- 3 hours ago
The Son I Raised Wasn't Mine Ep 2026 Drama
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I used to be a professional salvage diver, one of the best on the East Coast.
00:04Then, I was convicted of murder.
00:06They said I cut my partner's air hose, said I killed for money.
00:11I 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.
00:18That day, my family came tearing down the pier like the world was ending.
00:22My mom and dad collapsed onto the filthy ground,
00:25right into the blood, meltwater, and fish slime underfoot.
00:28Ethan, your brother went diving two hours ago.
00:31He still hasn't come back up.
00:33Something happened to him.
00:35You're the best diver we know.
00:37Get in the water and bring him up.
00:39My ex-wife, Vanessa, rushed up next.
00:42She pulled out the wedding ring from years ago.
00:44Then, she forced it onto my finger.
00:45I swear to you, if you go down there and bring Jason back, I'll marry you again.
00:51I said nothing.
00:52I just reached up and touched the hearing aid on my ear.
00:55Had they really forgotten?
00:57Eight years ago?
00:58Jason.
00:59The son they chose, over and over again, instead of me.
01:02He fought with his dive partner underwater, over gold bars, hidden in a sunken ship.
01:07After it happened, Vanessa wanted to protect him, so she forced me to sign a confession.
01:12My dad went even further.
01:13He slapped me so hard.
01:15He ruptured my eardrum.
01:16That one hit left me half-deaf.
01:18And now, with the condition I'm in now, if I go back underwater,
01:50the pressure could trigger a brain bleed.
01:51So why are you still rotting here, slinging guts on this pier?
01:55People nearby had no idea what was going on, but that didn't stop them.
01:59Yeah, what's wrong with this guy?
02:00That's his brother.
02:01How can he be this cold?
02:03He probably thinks the money's too low.
02:05He's trying to jack up the price.
02:07Looks normal enough.
02:08Turns out he's rotten inside.
02:10Every word landed hard.
02:11The one they dragged out to take the fall for Jason.
02:14Was me.
02:15The one whose life got destroyed.
02:16Was me.
02:17So why?
02:18Why was I still the one standing here, getting cursed at like I was garbage?
02:22I pulled the ring off, set it back in Vanessa's hand.
02:25Then I pointed at my hearing aid, and shook my head.
02:28It's not that I won't save him.
02:29My ear is shot.
02:30If I go underwater, I'll die.
02:32My mom, Susan, froze for a second.
02:35Then she threw herself into the filthy water on the ground.
02:38Fish scales stuck to her clothes.
02:40She slapped the puddles with both hands.
02:42Crying so hard, her voice cracked.
02:44Ethan, it's been eight years.
02:46How are you still this cold, this cruel, this heartless to get out of this?
02:50That you'd actually fake an injury?
02:53That's Jason.
02:54That's your brother.
02:55My dad, Victor, stared at me in pure disappointment.
02:58His whole hand was shaking.
03:00How did we end up with a monster like you, standing there while your own brother dies?
03:04And now you're making up lies?
03:07You're a goddamn disgrace.
03:09Vanessa's eyes were bright red.
03:11She dug through her purse with trembling hands.
03:13Then she yanked out a bank card and shoved it into my palm.
03:17Ethan, I'm begging you.
03:18There's five million on this card.
03:20That's enough for you to live on forever.
03:21Just go down there now.
03:23Bring Jason back.
03:24You want money?
03:25Fine, take it!
03:26You want something else?
03:27Just name it!
03:28A hot tear fell from her face.
03:30It landed on the back of my hand.
03:32And burned.
03:33Burned so badly it felt like it went straight through me.
03:36Eight years in prison.
03:37She never visited me once.
03:39Not one time.
03:40And now this was our reunion.
03:42She was humbling herself for the same man she once protected by forcing me to confess.
03:46And even now, she was still using money to grind what was left of my dignity into the dirt.
03:51I didn't want to keep arguing with them.
03:53Not anymore.
03:54So I swallowed the pain.
03:55My hand shook as I pulled a medical report from my pocket.
03:58A diagnosis.
03:59Severe eardrum perforation.
04:00I tried to show it to her.
04:02Vanessa didn't even look.
04:03She slapped my hand away.
04:04The paper flew out.
04:06Are you done yet?
04:07You're still waving around some stupid piece of paper?
04:09Isn't money what you want?
04:11Iron doesn't have time for this!
04:12Jason doesn't have time for this.
04:14Then David charged over.
04:15He grabbed my fish table and flipped the whole thing.
04:18Fish crashed to the ground.
04:19Ice scattered everywhere.
04:20Ethan!
04:21You murderer!
04:22Get the hell out!
04:23Don't bring your bad luck onto these docks!
04:25If you won't save him today, then don't ever think about coming back here!
04:30The crowd joined in at once.
04:32People passing by.
04:33Everybody.
04:34Some even spat at me.
04:35Get out, murderer!
04:37A piece of trash like you deserves to rot in hell.
04:41I looked down.
04:42The medical report Vanessa slapped away was lying on the floor.
04:45Soaked.
04:46Stepped on.
04:47And in that moment, the whole thing felt absurd.
04:50All I wanted was to live like a normal person.
04:52Quietly.
04:53Alone.
04:55In some forgotten corner.
04:56That was it.
04:58I was even that too much to ask.
04:59Did they really have to push me all the way to death?
05:02That feeling.
05:03Like the whole world was pointing at me.
05:04It crushed the last of my defenses.
05:07I didn't want to stay there one more second.
05:08I turned and ran.
05:10I don't even know how I made it back to my rental.
05:12I just remember the voices.
05:14People on the street yelling after me.
05:15Cursing me.
05:16I barely got inside.
05:18I hadn't even caught my breath yet.
05:19Then my phone started going insane.
05:21Alert after alert.
05:23Hashtag the murderer who let his brother drown.
05:25Hashtag rich family drama.
05:27The adopted son versus the real one.
05:28Desperate heiress begs her prisoner, X, to help.
05:32I tapped one of the alerts.
05:33It opened straight into Vanessa's livestream.
05:35On camera, my mom, Susan, sat there trembling.
05:38She was trying to hold back tears.
05:40I'm so sorry, everyone.
05:41We know we're taking up public attention.
05:43But as a mother, I have nowhere else to turn.
05:46She covered her mouth and sobbed.
05:48It's our fault.
05:49We failed to raise him right.
05:50Back then, he killed for gold bars.
05:52He robbed people.
05:53He took a life.
05:54He served eight years for it.
05:56I thought prison would change him.
05:57But I was wrong.
05:59He's rotten to the core.
06:01Her tears streamed down harder.
06:03Now his brother's trapped underwater.
06:04His life is hanging by a thread.
06:06Ethan could save him.
06:07He could.
06:08But he just ran away.
06:09Victor held her up like she might collapse.
06:11Then he turned to the camera.
06:13I'm begging everyone to help us.
06:15If anyone can bring Ethan back, I'll pay seven figures.
06:18The comments exploded.
06:20They flooded so fast I could barely read them.
06:22Trash like that deserves exposure.
06:24I know where he lives.
06:26West Side Apartments.
06:27This kind of garbage should die.
06:29Anyone in Harbor City?
06:30Go block him in.
06:31Come on, guys.
06:33Go teach that freak a lesson.
06:34I stared at the screen.
06:36My whole body went numb.
06:37Then it happened.
06:39A violent pounding hit my door.
06:40Over and over.
06:42Like they were trying to break it down.
06:43I barely had time to react.
06:45My landlord stormed in first.
06:47Behind him was a crowd of people.
06:48Phones up.
06:49Flashlights on.
06:50Cameras shoved in my face.
06:51Well, look at you.
06:52You hit it pretty well.
06:53A damn killer living in my building?
06:56They rushed inside like looters.
06:59One man smashed my bowls.
07:00Another kicked over my pots.
07:02Plates shattered across the floor.
07:03Everything I had got torn apart in seconds.
07:06I tried to stop them.
07:07Two huge men grabbed me instantly.
07:09One slammed my head down.
07:10The other locked my arms.
07:12Hold still.
07:12Apologize to the camera.
07:14Say it now.
07:14Tell them you're trash.
07:16You don't deserve to breathe.
07:18Humiliation drowned me.
07:19It hit like a wave.
07:21Someone yanked my hair back.
07:22A phone was jammed right in my face.
07:24The live comments kept flying by.
07:26I couldn't move.
07:27Then the crowd suddenly split apart.
07:29Making a path.
07:30My parents walked in.
07:31For one stupid second, I thought they were here to stop this.
07:34I was wrong.
07:35Victor's face was dark.
07:37Cold.
07:37He handed someone a thick coil of rope.
07:39It was so heavy it sagged.
07:41He pointed at me through clenched teeth.
07:43Please, help me tie him up.
07:44If he won't go, then drag him there.
07:47I snapped my head up.
07:48I stared at him like I didn't know him.
07:50Dad?
07:51Do you even hear yourself?
07:52I told you!
07:53I can't dive!
07:54I'll die!
07:55Then I looked at my mother.
07:56Mom, do I even matter to you?
07:59I'm your son!
08:01For Jason.
08:02Are you really gonna force me to death?
08:04Susan's eyes were red.
08:05For one second, she looked away.
08:07Like something inside her shook.
08:09But it vanished almost instantly.
08:11What came back was ice.
08:12Shut up!
08:13Jason may not be blood, but he's a thousand times better than you know.
08:16Ten thousand!
08:17You spent eight years in prison!
08:19Who took care of us during those years?
08:21Jason did!
08:22Who stayed by our side?
08:23Jason did!
08:24And now he's in trouble.
08:25You're his brother.
08:26You should be saving him.
08:28You're just gonna let him die?
08:29Can your conscience live with that?
08:32My chest felt ripped open.
08:33I was already in pieces.
08:35But that still hurt so bad I could barely breathe.
08:37So that was it.
08:38Blood never mattered to them.
08:40Not once.
08:41To them, I was a stain.
08:42Something disposable.
08:44Something they could throw away whenever they needed.
08:46I'm not going!
08:47I didn't kill anyone!
08:48The case back then wasn't what you think!
08:50Why won't any of you believe me?
08:52I fought like hell.
08:54Twisting.
08:54Kicking.
08:55Trying to break free from the rope.
08:57But nobody cared what a convicted killer had to say.
09:00Not one person.
09:01Just when I was about to break.
09:03Vanessa walked in.
09:04One of her bodyguards handed her something.
09:05A stun baton.
09:06She took it without blinking.
09:08Then she stepped into my room.
09:09Her face was cold and hard.
09:11Ethan.
09:12Don't make me do this.
09:14For Jason.
09:15There is nothing I won't do.
09:17She didn't hesitate.
09:18She jammed the stun baton straight into my back.
09:21A brutal crack of electricity tore through me.
09:24My whole body convulsed.
09:26Then everything went black.
09:27When I opened my eyes again, I was sprawled across the deck.
09:30Like something the tide had spit back out.
09:33All around me was open ocean.
09:34Nothing but water.
09:36Waves slammed against the boat.
09:38The sound made my heart seize up.
09:40Ethan.
09:41Stop playing dead.
09:42Get in the water.
09:44Bring Jason back.
09:45When I still didn't move.
09:46I promise you.
09:47If you bring Jason back up.
09:49Clenched her teeth and said.
09:50I'll think about marrying you again.
09:52And you'll never have to do that filthy job again.
09:55Filthy?
09:56That word hit me like a knife.
09:58Half a year ago.
09:59Right after I got out.
10:00I went back to the Cole Mansion once.
10:02I was stupid enough to think maybe, maybe there was still a little love left for me there.
10:06But that night, through the mansion's floor to ceiling windows, all I saw was a house blazing
10:12with light.
10:12My mom and dad were inside.
10:14Vanessa was too.
10:15They were all gathered around Jason.
10:17The son they always chose over me.
10:19They were eating a big holiday dinner.
10:21Roast turkey on the table.
10:22Steak.
10:23Lobster.
10:23Wine.
10:24Everything rich and perfect.
10:26Glasses raised.
10:27Laughter everywhere.
10:28They looked like the perfect family.
10:30And me?
10:31I was standing outside in the freezing wind.
10:34A convict who had done eight years for someone else.
10:36Half deaf.
10:37Broken.
10:37Shaking from the cold.
10:39That was the moment I finally woke up.
10:41My hell had never been prison.
10:43My hell was them.
10:44They built it with their own hands.
10:46In that house, I was never family.
10:49I was just an outsider.
10:50My thoughts snapped back to the boat.
10:53Then my eyes locked on something in Vanessa's hand.
10:55A photograph.
10:57She was gripping it tight.
10:58It was a candid shot from a beach volleyball game.
11:01Jason was shirtless, standing out among a group of dive team members.
11:04And the thing that hit me hardest was the scar on his right shoulder.
11:09The second I saw that scar, my whole body went cold.
11:11Like I'd been struck by lightning.
11:13My mind got dragged back ten years.
11:16Back then, I was captain of the dive team.
11:19Vanessa was on the team.
11:20Jason was too.
11:22That day, the sea turned bad, fast.
11:25The current got vicious.
11:26I saw the danger right away.
11:28So I pointed up.
11:29Signaling everyone to head back.
11:31But before we could surface, everything went sideways.
11:35In the chaos, I used almost every ounce of strength I had to shove Vanessa and Jason towards safer water.
11:41And I got caught instead.
11:42The current took me.
11:43I should have died.
11:44By some miracle, I didn't.
11:46I washed up on a deserted island.
11:48Passed out there for three full days.
11:50Then I was rescued.
11:51When I finally got home, Jason ran straight at me.
11:53He grabbed me hard.
11:55Held on like he'd never let go.
11:56And he started crying.
11:58Ethan, you're back.
11:59This is all my fault.
12:00I was useless.
12:01If I'd stopped you from making us go down, if I'd just been stronger, then I wouldn't have only saved
12:06Vanessa and watched you get swept away.
12:09So that was it.
12:10I finally understood.
12:11No wonder my wife had been willing to force me to take the fall, to send me to prison, and
12:15to let me die for another man.
12:17For ten whole years, she had believed Jason was the one who saved her.
12:20In the three days I disappeared, he became her hero.
12:23The man who risked everything for her.
12:25And me?
12:26I became the reckless one.
12:27The glory-hungry idiot who almost got everybody killed.
12:31What a sick joke.
12:32My throat was dry and raw, but I still forced the words out, shouting with everything I had left.
12:37I told you!
12:38I can't go underwater!
12:39My ear can't handle the pressure!
12:41If I go down there, my brain could hemorrhage!
12:43Do you people want me dead?!
12:45Vanessa's eyes flickered.
12:46Just for a second.
12:47A flash of panic.
12:49Gone almost instantly.
12:51Then Victor charged at me in a rage.
12:52He rushed over and kicked me hard.
12:54I hit the deck and rolled.
12:56Keep lying!
12:57Go ahead!
12:57Keep pretending!
12:58Ethan, you're rotten to the core!
13:00At a time like this, you're still faking a disability just to get out of it?!
13:04Off to the side, my mom collapsed to the deck, wiping her tears, sobbing like her heart was
13:09ripping apart.
13:10Oh God!
13:11Jason was an angel!
13:13He's always been so sweet!
13:15He did everything for us!
13:17If we lose him, I can't go on!
13:21Then the boat captain, Adam, walked over.
13:23He tapped his watch.
13:25Ms. Lane, this is where Jason went under.
13:28Based on the time, his tank has maybe 30 minutes left.
13:31That one sentence shattered whatever reason Vanessa still had.
13:35Her pretty face twisted from panic.
13:37She spun toward me and screamed.
13:38You heard him!
13:39Move!
13:40Now!
13:41Gear him up!
13:42I stared at her, and something in me finally went cold.
13:46Fine.
13:46I'll go.
13:47But I have one condition.
13:49I want the best deep water gear you've got.
13:51If they were really going to shove me into hell, then I was grabbing whatever slim chance
13:56I had.
13:56No matter how small.
13:58If the gear was strong enough, maybe I could survive the pressure.
14:01The second I gave in, Vanessa's shoulders dropped, like she could finally breathe again.
14:05She rushed over and grabbed my hand tight.
14:07Ethan, I knew it!
14:08I knew you still cared.
14:11I knew you wouldn't just let him die.
14:13Then the next second, guilt flashed across her face.
14:16She pointed to a pile of junk in the corner.
14:19But there's no other option.
14:20This is the only diving gear on the boat.
14:23You used to be the best diver in the business.
14:25A little problem like this, you can handle it, right?
14:28She said it so casually, like it was nothing.
14:32I followed her finger, and my blood went cold.
14:35It was an old dive suit.
14:37The rubber was cracked in places.
14:39The air valve was rusted.
14:41That kind of gear should have been scrapped years ago.
14:43There was no way it was safe.
14:45A chill shot straight up my spine.
14:47I yanked my hand away, then backed up in panic.
14:50Vanessa, are you out of your mind?
14:52You know diving!
14:53If I go down in that thing, that's the same as killing me!
14:56Adam looked at the suit, too.
14:57His face tightened.
14:59Mrs. Lane, this gear really is too old.
15:02The risk on a forced deep dive is way too high.
15:05If something goes wrong...
15:07Before he could finish, Vanessa's face went cold.
15:09She cut him off without hesitation.
15:11At a time like this, who the hell cares about that?
15:13Get over here!
15:14Put it on him!
15:15A few bodyguards rushed me at once.
15:18They slammed me onto the deck, pinned me down hard.
15:21In the struggle, someone stomped down.
15:23My hearing aid flew off.
15:24It cracked apart.
15:25Then got crushed under a shoe.
15:27Shattered.
15:27The one thing that had stayed with me for years.
15:30Gone.
15:31In the end, they forced the suit onto my body anyway.
15:34And Vanessa strapped a heavy industrial weight belt around my waist.
15:3760 pounds of lead, enough to make sure I sank.
15:40Then they shoved me toward the edge of the boat.
15:42In that last, desperate moment, I turned and looked back at this family.
15:45Victor stood there with his arms crossed.
15:47Coldly.
15:48Like none of it had anything to do with him.
15:50There wasn't one shred of pity in his eyes.
15:53Not for his own son.
15:54And my mother, Susan?
15:56She had her hands clasped tight, eyes shut, praying into empty air.
16:00Her lips trembled as she whispered,
16:02Please, please let him be safe.
16:05Please, God, let Jason come back, okay?
16:08At a moment like this, with my life hanging by a thread,
16:11she was praying for him.
16:13For Jason.
16:14Not her own flesh and blood.
16:16It was grotesque.
16:17It was pathetic.
16:18It was almost funny.
16:19Then suddenly, a huge force slammed into my chest.
16:22Someone shoved me.
16:23Hard.
16:24The second the deck vanished under my feet.
16:26Ethan!
16:26If you bring Jason back, we'll get married right away.
16:30I'll be right here waiting for you.
16:32Then the ocean swallowed me whole.
16:33The freezing water wrapped around my body instantly.
16:36The weight belt dragged me down.
16:37Fast.
16:38Way too fast.
16:39Straight into the deep.
16:40The pressure hit my ears like a sledgehammer.
16:43My right eardrum was already hanging by a thread.
16:45Now it tore.
16:47A dull ripping burst exploded inside my head, like a balloon popping in my skull.
16:51Pain.
16:52Blinding pain.
16:53So much pain, my whole body seized up.
16:56I opened my mouth to scream.
16:57A mouthful of seawater rushed in instead.
16:59My lungs felt like giant hands were crushing them.
17:01My vision turned red.
17:03Then darker.
17:03Then worse.
17:04My mind started slipping away.
17:06And just when I was drowning.
17:07Just when the dark was closing over me.
17:09Just when I gave up trying to live.
17:11A pair of soft hands reached for me.
17:13Fast.
17:13Strong.
17:14And grabbed me.
17:15Susan pressed a hand to her chest.
17:16Her face was pale.
17:18She leaned against the railing.
17:19Her eyes stayed locked on the water.
17:21Victor had his hands behind his back.
17:23He kept pacing.
17:24Back and forth.
17:26Jason will be fine.
17:28He's lucky.
17:29He has to be okay.
17:31Ethan was a diving champion.
17:32He'll bring Jason back up.
17:34She kept saying it over and over.
17:36Like if she said it enough, it would come true.
17:38Like it could calm the fear inside her.
17:40But her fingers were shaking.
17:41And that gave her away.
17:43Then suddenly.
17:44A sharp alarm shattered the dead silence.
17:46A Coast Guard boat was speeding toward them.
17:48Fast.
17:49A few officers jumped onto the deck.
17:51The man in front scanned everyone with hard, sharp eyes.
17:54I'm Owen with the Harbor City Coast Guard.
17:57Who's in charge here?
17:58Victor hurried over at once.
18:00He pulled out a business card and handed it over.
18:02We're with Cole Group.
18:04My son went missing while diving.
18:07We came out here to look for him ourselves.
18:09Owen took the card.
18:11Rescue?
18:12Then he looked them over coldly.
18:14We pulled him out three hours ago.
18:19The whole deck went dead silent.
18:21Then Owen pulled up footage from his body cam.
18:23He opened a video and held it up.
18:24Three hours ago, during patrol, we recovered a man from the water.
18:28It was Jason Cole.
18:30We tried contacting his family.
18:32No answer.
18:34Never thought you came all the way out here.
18:37There's no signal.
18:38The doctor on board examined him.
18:40You've been exposed to a marine toxin.
18:41A sea barrier.
18:42A kind of sea slug.
18:43That toxin can trigger severe hallucinations.
18:46In serious cases, it can be fatal.
18:47You might have touched one while diving.
18:49He's already been taken to the hospital.
18:51He's been stabilized for now.
18:52The second they heard Jason was alive, my parents and Vanessa lit up with joy.
18:56Like they had all just been handed their lives back.
18:58And not one of them cared about the word hallucinations.
19:01Not one.
19:02Victor nearly started crying on the spot.
19:04He was so excited he could barely stand still.
19:06I knew it!
19:07I knew Jason was blessed!
19:09He's always had luck on his side!
19:12Vanessa, did you hear that?
19:14Jason's okay!
19:16We have money.
19:17As long as he's still breathing, we can save him.
19:20We'll spend whatever it takes.
19:21Vanessa finally let out a long breath.
19:23A smile of pure relief broke across her face.
19:25Like she had just survived a nightmare.
19:27Then the smile froze.
19:29Right there on her face.
19:30Because suddenly she remembered.
19:31Half an hour ago, she had shoved her ex-husband into the ocean.
19:34With her own hands, forced him down there to save Jason.
19:37He was lying in a hospital, alive.
19:39So where was Ethan?
19:40I had already been underwater for over 30 minutes.
19:43And there was still no sign of me.
19:44Not even a trace.
19:45A terrible thought started rising in her mind.
19:47But before she could think it through, Owen took a file from one of his officers.
19:51His expression turned strange.
19:52Cold.
19:53Sharp.
19:54Almost mocking.
19:55Then he looked straight at them and spoke again.
19:59Well, if you're his family, that actually makes this easier.
20:03He opened the document, then announced it on the spot.
20:05As of this moment, Jason Cole is in custody.
20:08He is suspected of stealing protected underwater artifacts.
20:13And suspected of murder.
20:16That landed like a thunderclap.
20:18The next, they were dragged straight into the dirt.
20:20The smile on my dad's face froze.
20:22Then his whole face turned dark.
20:24Pointed right at Owen.
20:26What the hell are you talking about?
20:28Stealing artifacts?
20:29Murder?
20:30Our company practically built this town.
20:32My son, Jason, is one of the most well-known philanthropists.
20:35He's still lying in a hospital bed.
20:37And you people dare dump this kind of filth on him?
20:40My mom rushed up, too.
20:41She tried to shove Owen.
20:43That's right.
20:44Do you even know how many schools Jason has donated to?
20:47He won't even hurt a fly.
20:50How could he possibly steal anything?
20:53How could he kill anyone?
20:55Vanessa stepped up, too.
20:56Putting on that cold, untouchable CEO act.
20:58Officer, watch what you say.
21:00You can't just throw accusations around.
21:02I'm the chair of Lane Group.
21:04Jason is my husband.
21:06If you try to set him up with fake charges, one phone call and your career is over.
21:12They were shouting, threatening.
21:14But Owen only got colder.
21:15He didn't argue.
21:17He just tapped open another video.
21:19Jason scrambled backward from empty air, like something horrifying was standing right in front of him.
21:23His whole body was shaking violently.
21:26His face was twisted with pure terror.
21:29He had been down dozens of feet underwater when the toxin hit.
21:32The hallucinations were strong.
21:34Don't come over here!
21:36Don't come near me!
21:37Zach, I know I messed up!
21:39Don't kill me!
21:40My parents went white.
21:41Their lips trembled.
21:42Their eyes stayed glued to the screen.
21:44I got greedy!
21:47I never should have cut your arrows!
21:48I'm so sorry!
21:50I'll do whatever it takes to make it right!
21:52No, no, don't take me with you!
21:54He started smashing his forehead against the deck, over and over.
22:00Then all at once, the fear vanished.
22:03His face changed, turned vicious.
22:04A grin spread across it, twisted, like a demon laughing.
22:08He gestured into the empty air and cackled.
22:11Ethan, you idiot!
22:12You never saw this coming, did you?
22:14That idiot, Vanessa.
22:16She actually thought I was the one who saved her.
22:18All I did was show her a little scar.
22:19And she fell for me completely.
22:21She played those two old fans like a fettle.
22:23She got me into that house.
22:25My dad forced his neck straight, still trying to fight it.
22:27I just played the victim.
22:29And they treated me like a king while they threw you away.
22:33Sent your pathetic ass to rot.
22:35God, that felt damn good.
22:37You can rot in prison forever.
22:38Everything from the coals and everything from the lanes will be mine!
22:42Dead silence.
22:44Only Jason's crazed laughter kept echoing from the video.
22:47Across the deck, Vanessa stumbled back two steps.
22:49She almost fell right there on the deck.
22:51That was their precious son.
22:53Her precious husband.
22:54The man they defended like he was gold.
22:56And now he was on video.
22:58Grinning like a devil.
22:59Mocking them for being fools.
23:01No.
23:02That's impossible.
23:03You said...
23:06He was poisoned.
23:08He was hallucinating.
23:10He was talking nonsense.
23:13Exactly.
23:13That's all this is.
23:15He was hallucinating.
23:17He didn't know what he was saying.
23:19Yes!
23:22It was the toxin.
23:24That sea salt toxin made him ramble.
23:26Owen's voice turned firm.
23:28I figured that's what you'd say.
23:29Which is exactly why we move fast.
23:32This involves a major attempted murder case.
23:36So we already formed an investigation team and verified everything he said.
23:42Then Owen pulled out another stack of documents.
23:45We found that the statements Ethan gave after his arrest eight years ago did not match the
23:50physical evidence from the scene.
23:53And there's more.
23:55Ethan's defense attorney turned on him at trial.
23:57The day before the trial, a large payment hit his account.
24:02We traced the source.
24:04It came from one of your offshore accounts, Vanessa.
24:06Vanessa's face went white.
24:08And Jason's private account received multiple large wire transfers after the incident that
24:13year.
24:13The source was hidden.
24:14But we now have strong reason to believe that money came from selling stolen artifacts.
24:18We believe the case was not what it seemed.
24:20Please cooperate with the investigation.
24:22You're coming with us.
24:23The Coast Guard officers were just about to move in.
24:26Then Adam finally broke.
24:28He swallowed hard.
24:29Then stammered out.
24:32Officer, wait.
24:34This still isn't over.
24:36Ethan.
24:38Ethan Cole?
24:40He's still down there.
24:41He never came back up.
24:45What did you just say?
24:46Owen whipped around.
24:47His eyes widened instantly.
24:51There's still someone underwater?
24:53Adam's legs nearly gave out.
24:54He started spilling everything.
24:56About half an hour ago,
24:58Ms. Lane pushed Ethan into the water.
25:01He said his ear was injured.
25:03Said he couldn't handle the pressure.
25:04But Ms. Lane insisted.
25:06She forced him to go down.
25:08And now,
25:10he still hasn't surfaced.
25:11Three days later,
25:13Harbor City Hospital.
25:14Jason finally woke up.
25:16His body was still weak.
25:18He twitched his fingers.
25:19Then realized the bed was surrounded.
25:21Mom,
25:22Dad,
25:23Vanessa,
25:24and several police officers in uniform.
25:26A flash of joy hit him.
25:27With all these people here,
25:28they had to be worried sick about him.
25:30He quickly changed his expression,
25:32forced tears into his eyes,
25:33then weakly reached for Susan's hand.
25:35Dad,
25:37Mom,
25:37Mom,
25:38Vanessa,
25:39I was so scared.
25:40I had the worst nightmare.
25:43I dreamed I was trapped underwater.
25:46I thought I'd never see you again.
25:48Before,
25:49that would have worked.
25:50Susan would have rushed over already.
25:52She would have held him,
25:53cried over him.
25:54But today,
25:55the room was terrifyingly quiet.
25:57No one spoke.
25:58Only the monitor kept beeping.
25:59Steady.
26:00Cold.
26:01Jason's hand hung there in midair.
26:03Awkward.
26:03Stiff.
26:04That was when he realized something was wrong.
26:06Victor wasn't fussing over him.
26:08The man who had always spoiled him was standing at the foot of the bed.
26:10His face was black with rage.
26:13And the way he looked at Jason now,
26:15there was no warmth left.
26:16No love.
26:17Dad?
26:18What's wrong?
26:19Dad?
26:21What's wrong?
26:22He pulled out a tablet,
26:23tapped the screen,
26:24then threw it onto Jason's chest.
26:26Jason grabbed it,
26:27looked down,
26:27and instantly went pale.
26:29On the screen was him,
26:30laughing like a maniac,
26:32spilling everything,
26:33confessing,
26:34mocking the people who raised him,
26:36calling them idiots,
26:36every ugly word,
26:37every filthy truth.
26:38All of it was there.
26:39His face went ghost white.
26:41Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
26:43This...
26:43Jason panicked.
26:44This isn't real.
26:44He struggled to sit up.
26:45Dad!
26:46Mom!
26:47Vanessa!
26:48Listen to me.
26:49That was the sea hair toxin.
26:51It made me hallucinate.
26:52It made me say crazy things.
26:54How could I ever hurt Ethan?
26:55That wasn't me.
26:56It was the poison talking.
26:57Vanessa, believe me.
26:59Reached for her.
26:59I love you.
27:01Everything I did.
27:03I did it so we could be together.
27:05Vanessa's expression turned complicated.
27:07Owen cut in from the side.
27:08Jason Cole,
27:09drop the act.
27:11We've already confirmed the evidence.
27:13You framed Ethan for the theft,
27:15and you murdered Zach.
27:18Heh.
27:18The jig is up, I guess.
27:21But don't act so high and mighty, Dad.
27:23You're the one who threw your son to the wolves.
27:26I just watched.
27:27Then he turned to Vanessa.
27:29His eyes dragged over her in that disgusting, sticky way.
27:32And you?
27:34Stop acting innocent.
27:37For the last eight years,
27:40wasn't I good enough for you in bed?
27:43What?
27:44Suddenly found your conscience?
27:48A little late, don't you think?
27:49He laughed again.
27:50Ugly, slow, mocking.
27:53Ethan's not coming back anyway.
27:55So,
27:56why not let it go?
27:58I can still take care of you two.
28:02We can all stay one happy family.
28:05Still living the dream.
28:07Isn't that what you want?
28:15The second those words came out,
28:16the whole room turned freezing cold.
28:18The shamelessness of it.
28:19The evil of it.
28:20It was beyond human.
28:22My parents were shaking so hard they could barely stand.
28:25They stared at the boy they had raised for eight years.
28:28This was the son they had treated?
28:29Like their own flesh and blood?
28:31What?
28:32Susan finally brought it.
28:33She remembered my face.
28:34The look in my eyes when they shoved me into the sea.
28:37That dead, hollow, hopeless look.
28:40She remembered pointing at me, cursing me, calling me heartless in filth.
28:43The pain hit her so hard she almost stopped breathing.
28:46She collapsed to the floor, both hands clawing at her hair.
28:49Then she let out a raw, broken scream.
28:52What did I do?
28:55I'm a monster.
28:57I don't deserve to breathe.
29:00The second my mom said that, Victor seemed to wake up,
29:03like he had just been struck across the face.
29:05He lowered his head, stared at his own trembling hands.
29:09Those hands.
29:10I slapped my eardrum open eight years ago,
29:12had handed over the rope to tie up his own son.
29:18He let out a howl like a wounded beast.
29:21Then he raised his hand and started slapping himself across the face.
29:25Hard.
29:26Again.
29:27And again.
29:28Smack.
29:29The sound of those hits echoed through the hospital room.
29:31His face swelled almost instantly.
29:33His cheeks turned red and purple.
29:34Blood ran from the corner of his mouth,
29:36but he acted like he couldn't feel any of it.
29:38He just kept hitting himself.
29:39Over and over.
29:40Like a madman.
29:42This is karma.
29:44This is all karma.
29:46I thought I could see through anyone.
29:49But I killed my own blood.
29:51And Vanessa,
29:52by now the mental wall she had spent three days holding up,
29:54finally collapsed.
29:56Completely.
29:56She didn't want to think about that dive.
29:58The underwater current.
30:00The day I disappeared.
30:01Those three days after I went missing,
30:03Jason had stayed by her side.
30:05Again and again he described what happened underwater.
30:08Every detail.
30:08Every danger.
30:09Every second.
30:10He painted the whole thing for her.
30:12She still remembered it.
30:13Jason standing in front of her.
30:14Taking off his shirt.
30:16Pointing at the scar on his shoulder.
30:17Telling her he got it saving her.
30:19And she believed him.
30:20She actually believed him.
30:21Later, after the underwater murder case,
30:23she had bribed my lawyer.
30:24Paid him off to switch sides at the last second.
30:26Helped send me to prison for eight years.
30:28Then she married the man who had really killed someone.
30:30And three days ago,
30:31she used money to humiliate me.
30:33And then,
30:34she pushed me into the abyss.
30:35The same man who nearly died saving her.
30:43Vanessa dropped to her knees.
30:45Her hands shook as she pulled something from her pocket.
30:48The broken pieces of my hearing aid.
30:49She had picked them up from the deck of the boat.
30:52The cracked plastic shell still carried the salt and stink of the sea.
30:55Her vision blurred with tears.
30:57Still,
30:57she tried to fit the pieces back together,
30:59one by one,
31:00even though it was already smashed beyond repair.
31:04Ethan...
31:05I'm sorry.
31:07I'm so sorry.
31:10She kept trying to piece it together,
31:12crying harder and harder.
31:14The sharp plastic cut into her fingers.
31:16Her nails split.
31:17Blood smeared across the broken hearing aid pieces.
31:20Please.
31:21Come back.
31:22Come back.
31:24I'll give you anything.
31:25We'll remarry.
31:26No more lies.
31:27Ethan, please.
31:30Please come back to me.
31:32The ice queen who looked down on us all,
31:34the cold, untouchable CEO,
31:36was now on the floor like a stray dog,
31:38crying, begging.
31:40In a hospital overseas,
31:41I opened my eyes slowly
31:43and met Claire's gentle eyes.
31:47Ethan.
31:50You finally made it back.
31:52She sat by my bed
31:54with a bowl of chicken soup,
31:57feeding me one spoonful at a time.
31:59The warmth slid down my throat
32:01and settled in my chest.
32:04I hadn't felt that in eight years.
32:05The feeling of being cared for,
32:07like I actually mattered,
32:08like someone was protecting me.
32:11Claire was Zach's younger sister.
32:12Zach had been on my dive team.
32:14The three of us grew up together,
32:16best friends,
32:17like family.
32:18Back then,
32:18me,
32:19Zach,
32:19and Jason went diving together.
32:20That was when we found the gold,
32:22hidden in a sunken wreck.
32:24Jason got greedy.
32:25He cut Zach's air hose,
32:26then pinned it on me.
32:28Vanessa didn't believe me.
32:29My parents didn't either,
32:31not for one second.
32:32They even destroyed my eardrum,
32:33forced me to take the fall.
32:35Only Claire believed I was innocent,
32:36but she had no proof.
32:37She couldn't clear my name,
32:39and she couldn't avenge her brother.
32:40For eight years,
32:41she came to see me every month in prison.
32:43Never missed.
32:44After I got out,
32:45I stood outside the coal mansion
32:46and saw them all inside,
32:48laughing,
32:48eating,
32:49living like a perfect family.
32:50That was the night I made my choice.
32:52I was going to get revenge.
32:53So I went to Claire
32:54and asked for her help.
32:56Jason killed for gold
32:57and sold me out for greed,
32:59all for the money.
33:00Fine.
33:01Then I decided to give him
33:02exactly what he wanted.
33:03Two months earlier,
33:04I started feeding Jason
33:05exactly the kind of story
33:06a greedy man couldn't ignore.
33:08Rumors,
33:08planted articles,
33:09fake salvage chatter,
33:10over and over,
33:11all of it pointing to
33:12one patch of ocean,
33:13a newly discovered wreck.
33:15And the chance it was loaded with gold?
33:16At first,
33:17he didn't buy it.
33:18Why would he?
33:18He had the coals
33:19and the lanes backing him.
33:20Money was everywhere around him.
33:22Every time he saw the alerts,
33:23he just swiped them away.
33:24But greed is greed.
33:26And it always comes back.
33:27After seeing it enough times,
33:28he started wondering
33:29if it was real.
33:30Then he started searching.
33:31That was the step
33:32I was waiting for.
33:33I had already planted spyware
33:34on his phone.
33:35The second he started digging,
33:36it triggered everything.
33:37All the planted information.
33:38All the fake confirmations.
33:39Everything we had prepared
33:40started feeding right into him.
33:42So he believed it.
33:43He took the bait.
33:44But private salvage
33:45without approval is illegal,
33:46especially if it involves
33:47protected wrecks,
33:48artifacts,
33:49historic sites.
33:50He couldn't let too many people know.
33:51So he used diving as cover,
33:53went down there several times
33:54to check it out,
33:55and that part was real.
33:57There really was a wreck
33:58in that area.
33:59The moment I found out
34:00he had secretly contacted
34:01a salvage boat,
34:02I knew my chance had come.
34:03After that,
34:03the rest fell into place.
34:05Before one of his dives,
34:06his breathing gear
34:07was contaminated.
34:08Just a trace amount.
34:09Sea hair toxin.
34:10Once he was underwater,
34:11it hit,
34:11and everything unfolded
34:12exactly how we want it.
34:13But there was one thing
34:14I didn't expect.
34:15My parents,
34:16and my ex-wife,
34:17instead of calling
34:18the official rescue team,
34:19they came looking for me.
34:21Me.
34:22Back at the trial,
34:22they publicly disowned me.
34:24And after I got out,
34:25they never looked for me once.
34:26So I had to change plans.
34:28I decided to fake my death.
34:30Disappear completely.
34:31Thank God Claire got there in time.
34:32She came in a mini-sub,
34:34pulled me up before I died.
34:35Now,
34:36in the hospital room,
34:37the TV on the wall
34:37was playing live coverage
34:38from back home.
34:39A major sentencing update.
34:41Broadcast everywhere.
34:42Jason had been convicted
34:43on multiple charges.
34:45Intentional homicide,
34:46theft of protected artifacts,
34:47framing an innocent man,
34:49and more.
34:50He was sentenced to death
34:51with immediate execution.
34:53I watched the screen,
34:54then shook my head.
34:55Claire caught it right away.
34:57She knew exactly what I meant,
34:58so she explained.
34:59My guess?
35:01Jason got pushed up
35:03by an underwater current.
35:05Then patrol officers
35:06just happened to spot him.
35:08But that part doesn't matter.
35:10The ending still landed
35:12where we needed it.
35:13I nodded,
35:14then looked back at the TV.
35:16Victor and Susan
35:17were sentenced to,
35:18one year each,
35:19for shielding the real killer
35:20and obstructing justice,
35:22taken into custody
35:23right there in court.
35:24Vanessa got three years
35:25for bribery,
35:26perjury,
35:27and covering up a crime.
35:28At the same time,
35:29Lane Group and Coal Group
35:30were collapsing.
35:31The scandal sent both stocks
35:33into free fall.
35:34Then both families
35:34went bankrupt.
35:35The Coles,
35:36the Lanes,
35:37the families who once thought
35:38they ruled everything.
35:39Their names were ruined for good.
35:41On the screen,
35:42those people from my past
35:43stood in prison uniforms,
35:44crying,
35:45begging,
35:45confessing to the cameras,
35:46but no one pitied them.
35:48And strangely,
35:49I felt nothing.
35:50No hate,
35:51no thrill,
35:52no satisfaction,
35:53just relief.
35:54A clean,
35:54empty kind of relief.
35:56Like all the pain
35:56had finally been peeled off me.
35:58Like every last chain
35:59had fallen away,
36:00and for the first time in years,
36:01I let out one long breath.
36:03Four years later,
36:04thanks to Claire,
36:05and the best specialists
36:06money could buy,
36:07my hearing had long since returned.
36:10Now,
36:10we were on Australia's Gold Coast,
36:12launching a cutting-edge
36:13deep-sea ecology project.
36:15That day,
36:16we were on the beach
36:17testing a new sonar system.
36:18Then a woman came
36:19stumbling toward us.
36:20Her hair was almost all white.
36:22She looked gaunt,
36:23hollowed out.
36:24If I hadn't looked carefully,
36:25I never would have recognized her.
36:26It was Vanessa,
36:28the same Vanessa
36:29who once thought
36:29she ruled the world.
36:30A foul smell rolled off her.
36:32She dug into a torn pocket,
36:34then pulled out a ring.
36:35The wedding ring.
36:37The same one
36:37she once forced onto my finger.
36:39The same one
36:40I threw back at the fish stall.
36:41Ethan,
36:42Ethan,
36:43I finally found you!
36:46Look,
36:47I kept this ring with me
36:49the whole time.
36:50Please,
36:51please give me one chance
36:53to make it right.
36:54one chance
36:55to make up for everything.
36:56For years now,
36:57I've thought about you every day.
36:59I know I messed up.
37:00Jason lied to me.
37:02He destroyed me.
37:03My family is gone.
37:04My money is gone.
37:06Someone even beat me
37:07until I lost hearing in one ear.
37:09That's my punishment.
37:10That's my karma.
37:17Ethan,
37:20you loved me,
37:21didn't you?
37:23Back then,
37:24you almost died
37:25trying to save me.
37:27She kept pouring it out.
37:28How she got tricked
37:29out of everything.
37:30How debt collectors hunted her.
37:31How helpless she had been.
37:33Then one day,
37:34she saw me on TV.
37:35She sold one of her kidneys
37:36just to pay someone
37:37to get her into Australia.
37:38But I only took
37:38two small steps back.
37:40Avoided the hand
37:40reaching toward me
37:41with that ring.
37:42Then I spoke.
37:43Please stay away from me.
37:45We're divorced.
37:47The second you forced me
37:48to take the fall
37:49for a murderer,
37:50the woman I once called
37:51my wife died.
37:53So stop acting
37:54like this is love.
37:58It just makes me sick.
38:00Right then,
38:01Claire walked over
38:02holding two cold drinks.
38:03She handed one to me
38:04like it was the most
38:05natural thing in the world.
38:06Then she slipped an arm
38:07around my neck
38:08and kissed my cheek.
38:09Babe,
38:11why is this woman
38:12anywhere near you?
38:14I don't know.
38:15Where's security?
38:16Vanessa stared at us.
38:17At how good we looked together.
38:19At how happy we were.
38:20And something inside her snapped.
38:22Jealousy.
38:23Regret.
38:24Both of them tore through her
38:25like poison.
38:26Then,
38:27she coughed.
38:28Hard.
38:28Once.
38:29Then again.
38:30A mouthful of blood
38:31burst from her lips.
38:32She dropped straight
38:33onto the sand.
38:34Back in Harbor City,
38:35two elderly people
38:36shuffled down the street.
38:38Each of them carried
38:38a ripped plastic sack.
38:39They limped badly,
38:41step by step.
38:41Then they stopped in front
38:42of a giant LED screen
38:44in the city square.
38:45Their bodies shook.
38:46Their eyes lifted.
38:47On the screen,
38:48a global live broadcast
38:49was playing.
38:50I was there,
38:51wearing a custom suit,
38:52standing tall,
38:53calm,
38:54confident,
38:54receiving a major
38:55UN environmental award.
38:56The camera panned wider.
38:58Claire stood beside me.
38:59One hand looped
39:00through my arm.
39:01Her baby bump was showing.
39:02And she was smiling
39:03like sunlight.
39:05Susan burst into tears.
39:06The tears ran down
39:07her filthy face.
39:08She slowly raised
39:08one grimy hand,
39:09reached toward the screen,
39:11like she could touch me
39:12from where she stood.
39:13Ethan.
39:16That's my boy.
39:18A security guard
39:19from the mall
39:19rushed out at once.
39:20What the hell are you doing,
39:21you filthy beggars?
39:22Get away from there!
39:24He shoved her hard.
39:26She fell straight
39:26to the ground.
39:27Victor was crying, too,
39:29but he didn't dare
39:30fight back.
39:30He just kept slapping
39:31himself across the face,
39:32again and again,
39:33muttering through tears.
39:34This is karma.
39:39We were blind.
39:40Then the two of them
39:41held each other up
39:42and disappeared
39:42into the alleys
39:43of the city.
39:44As for Vanessa,
39:45she was detained
39:46and deported.
39:47After that,
39:47she completely lost
39:48her mind.
39:48The shock broke her
39:49for good.
39:50She had no money left
39:51for proper treatment,
39:52so she got dumped
39:53into the cheapest
39:53mental institution
39:54they could find.
39:56Out on the shimmering
39:57blue water,
39:57I lay stretched out
39:58on the deck of a yacht.
40:00Warm sea breeze
40:01across my face.
40:02Claire walked over
40:03with a plate of cut fruit,
40:04then curled up
40:05in my arms.
40:07Honey,
40:08what are you thinking about?
40:10I looked out
40:11at the deep blue sea,
40:12the same sea
40:13that had almost buried me,
40:14the same sea
40:15that gave me
40:16a second life.
40:17Then I smiled
40:18and shook my head.
40:21I was just wondering,
40:23do you think
40:24our baby's a boy
40:24or a girl?
40:26Then I started the yacht
40:27and left every betrayal,
40:29every wound,
40:30every bit of that old life
40:31behind us
40:32in the rolling wake.
40:33What I was saying
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