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