My boyfriend’s childhood friend, an acclaimed screenwriter, desperately needed a hit script to reclaim her former glory. So my boyfriend, who was also my therapist, handed her the story of my family’s murder. He didn’t tell me when the movie premiered. But I went anyway. On the big screen, my family of three, who were supposed to be the victims, were twisted into evil people who deserved their fate. The ruthless criminal, however, was painted as a pathetic figure, driven to crime by desperation. Watching my nightmare tear through the screen, I dug my nails deep into my palms until I felt the warm blood, biting my own skin just to stay conscious. When the movie ended, Scarlett ascended the stage to a wave of acclaim. With a smile, she linked arms with Liam and addressed the audience. “Everyone, this brilliant mind is not just the city’s top therapist—he’s the muse behind everything you just saw.” The hall erupted once more while the host praised them as a perfect match in talent and grace. Under Liam’s stunned gaze, I slowly raised my hand. “A question, if I may,” I said, “for the muse himself.”
Liam’s expression visibly froze. Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to show up. The panic in his eyes? I knew exactly what it meant. Two days ago, we’d planned a trip to a beach resort. But the day before we were supposed to leave, he claimed an urgent company matter came up. He apologized gently, “Audrey, wait for me, just one day. Go ahead without me, I’ll be right there as soon as I’m done.” I believed him. Until my best friend sent me a video, showing Liam and Scarlett appearing together at the movie premiere. Their intimacy was undeniable, like a couple. Forgetting all about the trip, I rushed over, only to see my family of three portrayed as villains in the film. It hit me then. He wasn’t busy; he just wanted to get rid of me. Liam’s eyes met mine, and he quickly looked away, unable to face me. So, he could be scared too. Scared of me knowing, scared of facing my anger. But he still did it, for Scarlett. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Dr. Liam, I’m just curious. The real-life inspiration you, as a therapist, provided to Screenwriter Scarlett for this creative project—where did it truly come from?” I wanted Liam’s explanation. To give him one last chance. Liam’s face went blank for a second. The next, he spoke calmly, “Just an old friend’s experience.” I froze for a few seconds, then let out a low laugh. Liam, I’m always too soft-hearted. Luckily, you’re far more ruthless than I am. I was so foolish. I already knew the answer, but I still wanted to hear how he would lie to me. Liam saw my eyes redden, and his tone was tinged with concern. “I…” Just then, Scarlett’s slightly sharp voice cut him off. “That’s an excellent question, young lady. It seems you’re a true enthusiast of our film. Why don’t I share a bit about Liam and my creative journey?” She launched into her story, oblivious. “The story in the movie was so heavy, I struggled to put pen to paper for a long time.” “Until I met Liam.” Her gaze shifted to Liam, her admiration thick and undeniable. “As a top-tier therapist, he dissected the innermost world of people suffering from PTSD for me. We explored the complexities of human nature, the boundaries of crime and punishment.” “He stayed up countless nights with me. Honestly, without him, this movie wouldn’t have its soul.” She finished, gazing at Liam with deep affection. Liam glanced at me, then immediately looked away as if burned, avoiding my eyes. But he still gave a stiff nod, playing along with Scarlett. Applause erupted from the audience, mixed with envious gasps. “Oh my God, they’re practically soulmates!” I quietly watched his face, a self-deprecating smile on my lips. I’d known Liam for six years, and we’d been together for four. Now, I was just an “old friend.” The scars I’d once confided in him were now discussed with Scarlett. He was using my pain to ingratiate himself with someone else.
When the applause died down a little, I calmed myself. ” ‘A deep dive into the human psyche.’ What a compelling tagline.” “But for Dr. Liam, a professional therapist, to provide a patient’s privacy as material to someone else…” I paused, my voice turning cold. “How does that align with your ethical oath?” As soon as the words left my mouth, the audience, who’d been shipping them just moments before, shifted uneasily. Right, leaking patient privacy—that’s a cardinal sin for a therapist! Reporters reacted quickly, their cameras and microphones zeroing in on Liam on stage. “Dr. Liam, is what this young lady said true?” “Did you really leak a patient’s privacy to Screenwriter Scarlett to use as script material?” Liam panicked, waving his hands frantically, his voice strained. “No! It’s not true! Everyone’s misunderstood, this isn’t a patient’s privacy!” Scarlett immediately jumped in, her voice tinged with grievance. “Our film is based on a real social event; how could it be a patient’s privacy? This young lady must have misunderstood something.” “Oh? Based on a real event?” I smiled. “Then, Screenwriter Scarlett, can you tell everyone where you learned about this ‘real event’?” Back then, due to a mistake by the involved officers, the killer almost escaped. Because of that, the case was hushed up, never reported. Aside from Liam as the source, Scarlett wouldn’t have known. Scarlett’s expression faltered, and she fell silent. She couldn’t say she heard it from Liam, because that would confirm his breach of confidentiality. She could only glare at me ominously. The air grew thick. Scarlett looked pleadingly at Liam. He gave me a deep look, as if making a decision. “The person involved was an old friend of mine. She didn’t want it mentioned again, so I originally didn’t want to say much.” “But since this young lady is so insistent, I’ll explain clearly.” My heart sank. He instinctively chose to protect Scarlett. I was utterly crushed. “My old friend knew the mistakes her parents had made. For years, she carried immense moral pressure and developed severe depression because of it.” “She came to me and confided everything, begging me to find a way to make this public, to warn the world, as an act of atonement for the victims.” He paused, his voice rising a few notches, imbued with a righteous indignation. “So, this is not a breach of confidentiality.” “Scarlett and I are simply helping a poor girl complete her journey of self-redemption.” I stared at Liam, speechless. My heart ached, a pain so intense it almost suffocated me. After my parents’ brutal deaths, I got sick. Depression. Living felt more painful than dying. I’d swallowed sleeping pills, cut my wrists, and stared down from rooftops countless times. Each time, someone pulled me back. Until, after one stomach pump, the doctor couldn’t bear it anymore and called in Liam. He told me I was a survivor, not a criminal. That some people in life are like gifts. With his companionship, I slowly healed. And now, his face had become as repulsive as the killer’s back then. I fought back tears, my voice trembling slightly. “Liam, you truly have no heart.” “So righteous, you’ve made yourself out to be a great hero.” I let out a sudden, hoarse laugh. “But you’ve twisted the truth, inverted right and wrong. When you wake up in the middle of the night, won’t your conscience eat you alive?!”
The crowd grew noisy. “What does she mean by that? Is she saying the movie is maliciously whitewashing a criminal?” “The portrayal of the criminal in the movie did feel uncomfortable.” “Yeah, and the victims were so stereotypical, like the ‘victim blaming’ kind of narrative…” Scarlett heard the murmurs, a flicker of panic in her eyes, and she tightened her grip on Liam’s arm. Seeing this, Liam’s eyes darkened. “Audrey! Do you have to cause a scene in public?!” “Your parents’ incident happened so many years ago. Why can’t you just let it go? Why do you insist on not letting them rest in peace even after death?!” I looked up at him sharply. The way he looked at me—disappointed, angry, and even a hint of resentment. Only the tenderness and care from before were gone. I felt a little dazed. All those years, I’d seen him as my salvation. He’d told me, in his most gentle voice, over and over. “Audrey, don’t be afraid, I’m here.” “Audrey, look, the sun is out. Let’s go sunbathe together, I’ll read you poetry.” I vaguely reached up and touched my face. The bitterness I’d suppressed for too long now coalesced into tears, streaming down my face. Liam saw my tears and froze for a few seconds, a flicker of remorse crossing his face. He instinctively raised his hand, as if to wipe away my tears like countless times before. But then he realized we were too far apart. He was on the stage, bathed in the spotlight; I was in the audience, isolated and alone. He awkwardly lowered his hand. Across the noisy crowd, his lips moved, and I heard him clearly. “Audrey, don’t make a scene. We’ll talk about this at home.” After my entire family had been nailed to a pillar of shame by him and Scarlett. What home was there left for us? I scoffed, curling my lips, and walked step by step onto the stage, addressing Liam. “My parents were slandered as criminals who got what they deserved. You’re the ones not letting them rest in peace! Liam, if it were you, could you let it go?” He opened his mouth, his Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty. He spoke, his voice hoarse, “Audrey, I did it for your own good. Your parents’ story needs more attention, it needs the truth.” Absurd. A short, bitter laugh escaped my throat. “The truth?” “The truth that romanticizes crime and criminals while stepping all over the victims?” “Or the truth where my parents are demonized, my father became an exploitative boss, my mother a homewrecker who stole a husband, and I, a cruel girl who bullied classmates?” My voice suddenly rose. “Liam, how does it feel to feed off our pain?!” The atmosphere around us solidified. Liam’s trembling voice broke the silence. “Audrey, that’s not what I meant. I just got agitated for a moment.” His eyes reddened, as if he truly regretted it. But the next second, he urgently said, “But this movie is very important to Scarlett; it can’t go wrong. Audrey, just back down for now, okay?” “After this, we’ll get married.” I slowly looked up at him, hot tears streaming from the corners of my eyes. But I laughed, my whole body trembling. “Back down? How can I back down?! You know how much pain I’ve been in for the past six years, you know all of it!” Liam heard my laughter, and his tone grew impatient. “Then what exactly do you want?” “Do you want to ruin my career, destroy Scarlett’s most important work, just to be satisfied?” His eyes were filled with disappointment. “When did you become so unreasonable?” I stood frozen. Looking at that face that once brought me so much comfort, I suddenly found it terrifyingly unfamiliar. “In your mind, her slandering my life is called ‘artwork’?” “And I, the victim you’re trampling and exploiting to the bone, am the criminal?” My questions made his face even uglier. He avoided my gaze, no longer daring to look into my eyes. Seeing this, Scarlett frowned, her tone scornful. “Ms. Shaw, why are your words so unpleasant? Liam and I are giving this issue more discussion; we’re documenting it with a film.” A flash of malice darted in her eyes. “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re that daughter who bullied her classmate and drove someone to suicide.” So, Scarlett knew everything. She just wanted me to admit my identity and humiliate me publicly.
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