- 2.
Jason had bought me at an auction for thirty
million dollars. When he discovered I was a
mermaid, he wasn’t afraid like the others.
Instead, he cooked delicious meals for me.
and searched for a way to stabilize my human
く
Then we had Lily, and he became even more
attentive.
Lily and I genuinely believed he loved us.
It was all a lie.
Jason grabbed my arm and plunged the
needle into my flesh.
“Ah!”
My scream echoed through the room.
“Mommy!”
Lily crawled over and clung to me.
I protected her, pleading with Jason and
<
Sarah.
“Please, spare our lives!”
My mother had warned me, “Never trust
humans. They have humanity, and humanity is
a terrifying thing.”
Now, I finally understood the true horror of
human nature.
Sarah sneered. “Ariel, I won’t let you go. You
and your daughter will be dissected for my
research!”
My body began to change.
My legs fused into a fishtail.
The lack of seawater in the tank made it
L
difficult to breathe.
“Water… I need seawater…”
I struggled, gasping for air.
Lily sobbed uncontrollably.
Jason held her down and injected her with the
formula.
She, too, transformed into a mermaid,
struggling like me.
No, please no!
I cried, trying to reach her.
Jason stepped on my hand.
<
“Ariel, stop struggling. It’s useless.”
I looked at him in despair.
I never imagined he could be so cruel.
Seven years! He had deceived me for seven
years.
When his company faced financial ruin, I had
cried tears that transformed into pearls,
selling them to save him.
I thought he’d remember, but he didn’t.
“Take the small one away. I need to study
them separately.”
Sarah’s words sent Jason scrambling to pull
Lily away.
Panic surged through me. I thrashed
desperately.
“Jason, she’s your daughter!”
I could feel his heart beating for me. He did
love me.
Why was he doing this to us?
་།
Jason, as if deaf to my cries, dragged an
unconscious Lily out of the tank.
