll always be with you.
14:43I traced the warm metal of the pendant, sitting before the candle for hours.
14:48Only when the sun began to sink did I finally stand and head home.
14:52All I wanted now was to gather David's belongings.
14:55After that, I would leave this disgusting place forever.
15:01But when I reached the front door, the key wouldn't turn.
15:04The lock had been changed.
15:06I knew this was Stephen's petty retaliation for Jacqueline.
15:09But David's drawings, his favorite Superman figure, and every photograph of the two of us were still inside.
15:16I had to get them back.
15:18So I pounded on the door again and again stubborn, frantic, and desperate.
15:23After what felt like an eternity, the door finally swung open.
15:29Jacqueline stood there, draped in my silk robe, her eyes gleaming with naked provocation.
15:36Oh, you're back.
15:38Steve mentioned these old things were just taking up space, so he asked me to clear them out.
15:46Look, I was just about to toss them in the trash.
15:49Her foot was planted firmly on David's favorite Superman pillow.
15:53It was already filthy, crushed under her weight.
15:55The sight was like a blade through my heart.
15:58Stephen and I had spent an entire afternoon picking that out for David's birthday.
16:04How dare you touch my things!
16:07My voice cracked.
16:08I lunged forward to grab the pillow.
16:11Jacqueline dodged me with effortless grace, intentionally grinding her heel into the pillow again.
16:16She let out a giggle.
16:18Anna?
16:19You aren't the lady of this house anymore.
16:23Steve said the house, and everything in it, belongs to me now.
16:30Honestly, your son really missed out.
16:33If he'd held on just a few more days, he could have become my stepson.
16:37But it doesn't matter.
16:39Steve and I will have our own children soon enough.
16:43My eyes burned, the blood in my veins turning to fire.
16:49Shut up!
16:50Pushed beyond all endurance, I threw myself at her.
16:54We spiraled into a mess of limbs, scratching and tearing at one another.
16:59Jacqueline screamed, her nails raking across my skin.
17:03She suddenly shoved me away then took the opportunity to fall backward onto the floor.
17:09I stumbled, my bag hitting the hardwood.
17:12The contents spilled everywhere.
17:15Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
17:18Steven had returned.
17:19He burst in and immediately saw Jacqueline on the floor in tears, while I stood there like a lunatic.
17:26Liana!
17:27His face was a mask of fury.
17:29He stormed toward me then froze as his foot struck something.
17:34He looked down.
17:36It was David's death certificate.
17:41I lunged for it in a frenzy.
17:44But it was still too late.
17:50Steven snatched the paper and snapped it open.
17:53The color drained from his face.
17:55His hand trembled around the paper.
18:01What?
18:02What is this?
18:04What's happened to Dave?
18:11I let out a hollow, jagged laugh.
18:16Don't you see it?
18:18Dave is dead.
18:20He was kidnapped by your rival Ainsfra-
18:26Lies!
18:28Jacqueline streaked, cutting me off.
18:32I saw Anna taking Dave to the park just yesterday.
18:36He was perfectly fine.
18:37He looked so happy.
18:39Steven chose to believe her.
18:41His shock curdled into a blinding, white-hot rage.
18:47He grabbed me by the collar, his eyes bloodshot.
18:51Liana!
18:53You are truly demonic!
18:57You'd forge something this sick?
18:59To curse your own son?
19:01Just to manipulate me into coming home?
19:07I told you I'd try to make it work.
19:09Why the hell would you sink this low?
19:16Go check for yourself!
19:19I let him shake me, my voice reaching a state of numb exhaustion.
19:25Call Ainsworth.
19:27Ask him yourself.
19:29Ask him what he did to our son on New Year's Eve!
19:33Jacqueline fanned the flames from the sidelines.
19:36Anna!
19:37How could you conspire with Steve's enemy?
19:40You may make Steve get hurt!
19:41Her words ignited Steven's rage completely.
19:45Steven flung me aside and kicked me viciously in the chest.
19:49Crazy woman!
19:51I crumpled to the floor, a sharp agony blooming in my lungs.
19:56The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
20:00The necklace snapped.
20:07The pendant containing David's ashes skittered across the floor.
20:12Ignoring the pain, I scrambled on my hands and knees to reach it.
20:18But a stiletto heel got there first, pinning the pendant to the floor.
20:24It was Jacqueline.
20:26She picked the pendant up, twirling it between her fingers with fake innocence.
20:33What's this?
20:35It's actually quite pretty.
20:39Give it back!
20:41I rushed forward to snatch it away, but Steven grabbed my arm again.
20:46Give my son's ashes back to me!
20:50My voice was a raw, primordial wail.
20:53Ashes?
20:55Steven let out a dark, mocking laugh.
20:58He snatched the pendant from Jacqueline and held it between his fingers.
21:04Liana, you are getting better at acting.
21:08Just to make me believe you, you even prepared something like this?
21:12Mockery burned in his glaze.
21:14Then he gripped my jaw, forcing my mouth open.
21:16This is what you get for cursing our son.
21:21I shook my head desperately, clenching my teeth so hard my draw hurt.
21:25My nails dug deep into my palms.
21:28That pendant carried David's last warmth.
21:31It was the only thing left keeping me alive.
21:34How dare he?
21:36How could he?
21:38The words scraped painfully from my throat, as tears of despair rolled down my face.
21:43I had loved this man for a decade and borne him a son.
21:49And now, he was trying to force me to swallow our son's ashes.
21:56Steven, you will regret this.
21:59I squeezed the words through my teeth with the last of my strength.
22:02He paused for a heartbeat, but then a fresh wave of fury took him.
22:08He tore the death certificate into shreds.
22:17Where is my son?
22:19Liana, I'm asking you, where did you hide Dave?
22:23He glared down at me, eyes promising violence.
22:25I looked back at him and said nothing.
22:28The deepest sorrow in the world is not grief.
22:31It's the moment hope finally dies.
22:34My silence pushed him over the edge.
22:42He grabbed me roughly, dragging me like a sack of trash, and threw me out the front door.
22:49Liana, do you have any idea what you've done?
22:52So get out!
22:53Don't come back until you come to your senses and are ready to bring my son back.
23:01The door slammed shut in my face.
23:05The world went silent.
23:09Then, Steven's ringtone pints the quiet from inside the house.
23:14I heard him answer.
23:17Who is this?
23:25Steven, why was I not invited to your son's funeral?
23:32I went through so much trouble to rig those explosives, you know.
23:36Only because of me, your little boy, got to enjoy that big bang!
23:48Inside the room, the silence was deathly.
23:51Then came the dumb thud of a phone hitting the floor.
23:55Ainsherd's voice slithered through the crack in the door.
23:59It's a real shame you didn't see the grand blast.
24:03The little brat cried his eyes out.
24:06He kept screaming for his daddy, begging you to save him.
24:11His poor little face was a complete mess of tears.
24:14I leaned against the icy wooden panel, blood in my veins turning to ice.
24:19I could hear the hollow echo of my own pulse drumming in my chest.
24:27Every word he spoke dragged me back to that night.
24:31David's tiny voice calling for help.
24:34His small body trembling.
24:38The memory hit me like a blade twisting in an open wound.
24:42That was when I learned that, when a heart broke completely,
24:46one couldn't even let out a cry.
24:50Stop it! Shut up!
24:55Jacqueline's terrified shriek erupted from inside.
24:58On the other end of the line, Ainsberth let out a dry chuckle,
25:03curdled with pure malice.
25:07What's the matter, Jacqueline?
25:09Can't handle it now?
25:13You weren't so squeamish when you called me, were you?
25:17My mind went completely blank.
25:21Jacqueline had called Ainsberth?
25:29The air inside the room seemed to queneal.
25:32Even the sound of breathing vanished.
25:37After a long while, Stephen's voice finally broke the silence.
25:42Trembling.
25:44Lost.
25:45Edged with raw despair.
25:48You... you called him?
25:50Jacqueline's composure shattered into a violent sob.
25:59Retreating into her usual refuge of fragile victimism-ism.
26:06Steve, no.
26:07Please, let me explain.
26:09I just...
26:11I only did it because I love you so much.
26:17I was jealous!
26:18I was so jealous of Liana!
26:27Her voice was rising to a jacky, piercing pitch.
26:31Why does she get to have a son with you?
26:34Why does she get to be your wife?
26:37I'm the one who belongs by your side.
26:40I just didn't want you to go save that little brat.
26:46I wanted him dead.
26:48As long as he's gone, you're mine.
26:52All mine.
26:53I lied about seeing him in the park.
26:55Just so you'd believe she was making a scene over nothing.
27:00I wanted you to hate her.
27:04I wanted you to think she was some desperate, manipulative psycho
27:07who'd do anything for attention.
27:13Every word she spit was a poisoned blade, slicing deeper emper into my flesh.
27:19So that was it.
27:23My son's agonizing screams and my own desperate pleas for mercy.
27:29All of it had been dismissed as petty domestic drama by this woman.
27:35And Stephen, my husband, the father of my child, he had simply believed her.
27:42I pulled myself upright away from the door.
27:49The last drop of strength had been drained from my body.
27:53I couldn't even summon the moisture for tears.
28:01I turned and began to walk.
28:04My movements were mechanical, hollow.
28:08Behind me, the door burst open with a violent crash.
28:12Anna!
28:15Steven's roar tore through the hallway.
28:18It was a sound of raw panic and total collapse.
28:20A voice I had never heard from him before.
28:23But I didn't look back.
28:25Behind me, Steven's bellers, Jacqueline's hysterical weeping,
28:29and Ainsworth's mocking laughter still bleeding from the phone blurred into a cacophony of white noise.
28:34I couldn't process any of it anymore.
28:37All I could think about was David, my David.
28:42I used to think David's death was the penicicle of my pain.
28:46But now I realized the world held even fouler truths and even more sadistic agonies.
28:54I spent the next few days curled up in a corner of a dingy motel room.
28:59My phone had died long ago, and I had no desire to revive it.
29:04Eventually, my lawyer tracked me down.
29:08Mrs. Barrett, Steven has lost his mind.
29:15My lawyer's voice sounded weary, with a tinge of horror in it.
29:20He's pulled every string he has.
29:22He went through the police records and the hospital files and even went to the scene himself.
29:26He saw Dave's death certificate in those horrible crime scene photos.
29:32Now he finally accepted that Dave is gone.
29:35My fingertips were ice, but my breath felt like fire.
29:42I knew.
29:44I had known all along.
29:46On New Year's Eve, Jacqueline called him, claiming she was ill to lure him over.
29:51She intentionally got him drunk and turned off his phone.
29:58She made sure he missed every single one of your calls.
30:02I closed my eyes, and the memory of David's voice exploded in my ears again.
30:10Don't cry, Mommy.
30:12Daddy is definitely coming to save me.
30:18I opened my eyes and stared out the window.
30:22The night was heavy and still, with not even a whisper of wind stirring the darkness.
30:30My lawyer continued to told me.
30:36Steven has locked himself in Dave's room.
30:42He won't let anyone in.
30:45He's lined up all of Dave's toys.
30:49Under the bed, he found a box that had been hidden away by Dave.
30:58Inside was a drawing Dave made.
31:02In the picture, a little stick figure had a big word, Superman, written over its head.
31:08Next to it were a few cookie, childish words.
31:11My superhero, Daddy.
31:18My throat tightened, a sharp ache blocking my breath.
31:22That was the gift David had been preparing for Father's Day.
31:26He had drawn it in secret, hiding it away like a treasure, waiting for the perfect moment to surprise his
31:33dad.
31:34He had always said his daddy was his superhero.
31:38But his superhero never showed up when the monsters actually came.
31:42Tears finally slid down my face.
31:45I wasn't weeping for Steven's breakdown, or Jacqueline's cruelty.
31:53My heart was breaking only for my David.
31:57I wept for the little boy who would never eat another buffalo wing.
32:04Who would never get his new grown-up teeth.
32:07And who would never see the man he thought was his hero again.
32:14Steven, you finally know the truth.
32:17But my baby can never come back.
32:26I lay in that motel bed for three days and three nights.
32:35On the fourth day, my door was kicked open with a violent crack.
32:39My best friend, Phoebe Walsh, stormed in.
32:43Her eyes were bloodshot as she hauled me upright and delivered a stinging slap across my face.
32:50Liana, snap out of it right now!
32:56If you let yourself die like this, what happens to Dave?
32:59Do you want him to be all alone and terrified in that cold world beyond?
33:07Don't forget that venomous bitch who killed him is still out there enjoying her life!
33:18She was right.
33:19I couldn't die yet.
33:21I had to get justice for my son.
33:31Phoebe put me in touch with the city's top private investigator and a ruthless attorney.
33:37I drained every cent of my savings to fund this legal war.
33:43I had only one demand for the detective.
33:47I want all the call logs between Jacqueline and Ainsfield.
33:55The detective was efficient.
33:59Three days later, a comprehensive report and a batch of audio files landed in my inbox.
34:06I clicked play on the recording.
34:09Jacqueline's voice came through, sickeningly sweet.
34:18Anx, you have to keep Steve away.
34:21Don't let him go save that little prat.
34:25Ansbraith laughed, his tone casual and cruel.
34:31Relax, sweetheart.
34:33Pay me enough and I promise he won't even get to say goodbye.
34:36Every word they uttered felt like a poisoned needle stitching itself into my flesh.
34:43I obtained the surveillance footage from the restaurant.
34:46It was the restaurant where Stephen and Jacqueline celebrated her birthday.
34:50The same day as David's funeral.
34:53And the tapes from the church showing how Jacqueline deliberately moved David's memorial candle.
35:03How she provoked my breakdown.
35:11The evidence was damning.
35:16I formally fired for divorce.
35:19I filed a lawsuit against Jacqueline.
35:21The lawsuit accused her of intentional withholding of kidnapping information and indirect homicide.
35:33Just as I finished signing the final documents and prepared to leave the law firm,
35:38a disheveled figure burst through the door.
35:41It was Stephen.
35:42In just a few days, he seemed to have aged a decade.
35:45This once polished, commanding man was now gaunt and unshaven.
35:50His eyes were bloodshot and the smell of alcohol clung to him.
35:54When he saw me, he lunged forward like a drowning man catching a lifeline.
36:00Anna.
36:02I took a cold step back, recoiling from his touch.
36:07Stephen dropped to his knees right there in front of me.
36:10This man, who had always been so full of himself, was now sobbing like a broken child.
36:17Anna, I'm so sorry.
36:20It's all my fault.
36:23I know I'm a bastard.
36:25I'm so sorry I failed to protect Dave and didn't believe you.
36:31He slapped himself again and again across the face.
36:37Please, just forgive me.
36:39We can start over.
36:41We can have another child.
36:42I watched him quietly.
36:43My eyes held no emotion at all.
36:47Stephen.
36:49Your repentance won't bring Dave back from the grave.
36:52And your tears?
36:55They're worthless.
36:59Disbelief was written across his tear-streaked face.
37:06I reached into my bag and pulled out a thick stack of papers.
37:11Copies of every piece of evidence I had gathered.
37:15Then I threw them straight at his face.
37:20The papers scattered across the floor.
37:22I only want one thing from you, Stephen.
37:25I want you to make the people who did this pay.
37:28My voice was low and cold.
37:30Make a choice.
37:32Will you keep protecting your mistress who got Dave killed?
37:36Or will you do one final thing for your son?
37:44Stephen's eyes traveled from the scattered papers back to my face.
37:48The color drained from his skin until he looked like a ghost.
37:53After a long silence, a single word forced its way out of his throat.
37:57Fine.
37:59What do I have to do?
38:03Looking at his pathetic face, I felt no pity.
38:08In fact, I felt nothing at all.
38:14I want you to go home.
38:16Go back to Jacqueline.
38:21My voice carried no warmth.
38:26I want you to treat her exactly like you used to.
38:32You must make her believe you've forgiven her and make her drop her guard completely.
38:36Stephen flinched, his eyes clouding with agony and physical revulsion.
38:44Then, you are going to get her to tell you, in her own words, how she and Ainsworth planned everything
38:52and killed our son.
38:58I slid a miniature recording device across the table toward him.
39:04I want the whole truth.
39:07Don't miss a single syllable.
39:13Stephen picked it up, clenching it in his palm.
39:19Over the following days, Stephen played the part.
39:23He bought Jacqueline her favorite jewelry.
39:25He took her to the most exclusive restaurants.
39:32He was tender, attentive, the perfect lover from a storybook.
39:37Jacqueline quickly fell completely under his spell.
39:43Late one night, nestled in Stephen's arms, Jacqueline finally let the truth slip.
39:51I just hated how arrogant Liana was.
39:56Why should she get to have your child?
39:58That idiot Ainsworth actually thought I loved him.
40:02I was just using him.
40:04Steve, everything's perfect now.
40:08Now that the little brat is dead, nothing can ever come between us again.
40:18When Stephen handed me the recording,
40:22his hand shook so violently that he could barely hold the phone.
40:28I listened to it with a calm heart, saved the file, and dialed the police.
40:34Almost simultaneously, a call came in from Ainsworth.
40:43Stephen,
40:45I'll give you one five million dollars for whatever your ex has on me,
40:49and for my freedom.
40:52If you don't agree,
40:55I'll happily leak a few interesting recordings to the press.
40:59Following my instructions, Stephen agreed.
41:01The exchange was set at a defilade pier.
41:06The police moved in silently,
41:09forming a tight perimeter.
41:10I sat in the back of a surveillance van,
41:13watching the man on the screen who felt like a stranger now.
41:19Answorth appeared with a briefcase.
41:21A victor's smur slapped on his face.
41:28The moment the money changed hand is,
41:30the police swarmed.
41:32On the other side of town,
41:34Jacqueline was taken into custody.
41:39In the precinct interrogation room,
41:42I saw her again.
41:43She had been stripped of her designer labels
41:46and her meticulous makeup.
41:47She looked small and feral like a cornered animal.
41:55When she saw me,
41:57she tried to lunge forward like a madwoman,
42:00but the handcuffs locked her firmly to the chair.
42:04Her eyes were blood red.
42:17And she burst into maniacal laughter.
42:20I stared at her,
42:21my expression perfectly still.
42:23I waited until she was gasping for air
42:25from her hysterical outburst.
42:28You will spend the rest of your life in prison.
42:33But I will go on living,
42:34and my love for him will accompany me
42:37through every day of my life to come.
42:43On the day of the trial,
42:45I stood in the witness box.
42:52My gaze sweat over the gallery of faces,
42:55some familiar,
42:56some strangers.
42:58No one knew the sheer force of hatred and resolve
43:01that had kept me standing here these past months.
43:04As I recounted David's death,
43:07my voice was unnervingly calm,
43:09without a single tremor.
43:11Every detail of that explosion,
43:13every roar of the blast,
43:18every jagged shard
43:19that tore through the air.
43:24It was all etched into my mind like a blade.
43:28Ainswithin's arrogance had evaporated,
43:30replaced by the ashen gray of utter despair.
43:34Jacqueline had to be restrained by the bailiff several times.
43:39She tried to deny it,
43:42tried to crawl for excuses,
43:44her voice rising in a strill,
43:47piercing noise.
43:48The courtroom doors creaked open,
43:53and Stephen walked in.
43:56Clad in a black suit,
43:59his frame gone and diminished.
44:04His eyes sought mine,
44:06brimming with agony and guilt,
44:08but I looked away with cold indifference.
44:15Taking the stand as a witness,
44:18Stephen offered a public confession.
44:22His voice was raspy,
44:24every word breaking with a sob.
44:28He was wrong,
44:30devastatingly,
44:31irrevidably wrong.
44:37He had failed me,
44:38and more unforgivingly,
44:40he had failed David.
44:42I listened to his words
44:44without a flicker of emotion,
44:45as if none of it had anything to do with me.
44:50The judge delivered the verdict.
44:54Ansfield,
44:55convicted of intentional homicide and kidnapping,
44:59was sentenced to death.
45:02Jacqueline,
45:03charged with intentional assault
45:05and obstruction of justice,
45:09was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
45:16Only when I heard the ruling
45:18did the iron cords
45:20of tension in my chest
45:21began to slacken.
45:30The divorce decree
45:32also took effect.
45:34My marriage to Stephen
45:35came to an end.
45:37I was awarded
45:38all of the marital assets.
45:45But that wealth
45:46was nothing more
45:47than a string of cold digits.
45:52I donated the vast majority of it
45:54to a foundation for child protection.
46:03A few days later,
46:05I went alone
46:06to David's grave.
46:14In the photograph
46:15on the headstone,
46:16David was still wearing
46:17that sweet smile.
46:23His little dimples
46:25were just as they had always been.
46:30I gently laid down the drawing
46:32David had made
46:33with his own hands.
46:39I'm so sorry, baby.
46:42I let you down.
46:45I couldn't give you
46:47a real hero.
46:52But I will be
46:53my own hero now.
46:54And I will be yours.
46:55I reached out,
46:57my fingertips tracing
46:58the carved letters
46:59of David's name.
47:01Heavy footsteps
47:01approached from behind.
47:02I didn't need
47:04to turn around
47:05to know who it was.
47:07Stephen collapsed
47:08at David's grave,
47:09weeping in a state
47:10of total wretched collapse.
47:13I didn't give him
47:14a single glance.
47:16I simply turned
47:17and walked away,
47:19my steps heavy
47:20but resolute.
47:23Step by step,
47:24I walked toward
47:25a future without him.
47:27A future that belonged
47:29only to me
47:30and David.
47:38I fled that city
47:40and sought refuge
47:41in a remote village
47:42to work as a teacher.
47:45The air here
47:46carried the scent
47:47of soil
47:47and wild grass.
47:50And for a while,
47:51it helped me forget
47:52the blood-stained past.
47:55In the classroom,
47:56the children's clear.
48:02Eager voices reciting lessons
48:05were the sweetest sound
48:06I had ever known.
48:08One day,
48:09while handing out workbooks,
48:11a slight figure darted
48:12into my line of sight.
48:17He looked up at me.
48:20Those eyes,
48:23clear as spring water,
48:26looked so much like my Davids.
48:28My breath stalled.
48:31The books in my hands
48:33scattered across the floor.
48:36He scrambled down
48:37to help me,
48:38his small hands
48:40clumsy and frantic.
48:44Miss Barrett,
48:46I'm so sorry.
48:50I knelt down,
48:52looking at his small face
48:53smudged with a bit of dust.
48:57What?
48:58What is your name?
49:01My name is Xander Wild.
49:04I don't have a mommy
49:06or a daddy anymore.
49:08My heart was wrenched
49:09by a sudden,
49:11violent ache.
49:14I later learned then
49:16that Xander's parents
49:17had both died in a landslide
49:18while trying to save him.
49:20From that day on,
49:22I found myself
49:23instinctively watching over him.
49:26I would bring him treats
49:28and tell him stories.
49:30And when his handwriting wavered,
49:32I would wrap my hand
49:34around for his,
49:35teaching him stroke by stroke.
49:38He was gentle
49:39and sensitive
49:40beyond his years.
49:42He always stayed close to me,
49:45watching me cautiously
49:47with those eyes
49:48that looked so much
49:50like David's.
49:51Sometimes,
49:53I would tell him
49:54about David,
49:56about the little boy
49:57who loved Superman
49:58and Buffalo Winks.
50:01One day after class,
50:04he tugged at my sleeve.
50:08His eyes were brimming
50:10with longing and unease.
50:12Miss Barrett,
50:14will you love me
50:15like a mommy does?
50:19My eyes blurred,
50:20instantly,
50:21the world dissolving
50:22into a watery haze.
50:27There were so many words
50:29I wanted to say to him,
50:31but I couldn't force
50:32a single one out.
50:33I could only nod,
50:35fiercely,
50:36again and again.
50:43as the sun dipped low.
50:49I walked with Zandon
50:51along the narrow country path,
50:53the evening breeze
50:54playing with my hair.
50:57His hand was warm,
50:59gripping my fingers tightly.
51:08Mrs. Barrett,
51:10do people become stars
51:11in the sky when they die?
51:13My footsteps faltered.
51:20I looked up
51:21at the vast,
51:22shimmering canopy above,
51:25and in that endless
51:27sea of light,
51:29I thought I saw David
51:31standing beside
51:33his favorite star,
51:34smiling and winking at me.
51:37I smiled,
51:39my voice soft but certain.
51:42They do.
51:44Be Kim and Dakarately.
51:46They would become
51:48the brightest star
51:50in the night,
51:50always watching
51:52over the people they love.
51:54Xander nodded solemnly,
51:56as if committing
51:57the promise to memory,
51:59then leaned his head
52:00against my arm.
52:02Then my mommy
52:04and daddy
52:05and Dave,
52:06they're all up there
52:07watching me, right?
52:10Warmth bloomed
52:11in my chest,
52:13steady and real.
52:16I squeezed his hand.
52:18Yes.
52:19They're all there.
52:21They are watching us,
52:23and they are keeping us safe.
52:26I leaned down
52:27and kissed
52:28Zayn's forehead,
52:32feeling a sense of peace
52:33and strength
52:34I hadn't known
52:35in a lifetime.
52:38The stars above us
52:39shimmered like
52:40a thousand candles,
52:42each one burning
52:44with the quiet promise
52:45of someone
52:46who had loved
52:47and been loved.
52:50Xander and I
52:51and David
52:52up there
52:52among the stars
52:53would always be together.
53:00We would watch
53:01over one another
53:02and guard this hard-won warmth
53:04with everything we had.
53:06going back.
53:07Happy birthday.
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