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Why Does Your Son Look Just Like Me Ep.20 SM New 🔝
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00:00I slept with my absolute worst enemy, Julian, but he has absolutely no idea that I am a woman,
00:05to keep my father from handing everything to the son he had with another woman.
00:10My mom passed me off as a boy the second I was born. I've spent my entire life pretending to
00:16be a man. Not even my father knows the truth. And Julian, he is the federal prosecutor who
00:21has been trying to bury me for years. We've known each other since we were three, my childhood best
00:26friend, and my ultimate rival. Oh god, but that is not the worst part. I had his baby, and the
00:32boy
00:32looks exactly like him. It started three years ago, one cruise, one open bar. Just about every major New
00:39York political player was in the same room. If anyone wanted to wipe out the entire political
00:44class in one shot, tonight was their chance. I was just sipping my champagne, watching Julian walk
00:50straight toward me. After college, I became Theodore's campaign manager, and Julian, he joined
00:56the other side, working for Christopher. So yeah, between us, pure toxicity. I was getting subpoenas
01:02from his office almost every day. My life was hell, at least, until that night on the cruise.
01:08And then I woke up naked in a luxury suite. And right beside me, also naked, was Julian.
01:13My entire body ached. The room was a disaster, but I didn't have time to think about that.
01:19I bolted upright, grabbed my shirt, my belt, a drunken hookup with my worst enemy.
01:25Fine. I could survive that. But there was one thing I could never ever let him find out.
01:30I wasn't actually a man. Jesus.
01:33I stared at the scratches and bite marks all over Julian's bare back and stopped breathing for a
01:38second. Once I came to my senses, I slipped out of that suite like a criminal. I dodged the staff,
01:44sprinted down the hallway, threw myself into my cabin, and slammed the door lock. Standing under
01:49the shower, I tried desperately to piece together last night. It was a bipartisan fundraiser. We both
01:55got totally trashed. Maybe Julian didn't remember anything. The guy never dates. He never flirts.
02:01He's basically married to his job. Honestly, he might have even been a virgin. If he found out he'd
02:07lost his virginity to the rival campaign manager, he would actually murder me. I immediately called my
02:12assistant, Claire. I told her to find anyone who might have seen us, pay them off, and wipe the
02:18security footage. A little while later, Mr. Cole is awake. He called crew security to his room.
02:24If he remembered, he'd be coming for you. Not them. I think you're safe.
02:29Evan. Open up. We need to talk. My blood ran cold. It was Julian. He found me.
02:39I forced myself to look calm, pulled open the door, and smiled like nothing was wrong.
02:43Julian's expression was ice gold. He had changed into a tailored suit, hiding all the marks on his
02:49body. But the fresh scratches on his neck and face were impossible to miss. In that split second,
02:53I flashed back to his low laugh, and my own heavy, out-of-control breathing. My stomach dropped.
02:58What if he actually remembered? What the hell was I supposed to do? I fought to keep my cool.
03:03Morning, counselor. What are we investigating today? Campaign funds? Donor lists? Backroom deals?
03:10Julian just pushed past me into my room. No small talk.
03:14Evan. When we were drinking last night, did you notice any suspicious women?
03:20He really didn't remember. I let out a huge sigh of relief inside and immediately started lying.
03:25You were pretty popular last night. You had like four or five women surrounding you. Champagne,
03:30music, a lot of laughing, nothing suspicious. Four or five women? Yep.
03:36Jesus. When he opened his eyes again. You're coming with me to identify them.
03:44That my shirt collar slipped down my shoulder. I jerked it back up, but he still saw it,
03:49right on my collarbone. A giant hickey. Evan, what the hell is on your neck?
03:53Pretty obvious, isn't it? The mark of an amazing night with a very hot woman.
03:59I was terrified that Hickey was going to trigger his memory, but he just frowned in disgust and dropped
04:04it. Julian dragged me all the way to the security room to review the footage from last night.
04:10I didn't want to ruin some random woman's life over my own mess dot, so I just started pointing at
04:15whoever. Her. Oh, and her. Yeah, that one too. This girl kind of looks like one of them.
04:22As my oldest rival and childhood friend, Julian was way too used to my bullshit.
04:27Evan, you're protecting her. I already gave you your lineup. My job here is done.
04:32I spun around to Bolt, but he yanked me right back.
04:37So you didn't just see her. You actually know who she is.
04:43I opened my mouth to tell another lie. He saw right through me.
04:47Mr. Evan Foster, let me remind you, do not lie to a federal prosecutor.
04:53His tone was dead serious. It instantly brought back every subpoena, every brutal interrogation.
04:59Nothing gets past him. But I had absolutely no choice. If my real gender got out, my dad would
05:05hand the entire Foster family straight to his illegitimate son.
05:08She was a temp waitress. I wasn't covering for her, honestly. She's young. When she realized she'd
05:15just slept with a federal prosecutor, she panicked and begged to get off this ship.
05:19Julian stared at me for several agonizing seconds. He was picking my face apart, looking for a crack.
05:26Luckily, I'm a professional at this too. Finally, he spoke, quiet and dangerous.
05:31You sent her away?
05:33Why are you so obsessed with tracking her down? Don't tell me that was actually your first time.
05:40His face completely hardened. I hit the nail right on the head.
05:45Ev, do not answer a question with a question. Where did you send her?
05:50Cape Liberty Cruise Port. The second we docked, Julian bolted straight for the New Jersey port to hunt
05:56down this imaginary waitress. I packed my bags and made a beeline for my boss and cousin, Theodore's
06:02place. I knew that once Julian failed to find her, he'd come hunting for me next. And in all of
06:07New York,
06:08the absolute last place he would ever step foot in was Theodore's house. Julian works for Christopher's
06:13campaign. Christopher is Theodore's half-brother and his most vicious political rival. I figured if I just
06:19laid low for a few months, Julian would snap back to reality and give up on finding his one-night
06:24stand.
06:25After all, we both had way bigger things to deal with. But I forgot one massive detail. I never took
06:31plan B. Two weeks later, I was on my third morning in a row hunched over Theodore's guest bathroom
06:39toilet. Claire stood next to me, looking absolutely horrified. No, absolutely not. Stared at the pregnancy
06:46test in my hands. Two pink lines, crystal clear, completely devastating. Jesus Christ. Out of every
06:54political disaster New York had to offer, getting knocked up by a rival while living as Mr. Foster,
07:00had to take the top spot. If I kept this baby, it would set off a war between the Fosters
07:05and the
07:05Coles. Every ounce of logic told me I shouldn't do it. But part of me really wanted to keep it.
07:10And not just because I'd had a tiny crush on Julian back in the day. As the foster heir,
07:15I needed an heir of my own. My mom had reminded me more than once. My dad's illegitimate son already
07:21had kids. I sat on the cold bathroom tiles for nearly 20 minutes before I finally pushed myself
07:26up. I have to get out of New York. Later in his office, Theodore looked completely blindsided.
07:32Why? I've been thinking about this a lot. I need to build broader experience outside of New York.
07:37There's a political consulting firm in Seattle that wants me. Crisis management, national campaigns,
07:45media strategy. It'll pay off for us down the road. It was the best I could come up with,
07:49but Theodore wasn't buying it. He crossed his arms. My heart skipped a beat.
07:54Does this have anything to do with Julian?
07:57No.
07:58The timing is just very interesting. Ever since that cruise fundraiser,
08:03Julian's been running around like a madman chasing some waitress. And now suddenly you want
08:09out of New York? He stared right at me, waiting for me to confess. But I just couldn't do it.
08:14Theodore let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples.
08:17You do realize Julian has been trying to track you down, right? Christopher is absolutely furious
08:22that his star prosecutor keeps showing up at my door. Evan, you're my cousin. You, me, and your mother,
08:29we're the only three people in the world who know the truth. You understand what that means? It means
08:33I will always have your back. If someone hurt you, you don't have to run away. Nobody hurt me.
08:39Really, Theodore. He searched my face for a second before finally backing off. How long are you
08:44planning to be gone? In three years. When you and Christopher face off for the New York state
08:48election, I'll be back. And I'll get you that win.
08:55The second I landed in Seattle, I blocked Julian's number and cut off every line of contact.
09:01Theodore kept me updated through encrypted messages.
09:04Julian has lost his mind. He's still tearing the city apart looking for the woman from the cruise.
09:08And he's coming after you too. He's convinced you know everything. I've covered your tracks.
09:11He's never going to find you.
09:14Nine months later, Adrian Foster was born. I was over the moon. I'd spent years accepting that living
09:20as a man meant giving up on ever having a child of my own. But now, here he was, my
09:26son. And the
09:27foster family finally had its heir. Problem solved, right? Then, right around Adrian's first birthday,
09:33a new problem showed up. My son looked exactly like Julian Cole. Looking at that baby was like
09:38staring at the smug little brat who used to throw mud at me 20 years ago. The only difference was
09:43that
09:43Adrian wouldn't grow up to be my biggest rival. Three years went by in a blink. Until one night,
09:48a breaking news alert flashed across my screen. America's royal family fractures. The Ashford
09:55brothers face off. Theodore and Christopher had officially announced they were running against
10:00each other for the New York Senate seat. Whoever won would take control of the Ashford political
10:05dynasty and have a clear shot at the White House. Twenty minutes later, my phone rang. It was Theodore.
10:11Evan, it's time to cash in that promise. Come back to New York. I need my campaign manager.
10:21Adrian and I returned to the foster family estate. My parents absolutely adored him. Dad spent all
10:27morning playing with him. Mom was different. Adrian looks way too much like Julian. Keep him out of
10:32sight. If Julian sees him, he'll connect the dots and your identity is blown. You know your father
10:37will never hand the empire to a woman. Just then, Claire burst into the room. Mr. Foster,
10:43your neighbor is here. We couldn't stop him. I grabbed Adrian and made a move for the door.
10:47But Julian Cole was already striding through the door. Same as I remembered, except sharper,
10:52more composed. His eyes landed on me first. Evan, when exactly did you get a kid?
10:58In Seattle. Met someone, had a fling, and, well, here he is. You know, my family needs an heir,
11:04so I brought him home. I caught Claire's eye. It's time for his nap.
11:08Beth and Adrian threw a fit. Refused to let go. In a struggle, he turned his head. Julian's
11:13expression instantly froze. The room went silent. Evan, why does your son look exactly like me?
11:26Why does your son look exactly like me? The room fell dead silent. My mother recovered first.
11:32Julian, you and Evan practically look like brothers. Of course his child would resemble you a little.
11:36Actually, the only things Julian and I had in common were eyes, a nose, and a mouth. That was
11:41literally it. They say people start to look alike after spending enough time together. We've been
11:46around each other since we were in diapers. Probably more than most brothers. Julian's gaze stayed on
11:51Adrian. Then he looked away. Let a small smile cross his face. I suppose they do say that.
11:57But I knew him too well. That smile was a performance. He didn't believe a word of it.
12:02He was just letting it go because a living room full of people wasn't the place to push.
12:06That night, Theodore threw a big welcome back party. Glasses clinked. Laughter echoed across the room.
12:11I spent the whole night trying to get drunk. My logic blackout means untouchable. Julian couldn't
12:16corner me if I couldn't stand straight, get back completely. Instead of backing off, Julian just
12:21waited out. The party then dragged me out himself. He pushed open a whole room door and dropped me
12:25onto the bed. My head was spinning. I had no idea how much trouble I was in.
12:29Who was that woman from three years ago? It's too hot. These clothes are killing me.
12:46Heaven. Is it you? You're a woman, aren't you? And Adrian? My brain snapped awake. He's our son.
12:54Those words hit like ice water. He looked down at me. I forced out one word. Yes. Why did you
13:00run? He looked
13:01actually hurt. Did you think I'd expose you? Or do you just hate me?
13:07Was that night on the cruise just... Part of me felt for him. A mistake to you? But another part
13:12felt a dark little flicker of satisfaction. Because over the years, he'd used his position as a
13:17prosecutor to make my life hell. Am I really just a rival to you? Even after we slept together?
13:28Evan. Am I really just a rival to you? Even after everything? After we slept together?
13:35Do you have any idea how long I've been in love with you? Since I was 17. Do you know
13:39what you've
13:39put me through? I thought you were a man. For over a decade, you were the only person I felt
13:43anything
13:43for. I felt nothing for women. I spent years convinced there was something wrong with me.
13:47I tried to bury my feelings by pushing harder, by making our rivalry as bitter and intense as
13:52possible just to keep my distance. Then the incident on the cruise happened. When I woke up
13:56the next morning, I realized I wasn't gay. Or, at the very least, that this mysterious woman was the
14:00one exception to everything I thought I knew about myself. I searched for her like a madman for three
14:04years, and now I finally find out she was you. It was always you. A sudden wave of shame washed
14:09over
14:09me. I looked away. For three years, I had painted myself as the only victim in this story. I was
14:15the one
14:15who had to put my life on hold my empire in New York everything. Julian. But in this moment,
14:20I finally saw the price he had been paying all along. I don't need your guilt, Evan.
14:24I just need you to understand that I love you.
14:32I loved you when I thought you were a man. I loved you when you were the mysterious woman from
14:36the
14:36cruise. Whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're my fiercest rival, my closest friend, or
14:41Adrian's mother, I love you. So you never have to worry about me exposing your secret unless,
14:47unless you truly feel nothing for me, unless you can't feel any of this. His gaze dropped to my
14:53lips. It lingered there, heavy and hungry. So tell me, Evan, what do you feel? For a moment,
14:58I forgot how to breathe. I cupped his jaw and pulled him down to me. The moment our lips met,
15:05it was like striking a match in a room full of gasoline. Every argument, every fight, every wall
15:10between us. Gone. All that was left was hunger. His hands found my waist and pulled me close.
15:17My fingers tangled into his hair. I opened my mouth to him and stopped holding back.
15:24The next morning, my phone started screaming. Julian and I were still tangled up naked in bed.
15:29A second later, Julian's phone joined the chorus. He woke up faster than I did.
15:33Somebody better be dying. I cursed under my breath, fumbling around until I finally answered mine.
15:38Evan, thank God you're alive. Today is your first day on the job. I cannot believe it's 1042 AM and
15:44your desk is still empty. Julian, why aren't you at the office? The campaign is kicking off. You
15:48better not mess this up for me right now. You know, Theodore's right-hand man is back.
15:51In perfect unison, we both muttered,
15:54Oh shit.
15:55We just frantically scrambled into our clothes. Then we bolted for the exit. We reached for the
15:59doorknob at the exact same time. The second my fingers brushed his, the total absurdity of the
16:04situation crashed over me. Just a few hours ago, we were pouring our hearts out. We were having wild
16:09desperate sex. But now, the sun was up. We had to retreat to our separate camps. We had to go
16:14right
16:14back to being enemies. I could never betray my cousin Theodore, not even for Julian. And Julian
16:22could never betray Christopher, the candidate his family backed. Just for me, it wasn't about choosing
16:27politics over each other. Our loyalties were carved in stone long before we ever admitted
16:31how we felt. So, this is how we're doing it. Doing what? Falling for the enemy.
16:41It sounded romantic, but this wasn't the start of some fairy tale. This was the start of a massive
16:46secret. A dangerous one. Julian. No one can know about this. Not a single soul. Not even Adrian.
16:53He's way too young for this. One more thing. What? When we're on the clock, we're still
16:58rivals. Agreed. No special treatment. Of course. If Theodore's campaign slips up, I'm going to
17:06exploit it. And if Christopher's campaign slips up, I will bury him. For one brief, shining
17:13moment, the dread vanished, and the thrill of the fight came rushing back. Then Julian reached
17:17out and held the door open for me. Julian embraced our secret romance with a terrifying
17:25amount of enthusiasm. To me, it felt like a ticking time bomb. At 1 a.m., I found him on
17:30my fire escape, tapping on my window like an absolute lunatic.
17:35Are you out of your mind? My parents are right downstairs.
17:41I wanted to see you. And my son.
17:45He'd brought flowers, and he shut down every complaint with a kiss. Then we walked over to
17:51Adrian's crib. Julian had this look on his face, something I'd never seen from him before.
17:56He reached out and gently brushed a finger against Adrian's cheek.
17:59He looks exactly like me.
18:01This became our routine. Three or four nights a week, Julian would hop the fence between our
18:06houses. He'd slip through my window, always with fresh flowers. He'd spend an hour watching
18:10Adrian sleep. Then two hours in my bed, making me forget my own name. But the second the sun
18:15came up, we were back to being enemies. At press conferences, Julian would tear Theodore's policy
18:20platform apart with surgical precision. I hit back by leaking oppo research on Christopher's
18:25donor network to friendly reporters. And we were terrifyingly good at pretending we weren't
18:29tangled up in my sheets every single night. But Theodore was the first to notice.
18:36He called me into his office.
18:38You look different.
18:40I'm just getting plenty of sleep.
18:42Evan, you're glowing. People on a campaign trail don't glow. What's going on between you
18:46and Julian?
18:48Nothing.
18:49Evan, if you can flip Julian, if you can get him to switch sides, it changes everything.
18:56No.
18:57The word came out sharper than I intended. Theodore blinked.
19:01I am not going to use myself as bait to flip him. And I don't believe for a second Julian
19:06would give up everything for me.
19:08You're protecting him, Evan. That's new.
19:11I walked out without answering. Julian and I never talked about switching sides. It was
19:15a landline buried between us, always there, never touched. The fact that we tiptoed around
19:20it so carefully only made it more dangerous. Until the debate. Theodore and Christopher faced
19:25off at the New York Public Library. 600 donors in the room. Every camera in the city pointed
19:30at the stage. I sat in the wings, managing the room for Theodore. He was dominating. Sharper
19:34answers. Stronger presence. Christopher was flustered. Every attempt to swing back fell
19:39flat. Then Christopher played dirty.
19:43My opponent loves to preach about transparency. Yet his campaign manager, Evan Foster, has been
19:49under federal investigation for financial irregularities for months.
19:52I hadn't committed any financial crimes. But the mere existence of an investigation was
19:57all voters needed to hear. My name was trending within minutes. And that investigation Christopher
20:01just name dropped. Julian's office launched.
20:07At 1am, the tapping started at my window. I didn't open it. At 1.15, my phone buzzed. I
20:14was in no mood to deal with the opponent who was actively smearing my name. We didn't speak
20:19for 9 days. 9 days of silence on the campaign trail felt like a century. I threw myself into
20:25work with a manic energy that genuinely terrified my staff. Julian, from what I could tell, did
20:31the exact same thing. I knew he wouldn't have given Christopher the green light to attack
20:36me. That low blow was entirely Christopher's idea. But the fact remained. Julian's investigation
20:44had done real damage. Before we were together. I could stomach that kind of scrutiny. But
20:51damage inflicted by a lover. That was something else entirely.
20:57All I could do was hold on to this. This tangle of happiness and pain. Before it became nothing but
21:03pain.
21:04The media had dubbed the race the Ashford Civil War. Cable news ran split. Screen footage of the
21:10brothers like it was a boxing match. Julian and I were caught right in the middle. Our names in the
21:16same headlines on opposite sides of the same story. The Ashford Civil War. The generals behind the throne.
21:24Every morning, I mapped out Theodore's attack strategy. Every night, I lay in bed with the man I was
21:30attacking. It was unsustainable. Julian knew it too. One night, Adrian was asleep between us.
21:37Our son, the neutral zone. Julian whispered.
21:41When Christopher wins, I'm walking away.
21:43What?
21:44He clenched his jaw.
21:45I'll keep my promise. Help him win the seat. Then I'm done. If my family cuts me off, fine. I
21:52don't want
21:52to be on the opposite side of you forever. He looked at me in the dark. Julian.
21:56I want to be with you. Openly. I want 8 Adrian to know I'm his father. That matters more than
22:02any
22:02of this. I stared at him for a long moment. Theodore is going to win. His expression shifted.
22:08No. Christopher is going to win. The temperature in the room dropped. Evan, are you really that
22:14confident? I'm very good at my job. We glared at each other, then laughed. We were so alike,
22:20it was almost terrifying. Christopher wants his sister Victoria to marry Julian, to solidify the
22:28alliance. Julian's family has already agreed. Theodore watched me with concern. He'd long
22:33since figured out what Julian and I were to each other. Did Julian agree? Theodore shook his head.
22:38I don't know. When it comes to family and politics, his opinion doesn't really matter. What I do know
22:42is that Christopher's team has already started leaking it to reporters. I made an excuse, found the
22:46restroom, and locked the door behind me. I stood at the sink, gripping the edges, and breathed.
22:52Five full minutes. This was always how it was going to end. I had known that from the beginning.
22:58Julian and I hadn't officially ended things, but the dead end was already closing in.
23:03I washed my face. Composed myself. Went back to work. That night, I didn't open the window.
23:10I didn't answer Julian's messages. I was ready to let go.
23:16The engagement was set to be announced at Christopher's fundraising gala.
23:21Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Victoria Ashford looked radiant in white.
23:26Julian stood beside her, composed. I stood across the room and watched. It is over.
23:31The story ends here. The host called for attention. Christopher stepped up to the microphone.
23:37Ladies and gentlemen, my sister and Julian are engaged.
23:41Cameras swung immediately to Victoria and Julian. Everyone waited for the kiss.
23:45He walked straight through the crowd, stopped directly in front of me, and kissed me.
23:52The press went absolutely wild. Julian remained perfectly still as he spoke to the room.
23:58My family wants me to marry Victoria, but I need to say something first.
24:04He didn't look away from me.
24:05I'm gay.
24:10By midnight, the same image was on every screen in America.
24:14Julian Cole kissing Evan Foster.
24:16The headlines came fast, and they were not kind.
24:20Christopher's prosecutor kisses rival campaign manager.
24:23Love or strategy.
24:24The kiss that could decide the Senate race enemies or lovers.
24:28Inside the Cole and Foster scandal, the pundits tore into it from every angle.
24:32Would Julian, a honey-trapped or an orchestrated stunt...
24:35Will they survive the predatory nature?
24:37At 2 a.m., I sat in Theodore's office going through the coverage.
24:41Theodore was practically glowing.
24:44Every channel is talking about your love life instead of Christopher's fundraiser.
24:48His whole night was a disaster.
24:50He looked at me.
24:54You planned this.
24:57I didn't.
24:58But you're going to use it.
25:00I watched the screen.
25:01Julian's face.
25:02My face.
25:03The kiss.
25:04Replaying in slow motion.
25:06Yes, I am going to use it.
25:08By morning, I had a strategy.
25:10Ride the wave.
25:11Hype the romance.
25:12Rebrand Theodore as the most progressive candidate in the race.
25:16And take the LGBTQ vote with him.
25:21Theodore's face.
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