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03:37it felt like it went straight through me. Eight years in prison. She never visited me once. Not
03:42one time. And now this was our reunion. She was humbling herself for the same man she once
03:47protected by forcing me to confess. And even now, she was still using money to grind what was left
03:53of my dignity into the dirt. I didn't want to keep arguing with them. Not anymore. So I swallowed
03:57the pain. My hand shook as I pulled a medical report from my pocket. A diagnosis. Severe eardrum
04:03performance. I tried to show it to her. Vanessa didn't even look. She slapped my hand away.
04:07The paper flew out. Are you done yet? You're still waving around some stupid piece of paper?
04:12Isn't money what you want? Iron doesn't have time for this! Jason doesn't have time for this.
04:17Then David charged over. He grabbed my fish table and flipped the whole thing.
04:21Fish crashed to the ground. Ice scattered everywhere. Ethan! You murderer! Get the hell
04:26out! Don't bring your bad luck onto these docks! If you won't save him today, then don't ever think
04:30about coming back here! The crowd joined in at once. People passing by. Everybody. Some even sleep
04:38at me. Get out, murderer! A piece of trash like you deserves to rot in hell. I looked down. The
04:46medical report Vanessa slapped away was lying on the floor. Soaked. Stepped on. And at that moment,
04:51The whole thing felt absurd. All I wanted was to live like a normal person. Quietly. Alone. In some
04:58forgotten corner. That was it. I was even that much to ask. Did they really have to push me
05:03all the way to death? That feeling. Like the whole world was pointing at me. It crushed the last of
05:09my
05:09defenses. I didn't want to stay there one more second. I turned and ran. I don't even know how
05:14I made it back to my rental. I just remember the voices. People on the street yelling after me.
05:18Cursing me. I barely got inside. I hadn't even caught my breath yet. Then my phone started going
05:23insane. Alert after alert. Hashtag the murderer who let his brother drown. Hashtag rich family drama.
05:29The adopted son versus the real one. Desperate heiress. Begs her prisoner. Ex to help. I tapped
05:35one of the alerts. It opened straight into Vanessa's live stream. On camera, my mom Susan sat there
05:40trembling. She was trying to hold back tears. I'm so sorry everyone. We know we're taking up public
05:46attention. But as a mother, I have nowhere else to turn. She covered her mouth and sobbed. It's our fault.
05:52We failed to raise him right. Back then, he killed for gold bars. He robbed people. He took a
05:57life. He served eight years for it. I thought prison would change him. But I was wrong. He's rotten to
06:03the core. Her tears streamed down harder. Now his brother's trapped underwater. His life is hanging
06:08by a thread. Ethan could save him. He could. But he just ran away. Victor held her up like she
06:13might
06:14Collapse. Then he turned to the camera. I'm begging everyone to help us. If anyone can bring Ethan back,
06:19I'll pay seven figures. The comments exploded. They flooded so fast I could barely read them.
06:25Trash like that deserves exposure. I know where he lives. Westside apartments. This kind of garbage
06:31should die. Anyone in Harbor City? Go block him in. Come on, guys. Go teach that freak a lesson.
06:37I stared at the screen. My whole body went numb. Then it happened. A violent pounding hit my door,
06:43Over and over, like they were trying to break it down. I barely had time to react.
06:48My landlord stormed in the first place. Behind him was a crowd of people. Phones up, flashlights on,
06:53Cameras shoved in my face. Oh, look at you. You hit it pretty well. A damn killer living in me
06:57building? They rushed inside like looters. One man smashed my bowls. Another kicked over my pots.
07:05Plates shattered across the floor. Everything I had got torn apart in seconds. I tried to stop them.
07:10Two huge men grabbed me instantly. One slammed my head down. The other locked my arms.
07:14Hold still. Apologize to the camera. Say it now. Tell them you're trash. You don't deserve to
07:20breathe. breathe. Humiliation drowned me. It hit like a wave. Someone yanked my hair back. A phone was
07:26jammed right in my face. The live comments kept flying by. I couldn't move. Then the crowd suddenly
07:31split apart, making a path. My parents walked in. For one stupid second, I thought they were here to
07:36stop this. I was wrong. Victor's face was dark, cold. He handed someone a thick coil of rope. It was
07:43so
07:43heavy it sagged. He pointed at me through clenched teeth. Please, help me tie him up. If
07:48he won't go, then drag him there. I snapped my head up. I stared at him like I didn't know
07:53him.
07:53Dad, do you even hear yourself? I told you, I can't dive. I'll die. Then I looked at my mother.
07:59Mom, do I even matter to you? I'm your son. For Jason, are you really going to force me to
08:06death?
08:07Susan's eyes were red. For one second, she looked away, like something inside her shook.
08:12But it vanished almost instantly. What came back was ice.
08:15Shut up! Jason may not be blood, but he's a thousand times better than you know. Ten thousand!
08:20You spent eight years in prison! Who took care of us during those years? Jason did! Who stayed by us
08:25side? Jason did! And now he's in trouble. You're his brother. You should be saving him. You're just
08:31gonna let him die? Can your conscience live with that? My chest felt ripped open. I was already in
08:37pieces, but that still hurt so bad I could barely breathe. So that was it. Blood never mattered to
08:42them. Not once. To them, I was a stain. Something disposable. Something they could throw away whenever
08:48they needed. I'm not going! I didn't kill anyone! The case back then wasn't what you think! Why won't
08:54any of you believe me? I fought like hell, twisting, kicking, trying to break free from the rope. But
09:00Nobody cared what a convicted killer had to say. Not one person. Just when I was about to break.
09:06Vanessa walked in. One of her bodyguards handed her something. A stun baton. She took it without
09:10blinking. Then she stepped into my room. Her face was cold and hard. Ethan, don't make me do this.
09:16For Jason. There is nothing I won't do. She didn't hesitate. She jammed the stun baton straight into me
09:23back. A brutal crack of electricity tore through me. My whole body convulsed. Then everything went black.
09:30back. When I opened my eyes again, I was sprawled across the deck. Like something the tide had spit
09:35back out. All around me was open ocean. Nothing but water. Waves slammed against the boat. The sound
09:41made my heart seize up. Ethan, stop playing dead! Get in the water! Bring Jason back!
09:48when I still didn't move. I promise you. If you bring Jason back up. Clenched her teeth and said,
09:53I'll think about marrying you again. And you'll never have to do that filthy job again.
09:58Filthy? That word hit me like a knife. Half a year ago, right after I got out, I went back
10:04to the
10:04coal mansion once. I was stupid enough to think maybe, maybe there was still a little love left for me
10:09there. But that night, through the mansion's floor to ceiling windows, all I saw was a house blazing with
10:15light. light. My mom and dad were inside. Vanessa was too. They were all gathered around Jason.
10:20The son they always chose over me. They were eating a big holiday dinner. roast turkey on the table,
10:25Steak lobster wine. Everything rich and perfect. Glasses raised, laughter everywhere. They looked
10:32like the perfect family. And me? I was standing outside in the freezing wind. A convict who had done
10:37eight years for someone else. Half deaf. Broken. Shaking from the cold. That was the moment I finally woke up.
10:43My hell had never been prison. My hell was them. They built it with their own hands. In that house,
10:50I was never family. I was just an outsider. My thoughts snapped back to the boat. Then my eyes
10:56locked on something in Vanessa's hand. A photograph. She was gripping it tight. It was a candid shot from
11:02a beach volleyball game. Jason was shirtless, standing out among a group of dive team members.
11:07And the thing that hit me the hardest was the scar on his right shoulder. The second I saw that scar,
11:13My whole body went cold. Like I'd been struck by lightning. My mind got dragged back ten years.
11:19Back then, I was captain of the dive team. Vanessa was on the team. Jason was too.
11:25That day, the sea turned bad fast. The current got vicious. I saw the danger right away. So I pointed
11:32up, signaling everyone to head back. But before we could surface, everything went sideways. In the chaos,
11:38I used almost every ounce of strength I had to shove Vanessa and Jason toward safer water. And I got
11:44caught instead. The current took me. I should have died. By some miracle, I didn't. I washed up on a
11:50deserted island. Passed out there for three full days. Then I was rescued. When I finally got home,
11:55Jason ran straight at me. He grabbed me hard. Hold on like he'd never let go. And he started crying.
12:01Ethan, you're back. This is all my fault. I was useless. If I'd stopped you from making us go
12:06down, if I'd just been stronger, then I wouldn't have only saved Vanessa and watched you get swept
12:11away. away. So that was it. I finally understood. No wonder my wife had been willing to force me to
12:16take the fall to send me to prison and let me die for another man. For ten whole years,
12:21she had
12:21believed Jason was the one who saved her. In the three days I disappeared, he became her hero. The man
12:27who
12:27risked everything for her. And me? I became the reckless one. The glory-hungry idiot who almost
12:33got everybody killed. What a sick joke. My throat was dry and raw, but I still forced the words out,
12:38shouting with everything I had left. I told you! I can't go underwater! My ear can't handle the
12:44pressure! If I go down there my brain could hemorrhage! Do you people want me dead?! Vanessa's
12:48eyes flickered. Just for a second. A flash of panic. Gone almost instantly. Then Victor charged at me in a
12:55rage. He rushed over and kicked me hard. I hit the deck and rolled. Keep lying! Go ahead! Keep
13:01pretending! Ethan, you're rotten to the core! At a time like this you're still faking a disability
13:06just to get out of it?! Off to the side my mom collapsed to the deck, wiping her tears,
13:11Sobbing like her heart was ripping apart. Oh God! Jason was an angel! He's always been so sweet!
13:18he did everything for us! If we lose him, I can't go on! Then the boat captain, Adam, walked over.
13:26He tapped his watch. Ms. Lane, this is where Jason went under. Based on the time, his tank has maybe
13:3330 minutes left. That one sentence shattered whatever reason Vanessa still had. Her pretty
13:39face twisted from panic. She spun toward me and screamed. You heard him! Move! Now! Gear him up!
13:45I stared at her, and something in me finally went cold. Fine. I'll go. But I have one condition.
13:52I want the best deep water gear you've got. If they were really going to shove me into hell,
13:57Then I was grabbing whatever slim chance I had. No matter how small. If the gear was strong enough,
14:02Maybe I could survive the pressure. The second I gave in, Vanessa's shoulders dropped,
14:06like she could finally breathe again. She rushed over and grabbed my hand tightly.
14:10Ethan, I knew it. I knew you still cared. I knew you wouldn't just let him die.
14:16Then the next second, guilt flashed across her face. She pointed to a pile of junk in the corner.
14:22But there's no other option. This is the only diving gear on the boat. You used to be the best
14:27dive into the business. A little problem like this, you can handle it, right? She said it so casually,
14:34like it was nothing. I followed her finger, and my blood went cold. It was an old diving suit.
14:40The rubber was cracked in places. The air valve was rusted. That kind of gear should have been
14:45scrapped years ago. There was no way it was safe. A chill shot straight up my spine. I yanked my
14:51hand
14:51away, then backed up in panic. Vanessa, are you out of your mind? You know diving! If I go down
14:57in that
14:57thing, that's the same as killing me! Adam looked at the suit, too. His face tightened.
15:02Mrs. Lane, this gear is really old. The risk on a forced deep dive is way too high.
15:08If something goes wrong... Before he could finish, Vanessa's face went cold.
15:12She cut him off without interruption. At a time like this, who the hell cares about that?
15:16Get over here! Put it on him!
15:19A few bodyguards rushed me at once. They slammed me onto the deck, pinned me down hard. In the struggle,
15:25someone stomped down. My hearing aid flew off. It cracked apart, then got crushed under a shoe.
15:30Shattered. The one thing that had stayed with me for years. Gone. In the end, they forced the suit
15:36onto my body anyway. And Vanessa strapped a heavy industrial weight belt around my waist. 60 pounds
15:41of lead, enough to make sure I sank. Then they shoved me towards the edge of the boat. In that
15:45last,
15:46Desperate moment, I turned and looked back at this family. Victor stood there with his arms crossed,
15:50coldly. Like none of it had anything to do with him. There wasn't a single shred of pity in his eyes.
15:56Not for his own son. And my mother, Susan? She had her hands clasped tight, eyes shut,
16:02praying into empty air. Her lips trembled as she whispered,
16:05Please, please let him be safe. Please, God, let Jason come back, okay?
16:11At a moment like this, with my life hanging by a thread, she was praying for him. For Jason.
16:17Not her own flesh and blood. It was grotesque. It was pathetic. It was almost funny.
16:22Then suddenly, a huge force slammed into my chest. Someone shoved me. Hard. The second deck
16:28vanished under my feet. Ethan! If you bring Jason back, we'll get married right away. I'll be right
16:33here waiting for you. Then the ocean swallowed me whole. The freezing water wrapped around my body
16:38instantly. The weight belt dragged me down. Fast. Way too fast. Straight into the deep. The pressure hit
16:44My ears like a sledgehammer. My right eardrum was already hanging by a thread. Now it's there. A dull
16:50ripping burst exploded inside my head, like a balloon popping in my skull. Pain. Blinding pain.
16:56So much pain, my whole body seized up. I opened my mouth to scream. A mouthful of seawater rushed
17:01instead. My lungs felt like giant hands were crushing them. My vision turned red. Then darker.
17:06Then worse. My mind started slipping away. And just when I was drowning. Just when the dark was closing
17:11over me. Just when I gave up trying to live. A pair of soft hands reached for me. Fast. Strong.
17:17And he grabbed me. Susan pressed a hand to her chest. Her face was pale. She leaned against the railing.
17:22Her eyes remained locked on the water. Victor had his hands behind his back. He kept pacing. Back and
17:27forth. Jason will be fine. He's lucky. He has to be okay. Ethan was a diving champion. He'll bring Jason
17:37back up. She kept saying it over and over. Like if she said it enough, it would come true. Like
17:42it
17:42could calm the fear inside her. But her fingers were shaking, and that gave her away. Then suddenly,
17:47A sharp alarm shattered the dead silence. A Coast Guard boat was speeding toward them. Fast. A few
17:53officers jumped onto the deck. The man in front scanned everyone with hard, sharp eyes.
17:57I'm Owen with the Harbor City Coast Guard. Who's in charge here?
18:01Victor hurried over at once. He pulled out a business card and handed it over.
18:05We're with Cole group. My son went missing while diving. We came out here to look for him
18:11ourselves. Owen took the card. Rescue? Then he looked at them coldly. We pulled him out three
18:18hours ago. The whole deck went dead silent. Then Owen pulled up footage from his body cam. He
18:26opened a video and held it up. Three hours ago, during patrol, we recovered a man from the water.
18:31It was Jason Cole. We tried contacting his family. No answer. Never thought you came all
18:39the way out here. There's no signal. The doctor on board examined him. He'd been exposed to a marine
18:44toxin. A sea barrier. A kind of sea slug. That toxin can trigger severe hallucinations. In serious
18:49cases, it can be fatal. He might have touched one while diving. He's already been taken to the hospital.
18:54He's been stabilized for now. The second they heard Jason was alive, my parents and Vanessa lit up with joy.
18:59Like they had all just been handed their lives back. And not one of them cared about the word
19:03hallucinations. Not one. Victor nearly started crying on the spot. He was so excited he could barely
19:09stand still. I knew it. I knew Jason was blessed. He's always had luck on his side. Vanessa, did you
19:16hear that? Jason's okay. We have money. As long as he's still breathing, we can save him. We'll spend
19:24whatever it takes. Vanessa finally let out a long breath. A smile of pure relief broke
19:28across her face. Like she had just survived a nightmare. Then the smile froze. Right there
19:33on her face. Because suddenly she remembered. Half an hour ago she had shoved her ex-husband
19:36into the ocean. With her own hands. Forced him down there. To save Jason. He was lying in a hospital.
19:42Live. So where was Ethan? I had already been underwater for over 30 minutes. And there was still no sign
19:47of me.
19:47Not even a trace. A terrible thought started rising in her mind. But before she could think
19:51it through, Owen took a file from one of his officers. His expression turned strange. Cold.
19:56Sharp. Almost mocking. Then he looked straight at them and spoke again.
20:02Well, if you're his family, that actually makes this easier. He opened the document. Then announced
20:08it on the spot. As of this moment, Jason Cole is in custody. He is suspected of stealing protected
20:14underwater artifacts. And suspected of murder.
20:19That landed like a thunderclap. The next, they were dragged straight into the dirt. The smile on
20:24my dad's face is frozen. Then his whole face turned dark. Pointed right at Owen.
20:29What the hell are you talking about? Stealing artifacts? Murder? Our company is practically built
20:35this town. My son Jason is one of the most well-known philanthropists. He's still lying in a hospital bed.
20:40And you people dare to dump this kind of filth on him? My mom rushed up too. She tried to shove
20:45Owen. That's right. Do you even know how many schools Jason has donated to? He won't even hurt a fly.
20:53How could he possibly steal anything? How could he kill anyone? Vanessa stepped up too,
20:59putting on that cold, untouchable CEO act. Officer, watch what you say. You can't just throw
21:05accusations around. I'm the chair of Lane Group. Jason is my husband. If you try to set him up with
21:11fake charges, one phone call and your career is over. They were shouting, threatening. But Owen only
21:18got colder. He didn't argue. He just tapped open another video. Jason scrambled backward from empty
21:24air. air. Like something horrifying was standing right in front of him. His whole body was shaking violently.
21:29His face was twisted with pure terror. He had been down dozens of feet underwater when the toxin
21:35hit. hit. The hallucinations were strong. Don't come over here! Ah! Don't come near me! Zach, I know I
21:41messed up! Don't kill me! My parents went white. Their lips are trembled. Their eyes stayed glued to the
21:47screen. I got greedy! I never should've cut your arrows! I'm so sorry! I'll do whatever it takes to
21:54make it right! No, no, don't take me with you! He started smashing his forehead against the deck,
21:59over and over. Then all at once, the fear vanished. His face changed, turned vicious. A grin spread across
22:09It, twisted, like a demon laughing. He gestured into the empty air and cackled.
22:14Ethan, you idiot! You never saw this coming, did you? That idiot, Vanessa. She actually thought I was
22:20the one who saved her. All I did was show her a little scar, and she fell for me completely.
22:24She played those two old fans like a fettle. She got me into that house? My dad forced his neck
22:29straight, still trying to fight it. I just played the victim, and they treated me like a king
22:34While they threw you away. Sent your pathetic ass to rot! God, that felt damn good! You can rotate
22:41in prison forever! Everything from the coals and everything from the lanes will be mine!
22:46Dead silence. Only Jason's crazed laughter kept echoing from the video. Across the deck,
22:51Vanessa stumbled back two steps, and she almost fell right there on the deck. That was their precious
22:55Son, her precious husband, the man they defended like he was gold. And now he was on video,
23:01grinning like a devil, mocking them for being fools. No. That's impossible. You said he was
23:10poisoned. He was hallucinating. He was talking nonsense. Exactly. That's all this is. He was
23:19hallucinating. He didn't know what he was saying. Yes! It was the toxin! That sea silk toxin made him
23:29ramble! Owen's voice turned firm. I figured that's what you'd say, which is exactly why we
23:34move fast. This involves a major attempted murder case. So we already formed an investigation team
23:42and verified everything he said. Then Owen pulled out another stack of documents.
23:48We found that the statements Ethan gave after his arrest eight years ago did not match the physical
23:54evidence from the scene. And there's more. Ethan's defense attorney turned on him at trial.
24:01The day before the trial, a large payment hit his account. We traced the source. It came from one of
24:08your offshore accounts, Vanessa. Vanessa's face went white. And Jason's private account
24:13Received multiple large wire transfers after the incident that year. The source was hidden. But we
24:18now have strong reason to believe that money came from selling stolen artifacts. We believe the case
24:23was not what it seemed. Please cooperate with the investigation. You're coming with us. The Coast Guard
24:27officers were just about to move in. Then Adam finally broke. He swallowed hard, then stammered out.
24:35officer. Wait, this still isn't over. Ethan, Ethan Cole. He's still down there. He never came back up.
24:48What did you just say? Owen whipped around. His eyes widened instantly.
24:54There's still someone underwater. Adam's legs nearly gave out. He started spilling everything.
24:59About half an hour ago, Ms. Lane pushed Ethan into the water. He said his ear was injured.
25:06Said he couldn't handle the pressure. But Ms. Lane insisted. She forced him to go down. And now,
25:13He still hasn't surfed.
25:15Three days later, Harbor City Hospital. Jason finally woke up. His body was still weak. He twitched him
25:22fingers, then realized the bed was surrounded. Mom, Dad, Vanessa, and several police officers in
25:29uniform. A flash of joy hit him. With all these people here, they had to be worried sick about him.
25:33He quickly changed his expression, forced tears into his eyes, then weakly reached Susan's hand.
25:39Dad. Mom. Vanessa, I was so scared. I had the worst nightmare. I dreamed I was trapped underwater.
25:50I thought I'd never see you again. Before, that would have worked. Susan would have rushed over
25:55already. She would have held him, cried over him. But today, the room was terrifyingly quiet.
26:00No single spoke. Only the monitor kept beeping. Steady. Cold. Jason's hand hung there in the middle of the air.
26:06Awkward. Stiff. That was when he realized something was wrong. Victor wasn't fussing over
26:11him. The man who had always spoiled him was standing at the foot of the bed. His face was
26:15black with rage. And the way he looked at Jason now, there was no warmth left. No love.
26:20Dad? What's wrong? Dad? What's wrong? He pulled out a tablet, tapped the screen,
26:28then threw it onto Jason's chest. Jason grabbed it, looked down, and instantly went pale. On the
26:33screen was him, laughing like a maniac, spilling everything, confessing, mocking the people who
26:38raised him, calling them idiots, every ugly word, every filthy truth. All of it was there. His face
26:43went ghost white. Cold sweat poured down his forehead. This...Jason panicked. This isn't real.
26:48He struggled to sit up. Dad! Mom! Vanessa! Listen to me. That was the sea hair toxin. It made me
26:55hallucinate. It made me say crazy things. How could I ever hurt Ethan? That wasn't me. It was the
27:00poison talking. Vanessa, believe me. Reached for her. I love you. Everything I did, I did it so we
27:08could be together. Vanessa's expression turned complicated. Owen cut in from the side. Jason Cole,
27:13dropped the act. We've already confirmed the evidence. You framed Ethan for theft. And you
27:20murdered Zach. The jig is up, I guess. But don't act so high and mighty, Dad. You're the one who
27:28threw
27:28your son to the wolves. I just watched. Then he turned to Vanessa. His eyes dragged over her in that
27:34disgusting sticky way. And you. Stop acting innocent. For the last eight years. Wasn't I good
27:44enough for you in bed? What? Suddenly found your conscience? A little late, don't you think? He laughed
27:53again. Ugly slow mocking. Ethan's not coming back anyway. So why not let it go? I can still take
28:03care of you two. We can all stay one happy family. Still living the dream. Isn't that what you want?
28:18The second those words came out, the whole room turned freezing cold. The shamelessness of it. The
28:23evil of it. It was beyond human. My parents were shaking so hard they could barely stand. They stared
28:29at the boy they had raised for eight years. This was the son they had treated? Like their own flesh
28:34and
28:34blood? What? Susan finally brought it. She remembered my face. The look in my eyes when they shoved me into
28:40the sea. That dead, hollow, hopeless look. She remembered pointing at me, cursing me, calling me
28:46heartless in filth. The pain hit her so hard she almost stopped breathing. She collapsed to the floor,
28:51both hands clawing at her hair. Then she let out a raw, broken scream. What did I do? I'm a
28:59monster.
29:01I don't deserve to breathe. The second my mom said that, Victor seemed to wake up, like he had just
29:08been struck across the face. He lowered his head, stared at his own trembling hands. Those hands.
29:14I slapped my eardrum open eight years ago, had handed over the rope to tie up his own son.
29:22He let out a howl like a wounded beast. Then he raised his hand and started slapping himself across
29:27the face. Hard. Again. And again. Smack. The sound of those hits echoed through the hospital room.
29:35His face swollen almost instantly. His cheeks turned red and purple. Blood ran from the corner
29:39of his mouth, but he acted like he couldn't feel any of it. He just kept hitting himself.
29:43Over and over. Like a madman.
29:45This is karma. This is all karma. I thought I could see through anyone. But I killed my own blood.
29:54And Vanessa. By now the mental wall she had spent three days holding up finally collapsed.
30:00completely. She didn't want to think about that dive. The underwater current. The day I
30:04disappeared. Those three days after I went missing, Jason had stayed by her side. Again and again he
30:10described what happened underwater. Every detail. Every danger. Every second. He painted the whole
30:14thing for her. She still remembered it. Jason standing in front of her. Taking off his shirt.
30:19Pointing at the scar on his shoulder. Telling her he got it saving her. And she believed him.
30:23She actually believed him. Later, after the underwater murder case, she had bribed my lawyer.
30:28Paid him off to switch sides at the last second. Helped send me to prison for eight years. Then
30:32She married the man who had really killed someone. And three days ago, she used money to humiliate me.
30:37And then, she pushed me into the abyss. The same man who nearly died saving her.
30:44No! It wasn't supposed to be like this!
30:47Vanessa dropped to her knees. Her hands shook as she pulled something from her pocket.
30:51The broken pieces of my hearing aid. She had picked them up from the deck of the boat.
30:55The cracked plastic shell still carried the salt and stink of the sea.
30:59Her vision blurred with tears. Still, she tried to fit the pieces back together,
31:03one by one, even though it was already smashed beyond repair.
31:08Ethan! I'm sorry!
31:11I'm so sorry!
31:14She kept trying to piece it together. Crying harder and harder.
31:17The sharp plastic cut into her fingers. Her nails split. Blood smeared across the broken
31:22hearing aid pieces.
31:23Please! Come back! Come back! I'll give you anything! We'll remember! No more lies! Ethan, please!
31:34Oh, please come back to me!
31:36The ice queen who looked down on us all, the cold, untouchable CEO, was now on the floor like a
31:41Stray dog crying begging. In a hospital overseas, I opened my eyes slowly, and met Claire's gentle eyes.
31:54Ethan, you finally made it back.
31:56She sat by my bed, with a bowl of chicken soup, feeding me one spoonful at a time.
32:03The warmth slid down my throat, and settled in my chest. I hadn't felt that in eight years. The
32:10Feeling of being cared for, like I actually mattered, like someone was protecting me.
32:14Claire was Zach's younger sister. Zach had been on my dive team. The three of us grew up together,
32:20best friends, like family. Back then, me, Zach, and Jason went diving together. That was when we
32:25found the gold, hidden in a sunken wreck. Jason got greedy. He cut Zach's air hose, then pinned it on
32:31me.
32:32Vanessa didn't believe me. My parents didn't either, not for one second. They even destroyed me
32:37eardrum, forced me to take the fall. Only Claire believed I was innocent, but she had no proof. She
32:42couldn't clear my name, and she couldn't avenge her brother. For eight years, she came to see me every
32:46month in prison. Never missed. After I got out, I stood outside the coal mansion, and saw them all
32:51Inside, laughing, eating, living like a perfect family. That was the night I made my choice. I was
32:56going to get revenge. So, I went to Claire, and asked for her help. Jason killed for gold.
33:01And sold me out for greed, all for the money. Fine. Then, I decided to give him exactly what he was
33:07wanted. Two months earlier, I started feeding Jason exactly the kind of story a greedy man
33:11can't ignore. Rumors, planted articles, fake salvage chatter, over and over. All of it pointing
33:16to one patch of ocean. A newly discovered wreck. And the chance it was loaded with gold? At first,
33:21he didn't buy it. Why would he? He had the coals and the lanes backing him. Money was everywhere
33:25around him. Every time he saw the alerts, he just swiped them away. But greed is greed. And it always
33:30comes back. After seeing it enough times, he started wondering if it was real. Then he started
33:34searching. searching. That was the step I was waiting for. I had already planted spyware on his phone. The
33:39The second he started digging, it triggered everything. All the information planted. All the fake
33:42confirmations. Everything we had prepared started feeding right into him. So he believed it. He took
33:47the bait. But private salvage without approval is illegal, especially if it involves protected wrecks,
33:52artifacts, historic sites. He couldn't let too many people know. So, he used diving as cover,
33:57I went down there several times to check it out, and that part was real. There really
34:01was a wreck in that area. The moment I found out he had secretly contacted a salvage boat,
34:05I knew my chance had come. After that, the rest fell into place. Before one of his dives,
34:10His breathing gear was contaminated. Just a trace amount. Sea hair toxin. Once he was underwater,
34:15It hit, and everything unfolded exactly how we wanted. But there was one thing I didn't expect.
34:19My parents. And my ex-wife. Instead of calling the official rescue team,
34:23they came looking for me. Me. Back at the trial, they publicly disowned me. And after I got out,
34:29They never looked for me once. So I had to change plans. I decided to fake my death. Disappear
34:34completely. Thank God Claire got there in time. She came in a mini-sub. Pulled me up before I died.
34:39Now, in the hospital room, the TV on the wall was playing live coverage from back home.
34:43A major sentencing update. Broadcast everywhere. Jason had been convicted on multiple charges.
34:48intentional homicide. Theft of protected artifacts. Framing an innocent man. And more.
34:54He was sentenced to death with immediate execution. I watched the screen. Then I shook my head.
34:59Claire caught it right away. She knew exactly what I meant. So she explained.
35:03My guess? Jason got pushed up by an underwater current. Then patrol officers just happened to spot him.
35:11But that part doesn't matter. The ending still landed where we needed it.
35:17I give up. Then he looked back at the TV. Victor and Susan were sentenced to. One year each. For
35:23shielding the real killer. And obstructing justice. Taken into custody right there in court. Vanessa got
35:29three years. For bribery. Perjury. And covering up a crime. At the same time, Lane Group and Cole
35:34Group were collapsing. The scandal sent both stocks into freefall. Then both families went bankrupt.
35:39The Coles. The Lanes. The families who once thought they ruled everything. Their names were ruined for
35:44good. On the screen, those people from my past stood in prison uniforms. Crying. Begging. Confessing
35:50to the cameras. But no one pitied them. And strangely, I felt nothing. No hate. No thrill. No
35:56satisfaction. Just relief. A clean, empty kind of relief. Like all the pain had finally been peeled
36:01off me. Like every last chain had fallen away. And for the first time in years, I let one out
36:06long
36:06breath. Four years later, thanks to Claire and the best specialists money could buy, my hearing had long
36:12since returned. Now, we were on Australia's Gold Coast. Launching a cutting-edge deep-sea ecology
36:18project. That day, we were on the beach testing a new sonar system. Then a woman came stumbling
36:24towards us. Her hair was almost all white. She looked gaunt, hollowed out. If I hadn't looked carefully,
36:29I never would have recognized her. It was Vanessa. The same Vanessa who once thought she ruled the world.
36:34A foul smell rolled off her. She dug into a torn pocket. Then pulled out a ring. The wedding ring.
36:40The same one she once forced onto my finger. The same one I threw back at the fish stall.
36:45Ethan. Ethan, I finally found you. Look. I kept this ring with me the whole time. Please.
36:55Please give me one chance to make it right. One chance to make up for everything. For years now,
37:01I've thought about you every day. I know I messed up. Jason lied to me. He destroyed me.
37:07My family is gone. My money is gone. Someone even beat me until I lost hearing
37:12in one ear. That's my punishment. That's my karma. Ethan, you loved me, didn't you?
37:27Back then, you almost died trying to save me.
37:31She kept pouring it out. How she got tricked out of everything. How debt collectors hunted her. How
37:35helpless she had been. Then one day, she saw me on TV. She sold one of her kidneys just to
37:40pay
37:40someone to get her into Australia. But I only took two small steps back. Avoid the hand
37:44reaching towards me with that ring. Then I spoke. Please stay away from me. We're divorced. The
37:51second you forced me to take the fall for a murderer, the woman I once called my wife died. So
37:57stop acting like this is love. It just makes me sick. Right then, Claire walked over holding two cold
38:06drinks. She handed one to me like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then she slipped an
38:11arm
38:12around my neck and kissed my cheek. Babe, why is this woman anywhere near you?
38:18I don't know. Where's security? Vanessa starred at us. At how good we looked together. At how happy we are
38:24were. And something inside her snapped. Jealousy. Regret. Both of them tore through her like poison.
38:30Then she coughed. Hard. Once. Then again. A mouthful of blood burst from her lips. She dropped
38:37straight onto the sand. Back in Harbor City, two elderly people shuffled down the street. Each of
38:42them carried a ripped plastic sack. They limped badly. Step by step. Then they stopped in front of a
38:47Giant LED screen in the city square. Their bodies shook. Their eyes lifted. On the screen, a global live
38:53broadcast was playing. I was there. Wearing a custom suit. Stand tall. Calm. Confident. Receiving a major
38:59UN environmental award. The camera panned wider. Claire stood beside me. One hand looped through
39:05my arm. Her baby bump was showing. And she was smiling like sunlight. Susan burst into tears. The
39:10Tears ran down her filthy face. She slowly raised one grimy hand. Reached towards the screen. Like
39:15She could touch me from where she stood. Ethan. That's my boy. A security guard from the mall rushed
39:23out at once. What the hell are you doing, you filthy beggars? Get away from there!
39:28He shoved her hard. She fell straight to the ground. Victor was crying, too. But he didn't dare fight
39:34back. He just kept slapping himself across the face. Again and again. Muttering through tears.
39:39Karma. This is Karma.
39:43We were blind.
39:44Then the two of them held each other up. And he disappeared into the alleys of the city. As for Vanessa,
39:49She was detained and deported. After that, she completely lost her mind. The shock broke
39:53her for good. She had no money left for proper treatment. So she got dumped into the cheapest
39:58mental institution they could find. Out on the shimmering blue water, I lay, stretched out
40:03on the deck of a yacht. Warm sea breeze across my face. Claire walked over with a plate of cut
40:08fruit. Then curled up in my arms. Honey, what are you thinking about?
40:14I looked out at the deep blue sea. The same sea that had almost buried me. The same sea that
40:20gave
40:20me a second life. Then I smiled and shook my head. Nothing. I was just wondering, do you think
40:28our baby's a boy or a girl? Then I started the yacht and left betrayal every wound, every bit
40:34of that old life, behind us in the rolling wake.
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