- 1 hour ago
After the Deep, My Family Begged Me Home
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Short filmTranscript
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 8 years for
00:23a murder I didn't commit, now I gut fish for a seafood wholesaler in a run down warehouse by the
00:28docks,
00:29that day, my family came tearing down the pier like the world was ending, my mom and dad collapsed onto
00:34the filthy ground, right into the blood, melt water and fish slime underfoot,
00:50my ex-wife Vanessa rushed up next, she pulled out the wedding ring from years ago, then she forced it
00:55onto my finger,
00:56I swear to you, if you go down there and bring Jason back, I'll marry you again, I said nothing,
01:03I just reached up, and touched the hearing aid on my ear, had they really forgotten, 8 years ago, Jason,
01:10the son they chose, over and over again, instead of me,
01:13he fought with his dive partner underwater, over gold bars, hidden in a sunken ship, after it happened, Vanessa wanted
01:20to protect him, so she forced me to sign a confession,
01:23my dad went even further, he slapped me so hard, he ruptured my eardrum, that one hit left me half
01:28deaf, and now, with the condition I'm in now, if I go back underwater, the pressure could trigger a brain
01:34bleed, I could die down there,
01:36Ethan, shut your damn mouth and do what they say, that was David, the doc manager, just now, he was
01:43all smiles, sucking up to them, the second he turned to me,
01:47his face filled with disgust, the Lane and Cole families practically own this town, I always thought you knew your
01:53place, didn't expect you to get so full of yourself,
01:55just say yes already, you save a life, you get money, it's your shot at redemption,
02:02so why are you still rotting here, slinging guts on this pier, people nearby had no idea what was going
02:08on, but that didn't stop them,
02:09yeah, what's wrong with this guy, that's his brother, how can he be this cold, probably thinks the money's too
02:15low, he's trying to jack up the price,
02:18looks normal enough, turns out he's rotten inside, every word landed hard, the one they dragged out to take the
02:24fall for Jason,
02:24was 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,
02:33I pulled the ring off, set it back in Vanessa's hand, then I pointed at my hearing aid, and shook
02:38my head,
02:38it's not that I won't save him, my ear is shot, if I go underwater, I'll die, my mom, Susan,
02:44froze for a second,
02:46then she threw herself into the filthy water on the ground, fish scales stuck to her clothes,
02:50she slapped the puddles with both hands, crying so hard her voice cracked,
02:55Ethan, it's been eight years, how are you still this cold, this cruel, this heartless to get out of this,
03:01that you'd actually fake an injury, that's Jason, that's your brother, my dad, Victor, stared at me
03:08in pure disappointment, his whole hand was shaking, how did we end up with a monster like you,
03:13standing there while your own brother dies, and 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,
03:38just 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,
03:48she never visited me once, not one time, and now this was our reunion, she was humbling herself for
03:54the same man she once protected by forcing me to confess, and even now, she was still using money
03:59to grind what 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, are you done yet, you're still waving around some
04:19stupid piece of paper, isn't money what you want, iron doesn't have time for this, Jason doesn't
04:24have time for this, then David charged over, he grabbed my fish table and flipped the whole thing,
04:29fish crashed to the ground, ice scattered everywhere, Ethan, you murderer, get the hell out,
04:34don't bring your bad luck onto these docks, if you won't save them today, then don't ever think
04:38about coming back here, the crowd joined in at once, people passing by, everybody, some even spat
04:46at me, get out murderer, a piece of trash like you deserves to rot in hell, I looked down, the
04:54medical
04:54report Vanessa slapped away was lying on the floor, soaked, stepped on, and in that moment the whole
04:59thing felt absurd, all I wanted was to live like a normal person, quietly, alone, in some forgotten
05:06corner, that was it, I was even that too much to ask, did they really have to push me all
05:12the way to
05:12death, that 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
05:22back to my rental, 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, I tapped
05:43one of the alerts, it opened straight into Vanessa's live stream, on camera my mom Susan sat there
05:48trembling, she was trying to hold back tears, I'm so sorry everyone, we know we're taking up public
05:54attention, but as a mother I have nowhere else to turn, she covered her mouth and sobbed, it's our fault,
06:00we failed to raise him right, back then he killed for gold bars, he robbed people, he took a life,
06:05he served eight years for it, I thought prison would change him, but I was wrong, he's rotten to the
06:11core, her tears streamed down harder, now his brother's trapped underwater, his life is hanging
06:16by a thread, Ethan could save him, he could, but he just ran away, Victor held her up like she
06:21might
06:21collapse, then he turned to the camera, I'm begging everyone to help us, if anyone can bring Ethan
06:27back, I'll pay seven figures, the comments exploded, they flooded so fast I could barely read them,
06:33trash like that deserves exposure, I know where he lives, west side apartments, this kind of garbage
06:39should die, anyone 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,
06:55my 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, they rushed inside like looters, one man smashed my bowls, another kicked over my pots,
07:13plates shattered 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,
07:22hold 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
07:34right in my face, the live comments kept flying by, I couldn't move, then the crowd suddenly split
07:39apart, making a path, my parents walked in, for one stupid second I thought they were here to stop
07:45this, I 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, dad, do
08:02you even hear
08:02yourself, I told you, I can't dive, I'll die, then I looked at my mother, mom, do I even matter
08:09to you,
08:10I'm your son, for Jason, are you 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 came back
08:22was ice, shut 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 our
08:33side, Jason did, and now he's in trouble, you're his brother, you should be saving him, you're just gonna
08:39let him die, can your conscience live with that, my chest felt ripped open, I was already in pieces, but
08:46that still hurt so bad I could barely breathe, so that was it, blood never mattered to them, not once,
08:52to them
08:52I was a stain, something disposable, something they could throw away whenever they needed, I'm not going, I
08:58didn't kill anyone, the case back then wasn't what you think, why won't any of you believe me, I fought
09:04like hell, twisting, kicking, trying to break free from the rope, but nobody cared what a convicted
09:09killer had to say, not one person, just when I was about to break, Vanessa walked in, one of her
09:15bodyguards handed her something, a stun baton, she took it without blinking, then she stepped into my room,
09:20her face was cold and hard, Ethan, 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,
09:52Ethan, 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 enough to think maybe, maybe there was still a little love left for me there, but that
10:17night, through the mansion's floor to ceiling windows, all I saw was a house blazing with light,
10:23my mom and dad were inside, Vanessa was too, they were all gathered around Jason, the son they always
10:29chose over me, they were eating a big holiday dinner, roast turkey on the table, steak, lobster,
10:34wine, everything rich and perfect, glasses raised, laughter everywhere, they looked like the perfect
10:40family, and me, I was standing outside in the freezing wind, a convict who had done eight years
10:46for someone else, half deaf, broken, shaking from the cold, that was the moment I finally woke up,
10:51my hell had never been prison, my hell was them, they built it with their own hands, in that house,
10:58I was never family, I was just an outsider, my thoughts snapped back to the boat, then my eyes
11:04locked on 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 scar,
11:21my whole body went cold, like I'd been struck by lightning, my mind got dragged back ten years,
11:27back then, I was captain of the dive team, Vanessa was on the team, Jason was too, that day,
11:34the sea turned bad, fast, the current got vicious, I saw the danger right away, so I pointed up,
11:40signaling everyone to head back, but before we could surface, everything went sideways,
11:45in the chaos, I used almost every ounce of strength I had to shove Vanessa and Jason towards safer water,
11:51and I got caught instead, the current took me, I should have died, by some miracle I didn't,
11:57I 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
12:23to force me to take the fall, to send me to prison, and to let me die for another man,
12:27for ten whole years she had believed Jason was the one who saved her, in the three days I disappeared,
12:32he became her hero, the man who risked everything for her, and me, I became the reckless one,
12:39the glory hungry idiot who almost got everybody killed, what a sick joke, my throat was dry and
12:44raw, but I still forced the words out, shouting with everything I had left, I told you, I can't
12:49go underwater, my ear can't handle the pressure, if I go down there my brain could hemorrhage,
12:54do 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,
13:05I hit the deck and rolled, keep lying, go ahead, keep pretending, Ethan you're rotten to the core,
13:11at a time like this you'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,
13:28if we 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, I stared at her,
13:54and something in me finally went cold, fine, I'll go, but I have one condition,
14:00I want the best deep water gear you've got, if they were really going to shove me into hell,
14:05then I was grabbing whatever slim chance I had, no matter how small, if the gear was strong enough,
14:10maybe I could survive the pressure, the second I gave in, Vanessa's shoulders dropped,
14:14like she could finally breathe again, she rushed over and grabbed my hand tight,
14:18Ethan, I knew it, I knew you still cared, I knew you wouldn't just let him die,
14:24then the next second guilt flashed across her face, she pointed to a pile of junk in the corner,
14:30but there's no other option, this is the only diving gear on the boat,
14:34you used to be the best diver in the business, a little problem like this, you can handle it, right?
14:39She said it so casually, like it was nothing, I followed her finger, and my blood went cold,
14:46it was an old dive suit, the rubber was cracked in places, the air valve was rusted,
14:52that kind of gear should have been scrapped years ago, there was no way it was safe,
14:56a chill shot straight up my spine, I yanked my hand away, then backed up in panic,
15:01Vanessa, are you out of your mind? You know diving! If I go down in that thing,
15:05that's the same as killing me! Adam looked at the suit too, his face tightened,
15:10Mrs. Lane, this gear really is too old, the risk on a forced deep dive is way too high,
15:16if something goes wrong, before he could finish, Vanessa's face went cold,
15:20she cut him off without hesitation, at a time like this, who the hell cares about that?
15:24Get over here, put it on him!
15:26A few bodyguards rushed me at once, they slammed me onto the deck, pinned me down hard,
15:32in the struggle someone stomped down, my hearing aid flew off, it cracked apart,
15:36then got crushed under a shoe, shattered, the one thing that had stayed with me for years,
15:41gone. In the end, they forced the suit onto my body anyway,
15:45and Vanessa strapped a heavy industrial weight belt around my waist, 60 pounds of lead,
15:49enough 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.
15:56Victor stood there with his arms crossed, coldly, like none of it had anything to do with him.
16:01There wasn't one shred of pity in his eyes, not for his own son. And my mother, Susan?
16:07She had her hands clasped tight, eyes 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,
16:22she was praying for him, for Jason. Not her own flesh and blood. It was grotesque. It was pathetic.
16:29It was almost funny. Then suddenly, a huge force slammed into my chest. Someone shoved me, hard.
16:35The second the deck vanished under my feet,
16:37Ethan, if you bring Jason back, we'll get married right away. I'll be right here waiting for you.
16:43Then the ocean swallowed me whole. The freezing water wrapped around my body instantly.
16:46The weight belt dragged me down. Fast. Way too fast. Straight into the deep. The pressure hit my ears like
16:53a sledgehammer.
16:54My right eardrum was already hanging by a thread. Now it tore. A dull ripping burst exploded inside my head,
17:00like a balloon popping in my skull. Pain. Blinding pain. So much pain, my whole body seized up.
17:06I opened my mouth to scream. A mouthful of seawater rushed in instead. My lungs felt like giant hands were
17:12crushing them.
17:12My vision turned red. Then darker. Then worse. My mind started slipping away. And just when I was drowning,
17:18just when the dark was closing over me, just when I gave up trying to live,
17:22a pair of soft hands reached for me. Fast. Strong. And grabbed me.
17:26Susan 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.
17:34He kept pacing. Back and forth. Jason will be fine. He's lucky. He has to be okay.
17:42Ethan was a diving champion. He'll bring Jason back up.
17:45She 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.
17:54Then suddenly, a sharp alarm shattered the dead silence. A Coast Guard boat was speeding toward them.
17:59Fast. A few officers jumped onto the deck. The man in front scanned everyone with hard, sharp eyes.
18:05I'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.
18:22Rescue?
18:23Then he looked them over coldly.
18:25We 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.
18:35Three hours ago, during patrol, we recovered a man from the water.
18:39It was Jason Cole.
18:41We tried contacting his family. No answer.
18:45Never thought you came all the way out here.
18:48There's no signal. The doctor on board examined him. He'd been exposed to a marine toxin. A sea bearer. A
18:54kind of sea slug.
18:54That toxin can trigger severe hallucinations. In serious cases, it can be fatal. He might have touched one while diving.
19:00He's already been taken to the hospital. He's been stabilized for now.
19:03The second they heard Jason was alive, my parents and Vanessa lit up with joy.
19:07Like they had all just been handed their lives back.
19:09And not one of them cared about the word, hallucinations.
19:12Not one. Victor nearly started crying on the spot. He was so excited, he could barely 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!
19:27We have money. As long as he's still breathing, we can save him. We'll spend whatever it takes.
19:32Vanessa finally let out a long breath. A smile of pure relief broke across her face.
19:36Like she had just survived a nightmare.
19:38Then the smile froze. Right there on her face. Because suddenly she remembered.
19:43Half an hour ago she had shoved her ex-husband into the ocean.
19:45With her own hands. Forced him down there. To save Jason.
19:48He was lying in a hospital now. Alive.
19:50So where was Ethan?
19:52I had already been underwater for over thirty minutes.
19:54And there was still no sign of me. Not even a trace.
19:56A terrible thought started rising in her mind.
19:58But before she could think it through, Owen took a file from one of his officers.
20:02His expression turned strange.
20:03Cold. Sharp. Almost mocking.
20:06Then he looked straight at them and spoke again.
20:09Well, if you're his family, that actually makes this easier.
20:14He opened the document. Then announced it on the spot.
20:16As of this moment, Jason Cole is in custody.
20:19He is suspected of stealing protected underwater artifacts.
20:24And suspected of murder.
20:27That landed like a thunderclap.
20:29The next, they were dragged straight into the dirt.
20:31The smile on my dad's face froze.
20:33Then his whole face turned dark.
20:35Pointed right at Owen.
20:37What the hell are you talking about?
20:39Stealing artifacts? Murder?
20:41Our company practically built this town.
20:43My son Jason is one of the most well-known philanthropists.
20:46He'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.
20:52She tried to shove Owen.
20:54That's right.
20:55Do you even know how many schools Jason has donated to?
20:58He won't even hurt a fly.
21:01How could he possibly steal anything?
21:04How could he kill anyone?
21:06Vanessa stepped up, too.
21:07Putting on that cold, untouchable CEO act.
21:10Officer, watch what you say.
21:11You can't just throw accusations around.
21:14I'm the chair of Lane Group.
21:16Jason is my husband.
21:17If you try to set him up with fake charges, one phone call and your career is over.
21:23They were shouting, threatening.
21:25But Owen only got colder.
21:27He didn't argue.
21:28He just tapped open another video.
21:30Jason scrambled backward from empty air, like something horrifying was standing right in front of him.
21:35His whole body was shaking violently.
21:37His face was twisted with pure terror.
21:40He had been down dozens of feet underwater when the toxin hit.
21:44The hallucinations were strong.
21:45Don't come over here!
21:47Don't come near me!
21:48Zach, I know I messed up!
21:50Don't kill me!
21:51My parents went white.
21:52Their lips trembled.
21:53Their eyes stayed glued to the screen.
21:55I got greedy!
21:58I never should have cut your arrows!
21:59I'm so sorry!
22:01I'll do whatever it takes to make it right!
22:03No, no, don't take me with you!
22:05He started smashing his forehead against the deck.
22:07Over and over.
22:11Then all at once, the fear vanished.
22:13His face changed, turned vicious.
22:15A grin spread across it, twisted, like a demon laughing.
22:19He gestured into the empty air and cackled.
22:22Ethan, you idiot!
22:23You never saw this coming, did you?
22:25That idiot, Vanessa.
22:27She actually thought I was the one who saved her.
22:29All I did was show her a little scar.
22:30And she fell for me completely.
22:32She played those two old fans like a fettle.
22:34She got me into that house.
22:36My dad forced his neck straight, still trying to fight it.
22:39I just played the victim.
22:40And they treated me like a king while they threw you away.
22:44Sent your pathetic ass to rot!
22:45Ha ha ha ha!
22:46God, that felt damn good!
22:48You can rot in prison forever!
22:49Everything from the coals and everything from the lanes will be mine!
22:54Dead silence.
22:55Only Jason's crazed laughter kept echoing from the video.
22:58Across the deck, Vanessa stumbled back two steps.
23:00She almost fell right there on the deck.
23:02That was their precious son.
23:03Her precious husband, the man they defended like he was gold.
23:07And now he was on video, grinning like a devil, mocking them for being fools.
23:12No.
23:13That's impossible.
23:15You said...
23:17He was poisoned.
23:20He was hallucinating.
23:21He was talking nonsense.
23:24Exactly.
23:25That's all this is.
23:26He was hallucinating.
23:28He didn't know what he was saying.
23:30Yes!
23:33It was the toxin!
23:35That 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.
23:43This involves a major attempted murder case.
23:47So 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 evidence from
24:03the scene.
24:04And there's more.
24:06Ethan's defense attorney turned on him at trial.
24:09The day before the trial, a large payment hit his account.
24:13We traced the source.
24:15It came from one of your offshore accounts, Vanessa.
24:18Vanessa's face went white.
24:19And Jason's private account received multiple large wire transfers after the incident that year.
24:24The source was hidden.
24:26But we now have strong reason to believe that money came from selling stolen artifacts.
24:29We believe the case was not what it seemed.
24:31Please cooperate with the investigation.
24:33You're coming with us.
24:34The Coast Guard officers were just about to move in.
24:37Then Adam finally broke.
24:39He swallowed hard.
24:41Then stammered out.
24:43Officer.
24:44Wait.
24:45This still isn't over.
24:48Ethan.
24:49Ethan Cole.
24:51He's still down there.
24:53He never came back up.
24:56What did you just say?
24:58Owen whipped around.
24:58His eyes widened instantly.
25:02There's still someone underwater?
25:04Adam's legs nearly gave out.
25:06He started spilling everything.
25:07About half an hour ago, Ms. Lane pushed Ethan into the water.
25:12He said his ear was injured.
25:14He said he couldn't handle the pressure.
25:16But Ms. Lane insisted.
25:18She forced him to go down.
25:20And now, he still hasn't surfaced.
25:23Three days later.
25:24Harbor City Hospital.
25:26Jason finally woke up.
25:27His body was still weak.
25:29He twitched his fingers.
25:30Then realized the bed was surrounded.
25:33Mom.
25:34Dad.
25:34Vanessa.
25:35And several police officers in uniform.
25:37A flash of joy hit him.
25:38With all these people here, they had to be worried sick about him.
25:41He quickly changed his expression.
25:43Forced tears into his eyes.
25:44Then weakly reached for Susan's hand.
25:46Dad.
25:48Mom.
25:49Vanessa.
25:50I was so scared.
25:52I had the worst nightmare.
25:55I dreamed I was trapped underwater.
25:58I thought I'd never see you again.
26:00Before, that would have worked.
26:02Susan would have rushed over already.
26:03She would have held him.
26:05Cried over him.
26:05But today, the room was terrifyingly quiet.
26:08No one spoke.
26:09Only the monitor kept beeping.
26:11Steady.
26:11Cold.
26:12Jason's hand hung there in midair.
26:14Awkward.
26:15Stiff.
26:15That was when he realized something was wrong.
26:18Victor wasn't fussing over him.
26:19The man who had always spoiled him was standing at the foot of the bed.
26:22His face was black with rage.
26:24And the way he looked at Jason now, there was no warmth left.
26:27No love.
26:28Dad?
26:30What's wrong?
26:31Dad?
26:32What's wrong?
26:33He pulled out a tablet, tapped the screen, then threw it onto Jason's chest.
26:37Jason grabbed it, looked down, and instantly went pale.
26:40On the screen was him, laughing like a maniac, spilling everything, confessing, mocking the
26:46people who raised him, calling them idiots, every ugly word, every filthy truth.
26:49All of it was there.
26:51His face went ghost white.
26:52Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
26:54This...
26:54Jason panicked.
26:55This isn't real.
26:56He struggled to sit up.
26:57Dad, Mom, Vanessa, listen to me.
27:00That was the sea hair toxin.
27:02It made me hallucinate.
27:03It made me say crazy things.
27:05How could I ever hurt Ethan?
27:07That wasn't me.
27:07It was the poison talking.
27:09Vanessa, believe me.
27:10Reached for her.
27:11I love you.
27:13Everything I did, I did it so we could be together.
27:16Vanessa's expression turned complicated.
27:18Owen cut in from the side.
27:20Jason Cole, drop the act.
27:22We've already confirmed the evidence.
27:25You framed Ethan for the theft.
27:27And you murdered Zach.
27:29Heh.
27:30The jig is up, I guess.
27:32But don't act so high and mighty, Dad.
27:35You're the one who threw your son to the wolves.
27:37I just watched.
27:39Then he turned to Vanessa.
27:40His eyes dragged over her in that disgusting, sticky way.
27:43And you...
27:46Stop acting innocent.
27:48For the last eight years...
27:51Wasn't I good enough for you in bed?
27:54What?
27:56Suddenly found your conscience?
27:59A little late, don't you think?
28:00He laughed again.
28:02Ugly.
28:02Slow.
28:03Mocking.
28:04Ethan's not coming back anyway.
28:07So...
28:07Why not let it go?
28:10I can still take care of you two.
28:13We can all stay one happy family.
28:16Still living the dream.
28:18Isn't that what you want?
28:26The second those words came out, the whole room turned freezing cold.
28:29The shamelessness of it.
28:31The evil of it.
28:32It was beyond human.
28:33My 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?
28:41Like their own flesh and blood?
28:43What?
28:43Susan finally brought...
28:44She remembered my face.
28:46The 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.
29:11The second my mom said that, Victor seemed to wake up, like he had just been struck across
29:16the face.
29:17He lowered his head, stared at his own trembling hands.
29:20Those 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.
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.
29:49He 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, by 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.
30:20Every second.
30:21He painted the whole thing for her.
30:23However, she still remembered it.
30:24Jason 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, she used money to humiliate me.
30:44And then, she 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.
30:56Her 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.
31:15Ethan!
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!
31:41Oh, please come back to me!
31:44The ice queen who looked down on us all, the cold, untouchable CEO, was now on the floor
31:49like a stray dog, crying, begging.
31:52In a hospital overseas, I opened my eyes slowly and met Claire's gentle eyes.
31:58Ethan.
32:04She sat by my bed with a bowl of chicken soup, feeding me one spoonful at a time.
32:11The warmth slid down my throat and settled in my chest.
32:15I hadn't felt that in eight years.
32:17The feeling of being cared for.
32:18Like I actually mattered.
32:20Like someone was protecting me.
32:22Claire was Zach's younger sister.
32:24Zach had been on my dive team.
32:25The 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.
32:33Hidden in a sunken wreck.
32:35Jason got greedy.
32:36He cut Zach's air hose, then 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.
33:00Living 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.
33:07Jason killed for gold.
33:09And sold me out for greed.
33:11All for the money.
33:11Fine.
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.
33:20Fake salvage chatter.
33:21Over 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.
33:38After seeing it enough times, he started wondering if it was real.
33:41Then he started searching.
33:42That was the step I was waiting for.
33:44I had already planted spyware on his phone.
33:46The second he started digging, it triggered everything.
33:48All the planted information.
33:49All 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, especially if it involves protected wrecks,
34:00artifacts, historic sites.
34:01He couldn't let too many people know, so he used diving as cover, went down there several
34:06times to check it out, and 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, and 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.
34:45Pulled me up before I died.
34:46Now, in the hospital room, the TV on the wall was playing live coverage from back home.
34:51A major sentencing update.
34:53Broadcast everywhere.
34:54Jason had been convicted on multiple charges.
34:56Intentional homicide.
34:57Theft of protected artifacts.
34:59Framing an innocent man.
35:00And more.
35:01He was sentenced to death.
35:03With immediate execution.
35:04I watched the screen.
35:05Then shook my head.
35:07Claire caught it right away.
35:08She knew exactly what I meant.
35:10So she explained.
35:11My guess?
35:13Jason got pushed up by an underwater current.
35:16Then patrol officers just happened to spot him.
35:20But that part doesn't matter.
35:22The ending still landed where we needed it.
35:25I nodded.
35:26Then looked back at the TV.
35:27Victor and Susan were sentenced to.
35:29One year each.
35:31For shielding the real killer.
35:32And obstructing justice.
35:34Taken into custody right there in court.
35:36Vanessa got three years.
35:37For bribery.
35:38Perjury.
35:38And covering up a crime.
35:40At the same time, Lane Group and Cole Group were collapsing.
35:43The scandal sent both stocks into free fall.
35:45Then both families went bankrupt.
35:47The Coles.
35:48The Lanes.
35:48The families who once thought they ruled everything.
35:50Their names were ruined for good.
35:52On the screen, those people from my past stood in prison uniforms.
35:55Crying.
35:56Begging.
35:57Confessing to the cameras.
35:58But no one pitied them.
35:59And strangely, I felt nothing.
36:02No hate.
36:02No thrill.
36:03No satisfaction.
36:04Just relief.
36:05A clean, empty kind of relief.
36:07Like all the pain had finally been peeled off me.
36:09Like every last chain had fallen away.
36:11And for the first time in years, I let out one long breath.
36:15Four years later.
36:16Thanks to Claire.
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.
36:26That day, we were on the beach testing a new sonar system.
36:30Then a woman came stumbling toward us.
36:32Her hair was almost all white.
36:33She looked gaunt.
36:34Hollowed out.
36:35If I hadn't looked carefully, I never would have recognized her.
36:38It was Vanessa.
36:39The 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, I finally found you!
36:57Look.
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.
37:10I 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.
37:31You 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.
37:46She 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.
37:54Please stay away from me.
37:57We're divorced.
37:58The second you forced me to take the fall for a murderer, the woman I once called my wife died.
38:05So stop acting like this is love.
38:10It just makes me sick.
38:12Right then, Claire walked over holding two cold drinks.
38:14She 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.
38:21Babe, why 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.
38:30At how happy we were.
38:32And something inside her snapped.
38:34Jealousy.
38:34Regret.
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, step 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.
38:58On the screen, a global live broadcast was playing.
39:02I was there.
39:02Wearing a custom suit.
39:04Standing tall.
39:05Calm.
39:05Confident.
39:06Receiving a major UN environmental 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.
39:17The tears ran down her filthy face.
39:19She slowly raised one grimy hand.
39:21Reached toward the screen.
39:22Like she could touch me from where she stood.
39:25Ethan.
39:27That's my boy.
39:29A security guard from the mall rushed out at once.
39:31What the hell are you doing, you filthy beggars?
39:33Get away from there!
39:36He shoved her hard.
39:37She 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.
39:44Again and again.
39:45Muttering through tears.
39:46This is karma.
39:51We were blind.
39:52Then the two of them held each other up.
39:53And disappeared into the alleys of the city.
39:56As 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.
40:04So she got dumped into the cheapest mental institution they could find.
40:07Out on the shimmering blue water, I lay stretched out on the deck of a yacht.
40:11Warm sea breeze across my face.
40:14Claire walked over with a plate of cut fruit.
40:16Then curled up in my arms.
40:18Honey.
40:20What are you thinking about?
40:22I looked out at the deep blue sea.
40:24The same sea that had almost buried me.
40:26The same sea that gave me a second life.
40:29Then I smiled.
40:30And shook my head.
40:32I was just wondering.
40:35Do you think our baby's a boy or a girl?
40:37Then I started the yacht.
40:39And left every betrayal.
40:40Every wound.
40:41Every bit of that old life.
40:43Behind us in the rolling wake.
40:45Behind us in the rolling wake.
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