Luyện nói tiếng Anh bằng Shadowing qua video: I Forget Everything After 24 Hours

Sometimes our strength comes from our weakness.

We just don't realize it until life tests us.

Hi, I'm Amber and my memory sucks.

Forgetting things is hard, but being forgotten by the people who should love you is harder.

I spent my whole life chasing approval until love finally found me when I stopped looking for it.

When I was little, I was actually really pretty.

Blue eyes, blonde hair, the whole thing.

People would gush over me everywhere I went, and honestly, I loved it.

Dad used to show me off to his friends, saying I'd grow up to break hearts one day.

My memory was my biggest struggle, though.

When I was little, I'd watch a cartoon and then instantly ask, Can we watch Dora now?

Even though it had just ended.

My sister Joyce, who was four years older than me, thought I was joking.

I wasn't.

That was only the start.

By age four, my brother Justin, who was five years older than me, was trying to get me to give up the pacifier.

He'd hide it in different places so I couldn't find it.

Once, by accident, Justin looped the string around my neck so the pacifier dangled on my back.

He did this right in front of me.

And ten seconds later, I was crying and searching for it, waking up the whole neighborhood.

Choo.. choo.. mi.. yoo...

I'd actually forget their names in the middle of calling them.

There's something wrong with this one.

And that's how Mom started dragging me to doctors and specialists.

By the time I was six, I'd already been diagnosed with learning disabilities and short-term memory issues.

Mom was told to put me in a special needs class, but she refused.

Ugh, that would be shameful.

Too bad this family doesn't care about looks...

Maybe you'd actually be good at modeling or something.

As a kid, I really tried to make mom love me the way she loved my siblings.

But nothing I did was ever enough.

And after my diagnosis, it got worse.

I could see the disappointment in her eyes every time she looked at me.

So, I just stopped trying.

My dad tried to convince her otherwise, but she never listened to him.

You see, my dad was the best person in the world to me.

He loved me, accepted me, and never compared me to my siblings, even though he was the biggest genius in the family.

He was an incredible programmer who built many successful apps, but he never cared about money.

He worked from home, wore simple H&M clothes, and kept life easy.

Your mom cares about appearances, about us wearing things that make us look important and big, but aren't we all just ants in this world, after all?

I loved my dad, but he couldn't do much for me.

I ended up in an ordinary class where I didn't understand most of what was going on.

Most days I just slept on my desk.

The teachers eventually gave up on me.

Maybe they just thought I looked cute enough to leave me alone.

And even the kids there thought I was pretty.

Boys tried asking me out and girls wanted to be my friends.

Sometimes they'd even bring me little gifts.

And the fashion teacher once suggested I try modeling, but that was never really my thing.

When I was in the fifth grade, there was Mrs. Johansson, who we all hated.

She was a bully who seemed to enjoy making my life harder.

One time, I called her the bulldozer, behind her back of course, and the name stuck.

Probably because some kids thought I was cool and started repeating it too.

She somehow figured out it came from me and made sure I'd regret it until the day I died.

Once, during an exam, she stood right next to me.

My paper was, of course, completely blank.

She leaned down and whispered, I'm going to help you.

I'll tell you which answers to circle.

Question 1, circle B, Question 2, circle A, Question 3, circle D, Question 4, circle C, Question 5, circle A, Question 6, circle D.

See?

I'm a good teacher.

Why call me the bulldozer?

Isn't that a bit mean, Amber?

Circle the answers, if you even remember.

Ha ha ha!

The other students saw this and reported it to the principal.

The school ended up firing her.

Luckily, Mom never found out where she would have blamed me for inventing the nickname in the first place.

Mom said something was wrong with me, and I started believing her.

Until one day, when a new young pretty teacher arrived to replace Mrs. Johanson.

My name is Ms. Smart.

I'm your new English teacher.

So let's start with the game.

I need five volunteers.

Everyone's hands shot up, including mine.

To my surprise, she picked me.

I was thrilled just to stand near her.

She was beautiful, and smelled amazing.

The game was simple.

Each student got a picture of an animal, but couldn't look at it.

The rule was to remember your animal, crouch down when it was mentioned, and stand up when another was mentioned.

Mine was the dinosaur, but every single time I forgot it.

I thought for sure Miss Smart would kick me out.

Instead, she just smiled at me, gave a little nod, and never said my animal's name.

Until I was the only one left standing, and she announced me as the winner.

That's not fair!

You didn't even say her animal so she could win!

But, huh, I guess she deserved a win.

It's hard to see such a pretty girl lose.

Full class protested, but I didn't care.

For once, someone had chosen kindness over rules.

I looked at Miss Smart and hugged her tight.

From that day on, my relationship with Miss Smart grew stronger.

She worked with me on improving my memory with learning games, like matching cards and simple recall exercises.

I started smiling more, and even mom noticed.

But instead of being happy for me, she accused me of having a boy in my life, and wouldn't believe me when I denied it.

What does she see in you?

I mean, if you were Joyce, then yes, I'd allow you to have as many boyfriends as you want.

Honey, Amber is lovely.

100

I'm sure the teacher sees a smart girl behind all these difficulties.

101

No, your daughter is lying.

102

Why can't you believe me?

103

If I have learning disabilities, you have parenting disabilities!

104

I hate you!

105

With that, I stormed out of the house.

106

It was late at night, but I knew the neighborhood Miss Smart lived in.

107

I'd written it down when she mentioned it.

108

The problem was, I didn't know which house exactly.

109

So I knocked on random doors until people got suspicious and called the police.

110

Hey kid, what's a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone?

111

So if I was ugly, it'd be fine?

112

That's not what I meant.

113

Then maybe, don't say weird stuff to lost people.

114

Okay, fair point.

115

Now start talking.

116

I was staying at my teacher's house, and I went out for some fresh air and got lost on my way back.

117

Do you think we're idiots?

118

Why is everyone calling me a liar?

119

I started kicking and screaming while the officers tried to hold me down.

120

The noise woke up half the neighborhood, including Ms. Smart.

121

Her house was literally next in line from where I had been knocking.

122

She rushed out and pulled me away from the police.

123

Ma'am, do you recognize this kid?

124

Please explain what's going on.

125

I rolled up my sleeve where I had written the exact events I wanted to tell Miss Smart about.

126

Mom hates me and doesn't believe I'm happy because you teach me things, Miss Smart.

127

Mom thinks I have a boyfriend!

128

Miss Smart gave me a look full of sympathy and explained everything to the police.

129

They called my parents, and luckily only my dad showed up.

130

He backed up my story and we left together.

131

I know you like this teacher.

132

There's no need to sneak around to see her.

133

Whenever you want to visit, just tell me.

134

I'll drop you off.

135

From that day forward, I started visiting Miss Smart more often, and I was happier than ever.

136

Her house was simple and warm.

137

I spent many afternoons there, having dinner and just enjoying myself.

138

Mom never liked it, and we fought a lot about it.

139

If you keep nagging me, I swear I'll run away and you'll never find me, mother!

140

She had never seen me like that.

141

I could see the shock in her eyes.

142

So she backed off.

143

Dad loved it whenever I was happy.

144

One day, he even tried to pay Miss Smart for the meals and the time I spent there, but she refused.

145

Amber is like my daughter.

146

I know she's a special girl.

147

Just then, the door flew open and a boy barged in.

148

He looked about my age, or maybe a year older.

149

He was kind of cute, but it had this annoying look that made you want to punch his face.

150

He started talking to Miss Smart in a rude, demanding way.

151

Hey, you!

152

I call, you answer.

153

I ask, you obey.

154

Now go get me some money.

155

Excuse you?

156

What kind of jerk are you?

157

A kind who ignores a moron like you.

158

I'm Miss Smart's boyfriend's son.

159

She owes us money.

160

How do you think you were fed and cared for by her teaching salary?

161

It's barely enough to feed two goats.

162

I wanted to argue back, but I had to pee, so I left the room.

163

When I came back, he was sprawled on the couch with his feet on the coffee table, scattering chips across the floor.

164

Excuse you?

165

Who even are you?

166

Are you serious?

167

I just told you two minutes ago.

168

Wow, she always this dumb?

169

He turned to my dad with a smirk.

170

What's it like raising a goldfish that talks back?

171

Then, he got up, walked over, and before I knew it, he took the money my dad had put in his pocket to offer Miss Smart.

172

I lost it.

173

I lunged at him, and hurt him badly enough that he ended up with scratches on his face, and had to be rushed to the hospital.

174

Of course, boys are so dramatic.

175

Dad took me home, and I was still fuming.

176

From that day on, something changed between me and Miss Smart.

177

She was broken and hurt.

178

Not because of me, but I felt my presence might bring her more trouble after what happened.

179

Thank you for defending me.

180

Miss Smart, what's your dream in life?

181

It's simple.

182

I just want a little house on the beach, where I can live peacefully and beautifully.

183

What about you?

184

What's the point of having one if I'll forget it the next minute?

185

She pulled a big notebook out of her bag and pressed it into my hands.

186

Here, keep this with you.

187

Write down everything important, even the small ones, so you'll always have them documented.

188

I looked at her with teary eyes and hugged her tightly.

189

Something inside me knew it might be the last time.

190

And soon enough, Miss Smart left.

191

She moved to another city with her boyfriend and his jerk son.

192

And I never saw her again.

193

I was heartbroken, but Mom was the happiest.

194

See, you only have one mother figure in your life, and it's me.

195

I'll always be here, unfortunately.

196

That night, I wrote in my notebook, Note number 12.

197

Miss Smart left today, and Mom's going to make my life even harder.

198

June 25th, 2017.

199

If I didn't write things down, they disappeared.

200

Maybe that's why I write, so I don't disappear too, like Miss Smart did.

201

By the time I got to middle school, I'd had a major glow up and started getting more attention from guys.

202

But the problem was, I was still getting pulled out of class for the resource room and...

203

It was humiliating, so I started lying.

204

I'm actually leaving to attend my cousin's wedding.

205

I'm leaving to get my appendix removed.

206

My mom gave birth today.

207

Gotta see the baby!

208

Isn't her mom too old for that?

209

Her dad's a scientist.

210

He can make anything, even babies.

211

Oh, okay.

212

But eventually, I ran out of excuses.

213

And the kids started noticing.

214

So, I just stopped going.

215

The school called mom and told her, and she was furious.

216

She enrolled me in private classes that cost a fortune.

217

The money I'm paying for your classes is going to be deducted from your pocket money.

218

Man, we're rich.

219

What else are you gonna spend it on?

220

Joyce and Justin?

221

She ignored me.

222

So I decided to annoy her back.

223

Why can't she just love me like my siblings?

224

That's when I thought, maybe it's time to get a real boyfriend.

225

Boys liked me, and I got a lot of attention for how I looked.

226

They'd flirt, ask me out, try to impress me.

227

I even had about 20,000 followers on Insta.

228

And it felt amazing.

229

Until one afternoon in the ninth grade, this boy named Cliff, a senior, came up to me while I was walking with my notebook.

230

I was trying to write something important in it, but the marker wouldn't work.

231

So I breathed on it, shook it like crazy, and then suddenly it exploded right onto Cliff's face!

232

Oh my god, I am so sorry!

233

It's fine, trust me, it could be worse.

234

One time a girl straight up puked on my shirt, so your marker's nothing.

235

I'm Cliff, and you are?

236

I just stared at his amazing smile.

237

Would I ever have a real chance at love?

238

Could anyone ever love a broken girl like me?

239

Maybe Mom was wrong after all.

240

Took me a second before I even thought to shake his hand, But right then, one of his buddies walked by and waved at him.

241

He waved back and I, like an idiot, ended up shaking the air, lost my balance, and fell right onto his feet.

242

He helped me up and I wanted to disappear.

243

Wait, did you tell me your name?

244

Because I didn't write it down and I feel like that's a really important note in my life.

245

Smooooooth.

246

Here, let me write it for you.

247

He scribbled his name and number in my notebook, winked, and walked off.

248

Later, heartbreaker.

249

I looked down at the page, smiling, then froze.

250

Wait, what was I even trying to write before he showed up?

251

UGH!

252

The next day, while I was sitting alone on the bleachers during a big football game, Cliff sat down next to me.

253

I blinked at him, confused.

254

It's me, Cliff.

255

Cliff who?

256

He grabbed my notebook, flipped to the page with his name and number, and pointed.

257

I immediately understood what he meant.

258

We started talking for a bit, and I noticed he was asking questions from the long-term memory department.

259

My dreams, my childhood, and even Miss Smart.

260

Not the short-term stuff that usually embarrassed me.

261

Then, out of nowhere, a football came flying and smacked the girl next to me right in the face.

262

She staggered, dropped her juice, and spilled it all over my notebook.

263

Furious!

264

I grabbed the ball and hurled it back onto the field.

265

One of the players caught it perfectly.

266

Everyone turned and stared at me, impressed.

267

For the first time, they were admiring me for something I did not just how I looked.

268

But then the girl yanked my hair.

269

We could have taken the ball and kept it, you idiot!

270

It's got all the hot boy sweat and DNA on it!

271

I snapped and started fighting back!

272

Cliff tried to pull me away, but I wasn't letting go.

273

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting in the principal's office with my furious mom, the girl, and her mom.

274

The principal droned on for fifteen minutes about discipline and respect, then finally turned to me.

275

So, Amber, are you ready to say sorry? To who?

276

Mom, impatient, cut in and pointed at everyone in the office.

277

To her and her and him and me.

278

He?

279

Her?

280

Her?

281

You?

282

Me?

283

She? And me?

284

What?

285

Are you making up your own language now?

286

You think you can just pull the memory card whenever you want?

287

I know you understand exactly what's happening here.

288

I don't give birth to stupid kids, Amber.

289

Oh, really?

290

What are you, Zeus?

291

Only giving birth to gods?

292

Shut it, you little- Mrs. Armstrong, shouting won't solve this.

293

And for what it's worth, students with special needs sometimes have other amazing talents.

294

Did you see the way she threw that ball?

295

Everyone was amazed.

296

He grabbed a ball off a stand behind him, handed it to me, and told me to stand across the room and throw it back.

297

I did as he asked.

298

Maybe a little too hard.

299

The ball nailed him straight in the nose.

300

Blood started pouring everywhere.

301

Both moms rushed to help.

302

At first, he tried to act tough, but when he saw the attention from the moms, he melted into it.

303

I'm okay, I'm okay, ladies.

304

Oh, yep, this side hurts worse.

305

Head up or down?

306

Up, down, down, up, as long as you cheer me up.

307

On the ride home, Mom wouldn't stop scolding me.

308

But all I could think about was what the principal said.

309

Maybe I wasn't useless after all.

310

Maybe if I found my talent or purpose, Mom would finally see me differently.

311

So, the next day, I decided I'd try different things to find out what I was good at.

312

I started by auditioning for cheerleading.

313

They took me on the team, cause I was pretty, but I kept forgetting to show up for practice, so that went in the trash.

314

After that, I tried painting, but when I froze up, I decided to paint my teacher and accidentally made her look like Shrek.

315

Then I tried singing, and the kid with the violin told me to join cooking classes instead.

316

So I smacked him with his own bow.

317

A great hobby for you would be being a bed driver.

318

Sleeping's the best thing you could do for yourself, for me, and for everyone else.

319

Days felt heavy and stressful, and one night I just found myself missing Miss Smart.

320

If she were still around, she'd know exactly what to say.

321

I looked her up on Facebook, but she wasn't there.

322

Then I stumbled on her boyfriend's page and saw an article saying he'd been arrested for domestic violence.

323

My heart sank.

324

Was Ms. Smart okay?

325

I tried to find a way to reach her, but I never managed to.

326

And somehow, that made me feel even lonelier.

327

Later that week, I was sitting with Cliff, pouring my heart out on a bench under a tree.

328

I'm just a loser.

329

Mom doesn't talk to me, Justin got accepted to Harvard for medicine, and Joyce is going to Cambridge to study and...

330

I don't know, I forgot.

331

How does it feel when you forget something right in the middle of a sentence?

332

It sucks.

333

Maybe that's why I lose my temper sometimes.

334

I don't like being angry, but I can't help it.

335

Do your meds help at all, or do the memory programs work better?

336

How do you feel after them?

337

Okay, you sound way too much like my therapist.

338

What's going on?

339

He shifted awkwardly and tried to cover something with his notebook.

340

I got suspicious and pulled it away.

341

Underneath was a little audio recorder.

342

I froze, staring at him, waiting for an explanation.

343

But he didn't say a word.

344

So I grabbed his notebook and flipped through it.

345

Page after page, all about me.

346

Notes on my condition.

347

Are you- are you studying me?

348

Am I your research project or something?

349

Look, I'm doing long-term research for psychology programs.

350

You're perfect for it, Amber.

351

And come on, you're having fun with me too.

352

It's a win-win.

353

I snatched the recorder, smashed it on the ground, and dumped my water bottle all over his notebook.

354

Now it's a win-win.

355

No, wait.

356

I slapped him across the face.

357

Now it is.

358

And with that, I stormed off.

359

How could he use me like that?

360

I thought he genuinely liked me.

361

Now, I wasn't just a girl with a bad memory, zero talent, and anger problems.

362

I had trust issues too.

363

Yay me.

364

Maybe Mom was right.

365

My boy would ever want someone like me.

366

God, I just missed Miss Smart so much.

367

Note number 1280.

368

Cliff is a jerk.

369

October 10th, 2019.

370

I didn't just lose a crush.

371

I lost the version of me who still believed love made you whole.

372

Cliff's betrayal took a huge toll on me, and I'd started keeping more to myself, not wanting to trust anyone here.

373

After the end of the school year, I begged mom all summer to transfer me to a special education high school.

374

She refused until she later heard that one of her rich friends had enrolled her kids in a special class.

375

Suddenly it wasn't so embarrassing since someone else was doing it too.

376

Wow, mom, I think your friend is my savior.

377

Maybe I should embroider her face on a pillow and pray for her blessings every night.

378

The new school was nothing like the one before it.

379

The kids were wild, the teachers were laid back, and everyone had their own little quirks.

380

Some kids carried stress balls, some fidgeted with slime, so me walking around with my notebook wasn't a big deal anymore.

381

Which felt amazing.

382

That's where I met Samantha.

383

She always carried a tiny teddy bear.

384

Even gave him his own chair next to hers.

385

What's his name?

386

It's just Teddy.

387

Thanks for not laughing at me.

388

They already call me weird here.

389

Imagine being called weird in a place like this.

390

And wow, you're gorgeous.

391

I didn't want to forget anything, so I started jotting down what she was saying.

392

She noticed and asked why.

393

Are you seriously writing that I called you gorgeous?

394

Yeah.

395

I have short-term memory loss, so I write stuff down.

396

It helps me remember faster.

397

That's weird.

398

Honestly, it might be weirder than my teddy bear.

399

Geez, thanks.

400

We both cracked up.

401

I loved hanging out with Samantha.

402

She made me laugh.

403

But she also had some.. questionable habits.

404

Like one time, I caught her snacking on something strange.

405

Uh.. what are you eating?

406

Oh, it's just my fingernails.

407

I'll bite them and save them in a bag for later.

408

It was gross, sure, but I didn't judge.

409

After all these years, I finally had a real friend.

410

Samantha made life lighter.

411

She was odd in the best way, and fiercely loyal.

412

She was the first person ever to push me into modeling.

413

She spotted what I couldn't, that I had a face for modeling.

414

So we slipped out for shoots behind mom's back, laughed at my stiff elbows and stupid poses, and went out for ice cream later.

415

For the first time, normal didn't feel like a lie.

416

I even started saving real money.

417

But then Samantha had her fair share of bad tempers, too.

418

One time, a pregnant teacher was teaching us math with songs.

419

She was bouncing up and down and her belly was jiggling in a weird way.

420

And Samantha couldn't help laughing.

421

And of course, the teacher noticed.

422

What's so funny, huh?

423

You think watching me pour my heart out to teach you is funny?

424

Samantha clutched her teddy bear and made him talk instead of her.

425

You're right, I'm sorry.

426

I have a belly too, so I shouldn't judge.

427

The teacher stormed over and yanked the teddy bear out of her arms.

428

Hey, that's not cool!

429

Give it back to her!

430

Ugh, what is that smell?

431

I feel like I'm gonna throw up!

432

It's my avocado tuna sandwich.

433

Or my fingernails.

434

And right then, the teacher grabbed my backpack and threw up inside it!

435

Oh, man!

436

Mom found out about the backpack incident, and the next day, she stormed into the school, furious, screaming at everyone.

437

Poor dad trailed behind her, trying to calm her down, But she shoved him hard and he fell.

438

A few kids laughed and I saw the humiliation on his face.

439

Mom kept yelling at the principal and his secretary tried to calm her down.

440

What's next?

441

A teacher's gonna pee in my daughter's backpack?

442

The kids were staring and I wanted to sink into the floor.

443

I had finally found a place where I belonged and Mom had to ruin it.

444

When she was finished, she grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me to the car, with Dad driving in silence.

445

All the way home, she kept shouting and cursing the school.

446

I'll escalate this.

447

I'll sue them if I have to.

448

That trash teacher is getting fired.

449

Then, out of nowhere, Dad pulled the car over.

450

Why are you stopping here?

451

This neighborhood is disgusting.

452

Because I'm done.

453

I'll be staying in a motel.

454

I can't live with you anymore.

455

I want a divorce.

456

No, Dad, please!

457

What?

458

But he didn't even look at me.

459

He just got out of the car and walked away.

460

Ugh, fine!

461

Good riddance!

462

It's not like you were ever the man of my dreams!

463

Then she turned to me, voiced sweet and fake.

464

Sit back, honey.

465

I made lasagna for dinner.

466

I was speechless.

467

I couldn't process what had just happened.

468

And one thing you should know about short-term memory loss is that trauma makes it worse.

469

So when mom told me she's transferring me to a new school, I simply lost my mind.

470

I cried and begged her not to.

471

Even tried staying with dad for a few days.

472

But his motel room smelled like socks and sadness.

473

So that didn't work out.

474

So one night, I slipped out of the house just to breathe.

475

I thought watching a parking lot movie might make me feel better.

476

It didn't.

477

I cried through the whole thing with my mascara running down my face.

478

On the way back, I took a wrong turn and ended up in some sketchy neighborhood.

479

A group of weird older boys started following me, saying creepy stuff.

480

Hey, sweetheart.

481

Wanna hang out?

482

I panicked and started running.

483

Just as they got closer, an old lady stepped out of the corner shop and hurled her grocery bag straight at their heads.

484

Back off, losers.

485

I don't regret giving you all those peanuts after spitting them out of the chocolate bars.

486

They ran, and she grabbed my hand without asking anything.

487

She took me to the nearest police station.

488

It turned out the police already had a record of the other time I ran away to find Miss Smart.

489

They called Child Protection Services on Mom.

490

Oh my god, Amber, what now?

491

See how she is?

492

Just take me away from her.

493

She hates me.

494

Ma'am, your daughter's situation needs special attention.

495

You're well off.

496

Maybe hire a caregiver to accompany her?

497

Or maybe I can just put a tracker on her.

498

The money I'd waste on a caregiver can go to her sibling's education.

499

Ma'am, you're required by law to arrange help for her, or we'll have to escalate this.

500

Mom didn't like it one bit, and she scolded me all the way home.

501

The next day, there was a knock at the door.

502

It was Samantha and her mom.

503

Her mom was short and chubby, with hands that screamed, I make amazing food.

504

She gave mom one long look and shook her head.

505

Your daughter's been calling mine and crying all week about school.

506

And last night, she ran away and got lost.

507

What more do you need to take her seriously?

508

I'm not sending her back to that school.

509

They puked in her backpack. So what?

510

Is she the Queen of England now?

511

It was an accident.

512

They apologized.

513

Just swallow your pride already and get her butt back in there.

514

She won't listen.

515

You're wasting your time.

516

Maybe if you treated your mom better, she'd be different.

517

Aha!

518

Exactly.

519

I looked at both of them.

520

Totally done.

521

I treat my mom just fine, but I'm never good enough for her.

522

She's got two geniuses and one broken daughter.

523

Who do you think she loves less?

524

Me, Amber.

525

So don't come in here and tell me this is my fault for being born with problems.

526

I didn't choose this.

527

Maybe I just need better treatment.

528

Doesn't every kid deserve that?

529

Then I grabbed Samantha's hand and stormed off to my room.

530

See that?

531

You needed to hear that.

532

Maybe it'll finally wake you up.

533

She smacked Mom lightly with her hand fan.

534

Hey!

535

Shut up.

536

Be good to your daughter.

537

Do you even know how talented she is?

538

She's so good at modeling.

539

Samantha told me she even made good money.

540

What?

541

Where's the money?

542

Oh, shut up.

543

You're rich.

544

Stop crying over money and listen to me.

545

Our kids are our investment.

546

What you do comes back to you.

547

Believe me, I learned that the hard way.

548

I've got two sons older than Samantha.

549

I treated them terribly.

550

They left for good.

551

I don't even know if they're still alive.

552

I'm sorry that happened to you, but my life is different.

553

Honey, your husband already left you.

554

Your older children have moved away.

555

And didn't child protection come knocking once already?

556

You really want to risk that again?

557

There was a long silence.

558

Then, Samantha's mom smacked her again.

559

Ow!

560

I was starting to agree with you.

561

Was that really necessary?

562

She hit her again.

563

Uh, maybe it'll knock some more sense into you.

564

And then again.

565

Alright, alright!

566

Jesus Christ, stop hitting me!

567

Now, what's cooking?

568

I'm starving.

569

If dinner's not ready, I'll make something.

570

That evening, Samantha and her mom stayed for dinner.

571

We ate together and even watched an MSA video about evil moms.

572

Okay, fine.

573

They're worth subscribing to.

574

These videos aren't just for kids.

575

Even parents can learn something.

576

So, yeah, like and subscribe, please.

577

Mom didn't bother me that night.

578

She actually became a bit less annoying after getting closer to Samantha's mom.

579

She even hired a caregiver, like the social worker said.

580

Some quiet lady who followed me around for a while and tried to be helpful without saying much.

581

Which, honestly, I didn't enjoy being tailed very much.

582

And eventually, she stopped coming.

583

I don't know if she quit or if mom let her go, but she was making more of an effort with me and I was doing a bit better.

584

That night, I wrote in my notebook, note number 4451.

585

Mom said her mom raised her to be perfect and that she should try to understand that I'm different.

586

I don't have high hopes of her turning into an angel, but I'm not complaining.

587

November 20th, 2021.

588

Our school decided we could start studying for the SATs two years early, but I didn't care about that.

589

All I wanted was to get my driver's license like everyone else.

590

But it was the hardest thing ever.

591

I ended up taking 135 lessons and failing 13 driving tests.

592

Joyce only needed 12 lessons and Justin just 10. But you...

593

Here we go again.

594

Wait, let me finish?

595

You're like me.

596

I needed more than a hundred lessons and failed seven times.

597

Well, never saw that coming, but thanks, I guess.

598

The day I took my 14th driving test was also the SAT's day, so I was in a hurry to finish it.

599

Some parts of the SAT were done orally, and the guy who tested me looked really young, maybe just a few years older than me.

600

He was testing me on the English section.

601

What's your favorite color?

602

I'm the one who asks questions here.

603

What's that on your lip?

604

Mmm...

605

I ate something sweet, I think.

606

But I can't remember.

607

Mmm...

608

Maybe an almond croissant?

609

What's your favorite color?

610

Black.

611

You don't give black vibes.

612

What's that supposed to mean?

613

Are you gay?

614

What?

615

Did you take any medication before coming here?

616

I looked at him, confused, and opened my notebook to check.

617

But he stopped me and said I wasn't allowed to use any outside resources.

618

He seemed interested in my condition and kept testing me.

619

By the way, we kissed 10 minutes ago, so how can you say I look gay?

620

I doubt that, but you look like a nice guy.

621

What's your favorite color?

622

We kept talking and laughing, and he found me cute.

623

He even asked me if I was a model.

624

Honestly, by now, I was used to people falling for my looks

625

and then running away the second they found out how complicated my brain was.

626

But I gave Ray the benefit of the doubt, and by the end, he gave me a high score.

627

I was even happier since I also passed my driving test that day.

628

That weekend, Mom, Samantha, her mom and I went to our local pizza place to celebrate.

629

And guess who our waiter was?

630

Ray!

631

To my surprise, I actually remembered him.

632

How come?

633

Maybe because you were nice to me and helped me pass?

634

Well, about that.

635

I got fired.

636

They noticed a gap between the English oral exam and the math one, so they terminated me.

637

This is my new job now.

638

Well, that's unfortunate.

639

Seems like helping Amber always comes with consequences.

640

But before she could finish, Samantha's mom smacked her lightly on the head.

641

I mean, consequences of liking her too much because...

642

She's.. amazing!

643

I'm sorry about your job.

644

Don't worry, ma'am.

645

It was worth it.

646

I met your daughter, and she's wonderful.

647

Yep!

648

She even took pictures of you that day and kept looking at them all week.

649

How else would she remember you?

650

Mom!

651

Ha!

652

So it's true?

653

And what's up with the gay thing?

654

She says dumb stuff when she's nervous.

655

But she's the sweetest.

656

We'll leave you two alone to bond.

657

Don't take too long.

658

Maybe she can move in with you by tomorrow or next week, give or take.

659

So I never got the chance to ask you this.

660

What's your favorite color?

661

I think green.

662

It's relaxing. And yours?

663

Rey just chuckled.

664

And from that day on, we started dating.

665

Those turned out to be some of the best days of my life.

666

But Rey never really had a stable job until a few months into our relationship, he decided to join the Navy.

667

The pay's good, and I'll have a better future to offer you, babe.

668

He really loved me.

669

A few months after he joined the Navy, I got into a car accident and spent weeks in the hospital.

670

Ray left his post to stay by my side every night.

671

He almost got kicked out, but he didn't care.

672

They can replace me, but who could ever replace you?

673

After I graduated high school, I decided to work at a cashier at our local grocery store.

674

Even though we were rich, I wanted to work.

675

I needed to know I could rely on myself for once, test my memory in real life, and just try something new.

676

It wasn't too bad, mostly just processing payments.

677

The manager was a friend of mom's, so she never stressed me out with extra work.

678

Until one day, during Christmas week, the store was running a promotion.

679

Buy three gifts, get free wrapping.

680

I was helping wrap a toy car a little boy handed me, and wow, he was rude.

681

This car toy's for rich people only.

682

It's a collector's item, probably worth your whole month's salary, and your wrapping skills suck.

683

Be careful with it.

684

I'm doing an unboxing video and tagging Mr. Beast.

685

Aww, how cute.

686

Show me your channel.

687

He smugly showed me, and the second he turned around, I pulled out my phone and left a bunch of hateful comments on his videos.

688

Kid thinks he's Mr. Beast, but he's more like Mr. Broke.

689

His OnlyFans is Mom and he even sips the ass.

690

That plastic front tooth must be blinding her?

691

What the heck?

692

Mom!

693

His mom came over furious and started arguing with me.

694

But before I could defend myself, I felt queasy and suddenly threw up.

695

Right in the toy box.

696

Oh god, just like that teacher.

697

Was I pregnant?

698

How could I take care of a baby when I could barely take care of myself?

699

Needless to say, I quit that job.

700

And yes, I was pregnant.

701

The pregnancy was rough.

702

Constant nausea, endless morning sickness.

703

I couldn't help wondering, would I be a good mom?

704

Would my baby love and accept me?

705

Or would it just be another person I disappoint?

706

But mom was mostly happy.

707

She sometimes came to my appointments, though she complained nonstop about how much of her time it was taking.

708

Joyce and Justin barely visited.

709

They were too busy with their research and stuff.

710

Ray was over the moon.

711

He took some time off to stay with me for a few weeks before heading back.

712

One day, during an ultrasound appointment, Mom came along.

713

The secretary at the front desk was this lazy woman with thick glasses and messy hair.

714

You've missed two appointments, and today you don't even have one booked.

715

But it's not like the doctor has anything better to do.

716

Sit down.

717

I'll call you when it's your turn.

718

I waited for Mom to scold me for my missing appointments, but for once, she didn't tell me I embarrassed her.

719

Maybe this is how love starts quietly, like she's still learning the words.

720

The doctor looked awkward, bald with one sad little hair bang hanging on for dear life,

721

and he kept sniffing his nose every five seconds.

722

Mom was visibly disgusted.

723

When was the last time you felt the baby kick?

724

I opened my notebook to check, but Mom cut in.

725

What kicking?

726

She's only ten weeks pregnant.

727

The baby hasn't kicked yet.

728

Oh, so you're the doctor now.

729

Maybe you can deliver the baby yourself under candlelight on the kitchen floor.

730

It's okay.

731

I'm sorry.

732

Can we just focus on the baby?

733

You know what?

734

Just to be safe.

735

We'll do a full MRI.

736

Get undressed, and you outside.

737

Mom had to wait in the hall.

738

The scan went fine, but the hospital charged us $800.

739

He does that to everyone.

740

You didn't even need a scan.

741

He's just a greedy jerk.

742

And you couldn't have warned us sooner?

743

Mom stormed back in and started yelling at him.

744

I didn't care.

745

I was just happy the baby was okay.

746

But when she hit a speed bump on the drive home, I realized I'd forgotten my bra at the hospital.

747

Typical me.

748

Six months later, I gave birth to a baby girl.

749

I named her Stella.

750

Even Dad came to visit.

751

And of course, Mom used it as a chance to scold him.

752

I looked at her face.

753

She looked so pink.

754

She looked like a mini version of me.

755

I hugged her tight and whispered, I'll love you no matter what.

756

Please love me back, and I'll give you the world.

757

Being a new mom was so stressful.

758

One night, Stella had a very high fever, and mom was visiting my siblings while Ray was away.

759

I didn't know what to do, so I drove off to a nearby hospital.

760

I was so nervous that I forgot my notebook, and the nurses started asking me questions.

761

When was the last time you breastfed her?

762

When was the last time she puked?

763

When was the last time she puked?

764

Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?

765

Let's just call the police.

766

I heard them talking and judging me, saying words like abnormal and neglectful mom.

767

And suddenly, I was 10 again.

768

In that classroom with Mrs. Johanson, 15 with Cliff's recorder, 6 watching mom's disappointed face.

769

All my life, people kept asking me if I understood.

770

And the truth?

771

Sometimes I didn't.

772

And now, I had this tiny person depending on me to remember everything.

773

I felt so dizzy and stressed.

774

I just ran out of there, tears running down my face.

775

I stood at the entrance, walking back and forth, when suddenly, someone called my name.

776

Amber?

777

Miss Smart?

778

I blinked through my tears.

779

For a second, I thought my brain was playing tricks again.

780

But she was real.

781

She looked older and more tired.

782

I ran to her, hugged her, and cried on her shoulder.

783

They're taking my baby, Miss Smart.

784

I'm useless.

785

I'm stupid.

786

What did you even see in me all those years ago?

787

I saw a girl who was misunderstood by the people closest to her, but still had the kindest heart.

788

That kind of goodness doesn't vanish, Amber.

789

Not even with memory loss.

790

That's just who you are.

791

And it's perfectly okay to need help sometimes.

792

We all do.

793

She turned to the police officers and spoke calmly, explaining my condition the same way she had to the police all those years ago.

794

Within minutes, everything settled down.

795

After that night, I decided to move to Ray's base and to live in a close, caring community.

796

Ray helped Miss Smart get a job there, and she lived nearby.

797

It's near the beach, just like how you dreamt years ago.

798

Today, I live happily with my family and the people who truly care about me.

799

I'm writing my book to help others like me.

800

Maybe I'll still forget a lot of things in life.

801

Birthdays, names, appointments.

802

But I'll never forget how it felt to be seen, to be loved anyway.

803

And that's the memory that stayed.

804

I love you, Mommy.

805

Note number 130,891.

806

Stella said she loved me.

807

April 16th, 2025.

📺 Cùng kênh

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Từ vựng và ghi chú luyện nói cho bài học này

Bài luyện nói trình độ B1 này dựa trên video “I Forget Everything After 24 Hours”. Video này có 807 câu và 7040 từ để luyện shadowing. Phần lời nói dài 38:53. Người nói nói nhanh, khoảng 181 từ mỗi phút, nên sẽ có nhiều chỗ nối âm và nuốt âm. 82% số từ nằm trong 3.000 từ tiếng Anh thông dụng nhất; phần còn lại nên xem trước khi luyện. 125 trong 807 câu là câu hỏi, nên bài này hợp để luyện ngữ điệu câu hỏi và cách trả lời ngắn.

Từ vựng quan trọng trong video

15 từ khó nhất trong video, kèm phiên âm và nghĩa:

Từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa
notebook danh từ	/ˈnoʊtˌbʊk/	tập, vở
sibling danh từ	/ˈsɪb.lɪŋ/	anh chị em
backpack danh từ	/ˈbæk.pæk/	ba lô
hug động từ	/hʌɡ/	ôm
recorder danh từ	/ɹiˈkɔɹ.dəɹ/	máy ghi âm, máy ghi hình
disappear động từ	/dɪsəˈpɪɹ/	biến mất
freeze động từ	/ˈfɹiːz/	đóng băng, đóng đá
disability danh từ	/dɪsəˈbɪlɪti/	khuyết tật
shake động từ	/ˈʃeɪk/	lắc, lay
annoy động từ	/əˈnoɪ̯/	làm phiền, quấy rầy
bulldozer danh từ	/ˈbʊlˌdoʊzɚ/	xe ủi đất, xe ủi
fingernail danh từ	/ˈfɪŋɡɚˌneɪl/	móng, móng tay
pacifier danh từ	/ˈpæsɪfaɪɚ/	núm vú giả, ti giả
scold động từ	/ˈskəʊ̯ld/	mắng, chửi
motel danh từ	/moʊˈtɛl/	mô-ten, mô ten

Cụm động từ bạn sẽ nghe

Từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa
run down động từ		chạy xuống
shut up	/ʃʌt ʌp/	câm, câm mồm
back up động từ		lùi
come back động từ		trở lại, trở về
get up động từ		dậy
give up động từ		đầu hàng

Những câu đáng luyện lại

Các câu ngắn, trọn ý trong video mà bạn có thể dùng lại khi giao tiếp hằng ngày:

Why can't you believe me?
Do you think we're idiots?
Why can't she just love me like my siblings?
A teacher's gonna pee in my daughter's backpack?
What's that on your lip?

Ngữ pháp trong video

Những cấu trúc người nói dùng nhiều nhất, kèm đúng cụm từ trong video:

Cấu trúc	Trong video
Câu điều kiện if + mệnh đề, will/would + động từ — điều kiện và kết quả	if you were Joyce, then yes, I'd allow · if I was ugly, it'd be · If she were still around, she'd know
Câu bị động be + quá khứ phân từ — nhấn vào việc xảy ra, không phải người làm	being forgotten · been diagnosed · was told
Mệnh đề quan hệ who / which + mệnh đề — thêm thông tin về người hoặc vật	people who should · guy who tested · one who asks
Thì hiện tại hoàn thành have/has + quá khứ phân từ — việc đã xảy ra nhưng còn liên quan đến hiện tại	have moved · You've missed · hasn't kicked

Phát âm cần chú ý

Người nói dùng 175 dạng rút gọn, ví dụ I'm, didn't, I'll. Hãy nói theo dạng ngắn đúng như bạn nghe.

Âm “th”: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, breathe /bɹiːð/
Âm “sh” và “zh”: shake /ˈʃeɪk/, shout /ʃaʊt/, suspicious /səˈspɪʃ.əs/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
Từ dài — đặt trọng âm cho đúng: disability /dɪsəˈbɪlɪti/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/

Cách luyện với video này

Nghe hết video một lần, chưa cần nói, và ghi lại những từ bạn chưa biết.
Bắt đầu ở tốc độ 0,75×, nói đuổi từng câu, rồi quay lại tốc độ bình thường khi đã quen.
Ghi âm giọng mình rồi so với bản gốc, chú ý các từ như notebook, sibling, backpack.

Phương Pháp Shadowing Là Gì?

Shadowing là kỹ thuật học ngôn ngữ có cơ sở khoa học, ban đầu được phát triển cho chương trình đào tạo phiên dịch viên chuyên nghiệp và được phổ biến rộng rãi bởi nhà đa ngôn ngữ học Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Nguyên lý cốt lõi đơn giản nhưng cực kỳ hiệu quả: bạn nghe tiếng Anh của người bản xứ và lặp lại to ngay lập tức — như một "cái bóng" (shadow) đuổi theo người nói với độ trễ chỉ 1–2 giây. Khác với luyện ngữ pháp hay học từ vựng bị động, Shadowing buộc não bộ và cơ miệng phải đồng thời xử lý và tái tạo ngôn ngữ thực tế. Các nghiên cứu khoa học xác nhận phương pháp này cải thiện đáng kể phát âm, ngữ điệu, nhịp điệu, nối âm, kỹ năng nghe và độ lưu loát khi nói — đặc biệt hiệu quả cho người luyện IELTS Speaking và muốn giao tiếp tiếng Anh tự nhiên như người bản ngữ.

Phương pháp shadowing: đọc hướng dẫn từng bước đầy đủ →

Luyện nói tiếng Anh bằng Shadowing qua video: I Forget Everything After 24 Hours

Step Mom Made Dad Hate Me

I Keep Failing School Because Of Math

I Chose My Rich Aunt Over My Mom & Regretted It

Video

I Can’t Control My Reactions

I Look Like Barbie But I’m Stronger Than Every Guy

I'm too Short, But It's Cute

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Got Stuck with My Crush & His Crazy GF

My sister is jealous of my hair

I'm Face Blind, And I Can't Recognise My Own Family

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I Stole Someone Boyfriend

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I Faked a Girlfriend

A Mysterious Rich Girl Hired ME

My Twin and I Share Our Emotions Too!

I Lost All My Money So My Bestie Made Me Her Maid

My Stepdaughter Hates Me

My Sister Used AI To Frame Him

Why Do We Forget Things?

Almost Left Him | English Audiobook | Graded Reader Level 3

سلسلة تعلم الانجليزي من القصص : كيف تتخلص من التفكير الزائد

Brother is Jealous of ME Cuz I'm the Favorite

Changing for my family.

The Secret Fuel of your Emotional Reactivity

THE MIDDLE - PILOT

Matt decided to tell his boss the truth #shorts

The thing about depression - Multifandom

you could have everything you want if you stopped being afraid to be seen

HOME ALONE 2 Shadowing – Learn Real Spoken English (lesson #39)

Từ vựng và ghi chú luyện nói cho bài học này

Từ vựng quan trọng trong video

Cụm động từ bạn sẽ nghe

Những câu đáng luyện lại

Ngữ pháp trong video

Phát âm cần chú ý

Cách luyện với video này

Phương Pháp Shadowing Là Gì?