Chapter 74
C
The floorboards were slick with moisture, mold crawling up every corner. This room wasn’t meant for anyone to live in.
Back then, I didn’t even have a bedroom. Every night, I curled up outside his room door like a forgotten pet.
Later, when Jill got pregnant and her maternal instincts kicked in, she said it was “too pitiful” that I didn’t have a room. So, she asked her assistant to prepare one for me.
And this was it. The damp, mold–infested storage room.
I never had a blanket.
So when Sam collapsed to the floor earlier, hugging me like as
ground to fall on.
the most precious thing in the world, he had nothing but that cold, filthy.
When Jill woke up after giving birth, the first thing she did was cry out for Sam.
The assistant scoured the entire estate, searching high and low, until he finally found him in the cramped storage room. He froze, horrified by the sight.
“Mr. Wilkins! Madam’s awake–she’s been asking for you. What are you doing in here?”
His eyes darted around nervously. “This room… this was the one you gave Nerissa?”
Sam’s voice was low and hoarse, unreadable.
“She was living here?“>
That one sentence made the assistant break out in a cold sweat.}
“M–Madam said that mermaids need a cool and damp environment, so she thought…this room was
His voice trailed off as he realized–his master was furious.
Sam slowly pushed himself off the floor, his hands streaked with algae and mold.
He let out a cold laugh.
“Well, isn’t that thoughtful of my dear wife?”
My soul hovered silently in the air above him.
There was no joy or sorrow left in me–only a distant, numb curiosity as I watched him move.
All these years, Sam seemed head over heels for Jill. §
But now that I was dead… why did he suddenly seem so detached?}
most suitable…”
Jill was weak from childbirth, her face pale as she tried to lean into Sam’s arms. He instinctively pulled away. His body still remembered the warmth of mine and he wasn’t ready to let it go. He didn’t want anyone else to touch him. Not even her.
Jill’s expression darkened, but she pretended not to notice.
“Honey, I heard some noise outside just now. Someone said your parents came back… is that true?“}
“Yeah, they came back,” Sam said, nodding. His tone was flat. “They said we’ve been misunderstanding Nerissa all this time and it was all for research.”
I leaned in, watching closely. He didn’t mention anything about the traitor.
Jill’s hand flew to her mouth in shock.
“Research? What kind of research?“}
She was pressing, wanting to know more, but Sam clearly wasn’t interested in sharing.
“I’ll explain when you’re better. Right now, I need to go take care of Nerissa. She’s in a bad shape.”
“Tonight, you sleep alone.“>
I was genuinely surprised. Sam had never said something like that to Jill before. Without another word, he put on his coat and left the room–didn’t notice the way Jill’s face twisted with rage, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles cracked.
Sam gathered every scientist in the underground lab.
He ordered an emergency meeting to figure out how to delay my death–and more than that, how to bring me back.
The researchers exchanged uneasy glances. They all knew it was impossible. Then, one of the more blunt ones raised his hand hesitantly.
“Mr. Wilkins… the mermaid pearl is already dissolving. Resurrection is scientifically impossible. Maybe… maybe it’s time to let her go peacefully.”
Sam couldn’t hold back his fury any longer. His fist crashed into the man’s face, knocking him to the ground.
“Who gave you permission to give up?! If you can’t save her, then die trying! Join her in the grave if you have to!“M
Each punch landed with brutal force, blood flying.
It took the assistant pulling him off the poor guy to finally stop him.
And in that chaos, the assistant finally said what had been weighing on his heart all along.”
“Mr. Wilkins, why now? You spent all those years tormenting her, treating her like she wasn’t even human… and now you want to play the grieving lover? Isn’t that just a little… hypocritical?”
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8:59 AM
Someone had finally said it.&
The bitter, gnawing feeling in my chest–someone had finally put it into words.
Is this what they mean by “too little, too late“?>
Sam’s breath caught in his throat, his vision spun and he collapsed. The lab exploded into chaos once more. It wasn’t until deep into the night that the room finally went quiet again.”
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