Love In the Balance
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 5
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 12:00
PETER notices sheets on the desk filled with handwritten calculations and Korean characters.
PETER (V.O.): My wife's strength lies in her meticulous attention to detail. She manages her accounts well, and writes Korean characters correctly.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I struggle with those tasks. However, I'm creative and have written songs and screenplays, yet my wife doesn't appreciate them at all.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I used to think that she wouldn't supprort what she couldn't do herself.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now, I've come to realize that my musical and literary works represent an extension of me.
As Peter's WIFE appears, Peter quietly exits. They share no eye contact or words.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My wife has been using silence as her emotional tool, but I'm not going to react to it this time.
Act 2
EXT. ROADS TO YUEN LONG - 13:30
Sitting on the upper deck of the bus, Peter scrolls through Facebook and stumbles upon a post on the alleged "Mottos of Chow Yun Fat".
PETER (V.O.): A snake doesn't know it's lethal...just like some people don't know when they're wrong.
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Narcissists often don't realise they're narcisistic because their disorder inherently distorts self-awarness.
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They avoid self-reflection as it threatens their ego of superiority.
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They feel justified with their sense of entitlement and lack of empathy.
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They've never experienced genuine humility or deep empathy, so they can't recognize their absence.
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As they get their way most of the time, they won't question what "works".
INT. PETER'S NT HOME - 17:00
Master bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Peter flips through an old photo album.
PETER (V.O.): These photos were taken during our honeymoon in South Korea over 30 years ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The quiet memory was incredibly sweet.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then, I became my wife's white knight - just as she had said.
Peter flips through other old photo albums.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In 1994, we admired the cherry blossoms and visited Tokyo Disneyland. We explored and mountains and waters in Guilin, and travelled to Jungfraujoch.
Then Peter notices a quote in one album: "Love has no ending."
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Is that really the case? No expiry date at all?
Then Peter discovers a 3-D photo framed in acrylic, featuring him and his wife against the backdrop of the I Pledge Initiative.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The photographer was Chairman Cheung King-fung of the Hong Kong Inventors' Association. He had an innovative 3-D camera.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In 1999, I initiated the I Pledge (not to buy fakes) Campaign and hosted a gala premiere of the film "Inspector Gadget" to reward those who pledged.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I invited Chow Yun Fat and he kindly agreed to open the ceremony.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When it came to arranging transportation for Chow, my wife eagerly volunteered as his escort.
Staring at the 3-D photo.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We're so happy then.
Sighing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now, she's distancing herself from me, opting for the narcissitic individual who has been influencing her.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 20:15
Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "Love in the Balance..." to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O): Balance in love isn't about perfection; it's about the two souls willing to lean into each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): When love hangs in the balance, every word weighs heavy, and every silence speaks volumes.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Love is a fragile scale, balanced between trust and doubt; it only thrives in the care of both.
FADE OUT
END
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