- 4 days ago
The Father's Sin
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Short filmTranscript
00:00all because they dared to upset his my husband sent our five-year-old twins to hell all because
00:07they dared to upset his precious first love the men from the behavior correction camp burst into
00:13our home and dragged our sobbing girls away their tiny hands clung to the car door crying and
00:19screaming for their daddy kathleen and i found them the next day my girls lifeless and bruised
00:24their breath still forever meanwhile my husband was on instagram celebrating the pregnancy of his
00:30beloved my eyes were vacant as i looked at kathleen my babies are gone i have nothing left please let
00:38me go i don't want anything by the time we reached the hospital there were no signs of life they
00:44didn't
00:44even take the girls they made straight for the emergency room kathleen's eyes were filled with
00:51pity but she still spoke softly trying to comfort me it's going to be okay don't worry grandfather
00:58and i are on your side james was wrong this time i'll make sure he comes to apologize in the
01:06future
01:06you too before kathleen could finish i held my phone in front of her it showed a post james coleman
01:14had
01:14made on instagram just two hours ago mommy and daddy have loved you since before you arrived
01:20the attached picture was a sonogram clearly showing emily green six weeks pregnant emily was james coleman's
01:28beloved kathleen's voice cut off abruptly after a moment her face flushed with anger i'm calling my
01:35brother right now don't worry our family will make this right i gave a bitter laugh and directly dialed
01:43james's number he answered irritation dripping from his voice are you calling to complain about
01:49the camp again no one would dare lay a finger on a coleman child stop with the drama i just
01:56sent them
01:56there to learn some discipline do you have to keep calling me sophie you discuss me i didn't say a
02:03word
02:03james hung up on the other end the phone was on speaker every word landed clearly in kathleen's ears
02:10her face turned ash and her lips trembled for a long moment as if she no longer knew how to
02:15console me
02:16i tried to force a smile but tears fell in heavy drops please i have nothing let me go i
02:25can't take
02:26this anymore just as kathleen was about to speak two police officers approached us are you the family of
02:33the deceased the individuals responsible for the camp have been detained we need your cooperation
02:39with the investigation at the police station i saw the men who had come to take my daughters
02:45i lost all control screaming and sobbing i lunged at them you monsters you're all monsters they were
02:54only five how could you how dare you the officers quickly pulled me back kathleen wrapped her arms around
03:02my shaking body sophie don't it's okay the police will handle this fairly with the coleman name behind
03:11us they won't get away with it perhaps frightened by my frenzy the men shrank into a corner one of
03:18them
03:19muttering should have taught your kids better yourself that's just how we run the camp no discipline no
03:26results who knew your girls were so fragile what bad luck my hand trembled as i pointed at them rage
03:34threatened to tear me apart i wanted to rip them to pieces a metallic taste rose in my throat i
03:41coughed
03:41violently vomiting a mouthful of blood before darkness swallowed me i woke up in the coleman family estate
03:48kathleen sat by my bed her eyes red-rimmed sophie you're awake don't worry we've handled things with
03:56the police we won't let those monsters get away this time i stared emptily at the ceiling please let
04:04me go i have nothing deep down i knew those monsters at the camp were guilty but the root cause
04:09was james
04:10he was the one who sent our daughters to that hell the real culprit wasn't those men it was their
04:15own
04:16father james kathleen's shoulders shook then as if making a decision she spoke softly all right i'll talk
04:23to grandfather watching her leave i finally broke down sobbing as if to cry out all the grievances of
04:30these years i came to the coleman household when i was eight the same age as james the elder mr
04:37coleman
04:37and my grandfather were comrades in arms grandfather had saved mr coleman's life on the battlefield theirs
04:43was a bond forged in life and death my parents died in an accident shortly after i was born i
04:49was
04:49raised by my grandfather until he passed away when i was eight then mr coleman took me in over the
04:55years
04:56mr coleman and kathleen treated me exceptionally well they truly saw me as family as one of their own
05:02that's why for seven years of marriage no matter how awful james was i stayed i bore his children
05:08managed his home i thought even without love having my two precious girls would give my life meaning
05:14but now i had nothing i don't know how much time passed before kathleen returned grandfather wants
05:21to see you the elder mr coleman sat in a wooden chair by his bed his eyes held deep sorrow
05:28when he looked at
05:29me you're a good girl i've heard everything from kathleen you've suffered all these years the girls will be
05:37cremated tomorrow after that you can leave if you wish that boy doesn't deserve you he shouldn't hold
05:45you back any longer i didn't speak i simply bowed deeply to him tears fell onto the wooden floor as
05:53i
05:53bent over i was grateful grateful for over 20 years of care from the coleman family but i could never
06:01forgive
06:01james never forgive the executioner who killed my children when i returned to my room james was
06:09already there he looked at me with scorn what couldn't wait to run to grandfather and tattle sophie
06:17do you really think pleasing my grandfather and sister will make me settle down with you the sight of him
06:23flooded me with hatred i wanted to kill him right then sent him to hell but then i heard my
06:30daughter's
06:31soft sweet voices in my mind mommy i love daddy so much daddy is the handsomest daddy in our
06:40kindergarten mommy we miss daddy will daddy come play with us today we love mommy the most in the whole
06:48world and daddy's second even when i rushed into the camp to save them their last words before losing
06:56consciousness were mommy please don't fight with daddy because of us it's our fault we weren't good i took
07:03a deep breath ignored james and walked straight to the bed to sit down my silence seemed to anger him
07:12he grabbed me flung me onto the bed and pinned my wrists above my head what game are you playing
07:20now
07:20didn't you have kathleen call me back he leaned down trying to kiss me unable to break free i bit
07:29his lip hard james recoiled in pain letting go and sitting up sophie are you insane you make me sick
07:38with this innocent act is this how you've got grandfather wrapped around your finger you force
07:43me back then play hard to get pathetic it's because of your phony attitude that the girls turned out
07:50i bit my lower lip until i tasted blood then interrupted him softly the girls are dead james stiffened
07:59then let out a scoff sophie you'll really say anything just because you found out about emily's
08:05pregnancy today you'd go this far with your lies with that he got up and headed for the door he
08:13paused
08:13at the threshold you're the one who pushed me away don't go crying to grandfather about me neglecting you
08:20it only makes me despise you more after james left the room fell silent i rushed to the bathroom and
08:28brushed my teeth violently trying to erase any trace of him from my lips james and i were
08:35once in love on the day of my debutante ball 18 year old james stood before me his ears bright
08:43red
08:43sophie i want to be good to you i don't want to just be your brother his cheeks were flushed
08:50but the
08:51determination in his eyes was captivating my heart melted completely four years after james treated me
08:59like a treasure and i gave him all my love in return then when we were 22 the elder mr
09:07coleman called
09:08us to him you're both of marrying age now sophie your grandfather saved my life i wouldn't feel at
09:16ease seeing you marry into another family what do you think of james here from that day on james's
09:24attitude toward me changed drastically all that tender love seemed to vanish overnight i didn't
09:31understand what happened james never gave me a reason a year into our marriage i got pregnant after that
09:40james was almost never home openly flaunting his relationship with his beloved i confronted him
09:49fought with him but james would just look at me coldly as if i were a mad woman you got
09:55what you
09:56wanted you're a coleman wife you've born coleman children what more are you fussing about stop
10:02pretending to be the victim in front of me it's disgusting so i stopped asking for reasons i focused on
10:10raising my two girls i accepted it james didn't love me and he didn't love our children but luckily my
10:19daughters were sweet and well behaved i always thought watching them grow up would be enough
10:25happiness for me now i'd lost them too early the next morning after the cremation and burial i stood
10:35outside the funeral home holding two small urns they were so tiny when they were born lying quietly in
10:43my arms how after five years could they be even smaller and lighter my eyes stung but i bit my
10:53lip
10:53refusing to let the tears fall kathleen watched me with concern if it hurts just cry don't hold it in
11:03i didn't answer her instead i looked at the elder mr coleman who was about to get into the car
11:10for the
11:11cemetery grandfather the girls won't be buried in the coleman family plot i'm changing their last names
11:19they aren't coleman children they're my daughters sophie's daughters the old man looked at me deeply
11:26then erupted in fury where is that ungrateful son of mine on a day like today where has he disappeared
11:34to kathleen glanced at me nervously and whispered his phone is off we can't reach him mr coleman shut
11:43his eyes tightly when he opened them his gaze was clear they are yours born from your pain do as
11:50you see
11:51fits i fell to my knees before him and cowdowed three times the debt of raising me was immense
11:57but that debt had nothing to do with my children i couldn't let them suffer any more indignity even in
12:03death after grandfather left by car kathleen gently helped me up sis sophie i gave her a faint smile
12:13hailed a taxi and headed straight home the two urns in my arms i needed to pack the girls things
12:19too
12:20but that house wasn't a home i wouldn't leave them in that cold place but as soon as i opened
12:25the door
12:25the sounds of passion reached my ears oh stop i'm pregnant the doctor said we shouldn't a man's voice
12:35rough with desire i'll be gentle it's fine i'd never hurt our baby soon the sounds of their intimacy
12:44filled the house they were in the bedroom i couldn't go into packed i just stood frozen by the door
12:50torturing myself by listening to the obscene noises i don't know how long it was before they finally
12:56emerged the moment emily saw me triumph flashed in her eyes oh sophie you're back why didn't you say
13:05anything we had no idea it's all james's fault i told him not to but he insisted what could i
13:14do
13:15james stood beside emily his arm around her waist no need to explain to her she's nobody come on let's
13:23go we have a doctor's appointment for the checkup our baby needs to be healthy and safe from start to
13:29finish james didn't look at me once his eyes were only for emily i stepped aside calmly making way for
13:36them and as they passed james finally noticed the urns in my arms what's that garbage it looks filthy
13:43throw it out with that he walked out with emily arm in arm i looked down blankly at the urns
13:49daddy wasn't talking about you don't be sad your mommy's treasures you're not garbage
13:59after carefully setting down the urns i began packing the girl's belongings dot clothes dot
14:04toys dot dishes dot crayons at the small desk in their room i found a family photo but it only
14:10showed
14:11me and the girls not james dem why hand shook as i took the picture out of its frame the
14:16girls had
14:17drawn a man beside us in crayon i and their clumsy handwriting they had written three words daddy loves
14:23mommy followed by a tiny heart i couldn't hold back any longer clutching the photo i wept bitterly
14:29i in the five years i raised them alone no matter what happened between james and me i never spoke
14:35ill
14:36of him to our daughters but children are perceptive they could see clearly that daddy didn't love mommy
14:41at by nightfall i had finally packed everything i watched the movers load the boxes onto the truck
14:48anything else mrs dot coman i shook my head then went back inside and placed the signed divorce papers
14:56on the coffee table leaving the house i held the two urns tightly a strange sense of peace settled over
15:04me
15:05after a moment of silence i took out my phone's sim card snapped it in half and tossed it out
15:13the car
15:14window meanwhile at saint mary's hospital the elder mr coleman and kathleen having gotten word arrived
15:24and intercepted james and emily during their checkup seeing them james's face instantly darkened can't
15:32sophie be any more disgusting playing the quiet forgiving wife at home then calling you to chase us down at
15:40the
15:40hospital before he could finish the old man slapped him hard across the face you heartless wretch you
15:48killed your own children and you have the nerve to bring your mistress here for a checkup how did our
15:55family produce such a monster james staggered almost losing his balance what what are you talking about
16:03emily had shrunk behind james the moment she saw them but kathleen was faster she grabbed a handful
16:09of emily's hair you shameless how dare you hide do you know how old my nieces were five what terrible
16:20crime did they commit that you couldn't tolerate them how could you be so cruel are you even human
16:29emily cried out in pain as she felt james helped her up glaring at his sister what are you doing
16:36she's pregnant what if something happens to the baby fine you want to know what happened i just took emily
16:43home that day and the girls started screaming for her to get out is that any way for children to
16:49treat
16:50a guest i'm their father what's wrong with sending them somewhere more suitable can't i discipline my own
16:56children all right fine if you're so against it i'll bring them back from the camp you don't have to
17:03help
17:04sophie lie to me saying the girls are dead how can you even say that the old man couldn't take
17:10it
17:10anymore dot he began slapping james relentlessly she's a mistress what kind of guest is that you fool
17:19you brought your mistress home and the girls were protecting their mother what's wrong with that
17:25that's true coleman spirit james not daring to hit back against his elderly grandfather could only duck
17:34and dodge stop it people are watching have some respect the old man looked at james with heartbreak
17:42as if he didn't recognize his own grandson if i'd known you'd become this kind of cold-hearted beast
17:49i never would have let sophie marry you then she wouldn't have suffered all these years and my
17:55granddaughters wouldn't be dead tears streamed down the old man's wrinkled face how you've treated sophie
18:03how will i ever face her grandfather in the afterlife she was his only treasure his mind flashed to the
18:10image of sophie earlier that day kneeling before him she had cradled the two small urns her frail body
18:18trembling but her voice was steel maybe it's for the best leaving is for the best then she won't
18:24have to suffer this humiliation anymore i'm the one who held her back the old man couldn't bear to look
18:30at james any longer he turned to leave don't bother coming home the coleman family has no room for an
18:37ungrateful beast like you seeing his grandfather's serious expression james began to shake uncontrollably
18:45clinging to a sliver of hope he looked at kathleen tell me what is grandfather saying are you all lying
18:54to me is this some conspiracy kathleen took a deep breath remembering the nearly broken woman at the
19:01police station and tears fell from her eyes you sent them to that place that camp only knows punishment
19:09they tied the girls to chairs beat them with belts electrocuted them with batons starved them denied them
19:20water by the time we got there it was too late james the girls are gone sophie is gone the
19:32freedom and
19:33happiness you wanted to chase no one is standing in your way now without another glance at james
19:40she turned and followed their grandfather james's mind buzzed instinctively he moved to chase after
19:49them but emily grabbed his arm james where are you going james turned extreme panic had stripped him of
19:58reason i need to find my girls i need to find sophie didn't you hear gone they're gone emily was
20:07startled
20:07by his outburst but instinct told her not to let him leave james i'm pregnant remember we're going to
20:17have our own baby soon you didn't love them you didn't love them isn't this perfect now
20:25we can finally be together openly we before she could finish james violently shook off her hand who
20:35do you think you are you're not fit to even mention them caught off guard emily was thrown to the
20:42ground
20:42james didn't spare her a glance that he turned to leave emily clutched her stomach crying out in pain
20:50james my tummy it hurts so much but through her blurry vision she only saw james's figure growing
21:00smaller and smaller the man who used to fret over her slightest frown now walked away ignoring her
21:07desperate calls james drove straight home stepping inside he froze the house was empty devoid of all life
21:16i in that moment it hit him sophie was really gone stumbling james opened every door master bedroom
21:25guest room study walk-in closet finally the children's room there his legs gave way and he collapsed to the
21:34floor now he understood now he knew that that's why sophie's eyes last night were filled with such
21:40disappointment and hatred suddenly he remembered when he left the house today sophie was holding two
21:48dull colored boxes those were those were the girl's ashes and what had he said what's that garbage it
21:56looks filthy throw it out an invisible hand seemed to tighten around james's throat that he couldn't breathe
22:03a memory surfaced the girl's fifth birthday under grandfather's pressure he had for once taken them
22:12to the amusement park with sophie his younger daughter had stood shyly before him looking up daddy you're not
22:21busy with work today i'm so happy thank you for spending my birthday with me his older daughter had
22:29cautiously taken his hand daddy thank you for being with us mommy was right daddy is the best daddy in
22:39the whole world james fell forward clutching his chest gasping for air they they were so good yet on the
22:48day he put them in the car for the camp what had he said disgusting brats is this how your
22:55mother
22:55taught you to treat guests just as classless is her tears streamed down james's face hitting the floor
23:03through his blurred vision he saw a photograph on the floor dot he scrambled over on hands and knees
23:11picking it up with trembling fingers it was a photo of sophie and the girls next to them drawn in
23:18crayon
23:18was a stick figure above it in wobbly letters daddy all his emotions finally found an outlet james sobbed
23:27uncontrollably except for this one photo sophie had left nothing behind she hated him she left him no
23:34memento james pulled out his phone frantically dialing sophie's number over and over but no matter how many
23:41times he called all he heard was the automated message the subscriber you have dialed his power
23:47off his heart felt like it was plummeting into a bottomless abyss sinking deeper until all sound ceased
23:54only then did james realize all these years sophie had always been within his sight whenever he looked up
24:02she was there with their daughters she had never for a moment been truly lost to him
24:09but now she was done waiting so she left and he would never find her again from their first meeting
24:17at 8 to now 21 years it was always sophie who accommodated him the it was him he was the
24:24one
24:24who kept failing her who ultimately killed their children james couldn't bear to think further
24:29that he wiped his tears harshly staggered to his feet left the house and drove straight to the family
24:37estate the atv estate kathleen and the old man sat silently in the vast living room holding the
24:44girl's baby photos tears in their eyes seeing james kathleen's voice was sharp weren't you told not to
24:53come back what are you doing here get out james ignored her dot he knelt directly before his grandfather
25:02his voice hoarse grandfather please tell me where sophie is the old man acted as if he hadn't heard
25:10continuing to gently wipe the photo frame a tender smile on his face kathleen couldn't stand it
25:17she slapped james hard what right do you have to ask about sophie how many times have i tried to
25:24talk to
25:25you over the years if i were sophie i'd want to kill you james was her brother seeing him like
25:33this
25:34pained her but for seven years she had pleaded with james to treat sophie better not he never listened
25:41instead blaming everything on sophie blaming her for tatling for using the family to pressure him
25:48she had even confronted emily but emily would just run to james she still remembered the time james
25:55exploded if you bother emily again i'll never come home you all adore sophie so much fine i'll let her
26:04live like a widow forever kathleen's tears fell she couldn't forgive james and she couldn't forgive
26:10herself those girls were so sweet always following her calling auntie kathleen auntie kathleen
26:20always saving treats or toys for her james endured the slap scrambling to explain i didn't mean to
26:28i really didn't i just thought the girls were being bad i wanted to teach them a lesson kathleen
26:35grabbed a cup from the side table and hurled it it struck james's forehead opening a gash blood dripped
26:43down you didn't mean to how dare you say that search your heart were those girls really bad for five
26:53years
26:54sophie raised them alone can you honestly say she didn't raise them well were you punishing the girls
27:04or were you punishing sophie what did sophie ever do wrong blood covered his face but james seemed not
27:12to feel it i didn't mean to treat her badly i just i just didn't want to live a life
27:19controlled by all of
27:20you i'm the only man in the coleman family since i was a child you've managed everything i need
27:27permission for every little thing even my marriage even my marriage was arranged sophie's grandfather
27:33saved grandfather so i became the repayment token i had to marry sophie by the end james was sobbing too
27:42hard to speak the old man let out a cold laugh looking at james as if at a stranger we
27:50arranged
27:50it we forced you to repay a debt in my eyes you were never good enough for sophie it was
27:57you who
27:57confessed to her you who pursued her first i merely agreed to the marriage it was your own choice
28:05how did it become our arrangement james you are no true coleman you have no backbone
28:13even now you're still trying to shift blame james froze then slowly he crumpled to the floor weeping
28:23bitterly he was right he had fallen for sophie first he had pursued her so why did everything change
28:32once grandfather and kathleen got involved it was true dot he resented it dot he hated his controlled life
28:40he hated that even his marriage felt like a transaction for his grandfather's debt
28:44but there were so many ways he could have rebelled why did he choose to rebel through his marriage
28:52james crawled on hands and knees to his grandfather's feet kowtowing between sobs i was wrong
29:00i know i was wrong please grandfather i'm begging you tell me where sophie is please the old man didn't
29:09look at him dot he stood swaying slightly and headed upstairs sophie doesn't want to see you james
29:17stopped mid kowdow no one knew what he was thinking after a long while james stumbled to his feet
29:25mumbling i'll find her myself i will find her i knew nothing of the chaos in the coleman family
29:32after leaving i took my girls to florida they hated the cold so i chose florida a place where it
29:42never
29:42snows the month since leaving had brought me an unprecedented peace today as i was cleaning the
29:49girls photos a frantic knocking came at the door i opened it to find a familiar figure kneeling
29:56sophie i've come to take you and our babies home i didn't want to engage i tried to shut the
30:03door
30:04but james shoved his hand against the frame stopping it please sophie just let me talk to you i paused
30:13james go away i have nothing to say to you seeing me respond james straightened up on his knees
30:22i'm not leaving not unless you come with me i haven't signed the divorce papers you're still my
30:29wife let's go home together i looked down at the man kneeling before me go home for what to watch
30:37you
30:37and emily in our bed to see you sweat over her or should i go back to be emily's maid
30:45help her through
30:46her pregnancy isn't she pregnant james flinched rushing to deny it no it's not like that i made emily
30:55terminate the pregnancy i ended things with her i'll be good to you from now on i i let out
31:02a scornful
31:03laugh so what she got rid of a fetus and suddenly your betrayal never happened the harm you did to
31:13our
31:13girls never happened she destroys an unborn embryo and that brings my children back if you felt even
31:22a shred of guilt for me and the girls you wouldn't be here bothering me today james's face went deathly
31:29pale his lips moved but no sound came out my tears fell heavily james you killed my children what makes
31:39you think i'd ever go back with you my tears landed on his hand he jerked back as if burned
31:46no zophie
31:48listen to me i really didn't mean it they were my daughters how could i ever want to hurt them
31:54what
31:54happened was an accident i swear i didn't mean i'd heard enough enough they were not your children
32:03james every word out of your mouth makes me sick you didn't know you didn't mean to
32:11will those words bring my babies back how dare you come here asking for forgiveness james's eyes were
32:20bloodshot after a long silence he whispered i'm sorry his apology made me laugh bitterly and james looked up
32:31a flicker of hope in his eyes sophie i was confused before i was stubborn felt like i was just
32:40a tool for
32:41repaying a debt that's why i did those terrible things i know i was wrong now i'll treat you right
32:48i promise please sophie forgive me once give me one chance we're still young we can have more children
32:58i couldn't take it anymore i slapped him hard across the face even now you're trampling on my feelings
33:08you resented the family's control there were so many things you could have rebelled against
33:15why choose our marriage james did you think i was just that easy to bully
33:22tears streamed down james's face he was speechless i tried to smile but tears fell anyway james if you're
33:33truly sorry then let me go let our children go without another look at him i slammed the door shut
33:43i don't know when james left the next morning when i opened the door no one was there only the
33:51divorce
33:52papers lay on the doorstep in the end james had signed them once the divorce was finalized i returned to
34:01handle the formalities after getting the certificate kathleen and i sat in a cafe an awkward silence between us
34:11from kathleen i learned what had happened since the behavior correction camp had been shut down by
34:18authorities hundreds of students were rescued those responsible were convicted after returning from
34:26florida james stopped going to work he stayed home drowning himself in alcohol he was found passed out at
34:35home kathleen forced him to the hospital the doctors said he had severe psychological issues requiring
34:42long-term treatment emily after terminating the pregnancy had caused a scene at the estate but the elder
34:51mr coleman a decisive man all his life wasn't one to be manipulated emily had benefited greatly from her
35:00connection to james over the years the old man produced evidence of embezzlement from the company
35:06and had emily sent to prison after sharing this kathleen looked at me carefully my brother his mental state is
35:17very poor now would you consider before she could finish i shook my head know that he and i
35:28we can't meet peacefully anymore kathleen sighed deeply grandfather actually told me not to come today
35:36he said not seeing you might be better for you now i insisted no matter what
35:43i want you to know that grandfather and i still see you as family i just hope you don't hate
35:51my brother
35:51i smiled but didn't answer my thoughts drifted back to james at 18 the young man standing before me
36:01cheeks flushed saying sophie i want to be good to you i don't want to just be your brother i
36:09don't
36:10know if james meant it that day i only know that i did i didn't answer kathleen's question i lifted
36:18my
36:18coffee cup drained it picked up my bag and left the cafe i couldn't promise her that because i would
36:26never forgive james
36:28you
36:33you
36:33you
36:33you
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