Chapter 1

The night my fiancé's ideal love returned home, Gabriel's unruly friends locked me in a water tank at the auction house. Through the glass, he lightly touched my scales, which had turned bluish from dehydration. "Chloe, just do me this favor, will you?"

"It's just a little performance, right?"

The elite crowd below was bidding excitedly, while Gabriel whispered gently to his ideal love, "Don't worry, mermaid tears are incredibly valuable. We can sell them and buy you that sports car."

It was then I realized Gabriel's amnesia was just a ploy to lure me onto land. He claimed he loved me, yet he was willing to drain me of my blood and tears.

Later, the Merfolk arrived, riding on the waves, and Gabriel knelt on the rocks, offering his heart in repentance. But I flipped my tail, creating a massive wave, and without looking back, I sank to the ocean floor.

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Chained roughly, I was forced to curl up in the small water tank. A man with a beer belly grinned at me, showing yellow teeth. "Sis-in-law, we all want to see you perform. Fiona's back today, why not dance for us?"

Another man climbed a ladder and yanked my hair to make me look up. "We've already watched your private videos with Gabriel. Sis-in-law, stop pretending to be so innocent."

"Plus, Gabriel said the highest bidder can have you for the night."

"I've wanted to try sis-in-law for a while now, hahaha."

I couldn't believe the men in front of me. My heart sank.

He had said today was about celebrating our anniversary, yet I had become merchandise on this ship. "You showed them those videos?"

Gabriel stroked Fiona's waist. "So what if they saw them? It's just flesh."

"Chloe, just do me this favor. Fiona wants to see you perform."

"This is your chance to impress her; it's an honor to make her happy."

Fiona nestled in Gabriel's arms, coyly saying, "Gabriel, Chloe seems unwilling. Isn't this too much?"

Bitterly, I slammed my tail against the glass, choking back my words, "I'm your fiancée. Why are you doing this to me?"

The huge splash drenched Fiona's clothes, and she shrank against Gabriel's shoulder, eyes red.

Gabriel punched the glass, "Chloe, don't be ungrateful! Fiona is like a sister I grew up with."

"Do you really have to ruin everyone's mood on her return?"

I scoffed, turning around, "A sister you grew up with? Then what am I?"

Gabriel impatiently lit a cigarette, "You're just a mermaid. Even if I didn't bring you ashore, you'd die someday."

"I helped you experience life on land. Now it's time for you to repay me."

"It's your honor to make Fiona happy."

Fiona leaned in and kissed Gabriel's cheek, claiming her territory. "Gabriel said mermaid tears are the most valuable."

"Once we get them, we'll buy a sports car."

Exhausted, I slumped against the glass, realizing in Gabriel's eyes, I was merely merchandise.

Gabriel waved his hand, "Enough talking, dance for us."

Seeing me unmoved, Gabriel finally picked up the long whip nearby and lashed it across me.

In an instant, several scales flew off, and shocking red welts appeared on my pale skin.

I painfully clung to the water tank's edge, trying to leap out, only for Fiona to press a cigarette butt into my fingertip.

She snorted coldly, "The lowest of mermaids, your only worth is to please us."

Gabriel tightened the whip around my neck viciously. I clung to it desperately.

The feeling of suffocation engulfed me. His eyes were blood-red, "Didn't I tell you to behave?"

"Do you really want to embarrass me?"

The beer-bellied man couldn't stand it and patted Gabriel, "Gabriel, don't break her. We still need to enjoy ourselves tonight."

"Sis-in-law's mermaid body must feel great."

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