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After the Deep, My Family Begged Me Home #englishsub
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Short filmTranscript
00:11I 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.
00:53She pulled out the wedding ring from years ago. Then she forced it onto my finger. I swear to you.
00:58If you go down there and bring Jason back, I'll marry you again. I said nothing. I just reached
01:04up and touched the hearing aid on my ear. Had they really forgotten? Eight years ago, Jason,
01:10the son they chose, over and over again, instead of me. He fought with his dive partner underwater,
01:15over gold bars, hidden in a sunken ship. After it happened, Vanessa wanted to protect him,
01:21so she forced me to sign a confession. My dad went even further. He slapped me so hard.
01:26He ruptured my eardrum. That one hit left me half-deaf. And now, with the condition I'm in
01:31now, if 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.
01:46The second he turned 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,
01:58you get money. It's your shot at redemption. So why are you still rotting here, slinging guts on
02:05this pier? People nearby had no idea what was going on, but that didn't stop them.
02:10Yeah, what's wrong with this guy? That's his brother!
02:12How can he be this cold? Probably thinks the money's too low. He's trying to jack up the price.
02:18Looks normal enough. Turns out he's rotten inside.
02:21Every word landed hard. The one they dragged out to take the fall for Jason. Was me. The one whose
02:26life got destroyed. Was me. So why? Why was I still the one standing here, getting cursed at like I
02:32was
02:32garbage? I pulled the ring off, set it back in Vanessa's hand. Then I pointed at my hearing aid,
02:37and shook my head. It's not that I won't save him. My ear is shot. If I go underwater, I'll
02:43die.
02:43My mom, Susan, froze for a second. Then she threw herself into the filthy water on the ground.
02:49Fish scales stuck to her clothes. She slapped the puddles with both hands. Crying so hard her voice
02:54cracked. Ethan! It's been eight years! How are you still this cold, this cruel, this heartless to get
03:00out of 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.
03:11How 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.
03:28Ethan, 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?
03:38Just name it! A hot tear fell from her face. It landed on the back of my hand. And burned.
03:44Burned so badly it felt like it went straight through me. Eight years in prison. She never
03:49visited me once. Not one time. And now this was our reunion. She was humbling herself for the same
03:54man she once protected by forcing me to confess. And even now, she was still using money to grind
04:00what was left of my dignity into the dirt. I didn't want to keep arguing with them.
04:04Not anymore. So I swallowed the pain. My hand shook as I pulled a medical report from my pocket.
04:09A diagnosis. Severe eardrum perforation. I tried to show it to her. Vanessa didn't even look.
04:14She slapped my hand away. The paper flew out.
04:17Are you done yet? You're still waving around some stupid piece of paper?
04:20Isn't money what you want? Ira 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
04:28the whole thing. Fish crashed to the ground, ice scattered everywhere.
04:31Ethan! You murderer! Get the hell out! Don't bring your bad luck onto these docks! If you
04:36won't save him today, then don't ever think about coming back here!
04:41The crowd joined in at once. People passing by. Everybody. Some even spat at me.
04:46Get out, murderer!
04:48A piece of trash like you deserves to rot in hell.
04:52I looked down. The medical report Vanessa slapped away was lying on the floor.
04:56Soaked. 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.
05:09I was even that too much to ask. Did they really have to push me all the way to death?
05:13That feeling. Like the whole world was pointing at me. It crushed the last of my defenses.
05:17I didn't want to stay there one more second. I turned and ran. I don't even know how I made
05:22it back to my rental. I just remember the voices. People on the street yelling after me.
05:26Cursing me. I barely got inside. I hadn't even caught my breath yet. Then my phone started going
05:32insane. Alert after alert. Hashtag the murderer who let his brother drown. Hashtag rich family
05:37drama. The adopted son versus the real one. Desperate heiress. Begs her prisoner. Ex to help.
05:43I tapped one of the alerts. It opened straight into Vanessa's livestream. On camera, my mom,
05:47Susan, sat there trembling. She was trying to hold back tears.
05:51I'm so sorry, everyone. We know we're taking up public attention. But as a mother, I have nowhere
05:56else to turn. She covered her mouth and sobbed. It's our fault. We failed to raise him right. Back
06:01then, he killed for gold bars. He robbed people. He took a life. He served eight years for it. I
06:07thought prison would change him. But I was wrong. He's rotten to the core. Her tears streamed down
06:13harder. Now his brother's trapped underwater. His life is hanging by a thread. Ethan could save him.
06:18He could. But he just ran away. Victor held her up like she might collapse. Then he turned to the
06:23camera. I'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. My landlord
06:57stormed in first. Behind him was a crowd of people. Phones up, flashlights on, cameras shoved in my
07:02face. Oh, look at you. You hit it pretty well. A damn killer living in my building?
07:07They rushed inside like looters. One man smashed my bowls. Another kicked over my pots. Plates shattered
07:14across the floor. Everything I had got torn apart in seconds. I tried to stop them. Two huge men
07:19grabbed me instantly. One slammed my head down. The other locked my arms. Hold still. Apologize
07:24to the camera. Say it now. Tell them you're trash. You don't deserve to breathe. Humiliation drowned
07:30me. It hit like a wave. Someone yanked my hair back. A phone was jammed right in my face. The
07:36live
07:36comments kept flying by. I couldn't move. Then the crowd suddenly split apart, making a path.
07:41My parents walked in. For one stupid second, I thought they were here to stop this. I was
07:46wrong. Victor's face was dark, cold. He handed someone a thick coil of rope. It was so heavy
07:51it sagged. He pointed at me through clenched teeth. Please, help me tie him up. If he won't
07:56go, then 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!
08:05Then I looked at my mother. Mom, do I even matter to you? I'm your son! For Jason. Are
08:13you really gonna force me to death? Susan's eyes were red. For one second,
08:17she looked away, like something inside her shook. But it vanished almost instantly. What
08:22came back was ice. Shut up! Jason may not be blood, but he's a thousand times better than
08:27you know. Ten thousand! You spent eight years in prison! Who took care of us during those
08:31years? Jason did! Who stayed by our side? Jason did! And now he's in trouble. You're
08:37his brother. You should be saving him. You're just gonna let him die? Can your conscience
08:41live with that? My chest felt ripped open. I was already in pieces, but that still hurt
08:46so bad I could barely breathe. So that was it. Blood never mattered to them. Not once.
08:52To them, I was a stain. Something disposable. Something they could throw away whenever they
08:56needed. I'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? I fought like hell. Twisting. Kicking. Trying to break free
09:07from the rope. But nobody cared what a convicted killer had to say. Not one person. Just when
09:13I was about to break. Vanessa walked in. One of her bodyguards handed her something. A
09:17stun baton. She took it without blinking. Then she stepped into my room. Her face was cold
09:21and hard. Ethan, don't make me do this. For Jason, there is nothing I won't do. She didn't
09:28hesitate. 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
09:39eyes again, I was sprawled across the deck. Like something the tide had spit back out.
09:44All around me was open ocean. Nothing but water. Waves slammed against the boat. The sound
09:50made my heart seize up. Ethan, stop playing dead. Get in the water. Bring Jason back.
09:56When I still didn't move. I promise you. If you bring Jason back up. Clenched her teeth
10:01and said. I'll think about marrying you again. And you'll never have to do that filthy job
10:05again. Filthy? That word hit me like a knife. Half a year ago, right after I got out, I went
10:12back to the Cole mansion once. I was stupid enough to think maybe, maybe there was still a little
10:16love left for me there. But that night, through the mansion's floor to ceiling windows, all
10:21I saw was a house blazing with light. My mom and dad were inside. Vanessa was too. They
10:27were all gathered around Jason. The son they always chose over me. They were eating a big
10:31holiday dinner. Roast turkey on the table, steak, lobster, wine. Everything rich and perfect.
10:37Glasses raised, laughter everywhere. They looked like the perfect family. And me? I was standing
10:43outside 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
10:53been prison. My hell was them. They built it with their own hands. In that house, I was
10:59never family. I was just an outsider. My thoughts snapped back to the boat. Then my eyes locked
11:05on something in Vanessa's hand. A photograph. She was gripping it tight. It was a candid shot from
11:10a beach volleyball game. Jason was shirtless, standing out among a group of dive team members.
11:15And the thing that hit me hardest was the scar on his right shoulder. The second I saw that
11:21scar, my whole body went cold. Like I'd been struck by lightning. My mind got dragged back
11:26ten years. Back then, I was captain of the dive team. Vanessa was on the team. Jason was too.
11:33That day, the sea turned bad fast. The current got vicious. I saw the danger right away. So I
11:39pointed up, signaling everyone to head back. But before we could surface, everything went
11:45sideways. In the chaos, I used almost every ounce of strength I had to shove Vanessa and
11:50Jason towards safer water. And I got caught instead. The current took me. I should have
11:55died. By some miracle, I didn't. I washed up on a deserted island. Passed out there for
11:59three full days. Then I was rescued. When I finally got home, Jason ran straight at me.
12:04He grabbed me hard, held on like he'd never let go. And he started crying.
12:09Ethan, you're back. This is all my fault. I was useless. If I'd stopped you from making
12:14us go down, if I'd just been stronger, then I wouldn't have only saved Vanessa and watched
12:18you get swept away.
12:19So that was it. I finally understood. No wonder my wife had been willing to force me to take
12:24the fall, to send me to prison, and to let me die for another man. For ten whole years,
12:29she had believed Jason was the one who saved her. In the three days I disappeared, he became
12:33her hero. The man who risked everything for her. And me? I became the reckless one. The
12:39glory-hungry idiot who almost got everybody killed. What a sick joke. My throat was dry
12:44and raw, but I still forced the words out, shouting with everything I had left.
12:48I told you! I can't go underwater! My ear can't handle the pressure! If I go down there
12:53my brain could hemorrhage! Do you people want me dead?! Vanessa's eyes flickered. Just for
12:58a second, a flash of panic, gone almost instantly. Then Victor charged at me in a rage. He rushed
13:04over and kicked me hard. I hit the deck and rolled.
13:07Keep 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?!
13:15Off to the side my mom collapsed to the deck, wiping her tears, sobbing like her heart was
13:20ripping apart. Oh god! Jason was an angel! He's always been so sweet! He did everything for us! If
13:28we lose him, I can't go on! Then 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.
13:48She spun toward me and screamed. You heard him! Move! Now! Gear him up!
13:53I stared at her, and something in me finally went cold.
13:57Fine. I'll go. But I have one condition. I want the best deep water gear you've got.
14:02If they were really going to shove me into hell, then I was grabbing whatever slim chance I had.
14:07No matter how small. If the gear was strong enough, maybe I could survive the pressure.
14:12The second I gave in, Vanessa's shoulders dropped, like she could finally breathe again.
14:16She rushed over and grabbed my hand tight. Ethan, I knew it. I knew you still cared.
14:22I knew you wouldn't just let him die. Then the next second, guilt flashed across her face.
14:27She pointed to a pile of junk in the corner. But there's no other option. This is the only
14:32diving gear on the boat. You used to be the best diver in the business. A little problem like this,
14:38you can handle it, right? She said it so casually, like it was nothing.
14:43I followed her finger, and my blood went cold. It was an old dive suit. The rubber was cracked in
14:49places. The air valve was rusted. That kind of gear should have been scrapped years ago.
14:54There was no way it was safe. A chill shot straight up my spine. I yanked my hand away,
15:00then 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.
15:09Mrs. Lane, this gear really is too old. The risk on a forced deep dive is way too high.
15:16If something goes wrong…
15:18Before 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
15:32struggle, someone stomped down. My hearing aid flew off, it cracked apart, then got crushed under
15:37a shoe, shattered, the one thing that had stayed with me for years. Gone. In the end, they forced
15:43the suit onto my body anyway. And Vanessa strapped a heavy industrial weight belt around my waist,
15:4860 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
16:03of pity in his eyes. Not for his own son. And my mother, Susan? She had her hands clasped tight,
16:09eyes shut, praying into empty air. Her lips trembled as she whispered,
16:13Please, 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. Then suddenly,
16:31a 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
16:42waiting 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. So much pain,
17:05my whole body seized up. I opened my mouth to scream. A mouthful of seawater rushed in instead.
17:10My lungs felt like giant hands were crushing them. My vision turned red. Then darker. Then worse.
17:15My mind started slipping away. And just when I was drowning. Just when the dark was closing over
17:20me. Just when I gave up trying to live. A pair of soft hands reached for me. Fast. Strong. And
17:25grabbed
17:25me. Susan pressed a hand to her chest. Her face was pale. She leaned against the railing. Her eyes stayed
17:31locked on the water. Victor had his hands behind his back. He kept pacing. Back and forth.
17:37Jason will be fine. He's lucky. He has to be okay. Ethan was a diving champion. He'll bring Jason back
17:45up.
17:45She kept saying it over and over. Like if she said it enough, it would come true. Like it could
17:50calm the
17:50fear inside her. But her fingers were shaking, and that gave her away. Then suddenly, a sharp alarm
17:56shattered the dead silence. A Coast Guard boat was speeding toward them. Fast. A few officers jumped onto
18:02the deck. The man in front scanned everyone with hard, sharp eyes. I'm Owen with the Harbor City Coast
18:07Guard. Who's in charge here? Victor hurried over at once. He pulled out a business card and handed it
18:13over. We're with Cole Group. My son went missing while diving. We came out here to look for him
18:19ourselves. Owen 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 a video and
18:35held it up. Three hours ago, during patrol, we recovered a man from the water. It was Jason Cole.
18:42We tried contacting his family. No answer. Never thought you came all the way out here.
18:48There's no signal. The doctor on board examined him. You've been exposed to a marine toxin. A sea
18:53buried. A kind of sea slug. That toxin can trigger severe hallucinations. In serious cases,
18:58it 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. The second they heard Jason was alive, my parents and Vanessa lit up with
19:06joy. Like they 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 barely
19:17stand still. I knew it. I knew Jason was blessed. He's always had luck on his side. Vanessa, did you
19:24hear that? Jason's okay. We have money. As long as he's still breathing, we can save him. We'll spend
19:32whatever it takes. Vanessa finally let out a long breath. A smile of pure relief broke across her
19:36face like she had just survived a nightmare. Then the smile froze right there on her face because
19:42suddenly she remembered. Half an hour ago, she had shoved her ex-husband into the ocean with her own
19:46hands, forced him down there to save Jason. He was lying in a hospital. Alive. So where was Ethan?
19:52I had already been underwater for over 30 minutes and there was still no sign of me, not even a
19:56trace.
19:56A terrible thought started rising in her mind. But before she could think it through, Owen took a file
20:01from one of his officers. His expression turned strange, cold, sharp, almost mocking. Then he looked
20:07straight at them and spoke again. Well, if you're his family, that actually makes this easier. He opened
20:14the document, then announced it on the spot. As of this moment, Jason Cole is in custody. He is suspected
20:21of stealing protected underwater artifacts and suspected of murder. That landed like a thunderclap. The
20:29next, they were dragged straight into the dirt. The smile on my dad's face froze. Then his whole face
20:34turned dark, pointed right at Owen. What the hell are you talking about? Stealing artifacts? Murder? Our company
20:42practically built this town. My son, Jason, is one of the most well-known philanthropists. He's still
20:47lying in a hospital bed. And you people dare dump this kind of filth on him? My mom rushed up
20:52too.
20:52She tried to shove Owen. That's right. Do you even know how many schools Jason has donated to?
20:59He won't even hurt a fly. How could he possibly steal anything? How could he kill anyone? Vanessa stepped up
21:07too. Putting on that cold, untouchable CEO act. Officer, watch what you say. You can't just throw
21:12accusations around. I'm the chair of Lane Group. Jason is my husband. If you try to set him up with
21:19fake charges, one phone call and your career is over. They were shouting, threatening. But Owen only got
21:26colder. He 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.
21:37His face was twisted with pure terror. He had been down dozens of feet underwater when the toxin hit.
21:44The hallucinations were strong. Don't come over here! Ah! Don't come near me! Zach, I know I messed up!
21:50Don't kill me! My parents went white. Their lips trembled. Their eyes stayed glued to the screen.
21:56I got greedy! I never should have cut your arrows! I'm so sorry! I'll do whatever it takes to make
22:02it right! No, no, don't take me with you! He started smashing his forehead against the deck,
22:07over and over. Then all at once, the fear vanished. His face changed, turned vicious. A grin spread across
22:16it, twisted, like a demon laughing. He gestured into the empty air and cackled.
22:21Ha ha ha! 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
22:32completely. She played those two old fans like a fettle. She got me into that house. My dad forced
22:37his neck straight, still trying to fight it. I just played the victim, and they treated me like a king
22:42while they threw you away. Sent your pathetic ass to rot! Ha ha ha ha! God, that felt damn good!
22:48You can rot in prison forever! Everything from the coals and everything from the lanes will be mine!
22:54Dead 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
23:03precious son, her precious husband, the man they defended like he was gold. And now he was on video,
23:09grinning like a devil, mocking them for being fools.
23:12No. That's impossible. You said he was poisoned. He was hallucinating. He was talking nonsense.
23:24Exactly. That's all this is. He was hallucinating. He didn't know what he was saying. Yes!
23:33It was the toxin! That sea salt toxin made him ramble!
23:38Owen's voice turned firm.
23:39I figured that's what you'd say, which is exactly why we move fast. This involves a major
23:45attempted murder 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
24:16of your offshore accounts, Vanessa. Vanessa's face went white. And Jason's private account received
24:21multiple large wire transfers after the incident that year. The source was hidden. But we now have
24:26strong reason to believe that money came from selling stolen artifacts. We believe the case was
24:31not what it seemed. Please cooperate with the investigation. You're coming with us.
24:35The Coast Guard officers were just about to move in. Then Adam finally broke. He swallowed hard,
24:40then stammered out. Officer. Wait. This still isn't over. Ethan. Ethan Cole? He's still down there. He never
24:53came back up. What 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
25:15couldn't handle the pressure. But Ms. Lane insisted. She forced him to go down. And now, he still hasn't
25:22surfaced. Three days later, Harbor City Hospital. Jason finally woke up. His body was still weak. He twitched
25:30his fingers, then realized the bed was surrounded. Mom, Dad, Vanessa, and several police officers in
25:37uniform. A flash of joy hit him. With all these people here, they had to be worried sick about him.
25:41He quickly changed his expression, forced tears into his eyes, then weakly reached for Susan's hand.
25:46Dad. 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 already.
26:03She 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
26:24rage.
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?
26:33He pulled out a tablet. Tapped the screen. Then threw it onto Jason's chest. Jason grabbed it.
26:38Looked down. And instantly went pale. On the screen was him. Laughing like a maniac. Spilling everything.
26:45Confessing. Mocking the people who raised him. Calling them idiots. Every ugly word. Every filthy truth.
26:49All of it was there. His face went ghost white. Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
26:54This... Jason panicked. This isn't real. He struggled to sit up.
26:57Dad! Mom! Vanessa! Listen to me. That was the sea hair toxin. It made me hallucinate. It made me say
27:04crazy things.
27:05How could I ever hurt Ethan? That wasn't me. It was the poison talking.
27:09Vanessa, believe me. Reached for her. I love you. Everything I did. I did it so we could be together.
27:16Vanessa's expression turned complicated. Owen cut in from the side.
27:20Jason Cole. Drop the act. We've already confirmed the evidence. You framed Ethan for the theft. And you murdered Zach.
27:30The jig is up, I guess. But don't act so high and mighty, Dad. You're the one who threw your
27:36son to the wolves. I just watched.
27:39Then he turned to Vanessa. His eyes dragged over her in that disgusting, sticky way.
27:43And you. Stop 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?
28:01He 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.
28:30The shamelessness of it. The evil of it. It was beyond human.
28:34My parents were shaking so hard they could barely stand.
28:36They stared at the boy they had raised for eight years.
28:39This was the son they had treated? Like their own flesh and blood?
28:43What?
28:43Susan finally broke.
28:45What?
28:45She remembered my face. The look in my eyes when they shoved me into the sea.
28:49That dead, hollow, hopeless look.
28:51She remembered pointing at me, cursing me, calling me heartless in filth.
28:55The pain hit her so hard she almost stopped breathing.
28:57She collapsed to the floor, both hands clawing at her hair.
29:00Then she let out a raw, broken scream.
29:03What did I do? I'm a monster. I don't deserve to breathe.
29:12The second my mom said that, Victor seemed to wake up.
29:15Like he had just been struck across the face.
29:17He lowered his head, stared at his own trembling hands.
29:20Those hands.
29:22I slapped my eardrum open eight years ago.
29:24Had handed over the rope to tie up his own son.
29:30He let out a howl like a wounded beast.
29:32Then he raised his hand and started slapping himself across the face.
29:36Hard.
29:37Again.
29:38And again.
29:39Smack.
29:40The sound of those hits echoed through the hospital room.
29:43His face swelled almost instantly.
29:44His cheeks turned red and purple.
29:46Blood ran from the corner of his mouth, but he acted like he couldn't feel any of it.
29:50He just kept hitting himself.
29:51Over and over.
29:52Like a madman.
29:53This is karma.
29:55This is all karma.
29:57I thought I could see through anyone.
30:00But I killed my own blood.
30:02And Vanessa.
30:03By now the mental wall she had spent three days holding up finally collapsed.
30:07Completely.
30:08She didn't want to think about that dive.
30:10The underwater current.
30:11The day I disappeared.
30:13Those three days after I went missing, Jason had stayed by her side.
30:16Again and again he described what happened underwater.
30:19Every detail.
30:20Every danger.
30:21Every second.
30:21He painted the whole thing for her.
30:23She still remembered it.
30:25Jason standing in front of her.
30:26Taking off his shirt.
30:27Pointing at the scar on his shoulder.
30:29Telling her he got it saving her.
30:30And she believed him.
30:31She actually believed him.
30:33Later after the underwater murder case she had bribed my lawyer.
30:36Paid him off to switch sides at the last second.
30:38Helped send me to prison for eight years.
30:39Then she married the man who had really killed someone.
30:41And three days ago.
30:43She used money to humiliate me.
30:45And then.
30:46She pushed me into the abyss.
30:47The same man who nearly died saving her.
30:49No!
30:52It wasn't supposed to be like this!
30:55Vanessa dropped to her knees.
30:57Her hands shook as she pulled something from her pocket.
30:59The broken pieces of my hearing aid.
31:01She had picked them up from the deck of the boat.
31:03The cracked plastic shell still carried the salt and stink of the sea.
31:06Her vision blurred with tears.
31:08Still, she tried to fit the pieces back together.
31:10One by one.
31:11Even though it was already smashed beyond repair.
31:14Ethan!
31:16I'm sorry!
31:19I'm so sorry!
31:21She kept trying to piece it together.
31:23Crying harder and harder.
31:25The sharp plastic cut into her fingers.
31:27Her nails split.
31:28Blood smeared across the broken hearing aid pieces.
31:31Please!
31:32Come back!
31:34Come back!
31:35I'll give you anything!
31:37We'll remarry!
31:38No more lies!
31:39Ethan, please!
31:42Please come back to me!
31:44The ice queen who looked down on us all.
31:45The cold, untouchable CEO.
31:48Was now on the floor like a stray dog.
31:50Crying.
31:51Begging.
31:52In a hospital overseas, I opened my eyes slowly.
31:55And met Claire's gentle eyes.
31:58Ethan.
32:02You finally made it back.
32:04She sat by my bed.
32:06With a bowl of chicken soup.
32:08Feeding me, one spoonful at a time.
32:11The warmth slid down my throat.
32:13And settled in my chest.
32:15I hadn't felt that in eight years.
32:17The feeling of being cared for.
32:19Like I actually mattered.
32:20Like someone was protecting me.
32:22Claire was Zach's younger sister.
32:24Zach had been on my dive team.
32:26The three of us grew up together.
32:27Best friends.
32:28Like family.
32:29Back then, me, Zach, and Jason went diving together.
32:32That was when we found the gold.
32:34Hidden in a sunken wreck.
32:35Jason got greedy.
32:37He cut Zach's air hose.
32:38Then pinned it on me.
32:39Vanessa didn't believe me.
32:41My parents didn't either.
32:42Not for one second.
32:43They even destroyed my eardrum.
32:45Forced me to take the fall.
32:46Only Claire believed I was innocent.
32:48But she had no proof.
32:49She couldn't clear my name.
32:50And she couldn't avenge her brother.
32:52For eight years, she came to see me every month in prison.
32:54Never missed.
32:55After I got out, I stood outside the coal mansion.
32:58And saw them all inside.
32:59Laughing.
33:00Eating.
33:01Living like a perfect family.
33:02That was the night I made my choice.
33:04I was going to get revenge.
33:05So, I went to Claire.
33:06And asked for her help.
33:08Jason killed for gold.
33:09And sold me out for greed.
33:11All for the money.
33:12Fine.
33:12Then, I decided to give him exactly what he wanted.
33:15Two months earlier, I started feeding Jason exactly the kind of story a greedy man couldn't ignore.
33:19Rumors.
33:20Planet articles.
33:21Fake salvage chatter.
33:22Over and over.
33:22All of it pointing to one patch of ocean.
33:25A newly discovered wreck.
33:26And the chance it was loaded with gold?
33:28At first, he didn't buy it.
33:29Why would he?
33:30He had the coals and the lanes backing him.
33:32Money 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.
33:39After seeing it enough times, he started wondering if it was real.
33:41Then he started searching.
33:43That was the step I was waiting for.
33:44I had already planted spyware on his phone.
33:46The second he started digging, it triggered everything.
33:48All the planted information.
33:50All the fake confirmations.
33:51Everything 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.
33:58Especially if it involves protected wrecks.
34:00Artifacts.
34:01Historic sites.
34:02He couldn't let too many people know.
34:03So, he used diving as cover.
34:05Went down there several times to check it out.
34:07And that part was real.
34:09There 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.
34:23And 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.
34:43Thank God Claire got there in time.
34:44She came in a mini-sub, pulled 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.
34:58Theft of protected artifacts.
34:59Framing an innocent man.
35:01And more.
35:02He was sentenced to death with immediate execution.
35:04I watched the screen.
35:06Then 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.
35:26Then looked back at the TV.
35:27Victor and Susan were sentenced to.
35:30One 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.
35:41Lane Group and Coal Group were collapsing.
35:43The scandal sent both stocks into free fall.
35:45Then both families went bankrupt.
35:47The Coles.
35:48The Lanes.
35:48The families who once thought they ruled everything.
35:51Their names were ruined for good.
35:52On the screen.
35:53Those 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.
36:01I felt nothing.
36:02No hate.
36:03No 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.
36:10Like every last chain had fallen away.
36:12And for the first time in years I let out one long breath.
36:15Four years later.
36:16Thanks to Claire.
36:17And the best specialists money could buy.
36:19My hearing had long since returned.
36:21Now we were on Australia's Gold Coast.
36:24Launching a cutting edge deep sea ecology project.
36:27That day.
36:28We were on the beach testing a new sonar system.
36:30Then a woman came stumbling toward us.
36:32Her hair was almost all white.
36:33She looked gaunt.
36:35Hollowed 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.
36:42A foul smell rolled off her.
36:44She dug into a torn pocket.
36:46Then pulled out a ring.
36:47The 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.
36:55I 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.
37:13He destroyed me.
37:15My family is gone.
37:16My money is gone.
37:17Someone even beat me until I lost hearing in one ear.
37:20That's my punishment.
37:22That's my karma.
37:29Ethan.
37:32You loved me didn't you?
37:35Back then you almost died trying to save me.
37:38She kept pouring it out.
37:40How she got tricked out of everything.
37:42How debt collectors hunted her.
37:43How 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.
37:49But I only took two small steps back.
37:51Avoided the hand reaching toward me with that ring.
37:53Then I spoke.
37:55Please stay away from me.
37:57We're divorced.
37:59The second you forced me to take the fall for a murderer.
38:02The woman I once called my wife died.
38:05So stop acting like this is love.
38:10It just makes me sick.
38:11Right 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.
38:22Babe.
38:23Why is this woman anywhere near you?
38:25I don't know.
38:27Where's security?
38:28Vanessa stared at us.
38:29At how good we looked together.
38:31At how happy we were.
38:32And something inside her snapped.
38:34Jealousy.
38:35Regret.
38:35Both of them tore through her like poison.
38:38Then she coughed.
38:39Hard.
38:40Once.
38:41Then again.
38:42A mouthful of blood burst from her lips.
38:44She dropped straight onto the sand.
38:46Back in Harbor City, two elderly people shuffled down the street.
38:49Each of them carried a ripped plastic sack.
38:51They limped badly.
38:52Step by step.
38:53Then they stopped in front of a giant LED screen in the city square.
38:56Their bodies shook.
38:58Their eyes lifted.
38:59On the screen, a global live broadcast was playing.
39:01I was there, wearing a custom suit, standing tall, calm, confident, receiving a major UN
39:07environmental award.
39:08The camera panned wider.
39:10Claire stood beside me.
39:11One hand looped through my arm.
39:13Her baby bump was showing.
39:14And she was smiling, like sunlight.
39:16Susan burst into tears.
39:18The tears ran down her filthy face.
39:19She slowly raised one grimy hand, reached toward the screen, like she could touch me from
39:24where she stood.
39:25Ethan.
39:27That's my boy.
39:29A security guard from the mall rushed out at once.
39:32What the hell are you doing, you filthy beggars?
39:33Get away from there!
39:36He shoved her hard.
39:38She fell straight to the ground.
39:39Victor was crying, too.
39:40But he didn't dare fight back.
39:42He just kept slapping himself across the face, again and again, muttering through tears.
39:47This is karma.
39:51We were blind.
39:52Then the two of them held each other up, and disappeared into the alleys of the city.
39:55As for Vanessa, she was detained and deported.
39:58After that, she completely lost her mind.
40:00The shock broke her for good.
40:02She had no money left for proper treatment, so she got dumped into the cheapest mental
40:06institution they could find.
40:07Out on the shimmering blue water, I lay, stretched out on the deck of a yacht.
40:12Warm sea breeze across my face.
40:14Claire walked over with a plate of cut fruit, then curled up in my arms.
40:20Honey, what are you thinking about?
40:22I looked out at the deep blue sea, the same sea that had almost buried me, the same sea
40:27that gave me a second life.
40:29Then I smiled, and shook my head.
40:32I was just wondering, do you think our baby's a boy or a girl?
40:37Then I started the yacht, and left every betrayal, every wound, every bit of that old life, behind
40:43us in the rolling wake.
40:45Let's see if I'm so excited.
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