- 2 weeks ago
The Rich Man's Test | Full 20 Eps SD Drama 2026
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01James Harrington is too old. He's terrible in bed. I prefer younger men.
00:07At a gala packed with Manhattan's elite, I openly mocked James Harrington, the younger son of the city's wealthiest family.
00:13The socialites around me burst out laughing.
00:15She gave birth to a little piano protégé, and now she thinks she's untouchable.
00:19She really doesn't know her place.
00:21Just wait. The Harrington lawyers will be at her door tomorrow.
00:24I just laughed. None of them knew the truth.
00:27Years ago, James hid his identity from me.
00:30He pretended to be poor, and I married him.
00:32I didn't learn the truth until the fifth year of our marriage.
00:36Then I took our daughter, left the country, and cut off all contact with him.
00:40The room was still buzzing when the ballroom doors slammed open.
00:44So that's why you divorced me?
00:46James strode in. He came straight for me. I loved seeing him lose control like this.
00:50When we divorced, didn't you say I'd come crawling back and beg for another chance?
00:54His jaw tightened and his eyes darkened. A spotlight fell on the center of the dance floor.
00:58A little girl sat at the piano, small and luminous beneath the light.
01:02The melody under her fingers was soft and clear.
01:05The whole room went quiet. Everyone turned to look at her.
01:08James' expression softened at once.
01:10Anna, baby, play lullaby for daddy more time.
01:12I had this piano brought in just for you today.
01:15Didn't you always want to play that piece for me?
01:17Anna closed the piano with the moment he finished.
01:22She got up and came straight to my side.
01:26Mom.
01:27She said softly, leaning into me.
01:29Only then did she turn back to James.
01:31She looked calm and distant.
01:34I'm sorry, sir. I don't play that song.
01:40Don't joke like that, Anna.
01:42Haven't you always wanted a piano?
01:44Daddy bought one just for you.
01:46Whatever you want, daddy will get it for you.
01:48No need, sir.
01:52I can earn my own money now.
01:53I can buy my own piano.
01:55Save it for Sophia's daughter.
01:57She's the one you show up for.
02:01Anna, what are you talking about?
02:02You are my only daughter.
02:05Didn't you say Sophia's daughter was the only one worthy of being yours?
02:10Wasn't it you who gave her the piano you promised to buy for me?
02:14It's okay, sir.
02:15If you care so much about Sophia, then go be there for her daughter.
02:22All I need is mommy.
02:23James never knew how many chances we gave him to tell the truth.
02:26Every time, he chose silence.
02:28Whenever Anna said she wanted piano lessons, he brushed her off.
02:31When daddy earns a little more money, I'll buy you a big one.
02:34Pretending he couldn't afford them.
02:36For five years, Anna and I spent every weekend in Central Park, selling snacks just to get by.
02:41In summer, we sold ice cream.
02:43In winter, hot dogs.
02:45Tapping on an old tin can and singing to attract customers.
02:48She was so charming that people always stopped for her and often bought something from us.
02:52Every time we packed up, she would look up at me hopefully and ask,
02:55Mom, have I saved enough yet?
02:58I want to play lullaby for daddy.
03:00It was the first piece I ever learned.
03:05Not yet.
03:06Let's save a little more tomorrow.
03:08We'll have enough very soon.
03:11Okay, Mom.
03:12I love you.
03:15A month before Anna's birthday, we finally saved enough to buy the cheapest piano in the store.
03:20I took her hand and led her into the piano store.
03:22But on the second floor, I saw James with his first love's daughter in his arms, choosing a piano.
03:28My grip on Anna's hand tightened.
03:29I turned to the sales clerk and asked,
03:32Excuse me?
03:33How much is that piano?
03:34That Steinway has already been reserved by that gentleman.
03:38It was handcrafted in Germany by a master piano maker.
03:41The price is 8 million.
03:43Someone had warned me before that James was not as ordinary as he seemed.
03:47But every time I looked around our shabby apartment, the second-hand furniture,
03:50I told myself there was no way he could be rich.
03:53I was wrong.
03:55Anna tugged at my sleeve.
03:56Mom, is that the piano daddy ordered for me?
04:02Mom, daddy looks busy talking to that lady.
04:06Why don't we go home first?
04:08We can come back and buy it another day.
04:12I tightened my grip on her hand and took her home.
04:14That night, I looked up the address James had given when he rented our apartment,
04:18Harrington Manor, on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
04:21The city's wealthiest families lived there.
04:23I stared at the screen.
04:24Tears fell onto the keyboard as I called a divorce lawyer.
04:29James did not come home until late that night.
04:32As usual, Anna ran to the door with her arms open, hoping for a hug.
04:36But James brushed past her without a glance.
04:38Anna was already used to his indifference.
04:41But that night, she grabbed the corner of his shirt.
04:44Daddy, can you buy me a piano?
04:47My friend's teacher taught her lullaby today.
04:49I only heard it once, but I already know it.
04:52If I had a piano, I could play it for you.
04:55Sure.
04:55When I earn enough money, I'll buy you one.
04:58How long do I have to wait?
05:03Soon.
05:03I promise you.
05:10Mom, I'm getting a piano.
05:11When it comes, I'll play lots and lots of songs for you and Daddy.
05:16But one day passed, then two, then a whole week.
05:19There was still no sign of the piano.
05:21One morning, I found Anna curled up under the covers, crying quietly.
05:25James saw it too, but he didn't react at all.
05:28Then he looked at me.
05:31Good, you're here.
05:32Get some painkillers and make a cup of hot tea.
05:35I need them right away.
05:36For Sophia, of course.
05:38Meanwhile, I had been up every night with headaches and cramps, barely sleeping at all.
05:42He saw all of it, yet never showed the slightest concern.
05:46Anger rushed to my head.
05:47I grabbed the bag beside me and hurled it at him.
05:50What happened to the piano you promised Anna?
05:55I'll buy it.
05:57Do you have to keep pressuring me like this?
06:03I'm divorcing your father.
06:05Once everything is settled, we'll move abroad together, okay?
06:09The Haringtons had too much power.
06:11If we stayed, her gift would be buried here.
06:13I used all my savings to buy two one-way tickets.
06:16Seeing my red eyes, Anna threw herself into my arms and said softly,
06:19Mom, can we give Dad one last chance?
06:21If he still doesn't keep his promise by my birthday, we'll leave.
06:26Okay.
06:26Early the next morning, my daughter and I went out to run our stall as usual.
06:30Two ice creams, please.
06:32Hurry, and don't let my husband see me.
06:39Sophia quickly hid the ice cream in her bag.
06:42How many times have I told you?
06:44You always get cramps, and your migrates flare up too.
06:47Stay away from street food.
06:50Forget it, we're not buying any.
06:53Oh, come on.
06:54Look how cute that little girl is.
06:56Let's buy two.
07:01Think of it as helping her out.
07:02The way Sophia looked at me hurt more than a slap.
07:05My hand slipped, and I jabbed my finger on something sharp.
07:08Blood welled up at once.
07:10James, my stomach hurts so much.
07:16Sophia.
07:17Oh, come on.
07:23I'm fine.
07:27I drew Anna into my arms.
07:28At least I still had Anna.
07:30James carried Sophia out, and Anna called after him.
07:34Dad, Mom's hurt.
07:36Come help her.
07:36But James walked away without even turning his head.
07:39As he carried her away, I heard Sophia ask softly.
07:42James, is that your daughter?
07:44I don't know them.
07:45You're mistaken.
07:46Did you hear that, Anna?
07:48That man is not your father.
07:50We were mistaken.
07:54That evening, I got a call from the music store.
07:58Hey there.
07:59This is the music store calling.
08:01Your piano was just dropped off at your house, and we need a signature for the delivery.
08:07I rushed home with Anna at once.
08:13Is your hand okay?
08:15I'm fine.
08:15Where's the piano you bought?
08:17What piano?
08:18Stop pretending.
08:19The store already called me.
08:21They probably called the wrong number.
08:22Don't worry.
08:23I'll get her one when I can.
08:25Just then, my phone buzzed.
08:26It was a follow request from an unfamiliar account.
08:29The moment I accepted it, a newly posted photo popped up on my screen.
08:33It was the very Steinway Anna and I had seen at the store that day.
08:36My mind went blank.
08:37So the piano had been delivered after all.
08:40Just not for us.
08:43Maybe James felt guilty.
08:44He was extra gentle that night.
08:46Then he sat by her bed and told her a story.
08:48Anna was so surprised that she hardly knew how to react.
08:51Before going to sleep, she reached out and grabbed his hand.
08:55Daddy, it's my birthday next Monday.
08:58My teacher is having a birthday party for me.
09:00Will you come?
09:01I can play lullaby for you.
09:03Of course.
09:03I'll be there.
09:04On her birthday, Anna dressed up for the occasion.
09:08Mommy, it's my first time performing.
09:10I have to look nice or daddy will think I'm embarrassing him.
09:15We waited and waited at kindergarten.
09:18Everyone else had arrived.
09:19James still wasn't there.
09:20I called him again and again.
09:22He finally picked up on the 18th call.
09:24Sophia's daughter has a piano competition today.
09:26Stop bothering me.
09:27But you promised Anna you'd come listen to her play lullaby.
09:31She hasn't even learned the piece.
09:32What do you think it would sound like?
09:34Garbage?
09:35Anna's face went pale and I pulled her into my arms.
09:39But she was strangely calm.
09:41It's okay.
09:42If you're busy, you don't have to come.
09:44You don't have to buy me a piano.
09:46I won't ask you to listen to me play lullaby ever again.
09:49Before I blocked James' number, I sent him one last message.
09:52Don't come.
09:53We don't need you anymore.
09:59What's wrong, James?
10:00Emma's about to go on.
10:02James' hands were shaking.
10:03He unlocked his phone and called me right away.
10:06But this time, the call didn't go through.
10:09Sweat beaded on his forehead.
10:10On stage, Sophia's daughter Emma was playing for Elise.
10:14At the climax, she struck three wrong notes in a row.
10:18James frowned before he even realized why.
10:20By the time James loosened his tie, Emma had already finished her performance.
10:25She stood and bowed to the applause.
10:28He didn't even wait for her to come off stage.
10:30He turned and rushed out.
10:32Anna and I didn't have much to pack.
10:33The moment we left the kindergarten, we got into a cab and went straight to the airport.
10:38When James got home, the house looked almost untouched.
10:41He thought we were just angry and had gone out to cool off.
10:44He waited all day, then all night.
10:46By morning, neither Anna nor I had come back.
10:49That was when James finally began to panic.
10:51He drove straight to the kindergarten.
10:53But all the teacher said was,
10:55Anna's mother withdrew her yesterday.
10:58Yesterday's birthday party was also her goodbye party.
11:01You're her father, and you didn't know?
11:05James walked out of the kindergarten in a daze.
11:09Oh, right.
11:10You're Anna's dad.
11:11She left this drawing behind.
11:13Do you want it?
11:13If not, we'll throw it away.
11:15The moment he saw the drawing, his hand started to shake.
11:18For a moment, he thought the tears would come.
11:21They didn't.
11:22In Anna's drawing, he still had a place in her future.
11:25In real life, he had never been the father she deserved.
11:28He could have given Anna everything, the biggest house, the best piano,
11:32lessons from the finest teachers in the world.
11:35Instead, he had pretended to be poor and made his little girl run a stall in the park.
11:39He regretted it.
11:40Now he wanted only one thing, to find Anna and me as quickly as possible.
11:44He needed a chance to make things right.
11:48James stood in the airport security room, eyes fixed on the screen.
11:52The footage was from seven days ago.
11:54On the monitor, I held Anna's hand and walked straight to the gate.
11:57I never looked back.
11:59Again.
12:00The staff replayed it.
12:01James stared at the screen without blinking.
12:03The flashing monitors blurred before his eyes.
12:05All he could see was five-year-old Anna sitting on a faded bench in the park.
12:09She tapped bottle caps like piano keys and hummed a broken little tune,
12:12completely out of tune.
12:14Back then, he had almost told them the truth.
12:16Then Sophia called.
12:20James, think about it.
12:21So many women get close to you for your money.
12:24What if Claire is the same?
12:25Just wait a little longer.
12:28Test her.
12:28He had never imagined that Anna and I had already found out who he really was.
12:32And instead of staying, we left.
12:35How did they find out?
12:37We reviewed the footage.
12:38A month ago, on the day you took Miss Sophia to see the pianos,
12:42Miss Claire and Anna were downstairs.
12:45A month ago?
12:48Call the piano maker from last time.
12:50I want the best piano in the world.
12:53But that master retired.
12:55He's 80 now.
12:56The last piano he made was the one Sophia has.
12:58That was his final piece.
12:59Then get it back.
13:00Tell Sophia I'll buy her another one.
13:04Sophia lost it the second she got the message.
13:07The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
13:11Good.
13:13She's gone.
13:14And now she wants the piano back?
13:16Not a chance.
13:18I'd smash it first.
13:19By the time the piano was returned to James, it was a wreck.
13:22The walnut casing had swollen and warped, as if it had been soaked through.
13:27Sophia stood off to the side, all soft eyes and guilt.
13:30James, I'm so sorry.
13:32Emma accidentally spilled coke on it while she was practicing.
13:35She was too scared to tell me she thought I'd be angry.
13:37I didn't find out until I opened it today.
13:40She was drinking coke during practice?
13:41He frowned and set his fingers on the keys.
13:43A lullaby rose into the room.
13:45Soft.
13:46Clean.
13:46Effortless.
13:47He was a Harrington.
13:48Of course he knew his way around a piano.
13:50The worst part was this.
13:51He had watched his own daughter sit in on other people's lessons for years,
13:55and had never once taught her himself.
13:56Sophia looked at him the way she always did.
13:58Her eyes full of admiration.
14:00James.
14:01You haven't lost it.
14:03You still play beautifully.
14:05He brought the fall board down with a sharp snap.
14:17James went back to the Haringtons looking for Anna and me.
14:20His secretary's voice came over the intercom.
14:24Sophia is here.
14:25She's waiting in the reception room with Emma.
14:27Emma, only five, was wearing the exact same white tulle dress Anna had worn on her birthday.
14:32Daddy James, I learned Moonlight Sonata.
14:36Then music spilled from the grand piano in the reception room.
14:39At one point in the piece, the way Emma moved her fingers made him freeze.
14:44For a split second, he saw five-year-old Anna on a park bench,
14:48tapping a bottle cap like it was a piano key.
14:51Enough!
14:52James shot to his feet.
14:53He tore at his tie and strode out of the room, Sophia's tearful voice trailing after him.
14:58James, Emma was only trying to cheer you up.
15:01She worked so hard on it.
15:03Late that night, James finally made it home, exhausted to the bone.
15:06But the moment he walked through the door, he knew something was wrong.
15:10His grandfather was there.
15:11So was his father and his older brother.
15:13With all three of them waiting for him, James knew at once that something serious had happened.
15:18His grandfather brought his cane down hard across James' back.
15:21Sophia used your signature to transfer all the shares in your name.
15:24Did you know about this?
15:28Marcus ran a thumb over his signet ring and smiled.
15:34His grandfather's face darkened further.
15:46Three months later, Sophia boarded a flight carrying share transfer documents bearing James' signature.
15:51A team of officers was already waiting for her on board.
15:54Mrs. Sophia, you are being detained on suspicion of fraud, unlawful transfer of assets, and attempting to flee the country.
16:01Come with us.
16:01While Sophia sat in custody awaiting trial, James was at Vienna's famed Golden Hall at the Musikverein, sweeping his frantic
16:08gaze across the audience and the stage.
16:10For one brief, desperate moment, he thought he saw Anna standing beneath the lights.
16:14Anna!
16:15He lurched toward the stage, only to collapse when a stunned batten struck the back of his neck.
16:20The hit brought him back to reality.
16:22The girl on stage was not Anna.
16:24Anna?
16:26Claire?
16:27Where did you go?
16:28The guards dragged him out of the hall like garbage, and all the while he kept muttering our names.
16:35Seven years later, James stood outside my piano studio, looking in through the glass.
16:39Under the warm light, I guided a boy with autism through the fingering, helping him place his fingers on the
16:44keys.
16:44Try pressing it gently.
16:46Isn't it amazing?
16:48Through the glass, I saw James carefully take out two yellow drawings.
16:51They were Anna's kindergarten doodles, their edges worn rough with time.
16:55A moment later, a tall figure stood motionless in the doorway.
16:59The boy flinched and fell silent at once.
17:01I had no choice but to walk over and open the door.
17:04Sir?
17:05I looked up and froze.
17:06It was James.
17:08He was just about to speak when the sound of rolling luggage came from behind him.
17:12Anna walked over with a suitcase.
17:14The gold medal from the Chopin competition glinted coldly in the moonlight.
17:36Anna threw her arms around me, not sparing James a single glance.
17:39Just then, James reached out and grabbed her wrist.
17:45Anna recognized him, but only pulled her hand back.
17:49You must be mistaken.
17:50I've never had a father.
17:53As the glass door slid shut, I asked gently,
17:55Were you nervous today?
17:56Of course not.
17:57I'm going to become the greatest pianist.
18:00James left in silence.
18:02No one asked where he was going.
18:04No one cared.
18:05You must be mistaken.
18:07I've never had a father.
18:08As the glass door slid shut, I asked gently,
18:11Were you nervous today?
18:12Of course not.
18:13I'm going to become the greatest pianist.
18:16James left in silence.
18:18No one asked where he was going.
18:20No one cared.
18:21Another six years passed.
18:23Anna finally stood on a stage in Vienna, giving her own birthday recital.
18:27She played an original piece called Broken Mirror.
18:29The fragmented notes cut through the hall like shards of pain.
18:32When the last chord faded, the host suddenly walked on stage.
18:36An anonymous sponsor has requested lullaby.
18:39Miss Anna, would you be willing to play it?
18:43Anna's fingers pressed hard on a B-flat key.
18:45The harsh vibration rang through the hall.
18:48Under the spotlight, she calmly shook her head.
18:50I'm sorry.
18:51I can't play that piece.
18:55The audience erupted in whispers.
18:57Lullaby was a simple beginner's piece.
18:59How could a rising pianist like Anna not know it?
19:02The host quickly moved on to the next program.
19:04James sat in silence in the darkest corner of the VIP section.
19:08In his pocket was a diagnosis, late-stage lung cancer.
19:12Anna and I both knew who had made the request.
19:14For the past six years, James had kept coming to my studio, begging my daughter to play the
19:19lullaby he had missed years ago.
19:21But it was too late.
19:22In the backstage corridor, he stopped Anna on her way out.
19:26His hands trembling, he pulled out a share transfer agreement.
19:29But Anna pushed it away.
19:31You hid the money and left my mom and me to humiliate ourselves just to survive.
19:35So keep your money and get out.
19:37Stay out of our lives.
19:38She shoved the black card back into his pocket.
19:41You made your choice back then.
19:42Don't regret it now.
19:46We saw James again on Christmas Day.
19:48He was little more than skin and bones, sitting in a wheelchair and listening to a busker play.
19:53Chemo had left his fingers trembling.
19:55His hollow, almost frightening face drew uneasy glances from passersby.
20:00Anna stopped when she saw him.
20:02Do you want to go over?
20:03The hesitation in her eyes.
20:05In the end, she chose to walk away.
20:07Let's go.
20:09A violent fit of coughing broke out behind us.
20:11I couldn't help but look back.
20:14Drops of blood spattered the snow, bright as flowers.
20:17This would be the last time, I thought.
20:19Then I quickened my pace and followed Anna.
20:21Through the swirling snow, James thought he saw a pair of lambskin boots pass by, dusted with rosin.
20:26When the familiar scent of lavender reached him, he softly hummed the lullaby.
20:31At dusk, a sigh seemed to drift across the square.
20:33An old yellowed photo lay beneath the snow.
20:36In it, five-year-old Anna sat on a park bench, with bottle caps arranged into a heart-shaped piano.
20:41Till now.
20:43Larry and Michael.
20:44Lee's mother, play with water.
Comments