- 15 minutes ago
After the Deep, My Family Begged Me Home (end)
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Short filmTranscript
00:01I used to be a professional salvage diver, one of the best on the East Coast.
00:05Then, I was convicted of murder.
00:07They said I cut my partner's air hose, said I killed for money.
00:12I did eight years for a murder I didn't commit.
00:14Now, I gut fish for a seafood wholesaler in a run-down warehouse by the docks.
00:19That day, my family came tearing down the pier like the world was ending.
00:23My mom and dad collapsed onto the filthy ground,
00:26right into the blood, meltwater, and fish slime underfoot.
00:30Ethan, your brother went diving two hours ago.
00:32He still hasn't come back up.
00:34Something happened to him.
00:36You're the best diver we know.
00:38Get in the water and bring him up.
00:40My ex-wife, Vanessa, rushed up next.
00:43She pulled out the wedding ring from years ago.
00:45Then, she forced it onto my finger.
00:46I swear to you, if you go down there and bring Jason back, I'll marry you again.
00:52I said nothing.
00:53I just reached up and touched the hearing aid on my ear.
00:56Had they really forgotten?
00:58Eight years ago, Jason, the son they chose, over and over again, instead of me.
01:03He fought with his dive partner underwater, over gold bars, hidden in a sunken ship.
01:08After it happened, Vanessa wanted to protect him, so she forced me to sign a confession.
01:13My dad went even further.
01:14He slapped me so hard.
01:16He ruptured my eardrum.
01:17That one hit left me half-deaf.
01:19And now, with the condition I'm in now, if I go back underwater, the pressure could trigger
01:24a brain bleed.
01:25I could die down there.
01:27Ethan!
01:28Shut your damn mouth and do what they say!
01:30That was David, the doc manager.
01:32Just now, he was all smiles, sucking up to them.
01:36The second he turned to me, his face filled with disgust.
01:39The Lane and Cole families practically own this town.
01:42I always thought you knew your place.
01:44Didn't expect you to get so full of yourself.
01:46Just say yes already!
01:47You save a life, you get money.
01:50It's your shot at redemption.
01:52So why are you still rotting here, slinging guts on this pier?
01:56People nearby had no idea what was going on, but that didn't stop them.
02:00Yeah, what's wrong with this guy?
02:01That's his brother!
02:02How can he be this cold?
02:04He probably thinks the money's too low.
02:06He's trying to jack up the price.
02:08Looks normal enough.
02:09Turns out he's rotten inside.
02:11Every word landed hard.
02:12The one they dragged out to take the fall for Jason.
02:15Was me.
02:16The one whose life got destroyed.
02:18Was me.
02:18So why?
02:19Why was I still the one standing here, getting cursed at like I was garbage?
02:23I pulled the ring off, set it back in Vanessa's hand.
02:26Then I pointed at my hearing aid, and shook my head.
02:29It's not that I won't save him.
02:30My ear is shot.
02:31If I go underwater, I'll die.
02:33My mom, Susan, froze for a second.
02:36Then she threw herself into the filthy water on the ground.
02:39Fish scales stuck to her clothes.
02:41She slapped the puddles with both hands, crying so hard her voice cracked.
02:45Ethan!
02:46It's been eight years!
02:47How are you still this cold, this cruel, this heartless to get out of this?
02:51That you'd actually fake an injury?
02:54That's Jason.
02:55That's your brother.
02:57My dad, Victor, stared at me in pure disappointment.
02:59His whole hand was shaking.
03:01How did we end up with a monster like you, standing there while your own brother dies?
03:05And now you're making up lies?
03:08You're a goddamn disgrace.
03:11Vanessa's eyes were bright red.
03:12She dug through her purse with trembling hands.
03:14Then she yanked out a bank card and shoved it into my palm.
03:18Ethan, I'm begging you.
03:19There's five million on this card.
03:21That's enough for you to live on forever.
03:23Just go down there now.
03:24Bring Jason back.
03:25You want money?
03:26Fine, take it!
03:27You want something else?
03:28Just name it!
03:30A hot tear fell from her face.
03:32It landed on the back of my hand.
03:34And burned.
03:35Burned so badly it felt like it went straight through me.
03:38Eight years in prison.
03:39She never visited me once.
03:41Not one time.
03:42And now this was our reunion.
03:43She was humbling herself for the same man she once protected by forcing me to confess.
03:47And even now, she was still using money to grind what was left of my dignity into the dirt.
03:53I didn't want to keep arguing with them.
03:55Not anymore.
03:56So I swallowed the pain.
03:57My hand shook as I pulled a medical report from my pocket.
04:00A diagnosis.
04:01Severe eardrum perforation.
04:02I tried to show it to her.
04:04Vanessa didn't even look.
04:05She slapped my hand away.
04:06The paper flew out.
04:07Are you done yet?
04:09You're still waving around some stupid piece of paper?
04:11Isn't money what you want?
04:12Iron doesn't have time for this!
04:14Jason doesn't have time for this.
04:15Then David charged over.
04:17He grabbed my fish table and flipped the whole thing.
04:20Fish crashed to the ground.
04:21Ice scattered everywhere.
04:22Ethan!
04:23You murderer!
04:24Get the hell out!
04:25Don't bring your bad luck onto these docks!
04:27If you won't save him today, then don't ever think about coming back here!
04:32The crowd joined in at once.
04:33People passing by.
04:35Everybody.
04:36Some even spat at me.
04:37Get out, murderer!
04:39A piece of trash like you deserves to rot in hell.
04:43I looked down.
04:44The medical report Vanessa slapped away was lying on the floor.
04:47Soaked.
04:48Stepped on.
04:49And in that moment, the whole thing felt absurd.
04:51All I wanted was to live like a normal person.
04:54Quietly.
04:55Alone.
04:56In some forgotten corner.
04:58That was it.
04:59I was even that too much to ask.
05:01Did they really have to push me all the way to death?
05:04That feeling.
05:05Like the whole world was pointing at me.
05:07It crushed the last of my defenses.
05:09I didn't want to stay there one more second.
05:10I turned and ran.
05:11I don't even know how I made it back to my rental.
05:14I just remember the voices.
05:16People on the street yelling after me.
05:18Cursing me.
05:18I barely got inside.
05:20I hadn't even caught my breath yet.
05:21Then my phone started going insane.
05:23Alert after alert.
05:25Hashtag the murderer who let his brother drown.
05:27Hashtag rich family drama.
05:29The adopted son versus the real one.
05:31Desperate heiress.
05:32Begs her prisoner.
05:33Ex to help.
05:34I tapped one of the alerts.
05:35It opened straight into Vanessa's livestream.
05:37On camera, my mom, Susan, sat there trembling.
05:40She was trying to hold back tears.
05:42I'm so sorry, everyone.
05:43We know we're taking up public attention.
05:45But as a mother, I have nowhere else to turn.
05:48She covered her mouth and sobbed.
05:50It's our fault.
05:51We failed to raise him right.
05:52Back then, he killed for gold bars.
05:54He robbed people.
05:55He took a life.
05:56He served eight years for it.
05:58I thought prison would change him.
05:59But I was wrong.
06:01He's rotten to the core.
06:03Her tears streamed down harder.
06:05Now his brother's trapped underwater.
06:07His life is hanging by a thread.
06:08Ethan could save him.
06:10He could.
06:10But he just ran away.
06:11Victor held her up like she might collapse.
06:13Then he turned to the camera.
06:15I'm begging everyone to help us.
06:17If anyone can bring Ethan back, I'll pay seven figures.
06:21The comments exploded.
06:22They flooded so fast I could barely read them.
06:24Trash like that deserves exposure.
06:26I know where he lives.
06:28West Side Apartments.
06:29This kind of garbage should die.
06:31Anyone in Harbor City?
06:32Go block him in.
06:34Come on, guys.
06:35Go teach that freak a lesson.
06:36I stared at the screen.
06:37My whole body went numb.
06:39Then it happened.
06:41A violent pounding hit my door.
06:43Over and over.
06:44Like they were trying to break it down.
06:45I barely had time to react.
06:47My landlord stormed in first.
06:49Behind him was a crowd of people.
06:50Phones up.
06:51Flashlights on.
06:52Cameras shoved in my face.
06:53Oh, look at you.
06:54You hit it pretty well.
06:56A damn killer living in my building?
06:59They rushed inside like looters.
07:01One man smashed my bowls.
07:02Another kicked over my pots.
07:04Plates shattered across the floor.
07:05Everything I had got torn apart in seconds.
07:08I tried to stop them.
07:09Two huge men grabbed me instantly.
07:11One slammed my head down.
07:12The other locked my arms.
07:14Hold still.
07:15Apologize to the camera.
07:16Say it now.
07:17Tell them you're trash.
07:18You don't deserve to breathe.
07:20Humiliation drowned me.
07:22It hit like a wave.
07:23Someone yanked my hair back.
07:25A phone was jammed right in my face.
07:27The live comments kept flying by.
07:29I couldn't move.
07:30Then the crowd suddenly split apart, making a path.
07:32My parents walked in.
07:34For one stupid second, I thought they were here to stop this.
07:37I was wrong.
07:38Victor's face was dark.
07:39Cold.
07:40He handed someone a thick coil of rope.
07:42It was so heavy it sagged.
07:43He pointed at me through clenched teeth.
07:45Please, help me tie him up.
07:47If he won't go, then drag him there.
07:50I snapped my head up.
07:51I stared at him like I didn't know him.
07:53Dad?
07:53Do you even hear yourself?
07:54I told you!
07:55I can't dive!
07:56I'll die!
07:57Then I looked at my mother.
07:59Mom, do I even matter to you?
08:01I'm your son!
08:03For Jason, are you really going to force me to death?
08:07Susan's eyes were red.
08:08For one second, she looked away.
08:10Like something inside her shook.
08:11But it vanished almost instantly.
08:13What came back was ice.
08:15Shut up!
08:16Jason may not be blood, but he's a thousand times better than you know.
08:19Ten thousand!
08:20You spent eight years in prison!
08:22Who took care of us during those years?
08:23Jason did!
08:24Who stayed by our side?
08:25Jason did!
08:26And now he's in trouble.
08:28You're his brother.
08:29You should be saving him.
08:30You're just going to let him die?
08:32Can your conscience live with that?
08:34My chest felt ripped open.
08:36I was already in pieces.
08:37But that still hurt so bad I could barely breathe.
08:40So that was it.
08:41Blood never mattered to them.
08:42Not once.
08:43To them, I was a stain.
08:45Something disposable.
08:46Something they could throw away whenever they needed.
08:48I'm not going!
08:49I didn't kill anyone!
08:50The case back then wasn't what you think!
08:53Why won't any of you believe me?
08:55I fought like hell.
08:56Twisting.
08:57Kicking.
08:58Trying to break free from the rope.
08:59But nobody cared what a convicted killer had to say.
09:02Not one person.
09:04Just when I was about to break.
09:05Vanessa walked in.
09:06One of her bodyguards handed her something.
09:08A stun baton.
09:09She took it without blinking.
09:10Then she stepped into my room.
09:12Her face was cold and hard.
09:14Ethan, don't make me do this.
09:16For Jason.
09:17There is nothing I won't do.
09:19She didn't hesitate.
09:21She jammed the stun baton straight into my back.
09:23A brutal crack of electricity tore through me.
09:26My whole body convulsed.
09:28Then everything went black.
09:30When I opened my eyes again, I was sprawled across the deck.
09:33Like something the tide had spit back out.
09:36All around me was open ocean.
09:38Nothing but water.
09:39Waves slammed against the boat.
09:41The sound made my heart seize up.
09:43Ethan!
09:44Stop playing dead!
09:45Get in the water!
09:46Bring Jason back!
09:47When I still didn't move.
09:49I promise you.
09:50If you bring Jason back up.
09:52Clenched her teeth and said.
09:53I'll think about marrying you again.
09:55And you'll never have to do that filthy job again.
09:58Filthy?
09:59That word hit me like a knife.
10:01Half a year ago.
10:02Right after I got out.
10:03I went back to the Cole Mansion once.
10:05I was stupid enough to think maybe.
10:07Maybe there was still a little love left for me there.
10:09But that night.
10:10Through the mansion's floor to ceiling windows.
10:13All I saw was a house blazing with light.
10:15My mom and dad were inside.
10:16Vanessa was too.
10:18They were all gathered around Jason.
10:20The son they always chose over me.
10:22They were eating a big holiday dinner.
10:24Roast turkey on the table.
10:25Steak.
10:25Lobster.
10:26Wine.
10:27Everything rich and perfect.
10:29Glasses raised.
10:30Laughter everywhere.
10:31They looked like the perfect family.
10:33And me?
10:34I was standing outside in the freezing wind.
10:36A convict who had done eight years for someone else.
10:39Half deaf.
10:40Broken.
10:40Shaking from the cold.
10:41That was the moment I finally woke up.
10:44My hell had never been prison.
10:45My hell was them.
10:47They built it with their own hands.
10:49In that house, I was never family.
10:51I was just an outsider.
10:53My thoughts snapped back to the boat.
10:55And my eyes locked on something in Vanessa's hand.
10:58A photograph.
11:00She was gripping it tight.
11:01It was a candid shot from a beach volleyball game.
11:04Jason was shirtless, standing out among a group of dive team members.
11:07And the thing that hit me hardest was the scar on his right shoulder.
11:11The second I saw that scar, my whole body went cold.
11:14Like I'd been struck by lightning.
11:16My mind got dragged back ten years.
11:19Back then, I was captain of the dive team.
11:21Vanessa was on the team.
11:23Jason was too.
11:25That day, the sea turned bad, fast.
11:28The current got vicious.
11:29I saw the danger right away.
11:31So I pointed up.
11:32Signaling everyone to head back.
11:34But before we could surface, everything went sideways.
11:38In the chaos, I used almost every ounce of strength I had to shove Vanessa and Jason towards safer water.
11:43And I got caught instead.
11:45The current took me.
11:46I should have died.
11:47By some miracle, I didn't.
11:49I washed up on a deserted island.
11:51Passed out there for three full days.
11:53Then I was rescued.
11:54When I finally got home, Jason ran straight at me.
11:57He grabbed me hard.
11:58Held on like he'd never let go.
11:59And he started crying.
12:01Ethan, you're back.
12:03This is all my fault.
12:04I was useless.
12:05If I'd stopped you from making us go down, if I'd just been stronger,
12:08then I wouldn't have only saved Vanessa and watched you get swept away.
12:12So that was it.
12:13I finally understood.
12:14No wonder my wife had been willing to force me to take the fall,
12:17to send me to prison, and to let me die for another man.
12:20For ten whole years, she had believed Jason was the one who saved her.
12:24In the three days I disappeared, he became her hero.
12:27The man who risked everything for her.
12:29And me?
12:30I became the reckless one.
12:32The glory-hungry idiot who almost got everybody killed.
12:35What a sick joke.
12:36My throat was dry and raw, but I still forced the words out,
12:39shouting with everything I had left.
12:41I told you!
12:42I can't go underwater!
12:43My ear can't handle the pressure!
12:45If I go down there, my brain could hemorrhage!
12:47Do you people want me dead?
12:49Vanessa's eyes flickered.
12:50Just for a second.
12:52A flash of panic.
12:53Gone almost instantly.
12:55Then Victor charged at me in a rage.
12:57He rushed over and kicked me hard.
12:59I hit the deck and rolled.
13:00Keep lying!
13:01Go ahead!
13:01Keep pretending!
13:03Ethan, you're rotten to the core!
13:04At a time like this, you're still faking a disability just to get out of it?
13:09Off to the side, my mom collapsed to the deck, wiping her tears, sobbing like her heart was ripping apart.
13:14Oh, God!
13:16Jason was an angel!
13:18He's always been so sweet!
13:20He did everything for us!
13:21If we lose him, I can't go on!
13:26Then the boat captain, Adam, walked over.
13:28He tapped his watch.
13:30Ms. Lane, this is where Jason went under.
13:32Based on the time, his tank has maybe 30 minutes left.
13:36That one sentence shattered whatever reason Vanessa still had.
13:40Her pretty face twisted from panic.
13:42She spun toward me and screamed.
13:43You heard him!
13:44Move!
13:44Now!
13:45Gear him up!
13:47I stared at her, and something in me finally went cold.
13:50Fine.
13:51I'll go.
13:52But I have one condition.
13:54I want the best deep water gear you've got.
13:56If they were really going to shove me into hell, then I was grabbing whatever slim chance I had.
14:01No matter how small.
14:02If the gear was strong enough, maybe I could survive the pressure.
14:05The second I gave in, Vanessa's shoulders dropped, like she could finally breathe again.
14:09She rushed over and grabbed my hand tight.
14:12Ethan, I knew it!
14:13I knew you still cared!
14:15I knew you wouldn't just let him die!
14:18Then the next second, guilt flashed across her face.
14:20She pointed to a pile of junk in the corner.
14:23But there's no other option.
14:25This is the only diving gear on the boat.
14:27You used to be the best diver in the business.
14:30A little problem like this, you can handle it, right?
14:33She said it so casually, like it was nothing.
14:37I followed her finger, and my blood went cold.
14:40It was an old dive suit.
14:42The rubber was cracked in places.
14:43The air valve was rusted.
14:45That kind of gear should have been scrapped years ago.
14:48There was no way it was safe.
14:50A chill shot straight up my spine.
14:52I yanked my hand away, then backed up in panic.
14:55Vanessa, are you out of your mind?
14:56You know diving!
14:57If I go down in that thing, that's the same as killing me!
15:00Adam looked at the suit, too.
15:02His face tightened.
15:03Mrs. Lane, this gear really is too old.
15:07The risk on a forced deep dive is way too high.
15:10If something goes wrong...
15:11Before he could finish, Vanessa's face went cold.
15:14She cut him off without hesitation.
15:15At a time like this, who the hell cares about that?
15:18Get over here!
15:19Put it on him!
15:20A few bodyguards rushed me at once.
15:23They slammed me onto the deck, pinned me down hard.
15:26In the struggle, someone stomped down.
15:28My hearing aid flew off.
15:29It cracked apart, then got crushed under a shoe.
15:32Shattered.
15:32The one thing that had stayed with me for years.
15:35Gone.
15:36In the end, they forced the suit onto my body anyway.
15:39And Vanessa strapped a heavy industrial weight belt around my waist.
15:4260 pounds of lead, enough to make sure I sank.
15:44Then they shoved me toward the edge of the boat.
15:47In that last, desperate moment, I turned and looked back at this family.
15:51Victor stood there with his arms crossed.
15:52Coldly.
15:53Like none of it had anything to do with him.
15:55There wasn't one shred of pity in his eyes.
15:58Not for his own son.
15:59And my mother, Susan?
16:01She had her hands clasped tight, eyes shut, praying into empty air.
16:05Her lips trembled as she whispered,
16:07Please, please let him be safe.
16:10Please, God, let Jason come back, okay?
16:13At a moment like this, with my life hanging by a thread,
16:16she was praying for him.
16:18For Jason.
16:19Not her own flesh and blood.
16:21It was grotesque.
16:22It was pathetic.
16:23It was almost funny.
16:25Then suddenly, a huge force slammed into my chest.
16:27Someone shoved me.
16:28Hard.
16:29The second the deck vanished under my feet.
16:31Ethan!
16:32If you bring Jason back, we'll get married right away.
16:35I'll be right here waiting for you.
16:37Then the ocean swallowed me whole.
16:38The freezing water wrapped around my body instantly.
16:41The weight belt dragged me down.
16:42Fast.
16:43Way too fast.
16:44Straight into the deep.
16:46The pressure hit my ears like a sledgehammer.
16:48My right eardrum was already hanging by a thread.
16:50Now it tore.
16:52A dull ripping burst exploded inside my head,
16:54like a balloon popping in my skull.
16:56Pain.
16:57Blinding pain.
16:58So much pain, my whole body seized up.
17:01I opened my mouth to scream.
17:02A mouthful of seawater rushed in instead.
17:04My lungs felt like giant hands were crushing them.
17:06My vision turned red.
17:08Then darker.
17:08Then worse.
17:09My mind started slipping away.
17:11And just when I was drowning.
17:12Just when the dark was closing over me.
17:14Just when I gave up trying to live.
17:16A pair of soft hands reached for me.
17:18Fast.
17:18Strong.
17:19And grabbed me.
17:20Susan pressed a hand to her chest.
17:22Her face was pale.
17:23She leaned against the railing.
17:25Her eyes stayed locked on the water.
17:27Victor had his hands behind his back.
17:28He kept pacing.
17:29Back and forth.
17:31Jason will be fine.
17:33He's lucky.
17:34He has to be okay.
17:36Ethan was a diving champion.
17:38He'll bring Jason back up.
17:40She kept saying it over and over.
17:41Like if she said it enough, it would come true.
17:44Like it could calm the fear inside her.
17:46But her fingers were shaking.
17:47And that gave her away.
17:48Then suddenly.
17:50A sharp alarm shattered the dead silence.
17:52A Coast Guard boat was speeding toward them.
17:54Fast.
17:55A few officers jumped onto the deck.
17:56The man in front scanned everyone with hard, sharp eyes.
17:59I'm Owen with the Harbor City Coast Guard.
18:02Who's in charge here?
18:04Victor hurried over at once.
18:05He pulled out a business card and handed it over.
18:07We're with Cole Group.
18:09My son went missing while diving.
18:12We came out here to look for him ourselves.
18:15Owen took the card.
18:17Rescue?
18:17Then he looked them over coldly.
18:19We pulled him out three hours ago.
18:25The whole deck went dead silent.
18:27Then Owen pulled up footage from his body cam.
18:29He opened a video and held it up.
18:30Three hours ago, during patrol, we recovered a man from the water.
18:34It was Jason Cole.
18:36We tried contacting his family.
18:38No answer.
18:40Never thought you came all the way out here.
18:43There's no signal.
18:44The doctor on board examined him.
18:46You've been exposed to a marine toxin.
18:47A sea barrier.
18:48A kind of sea slug.
18:49That toxin can trigger severe hallucinations.
18:51In serious cases, it can be fatal.
18:53He might have touched one while diving.
18:55He's already been taken to the hospital.
18:57He's been stabilized for now.
18:58The second they heard Jason was alive, my parents and Vanessa lit up with joy.
19:02Like they had all just been handed their lives back.
19:04And not one of them cared about the word hallucinations.
19:07Not one.
19:08Victor nearly started crying on the spot.
19:10He was so excited he could barely stand still.
19:12I knew it!
19:13I knew Jason was blessed!
19:15He's always had luck on his side!
19:18Vanessa, did you hear that?
19:20Jason's okay!
19:21We have money.
19:23As long as he's still breathing, we can save him.
19:26We'll spend whatever it takes.
19:27Vanessa finally let out a long breath.
19:29A smile of pure relief broke across her face.
19:31Like she had just survived a nightmare.
19:33Then the smile froze.
19:35Right there on her face.
19:36Because suddenly she remembered.
19:37Half an hour ago she had shoved her ex-husband into the ocean.
19:40With her own hands.
19:41Forced him down there.
19:42To save Jason.
19:43He was lying in a hospital.
19:44Alive.
19:45So where was Ethan?
19:46I had already been underwater for over 30 minutes.
19:49And there was still no sign of me.
19:50Not even a trace.
19:51A terrible thought started rising in her mind.
19:53But before she could think it through, Owen took a file from one of his officers.
19:57His expression turned strange.
19:58Cold.
19:59Sharp.
19:59Almost mocking.
20:01Then he looked straight at them and spoke again.
20:04Well, if you're his family, that actually makes this easier.
20:09He opened the document.
20:10Then announced it on the spot.
20:11As of this moment, Jason Cole is in custody.
20:14He is suspected of stealing protected underwater artifacts.
20:19And suspected of murder.
20:22That landed like a thunderclap.
20:24The next, they were dragged straight into the dirt.
20:26The smile on my dad's face froze.
20:28Then his whole face turned dark.
20:31Pointed right at Owen.
20:32What the hell are you talking about?
20:34Stealing artifacts?
20:35Murder?
20:36Our company practically built this town.
20:38My son Jason is one of the most well-known philanthropists.
20:42He's still lying in a hospital bed.
20:44And you people dare dump this kind of filth on him?
20:46My mom rushed up too.
20:48She tried to shove Owen.
20:49That's right.
20:50Do you even know how many schools Jason has donated to?
20:54He won't even hurt a fly.
20:55How could he possibly steal anything?
20:59How could he kill anyone?
21:01Vanessa stepped up too.
21:02Putting on that cold, untouchable CEO act.
21:05Officer, watch what you say.
21:07You can't just throw accusations around.
21:09I'm the chair of Lane Group.
21:11Jason is my husband.
21:12If you try to set him up with fake charges,
21:15one phone call and your career is over.
21:18They were shouting, threatening.
21:20But Owen only got colder.
21:22He didn't argue.
21:23He just tapped open another video.
21:25Jason scrambled backward from empty air,
21:27like something horrifying was standing right in front of him.
21:30His whole body was shaking violently.
21:32His face was twisted with pure terror.
21:36He had been down dozens of feet underwater when the toxin hit.
21:39The hallucinations were strong.
21:40Don't come over here!
21:42Ah!
21:42Don't come near me!
21:43Zach, I know I messed up!
21:45Don't kill me!
21:46My parents went white.
21:47Their lips trembled.
21:49Their eyes stayed glued to the screen.
21:51I got greedy!
21:53I never should have cut your arrows!
21:55I'm so sorry!
21:56I'll do whatever it takes to make it right!
21:58No, no, don't take me with you!
22:00He started smashing his forehead against the deck,
22:02over and over.
22:07Then all at once, the fear vanished.
22:09His face changed, turned vicious.
22:11A grin spread across it, twisted, like a demon laughing.
22:14He gestured into the empty air and cackled him.
22:17Ethan, you idiot!
22:19You never saw this coming, did you?
22:21That idiot, Vanessa.
22:22She actually thought I was the one who saved her.
22:24All I did was show her a little scar.
22:26And she fell for me completely.
22:28She played those two old fans like a fettle.
22:30She got me into that house?
22:31My dad forced his neck straight, still trying to fight it.
22:34I just played the victim.
22:36And they treated me like a king while they threw you away.
22:39Sent your pathetic ass to rot!
22:41Ha ha ha ha!
22:42God, that felt damn good!
22:44You can rot in prison forever!
22:45Everything from the coals and everything from the lanes will be mine!
22:49Dead silence.
22:50Only Jason's crazed laughter kept echoing from the video.
22:53Across the deck, Vanessa stumbled back two steps.
22:56She almost fell right there on the deck.
22:58That was their precious son.
22:59Her precious husband.
23:01The man they defended like he was gold.
23:02And now he was on video.
23:04Grinning like a devil.
23:06Mocking them for being fools.
23:08No.
23:09That's impossible.
23:10You said...
23:12He was poisoned.
23:15He was hallucinating.
23:17He was talking nonsense.
23:19Exactly.
23:20That's all this is.
23:22He was hallucinating.
23:24He didn't know what he was saying.
23:26Yes!
23:28It was the toxin!
23:30That sea salt toxin made him ramble!
23:33Owen's voice turned firm.
23:35I figured that's what you'd say.
23:36Which is exactly why we move fast.
23:39This involves a major attempted murder case.
23:42So we already formed an investigation team.
23:45And verified everything he said.
23:49Then Owen pulled out another stack of documents.
23:52We found that the statements Ethan gave after his arrest eight years ago did not match the physical evidence from
23:59the scene.
24:00And there's more.
24:02Ethan's defense attorney turned on him at trial.
24:05The day before the trial, a large payment hit his account.
24:10We traced the source.
24:11It came from one of your offshore accounts, Vanessa.
24:14Vanessa's face went white.
24:15And Jason's private account received multiple large wire transfers after the incident that year.
24:21The source was hidden.
24:22But we now have strong reason to believe that money came from selling stolen artifacts.
24:26We believe the case was not what it seemed.
24:27Please cooperate with the investigation.
24:29You're coming with us.
24:31The Coast Guard officers were just about to move in.
24:33Then Adam finally broke.
24:35He swallowed hard.
24:37Then stammered out.
24:39Officer.
24:40Wait.
24:41This still isn't over.
24:44Ethan.
24:45Ethan Cole.
24:47He's still down there.
24:49He'll never stay back up.
24:52What did you just say?
24:54Owen whipped around.
24:55His eyes widened instantly.
24:58There's still someone underwater?
25:00Adam's legs nearly gave out.
25:02He started spilling everything.
25:04About half an hour ago,
25:06Ms. Lane pushed Ethan into the water.
25:08He said his ear was injured.
25:09Said he couldn't handle the pressure.
25:12But Ms. Lane insisted.
25:14She forced him to go down.
25:16Now,
25:17he still hasn't surfaced.
25:19Three days later.
25:21Harbor City Hospital.
25:22Jason finally woke up.
25:24His body was still weak.
25:26He twitched his fingers.
25:27Then realized the bed was surrounded.
25:29Mom.
25:30Dad.
25:31Vanessa.
25:32And several police officers in uniform.
25:34A flash of joy hit him.
25:35With all these people here,
25:36they had to be worried sick about him.
25:38He quickly changed his expression.
25:39Forced tears into his eyes.
25:41Then weakly reached for Susan's hand.
25:43Dad.
25:44Mom.
25:46Vanessa.
25:47I was so scared.
25:48I had the worst nightmare.
25:51I dreamed I was trapped underwater.
25:54I thought I'd never see you again.
25:56Before, that would have worked.
25:58Susan would have rushed over already.
26:00She would have held him.
26:01Cried over him.
26:02But today, the room was terrifyingly quiet.
26:05No one spoke.
26:06Only the monitor kept beeping.
26:07Steady.
26:08Cold.
26:09Jason's hand hung there in midair.
26:11Awkward.
26:11Stiff.
26:12That was when he realized something was wrong.
26:14Victor wasn't fussing over him.
26:16The man who had always spoiled him was standing at the foot of the bed.
26:18His face was black with rage.
26:21And the way he looked at Jason now, there was no warmth left.
26:24No love.
26:25Dad?
26:26What's wrong?
26:28Dad?
26:29What's wrong?
26:30He pulled out a tablet.
26:32Tapped the screen.
26:32Then threw it onto Jason's chest.
26:34Jason grabbed it.
26:35Looked down.
26:36And instantly went pale.
26:37On the screen was him.
26:39Laughing like a maniac.
26:40Spilling everything.
26:42Confessing.
26:42Mocking the people who raised him.
26:44Calling them idiots.
26:45Every ugly word.
26:46Every filthy truth.
26:46All of it was there.
26:48His face went ghost white.
26:49Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
26:51This...
26:51Jason panicked.
26:52This isn't real.
26:53He struggled to sit up.
26:54Dad!
26:54Mom!
26:55Vanessa!
26:56Listen to me.
26:57That was the sea hair toxin.
26:59It made me hallucinate.
27:01It made me say crazy things.
27:02How could I ever hurt Ethan?
27:04That wasn't me.
27:04It was the poison talking.
27:06Vanessa, believe me.
27:07Reached for her.
27:08I love you.
27:10Everything I did.
27:12I did it so we could be together.
27:14Vanessa's expression turned complicated.
27:15Owen cut in from the side.
27:17Jason Cole.
27:18Drop the act.
27:19We've already confirmed the evidence.
27:22You framed Ethan for the theft.
27:24And you murdered Zach.
27:27The jig is up, I guess.
27:30But don't act so high and mighty, Dad.
27:32You're the one who threw your son to the wolves.
27:35I just watched.
27:36Then he turned to Vanessa.
27:38His eyes dragged over her in that disgusting, sticky way.
27:41And you.
27:43Stop acting innocent.
27:46For the last eight years.
27:49Wasn't I good enough for you in bed?
27:52What?
27:53Suddenly found your conscience?
27:57A little late, don't you think?
27:58He laughed again.
27:59Ugly.
28:00Slow.
28:01Mocking.
28:02Ethan's not coming back anyway.
28:05So, why not let it go?
28:07I can still take care of you two.
28:11We can all stay one happy family.
28:14Still living the dream.
28:16Isn't that what you want?
28:24The second those words came out, the whole room turned freezing cold.
28:27The shamelessness of it.
28:28The evil of it.
28:29It was beyond human.
28:31My parents were shaking so hard they could barely stand.
28:34They stared at the boy they had raised for eight years.
28:37This was the son they had treated?
28:38Like their own flesh and blood?
28:40What?
28:41Susan finally broke.
28:42What?
28:42She remembered my face.
28:44The look in my eyes when they shoved me into the sea.
28:46That dead, hollow, hopeless look.
28:49She remembered pointing at me.
28:50Cursing me.
28:51Calling me heartless in filth.
28:52The pain hit her so hard she almost stopped breathing.
28:55She collapsed to the floor.
28:56Both hands clawing at her hair.
28:58Then she let out a raw, broken scream.
29:01What did I do?
29:04I'm a monster.
29:06I don't deserve to breathe.
29:09The second my mom said that, Victor seemed to wake up.
29:13Like he had just been struck across the face.
29:15He lowered his head, stared at his own trembling hands.
29:18Those hands.
29:19When I slapped my eardrum open eight years ago,
29:22had handed over the rope to tie up his own son.
29:25Ah!
29:26Ah!
29:27Ah!
29:28He let out a howl like a wounded beast.
29:30Then he raised his hand and started slapping himself across the face.
29:34Hard.
29:35Again.
29:36And again.
29:37Smack.
29:38The sound of those hits echoed through the hospital room.
29:41His face swelled almost instantly.
29:42His cheeks turned red and purple.
29:44Blood ran from the corner of his mouth,
29:46but he acted like he couldn't feel any of it.
29:47He just kept hitting himself.
29:49Over and over.
29:50Like a madman.
29:51This is karma.
29:53This is all karma.
29:55I thought I could see through anyone.
29:58But I killed my own blood.
30:00And Vanessa, by now the mental wall she had spent three days holding up finally collapsed.
30:05Completely.
30:06She didn't want to think about that dive.
30:08The underwater current.
30:09The day I disappeared.
30:11Those three days after I went missing, Jason had stayed by her side.
30:14Again and again he described what happened underwater.
30:17Every detail.
30:18Every danger.
30:18Every second.
30:19He painted the whole thing for her.
30:21She still remembered it.
30:22Jason standing in front of her.
30:24Taking off his shirt.
30:25Pointing at the scar on his shoulder.
30:27Telling her he got it saving her.
30:28And she believed him.
30:29She actually believed him.
30:31Later after the underwater murder case, she had bribed my lawyer.
30:34Paid him off to switch sides at the last second.
30:36Helped send me to prison for eight years.
30:38Then she married the man who had really killed someone.
30:40And three days ago, she used money to humiliate me.
30:43And then, she pushed me into the abyss.
30:45The same man who nearly died saving her.
30:48No!
30:50It wasn't supposed to be like this!
30:53Vanessa dropped to her knees.
30:55Her hands shook as she pulled something from her pocket.
30:57The broken pieces of my hearing aid.
30:59She had picked them up from the deck of the boat.
31:01The cracked plastic shell still carried the salt and stink of the sea.
31:05Her vision blurred with tears.
31:07Still, she tried to fit the pieces back together.
31:09One by one.
31:10Even though it was already smashed beyond repair.
31:13Ethan!
31:15I'm sorry.
31:17I'm so sorry.
31:20She kept trying to piece it together.
31:22Crying harder and harder.
31:24The sharp plastic cut into her fingers.
31:26Her nails split.
31:27Blood smeared across the broken hearing aid pieces.
31:30Please!
31:31Come back!
31:32Come back!
31:34I'll give you anything!
31:35We'll remarry!
31:36No more lies!
31:37Ethan, please!
31:40Oh, please come back to me!
31:42The ice queen who looked down on us all.
31:44The cold, untouchable CEO was now on the floor like a stray dog, crying, begging.
31:50In a hospital overseas, I opened my eyes slowly and met Claire's gentle eyes.
31:57Ethan.
31:58Ethan.
32:01You finally made it back.
32:03She sat by my bed, with a bowl of chicken soup, feeding me one spoonful at a time.
32:10The warmth slid down my throat and settled in my chest.
32:14I hadn't felt that in eight years.
32:16The feeling of being cared for, like I actually mattered, like someone was protecting me.
32:21Claire was Zach's younger sister.
32:23Zach had been on my dive team.
32:25The three of us grew up together.
32:26Best friends.
32:27Like family.
32:28Back then, me, Zach, and Jason went diving together.
32:31That was when we found the gold.
32:33Hidden in a sunken wreck.
32:34Jason got greedy.
32:36He cut Zach's air hose, then pinned it on me.
32:38Vanessa didn't believe me.
32:40My parents didn't either.
32:41Not for one second.
32:42They even destroyed my eardrum.
32:44Forced me to take the fall.
32:45Only Claire believed I was innocent.
32:47But she had no proof.
32:48She couldn't clear my name.
32:49And she couldn't avenge her brother.
32:51For eight years, she came to see me every month in prison.
32:53Never missed.
32:55After I got out, I stood outside the coal mansion.
32:57And saw them all inside.
32:59Laughing.
32:59Eating.
33:00Living like a perfect family.
33:01That was the night I made my choice.
33:03I was going to get revenge.
33:04So, I went to Claire.
33:06And asked for her help.
33:07Jason killed for gold.
33:08And sold me out for greed.
33:10All for the money.
33:11Fine.
33:12Then, I decided to give him exactly what he wanted.
33:14Two months earlier, I started feeding Jason exactly the kind of story a greedy man couldn't ignore.
33:19Rumors.
33:19Planet articles.
33:20Fake salvage chatter.
33:21Over and over.
33:22All of it pointing to one patch of ocean.
33:24A newly discovered wreck.
33:26And the chance it was loaded with gold?
33:27At first, he didn't buy it.
33:29Why would he?
33:29He had the coals and the lanes backing him.
33:31Money was everywhere around him.
33:33Every time he saw the alerts, he just swiped them away.
33:35But greed is greed.
33:37And it always comes back.
33:38After seeing it enough times, he started wondering if it was real.
33:41Then he started searching.
33:42That was the step I was waiting for.
33:44I had already planted spyware on his phone.
33:45The second he started digging, it triggered everything.
33:48All the planted information.
33:49All the fake confirmations.
33:50Everything we had prepared started feeding right into him.
33:53So he believed it.
33:54He took the bait.
33:55But private salvage without approval is illegal.
33:57Especially if it involves protected wrecks.
33:59Artifacts.
34:00Historic sites.
34:01He couldn't let too many people know.
34:02So he used diving as cover.
34:04Went down there several times to check it out.
34:06And that part was real.
34:08There really was a wreck in that area.
34:10The moment I found out he had secretly contacted a salvage boat, I knew my chance had come.
34:14After that, the rest fell into place.
34:16Before one of his dives, his breathing gear was contaminated.
34:19Just a trace amount.
34:20Sea hair toxin.
34:21Once he was underwater, it hit.
34:22And everything unfolded exactly how we wanted.
34:25But there was one thing I didn't expect.
34:27My parents.
34:28And my ex-wife.
34:29Instead of calling the official rescue team, they came looking for me.
34:32Me.
34:33Back at the trial, they publicly disowned me.
34:35And after I got out, they never looked for me once.
34:38So I had to change plans.
34:39I decided to fake my death.
34:41Disappear completely.
34:42Thank God Claire got there in time.
34:44She came in a mini-sub.
34:45Pulled me up before I died.
34:47Now, in the hospital room, the TV on the wall was playing live coverage from back home.
34:51A major sentencing update.
34:53Broadcast everywhere.
34:54Jason had been convicted on multiple charges.
34:56Intentional homicide.
34:57Theft of protected artifacts.
34:59Framing an innocent man.
35:00And more.
35:01He was sentenced to death, with immediate execution.
35:04I watched the screen.
35:05Then shook my head.
35:07Claire caught it right away.
35:08She knew exactly what I meant.
35:10So she explained.
35:11My guess?
35:13Jason got pushed up by an underwater current.
35:16Then patrol officers just happened to spot him.
35:20But that part doesn't matter.
35:22The ending still landed where we needed it.
35:25I nodded.
35:25Then looked back at the TV.
35:27Victor and Susan were sentenced to.
35:29One year each.
35:31For shielding the real killer.
35:32And obstructing justice.
35:34Taken into custody right there in court.
35:36Vanessa got three years.
35:37For bribery.
35:38Perjury.
35:38And covering up a crime.
35:40At the same time, Lane Group and Cole Group were collapsing.
35:43The scandal sent both stocks into freefall.
35:45Then both families went bankrupt.
35:47The Coles.
35:48The Lanes.
35:48The families who once thought they ruled everything.
35:50Their names were ruined for good.
35:52On the screen, those people from my past stood in prison uniforms.
35:56Crying.
35:56Begging.
35:57Confessing to the cameras.
35:58But no one pitied them.
36:00And strangely, I felt nothing.
36:02No hate.
36:02No thrill.
36:03No satisfaction.
36:04Just relief.
36:05A clean, empty kind of relief.
36:07Like all the pain had finally been peeled off me.
36:09Like every last chain had fallen away.
36:11And for the first time in years, I let out one long breath.
36:15Four years later.
36:16Thanks to Claire and the best specialist's money could buy,
36:19my hearing had long since returned.
36:22Now, we were on Australia's Gold Coast.
36:24Launching a cutting-edge deep-sea ecology project.
36:27That day, we were on the beach testing a new sonar system.
36:30Then a woman came stumbling toward us.
36:32Her hair was almost all white.
36:34She looked gaunt, hollowed out.
36:36If I hadn't looked carefully, I never would have recognized her.
36:39It was Vanessa.
36:40The same Vanessa who once thought she ruled the world.
36:43A foul smell rolled off her.
36:45She dug into a torn pocket.
36:46Then pulled out a ring.
36:48The wedding ring.
36:48The same one she once forced onto my finger.
36:51The same one I threw back at the fish stall.
36:53Ethan.
36:54Ethan, I finally found you!
36:58Look.
36:59I kept this ring with me the whole time.
37:02Please.
37:03Please give me one chance to make it right.
37:06One chance to make up for everything.
37:08For years now, I've thought about you every day.
37:11I know I messed up.
37:12Jason lied to me.
37:14He destroyed me.
37:15My family is gone.
37:16My money is gone.
37:18Someone even beat me until I lost hearing in one ear.
37:21That's my punishment.
37:22That's my karma.
37:30Ethan.
37:32I love you.
37:33You loved me, didn't you?
37:36Back then, you almost died trying to save me.
37:39She kept pouring it out.
37:41How she got tricked out of everything.
37:42How debt collectors hunted her.
37:44How helpless she had been.
37:45Then one day, she saw me on TV.
37:47She sold one of her kidneys just to pay someone to get her into Australia.
37:50But I only took two small steps back, avoided the hand reaching toward me with that ring.
37:54Then I spoke.
37:56Please stay away from me.
37:58We're divorced.
37:59The second you forced me to take the fall for a murderer, the woman I once called my wife died.
38:05So stop acting like this is love.
38:10It just makes me sick.
38:13Right then, Claire walked over holding two cold drinks.
38:15She handed one to me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
38:18Then she slipped an arm around my neck and kissed my cheek.
38:23Babe, why is this woman anywhere near you?
38:26I don't know.
38:28Where's security?
38:29Vanessa stared at us.
38:30At how good we looked together.
38:31At how happy we were.
38:33And something inside her snapped.
38:35Jealousy.
38:35Regret.
38:36Both of them tore through her like poison.
38:39Then she coughed.
38:40Hard.
38:41Once.
38:41Then again.
38:42A mouthful of blood burst from her lips.
38:45She dropped straight onto the sand.
38:47Back in Harbor City, two elderly people shuffled down the street.
38:50Each of them carried a ripped plastic sack.
38:52They limped badly.
38:54Step by step.
38:55Then they stopped in front of a giant LED screen in the city square.
38:57Their bodies shook.
38:59Their eyes lifted.
39:00On the screen, a global live broadcast was playing.
39:03I was there.
39:04Wearing a custom suit.
39:05Standing tall.
39:06Calm.
39:06Confident.
39:07Receiving a major UN environmental award.
39:10The camera panned wider.
39:11Claire stood beside me.
39:12One hand looped through my arm.
39:14Her baby bump was showing.
39:15And she was smiling, like sunlight.
39:17Susan burst into tears.
39:19The tears ran down her filthy face.
39:20She slowly raised one grimy hand.
39:22Reached toward the screen.
39:23Like she could touch me from where she stood.
39:26Ethan.
39:29That's my boy.
39:30A security guard from the mall rushed out at once.
39:33What the hell are you doing, you filthy beggars?
39:35Get away from there!
39:37He shoved her hard.
39:39She fell straight to the ground.
39:40Victor was crying, too.
39:42But he didn't dare fight back.
39:43He just kept slapping himself across the face.
39:45Again and again.
39:46Mattering through tears.
39:48This is karma.
39:52We were blind.
39:53Then the two of them held each other up.
39:55And disappeared into the alleys of the city.
39:57As for Vanessa, she was detained and deported.
39:59After that, she completely lost her mind.
40:01The shock broke her for good.
40:03She had no money left for proper treatment.
40:05So she got dumped into the cheapest mental institution they could find.
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