Family secrets, painful betrayal, and a powerful comeback drive this emotional and addictive short drama.
#drama #romance #love #movie #lovestory #truelove #relationship #heartbreak #betrayal #couple
#drama #romance #love #movie #lovestory #truelove #relationship #heartbreak #betrayal #couple
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The merman who wouldn't even glance in my direction, I caught him wagging his tail so hard for someone else,
00:07I thought he'd snap it clean off.
00:09So it's not that he doesn't get attached. He just doesn't get attached to me. Fine, then we're done here.
00:17It's just a fish.
00:19I caved and bought a service merman online. The seller said they're super attentive, clingy even, and during certain special
00:27moments, they cry little pearls.
00:30Mine showed up two weeks ago. Not a single pearl. Won't even let me look at him without diving behind
00:35the seaweed.
00:39I filed a complaint. Customer service got back to me fast.
00:43Hi there. So sorry about that. Would you like us to send a replacement?
00:47I couldn't help asking. What do you guys do with the returns?
00:50No worries. Defective units don't get resold. We usually send them to a premium seafood market.
00:55A seafood market. It's still a life. I'll give it more time before I pull the trigger on a return.
01:01Then that same night, I just finished watching TV and snuck over to Damien's luxury tank again.
01:07He spotted me from across the water and turned his back, burrowing right into the seaweed.
01:13Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and...
01:17Damn. That tail.
01:19Teal green algae drifting down from his shoulders with the current.
01:23No matter how many times I look, it never gets old.
01:27This merman was literally designed for my exact taste.
01:32No wonder he was the one I picked out of the whole lineup.
01:35Damien's eyes are going red at the corners.
01:38Tips of his ears are flushing, too.
01:41I move closer.
01:43He bites down hard on his own arm and swims even further away.
01:49I reach out the way the manual describes.
01:51Just a touch on his cheek.
01:53The manual clearly says this means he's hit his heat cycle.
01:56He's a full-grown memon now, so why is he still hiding from me?
02:06He smacks my hand away without a second's hesitation and bolts to the other end of the tank.
02:11I don't like being touched.
02:14Sharp, clean pain shot through my hand.
02:17I set his food down without a word and walked away.
02:24My best friend Harper had texted.
02:27Your fish still not letting you near him?
02:28I typed back.
02:31Not even close.
02:32Almost a month in and he's barely said ten words to me.
02:36No way.
02:37Did you get a knockoff?
02:38How much did you spend?
02:39I pulled up the store and typed out everything that had been going on.
02:43$3,000 at the shop you recommended.
02:46That doesn't make sense.
02:47Mine has been perfect.
02:48That place has been around forever.
02:50Solid reputation.
02:51Ask them about it or just swap them out.
02:56Merman, I bought from you almost a month ago.
02:59Still won't let me touch him.
03:01Is that normal?
03:03They replied fast.
03:04Hi, did you follow the unboxing checklist in the manual?
03:07Skipping steps can sometimes cause this kind of behavior.
03:11Are you serious?
03:12I spent $3,000.
03:15You really think I skipped the manual?
03:16I lost it.
03:18I had basically been treating this fish like royalty.
03:21Harper's Merman was nothing like this.
03:23Hers loved coming up on land.
03:25Every night he'd shower himself off, blow dry his tail until it shifted back into legs,
03:31and climb into bed to keep her warm.
03:35I'm really sorry this has been your experience.
03:37Would you like us to send a replacement?
03:39We use express shipping.
03:40Should arrive within three days.
03:41What happens to the returns?
03:43Do you resell them?
03:45Of course not.
03:46We run an honest business return.
03:48Mermen are never resold.
03:49They go through our humane disposal process,
03:51so you don't have to worry about a thing.
03:54Humane disposal meaning?
03:57We sell them at a discount to a high-end Saishi restaurant.
04:01Sashimi.
04:02It's still a life.
04:03Maybe he just needs more time.
04:05I'll keep him a little longer.
04:07If nothing changes, then I'll make the call.
04:10I went back to my room and lit a cigarette.
04:12There was a message from home sitting in my notifications.
04:16Two hours old.
04:18Ava, your sister's staying with you for a few days.
04:20Be nice to each other.
04:21Don't go starting drama.
04:22Starting drama?
04:24Me?
04:25I wouldn't give Vanessa the satisfaction.
04:28We've never gotten along.
04:30Which made it even weirder that she suddenly decided she wanted to crash at my place.
04:35Vanessa is my parents' adopted daughter.
04:38I got lost when I was three.
04:40Ended up in an orphanage for 11 years.
04:43I was 14, still picking crackers off the floor of that place,
04:47when my parents showed up out of nowhere.
04:50When my parents showed up out of nowhere.
04:53Said I was their biological daughter.
04:55I went back to the home that had lost me with knots in my stomach.
04:59That's when I found out.
05:01A year after they lost me, they adopted a girl my exact age.
05:05I actually thought we could get along.
05:08Then my parents stepped out of the room, and she leaned over and said,
05:12quiet enough that only I could hear.
05:15Let me be clear.
05:19I've been in this family way longer than you.
05:22I'm their real daughter.
05:24They've always loved me.
05:25Don't think showing up changes anything.
05:27I'm not letting you take what's mine.
05:29She'd been in my parents' house long enough that she genuinely believed it was hers.
05:35A few years ago, maybe I would have been desperate for their love.
05:39But now, I just thanked God I finally got out of that orphanage,
05:43and spent their money without blinking.
05:46Not that I cared anymore.
05:48Here's what Vanessa will never know.
05:50The night before my parents came to get me,
05:53I was lying awake, trying to figure out how to get out of an arranged marriage
05:57I was supposed to be locked into within the month.
06:00My parents didn't say a word about it.
06:02They just quietly handed me a black card.
06:05No limit.
06:07Old habit.
06:07I still couldn't bring myself to spend it.
06:10Aside from a few decent outfits,
06:12I secretly opened my own account and transferred money into it every month.
06:17When I turned 18, my parents could see how uncomfortable I was in that house.
06:22They gave me a villa.
06:24Just mine.
06:2411 years of absence.
06:26Paid in property.
06:28Vanessa didn't get one.
06:29She was furious.
06:31That two-faced act made my skin crawl.
06:35At least I'm honest about what I want.
06:37I like money.
06:38Simple as that.
06:39So when it came to Damien,
06:41expensive,
06:41and absolutely not warming up to me,
06:45I had zero problem spending.
06:47His food was always imported.
06:49Air shipped.
06:50Top of the line.
06:51His salt water got a full refresh every day.
06:54Plus a nutrient supplement that ran $30,000 a unit.
06:58Even the scales on his tail had a dedicated care team.
07:02Girl, that $3,000?
07:05Worth every penny.
07:06Keep at it.
07:07You'll see what the hype is about.
07:09Harper said when she saw him.
07:10And honestly, at this point in my life,
07:13certain things were becoming necessary.
07:17Compared to building that kind of intimacy with an unpredictable person,
07:22this transaction made perfect sense.
07:25Safe.
07:26Attentive.
07:27Always devoted.
07:28That was the shop's tagline.
07:30Current reality not included.
07:32As much as I dreaded it,
07:34Vanessa showed up with two cars worth of luggage and let herself in.
07:39She just stood there,
07:41scanning every corner of the room,
07:43like she was looking for something.
07:44I couldn't be bothered to engage.
07:46It's my house.
07:48Cameras?
07:48Obviously there are cameras.
07:50I don't know what kind of scheme Vanessa might cook up,
07:52so I wasn't taking chances.
07:54I went all out.
07:56Inside the flower pots,
07:57behind the outlets,
07:59tucked inside a stuffed animal.
08:00All hidden.
08:01All running.
08:02Which is how I got to watch,
08:04on camera,
08:05as Vanessa crept through my house at three in the morning,
08:09spent ten minutes searching room to room,
08:11and then headed down to the basement.
08:14That was...
08:15a lot.
08:16And Damien,
08:17the same Damien who had never once looked at me without contempt,
08:22was practically glowing.
08:24He rose halfway out of the water.
08:26How could she do this to you?
08:27Keeping you locked in a tiny tank like this?
08:31Don't mermaids deserve rights?
08:33You think and feel just like anyone else.
08:37She's heartless.
08:39If I were taking care of you,
08:41I'd put you in a lake.
08:43Let you actually be free.
08:45What Vanessa didn't know,
08:47was that putting Damien in a lake,
08:49would cause his scales to blister and crack.
08:52A $3,000 merman isn't exactly low maintenance.
08:58Damien had no idea the basement was wired too.
09:01I'd installed those cameras so the care team could monitor his vitals remotely.
09:06I'd never actually watched the footage myself.
09:09So I had no idea he could be like this.
09:13He ate my food,
09:14lived in my house,
09:17gave me nothing but ice and indifference.
09:19And for her,
09:20he turned into a golden retriever.
09:23Then it clicked.
09:24When Damien was delivered,
09:25the package went straight to the house.
09:27I barely ever ordered anything,
09:29so I'd never updated the address.
09:32Vanessa had gotten to him first.
09:35No wonder.
09:36A month and a half of me trying everything,
09:39and he wouldn't let me near enough to touch the tip of his ear.
09:43I'd actually started thinking I was the problem.
09:46Then I opened the shop's chat without hesitating.
09:49A Damien who couldn't deliver wasn't worth another cent of my time.
09:53That merman isn't going to work out.
09:55Send me a new one.
09:56Sure thing.
09:56Just so you know,
09:58returns are handled by a separate department pickup.
10:00Usually takes about five days.
10:02If you're in a hurry,
10:04you're welcome to ship him back yourself.
10:07No rush.
10:08Come get him.
10:09The day after Vanessa arrived,
10:11Damien actually spoke to me.
10:15Where are my clothes?
10:18You never wanted to come out before.
10:20What do you need clothes for?
10:22Because I want to come ashore.
10:24I have somewhere to be.
10:25Hmm.
10:26Too bad.
10:27I'm not in the mood to buy you anything right now.
10:29He just froze,
10:31then retreated under the water without another word.
10:34But Vanessa,
10:35who'd been lurking in the doorway,
10:37came rushing in.
10:38Ava?
10:38Seriously?
10:39Over clothes?
10:40I looked at her.
10:42I looked at her,
10:42almost laughed.
10:43You're right.
10:43It's just clothes.
10:45You buy them.
10:46Fine.
10:47I will.
10:49Not everyone's as stingy as you.
10:51Sure.
10:51Go ahead.
11:21Merman clothing is custom made.
11:22Thank you,
11:22thank you,
11:27You've been terrible to me.
11:28I'm not speaking to you for the next two days.
11:31When you're ready to apologize,
11:32I'll consider forgiving you.
11:34Bless his heart.
11:34A fish with a death sentence and a broke, fake heiress.
11:39I genuinely couldn't be bothered.
11:42To her credit,
11:43Vanessa followed through,
11:45sold three bags to make it happen,
11:47but she got him the clothes.
11:49By the time I came back from picking up new supplies,
11:52Damien was already gone.
11:54The housekeeper told me he'd left with Vanessa.
11:57I didn't care even a little.
12:00It was actually convenient.
12:02Made it easier to swap out everything in the basement.
12:05They came back two days later.
12:07My new merman was arriving in a day.
12:10What Harper had been describing all this time,
12:13I was finally ready to find out.
12:17Damien's eyes swept to the pile of new merman supplies stacked in the room.
12:21If you just told me you were upgrading things,
12:23I wouldn't have left,
12:24given how much effort you've clearly put in.
12:26I forgive you.
12:28This delusional fish thought I'd bought all of it for him.
12:31I'd been too accommodating for too long.
12:34He'd completely forgotten his place.
12:36He was a product,
12:38created to serve.
12:39You got the wrong idea.
12:41None of this is for you.
12:42And he'd stopped functioning at even the most basic level.
12:45Okay, Ava, I'll admit.
12:46I pushed it too far.
12:48You're my owner.
12:49I'm supposed to serve you.
12:50I got out of line because you frustrated me.
12:53But I've forgiven you now,
12:55so you can drop the act.
12:56Who else would you be buying all this for?
12:58Vanessa picked up a linen set from the pile.
13:01Ava, I'll never understand you as a person,
13:04but your taste?
13:06Flawless.
13:07Doesn't this look perfect on him?
13:08Damien reached for it.
13:10I grabbed my dad's old golf club from the corner
13:12and brought it down.
13:14Vanessa screamed.
13:15Damien's expression went cold.
13:17Ava, what is wrong with you?
13:19I said it wasn't for you.
13:21Was I unclear?
13:24If you reach for something that isn't yours,
13:26you'd better be ready for what comes with it.
13:31Damien scooped Vanessa up
13:33and stormed to the guest room.
13:36Fine.
13:37You want what you want?
13:38Tonight,
13:39I'll give you what you bought me for.
13:41Just leave Vanessa alone.
13:42She's your sister.
13:43I didn't respond.
13:45But at three in the morning,
13:47my door got a knock.
13:49Damien stood there in nothing but a towel.
13:52I looked at him.
13:53I felt nothing.
13:55What exactly gave him the idea
13:57that he was in any position to negotiate with me?
14:00I never should have waited for him to change.
14:03I should have returned him from day one.
14:05Some things are rotten at the core.
14:07Being treated well doesn't fix that.
14:10He stepped closer.
14:11This is what you bought me for, isn't it?
14:13I'll take care of you.
14:16Every Friday, I'll come to you.
14:20But the rest of the time...
14:21I shoved him before he could finish the sentence.
14:25Back up.
14:26You smell like fish.
14:29I'd had the basement locked.
14:31Damien had gone nearly three days
14:33without proper hydration.
14:35He stood frozen in the doorway.
14:37My new merman arrived first thing the next morning.
14:47Hi, I'm Ryan.
14:49A crash behind me.
14:50Ava!
14:51What is this?
14:53What are you doing?
14:54A merman can only have one owner.
14:56From the moment of purchase,
14:58compliance is written into their biology.
15:00It means I'm done with you.
15:02A merman who can't serve his owner
15:04is just inventory waiting to be processed.
15:07Damien had always been defective.
15:09If you're keeping a new merman,
15:13where am I supposed to go?
15:15That's not my problem.
15:16The shop handles returns.
15:19Did you not read the service agreement?
15:22He couldn't even manage the most fundamental function,
15:25obedience.
15:26Damien went white.
15:27He finally understood.
15:29I hadn't been bluffing.
15:30Wait, really?
15:31Ava, if you don't want him,
15:32can I take Damien?
15:33Vanessa didn't look devastated at all.
15:35No.
15:36He cost $3,000.
15:37You want him?
15:38Pay for him.
15:39Vanessa's face went red.
15:41She didn't have the money,
15:42and she knew it.
15:43Don't worry.
15:43I'm not letting them take you.
15:45I'm going home right now.
15:46She didn't even grab her things.
15:49Just left.
15:50With the room finally clear,
15:52Ryan stood up,
15:53shifted his tail into legs,
15:55and carried me back to my room.
16:03Damien stood in the hallway.
16:05Ava.
16:06The door closed.
16:09Harper was right.
16:10Owner,
16:11I'll say it however you like.
16:13Don't waste time on him.
16:14I just hadn't known what I was missing.
16:17The second Ryan bent down,
16:19my whole body shivered.
16:22A sound escaped my throat
16:23before I could stop it,
16:25and Ryan went completely still.
16:28No.
16:29Absolutely not.
16:31Three rounds.
16:33Ryan's little pearl tears
16:35scattered across the sheets.
16:37This is what $3,000
16:39was supposed to feel like.
16:41Once you've had something good,
16:43you can't go back.
16:45Once you've had something good,
16:47you can't go back.
16:49Ryan was exceptional.
16:50I didn't leave the room
16:52for two full days and a night.
16:55Afterward,
16:55he cleaned everything up
16:57without being asked,
16:58then brought all three meals to my bed.
17:02Until my dad called.
17:03Hey, sweetheart.
17:04You holding up okay?
17:05Vanessa giving you Drief.
17:07Your mom mentioned
17:07she came home with some story.
17:09Don't think too much about it.
17:10When are you coming home for dinner?
17:11We miss you.
17:11I'll come home for dinner soon, Dad.
17:13Love you.
17:16He didn't mention Damien once.
17:18Just said,
17:20if that merman wasn't making me happy,
17:22good riddance.
17:24Vanessa had gone home
17:25looking for backup.
17:26But between a daughter
17:27who built companies from scratch
17:29and an adopted daughter
17:31who specialized in scheming,
17:33the choice wasn't hard.
17:35My parents had watched
17:36Vanessa's little maneuvers
17:37ever since I came home.
17:39They saw everything.
17:41Harper called to scold me
17:43for missing two days of work.
17:47My little mermaid
17:49has been begging me
17:50to take him to South Africa
17:51to see lionfish.
17:52You should bring yours
17:53and come with us.
17:54You should bring yours
17:55and come with us.
17:56I was about to say no.
17:58Then I looked at Ryan,
17:59so quietly hopeful,
18:01and said yes, yes.
18:04We're going on a trip?
18:05Yes!
18:07Service mermen
18:08aren't that different
18:09from animals raised in captivity.
18:11The breeders keep them
18:12boxed up from birth
18:13just to turn a profit.
18:15I understood Ryan's excitement,
18:17and I was happy
18:18to give him something
18:19to be happy about.
18:20He started packing
18:21with pure, uncomplicated joy.
18:24I finally had a reason
18:26to get out of bed.
18:28I'd just finished getting ready
18:30and opened my bedroom door
18:31when a familiar figure
18:33when a familiar figure
18:33was standing right there.
18:35Damien.
18:36You never once offered
18:37to take me to see the ocean.
18:39He used to ignore me
18:41from inside the tank.
18:42I couldn't get him
18:43to come out,
18:44let alone go anywhere,
18:46which made me look at him
18:47a little differently.
18:49Owner,
18:49I'm the top of the line.
18:51Don't waste brain cells comparing.
18:53Because of the delayed pickup,
18:54we ended up staying home
18:55one more day.
18:56And for that entire day,
18:58wherever I went,
18:59Damien followed,
19:00every step.
19:01Before,
19:02the way he looked at me
19:03always had an edge to it.
19:04Now he moved quietly,
19:06like he was afraid
19:07that breathing too loud
19:08might be the thing
19:09that finally finished it.
19:11Ryan drifted over
19:12and softly offered
19:13to make dinner.
19:14I take care
19:15of the owner's meals.
19:16Damien lunged ahead
19:17before Ryan could take a step.
19:20He disappeared
19:21into the kitchen.
19:23Clumsy.
19:24The soup came out
19:25pale and milky.
19:29I made this for you.
19:30Added the best dried scallops
19:32I could find.
19:33Will you try it?
19:34Cheap garbage.
19:35Get it away from me.
19:36That was the line
19:37Damien used to throw at me.
19:39Almost word for word.
19:41Back then,
19:41he'd shove my hand away
19:43without looking.
19:43He wasn't just rejecting the food.
19:45He was rejecting me.
19:47Now I gave it back.
19:48Damien went the color of chalk.
19:50Whatever hope
19:51he'd been holding onto,
19:52it shattered completely.
19:53He just stumbled back
19:55against the wall,
19:56cradling that bowl
19:57like it was the last thing
19:58keeping him upright.
20:00What were you saying
20:01you'd make me?
20:02Go ahead.
20:03I'm hungry.
20:04Ryan bounced into the kitchen.
20:06He paused right next to Damien
20:08on his way past.
20:11Some people just never get it.
20:13You treated the owner like that
20:15and now the kicked puppy act
20:16is supposed to work?
20:17Meanwhile,
20:18she's never once raised
20:19her voice at me.
20:20Funny how that goes.
20:21Damien didn't say a word.
20:24I reached for water.
20:27Ryan moved to get it.
20:28Damien lunged ahead,
20:30poured a glass,
20:31held it out.
20:32I raised my hand
20:34and knocked it aside.
20:35It hit the floor.
20:41Ryan brought water.
20:42I took it without a word.
20:44Didn't look at Damien once.
20:48Ryan curled up next to me
20:50for a drama marathon,
20:52giving loud opinions
20:53about every scene.
20:55I laughed occasionally,
20:56passed him fruit.
20:58Small, easy things,
21:00the kind I'd once tried
21:01to give Damien.
21:03And Damien stood in the corner,
21:05watching.
21:06Too far to belong,
21:08too afraid to move closer.
21:10He'd had all of this once.
21:12He just hadn't wanted it from me.
21:15The collection crew arrived
21:17while Ryan was pulling me
21:18toward the garage.
21:20Rough deal, honestly.
21:22Nowhere to go,
21:23no one to take you in.
21:24Must be tough.
21:26Meanwhile,
21:27I get vacations
21:28and five-star everything.
21:29Life's just not fair.
21:33Damien grabbed the hem
21:34of my jacket.
21:35I know I was wrong.
21:36I really do.
21:38Please don't let them take me.
21:39I'll change.
21:40I'll do anything you want.
21:42Whatever you say,
21:43I swear I'll never treat you
21:44badly again.
21:45Please.
21:46Sure.
21:48Just pay me back
21:49what I paid for you.
21:50The light went out
21:51of his eyes completely.
21:54$3,000.
21:55He had nothing.
21:58We pulled away.
21:59The collection crew doused him
22:01before he got three steps.
22:03His legs dissolved
22:04into a silver-blue tail,
22:05and he hit the pavement
22:06hard.
22:07He just kept his eyes
22:09fixed on our car
22:10until it disappeared.
22:14I watched until
22:15I couldn't anymore.
22:16Then I sighed.
22:18Ryan went rigid
22:19beside me.
22:20Are you feeling
22:21sorry for him?
22:22Sorry?
22:24No,
22:25I was just thinking.
22:26I need to keep Ryan
22:27away from open water
22:28when we're outside.
22:29If he shifts on land,
22:31he won't be nearly
22:33as useful.
22:34Harper was waiting
22:35at the airport.
22:37Her merman
22:38was feeding her ice cream.
22:39Harper dissolved
22:40into giggles.
22:42Ryan watched
22:43with enormous focus.
22:48Harper raised
22:49her eyebrows at me.
22:52So where's the other one?
22:54Got collected.
22:55Probably sashimi
22:57somewhere by now.
22:58Shame.
23:00Decent looking.
23:01Just completely blind
23:02to his own situation.
23:03What I didn't expect
23:04was for Damien
23:05to show up again
23:11and manage to ruin
23:12five minutes
23:13of my afternoon.
23:14Harper and I
23:15were wandering
23:15through a black market
23:16stall when I heard it.
23:18He was gripping
23:18the bars with both hands,
23:20lash marks
23:21across his shoulders
23:22and chest.
23:23I looked at the display
23:24board in front of his cage.
23:26Live merman.
23:27Three thousand
23:28per kilogram.
23:29Available by weight
23:30or whole.
23:31Bulk discount
23:32negotiable.
23:33Harper nudged me.
23:34Hey,
23:35don't tell me
23:35you've gone soft.
23:36If you really can't stand it,
23:38buy him back
23:38as a housekeeper.
23:39Cost effective,
23:40honestly.
23:40Not worth it.
23:41I shook my head.
23:42No loyalty,
23:43no limits.
23:44He's worthless to me.
23:45I'm not throwing money
23:46at that.
23:47Ryan caught
23:48the edge of my sleeve.
23:51I'm your loyal little dog.
23:53Only you.
23:55Always.
23:56Ava!
23:57I know I was wrong.
23:59I know it.
24:00Vanessa got in my head.
24:02I was stupid,
24:03but
24:03I like you.
24:05You know that.
24:05His voice cut off.
24:06Maimon's only bond
24:07with one person.
24:08You're the one.
24:09You've always been the one.
24:11It was Vanessa.
24:12Vanessa.
24:12She came after me
24:13on purpose
24:14because she couldn't
24:15stand seeing you happy.
24:17Come get me out of here.
24:18We can start over.
24:20I'll only ever be good to you.
24:22I felt a gaze
24:22land on us
24:23like a thrown knife.
24:25Vanessa was standing
24:2620 feet away,
24:27his clothes in one hand,
24:29a bank card
24:30in the other.
24:36You absolute,
24:37absolute piece of work.
24:38I didn't do
24:39a single thing.
24:40You came crawling to me
24:42and now I'm the one
24:43who seduced you.
24:44I sold my things
24:46to come here
24:46and this is what I get.
24:48Stay here and rot.
24:51Vanessa,
24:52wait,
24:53wait,
24:54let me explain.
24:57Then he spun back to me,
24:59fury replacing the panic.
25:01You did this on purpose.
25:02You made sure she'd here.
25:04I really didn't.
25:06Don't flatter yourself.
25:06I returned you.
25:07I don't track the logistics
25:09of my old purchases,
25:10but his outburst
25:11had drawn attention.
25:12Buyers nearby
25:13had already started
25:14moving toward the cage.
25:16The fear came back
25:17to his face.
25:18He shrank into the corner.
25:22The same way he had
25:24the very first time
25:25he'd seen me.
25:27You know what your problem was?
25:29You forgot what you are.
25:32When I chose to treat you well,
25:34you got to act like a person.
25:35When I stopped,
25:37you're just a fish.
25:38That's always been the deal.
25:42Damien,
25:43next life,
25:45pay attention.
25:47Know what you are.
25:57Someone outside the cage
25:59made an offer.
26:00The vendor nodded.
26:01The buyer smiled pleasantly
26:02and said the quantity was fine.
26:05He'd take his time
26:06with it at home.
26:07Hope the next life
26:08is kinder.
26:10We came back
26:11from two weeks away
26:12and Ryan had gotten
26:13even clingier.
26:22Vanessa had quieted down
26:24considerably.
26:25She'd tried her luck
26:26with Ryan early on.
26:28He didn't say a word
26:29to her face,
26:30just quietly added
26:32something to her drink.
26:39She spent half of a lunch
26:41with her friends
26:41hunched over in the bathroom.
26:43And after that,
26:45she found other ways
26:46to spend her time.
26:48She didn't dare
26:49push her luck either.
26:52She didn't dare
26:53push her luck either.
26:55My parents had transferred
26:56nearly everything
26:57into my name
26:58by that point.
26:59All that was left
27:01for Vanessa
27:01was one property.
27:03which she'd already sold.
27:05If she didn't want
27:06to be living
27:07out of a suitcase,
27:08she needed to stay
27:09on my good side
27:10and she knew it.
27:18The day I found out
27:20about the laxative,
27:21I left the office early.
27:23Came home to exactly
27:25what I expected.
27:26Ryan on the couch
27:28with a tablet,
27:29a completed order
27:30on screen,
27:31Owner!
27:31and a pile of
27:32incoming packages
27:33that included fuzzy ears,
27:35a matching tail accessory,
27:37and several items
27:38I wasn't going
27:39to describe out loud.
27:41Apparently,
27:41he'd taught himself
27:42online shopping.
27:44Later,
27:45I happened to catch him
27:47deleting the purchase history
27:48from the original
27:49Merman store.
27:55Owner only needs me.
27:57If the store's gone,
27:58you can't go back.
27:59I smiled.
28:01Didn't say anything.
28:02Didn't stop him either.
28:04If I wanted to,
28:06I had a hundred ways
28:07to find that store again.
28:09I could buy as many
28:10as I liked.
28:11But right now,
28:13one was enough.
Comments