My Husband Was Away, and His Son Did This to Me: A True Stepmom and Stepson Story
Over 50
[{'start': '0.000', 'end': '1.700', 'text': "I'm standing in the kitchen"}, {'start': '1.966', 'end': '5.333', 'text': 'my hands wrapped around a mug of chamomile tea'}, {'start': '5.800', 'end': '8.400', 'text': 'the steam rising in delicate curls'}, {'start': '8.400', 'end': '11.700', 'text': 'that catch the dim light of the pendant lamp above'}, {'start': '12.433', 'end': '15.233', 'text': 'the house is suffocatingly quiet'}, {'start': '15.733', 'end': '17.033', 'text': 'the kind of silence'}, {'start': '17.033', 'end': '19.300', 'text': 'that makes every creak of the floorboards'}, {'start': '19.300', 'end': '22.366', 'text': 'feel like a shout at 35'}, {'start': '22.366', 'end': '25.300', 'text': "I'm still finding my footing in this life"}, {'start': '25.366', 'end': '27.900', 'text': 'married to David for just over a year'}, {'start': '27.966', 'end': '29.333', 'text': 'living in his expansive'}, {'start': '29.333', 'end': '31.866', 'text': 'suburban home on the outskirts of Seattle'}, {'start': '32.000', 'end': '34.133', 'text': 'and trying to navigate the complicated'}, {'start': '34.133', 'end': '38.300', 'text': 'role of stepmother to his 22 year old son Ethan'}, {'start': '39.166', 'end': '41.133', 'text': "David's away on a business trip"}, {'start': '41.133', 'end': '42.600', 'text': 'as he often is'}, {'start': '43.000', 'end': '45.800', 'text': 'leaving me alone with Ethan for two weeks'}, {'start': '46.733', 'end': '49.033', 'text': 'the thought sends a shiver through me'}, {'start': '49.033', 'end': '51.700', 'text': 'not from fear but from a tension'}, {'start': '51.700', 'end': '54.100', 'text': "that's been simmering beneath the surface of our"}, {'start': '54.100', 'end': '58.200', 'text': 'interactions growing heavier with each passing day'}, {'start': '59.000', 'end': '60.666', 'text': 'I take a sip of tea'}, {'start': '60.933', 'end': '63.600', 'text': 'my eyes flicking to the clock on the wall'}, {'start': '63.933', 'end': '65.333', 'text': "it's nearly 10"}, {'start': '65.333', 'end': '67.933', 'text': "and Ethan hasn't come downstairs for dinner"}, {'start': '68.366', 'end': '70.000', 'text': "he's been distant lately"}, {'start': '70.166', 'end': '72.466', 'text': 'retreating to his room or the gym'}, {'start': '72.700', 'end': '75.300', 'text': 'his broad shoulders and quiet intensity'}, {'start': '75.333', 'end': '77.966', 'text': 'a far cry from the gangly teenager I met'}, {'start': '77.966', 'end': '80.000', 'text': 'when I first started dating David'}, {'start': '81.166', 'end': '82.733', 'text': "Ethan's a man now"}, {'start': '82.733', 'end': '85.333', 'text': "with a gaze that carries a weight I can't ignore"}, {'start': '85.600', 'end': '88.466', 'text': "one that stirs something in me I don't want to name"}, {'start': '89.533', 'end': '90.933', 'text': 'I shake my head'}, {'start': '91.166', 'end': '94.233', 'text': 'trying to push the thought away and set my mug down'}, {'start': '94.800', 'end': '97.966', 'text': "maybe he's just hungry I'll check on him"}, {'start': '97.966', 'end': '99.400', 'text': "make sure he's okay"}, {'start': '100.400', 'end': '102.766', 'text': 'the stairs grown under my bare feet'}, {'start': '102.766', 'end': '104.733', 'text': 'as I climbed to the second floor'}, {'start': '105.200', 'end': '106.000', 'text': 'the hallway'}, {'start': '106.000', 'end': '108.333', 'text': 'bathed in a soft glow from the street lights'}, {'start': '108.333', 'end': '109.833', 'text': 'filtering through the windows'}, {'start': '110.900', 'end': '113.300', 'text': "Ethan's door is slightly ajar"}, {'start': '113.300', 'end': '116.533', 'text': 'a thin sliver of light spilling onto the hardwood'}, {'start': '117.233', 'end': '120.733', 'text': 'I hesitate my hand hovering near the door frame'}, {'start': '121.500', 'end': '122.966', 'text': "I don't want to intrude"}, {'start': '122.966', 'end': '125.533', 'text': 'but a strange mix of concern and curiosity'}, {'start': '125.633', 'end': '127.100', 'text': 'something almost maternal'}, {'start': '127.100', 'end': '129.666', 'text': 'yet not quite urges me forward'}, {'start': '129.900', 'end': '131.633', 'text': 'I tapped lightly on the door'}, {'start': '131.633', 'end': '133.600', 'text': 'my voice barely above a whisper'}, {'start': '134.233', 'end': '135.133', 'text': 'Ethan'}, {'start': '135.700', 'end': '137.100', 'text': 'you OK in there'}, {'start': '138.100', 'end': '139.200', 'text': 'no answer'}, {'start': '140.200', 'end': '142.433', 'text': 'I push the door open just a fraction'}, {'start': '142.600', 'end': '145.700', 'text': 'enough to peek inside and the sight stops me cold'}, {'start': '146.233', 'end': '149.333', 'text': "Ethan's on his bed his back against the headboard"}, {'start': '149.366', 'end': '151.033', 'text': 'eyes closed his hand'}, {'start': '151.033', 'end': '151.300', 'text': 'moving'}, {'start': '151.300', 'end': '154.133', 'text': 'in a rhythm that leaves no room for misinterpretation'}, {'start': '154.633', 'end': '157.733', 'text': 'the room is lit by the blue glow of his laptop'}, {'start': '158.033', 'end': '160.133', 'text': 'the screen angled away from me'}, {'start': '160.133', 'end': '163.400', 'text': 'but the sounds soft urgent'}, {'start': '163.500', 'end': '166.333', 'text': 'unmistakable fill the air'}, {'start': '167.000', 'end': '170.500', 'text': 'my breath catches my face flushing with heat'}, {'start': '170.966', 'end': '173.400', 'text': 'I should turn away should run'}, {'start': '173.566', 'end': '175.833', 'text': 'but my feet are rooted to the floor'}, {'start': '176.033', 'end': '179.033', 'text': 'my mind blank with shock and something else'}, {'start': '179.133', 'end': '182.466', 'text': "something I can't or won't name"}, {'start': '183.033', 'end': '185.000', 'text': 'then his eyes snap open'}, {'start': '185.166', 'end': '188.433', 'text': 'our gazes lock and time seems to freeze'}, {'start': '188.633', 'end': '191.333', 'text': 'his face pales his hand stilling'}, {'start': '191.333', 'end': '193.666', 'text': 'as he scrambles to pull the blanket over himself'}, {'start': '194.800', 'end': '199.300', 'text': 'Emily his voice is a strangled mix of panic and shame'}, {'start': '199.400', 'end': '201.233', 'text': 'his eyes wide with horror'}, {'start': '202.233', 'end': '204.833', 'text': "I'm sorry I stammer"}, {'start': '204.833', 'end': '207.100', 'text': 'my voice barely audible I'}, {'start': '207.100', 'end': '208.100', 'text': 'stumble backward'}, {'start': '208.100', 'end': '210.433', 'text': 'nearly tripping as I yank the door shut'}, {'start': '210.766', 'end': '213.900', 'text': 'my heart pounds so hard it feels like it might burst'}, {'start': '213.966', 'end': '217.233', 'text': 'my cheeks burning as I flee down the hallway to my room'}, {'start': '217.566', 'end': '220.033', 'text': 'I slam the door and lean against it'}, {'start': '220.033', 'end': '222.300', 'text': 'my breath coming in ragged gasps'}, {'start': '222.800', 'end': '226.466', 'text': 'what did I just see what have I done'}, {'start': '226.833', 'end': '229.133', 'text': 'I press my hands to my face'}, {'start': '229.400', 'end': '231.433', 'text': 'trying to erase the image'}, {'start': '231.433', 'end': '233.600', 'text': 'but it seared into my mind'}, {'start': '233.633', 'end': '236.000', 'text': 'his body his intensity'}, {'start': '236.333', 'end': '238.666', 'text': 'the raw vulnerability of the moment'}, {'start': '238.800', 'end': '242.133', 'text': 'the next few days are a torturous dance of avoidance'}, {'start': '242.966', 'end': '244.900', 'text': 'I throw myself into work'}, {'start': '244.933', 'end': '247.466', 'text': 'burying myself in emails and spreadsheets'}, {'start': '247.700', 'end': '250.033', 'text': 'anything to keep my mind off that night'}, {'start': '250.766', 'end': '253.233', 'text': 'Ethan becomes a shadow in the house'}, {'start': '253.333', 'end': '255.800', 'text': 'slipping out early and returning late'}, {'start': '256.033', 'end': '259.266', 'text': "his footsteps so soft they're almost ghostly"}, {'start': '259.600', 'end': '261.866', 'text': 'but the air between us has shifted'}, {'start': '262.000', 'end': '265.333', 'text': 'charged with an electricity that makes my skin prickle'}, {'start': '265.800', 'end': '267.933', 'text': "I tell myself it's just guilt"}, {'start': '268.000', 'end': '270.833', 'text': 'just embarrassment but deep down'}, {'start': '270.833', 'end': '272.666', 'text': "I know it's more than that"}, {'start': '272.800', 'end': '275.500', 'text': 'it starts suddenly so suddenly'}, {'start': '275.500', 'end': '278.666', 'text': "I almost convince myself I'm imagining it"}, {'start': '279.400', 'end': '282.466', 'text': "I catch him watching me when he thinks I'm not looking"}, {'start': '282.700', 'end': '284.000', 'text': 'his eyes lingering'}, {'start': '284.000', 'end': '286.533', 'text': 'as I stretch to reach a glass in the kitchen'}, {'start': '286.633', 'end': '288.733', 'text': 'or bend to pick up a stray sock'}, {'start': '288.733', 'end': '290.233', 'text': 'from the living room floor'}, {'start': '291.100', 'end': '293.533', 'text': 'his glances are fleeting but heavy'}, {'start': '293.933', 'end': '297.466', 'text': 'leaving a warmth in their wake that I try to ignore'}, {'start': '298.233', 'end': '301.666', 'text': "one evening while I'm chopping vegetables for dinner"}, {'start': '302.166', 'end': '304.833', 'text': 'he comes up behind me to grab a water bottle'}, {'start': '304.833', 'end': '307.833', 'text': 'from the fridge his body so close'}, {'start': '307.833', 'end': '310.500', 'text': 'I can feel the heat radiating from him'}, {'start': '311.300', 'end': '313.533', 'text': 'his arm brushes against mine'}, {'start': '313.633', 'end': '316.133', 'text': 'deliberate enough to make my breath hitch'}, {'start': '316.766', 'end': '319.866', 'text': 'I turn and his expression is unreadable'}, {'start': '320.033', 'end': '322.600', 'text': "his lips parted as if he's about to speak"}, {'start': '322.600', 'end': '323.733', 'text': "but he doesn't"}, {'start': '324.533', 'end': '326.733', 'text': 'sorry he mutters'}, {'start': '326.733', 'end': '328.500', 'text': 'retreating to the living room'}, {'start': '329.100', 'end': '331.433', 'text': 'but the way his eyes held mine'}, {'start': '331.566', 'end': '333.300', 'text': 'dark searching'}, {'start': '333.500', 'end': '337.066', 'text': "lingers a silent question I'm afraid to answer"}, {'start': '337.433', 'end': '340.366', 'text': "I try to dismiss it he's young"}, {'start': '340.366', 'end': '343.033', 'text': 'confused projecting something onto me'}, {'start': '343.033', 'end': '345.300', 'text': "because I'm the only woman in the house"}, {'start': '345.733', 'end': '348.033', 'text': "I'm his stepmother for God's sake"}, {'start': '348.433', 'end': '351.366', 'text': 'but the rational part of my mind is losing ground'}, {'start': '351.366', 'end': '354.166', 'text': 'to something else something that stirs'}, {'start': '354.166', 'end': '356.266', 'text': "in the quiet moments when I'm alone"}, {'start': '357.133', 'end': '359.000', 'text': 'I notice things about him'}, {'start': '359.200', 'end': '362.633', 'text': 'the way his T-shirt clings to his chest after a workout'}, {'start': '363.000', 'end': '363.900', 'text': 'the low'}, {'start': '363.933', 'end': '366.700', 'text': 'gravelly edge to his voice when he says goodnight'}, {'start': '367.000', 'end': '369.266', 'text': "it's wrong so wrong"}, {'start': '369.533', 'end': '372.466', 'text': 'but the thoughts creep in uninvited'}, {'start': '372.700', 'end': '375.466', 'text': "like a forbidden melody I can't stop humming"}, {'start': '376.566', 'end': '378.233', 'text': 'a week after the incident'}, {'start': '378.333', 'end': '379.700', 'text': "I'm in the living room"}, {'start': '379.900', 'end': '382.700', 'text': 'curled up on the couch with a glass of wine and a book'}, {'start': '382.700', 'end': '384.033', 'text': "I'm pretending to read"}, {'start': '384.700', 'end': '386.866', 'text': 'the TV is on muted'}, {'start': '387.033', 'end': '389.700', 'text': 'casting flickering shadows across the walls'}, {'start': '390.566', 'end': '394.533', 'text': 'Ethan comes downstairs his hair damp from a shower'}, {'start': '394.566', 'end': '397.366', 'text': 'wearing a fitted black T-shirt that hugs his frame'}, {'start': '397.366', 'end': '399.900', 'text': 'and sweatpants that sit low on his hips'}, {'start': '400.566', 'end': '404.066', 'text': 'he pauses in the doorway his hands in his pockets'}, {'start': '404.200', 'end': '406.100', 'text': 'and the air feels heavier'}, {'start': '406.300', 'end': '411.466', 'text': 'charged with an unspoken tension mind if I join you'}, {'start': '411.800', 'end': '414.033', 'text': 'he asks his voice low'}, {'start': '414.033', 'end': '416.833', 'text': "almost hesitant but there's an edge to it"}, {'start': '416.833', 'end': '419.500', 'text': "a quiet confidence that wasn't there before"}, {'start': '419.800', 'end': '422.233', 'text': 'I glance up my heart stuttering'}, {'start': '423.333', 'end': '425.033', 'text': 'sure I say'}, {'start': '425.033', 'end': '427.300', 'text': 'gesturing to the armchair across from me'}, {'start': '427.400', 'end': '429.300', 'text': 'but instead of taking the chair'}, {'start': '429.800', 'end': '431.333', 'text': 'he sits on the couch'}, {'start': '431.533', 'end': '433.866', 'text': 'close enough that I can smell the clean'}, {'start': '433.933', 'end': '436.100', 'text': 'cedarwood scent of his body wash'}, {'start': '437.000', 'end': '439.733', 'text': 'my fingers tighten around my wine glass'}, {'start': '440.166', 'end': '441.200', 'text': 'the cool glass'}, {'start': '441.200', 'end': '443.533', 'text': 'grounding me against the warmth of his presence'}, {'start': '444.433', 'end': '445.900', 'text': 'we sit in silence'}, {'start': '446.533', 'end': '449.400', 'text': 'the tension between us thick enough to choke on'}, {'start': '449.733', 'end': '451.900', 'text': 'I try to focus on my book'}, {'start': '452.033', 'end': '454.266', 'text': 'but the words swim on the page'}, {'start': '454.533', 'end': '455.366', 'text': 'my awareness'}, {'start': '455.366', 'end': '458.633', 'text': 'consumed by the way his knee is inches from mine'}, {'start': '458.966', 'end': '461.833', 'text': 'the way his breathing seems to sink with my own'}, {'start': '462.233', 'end': '465.066', 'text': 'then slowly deliberately'}, {'start': '465.433', 'end': '469.200', 'text': 'he shifts closer his thigh brushing against mine'}, {'start': '469.533', 'end': '471.266', 'text': 'the contact is electric'}, {'start': '471.500', 'end': '474.633', 'text': 'sending a jolt through me that I feel in every nerve'}, {'start': '474.966', 'end': '478.600', 'text': 'I freeze my breath catching as I look at him'}, {'start': '478.800', 'end': '481.266', 'text': 'his eyes are dark intense'}, {'start': '481.333', 'end': '483.700', 'text': "and there's no mistaking the desire in them"}, {'start': '484.633', 'end': '486.833', 'text': 'Ethan I say'}, {'start': '486.833', 'end': '489.500', 'text': 'my voice trembling barely above a whisper'}, {'start': '490.333', 'end': '491.733', 'text': 'what are you doing'}, {'start': '492.566', 'end': '494.233', 'text': "he doesn't answer with words"}, {'start': '494.633', 'end': '496.600', 'text': 'instead he reaches out'}, {'start': '496.600', 'end': '498.466', 'text': 'his fingers grazing my wrist'}, {'start': '498.733', 'end': '502.133', 'text': 'light but deliberate trailing up to my forearm'}, {'start': '503.233', 'end': '506.700', 'text': 'the touch is searing and I pull my hand back'}, {'start': '506.933', 'end': '509.333', 'text': 'my mind screaming at me to stand'}, {'start': '509.366', 'end': '513.433', 'text': 'to leave to stop this before it spirals out of control'}, {'start': '514.166', 'end': '518.433', 'text': 'but my body betrays me staying rooted to the couch'}, {'start': '518.600', 'end': '520.600', 'text': 'caught in the pull of his gaze'}, {'start': '520.866', 'end': '522.800', 'text': "I can't stop thinking about you"}, {'start': '523.166', 'end': '525.433', 'text': 'he says his voice low and rough'}, {'start': '525.433', 'end': '526.933', 'text': "like he's confessing a sin"}, {'start': '527.900', 'end': '529.800', 'text': 'every day every night'}, {'start': '529.800', 'end': '530.866', 'text': "it's you"}, {'start': '531.500', 'end': '532.766', 'text': 'my throat tightens'}, {'start': '532.766', 'end': '535.433', 'text': 'a mix of fear and longing twisting in my chest'}, {'start': '536.233', 'end': '538.000', 'text': "Ethan we can't"}, {'start': '538.300', 'end': '540.400', 'text': 'I say my voice cracking'}, {'start': '540.633', 'end': '543.066', 'text': "this is wrong you know it's wrong"}, {'start': '543.900', 'end': '546.133', 'text': 'I know he says'}, {'start': '546.133', 'end': '548.066', 'text': 'his eyes never leaving mine'}, {'start': '548.933', 'end': '550.466', 'text': "but I don't care"}, {'start': '551.366', 'end': '553.333', 'text': 'the words hit me like a wave'}, {'start': '553.333', 'end': '557.300', 'text': 'raw and unfiltered I want to tell him to leave'}, {'start': '557.500', 'end': '559.033', 'text': 'to go back to his room'}, {'start': '559.133', 'end': '561.133', 'text': 'to pretend this moment never happened'}, {'start': '561.966', 'end': '565.600', 'text': "but there's a part of me small reckless"}, {'start': '565.633', 'end': '568.466', 'text': "alive that doesn't want him to go"}, {'start': '569.033', 'end': '571.533', 'text': "it's a part I've buried for years"}, {'start': '572.000', 'end': '574.733', 'text': 'a part that craves the way he looks at me'}, {'start': '574.966', 'end': '577.233', 'text': "like I'm more than just David's wife"}, {'start': '577.433', 'end': '579.033', 'text': 'more than just a stepmother'}, {'start': '579.900', 'end': '583.666', 'text': "it terrifies me but it's intoxicating too"}, {'start': '584.500', 'end': '588.266', 'text': 'I stand abruptly my wine glass nearly tipping over'}, {'start': '589.166', 'end': '591.700', 'text': 'I need to go I mutter'}, {'start': '591.766', 'end': '593.133', 'text': 'heading for the stairs'}, {'start': '593.400', 'end': '596.600', 'text': 'my heart pounding so hard it drowns out everything else'}, {'start': '596.933', 'end': '600.000', 'text': 'but as I pass him his hand catches my wrist'}, {'start': '600.000', 'end': '601.200', 'text': 'gentle but firm'}, {'start': '601.366', 'end': '603.533', 'text': 'pulling me back just enough to make me pause'}, {'start': '604.600', 'end': '607.000', 'text': 'Emily he says'}, {'start': '607.000', 'end': '609.333', 'text': 'his voice softer now almost pleading'}, {'start': '609.933', 'end': '611.300', 'text': "don't run from this"}, {'start': '611.933', 'end': '614.666', 'text': 'I yank my hand free my breath shaky'}, {'start': '615.500', 'end': '616.500', 'text': 'good night Ethan'}, {'start': '616.766', 'end': '619.866', 'text': 'I say and I force myself to walk away'}, {'start': '619.933', 'end': '622.133', 'text': 'each step a battle against the pull I feel'}, {'start': '622.133', 'end': '625.800', 'text': 'behind me the days that follow are a torment of guilt'}, {'start': '625.800', 'end': '627.600', 'text': 'desire and confusion'}, {'start': '628.133', 'end': '629.900', 'text': 'I throw myself into routine'}, {'start': '629.900', 'end': '632.333', 'text': 'cleaning the house cooking elaborate meals'}, {'start': '632.333', 'end': '635.600', 'text': 'anything to keep my hands busy and my mind distracted'}, {'start': '636.000', 'end': '637.900', 'text': 'but Ethan is relentless'}, {'start': '638.000', 'end': '641.400', 'text': 'his quiet pursuit growing bolder with each passing day'}, {'start': '641.733', 'end': '644.000', 'text': 'he finds excuses to be near me'}, {'start': '644.000', 'end': '645.233', 'text': 'helping with dishes'}, {'start': '645.366', 'end': '647.266', 'text': 'lingering in the kitchen while I cook'}, {'start': '647.600', 'end': '648.400', 'text': 'his presence'}, {'start': '648.400', 'end': '651.200', 'text': "a constant reminder of the line we're dancing on"}, {'start': '651.833', 'end': '653.700', 'text': 'each brush of his hand'}, {'start': '653.900', 'end': '656.866', 'text': 'each loaded glance chips away at my resolve'}, {'start': '657.133', 'end': '659.733', 'text': 'and I hate myself for how much I notice'}, {'start': '659.966', 'end': '663.666', 'text': 'how much I want I think about calling David'}, {'start': '663.766', 'end': '665.066', 'text': 'confessing everything'}, {'start': '665.600', 'end': '667.900', 'text': 'but the words stick in my throat'}, {'start': '668.300', 'end': '671.933', 'text': 'what would I say that I walked in on his son'}, {'start': '671.933', 'end': '674.533', 'text': "and now can't stop imagining him"}, {'start': '674.900', 'end': '676.966', 'text': "that I'm teetering on the edge of something"}, {'start': '676.966', 'end': '678.600', 'text': "I can't come back from"}, {'start': '679.333', 'end': '681.700', 'text': 'the shame burns hot in my chest'}, {'start': '681.700', 'end': '684.100', 'text': 'and I bury it hoping it will fade'}, {'start': '684.300', 'end': '686.400', 'text': "but it doesn't if anything"}, {'start': '686.566', 'end': '690.700', 'text': "it grows fed by the forbidden pull of Ethan's attention"}, {'start': '691.433', 'end': '693.800', 'text': 'I catch myself changing suddenly'}, {'start': '693.800', 'end': '696.333', 'text': 'at first choosing tighter jeans'}, {'start': '696.700', 'end': '699.633', 'text': 'a blouse that dips a little lower at the neckline'}, {'start': '700.500', 'end': '703.500', 'text': "I tell myself it's for me to feel good"}, {'start': '703.566', 'end': '706.333', 'text': "but deep down I know it's for him"}, {'start': '706.400', 'end': '709.400', 'text': 'for the way his eyes darken when he sees me'}, {'start': '710.133', 'end': '712.333', 'text': 'the realization makes me sick'}, {'start': '712.500', 'end': '715.233', 'text': 'but it also sends a thrill through me'}, {'start': '715.233', 'end': '716.866', 'text': "one I can't shake"}, {'start': '717.366', 'end': '720.000', 'text': 'the tension escalates over the next week'}, {'start': '720.000', 'end': '722.500', 'text': 'each day a tighter knot in my chest'}, {'start': '723.100', 'end': '726.500', 'text': "Ethan's behavior shifts becoming more brazen"}, {'start': '726.766', 'end': '729.100', 'text': 'though still carefully restrained'}, {'start': '729.933', 'end': '732.433', 'text': 'he starts leaving his gym clothes around'}, {'start': '732.733', 'end': '735.200', 'text': 'sweaty t shirts draped over the couch'}, {'start': '735.500', 'end': '738.433', 'text': 'his scent lingering in the air like a challenge'}, {'start': '738.900', 'end': '739.900', 'text': 'I notice'}, {'start': '740.033', 'end': '744.066', 'text': 'and it unnerves me how much I notice the faint musk'}, {'start': '744.166', 'end': '745.700', 'text': 'the way my mind conjures'}, {'start': '745.700', 'end': '748.033', 'text': 'the image of his body beneath the fabric'}, {'start': '748.400', 'end': '751.933', 'text': 'I scolded myself try to focus on anything else'}, {'start': '752.100', 'end': '755.700', 'text': 'but the thoughts return persistent and unyielding'}, {'start': '756.600', 'end': '759.300', 'text': "one afternoon I'm in the laundry room"}, {'start': '759.300', 'end': '761.066', 'text': 'sorting through a pile of clothes'}, {'start': '761.533', 'end': '763.700', 'text': 'when Ethan appears in the doorway'}, {'start': '764.333', 'end': '767.000', 'text': "he's shirtless fresh from a workout"}, {'start': '767.033', 'end': '769.100', 'text': 'his skin glistening with sweat'}, {'start': '769.533', 'end': '772.433', 'text': 'his chest rising and falling with each breath'}, {'start': '773.166', 'end': '776.733', 'text': 'I freeze my hands clutching a pair of his jeans'}, {'start': '777.033', 'end': '778.433', 'text': 'my eyes betraying me'}, {'start': '778.433', 'end': '780.666', 'text': 'as they trace the lines of his torso'}, {'start': '780.900', 'end': '782.900', 'text': 'the taut muscles of his abdomen'}, {'start': '783.400', 'end': '785.133', 'text': 'he leans against the door frame'}, {'start': '785.133', 'end': '787.800', 'text': 'watching me with a gaze that feels like a touch'}, {'start': '788.933', 'end': '791.400', 'text': 'need help he asks'}, {'start': '791.400', 'end': '793.666', 'text': 'his voice low almost teasing'}, {'start': '793.800', 'end': '796.800', 'text': "but there's a hunger in it that makes my pulse race"}, {'start': '797.500', 'end': '800.833', 'text': 'I swallow hard forcing my eyes back to the laundry'}, {'start': '801.300', 'end': '803.500', 'text': "I'm fine I say"}, {'start': '803.500', 'end': '805.400', 'text': "my voice tighter than I'd like"}, {'start': '805.433', 'end': '806.833', 'text': 'you should go shower'}, {'start': '806.933', 'end': '809.400', 'text': "he doesn't move instead"}, {'start': '809.433', 'end': '810.900', 'text': 'he steps closer'}, {'start': '811.166', 'end': '814.133', 'text': 'close enough that I can feel the heat of his body'}, {'start': '814.500', 'end': '817.633', 'text': 'the air between us charged with something dangerous'}, {'start': '818.566', 'end': '821.300', 'text': 'you sure he says'}, {'start': '821.366', 'end': '823.800', 'text': 'his tone daring me to look at him'}, {'start': '824.233', 'end': '825.866', 'text': "looks like you're struggling"}, {'start': '826.800', 'end': '829.400', 'text': 'my heart pounds and I step back'}, {'start': '829.400', 'end': '831.333', 'text': 'putting the washing machine between us'}, {'start': '831.833', 'end': '833.400', 'text': 'Ethan please'}, {'start': '833.633', 'end': '837.066', 'text': 'I say my voice trembling go'}, {'start': '837.733', 'end': '839.500', 'text': 'he holds my gaze for a moment'}, {'start': '839.500', 'end': '841.333', 'text': 'then smirks a slow'}, {'start': '841.333', 'end': '842.933', 'text': 'deliberate curve of his lips'}, {'start': '842.933', 'end': '844.600', 'text': 'that sends a shiver through me'}, {'start': '845.366', 'end': '847.233', 'text': 'alright he says'}, {'start': '847.233', 'end': '850.000', 'text': 'turning to leave but he pauses at the door'}, {'start': '850.000', 'end': '853.266', 'text': 'glancing back you know where to find me'}, {'start': '854.133', 'end': '857.033', 'text': "the words linger a challenge I can't ignore"}, {'start': '857.800', 'end': '859.733', 'text': 'I lean against the washing machine'}, {'start': '859.800', 'end': '862.533', 'text': 'my hands shaking my breath uneven'}, {'start': '863.100', 'end': '864.500', 'text': "I'm losing control"}, {'start': '864.500', 'end': '868.000', 'text': "and the worst part is a part of me doesn't want to stop"}, {'start': '868.700', 'end': '871.066', 'text': 'the internal battle rages on'}, {'start': '871.166', 'end': '874.033', 'text': 'each day a new test of my willpower'}, {'start': '874.733', 'end': '876.466', 'text': 'I try to create distance'}, {'start': '876.566', 'end': '879.233', 'text': 'to keep our interactions brief and impersonal'}, {'start': '879.500', 'end': '882.233', 'text': 'but Ethan senses my weakening resolve'}, {'start': '883.000', 'end': '886.133', 'text': 'his actions grow bolder more deliberate'}, {'start': '886.766', 'end': '889.266', 'text': 'at dinner he sits closer'}, {'start': '889.566', 'end': '892.333', 'text': 'his foot brushing against mine under the table'}, {'start': '892.633', 'end': '895.633', 'text': 'lingering just long enough to make my breath catch'}, {'start': '896.100', 'end': '898.733', 'text': 'in the hallway he brushes past me'}, {'start': '898.733', 'end': '900.600', 'text': 'his hand grazing my hip'}, {'start': '900.633', 'end': '903.333', 'text': 'the contact fleeting but intentional'}, {'start': '903.633', 'end': '905.666', 'text': 'each touch is a spark'}, {'start': '905.800', 'end': '908.533', 'text': "and I'm terrified of the inferno it could ignite"}, {'start': '909.366', 'end': '912.600', 'text': "one night I'm in the kitchen washing dishes"}, {'start': '912.800', 'end': '914.033', 'text': 'the repetitive motion'}, {'start': '914.033', 'end': '916.833', 'text': 'a small anchor against the chaos in my mind'}, {'start': '917.033', 'end': '918.500', 'text': 'Ethan comes in'}, {'start': '918.500', 'end': '921.466', 'text': 'grabbing a glass of water and instead of leaving'}, {'start': '921.533', 'end': '923.266', 'text': 'he leans against the counter'}, {'start': '923.500', 'end': '927.533', 'text': 'his eyes fixed on me I keep my focus on the sink'}, {'start': '927.800', 'end': '930.533', 'text': 'scrubbing a plate with more force than necessary'}, {'start': '930.800', 'end': '934.233', 'text': 'but I can feel his gaze heavy and unrelenting'}, {'start': '935.366', 'end': '937.766', 'text': 'you okay he asks'}, {'start': '937.766', 'end': '939.633', 'text': 'his voice soft but probing'}, {'start': '939.633', 'end': '941.233', 'text': "like he's testing the waters"}, {'start': '941.733', 'end': '944.500', 'text': 'I nod not trusting myself to speak'}, {'start': '944.700', 'end': '947.500', 'text': "my hands are trembling and I pray he doesn't notice"}, {'start': '947.600', 'end': '950.466', 'text': 'but he does he always does'}, {'start': '951.333', 'end': '954.633', 'text': 'you seem tense he says'}, {'start': '954.633', 'end': '957.133', 'text': 'stepping closer his voice dropping to a low'}, {'start': '957.133', 'end': '958.133', 'text': 'intimate tone'}, {'start': '959.000', 'end': '960.133', 'text': 'let me help'}, {'start': '960.933', 'end': '963.400', 'text': "before I can respond he's behind me"}, {'start': '963.400', 'end': '965.600', 'text': 'his hands resting lightly on my shoulders'}, {'start': '966.100', 'end': '969.266', 'text': 'the touch is gentle but it sends a jolt through me'}, {'start': '969.400', 'end': '972.333', 'text': 'my body responding in ways that make my head spin'}, {'start': '972.766', 'end': '975.833', 'text': 'I freeze my hands still in the soapy water'}, {'start': '975.966', 'end': '977.700', 'text': 'my heart pounding so hard'}, {'start': '977.700', 'end': '979.133', 'text': "I'm sure he can hear it"}, {'start': '979.733', 'end': '981.966', 'text': 'Ethan I say'}, {'start': '981.966', 'end': '985.233', 'text': 'my voice barely audible a warning and a plea'}, {'start': '985.966', 'end': '987.266', 'text': "he doesn't move"}, {'start': '987.366', 'end': '990.600', 'text': 'his thumbs brushing slow circles against my shoulders'}, {'start': '990.800', 'end': '993.600', 'text': 'the motion both soothing and maddening'}, {'start': '994.400', 'end': '996.400', 'text': "you don't have to fight this"}, {'start': '996.766', 'end': '999.866', 'text': 'he murmurs his breath warm against my ear'}, {'start': '1000.433', 'end': '1001.900', 'text': 'I feel it too'}, {'start': '1002.333', 'end': '1004.366', 'text': 'I whip around breaking his hold'}, {'start': '1004.366', 'end': '1005.533', 'text': 'my chest heaving'}, {'start': '1006.166', 'end': '1008.000', 'text': 'stop I say'}, {'start': '1008.000', 'end': '1011.266', 'text': 'my voice shaking with a mix of anger and desperation'}, {'start': '1011.633', 'end': '1014.266', 'text': "this can't happen you know it can't"}, {'start': '1014.600', 'end': '1016.100', 'text': 'his eyes search mine'}, {'start': '1016.100', 'end': '1019.033', 'text': 'and for a moment I see a flicker of something raw'}, {'start': '1019.033', 'end': '1021.400', 'text': 'hurt maybe or longing'}, {'start': '1022.166', 'end': '1024.700', 'text': 'I know he says quietly'}, {'start': '1024.966', 'end': '1027.633', 'text': "but I can't pretend I don't want you"}, {'start': '1028.366', 'end': '1030.833', 'text': 'the confession hits me like a physical blow'}, {'start': '1030.833', 'end': '1032.000', 'text': 'stealing my breath'}, {'start': '1032.533', 'end': '1034.000', 'text': 'I turn back to the sink'}, {'start': '1034.000', 'end': '1035.733', 'text': 'gripping the edge to steady myself'}, {'start': '1036.633', 'end': '1038.766', 'text': 'go I whisper'}, {'start': '1038.766', 'end': '1041.900', 'text': 'and after a long agonizing moment he does'}, {'start': '1041.933', 'end': '1044.200', 'text': 'his footsteps fading down the hallway'}, {'start': '1045.166', 'end': '1047.833', 'text': 'I stand there staring at the bubbles'}, {'start': '1048.166', 'end': '1050.633', 'text': 'my body trembling with a mix of guilt'}, {'start': '1050.833', 'end': '1054.266', 'text': 'fear and a desire so intense it scares me'}, {'start': '1054.400', 'end': '1056.633', 'text': 'I want to scream to cry'}, {'start': '1056.833', 'end': '1058.166', 'text': 'to run from this house'}, {'start': '1058.166', 'end': '1060.266', 'text': "and the mess I've let myself create"}, {'start': '1061.000', 'end': '1064.500', 'text': "but I don't I finish the dishes"}, {'start': '1064.566', 'end': '1068.533', 'text': 'dry my hands and go to bed where sleep eludes me'}, {'start': '1068.533', 'end': '1070.533', 'text': 'my thoughts consumed by Ethan'}, {'start': '1070.533', 'end': '1072.933', 'text': 'and the dangerous pull between us'}, {'start': '1073.233', 'end': '1075.200', 'text': 'the days blur together'}, {'start': '1075.433', 'end': '1078.266', 'text': 'each one a battle to maintain control'}, {'start': '1079.000', 'end': '1081.533', 'text': 'I avoid Ethan as much as I can'}, {'start': '1081.766', 'end': '1085.233', 'text': 'but the house feels smaller with every passing moment'}, {'start': '1085.433', 'end': '1087.533', 'text': 'his presence inescapable'}, {'start': '1088.133', 'end': '1089.300', 'text': 'I catch myself'}, {'start': '1089.300', 'end': '1092.133', 'text': 'imagining what it would be like to give in'}, {'start': '1092.533', 'end': '1095.300', 'text': 'to let go of the guilt and just feel'}, {'start': '1095.933', 'end': '1098.000', 'text': 'the thought is intoxicating'}, {'start': '1098.200', 'end': '1100.866', 'text': "a forbidden fruit I'm desperate to taste"}, {'start': '1101.233', 'end': '1103.333', 'text': "but it's followed by a wave of shame"}, {'start': '1103.333', 'end': '1106.066', 'text': 'so intense it makes me feel sick'}, {'start': '1106.366', 'end': '1108.100', 'text': "I'm not this person"}, {'start': '1108.533', 'end': '1111.133', 'text': "I'm not someone who betrays her husband"}, {'start': '1111.166', 'end': '1113.933', 'text': "who crosses lines that can't be uncrossed"}, {'start': '1114.300', 'end': '1116.000', 'text': 'but the more I fight it'}, {'start': '1116.000', 'end': '1118.233', 'text': 'the stronger the temptation grows'}, {'start': '1118.566', 'end': '1120.733', 'text': 'like a tide pulling me under'}, {'start': '1121.533', 'end': '1124.100', 'text': "one evening I'm in the backyard"}, {'start': '1124.433', 'end': '1126.600', 'text': 'tending to the garden David loves'}, {'start': '1126.600', 'end': '1128.433', 'text': 'but never has time for'}, {'start': '1128.966', 'end': '1133.133', 'text': 'the sun is setting casting a golden glow over the roses'}, {'start': '1133.233', 'end': '1136.733', 'text': 'and for a moment I feel a flicker of peace'}, {'start': '1137.766', 'end': '1141.500', 'text': 'then I hear the back door open and Ethan steps out'}, {'start': '1141.500', 'end': '1143.466', 'text': 'a bottle of water in his hand'}, {'start': '1143.833', 'end': '1147.700', 'text': "he doesn't say anything just sits on the patio steps"}, {'start': '1147.900', 'end': '1149.933', 'text': 'watching me as I pull weeds'}, {'start': '1150.233', 'end': '1152.400', 'text': "you're good at that he says"}, {'start': '1152.400', 'end': '1155.100', 'text': 'after a while his voice breaking the silence'}, {'start': '1155.966', 'end': '1158.866', 'text': 'I glance at him wiping sweat from my brow'}, {'start': '1159.366', 'end': '1162.133', 'text': "it's just weeding I say"}, {'start': '1162.133', 'end': '1163.866', 'text': 'trying to keep my tone light'}, {'start': '1164.200', 'end': '1165.433', 'text': 'nothing special'}, {'start': '1166.133', 'end': '1168.633', 'text': 'he shrugs taking a sip of water'}, {'start': '1169.500', 'end': '1171.266', 'text': 'still looks like you care'}, {'start': '1172.366', 'end': '1175.433', 'text': 'the comment catches me off guard and I pause'}, {'start': '1175.433', 'end': '1177.333', 'text': 'my hands still in the dirt'}, {'start': '1178.100', 'end': '1181.000', 'text': 'I do I say quietly'}, {'start': '1181.100', 'end': '1183.366', 'text': "though I'm not sure if I'm talking about the garden"}, {'start': '1183.366', 'end': '1186.833', 'text': "or something deeper something I'm afraid to acknowledge"}, {'start': '1187.600', 'end': '1190.500', 'text': "he stands walking over to where I'm kneeling"}, {'start': '1190.500', 'end': '1192.266', 'text': 'and crouches beside me'}, {'start': '1193.300', 'end': '1195.866', 'text': 'let me help he says'}, {'start': '1195.933', 'end': '1197.266', 'text': 'reaching for a weed'}, {'start': '1198.400', 'end': '1200.400', 'text': 'his hand brushes against mine'}, {'start': '1200.400', 'end': '1203.733', 'text': "deliberate this time and I don't pull away immediately"}, {'start': '1204.400', 'end': '1206.900', 'text': 'the contact sends a shiver through me'}, {'start': '1206.933', 'end': '1210.033', 'text': 'and I look at him his face so close'}, {'start': '1210.133', 'end': '1212.600', 'text': 'I can see the flex of green in his eyes'}, {'start': '1213.400', 'end': '1214.300', 'text': 'Ethan'}, {'start': '1214.900', 'end': '1217.133', 'text': 'I say my voice a warning'}, {'start': '1217.166', 'end': '1219.066', 'text': "but it's weaker than it should be"}, {'start': '1219.366', 'end': '1222.600', 'text': "he doesn't move his hand lingering on mine"}, {'start': '1222.633', 'end': '1224.933', 'text': 'his thumb brushing against my knuckles'}, {'start': '1225.933', 'end': '1228.400', 'text': "I'm just helping he says"}, {'start': '1228.400', 'end': '1230.566', 'text': 'but his voice is low intimate'}, {'start': '1230.566', 'end': '1232.266', 'text': 'a promise of something more'}, {'start': '1232.933', 'end': '1236.000', 'text': 'I stand abruptly brushing dirt from my hands'}, {'start': '1236.900', 'end': '1239.500', 'text': "I'm done for today I say"}, {'start': '1239.500', 'end': '1240.866', 'text': 'turning to go inside'}, {'start': '1241.400', 'end': '1244.066', 'text': 'but as I pass him he stands too'}, {'start': '1244.166', 'end': '1246.833', 'text': 'blocking my path just enough to make me pause'}, {'start': '1247.633', 'end': '1249.900', 'text': "he's close too close"}, {'start': '1250.233', 'end': '1253.200', 'text': 'his body a wall of heat and intent'}, {'start': '1253.700', 'end': '1255.666', 'text': "for a moment we're frozen"}, {'start': '1255.833', 'end': '1258.400', 'text': 'the air between us crackling with possibility'}, {'start': '1259.166', 'end': '1261.700', 'text': 'then he steps closer his hand'}, {'start': '1261.700', 'end': '1264.433', 'text': 'reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear'}, {'start': '1264.833', 'end': '1267.266', 'text': 'his fingers lingering against my cheek'}, {'start': '1267.900', 'end': '1270.033', 'text': 'Emily he says'}, {'start': '1270.033', 'end': '1271.800', 'text': 'his voice rough with emotion'}, {'start': '1272.366', 'end': '1274.400', 'text': "tell me you don't feel this"}, {'start': '1274.900', 'end': '1277.200', 'text': 'I step back my breath shaky'}, {'start': '1277.200', 'end': '1278.600', 'text': 'my heart pounding'}, {'start': '1279.133', 'end': '1281.700', 'text': "I can't I whisper"}, {'start': '1281.766', 'end': '1284.733', 'text': 'and I push past him fleeing into the house'}, {'start': '1284.766', 'end': '1287.433', 'text': 'my skin burning where he touched me'}, {'start': '1288.200', 'end': '1290.133', 'text': 'the tension reaches a breaking point'}, {'start': '1290.133', 'end': '1291.800', 'text': "one night when I can't sleep"}, {'start': '1292.300', 'end': '1296.533', 'text': 'the house is silent Ethan presumably asleep in his room'}, {'start': '1297.366', 'end': '1299.200', 'text': 'I decide to take a bath'}, {'start': '1299.400', 'end': '1302.500', 'text': 'hoping the hot water will calm the storm in my mind'}, {'start': '1302.966', 'end': '1304.300', 'text': 'I fill the tub'}, {'start': '1304.333', 'end': '1307.466', 'text': 'the steam rising in clouds as I sink into it'}, {'start': '1307.800', 'end': '1311.033', 'text': 'my muscles relaxing even as my thoughts churn'}, {'start': '1311.833', 'end': '1314.333', 'text': 'the bathroom is my sanctuary'}, {'start': '1314.566', 'end': '1317.533', 'text': 'a place where I can be alone with my thoughts'}, {'start': '1317.833', 'end': '1321.666', 'text': 'but tonight those thoughts are my enemy'}, {'start': '1321.900', 'end': '1326.133', 'text': 'I close my eyes letting the water lap against my skin'}, {'start': '1326.200', 'end': '1328.700', 'text': 'and my mind drifts to Ethan'}, {'start': '1329.733', 'end': '1331.733', 'text': 'the memory of that night in his room'}, {'start': '1331.733', 'end': '1333.533', 'text': 'flashes behind my eyelids'}, {'start': '1334.000', 'end': '1335.733', 'text': 'the intensity of his gaze'}, {'start': '1336.200', 'end': '1338.900', 'text': 'the raw vulnerability of his body'}, {'start': '1339.900', 'end': '1342.233', 'text': 'I think about his touch on the couch'}, {'start': '1342.533', 'end': '1344.033', 'text': 'the way his voice trembled'}, {'start': '1344.033', 'end': '1345.666', 'text': 'when he confessed his feelings'}, {'start': '1346.400', 'end': '1349.900', 'text': 'I think about the garden his hand on mine'}, {'start': '1350.433', 'end': '1352.900', 'text': 'the way his closeness made my heart race'}, {'start': '1353.700', 'end': '1357.300', 'text': 'my breath quickens my body responding in ways that'}, {'start': '1357.300', 'end': '1359.866', 'text': 'make me feel both alive and ashamed'}, {'start': '1360.566', 'end': '1361.833', 'text': 'what am I doing'}, {'start': '1362.400', 'end': '1365.233', 'text': "I'm his stepmother bound by trust"}, {'start': '1365.633', 'end': '1368.733', 'text': 'by love for David he trusts me'}, {'start': '1368.733', 'end': '1369.800', 'text': 'believes in me'}, {'start': '1369.800', 'end': '1371.900', 'text': "and I'm betraying that with every thought"}, {'start': '1372.033', 'end': '1375.033', 'text': 'every moment I let myself linger on Ethan'}, {'start': '1376.166', 'end': '1378.266', 'text': "but there's another voice in my head"}, {'start': '1378.433', 'end': '1382.466', 'text': "relentless whispering that I'm more than a wife"}, {'start': '1382.700', 'end': '1384.200', 'text': 'more than a stepmother'}, {'start': '1385.100', 'end': '1387.933', 'text': "I'm a woman with desires and needs"}, {'start': '1388.100', 'end': '1391.533', 'text': "and Ethan sees me in a way David hasn't in years"}, {'start': '1391.900', 'end': '1394.500', 'text': 'the way he looks at me touches me'}, {'start': '1394.533', 'end': '1397.666', 'text': 'makes me feel alive desired wanted'}, {'start': '1398.433', 'end': '1401.333', 'text': "the water grows cooler but I don't move"}, {'start': '1401.766', 'end': '1405.900', 'text': 'my thoughts spiral a tug of war between duty and desire'}, {'start': '1406.000', 'end': '1407.633', 'text': 'guilt and longing'}, {'start': '1408.300', 'end': '1410.500', 'text': 'what would happen if I gave in'}, {'start': '1411.100', 'end': '1412.800', 'text': 'would it destroy everything'}, {'start': '1413.166', 'end': '1415.700', 'text': 'my marriage my sense of self'}, {'start': '1416.566', 'end': '1418.833', 'text': 'or would it be a secret we could keep'}, {'start': '1418.833', 'end': '1420.600', 'text': 'a moment of stolen passion'}, {'start': '1420.600', 'end': '1422.466', 'text': 'that no one else would ever know'}, {'start': '1423.233', 'end': '1425.000', 'text': 'and if I push him away'}, {'start': '1425.166', 'end': '1427.333', 'text': 'will I spend the rest of my life wondering'}, {'start': '1427.333', 'end': '1428.433', 'text': 'what could have been'}, {'start': '1429.166', 'end': '1432.200', 'text': 'I open my eyes staring at the ceiling'}, {'start': '1432.333', 'end': '1433.866', 'text': 'my heart pounding'}, {'start': '1434.400', 'end': '1435.833', 'text': 'the house is still'}, {'start': '1435.833', 'end': '1439.300', 'text': "but I feel Ethan's presence somewhere beyond the walls"}, {'start': '1439.600', 'end': '1443.366', 'text': "a pull I can't ignore the choice is mine"}, {'start': '1443.366', 'end': '1447.900', 'text': 'and it looms like a shadow undefined unresolved'}, {'start': '1448.333', 'end': '1450.600', 'text': 'I sink deeper into the water'}, {'start': '1450.933', 'end': '1453.433', 'text': 'my thoughts a tangled knot of love'}, {'start': '1453.500', 'end': '1457.633', 'text': 'guilt and desire and let the silence swallow me'}, {'start': '1457.633', 'end': '1459.700', 'text': "the bath doesn't bring clarity"}, {'start': '1459.700', 'end': '1461.100', 'text': 'only more questions'}, {'start': '1461.766', 'end': '1465.600', 'text': 'I wrap myself in a towel my skin still warm'}, {'start': '1465.600', 'end': '1467.533', 'text': 'and stand in front of the mirror'}, {'start': '1467.733', 'end': '1469.333', 'text': 'staring at my reflection'}, {'start': '1470.533', 'end': '1473.333', 'text': 'the woman looking back at me is a stranger'}, {'start': '1473.833', 'end': '1476.600', 'text': 'someone caught in a web of her own making'}, {'start': '1476.966', 'end': '1479.100', 'text': "torn between the life she's built"}, {'start': '1479.200', 'end': '1482.000', 'text': 'and the desire threatening to unravel it'}, {'start': '1482.733', 'end': '1485.900', 'text': 'I think about Ethan asleep or awake'}, {'start': '1486.033', 'end': '1490.100', 'text': 'thinking of me the thought sends a shiver through me'}, {'start': '1490.100', 'end': '1492.033', 'text': 'and I grip the edge of the sink'}, {'start': '1492.100', 'end': '1493.533', 'text': 'trying to anchor myself'}, {'start': '1494.600', 'end': '1495.966', 'text': 'I could go to him'}, {'start': '1495.966', 'end': '1499.300', 'text': 'cross that line and let the consequences come'}, {'start': '1500.000', 'end': '1502.266', 'text': 'I could feel his hands on me'}, {'start': '1502.300', 'end': '1504.300', 'text': 'his breath against my skin'}, {'start': '1504.533', 'end': '1505.833', 'text': 'and for a moment'}, {'start': '1506.033', 'end': '1508.933', 'text': "I'd be free from the weight of guilt and duty"}, {'start': '1509.500', 'end': '1511.233', 'text': 'or I could lock my door'}, {'start': '1511.366', 'end': '1513.733', 'text': 'call David and confess everything'}, {'start': '1514.300', 'end': '1515.533', 'text': "hoping he'd forgive me"}, {'start': '1515.533', 'end': '1517.700', 'text': "for thoughts I haven't yet acted on"}, {'start': '1518.100', 'end': '1520.133', 'text': 'but neither choice feels right'}, {'start': '1520.133', 'end': '1522.733', 'text': 'and the uncertainty is a knife in my chest'}, {'start': '1523.533', 'end': '1527.333', 'text': 'I slip into a robe and sit on the edge of my bed'}, {'start': '1527.533', 'end': '1530.533', 'text': 'my hair damp my thoughts racing'}, {'start': '1531.300', 'end': '1534.033', 'text': 'the house is quiet but it feels alive'}, {'start': '1534.166', 'end': '1537.133', 'text': "pulsing with the tension that's been building for weeks"}, {'start': '1537.700', 'end': '1540.433', 'text': 'I think about David the man I love'}, {'start': '1540.633', 'end': '1543.833', 'text': "the life we've planned I think about Ethan"}, {'start': '1544.000', 'end': '1547.533', 'text': 'his quiet intensity the way he makes me feel seen'}, {'start': '1547.733', 'end': '1549.800', 'text': 'desired alive'}, {'start': '1550.366', 'end': '1553.333', 'text': 'I think about myself who I am'}, {'start': '1553.433', 'end': '1556.833', 'text': "who I want to be and what I'm willing to risk"}, {'start': '1557.433', 'end': '1558.900', 'text': 'the choice is mine'}, {'start': '1559.100', 'end': '1561.300', 'text': "but it's not just about right or wrong"}, {'start': '1561.633', 'end': '1564.200', 'text': "it's about love about desire"}, {'start': '1564.366', 'end': '1566.166', 'text': "about the parts of me I've buried"}, {'start': '1566.166', 'end': '1568.333', 'text': "and the parts I'm afraid to set free"}, {'start': '1569.166', 'end': '1572.533', 'text': 'I lie back on the bed staring at the ceiling'}, {'start': '1572.766', 'end': '1575.133', 'text': 'my heart heavy with indecision'}, {'start': '1576.333', 'end': '1579.700', 'text': "the night stretches on and I'm left with my thoughts"}, {'start': '1580.133', 'end': '1582.466', 'text': 'a woman caught between two worlds'}, {'start': '1582.700', 'end': '1584.833', 'text': 'unsure of which path to take'}]