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Real Mother, Fake Mother - Full
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00:25What did he write?
00:33I turned my head and looked at the man I had loved for 10 years.
00:43Suddenly, he seemed completely unfamiliar to me.
00:46I could hear Rob watching his cartoons in the living room.
00:49If I was the fake mom in his essay, then who was the real one?
00:53And if Rob was not the one I gave birth to, then where had my real child been for all
00:58these years?
01:27He kissed my cheek.
01:29Will you help me?
01:30He stretched out his arm.
01:31I reached out and fastened the watch onto his wrist.
01:3410 years of marriage.
01:35I had never forgotten preparing gifts for him on special days.
01:39And yet, he rarely did the same for me.
01:41I found excuses for him that he wasn't expressive in nature.
01:44But then there was Rob's essay.
01:46Dad loves giving gifts to the real mom the most because, he says,
01:49the process of preparing a gift is more meaningful than the gift itself.
01:53The innocent word stabs straight into my heart like a knife, cutting my flesh into pieces.
01:57So, it wasn't that he couldn't express himself.
01:59It was that all his care had never been for me.
02:03William.
02:03I struggled to speak, choosing my words carefully.
02:06Is there anything you want to tell me?
02:11William is only six.
02:13He doesn't even know what he's saying himself.
02:14I wanted to say more, but he had already turned back toward the bedroom.
02:18For the first time in 10 years, his indifferent look finally made me realize we had never truly
02:22been close to each other.
02:23Late at night, he slept soundly beside me.
02:26But the words in that essay, William's awkward smile, all those images just kept replaying in
02:31my mind and taking away my sleep.
02:32I rose quietly and stepped out of the bedroom.
02:35I saw light at the end of the hallway.
02:37Turned out the door to William's study was slightly ajar.
02:40He hated it when I went in uninvited, and I respected that for all the time.
02:44But tonight, something compelled me to open the door.
02:46I searched every corner, hoping for a clue, but found nothing.
02:51And my eyes eventually landed on the photo that was placed in the center of his desk.
02:54It was three of us, a happy family that everyone envies.
02:58William held Rob on his shoulders, and I leaned on his side, smiling as if I got everything
03:03I wanted for life.
03:04Love seemed to have truly existed, and no one would doubt it.
03:07I ran my fingers over the faces of my husband and kid.
03:10Maybe I was overthinking.
03:12Maybe I should not let a six-year-old's word shake my trust in the man that I had shared
03:1610 years with.
03:17Guilt and self-reproach flooded me.
03:19I sighed and was about to set the frame back in place.
03:21Somehow I noticed that the frame space was slightly loose, so I reached out but the whole frame
03:25just slipped away from my fingers.
03:27Crash!
03:28The frame fell to the floor.
03:30I wanted to pick it up, but I just froze mid-motion.
03:32As I found out the back of the frame was not some sort of blank board, but a photo.
03:37In the picture, William was standing in the sunlight, his face young and enchanting.
03:41In his arms, it was a girl in a white dress.
03:43I held my breath but my body was still trembling.
03:46I couldn't remember how I managed to turn the photo over, and it took me no effort to recognize
03:51Williams' handwriting at a glance.
03:53Dear Sarah.
03:53My dearest Sarah Anderson, no matter who I marry, my heart will always belong to you.
03:59How pathetic.
04:00What stunned my eyes the most was actually the day he left in the corner.
04:03This was written on the very day before our wedding.
04:09The next morning, after dropping Rob off at school, I didn't head to the office like
04:13I usually did.
04:14Instead, I drove to the nearest mobile service hall.
04:16I tried so hard to keep my voice as steady as possible when talking to the clerk.
04:20Could you help me check my family phone bills over the past few months?
04:24He worked quickly and soon pulled up the call records from the last six months.
04:28One number immediately stood out.
04:30It appeared far too often and was always coming in from a neighboring town.
04:34Most of the calls were made late at night, lasting anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour.
04:39I wrote down the number quietly and left.
04:41That evening, William left his phone charging on the nightstand and went to shower.
04:46The screen was locked, so I entered the password we used to share.
04:49Incorrect.
04:50Then I tried his birthday.
04:52Our anniversary.
04:53A series of numbers tied to memories only we were supposed to know.
04:56Every attempt failed.
04:58And I couldn't tell how ironic it was when I laid my last hope on the eye-watering date written
05:02on the back of that photo.
05:03Access granted.
05:04My heart sank.
05:05I searched through his call history.
05:07The number wasn't saved in his contacts.
05:10Instead, I found it on his blocked list.
05:12A blocked number, with such frequent call records?
05:15There was only one explanation.
05:18He would block the number from time to time after they contacted each other.
05:22A chill crept up my spine.
05:23I went through his social media, looking for more traces.
05:27When I entered the number into the search bar, an account popped up.
05:30I finally got it.
05:32In the picture over the top, I saw three figures of Sunset.
05:36A couple with a kid, holding each other's hands so tightly.
05:39And the man's silhouette looked hauntingly familiar.
05:42Too familiar that I could straightforwardly call his name.
05:45I put the phone back and called my assistant, Susan.
05:49Susan, help me check a number.
05:50As soon as possible.
05:55After hanging up, I walked silently into Rob's room.
05:59He was sleeping soundly.
06:00William used to say our son looked just like me.
06:04But now, as I studied him carefully, his eyes, his nose, I couldn't find a single feature that
06:09resembled mine.
06:10The pain dug deeper and deeper, never giving me a moment's relief.
06:13A few days later, the school scheduled a full physical checkup for the students.
06:17I went to the hospital with Rob myself.
06:20After all the examinations were done, I plucked a few strands of his hair and sealed them carefully
06:24in a plastic bag.
06:25That afternoon, I sent the sample, along with my own, to a testing agency.
06:30The results would not be back until a week later.
06:32And all I could do was anxiously wait while enduring William's more and more frequent late
06:36returns, which he claimed were made to see friends.
06:38Before leaving, he'd linger in front of the mirror, fixing his hair with excessive care.
06:42One night, after he left, I followed him.
06:45My car trailed us across half the city until he finally stopped at a hot spring resort on the
06:49outskirts.
06:50As William stepped out of the car, a woman in a long dress was already waiting for him.
06:54I recognized her instantly.
06:56She was the woman from the photo.
06:58William took her handbag as if he had done it a thousand times before, and his arm wrapped
07:02around her waist with practiced ease.
07:03He leaned down and whispered something into her ear.
07:06Her face flushed instantly, read all the way to her ears.
07:09After a few more murmured words, the two pressed close to each other and walked into the resort
07:13together.
07:14I stayed in my car.
07:15The heater was on full blast, yet I felt cold to the bone.
07:18Just then, my phone buzzed.
07:20An email from the testing agency.
07:22My hands shook so badly that I could barely hold the phone.
07:25I opened the attachment and flipped straight to the last page.
07:31Based on DNA testing, Jennifer Jones is excluded as the biological mother of Rob Jones.
07:36Before this, I had never imagined a short sentence to be a blade dipped in poison.
07:40And at that moment, I could clearly feel how it sliced and tortured me again and again as
07:45my eyes fixed on the page.
07:46The child I had raised for six years, loved with every fiber of my being, had no blood
07:50relation to me at all.
07:51And then I could see the woman's face overlap with Rob's features.
07:54The resemblance was terrifying, so strong it made my stomach churn.
07:58But I remember clearly, six years ago.
08:00I had specifically arranged a DNA test after Rob's birth because the maternity hospital had
08:04gone through some chaotic situations, and he was protected by tight security.
08:08The results had been clear.
08:09The baby was ours, so why?
08:11Six years later, my son had become someone else's child.
08:15And the baby I carried for 10 months, the one I gave birth to, where was he then?
08:19I called my assistant again.
08:21Two things.
08:23First, find out the relationship between Sarah Anderson and Rob.
08:27Second, no matter the cost, find my son.
08:30There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.
08:33Understood.
08:33I'll do it right away.
08:34I went on with my life as usual, just like the whole thing had never happened.
08:38I could even face William with a smile.
08:41The only difference was that I no longer responded to his hugs.
08:44And at night, I stopped staying in the bedroom with him.
08:47When he asked, I told him my work had become overwhelming and that I didn't want to disturb
08:51his sleep in the middle of the night.
08:53His gaze flickered for a moment, but he didn't press the issue.
08:56A week later, Susan placed a sealed document envelope on my desk.
09:00We obtained Sarah Anderson's DNA sample through special channels.
09:11We compared it with Rob's sample.
09:15My fingers tightened.
09:17The results show that the two are biologically related, mother and son.
09:21Even though I had prepared myself for this, my legs still gave out.
09:25I had to grip the edge of the desk to keep from collapsing.
09:28Six years.
09:29The child I had poured all my love into for six years carried the blood of another woman.
09:34We went through all the records of your delivery that year.
09:36Sarah Anderson actually gave birth on the same day as you.
09:40She checked in alone.
09:41And under emergency contact, she wrote William Jones.
09:46What about her baby?
09:48I demanded.
09:49Susan looked down at the file.
09:51According to the records, it seemed like there were complications during delivery.
09:55Her newborn was declared deceased three days after birth.
09:59It felt like a puzzle with only a few pieces left, one final step before the truth was complete.
10:05Keep digging.
10:06I want every detail about that baby.
10:08Yes.
10:10Susan moved quickly.
10:11Indeed, my assistant never let me down.
10:14It didn't take her too long to track down an elderly nurse who had once worked in the obstetrics department
10:18back then.
10:19Susan met the nurse quite soon.
10:21This old lady was nervous and a bit afraid.
10:23She would glance around every time before lowering her voice and speaking.
10:27Those two women were sent into the delivery room almost back to back that night.
10:32But Miss Anderson, she had bad luck.
10:35She took an incredibly long time in labor and the child supposedly didn't make it.
10:40She paused a while, taking the cash out from the envelope that Susan handed her.
10:44She started counting while keeping on, as if it was the only way to suit her mind.
10:47But that's just what we told Outsliders.
10:50Good enough to fool most people.
10:53But I saw it with my own eyes.
10:55Miss Anderson swapped the babies herself.
11:01The child never died.
11:03The whole thing was a lie.
11:05With that, she stuffed the envelope into her bag and hurried away.
11:09Susan and I stood there, frozen, as if the cold had seeped into our bones.
11:13When I spoke again, my voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
11:16No matter what it takes, find my son.
11:20Days later, all the leads finally converged on a remote welfare institute in a neighboring town.
11:24We got a name.
11:25His admission date matched.
11:27His age matched.
11:28I couldn't wait any longer.
11:30So I drove hundreds of miles alone.
11:32Following the address Susan gave me, the afternoon sun baked the orphanage courtyard in warm light.
11:37Children were running and laughing in small groups.
11:40My eyes searched desperately, scanning every face.
11:43Finally, I saw him.
11:44I knew it was him.
11:46In a corner far from the crowd, a small figure sat curled up alone.
11:49His little hands were bluish from the cold, his clothes thin and worn.
11:53A teacher noticed my gaze and sighed softly.
11:56That's Charlie.
11:57He was brought here six years ago, covered in injuries.
12:00Hardly speaks.
12:01He's afraid of people.
12:03No one knows what he has been through.
12:05My heartbeat stopped.
12:07I recognized him.
12:08Even though we were this far from each other, I still recognized him.
12:11That face, so unmistakably similar to mine.
12:14He was my child.
12:16What was I doing when he needed his mother the most?
12:18I was giving all my love to someone else's child.
12:21The pain swallowed me whole.
12:23I bit down hard, my nails digging deep into my palms.
12:26William Jones.
12:27Sarah Anderson.
12:28You stole my life and took away my kid.
12:30I heard a voice screaming in my head.
12:32I will make you pay for everything you took from me over these six years, a hundredfold,
12:37a thousandfold.
12:41After returning from the orphanage, I locked myself in my office.
12:44My son got abandoned by his own father, being left outside to suffer for six years.
12:49How should that debt be settled?
12:50I've come up with the perfect plan.
12:53Rob's sixth birthday was approaching.
12:55William suddenly became unusually enthusiastic, insisting on throwing his son the grandest birthday
13:00party.
13:00Rob has never celebrated his birthday formally.
13:04We should invite all the relatives and friends.
13:06Let's make it a rousing and lively one.
13:09His eyes flicked toward me.
13:11Seemed like he really wanted to know how I feel about it.
13:13I knew exactly what he was doing.
13:15He wanted me to say yes so that he could bring someone who never should have appeared on the
13:19guest list.
13:20Then why not take this chance to add some catalyst for them?
13:23I nodded.
13:25William, I think it's time for me to return to the family.
13:28I want to give you a big gift at Rob's birthday party.
13:31I booked the most expensive high-end restaurant in the city.
13:34Time flew by so fast, and Rob's birthday arrived.
13:37He was in his tailored little suit and running excitedly in the room.
13:41Looking at his rosy cheeks, my chest tightened.
13:43Even knowing the truth, the love I had given to him in the past six years couldn't just be
13:48erased overnight.
13:48He ran over to the dessert table and reached for his fifth slice of chocolate cake.
13:52I walked over and gently stopped him.
13:55Too much cake will make your tummy hurt.
13:57He looked up at me, pouted, and suddenly shoved my hand away.
14:00Don't tell me what to do, he shouted.
14:02Daddy said my real mom mom is coming to my birthday today.
14:06I only want my real mom to tell me what to do.
14:13The laughter around us died instantly, and all eyes turned to me.
14:17William hurried over and pulled Rob to his side.
14:20Jennifer, he's kidding, don't take it to heart.
14:23Rob's lips trembled, almost on the verge of tears.
14:26At that moment, the door opened, and Sarah Anderson walked in.
14:30Rob immediately shook off William's grip and threw himself into her arms.
14:34Mommy!
14:36Daddy and the fake mom are bullying me!
14:41Sarah bent down and lifted him up, her smile faint as her gaze swept over me.
14:46William stood frozen, his face draining of color.
14:49Jennifer, it's a mistake.
14:51She's just Rob's after-school tutor.
14:54Thankfully, or perhaps truly, the birthday song began at that exact moment.
14:58The staff pushed in the cake cart, candles glowing softly.
15:02William took a deep breath, walked over to Rob and Sarah, and forced his voice to steady.
15:07Alright, sweetheart, it's time to make a wish.
15:09Under everyone's gaze, Rob leaned quietly beside Sarah.
15:12He closed his eyes, clasped his little hands together.
15:15Thanks, everyone, for coming to my son's birthday party.
15:18I'd like to make an announcement.
15:20Starting today, all my shares will be transferred to my husband and son.
15:25William stares at me in shock.
15:26Sarah looks at me with the greedy eyes of a starved wolf.
15:29The moment I signed the share transfer agreement, the real show began even more spectacular than I'd imagined.
15:35Wait! I have something to announce, too!
15:40Rob is my son!
15:43She holds up a DNA test report and shows it to everyone.
15:46Sarah turns to me.
15:48Thank you for raising my son for eight years.
15:51Now give him back to me.
15:53Right now.
15:58Sorry, babe.
16:01Honey, what did you wish for just now?
16:04I wish I could change my mom.
16:08I want to be with my real mom forever.
16:11Your son, your husband, your fortune, they're all mine now.
16:17William pulls a divorce agreement out of his pocket.
16:20Sign this and get out of our lives right now.
16:23Wait a minute.
16:25Since you've given me such a big surprise, it's only fair I return the favor.
16:32Bring it up.
16:46I was pulled back to reality.
16:49Everything just now was nothing but my fantasy.
16:51Rob closed his eyes, clasped his little hands together.
16:55I wish I could change my mom.
16:57I want to be with my real mom forever.
17:00The words fell like rocks.
17:02The entire room plunged into dead silence.
17:04Everyone was looking at each other with an embarrassed and stunned face,
17:08trying to figure out what happened.
17:09I had never seen William's face turn that pale, ghostly pale.
17:13He laughed awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.
17:16Rob, what are you saying?
17:18Jen, don't be angry.
17:20He's just too excited about this birthday party,
17:22but he begins starting to know chap that they never get for bus to city class.
17:25I replied with composure.
17:27I'm not angry.
17:28Then I took out the document bag I had prepared long ago.
17:31I slowly took out the documents inside.
17:33I walked up to Rob and smiled softly.
17:36Rob, mommy will make your wish come true, alright?
17:39The room fell into a deathly silence.
17:41All eyes shifted back and forth between William and me.
17:44No one can even make a sound.
17:46Sarah was still holding Rob's hand,
17:48but I could see a hint of panic on her face.
17:51Rob couldn't understand what was happening.
17:53Only his instinct made him curl closer into Sarah's arms.
17:56William was the first to react.
17:59His voice rose sharply with anger.
18:00Jennifer, what are you talking about?
18:03Rob is our son.
18:05He's just a kid.
18:06Do you really believe in what he said?
18:08People immediately chimed in,
18:10as if I was the crazy one who needed to calm down.
18:13He's right.
18:14Children always say what they like.
18:16Exactly.
18:16You're his mom.
18:18How can you be mad at your own son?
18:19That's too petty.
18:21Is that so?
18:25I turned toward the crowd.
18:27Then let me show you something interesting.
18:29The DNA report began circulating through the room.
18:33No one was foolish enough to miss the meaning of the cold words.
18:36Muted murmurs broke out.
18:38Some of our closest relatives already got embarrassed.
18:41And even our business partners also started to exchange uneasy looks.
18:45William lunged into the crowd,
18:47snatched the report,
18:48and tore it to shreds.
18:49Jennifer, have you had enough?
18:51What exactly are you trying to do with these forged things?
18:55I looked at the man panting in front of me,
18:56and I had never felt so calm in my entire life.
18:59Would you like me to invite the director of the testing center here?
19:03So he can read the results out loud for everyone?
19:06Sarah's expression shifted,
19:07but she quickly regained her composure.
19:10Mrs. Jones,
19:11I don't know where you got these things,
19:13but today is a child's birthday.
19:15Do you really need to put everyone in such an awkward position?
19:18A perfectly polished statement.
19:20She cleaned herself of blame and made me sound like the troublemaker.
19:23But I don't care.
19:25Then I took out the second report.
19:30I believe Ms. Anderson knows better than anyone
19:33whether this is a misunderstanding or the truth.
19:35I looked straight at her.
19:37Sarah Anderson.
19:38Or should I call you Rob's biological mother?
19:41That's nonsense!
19:43William suddenly rushed at me,
19:45trying to snatch the document.
19:47I stepped aside,
19:48so he lost his grip and almost fell.
19:50I looked at him,
19:52the man I had loved for 10 years.
19:53His hopeless desperation no longer stirred pain in me,
19:56but only disgust.
19:58I raised the report high and turned to everyone present,
20:01especially the elders.
20:02Uncle Matthew,
20:03you've known me since I was little,
20:05and you also saw Rob's birth.
20:08But you can see,
20:09this report clearly shows that
20:11Rob's biological mother is Mrs. Sarah Anderson.
20:14The elders' faces turned ashen.
20:17Several were so furious that they could barely speak,
20:19fingers trembling as they pointed at William.
20:23This,
20:23this is absurd!
20:25You'd better explain this!
20:26It's not true.
20:29Uncle Matthew,
20:30listen to me.
20:31Jennifer makes up all of these
20:32so she can leave me
20:33and make me the one to blame.
20:35You have to believe me.
20:36I could never do something like this.
20:38Rob is Jennifer's child.
20:40If that's the case,
20:41then let's take a look at this.
20:50What I showed them was the transfer records
20:53that they made in the six years.
20:54All these years,
20:55you gave over 20 million of our fund
20:58to Sarah Anderson
20:59in the name of
21:00Maternovan educational expenses.
21:02The colossal sums made gasps ripple through the room.
21:04Then the screen changed.
21:06Photos of a suburban hot spring resort appeared.
21:09What kind of baby supplies
21:10or tutoring cost 20 million?
21:12And why would two of you
21:14need to discuss Rob's education
21:15in a hot spring resort?
21:17The image of William holding Sarah
21:19and leaning into whispering her ear
21:20was painfully clear.
21:21The murmurs exploded.
21:23Rob finally sensed something was wrong.
21:25He stood baffled,
21:26eyes wide,
21:27confusion and fear
21:28written across his small face.
21:30He called for his dad.
21:31But William had no time for him.
21:34Then he turned toward me,
21:35eyes reddening.
21:36He cried.
21:37I didn't look at him.
21:39Sarah's expression finally darkened.
21:41She sat Rob down and stepped forward.
21:43Her voice was calm and steady.
21:45Jennifer Jones,
21:46forging evidence and divaming others
21:48carries legal consequences.
21:50William and I are just friends
21:51and we meet occasionally to chat.
21:54Hatred spilled out from her eyes,
21:56but all she showed was a forced smile.
21:58I don't know where you obtained
21:59these absurd materials,
22:00nor why you're so determined
22:02to slander our reputations.
22:04But today is your child's birthday.
22:06This is disgraceful.
22:07If there's a misunderstanding,
22:09we can settle it privately.
22:13Her pretty and hypocritical look
22:14really made me laugh out loud.
22:16Let's talk privately.
22:18Privately?
22:19Fine.
22:20And then let's talk about
22:22how the two of us gave birth
22:23on the same day
22:23at the same hospital six years ago.
22:25The baby who was declared
22:27dead shortly after birth.
22:28Sarah Anderson's pupils
22:29shrank abruptly
22:30when I mentioned that child.
22:31The color also drained
22:32from William's face
22:33and now he could only stare
22:35at me in pure terror.
22:36I asked Susan to go on.
22:37Then she played the recording
22:39of the nurse's testimony,
22:40followed by archived hospital records,
22:42including the admission form
22:44Sarah had filled out years ago.
22:45Williams Jones's name
22:46was still clearly presented
22:48on the emergency contact list.
22:49According to the nurse
22:50who was on duty that night
22:52and the limited records
22:53that still exist,
22:55Mrs. Anderson gave birth
22:56to a baby boy that evening.
22:58The official note stated,
22:59congenital weakness,
23:01resuscitation failed,
23:03deceased.
23:04But what's strange,
23:05is that there are no detailed
23:07medical explanations
23:08for this so-called death.
23:09No cremation certificate.
23:11No formal death documentation.
23:14A newborn baby boy
23:16just disappeared from a hospital
23:18without a trace.
23:19And almost at the same time,
23:21my son, Rob,
23:23was born healthy.
23:24William,
23:24after Rob was born,
23:26I personally arranged
23:27an expedited DNA test
23:29and had people watch
23:29over the process.
23:31The result clearly showed
23:32Rob was my child.
23:34So tell me,
23:35why did the same testing center
23:36produce a completely opposite
23:38collusion six years later?
23:39William stood frozen,
23:41couldn't find his voice.
23:43Unless...
23:43I took a step forward,
23:45stopping right in front of him.
23:47Unless you switched the babies
23:48from the very beginning.
23:50You and Sarah
23:51were already involved back then.
23:53And together,
23:55you collide with the hospital
23:56to carry out
23:57a carefully planned swap.
23:58Nonsense!
23:59I didn't do it.
24:01I would never do that
24:02to my own child.
24:04I sneered at him
24:05and gestured to Susan.
24:06The final image
24:07appeared on the screen.
24:08A photograph of a small boy
24:10crouched in the corner
24:10of an orphanage courtyard
24:11wearing his worn-out clothes.
24:13My little Charlie.
24:14William Jones.
24:15If Rob is your son,
24:17then who is he?
24:18Jennifer.
24:19This child.
24:20His name is Charlie.
24:22Six years ago,
24:22he was abandoned
24:23at the gate
24:24of a remote welfare institute
24:25in a neighboring town.
24:27He was covered in injuries,
24:28severely malnourished,
24:30and still unable to speak.
24:31I took out the third DNA report.
24:34But this time,
24:35there was no need
24:35to pass it around.
24:37Anyone with eyes
24:38could see the truth.
24:39Charlie was my son.
24:41We looked far too alike.
24:43No.
24:43William's legs
24:44finally gave out.
24:45He collapsed onto the floor.
24:47Every mask he had worn,
24:48every excuse he had clung to,
24:50shattered in front of the photo.
24:51He could deny reports.
24:53He could accuse me
24:54of forging evidence.
24:56But he could not deny that face,
24:58a face uncannily similar to mine,
25:00and even to his own.
25:01Blood calling to blood.
25:02This was the ironclad truth.
25:04No one could fabricate it.
25:06Sarah could no longer
25:08hold her gentle
25:08and kind demeanor.
25:10She no longer looked at William.
25:12Her sharp and venomous gaze
25:13fixed on me.
25:14Jennifer Jones.
25:15What exactly do you want?
25:17I looked around the silent room.
25:18I saw shock, anger,
25:20and pity in all those eyes.
25:21Then I spoke,
25:22each word deliberate and clear.
25:24I want you to pay
25:25for every ounce of suffering
25:27my son has endured.
25:29Blood for blood.
25:30I picked up my phone
25:31and called the police.
25:33The room erupted instantly.
25:35Some rushed forward,
25:36trying to talk me out of it.
25:38Some shook their heads and sighed.
25:40Others just couldn't wait
25:41to escape this place
25:42of scandal and ruin.
25:43Sarah lunged toward me,
25:45attempting to stop the call,
25:46but failed to get past
25:47my bodyguards.
25:48William lay collapsed
25:49on the floor,
25:50his eyes unfocused,
25:51but still he muttered
25:52to himself.
25:53No, that's not how
25:55it should be.
25:56Sarah, you said it.
25:58You said that as long
25:59as we switched the babies,
26:00as long as I raised Rob
26:01for you,
26:02then we could be together
26:03forever.
26:04You promised you'd love me
26:06for the rest of my life.
26:07His broken rambling,
26:08uncontrolled,
26:09desperate,
26:10unwittingly tore open
26:11the final layer of truth.
26:12Sarah could not maintain
26:14her gesture anymore.
26:15Her voice turned shrill.
26:17William Jones,
26:18are you crazy?
26:19What are you talking about?
26:20But William was already
26:21beyond fear.
26:23He slowly lifted his head
26:24and looked at her
26:25at that unfamiliar,
26:26twisted face.
26:27After all these years,
26:29it was as if he were
26:29seeing her clearly
26:30for the first time.
26:31His terror and despair
26:32that had been buried
26:33for years were finally
26:34exposed all at once.
26:35He burst out laughing
26:37and his tears streaming down.
26:43I'm crazy?
26:46Yes, I am!
26:47Pointing at her
26:48with a shaking hand.
26:50Sarah Anderson,
26:51you were the one
26:52who made Vanden my own child.
26:55You contact that doctor.
26:58You convinced me
26:59to pay off the nurses
27:00and the DNA testing center.
27:02You said that once Rob
27:04became the heir
27:04of Jennifer Smith's family,
27:06we could use her connections
27:07to climb our way up.
27:10And when the time was right,
27:12we'd leave together.
27:14It's you!
27:17William was on the verge
27:18of a breakdown,
27:19quivering violently
27:20as if foreseeing
27:21the impending judgment.
27:22The room filled with gasps.
27:24Sarah's composed mask
27:26shattered completely.
27:27Her eyes burned
27:28with savage hatred,
27:29as if she wanted
27:30to tear William apart
27:31on the spot.
27:32She smashed the wine glass
27:33beside her,
27:34grabbed a shard,
27:35and charged at him.
27:38You idiot!
27:39You think you can frame me?
27:41William staggered back
27:43as though he'd just heard
27:44the cruelest joke in the world.
27:46Regret streamed down his face.
27:48Sarah,
27:49you were the one
27:50who said you wanted
27:50the Smith family's power.
27:52You begged me
27:53to give your son
27:53the chance to be raised
27:55in the Smith family.
27:56Shut up!
27:57Shut up!
27:58She completely lost
27:59control,
28:00lunging forward
28:00and slashing the shard
28:01toward his neck.
28:02Just as it was about
28:03to reach his artery,
28:04the bodyguards rushed in
28:05and pinned her down.
28:07William coughed violently,
28:08blood foaming
28:09at the corner of his mouth.
28:11His face turned
28:12deathly pale
28:12as he tried
28:13to scream something
28:13at Sarah,
28:14but his vocal cords
28:15were damaged.
28:17No one could
28:17understand him anymore.
28:19He turned toward me,
28:20tears rolling down
28:21his face,
28:22and the part of my heart
28:23that once beat for him
28:24was utterly still.
28:25Sarah continued raging,
28:27her eyes bloodshot
28:28as she glared at me.
28:29Jennifer Smith,
28:30you win!
28:31But your son suffered!
28:33Who do you think
28:33is to blame for that?
28:34Blame yourself
28:35for marrying a fool!
28:37Blame your oath
28:37in the blindeds!
28:39I only took advantage
28:39of the situation
28:40and sent my son
28:41into a wealthy family
28:42so he could get
28:43the best education.
28:44What did I do wrong?
28:45Isn't that what any mother
28:46would do for her child?
28:48So,
28:49you think this gives you
28:50the right to switch babies
28:51and abandon my
28:53Sarah Anderson,
28:55your love is revolting.
28:57At that moment,
28:58the piercing wail of sirens
28:59stopped downstairs.
29:00Heavy footsteps echoed
29:01rapidly toward the door.
29:03I stood there,
29:03watching a lie
29:04that had been carefully crafted
29:05for 10 years collapse
29:06before my eyes.
29:07The police took William
29:08and Sarah away
29:09for further investigation.
29:11Rob's birthday banquet
29:12ended in chaos.
29:13The scandal spread
29:14through the city
29:15like wildfire.
29:16I left Susan
29:17to handle the aftermath.
29:18As for me,
29:20I got back into my car
29:21and drove straight
29:22to the orphanage.
29:23With the DNA test results,
29:24I could formally complete
29:26the adoption procedures.
29:27When I finally got
29:28to approach the corner
29:29where Charlie had long stayed,
29:30I saw him curled
29:31into himself,
29:32his small body shaking
29:33uncontrollably.
29:34I didn't touch him
29:36but slowly crouched down
29:37in front of him.
29:38Charlie,
29:39don't be afraid.
29:41I'm your mom.
29:43I'm here to take you home.
29:46He didn't respond
29:47but trembled even worse.
29:49I knew that six years
29:50of absence and harm
29:51couldn't be undone overnight.
29:52Healing would take
29:53patience and time.
29:55I let the childcare specialist
29:56who came with me
29:57approach him gradually.
29:58After a long while
29:59of gentle coaxing,
30:00he finally allowed himself
30:01to be held.
30:02One of the orphanage teachers
30:04told me that Charlie
30:05loved to draw,
30:06especially the sea.
30:07His paintings were all
30:08about different oceans.
30:10Endless oceans.
30:11So I brought him back
30:12to the city
30:13and bought an apartment
30:14by the coast just for him.
30:15Just for him.
30:16He loved painting,
30:18so I designed a studio
30:19for him,
30:20which had floor-to-ceiling
30:21windows facing the sea.
30:22There,
30:23I arranged for
30:23childcare specialists
30:24and psychologists
30:25to rotate around the clock,
30:27staying with him
30:27at all times.
30:28Meanwhile,
30:29Susan's investigation
30:30made a decisive breakthrough.
30:32Under overwhelming
30:33psychological pressure
30:34and irrefutable evidence,
30:35Sarah Anderson's
30:36defenses collapsed.
30:37She confessed
30:38to everything.
30:40After a lengthy trial,
30:41the court delivered
30:42its final verdict.
30:43Sarah Anderson
30:44was sentenced
30:44to 10 years
30:45in prison for fraud,
30:46child abandonment,
30:47and multiple
30:48related crimes.
30:49William Jones
30:50received the same sentence,
30:5210 years for fraud
30:53and abandonment.
30:54What awaited them
30:54was a future
30:55without light or end.
30:57After that,
30:58I gave most of my time
30:59to Charlie.
31:00Following the psychologist's
31:02advice,
31:02I slowed everything down,
31:04offering nothing but steady,
31:05consistent companionship.
31:07A few months later,
31:08after settling
31:09all remaining affairs
31:10in the city,
31:10I took Charlie
31:11to a warm,
31:12coastal country
31:13far away.
31:14There were no
31:15acquaintances there.
31:16No memories
31:17of the past.
31:18I gave him
31:19a new name,
31:20Charles Smith.
31:21I hoped
31:22only one thing
31:22for him,
31:23that his life
31:24would be safe
31:24and peaceful.
31:25I sold most
31:26of my shares
31:26in the company
31:27and established
31:27a family trust fund,
31:29ensuring Charles
31:29would never have
31:30to worry about his future
31:31and that I would
31:31have the time
31:32to be there
31:32as he grew up.
31:33In the new environment,
31:35Charles slowly began
31:36to lay his guard down.
31:37He started receiving
31:38early education
31:39from a private tutor.
31:41Progress was slow,
31:42but he was finally
31:43willing to try.
31:44And one day,
31:45he began to call me mom.
31:47One evening,
31:48I took him
31:48for a walk by the sea.
31:50The setting sun
31:50dyed the ocean
31:51golden red.
31:52The sea breeze
31:53brushed gently
31:54against Charles' cheeks.
31:55He shook off my hand
31:56and ran ahead,
31:57leaving a trail
31:58of small footprints
31:59in the sand.
32:00Suddenly,
32:00he stopped
32:01and bent down,
32:02picking something up.
32:03He turned around
32:04and ran back toward me,
32:06holding a seashell
32:07in his hand,
32:07the sunset glowing
32:08behind him.
32:09His eyes reflected
32:10the golden light
32:11in my silhouette.
32:12I crouched down
32:13and gently touched
32:14his cheek.
32:15I could not tell
32:16how happy I was.
32:17He blinked,
32:18then smiled.
32:19In that moment,
32:20I realized that the wounds
32:21of the past
32:22might never fully fade.
32:23But a new life
32:24had already begun.
32:25The past ten years
32:26had been a carefully
32:27woven nightmare.
32:28But the future
32:29is promising,
32:30and I would use
32:31all my strength
32:31to give Charles
32:32a perfect life.
32:33The sea breeze
32:34continued to glow,
32:35and the sun slowly
32:36sank beneath the horizon.
32:37I took Charles' hand,
32:39and together,
32:40we walked along the shore
32:41toward our home.
32:41the sea breeze
32:43Birtegit,
32:44the sea breeze
32:44Gracias.
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