- 17 hours ago
Real Mother Fake Mother
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My real and fake mom. His handwriting was crooked and uneven. The fake mom takes care of me and dad.
00:06She's like a free housekeeper. The real mom works far away, but she's the one who truly loves me and
00:11dad.
00:12I couldn't continue the reading, as my fingers failed to turn the page.
00:16William Jones, my dear husband, had just stepped out of the bathroom.
00:20He was wrapped in a towel like usual and hugged me from behind.
00:23What did he write?
00:25And the next second, his smile froze awkwardly when he saw the words.
00:28His voice also tightened as he reached for the notebook.
00:31I didn't let go.
00:33You won't take a kid's word seriously, will you?
00:35The teacher's just overreacting.
00:37I turned my head and looked at the man I had loved for 10 years.
00:41Suddenly, he seemed completely unfamiliar to me.
00:44I could hear Rob watching his cartoons in the living room.
00:47If I was the fake mom in his essay, then who was the real one?
00:51And if Rob was not the one I gave birth to, then where had my real child been for all
00:55these years?
01:00Jennifer, what are you staring at?
01:02It's our 10th wedding anniversary today.
01:05So, what's for this year?
01:07His tone went casual again.
01:08His look was soft and easy, and I'd rather not have noticed how skillfully he steered the conversation.
01:13I stayed silent for a long moment before taking the small box out from my bag and giving it to
01:18him.
01:18He opened it with delight, a limited edition watch he had been eyeing for months.
01:22This is beautiful! You've got great taste, honey!
01:25He kissed my cheek.
01:27Will you help me?
01:27He stretched out his arm.
01:29I reached out and fastened the watch onto his wrist.
01:3110 years of marriage.
01:33I had never forgotten preparing gifts for him on special days.
01:36And yet, he rarely did the same for me.
01:39I found excuses for him that he wasn't expressive in nature.
01:42But then there was Rob's essay.
01:44Dad loves giving gifts to the real mom the most because, he says,
01:47the process of preparing a gift is more meaningful than the gift itself.
01:50The innocent words stabbed straight into my heart like a knife, cutting my flesh into pieces.
01:55So it wasn't that he couldn't express himself.
01:57It was that all his care had never been for me.
02:01William.
02:01I struggled to speak, choosing my words carefully.
02:04Is there anything you want to tell me?
02:09He was only six.
02:10He doesn't even know what he's saying himself.
02:12I wanted to say more, but he had already turned back toward the bedroom.
02:15For the first time in 10 years,
02:17his indifferent look finally made me realize we had never truly been close to each other.
02:21Late at night, he slept soundly beside me.
02:24But the words in that essay,
02:25William's awkward smile,
02:27all those images just kept replaying in my mind and taking away my sleep.
02:30I rose quietly and stepped out of the bedroom.
02:33I saw light at the end of the hallway.
02:35Turned out the door to William's study was slightly ajar.
02:37He hated it when I went in uninvited,
02:39and I respected that for all the time.
02:41But tonight, something compelled me to open the door.
02:44I searched every corner, hoping for a clue, but found nothing.
02:48And my eyes eventually landed on the photo that was placed in the center of his desk.
02:52It was three of us, a happy family that everyone envies.
02:55William held Rob on his shoulders, and I leaned on his side,
02:59smiling as if I got everything I wanted for life.
03:02Love seemed to have truly existed, and no one would doubt it.
03:05I ran my fingers over the faces of my husband and kid.
03:08Maybe I was overthinking.
03:10Maybe I should not let a six-year-old's word shake my trust in the man that I had shared
03:13ten years with.
03:14Guilt and self-reproach flooded me.
03:16I sighed and was about to set the frame back in place.
03:19Somehow I noticed that the frame space was slightly loose,
03:22so I reached out but the whole frame just slipped away from my fingers.
03:25Crash!
03:26The frame fell to the floor.
03:27I wanted to pick it up, but I just froze mid-motion.
03:30As I found out the back of the frame was not some sort of blank board, but a photo.
03:34In the picture, William was standing in the sunlight, his face young and enchanting.
03:38In his arms, it was a girl in a white dress.
03:41I held my breath, but my body was still trembling.
03:44I couldn't remember how I managed to turn the photo over,
03:47and it took me no effort to recognize Williams' handwriting at a glance.
03:50Dear Sarah, my dearest Sarah Anderson,
03:53no matter who I marry, my heart will always belong to you.
03:57How pathetic.
03:58What stunned my eyes the most was actually the day he left in the corner.
04:01This was written on the very day before our wedding.
04:06The next morning, after dropping Rob off at school,
04:09I didn't head to the office like I usually did.
04:11Instead, I drove to the nearest mobile service hall.
04:14I tried so hard to keep my voice as steady as possible when talking to the clerk.
04:18Could you help me check my family phone bills over the past few months?
04:21He worked quickly and soon pulled up the call records from the last six months.
04:25One number immediately stood out.
04:27It appeared far too often and was always coming in from a neighboring town.
04:31Most of the calls were made late at night,
04:34lasting anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour.
04:37I wrote down the number quietly and left.
04:39That evening, William left his phone charging on the nightstand and went to shower.
04:43The screen was locked, so I entered the password we used to share.
04:47Incorrect.
04:48Then I tried his birthday.
04:49Our anniversary.
04:51A series of numbers tied to memories only we were supposed to know.
04:54Every attempt failed,
04:55and I couldn't tell how ironic it was when I laid my last hope on the eye-watering date
04:59written on the back of that photo.
05:01Access granted.
05:02My heart sank.
05:03I searched through his call history.
05:05The number wasn't saved in his contacts.
05:07Instead, I found it on his blocked list.
05:10A blocked number, with such frequent call records?
05:13There was only one explanation.
05:16He would block the number from time to time after they contacted each other.
05:19A chill crept up my spine.
05:21I went through his social media, looking for more traces.
05:24When I entered the number into the search bar, an account popped up.
05:28I finally got it.
05:30In the picture over the top, I saw three figures of sunset.
05:33A couple with a kid, holding each other's hands so tightly.
05:37And the man's silhouette looked hauntingly familiar.
05:40Too familiar that I could straightforwardly call his name.
05:43I put the phone back and called my assistant, Susan.
05:46Susan, help me check a number.
05:48As soon as possible.
05:53After hanging up, I walked silently into Rob's room.
05:57He was sleeping soundly.
05:58William used to say our son looked just like me.
06:01But now, as I studied him carefully, his eyes, his nose, I couldn't find a single feature that resembled mine.
06:08The pain dug deeper and deeper, never giving me a moment's relief.
06:11A few days later, the school scheduled a full physical checkup for the students.
06:15I went to the hospital with Rob myself.
06:17After all the examinations were done, I plucked a few strands of his hair and sealed them carefully in a
06:22plastic bag.
06:23That afternoon, I sent the sample, along with my own, to a testing agency.
06:27The results would not be back until a week later.
06:30And all I could do was anxiously wait while enduring William's more and more frequent late returns, which he claimed
06:35were made to see friends.
06:36Before leaving, he'd linger in front of the mirror, fixing his hair with excessive care.
06:40One night, after he left, I followed him.
06:43My car trailed us across half the city until he finally stopped at a hot spring resort on the outskirts.
06:48As William stepped out of the car, a woman in a long dress was already waiting for him.
06:52I recognized her instantly.
06:53She was the woman from the photo.
06:55William took her handbag as if he had done it a thousand times before, and his arm wrapped around her
07:00waist with practiced ease.
07:01He leaned down and whispered something into her ear.
07:04Her face flushed instantly, read all the way to her ears.
07:06After a few more murmured words, the two pressed close to each other and walked into the resort together.
07:11I stayed in my car.
07:13The heater was on full blast.
07:15Yet I felt cold to the bone.
07:16Just then, my phone buzzed.
07:18An email from the testing agency.
07:20My hands shook so badly that I could barely hold the phone.
07:23I opened the attachment and flipped straight to the last page.
07:29Based on DNA testing, Jennifer Jones is excluded as the biological mother of Rob Jones.
07:34Before this, I had never imagined a short sentence to be a blade dipped in poison.
07:38And at that moment, I could clearly feel how it sliced and tortured me again and again as my eyes
07:43fixed on the page.
07:44The child I had raised for six years, loved with every fiber of my being, had no blood relation to
07:48me at all.
07:49And then I could see the woman's face overlap with Rob's features.
07:52The resemblance was terrifying, so strong it made my stomach churn.
07:55But I remembered clearly, six years ago, I had specifically arranged a DNA test after Rob's birth because the maternity
08:01hospital had gone through some chaotic situations, and he was protected by tight security.
08:05The results had been clear, the baby was ours, so why?
08:09Six years later, my son had become someone else's child, and the baby I carried for 10 months, the one
08:15I gave birth to.
08:16Where was he then?
08:17I called my assistant again.
08:19Two things.
08:20First, find out the relationship between Sarah Anderson and Rob.
08:24Second, no matter the cost, find my son.
08:28There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.
08:30Understood.
08:31I'll do it right away.
08:32I went on with my life as usual, just like the whole thing had never happened.
08:36I could even face William with a smile.
08:39The only difference was that I no longer responded to his hugs.
08:42And at night, I stopped staying in the bedroom with him.
08:45When he asked, I told him my work had become overwhelming and that I didn't want to disturb his sleep
08:50in the middle of the night.
08:51His gaze flickered for a moment, but he didn't press the issue.
08:54A week later, Susan placed a sealed document envelope on my desk.
08:58We obtained Sarah Anderson's DNA sample through special channels.
09:04A week later, Susan placed a sealed document envelope on my desk.
09:09Sarah Anderson's DNA sample through special channels.
09:12We compared it with Rob's sample.
09:13My fingers tightened.
09:14The results show that the two are biologically related.
09:18Mother and son.
09:19Even though I had prepared myself for this, my legs still gave out.
09:23I had to grip the edge of the desk to keep from collapsing.
09:26Six years.
09:27The child I had poured all my love into for six years carried the blood of another woman.
09:32We went through all the records of your delivery that year.
09:34Sarah Anderson actually gave birth on the same day as you.
09:38She checked in alone.
09:39And under emergency contact, she wrote,
09:42William Jones.
09:44What about her baby?
09:46I demanded.
09:47Susan looked down at the file.
09:49According to the records, it seemed like there were complications during delivery.
09:53Her newborn was declared deceased three days after birth.
09:57It felt like a puzzle with only a few pieces left.
10:00One final step before the truth was complete.
10:02Keep digging.
10:03I want every detail about that baby.
10:06Yes.
10:07Susan moved quickly.
10:09Indeed, my assistant never let me down.
10:12It didn't take her too long to track down an elderly nurse who had once worked in the obstetrics department
10:16back then.
10:17Susan met the nurse quite soon.
10:19This old lady was nervous and a bit afraid.
10:21She would glance around every time before lowering her voice and speaking.
10:25Those two women were sent into the delivery room almost back to back that night.
10:30But Miss Anderson, she had bad luck.
10:33She took an incredibly long time in labor and the child supposedly didn't make it.
10:37She paused a while, taking the cash out from the envelope that Susan handed her.
10:41She started counting while keeping on, as if it was the only way to suit her mind.
10:46But that's just what we told Outsliders.
10:48Good enough to fool most people.
10:50But I saw it with my own eyes.
10:53Miss Anderson swapped the babies herself.
10:59The child never died.
11:01The whole thing was a lie.
11:03With that, she stuffed the envelope into her bag and hurried away.
11:07Susan and I stood there, frozen, as if the cold had seeped into our bones.
11:11When I spoke again, my voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
11:14No matter what it takes, find my son.
11:17Days later, all the leads finally converged on a remote welfare institute in a neighboring town.
11:22We got a name.
11:23His admission date matched.
11:25His age matched.
11:26I couldn't wait any longer.
11:28So I drove hundreds of miles alone.
11:30Following the address Susan gave me, the afternoon sun bathed the orphanage courtyard in warm light.
11:35Children were running and laughing in small groups.
11:37My eyes searched desperately, scanning every face.
11:41Finally, I saw him.
11:42I knew it was him.
11:44In a corner far from the crowd, a small figure sat curled up alone.
11:47His little hands were bluish from the cold, his clothes thin and worn.
11:51A teacher noticed my gaze and sighed softly.
11:53That's Charlie.
11:54He was brought here six years ago, covered in injuries.
11:58Hardly speaks.
11:59He's afraid of people.
12:01No one knows what he has been through.
12:02My heartbeat stopped.
12:04I recognized him.
12:06Even though we were this far from each other, I still recognized him.
12:09That face, so unmistakably similar to mine.
12:12He was my child.
12:13What was I doing when he needed his mother the most?
12:16I was giving all my love to someone else's child.
12:19The pain swallowed me whole.
12:20I bit down hard, my nails digging deep into my palms.
12:24William Jones.
12:25Sarah Anderson.
12:26You stole my life and took away my kid.
12:28I heard a voice screaming in my head.
12:30I will make you pay for everything you took from me over these six years, a hundredfold,
12:35a thousandfold.
12:39After returning from the orphanage, I locked myself in my office.
12:42My son got abandoned by his own father, being left outside to suffer for six years.
12:47How should that debt be settled?
12:48I've come up with the perfect plan.
12:50Rob's sixth birthday was approaching.
12:52William suddenly became unusually enthusiastic, insisting on throwing his son the grandest birthday
12:57party.
12:58Rob has never celebrated his birthday formally.
13:01We should invite all the relatives and friends.
13:04Let's make it a rousing and lively one.
13:07His eyes flicked toward me.
13:09Seemed like he really wanted to know how I feel about it.
13:11I knew exactly what he was doing.
13:13He wanted me to say yes so that he could bring someone who never should have appeared on the
13:17guest list.
13:18Then why not take this chance to add some catalyst for them?
13:21I nodded.
13:22William, I think it's time for me to return to the family.
13:26I want to give you a big gift at Rob's birthday party.
13:29I booked the most expensive high-end restaurant in the city.
13:32Time flew by so fast, and Rob's birthday arrived.
13:35He was in his tailored little suit and running excitedly in the room.
13:39Looking at his rosy cheeks, my chest tightened.
13:41Even knowing the truth, the love I had given to him in the past six years couldn't just be
13:45erased overnight.
13:46He ran over to the dessert table and reached for his fifth slice of chocolate cake.
13:50I walked over and gently stopped him.
13:52Too much cake will make your tummy hurt.
13:55He looked up at me, pouted, and suddenly shoved my hand away.
13:58Don't tell me what to do, he shouted.
14:00Daddy said my real mom mom is coming to my birthday today.
14:04I only want my real mom to tell me what to do.
14:11The laughter around us died instantly, and all eyes turned to me.
14:15William hurried over and pulled Rob to his side.
14:18Jennifer, he's kidding.
14:20Don't take it to heart.
14:21Rob's lips trembled, almost on the verge of tears.
14:24At that moment, the door opened, and Sarah Anderson walked in.
14:28Rob immediately shook off William's grip and threw himself into her arms.
14:32Mommy!
14:33Daddy and the fake mom are bullying me!
14:39Sarah bent down and lifted him up, her smile faint as her gaze swept over me.
14:44William stood frozen, his face draining of color.
14:46Jennifer, it's a mistake.
14:48She's just Rob's after-school tutor.
14:52Thankfully, or perhaps truly, the birthday song began at that exact moment.
14:56The staff pushed in the cake cart, candles glowing softly.
15:00William took a deep breath, walked over to Rob and Sarah, and forced his voice to steady.
15:04Alright, sweetheart, it's time to make a wish.
15:07Under everyone's gaze, Rob leaned quietly beside Sarah.
15:10He closed his eyes, clasped his little hands together.
15:13Thanks, everyone, for coming to my son's birthday party.
15:16I'd like to make an announcement.
15:18Starting today, all my shares will be transferred to my husband and son.
15:22William stares at me in shock.
15:25Sarah looks at me with the greedy eyes of a starved wolf.
15:27The moment I signed the share transfer agreement, the real show began even more spectacular than I'd imagined.
15:33Wait!
15:34I have something to announce, too!
15:38Rob is my son!
15:40She holds up a DNA test report and shows it to everyone.
15:44Sarah turns to me.
15:46Thank you for raising my son for eight years.
15:49Now give him back to me.
15:51Right now.
15:56Sorry, babe.
15:59Honey, what did you wish for just now?
16:02I wish I could change my mom.
16:05I want to be with my real mom forever.
16:09Your son, your husband, your fortune, they're all mine now.
16:15William pulls a divorce agreement out of his pocket.
16:18Sign this and get out of our lives right now.
16:21Wait a minute.
16:23Since you've given me such a big surprise, it's only fair I return the favor.
16:30Bring it up.
16:44I was pulled back to reality.
16:47Everything just now was nothing but my fantasy.
16:49Rob closed his eyes, clasped his little hands together.
16:53I wish I could change my mom.
16:55I want to be with my real mom forever.
16:58The words fell like rocks.
17:00The entire room plunged into dead silence.
17:02Everyone was looking at each other with an embarrassed and stunned face,
17:06trying to figure out what happened.
17:07I had never seen William's face turned that pale, ghostly pale.
17:11He laughed awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.
17:14Rob, what are you saying?
17:16Jen, don't be angry.
17:18He's just too excited about this birthday party,
17:20but he begins starting to know, chap, that they never get for bus to city class.
17:23I replied with composure.
17:25I'm not angry.
17:26Then I took out the document bag I had prepared long ago.
17:29I slowly took out the documents inside.
17:31I walked up to Rob and smiled softly.
17:34Rob, mommy will make your wish come true, alright?
17:37The room fell into a deathly silence.
17:39All eyes shifted back and forth between William and me.
17:42No one can even make a sound.
17:44Sarah was still holding Rob's hand,
17:46but I could see a hint of panic on her face.
17:49Rob couldn't understand what was happening.
17:51Only his instinct made him curl closer into Sarah's arms.
17:54William was the first to react.
17:56His voice rose sharply with anger.
17:59Jennifer, what are you talking about?
18:01Rob is our son.
18:02He's just a kid.
18:04Do you really believe in what he said?
18:06People immediately chimed in,
18:08as if I was the crazy one who needed to calm down.
18:11He's right.
18:12Children always say what they like.
18:13Exactly.
18:14You're his mom.
18:16How can you be mad at your own son?
18:17That's too petty.
18:18Is that so?
18:23I turned toward the crowd.
18:25Then let me show you something interesting.
18:28The DNA report began circulating through the room.
18:31No one was foolish enough to miss the meaning of the cold words.
18:34Muted murmurs broke out.
18:36Some of our closest relatives already got embarrassed.
18:39And even our business partners also started to exchange uneasy looks.
18:43William lunged into the crowd,
18:45snatched the report,
18:46and tore it to shreds.
18:47Jennifer, have you had enough?
18:49What exactly are you trying to do with these forged things?
18:52I looked at the man panting in front of me,
18:54and I had never felt so calm in my entire life.
18:57Would you like me to invite the director of the testing center here,
19:00so he can read the results out loud for everyone?
19:04Sarah's expression shifted,
19:05but she quickly regained her composure.
19:08Mrs. Jones,
19:09I don't know where you got these things,
19:11but today is a child's birthday.
19:13Do you really need to put everyone in such an awkward position?
19:16A perfectly polished statement.
19:18She cleaned herself of blame and made me sound like the troublemaker.
19:21But I don't care.
19:23Then I took out the second report.
19:28I believe Miss Anderson knows better than anyone
19:30whether this is a misunderstanding or the truth.
19:33I looked straight at her.
19:35Sarah Anderson.
19:36Or should I call you Rob's biological mother?
19:39That's nonsense!
19:41William suddenly rushed at me,
19:43trying to snatch the document.
19:45I stepped aside,
19:46so he lost his grip and almost fell.
19:48I looked at him,
19:49the man I had loved for 10 years.
19:51His hopeless desperation no longer stirred pain in me,
19:54but only disgust.
19:55I raised the report high and turned to everyone present,
19:59especially the elders.
20:00Uncle Matthew,
20:01you've known me since I was little,
20:03and you also saw Rob's birth.
20:06But you can see,
20:07this report clearly shows that
20:09Rob's biological mother is Mrs. Sarah Anderson.
20:12The elders' faces turned ashen.
20:15Several were so furious that they could barely speak,
20:17fingers trembling as they pointed at William.
20:20William!
20:20This...
20:21This is absurd!
20:23You'd better explain this!
20:24It's not true.
20:27Uncle Matthew,
20:28listen to me.
20:29Jennifer makes up all of these
20:30so she can leave me
20:31and make me the one to blame.
20:33You have to believe me.
20:34I could never do something like this.
20:36Rob is Jennifer's child.
20:38If that's the case,
20:39then let's take a look at this.
20:48What I showed them was the transfer records
20:51that they made in the six years.
20:52All these years,
20:53you gave over 20 million of our fund
20:56to Sarah Anderson
20:57in the name of
20:57maternal educational expenses.
21:00The colossal sums made gasps ripple through the room.
21:02Then the screen changed.
21:04Photos of a suburban hot spring resort appeared.
21:07What kind of baby supplies
21:08or tutoring cost 20 million?
21:10And why would two of you
21:12need to discuss Rob's education
21:13in a hot spring resort?
21:15The image of William holding Sarah
21:16and leaning into whispering her ear
21:18was painfully clear.
21:19The murmurs exploded.
21:21Rob finally sensed something was wrong.
21:23He stood baffled,
21:24eyes wide,
21:25confusion and fear
21:26written across a small face.
21:28He called for his dad.
21:29But William had no time for him.
21:32Then he turned toward me,
21:33eyes reddening.
21:34He cried.
21:35I didn't look at him.
21:37Sarah's expression finally darkened.
21:39She sat Rob down and stepped forward.
21:41Her voice was calm and steady.
21:43Jennifer Jones,
21:44forging evidence and devaming others
21:46carries legal consequences.
21:48William and I are just friends
21:49and we meet occasionally to chat.
21:52Hatred spilled out from her eyes,
21:54but all she showed was a forced smile.
21:56I don't know where you obtain these absurd materials,
21:58nor why you're so determined
22:00to slander our reputations.
22:02But today is your child's birthday.
22:04This is disgraceful.
22:05If there's a misunderstanding,
22:07we can settle it privately.
22:11Her pretty and hypocritical look
22:12really made me laugh out loud.
22:14Let's talk privately.
22:16Privately?
22:17Fine.
22:18And then let's talk about
22:20how the two of us gave birth
22:21on the same day
22:21at the same hospital six years ago.
22:23The baby who was declared dead
22:25shortly after birth.
22:26Sarah Anderson's pupils shrank abruptly
22:28when I mentioned that child.
22:29The color also drained from William's face,
22:31and now he could only stare at me in pure terror.
22:34I asked Susan to go on.
22:35Then she played the recording
22:37of the nurse's testimony,
22:38followed by archived hospital records,
22:40including the admission form
22:41Sarah had filled out years ago.
22:43Williams Jones's name
22:44was still clearly presented
22:45on the emergency contact list.
22:47According to the nurse
22:48who was on duty that night
22:50and the limited records
22:51that still exist,
22:53Mrs. Anderson gave birth
22:54to a baby boy that evening.
22:56The official note stated,
22:58congenital weakness,
22:59resuscitation failed,
23:00deceased.
23:02But what's strange,
23:03I think,
23:03is that there are no detailed
23:05medical explanations
23:06for this so-called death.
23:07No cremation certificate.
23:09No formal death documentation.
23:12A newborn baby boy
23:14just disappeared from a hospital
23:16without a trace.
23:17And almost at the same time,
23:19my son, Rob,
23:21was born healthy.
23:22William,
23:23after Rob was born,
23:24I personally arranged
23:25an expedited DNA test
23:27and had people watch over the process.
23:28The result clearly showed
23:30Rob was my child.
23:32So tell me,
23:33why did the same testing center
23:34produce a completely opposite
23:36collusion six years later?
23:37William stood frozen,
23:39couldn't find his voice.
23:41Unless...
23:41I took a step forward,
23:43stopping right in front of him.
23:45Unless you switch the babies
23:46from the very beginning.
23:48You and Sarah
23:49were already involved back then.
23:51And together,
23:53you collide with the hospital
23:54to carry out
23:55a carefully planned swap.
23:56Nonsense!
23:57I didn't do it!
23:59I would never do that
24:00to my own child!
24:02I sneered at him
24:03and gestured to Susan.
24:04The final image
24:05appeared on the screen.
24:06A photograph of a small boy
24:08crouched in the corner
24:08of an orphanage courtyard
24:09wearing his worn-out clothes.
24:11My little Charlie.
24:12William Jones.
24:13If Rob is your son,
24:15then who is he?
24:16Jennifer.
24:17This child.
24:18His name is Charlie.
24:20Six years ago,
24:21he was abandoned at the gate
24:22of a remote welfare institute
24:23in a neighboring town.
24:25He was covered in injuries,
24:26severely malnourished,
24:28and still unable to speak.
24:30I took out the third DNA report.
24:32But this time,
24:33there was no need
24:33to pass it around.
24:35Anyone with eyes
24:36could see the truth.
24:37Charlie was my son.
24:39We looked far too alike.
24:41No!
24:41William's legs finally gave out.
24:43He collapsed onto the floor.
24:45Every mask he had worn,
24:46every excuse he had clung to,
24:48shattered in front of the photo.
24:50He could deny reports.
24:51He could accuse me
24:52of forging evidence.
24:54But he could not deny that face,
24:56a face uncannily similar to mine,
24:58and even to his own.
24:59Blood calling to blood.
25:00This was the ironclad truth.
25:02No one could fabricate it.
25:04Sarah could no longer
25:06hold her gentle and kind demeanor.
25:08She no longer looked at William.
25:10Her sharp and venomous gaze
25:11fixed on me.
25:12Jennifer Jones.
25:13What exactly do you want?
25:15I looked around the silent room.
25:17I saw shock, anger,
25:18and pity in all those eyes.
25:19Then I spoke,
25:20each word deliberate and clear.
25:22I want you to pay
25:23for every ounce of suffering
25:25my son has endured.
25:27Blood for blood.
25:28I picked up my phone
25:29and called the police.
25:31The room erupted instantly.
25:33Some rushed forward,
25:34trying to talk me out of it.
25:36Some shook their heads and sighed.
25:38Others just couldn't wait
25:39to escape this place
25:40of scandal and ruin.
25:41Sarah lunged toward me,
25:43attempting to stop the call,
25:44but failed to get past
25:45my bodyguards.
25:46William lay collapsed
25:47on the floor,
25:48his eyes unfocused,
25:50but still he muttered
25:50to himself.
25:51No, that's not how it should be.
25:54Sarah, you said it.
25:56You said that as long
25:57as we switched the babies,
25:58as long as I raised Rob for you,
26:00then we could be together forever.
26:02You promised you'd love me
26:04for the rest of my life.
26:05His broken rambling,
26:06uncontrolled, desperate,
26:08unwittingly tore open
26:09the final layer of truth.
26:11Sarah could not maintain
26:12her gesture anymore.
26:13Her voice turned shrill.
26:15William Jones,
26:16are you crazy?
26:17What are you talking about?
26:18But William was already
26:19beyond fear.
26:21He slowly lifted his head
26:22and looked at her
26:23at that unfamiliar,
26:24twisted face.
26:25After all these years,
26:27it was as if he were
26:27seeing her clearly
26:28for the first time.
26:29His terror and despair
26:30that had been buried
26:31for years were finally
26:32exposed all at once.
26:33He burst out laughing
26:35and his tears streaming down.
26:42I'm crazy?
26:44Yes, I am!
26:45Pointing at her
26:46with a shaking hand.
26:48Sarah Anderson,
26:49you were the one
26:50who made Vanden
26:51my own child.
26:54You contact that doctor.
26:56You convinced me
26:57to pay off the nurses
26:58and the DNA testing center.
27:00You said that once Rob
27:02became the heir
27:02of Jennifer Smith's family,
27:04we could use her connections
27:05to climb our way up.
27:08And when the time was right,
27:10we'd leave together.
27:12It's you!
27:15William was on the verge
27:16of a breakdown,
27:17quivering violently
27:18as if foreseeing
27:19the impending judgment.
27:20The room filled with gasps.
27:23Sarah's composed mask
27:24shattered completely.
27:25Her eyes burned
27:26with savage hatred,
27:27as if she wanted
27:28to tear William apart
27:29on the spot.
27:30She smashed the wine glass
27:32beside her,
27:32grabbed a shard,
27:33and charged at him.
27:40William staggered back
27:41as though he'd just heard
27:42the cruelest joke
27:43in the world.
27:44Regret streamed
27:45down his face.
27:46Sarah,
27:47you were the one
27:48who said you wanted
27:49the Smith family's power.
27:50You begged me
27:51to give your son
27:51the chance to be raised
27:53in the Smith family.
27:54Shut up!
27:55Shut up!
27:56She completely lost control,
27:58lunging forward
27:58and slashing the shard
27:59toward his neck.
28:00Just as it was about
28:01to reach his artery,
28:02the bodyguards rushed in
28:03and pinned her down.
28:05William coughed violently,
28:07blood foaming
28:07at the corner of his mouth.
28:09His face turned
28:10deathly pale
28:10as he tried to scream
28:11something at Sarah,
28:12but his vocal cords
28:13were damaged.
28:15No one could understand
28:16him anymore.
28:17He turned toward me,
28:18tears rolling down his face,
28:20and the part of my heart
28:21that once beat for him
28:22was utterly still.
28:23Sarah continued raging,
28:25her eyes bloodshot
28:26as she glared at me.
28:27Jennifer Smith,
28:28you win!
28:29But your son suffered!
28:31Who do you think
28:31is to blame for that?
28:32Blame yourself
28:33for marrying a fool!
28:35Blame your oath
28:35in the blindeds!
28:37I only took advantage
28:38of the situation
28:38and sent my son
28:39into a wealthy family
28:40so he could get
28:41the best education.
28:42What did I do wrong?
28:43Isn't that what any mother
28:44would do for her child?
28:46So,
28:47you think this gives you
28:48the right to switch babies
28:49and abandon mine?
28:52Sarah Anderson,
28:52your love is revolting.
28:55At that moment,
28:56the piercing wail of sirens
28:57stopped downstairs.
28:58Heavy footsteps echoed
28:59rapidly toward the door.
29:01I stood there,
29:02watching a lie
29:02that had been carefully crafted
29:03for 10 years collapse
29:04before my eyes.
29:05The police took William
29:06and Sarah away
29:07for further investigation.
29:09Rob's birthday banquet
29:10ended in chaos.
29:11The scandal spread
29:12through the city
29:13like wildfire.
29:14I left Susan
29:15to handle the aftermath.
29:17As for me,
29:18I got back into my car
29:19and drove straight
29:20to the orphanage.
29:21With the DNA test results,
29:22I could formally complete
29:24the adoption procedures.
29:25When I finally got
29:26to approach the corner
29:27where Charlie had long stayed,
29:28I saw him curled
29:29into himself,
29:30his small body
29:31shaking uncontrollably.
29:33I didn't touch him
29:34but slowly crouched down
29:35in front of him.
29:36Charlie,
29:37don't be afraid.
29:39I'm your mom.
29:41I'm here to take you home.
29:44He didn't respond
29:45but trembled even worse.
29:47I knew that six years
29:48of absence and harm
29:49couldn't be undone overnight.
29:50Healing would take
29:51patience and time.
29:52I let the child care specialist
29:54who came with me
29:55approach him gradually.
29:56After a long while
29:57of gentle coaxing,
29:58he finally allowed
29:59himself to be held.
30:01One of the orphanage teachers
30:02told me that Charlie
30:03loved to draw,
30:04especially the sea.
30:05His paintings were all
30:06about different oceans.
30:08Endless oceans.
30:09So I brought him back
30:10to the city
30:11and bought an apartment
30:12by the coast
30:13just for him.
30:13Just for him.
30:14He loved painting,
30:15so I designed a studio
30:17for him,
30:18which had floor-to-ceiling
30:19windows facing the sea.
30:20There,
30:21I arranged for
30:21child care specialists
30:22and psychologists
30:23to rotate around the clock,
30:25staying with him
30:25at all times.
30:26Meanwhile,
30:27Susan's investigation
30:28made a decisive breakthrough.
30:30Under overwhelming
30:31psychological pressure
30:32and irrefutable evidence,
30:33Sarah Anderson's
30:34defenses collapsed.
30:36She confessed to everything.
30:38After a lengthy trial,
30:39the court delivered
30:40its final verdict.
30:41Sarah Anderson
30:42was sentenced to
30:4310 years in prison
30:44for fraud,
30:45child abandonment,
30:45and multiple
30:46related crimes.
30:47William Jones
30:48received the same sentence,
30:5010 years for fraud
30:51and abandonment.
30:52What awaited them
30:53was a future
30:53without light or end.
30:55After that,
30:56I gave most of my time
30:57to Charlie.
30:58Following the psychologist's
31:00advice,
31:00I slowed everything down,
31:02offering nothing but steady,
31:03consistent companionship.
31:05A few months later,
31:06after settling
31:07all remaining affairs
31:08in the city,
31:09I took Charlie
31:09to a warm,
31:10coastal country far away.
31:12There were no acquaintances there.
31:14No memories of the past.
31:16I gave him a new name,
31:18Charles Smith.
31:19I hoped only one thing for him,
31:21that his life
31:22would be safe and peaceful.
31:23I sold most of my shares
31:24in the company
31:25and established
31:25a family trust fund,
31:27ensuring Charles
31:27would never have to worry
31:28about his future
31:29and that I would have the time
31:30to be there as he grew up.
31:31In the new environment,
31:33Charles slowly began
31:34to lay his guard down.
31:35He started receiving
31:37early education
31:38from a private tutor.
31:39Progress was slow,
31:40but he was finally
31:41willing to try.
31:42And one day,
31:43he began to call me mom.
31:45One evening,
31:46I took him for a walk
31:47by the sea.
31:48The setting sun
31:49dyed the ocean gold and red.
31:50The sea breeze
31:51brushed gently
31:52against Charles's cheeks.
31:53He shook off my hand
31:54and ran ahead,
31:55leaving a trail
31:56of small footprints
31:57in the sand.
31:58Suddenly,
31:59he stopped and bent down,
32:00picking something up.
32:02He turned around
32:02and ran back toward me,
32:04holding a seashell
32:05in his hand,
32:05the sunset glowing
32:06behind him.
32:07His eyes reflected
32:08the golden light
32:09and my silhouette.
32:10I crouched down
32:11and gently touched
32:12his cheek.
32:13I could not tell
32:14how happy I was.
32:15He blinked,
32:16then smiled.
32:17In that moment,
32:18I realized that the wounds
32:19of the past
32:20might never fully fade,
32:21but a new life
32:22had already begun.
32:23The past 10 years
32:24had been a carefully
32:25woven nightmare,
32:26but the future
32:27is promising,
32:28and I would use
32:29all my strength
32:29to give Charles
32:30a perfect life.
32:31The sea breeze
32:32continued to blow,
32:33and the sun slowly
32:34sank beneath the horizon.
32:35I took Charles' hand,
32:37and together,
32:38we walked along the shore
32:39toward our home.
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