My father-in-law & I faked our deaths to escape our 'cheating' wives. It was a huge mistake. #novel — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00My father-in-law and I both married into
2. 0:02wealth. He and my mother-in-law were
3. 0:04childhood sweethearts, and their bond
4. 0:06was incredibly deep. But one day, my
5. 0:08father-in-law, Arthur, grabbed my hand
6. 0:10and sobbed. Daniel, your mother-in-law,
7. 0:12she's got a younger man on the side, and
8. 0:14they even have a child together. I've
9. 0:16been kept in the dark for over a decade.
10. 0:18Made a complete fool of. A lump formed
11. 0:20in my throat. Dad, actually, Sarah has
12. 0:23someone, too. She bought the guy an
13. 0:25entire building. We held each other and
14. 0:27wept. After a long while, Arthur
15. 0:29sniffled. You can trust a woman about as
16. 0:31much as you can trust a pig to fly.
17. 0:33Daniel, I'm done with that woman. Dad,
18. 0:35wherever you go, I'll go. I'm done with
19. 0:37Sarah, too. My father-in-law and I were
20. 0:40in perfect agreement. We immediately
21. 0:42started planning our escape. After
22. 0:43considering all the options, faking our
23. 0:46deaths seemed like the best way out.
24. 0:47Arthur also came from a good family, but
25. 0:50he'd been with my mother-in-law,
26. 0:51Catherine, since they were kids. He
27. 0:53married into the Walton family at 20 and
28. 0:55dedicated himself to being a
29. 0:57stay-at-home husband. He was quite
30. 0:59naive, but he could definitely act the
31. 1:01part. Daniel, this is all I have on
32. 1:03hand. How do we get started? I looked at
33. 1:05the portfolio Arthur handed me, and my
34. 1:07eyes nearly popped out of my head. $200
35. 1:09million. Arthur truly was born under a
36. 1:12lucky star. Compared to him, my own
37. 1:14stash was pathetic. Only 5 million.
38. 1:16Still, it was more than enough for us to
39. 1:18live on for three lifetimes. Dad, I have
40. 1:21a plan. Arthur agreed to follow my lead,
41. 1:23so I set things in motion. My
42. 1:25mother-in-law's birthday was in 2 days,
43. 1:27and we decided to hold the party on a
44. 1:29yacht. For one, it was a fresh idea, and
45. 1:31for two, it would be easy to disappear
46. 1:33from. Time was short, so we outsourced
47. 1:36all the arrangements. As for the
48. 1:37catalyst for our deaths, it would
49. 1:39naturally be that other man. If he had
50. 1:41the nerve to accept an entire building
51. 1:43from Sarah, he had to be ready to face
52. 1:45the consequences. On the day of the
53. 1:47party, Arthur was dressed in a Versace
54. 1:49suit. His mature, composed face
55. 1:52betraying nothing. My mother-in-law,
56. 1:54Catherine Walton, stood beside him.
57. 1:56Despite her age, she was impeccably
58. 1:58maintained, drawing the gazes of many
59. 2:00wealthy men. As guests mingled around
60. 2:03them, she smiled and gave me a subtle
61. 2:05nod from across the room. We both knew
62. 2:07what was about to happen. Just then, my
63. 2:09wife Sarah came to my side and looped
64. 2:11her arm through mine. "Daniel, you look
65. 2:14so handsome tonight." The warmth of her
66. 2:16hand sent a shiver through me, and I
67. 2:18instinctively pulled away. You look
68. 2:20beautiful tonight, too. You're
69. 2:21attracting so many admirers. I feel like
70. 2:23I've been shot down by their stairs a
71. 2:25thousand times over. A number of
72. 2:27handsome young men were indeed staring
73. 2:29at Sarah. She leaned her cheek against
74. 2:31my shoulder and murmured, "They can
75. 2:32look, but they can't touch. I belong
76. 2:35only to you." I fought back my disgust,
77. 2:37met a certain gaze across the room, and
78. 2:39said with a fake smile, "What a shame.
79. 2:42Someone's going to be heartbroken.
80. 2:43Sarah, that building is worth a fortune.
81. 2:46It seems Mr. Vance holds a very special
82. 2:48place in your heart. Sarah froze for a
83. 2:50second, dropping her hand and saying
84. 2:52sternly, "Don't get the wrong idea. It's
85. 2:54all for business. I understand. Spending
86. 2:57a fortune for love, right?" Sarah tried
87. 2:59to explain further, but I just patted
88. 3:01her arm. I'm going to check on dad. You
89. 3:03enjoy yourself. Leo Vance walked over
90. 3:05and cornered her, giving me the perfect
91. 3:07chance to make my way to Arthur. When I
92. 3:09reached my father-in-law, he pulled me
93. 3:11out onto the deck. Daniel, are you
94. 3:13ready? Yeah, I'm ready. Don't worry. We
95. 3:15exchanged a knowing smile. Just then,
96. 3:17Leo Vance approached. Daniel, Mr. Hayes,
97. 3:20you're here, too. Arthur's face
98. 3:21hardened. Mr. Vance, you sweet talked my
99. 3:24daughter into buying you a building, and
100. 3:26now you have the nerve to show your face
101. 3:27in front of me. The color drained from
102. 3:29Leo's face. Sir, I didn't. Sarah did it
103. 3:32of her own free will. Smack. Arthur
104. 3:34couldn't take it anymore and slapped him
105. 3:36hard across the face. Leo was stunned. I
106. 3:39sneered, calling her Sarah this and
107. 3:41Sarah that all day. Who do you think you
108. 3:43are? My father-in-law only has one
109. 3:45daughter. You're no brother of hers.
110. 3:47Leo, do your fans know you're this
111. 3:48shameless behind the scenes? Leo
112. 3:50exploded with rage, clutching his cheek
113. 3:52and lunging at me. Arthur and I grappled
114. 3:55with him. And in the chaos, I stumbled
115. 3:57backward, tumbling over the railing and
116. 3:59into the water below. Daniel Arthur
117. 4:02screamed, lunging for me, but grabbing
118. 4:04nothing but air. Leo was horrified. No,
119. 4:06it wasn't me. If it wasn't you, then who
120. 4:08was it? You give me back my son-in-law.
121. 4:11Arthur grabbed him and started dragging
122. 4:12him toward the railing. Terrified, Leo
123. 4:15gave a violent shove. A heart-wrenching
124. 4:17scream echoed from behind them. "Dad!"
125. 4:19Everyone on the yacht panicked,
126. 4:21searching frantically. Not far away, I
127. 4:23was pulled from the water into a waiting
128. 4:25boat. Arthur was beside me, his voice
129. 4:27trembling in my ear. "Daniel, are you
130. 4:29okay?" "I'm fine, Dad." Wrapped in a
131. 4:32blanket, I watched the commotion on the
132. 4:33distant yacht fade as we sped away. I
133. 4:36finally let out a sigh of relief. Once
134. 4:38we were safely assure, we sat on a sofa
135. 4:40watching the news. A massive headline
136. 4:42made both of us frown. # tragedy at
137. 4:45Walton Matriarch's birthday gala. Father
138. 4:47and son-in-law both plunge overboard,
139. 4:49feared lost at sea hashtag on the
140. 4:51screen. Leo Vance was pale-faced with
141. 4:53bloodshot eyes, sobbing. I didn't mean
142. 4:56to. I didn't push them. They fell on
143. 4:58their own. Leo was led away by the
144. 5:00police. Sarah and Catherine both looked
145. 5:02grim, especially Sarah, who appeared
146. 5:04completely distraught. I watched and
147. 5:06scoffed, then turned off the television.
148. 5:08Arthur patted the back of my hand. Don't
149. 5:10worry, they're just putting on a show.
150. 5:12With us dead, they're probably thrilled.
151. 5:14You just watch. Leo will be out in less
152. 5:16than 2 days. And that's when Catherine's
153. 5:18lover will finally show his face. I
154. 5:21nodded just as Arthur predicted. Leo was
155. 5:23released 3 days later. A swarm of
156. 5:25reporters was there to greet him, citing
157. 5:27a lack of evidence. The police let him
158. 5:29go, and Sarah herself was there to pick
159. 5:31him up. The press mobbed them, a barrage
160. 5:34of cameras and microphones in their
161. 5:35faces, Miss Walton. Rumor has it that
162. 5:38Leo Vance was arguing with the two men.
163. 5:40Was that related to them going
164. 5:41overboard? Does this mean you've
165. 5:43forgiven him? What's the latest on the
166. 5:44search? Has the Walton family called it
167. 5:46off? Sarah's expression was dark. Please
168. 5:49refer to the official statements. I
169. 5:51watched the video and sneered. Damn you,
170. 5:53Sarah. That man is clearly the apple of
171. 5:55your eye. You can't even bring yourself
172. 5:56to blame him. You're actually protecting
173. 5:58him. Furious, I closed the video and
174. 6:01decided to take Arthur on a trip around
175. 6:02the world. Having money changes
176. 6:04everything. For security, we opened an
177. 6:06offshore account that no one could
178. 6:08trace. We spent our days living it up,
179. 6:10enjoying the high life without a care in
180. 6:12the world. The only strange thing was I
181. 6:14had no idea what the Waltons were
182. 6:16thinking. As long as no bodies were
183. 6:18found, they refused to hold a funeral.
184. 6:20This led to widespread speculation about
185. 6:22whether the two Walton sons-in-law were
186. 6:24actually dead. The tabloids were having
187. 6:26a field day, but I remained unbothered.
188. 6:29I spent my days sunbathing and watching
189. 6:31the beautiful women on the beach. Life
190. 6:33couldn't have been more relaxing. After
191. 6:34about 6 months of this, I started to get
192. 6:36a little bored. So, Arthur and I
193. 6:38returned to the States and opened a
194. 6:40boutique in a Napa Valley. We spent our
195. 6:42days checking in guests and collecting
196. 6:44payments. It was a pleasant and
197. 6:46satisfying life. The news stories about
198. 6:48us in the papers and on TV slowly died
199. 6:50down. I thought we could just live like
200. 6:52this day by day, and Arthur felt the
201. 6:54same. We'd even started calling each
202. 6:56other father and son. Every now and
203. 6:58then, we'd hit the local bars and meet
204. 7:00some beautiful women. Arthur was quite
205. 7:02the connoisseur, and we'd sit there
206. 7:03raiding them together. But the good
207. 7:05times came to a screeching halt. It was
208. 7:07peak tourist season, and business at the
209. 7:09inn was booming. I booked a huge
210. 7:11reservation. A guest wanted the place
211. 7:13for a whole month, paid an extra 20,000,
212. 7:16and demanded that no other guests be
213. 7:17allowed to check in. Of course, I
214. 7:19agreed. When I learned it was just for
215. 7:21two people, I promised them they'd have
216. 7:23our exclusive private cottage. I even
217. 7:25stocked the cottage with plenty of food
218. 7:27and drinks. They sounded like a young
219. 7:28couple on a romantic getaway. I was
220. 7:30determined to give them the best
221. 7:32service. Arthur was thrilled when he
222. 7:34heard. Before our guest arrived, he
223. 7:35dragged me out for a fantasy warrior
224. 7:37photo shoot. Life is meant to be
225. 7:39enjoyed, Daniel. Look at you. You look
226. 7:41so handsome. In a few days, I'm going to
227. 7:43set you up on a date. You're still
228. 7:45young. You can't waste your life hung up
229. 7:47on Sarah. His words warm my heart. I
230. 7:49knew he was right. Dad, I know Sarah was
231. 7:51just a mistake. If I meet the right
232. 7:53person, I won't say no. Speaking of
233. 7:55which, Dad, I've seen Mrs. Davis from
234. 7:57next door coming over a lot. Are you
235. 7:59thinking about a second chance at love?
236. 8:01He looked away, a little embarrassed.
237. 8:03Mrs. Davis is attractive enough, I
238. 8:05suppose, but she's no Catherine. A jolt
239. 8:08went through me. Dad, you can't possibly
240. 8:10still be thinking about my
241. 8:11ex-mother-in-law, can you? Please. He
242. 8:13rolled his eyes in disgust. Ever since I
243. 8:16found out she was a cheater, I haven't
244. 8:17thought about getting back with her for
245. 8:19a second, but you know, we were
246. 8:20childhood sweethearts. We were together
247. 8:22for so long. It's just it's hard to
248. 8:24picture myself with anyone else right
249. 8:26now. Arthur's tone suddenly shifted.
250. 8:28Although some of these younger women
251. 8:30around here aren't bad. Maybe I could
252. 8:32give that a try. Hearing him say that,
253. 8:34my eyes lit up. It seems it's true what
254. 8:36they say. Men are boys at heart. Always
255. 8:38a soft spot for younger women, no matter
256. 8:41their age. That I could work with. I
257. 8:43snapped my fingers. I heard that club
258. 8:45down the road just hired a bunch of new
259. 8:46girls, all different types. Some even do
260. 8:49cosplay. Why don't we go check it out
261. 8:50tonight? My father-in-law and I were
262. 8:52instantly on the same page. We decided
263. 8:54to go that very night. After the shoot,
264. 8:56the makeup artist took a couple of extra
265. 8:58photos of me gushing, "You're the most
266. 9:00charismatic warrior I've ever worked on.
267. 9:03Can I post this on Tik Tok?" I quickly
268. 9:05said, "Just my side profile, please. No
269. 9:08fullface shots. No problem." She posted
270. 9:10the side profile shot to her Tik Tok to
271. 9:12promote her work. I didn't think much of
272. 9:14it. That evening, I grabbed Arthur. We
273. 9:16changed our clothes and headed straight
274. 9:18for the club. Even though Arthur was
275. 9:20pushing 50, he lived a life of leisure
276. 9:22and didn't look his age at all. Under
277. 9:24the dim lights, we sat on a plush sofa
278. 9:26as the manager expertly brought out a
279. 9:28line of women for us to choose from. I
280. 9:30pulled out two thick wads of cash and
281. 9:32tossed them on the table. Bring us your
282. 9:34best. Don't waste our time with the B
283. 9:36team. The manager scrambled to pull a
284. 9:38few of the newer girls to the front. I
285. 9:40clicked my tongue. Is that it? I heard
286. 9:42you had a couple of real knockouts
287. 9:43tonight. Arthur casually spun the
288. 9:45diamond watch on his wrist and the
289. 9:47manager's eyes lit up. Of course, sir,
290. 9:49they'll be right out. I nodded. We
291. 9:51waited and waited, but no one appeared.
292. 9:53I sighed. Looks like this place is all
293. 9:55hype. The quality is pretty
294. 9:57inconsistent. Just as I said that, two
295. 9:59women walked in. Their silhouettes
296. 10:01seemed familiar, but they were wearing
297. 10:03masks. Their figures, however, were
298. 10:05incredible. They made a simple low cut
299. 10:08dress look like coutur. My eyes widened
300. 10:10and I sat up straight. Mr. Miller, these
301. 10:12are the jewels of our establishment. I
302. 10:14waved him away and the manager took the
303. 10:16hint and left. They walked in, looked at
304. 10:19Arthur and me, and the corners of their
305. 10:21mouths curled into smiles. I suddenly
306. 10:23felt a chill run down my spine.
307. 10:25Something was very wrong. My heart
308. 10:26skipped a beat. Dad, I whispered. Don't
309. 10:29they seem a little off to you? They have
310. 10:31great figures, Daniel, but I can't shake
311. 10:34the feeling that they look familiar. One
312. 10:36of the women stepped forward and pulled
313. 10:38me into her embrace. The familiar scent
314. 10:40of cedarwood made my heart stop. Daniel,
315. 10:42are you satisfied with what you see?
316. 10:44That familiar voice made my head spin. I
317. 10:46was screwed. With a trembling hand, I
318. 10:48reached up and removed her mask. A pair
319. 10:51of sharp almond-shaped eyes stared back
320. 10:53at me, and the room started to spin.
321. 10:55Well, well, Daniel, bringing my father
322. 10:57all the way out here to party. Have you
323. 10:59had your fun yet? On the other side,
324. 11:01Catherine had also removed her mask. She
325. 11:03stared at Arthur's triumphant grin and
326. 11:05her expression grew dark. "Arthur,
327. 11:07haste, you have some explaining to do."
328. 11:09At that, Arthur's eyes rolled back into
329. 11:12his head, and he collapsed in a dramatic
330. 11:14faint. I wanted to faint, too. But the
331. 11:16next second, Sarah grabbed my wrist,
332. 11:18cuped the back of my head, and kissed me
333. 11:20hard. I shoved her away, wiping my mouth
334. 11:22with the back of my hand, my face grim.
335. 11:25Don't touch me. Isn't Leo Vance keeping
336. 11:27you company? What are you doing here,
337. 11:28playing the loving wife? Who are you
338. 11:30trying to fool? Sarah stared at me for a
339. 11:32long moment, then laughed. There is no
340. 11:34Leo. Don't try to fool me. I saw it all.
341. 11:37The reporters caught it on camera. How
342. 11:39long are you going to keep lying?
343. 11:40Hearing this, she couldn't help but
344. 11:42smile. What's this? Are you jealous?
345. 11:44Jealous? My ass. Get away from me.
346. 11:46Nearby, Catherine pulled Arthur to his
347. 11:49feet. Sarah, handle your man. We'll deal
348. 11:51with our own business. With that, she
349. 11:53supported Arthur and stroed out of the
350. 11:55club. I tried to follow them, but Sarah
351. 11:57blocked my path, slinging an arm around
352. 11:59my shoulder and forcibly leading me out.
353. 12:02The club owner started to approach, but
354. 12:04one icy glare from her sent him
355. 12:05retreating. Sarah dragged me back to the
356. 12:07inn. I struggled against her grip. The
357. 12:09guests are here. Let go of me. I am the
358. 12:12guest. I made the reservation. I felt
359. 12:14like I'd been struck by lightning. I
360. 12:16never would have guessed it was her. I
361. 12:17should have known. Who else would be so
362. 12:19extravagant as to book the entire place
363. 12:21for a month? Sarah pushed me into our
364. 12:23cottage and stood there with her hands
365. 12:25on her hips. I had to admit, the woman
366. 12:27was stunning. Her curves were
367. 12:29distracting. I'd seen beautiful women
368. 12:31everyday for months and thought I was
369. 12:33immune. But I couldn't help but stare at
370. 12:35Sarah. What? What do you want? I should
371. 12:37be asking you that, faking your death,
372. 12:39and not just your own, but dragging my
373. 12:41father into your nonsense. Daniel
374. 12:43Miller, you've got a lot of nerve. I
375. 12:45sneered. You drove me to it. You bought
376. 12:47Leo Vance a building. What right does a
377. 12:49cheating wife have to question me? I
378. 12:51stood up to leave, but she shoved me
379. 12:53back onto the bed, pinning my wrists
380. 12:55above my head. Daniel, nothing happened.
381. 12:57It's not what you think between me and
382. 12:59Leo. Stop lying to me. You knew he was
383. 13:01the reason I went into the ocean, and
384. 13:03you still bailed him out. You said it
385. 13:05was nothing. You're just a heartless
386. 13:07user. I kicked her shin, and she grunted
387. 13:09in pain. I used the moment to throw her
388. 13:11off and stormed out the door, only to be
389. 13:13blocked by a bodyguard. "Sir, Miss
390. 13:15Walton has instructed that you are not
391. 13:17to leave the premises." I turned and
392. 13:19shot a furious glare back at Sarah, who
393. 13:21had followed me out. You're not going
394. 13:23anywhere. If you even try to leave, I'll
395. 13:25make sure your family regrets it. Not
396. 13:27even my own family knew where I was. I
397. 13:29hadn't dared to contact them. Now Sarah
398. 13:31was using them to threaten me. I
399. 13:32clenched my fists. Don't look at me like
400. 13:34that. All I know is that for what you
401. 13:36and my father did, there will be
402. 13:38consequences. Sarah, you wouldn't dare.
403. 13:40I'll kill you. I was seething with
404. 13:42helpless rage, but she was completely
405. 13:44unmoved. Sarah beckoned to me with a
406. 13:46finger. Come on, let's talk. I took a
407. 13:49deep breath. Fine, let's talk. I'm not
408. 13:51afraid of you. I just wondered how
409. 13:52Arthur was holding up. I glanced toward
410. 13:54the other cottage where I could hear
411. 13:56raised voices. Sarah covered my eyes
412. 13:58with her hand. Don't worry about them.
413. 14:00My mother would never truly hurt my
414. 14:02father. I slapped her hand away, my face
415. 14:05contorted with disgust. You and your
416. 14:07mother are two peas in a pod. The older
417. 14:09one has a boy toy and a secret love
418. 14:11child, and the younger one buys her boy
419. 14:13toy a whole building. Don't you get it,
420. 14:15Sarah? Your position isn't secure. Your
421. 14:17mother's other child is going to come
422. 14:19back and fight you for the inheritance.
423. 14:21Sarah looked at me completely
424. 14:22bewildered. A love child fighting for
425. 14:24the inheritance. Daniel, have you been
426. 14:27reading too many soap opera scripts?
427. 14:28What has my father been teaching you?
428. 14:30And to think you went to an Ivy League
429. 14:32school. I shot her a dirty look. This is
430. 14:34all stuff you and your mother did. How
431. 14:36dare you blame me. Daniel, you really
432. 14:38need to get your head checked. My mother
433. 14:39does not have a secret son, and my
434. 14:41relationship with Leo is not what you
435. 14:43think it is. Like hell, I believe you,
436. 14:45right? Keep denying it. Even the
437. 14:47reporters could see what was going on.
438. 14:49I'll ask you this. Why did you bail him
439. 14:51out when you knew he was responsible for
440. 14:53me and Arthur going overboard and that
441. 14:55building? Didn't you buy it for him?
442. 14:56Answer me. Yes or no? Sarah sighed in
443. 14:59resignation. Yes. Then that settles it.
444. 15:02I threw my hands up. In that case, we
445. 15:04should just get a divorce. Divorce? Are
446. 15:06you serious? Of course, I'm serious. I
447. 15:08don't want to be with you anymore. I
448. 15:10told you when we got married, I was fine
449. 15:12marrying into your family, but I needed
450. 15:14a wife who was completely devoted to me,
451. 15:16not one who fools around on the side.
452. 15:18There's no room for a third person in
453. 15:20our marriage. Sarah looked at me
454. 15:21strangely. Leo is just a new actor
455. 15:23signed to my production company. I put
456. 15:25him in shows to make money for the
457. 15:27company. He has the right to use that
458. 15:28building, but he doesn't own it. In
459. 15:30fact, the property is in your name. I
460. 15:33was stunned, afraid I wouldn't believe
461. 15:34her. Sarah pulled out her phone and
462. 15:36showed me the documents. The building
463. 15:38was purchased in your name. I told Leo
464. 15:40he could live there for as long as he
465. 15:42needed for work. Do you understand? No,
466. 15:44I don't understand. All I know is that
467. 15:46you doted on him in public and you let
468. 15:48everyone think he was your man. I glared
469. 15:50at her. Let's just get a divorce and go
470. 15:52our separate ways. Then it won't be my
471. 15:54business who you decide to keep. Just as
472. 15:56I finished speaking, a roar erupted from
473. 15:58the other cottage. It was Arthur. Stop
474. 16:00lying to me. That man practically
475. 16:02brought the child right to my doorstep.
476. 16:04Catherine, we've been together since we
477. 16:06were kids. I've supported you through
478. 16:08everything and this is how you repay me?
479. 16:10The boy is 16 years old. How long were
480. 16:12you going to lie to me? The door slammed
481. 16:14open with a bang and Arthur stormed out.
482. 16:16He saw me, his eyes filled with tears
483. 16:18and grabbed my hand. Let's go. Ignore
484. 16:21them. Kick them out of here. I
485. 16:23hesitated. But dad, they're the guests
486. 16:25who booked the inn for a month. What?
487. 16:27Arthur was stunned. He couldn't believe
488. 16:29it was them. What rotten luck? He
489. 16:30muttered. Refund their money and tell
490. 16:32them to leave. Catherine came out of the
491. 16:34cottage. We don't want the money.
492. 16:36Arthur, please just let me explain. I'm
493. 16:38not listening. We're getting a divorce.
494. 16:40Daniel, call a lawyer. If they won't
495. 16:42agree to our terms, we'll sue. Arthur
496. 16:44and I exchanged a look. We were both
497. 16:46ready. This had to end. Hearing this, my
498. 16:49mother-in-law clutched her chest, her
499. 16:51face turning pale. Arthur, you don't
500. 16:53believe me? I'm with you constantly.
501. 16:54When would I have had time to have a
502. 16:56child? She looked like she was about to
503. 16:58collapse. But Arthur was unmoved. Stop
504. 17:00pretending. I'm telling you. Before he
505. 17:02could finish, Catherine collapsed to the
506. 17:04ground with a thud. Arthur immediately
507. 17:06panicked. Catherine, wake up. Sarah, you
508. 17:09idiot. What are you standing there for?
509. 17:11Your mother fainted. Call an ambulance.
510. 17:13Sarah rushed to her side and we hurried
511. 17:15her to the hospital. I went along.
512. 17:17Arthur paced anxiously in the waiting
513. 17:19room. Watching him, I couldn't help but
514. 17:21say, "Dad, it seems you do still care
515. 17:23about her. Who says? I'm just worried
516. 17:26that if she dies here, it'll be bad for
517. 17:28business." He had a point. I nodded in
518. 17:30agreement. If someone died at our inn,
519. 17:32we'd be ruined. Seeing him being so
520. 17:34stubborn, I couldn't help but sigh.
521. 17:36Sarah stood nearby and said grimly. I
522. 17:39don't know where you two get your
523. 17:40information. But you're determined to
524. 17:42believe the worst, aren't you? Stop
525. 17:44helping her lie to me. The man's name is
526. 17:46Jennings, and his son is 16. He's the
527. 17:48spitting image of your mother. You brat.
528. 17:50I can't believe you're my daughter
529. 17:52siding with your mother like this.
530. 17:54Arthur shot her a venomous look. Sarah
531. 17:56was about to reply when Catherine
532. 17:58stirred in the hospital bed. She reached
533. 18:00out and grabbed Arthur's hand. Arthur,
534. 18:02don't leave me. Arthur looked annoyed,
535. 18:04but the doctor interjected. The patient
536. 18:06can't handle any stress right now. Any
537. 18:09emotional distress could cause a
538. 18:10cerebral hemorrhage. It would be best if
539. 18:13a family member stayed with her. Hearing
540. 18:14that, Arthur reluctantly agreed to stay.
541. 18:17He turned to me. Daniel, you go get some
542. 18:19rest. Dad, I'll be in the room next
543. 18:21door. Call me if you need anything. I
544. 18:23couldn't leave Arthur there alone. I
545. 18:25went to the adjacent waiting room where
546. 18:27it was just me and Sarah. She was about
547. 18:29to say something when her phone rang.
548. 18:31Sarah impatiently declined the call, but
549. 18:33I clearly saw the name Leo Vance on the
550. 18:35screen. Go on, answer it. You wouldn't
551. 18:37want him to be sad. Sarah hesitated, but
552. 18:40the phone kept ringing. With no other
553. 18:42choice, she answered. As soon as she
554. 18:44did, the color drained from her face.
555. 18:46What did you say? I scoffed. What a
556. 18:48great actress. I shook my head without a
557. 18:50word and walked to the window, staring
558. 18:52out at the distant city lights
559. 18:54flickering under the dark sky. I could
560. 18:56hear muffled voices from the next room.
561. 18:58It sounded like Catherine was trying to
562. 19:00explain something to Arthur. I had no
563. 19:02idea if they would reconcile, but I knew
564. 19:04it was over for Sarah and me. Daniel,
565. 19:06wait for me here. Something's come up.
566. 19:08I'll be right back. With that, she
567. 19:10rushed out, leaving a bodyguard behind.
568. 19:12I let out a cold laugh as my heart sank.
569. 19:14I opened my phone to find a new IM
570. 19:16message. It was from Leo. Mr. Miller,
571. 19:19it's not what you think between me and
572. 19:20Sarah. Please don't misunderstand.
573. 19:22Reading his two-faced message, a thought
574. 19:24struck me. How did he know I was alive?
575. 19:27How did he even get my new number? Just
576. 19:29then, I heard a low male voice from the
577. 19:31hallway. Mr. Hayes, please don't hold
578. 19:33this against me. I know you're upset,
579. 19:35but I truly didn't mean any harm. He's a
580. 19:37Walton, too. Kyle, get on your knees and
581. 19:40apologize to your uncle. I heard a thud,
582. 19:42followed by Arthur's furious voice. Who
583. 19:45are you calling uncle? You bastard. I
584. 19:47rushed out to see a mild-mannered man
585. 19:49and a teenage boy kneeling in front of
586. 19:51Arthur, whose eyes were bloodshot with
587. 19:53rage. I immediately pushed them back.
588. 19:55Are you crazy? Coming here to stake your
589. 19:57claim. I pointed at the bodyguard. Get
590. 19:59them out of here. The boy behind him
591. 20:01stepped forward. What are you doing?
592. 20:02Don't you dare bully my dad. Your dad
593. 20:05started it by bullying mine. We squared
594. 20:07off like two fighting roosters. Mark
595. 20:09Jennings looked uncomfortable. I just
596. 20:11came to see how she was. I didn't mean
597. 20:13anything else by it. You're disturbing
598. 20:14my father-in-law and his wife. Please
599. 20:17leave right now. Seeing how furious I
600. 20:19was, the two of them stepped aside but
601. 20:21didn't leave. Just lingered by the
602. 20:23doorway. Just then, Catherine's voice
603. 20:25came from the room. Let them in. I was
604. 20:27furious, but Arthur calmly patted my
605. 20:29hand and went back to looking at his
606. 20:31phone, texting someone. After Mark
607. 20:33Jennings went inside, we couldn't hear
608. 20:35what was said, but soon we heard the
609. 20:37sound of crying. Arthur and I exchanged
610. 20:39a confused look. Arthur snorted so
611. 20:41dramatic. I nodded in agreement, and
612. 20:43then my thoughts turned back to Sarah.
613. 20:45Oh, Dad, I think Leo Vance knows I'm
614. 20:48alive. He just sent me a message. I
615. 20:50handed him my phone. Arthur stared at
616. 20:52it, stunned. Just as he was about to
617. 20:54speak, the door to the hospital room
618. 20:55opened. Arthur, Daniel, both of you come
619. 20:58in here. Arthur and I went inside.
620. 21:00Catherine was propped up in bed. Let me
621. 21:02introduce you. This is Mark Jennings. I
622. 21:04know who he is. You don't need to
623. 21:06introduce us. And that's your secret
624. 21:07son, right? You've misunderstood. Mark
625. 21:10Jennings spoke up. The boy is a Walton,
626. 21:12but he's not Catherine's. He's
627. 21:14Rebecca's. What are you talking about?
628. 21:16She died years ago. As realization
629. 21:18dawned on Arthur's face, Catherine
630. 21:20explained. She left behind a child. Mark
631. 21:22gave a bitter smile. I've been raising
632. 21:24him out in the country, but we just
633. 21:26can't make ends meet anymore. That's why
634. 21:28I came looking for the Waltons. He's a
635. 21:30brilliant student, but staying with me
636. 21:32is holding him back. Mark pleaded. I
637. 21:34know this is a misunderstanding, but I'm
638. 21:36out of options. Mr. Hayes, I'm begging
639. 21:38you. Please take Kyan. I, Dad, I'd
640. 21:41rather be poor with you than go anywhere
641. 21:43else. I'm not leaving, Kyle said, his
642. 21:46voice thick with emotion. The boy was
643. 21:48incredibly stubborn. I then noticed the
644. 21:50boy was still in his school uniform. I
645. 21:52couldn't believe he was Sarah's cousin.
646. 21:53Why hadn't Catherine explained this
647. 21:55earlier? Catherine sighed. I'd only met
648. 21:57with Mark twice. I had just transferred
649. 21:59him some money when your father-in-law
650. 22:01found out and refused to listen to
651. 22:02reason. I was planning to explain
652. 22:04everything at the birthday party, but
653. 22:06then and then when I found you both, he
654. 22:09still wouldn't listen. So, I decided to
655. 22:10bring them here to explain it to you
656. 22:12face to face. Here's the paternity test.
657. 22:14Rebecca had it done before she passed
658. 22:16away. So that was it. And all this time,
659. 22:18Arthur thought Mark was her lover. This
660. 22:20was a mess. I was speechless. Catherine
661. 22:22looked at me. Daniel, please take them
662. 22:24outside for a moment. Arthur, you stay.
663. 22:27I need to speak with you. Arthur looked
664. 22:28uneasy. I patted his shoulder. Just say
665. 22:31what's on your mind. I've got your back.
666. 22:33Arthur nodded and I led Mark and Kyle
667. 22:35out of the room. Once outside, I felt a
668. 22:37bit embarrassed. Hey, I'm really sorry
669. 22:39about that. It was a huge
670. 22:41misunderstanding. It's all right, Mark
671. 22:43said. I was foolish. I should have
672. 22:45contacted Mr. Hayes directly. Kyle looks
673. 22:47so much like his mother. It's no wonder
674. 22:49he misunderstood. But what's going on
675. 22:51with you and Sarah? She doesn't seem
676. 22:52like the type to be reckless. Just
677. 22:54thinking about Sarah made me angry. She
678. 22:56still wasn't back. Let me get you two
679. 22:58settled in a hotel for the night. It's
680. 23:00late. We can sort everything else out
681. 23:02tomorrow. Mark nodded and I took them to
682. 23:04a nearby hotel and got them checked in.
683. 23:06Afterwards, I tried calling Sarah, but
684. 23:08it was Leo Vans who answered the phone.
685. 23:10Where's Sarah? Mr. Miller, Sarah's in
686. 23:13the shower. Maybe you can call back
687. 23:14later. Then he hung up. I clenched my
688. 23:16fists so hard my knuckles turned white.
689. 23:18Damn him. How dare he lie to me. I was
690. 23:21grinding my teeth in fury, wanting
691. 23:23nothing more than to confront her right
692. 23:24then and there. But why should I let her
693. 23:26lead me around by the nose? I called the
694. 23:28bodyguard over. Find Sarah. If you can't
695. 23:30find her, you're all fired. The
696. 23:32bodyguard didn't dare hesitate and left
697. 23:34immediately. I also contacted my lawyer
698. 23:37and had him confirm whether the building
699. 23:38in Los Angeles was in my name. If it
700. 23:40was, I told him to inform Leo Vance to
701. 23:43get out immediately. Why should another
702. 23:44man be living in my property? The lawyer
703. 23:46was fast. He quickly confirmed the
704. 23:48property was in my name. That settled
705. 23:50it. Leo could pack his bags. My actions
706. 23:52immediately set Leo off. He called me
707. 23:55instantly. Daniel, what is the meaning
708. 23:57of this? Are you trying to ruin me?
709. 23:58Isn't this what you wanted? You tried to
710. 24:00steal my wife. You should have been
711. 24:02prepared for the consequences. You have
712. 24:04one day. Get out of my house. I hung up
713. 24:06and immediately blocked his number. Now
714. 24:08he was the one who should be panicking.
715. 24:10I wasn't worried. An hour later, the
716. 24:12bodyguards returned with Sarah. Her face
717. 24:14was flushed and she clung to me,
718. 24:16murmuring, "Daniel, I only want Daniel."
719. 24:19"Sir," one of the guards said, "Miss
720. 24:21Walton was drugged. When we found her,
721. 24:23Leo Vance was taking her clothes off and
722. 24:25trying to take pictures." Hearing this,
723. 24:27I flew into a rage. Where is he? We
724. 24:30brought him with us. With a thud, Leo
725. 24:32was forced to his knees in front of me.
726. 24:34His hair was a mess and there was a
727. 24:36fresh handprint on his cheek. He looked
728. 24:38pathetic. He gritted his teeth. I was so
729. 24:40close. You're a lucky man. Daniel even
730. 24:43drugged out of her mind. She was still
731. 24:45calling for you. I raised my hand and
732. 24:47slapped him hard across the face. Who
733. 24:49the hell do you think you are messing
734. 24:50with my wife? Make sure he's out of that
735. 24:52house and blacklist him. I want his
736. 24:54career to be over. The bodyguards nodded
737. 24:56and dragged Leo away. I took Sarah to a
738. 24:59private room where a doctor examined her
739. 25:01and put her on in four. She would be
740. 25:02fine once the drugs wore off. I was
741. 25:04about to leave when Sarah grabbed my
742. 25:06hand. Daniel, don't go. It's all my
743. 25:08fault. Please don't leave me. She was
744. 25:10half asleep, but she was still
745. 25:12apologizing, looking at her flushed
746. 25:13face. I sighed and patted her hand. I'm
747. 25:16not going anywhere. I'm not going. Sarah
748. 25:18held my hand in a death grip. I stayed
749. 25:20with her until late into the night when
750. 25:22I finally couldn't keep my eyes open any
751. 25:24longer and fell asleep. In my sleep, I
752. 25:27felt a chill and instinctively moved
753. 25:29closer to the source of warmth beside
754. 25:31me. When I woke up, I heard a woman's
755. 25:33laugh from above me. Daniel, I knew you
756. 25:35couldn't bear to leave me. I immediately
757. 25:37let go, my face flushing, and tried to
758. 25:40get up, but she held me tight. Honey, I
759. 25:42know you still love me. Otherwise, you
760. 25:44wouldn't have come to save me. You're so
761. 25:46good to me. I took a deep breath at a
762. 25:48loss for words. How did Leo manage to
763. 25:50drug you? You must have given him the
764. 25:52opportunity. I swear, honey. Leo called
765. 25:54me and said he had pictures of you. He
766. 25:56tried to blackmail me for $2 million. I
767. 25:59had no choice but to go meet him. I
768. 26:01never thought it was a trap. Sarah
769. 26:02kissed my forehead. Thank goodness for
770. 26:04you, honey. You're the best. As for Leo,
771. 26:07I won't let him get away with this.
772. 26:08Hearing this, I asked. I thought he was
773. 26:10just a cash cow for your company. Did
774. 26:12love turn to hate? I never loved him. He
775. 26:15used to be involved with Ms. Reynolds
776. 26:16from Apex Tech. I only tolerated him out
777. 26:19of respect for her. Now that he's tried
778. 26:21to pull this on me, he expects me to be
779. 26:23nice. Not a chance. Good. I already had
780. 26:26him thrown out of the house. Sarah
781. 26:27hugged me tightly. Good job, honey. I
782. 26:30patted her cheek. Okay. Okay. Let go.
783. 26:32People are watching. By the way, it
784. 26:34turns out Kyle is Aunt Rebecca's son.
785. 26:36Sarah was stunned for a moment, then it
786. 26:38clicked. Kyle, Mark Jennings's son, so
787. 26:41that's it. I knew my mother would never
788. 26:42do something like that. Daniel, you can
789. 26:44never scare me like that again. You have
790. 26:46no idea. My mother and I almost killed
791. 26:49ourselves. I didn't say anything. She
792. 26:51buried her head in my chest and I
793. 26:53sighed, wrapping my arms around her in
794. 26:55resignation. After Sarah recovered,
795. 26:57Arthur and Catherine also made up. We
796. 27:00brought Mark and his son back with us. I
797. 27:02have no idea how they found out, but a
798. 27:04horde of reporters was waiting for us.
799. 27:06Looking at the crowd outside, I
800. 27:07whispered to Sarah, "How did Leo know
801. 27:09where I was? And how did you find me?
802. 27:11Honey, that fantasy warrior photo of you
803. 27:14went viral on Tik Tok. Everyone saw it.
804. 27:16Leo got here before I did. He was taking
805. 27:18pictures of you, so of course he knew
806. 27:20where you were. So that's what happened.
807. 27:22The makeup artist posted my picture and
808. 27:24I hadn't even noticed. Sarah saw it and
809. 27:26tracked me down. But now with this media
810. 27:28circus, I had no idea what to do. Sarah
811. 27:31held my hand and Catherine stood
812. 27:33protectively by Arthur's side. The
813. 27:35official story was that Arthur and I had
814. 27:37miraculously survived and had spent the
815. 27:39last 6 months recovering in private.
816. 27:41When my warrior photo surfaced online,
817. 27:43people figured out I'd been running an
818. 27:45inn in Napa Valley. Recuperating more
819. 27:48like a vacation. I bet there was a
820. 27:49marriage crisis. What about Leo Vance? I
821. 27:52heard he got kicked out, so the wife
822. 27:54won. Fun fact, Leo Vance was the boy toy
823. 27:56of Ms. Reynolds at Apex Tech. After
824. 27:58Walton Corp acquired Apex, Leo lost his
825. 28:01value and got kicked to the curb.
826. 28:03Business wars in movies, epic stock
827. 28:05market battles, business wars in real
828. 28:07life. The sons-in-law faked their deaths
829. 28:09by jumping off a yacht. Reading these
830. 28:12comments on Twitter was a bit
831. 28:13embarrassing. The whole affair had
832. 28:15definitely had an impact on the Walton
833. 28:17family's reputation. But Catherine and
834. 28:19Sarah were ruthless. Very quickly, all
835. 28:21those rumors vanished from the internet.
836. 28:23Arthur and I were having tea in the
837. 28:25garden when he handed me a credit card.
838. 28:27Dad, what's this for? I didn't spend it
839. 28:29all, so you can have it. I'll just ask
840. 28:31her for more later. Your mother-in-law
841. 28:32gets so upset if I don't spend her
842. 28:34money. She thinks I'm planning to run
843. 28:36away again. He was shoving their
844. 28:37happiness right in my face. I sighed and
845. 28:39took the card. Daniel, a man has to keep
846. 28:42his wife on her toes to maintain his
847. 28:44position. What do you say we go check
848. 28:45out that club again tonight? I was taken
849. 28:47a back for a second, but then he gave me
850. 28:49a sly wink and I burst out laughing. All
851. 28:52right, you're on. I gave him an okay
852. 28:53sign. The two of us had a deal. That
853. 28:55evening, Arthur managed to convince
854. 28:57Catherine to attend some gala. I sent
855. 28:59Sarah along to keep her mother company,
856. 29:01telling her to keep a close eye out for
857. 29:03any unwanted suitors. Meanwhile, Arthur
858. 29:05and I snuck out to the club. I had to
859. 29:07admit, the clubs in Los Angeles were on
860. 29:09another level compared to what we had in
861. 29:11Napa, both in quality and quantity. I
862. 29:14watched the dancers on stage, their
863. 29:15bodies moving sensuously. The air was
864. 29:18thick with pherommones. One of them even
865. 29:20came right up to me and invited me to
866. 29:22touch her slender waist. My face turned
867. 29:24bright red. Arthur was laughing his head
868. 29:26off beside me. Don't be shy. You paid
869. 29:28for the ticket. Might as well enjoy the
870. 29:30show. As I reached out my hand, another
871. 29:32hand shot out of nowhere and clamped
872. 29:34down on my wrist. Honey, I froze. A
873. 29:37second later, I saw Catherine pull
874. 29:39Arthur into an embrace. What's this?
875. 29:41Couldn't get enough of a show at home,
876. 29:43so you had to come all the way out here.
877. 29:45Let me explain. I squinted at Sarah,
878. 29:47confused. Weren't you supposed to be at
879. 29:49a gala? I was, but then I happened to
880. 29:51see a certain someone's location pop up
881. 29:53right here. I knew you two had snuck off
882. 29:55to look at other women. Hearing that, I
883. 29:57just laughed nervously. Sarah raised an
884. 29:59eyebrow, grabbed my arm, and dragged me
885. 30:01out of there. Arthur was being held fast
886. 30:03by Catherine right behind us. We
887. 30:05exchanged a look of despair. There was
888. 30:07no escape. We had to go. When we got
889. 30:09home, I was still fuming about the cover
890. 30:11charge. We were only in there for 2
891. 30:13minutes before getting dragged out.
892. 30:15Seeing my expression, Sarah frowned.
893. 30:17What's wrong? Missing the show? I
894. 30:19flinched. Of course not. Why would I?
895. 30:21Good. In that case, I've decided on a
896. 30:23little punishment for you. One that will
897. 30:25make sure you have no time to think
898. 30:26about other women. I felt a pain of
899. 30:28guilt and tried to explain, but she
900. 30:30silenced me with a kiss. All night long,
901. 30:33Sarah took the lead, leaving my back
902. 30:35aching by morning. A year later, she
903. 30:37gave birth to our child. I was leaning
904. 30:39against the headboard, watching Sarah
905. 30:41rock our baby to sleep, and a wave of
906. 30:43warmth washed over me. Honey, for the
907. 30:46baby's 100day celebration, I have a gift
908. 30:48for you. I was about to refuse, but then
909. 30:50she handed me a contract. This
910. 30:52production company is in your name now.
911. 30:54I've signed a lot of beautiful young
912. 30:56actresses. You can look all you want,
913. 30:58but no touching. I love you so much,
914. 31:00honey. I jumped on her and showered her
915. 31:02with kisses, and she laughed, wrapping
916. 31:04her arms around me. In that moment, I
917. 31:06felt completely surrounded by happiness.
918. 31:09And of course, I could never forget
919. 31:10about my partner in crime, Arthur.