Chapter 1
I’m the last mermaid in the world, born with the power to make three
wishes.
The first time, my boyfriend, Charlie Sullivan, was on the brink of death. I sacrificed my unborn child and my ability to bear children, wishing for Charlie to live a long, healthy life.
The second time, the Sullivan family was on the verge of bankruptcy. I gave up my lifetime of cultivation, wishing they could rise from the ashes and thrive again.
The third time, Charlie’s childhood sweetheart, Maria Jones, was dying in labor. He forced me to sacrifice again, for the safe delivery of Maria and her child.
When I refused, he threw me into a men’s prison. “One dollar a turn. Do whatever you want. She can’t get pregnant anyway.”
That night, I screamed until my voice broke.
At dawn, I used my life to activate the pearl charm for my final wish.
“I want those who betrayed and hurt me to lose everything. May their families be ruined, their lives ended, and no grave welcomes their bones.”
***
When Charlie walked in, I was lying in filth. The last man had just left, pulling up his pants.
He saw Charlie and chuckled. “Thanks for the treat, Mr. Sullivan. Your wife tastes pretty damn good.”
Without blinking, Charlie grabbed a vase and smashed it over his head.
With a loud crash, shards flew everywhere. The man screamed as he was dragged out.
Charlie stepped closer, his eyes sweeping over my bloody, mangled body. He sneered. “Do you know you were wrong?”
When I didn’t respond, he sighed and gently wiped the filth off my face.
“Adriana, just help me one last time.
“I know you’re jealous. But the child in Maria’s belly is mine.
“You can’t have kids, but you can’t expect others not to, either.”
But I remembered when we were young after I sacrificed my unborn child to save him, he knelt by my bed crying until he passed out. Holding me, eyes bloodshot with guilt, he swore he’d never fail me.
“Even without a child, I’ll love you forever.”
That boomerang of a promise landed right between my eyes. I licked the blood from my lips and, under Charlie’s hopeful gaze, slowly shook my head.
“It’s gone.”
The last chance. Gone.
Just moments ago, I traded my life for my final wish.
Clutching the pearl charm, I whispered, “Charlie…
“You’re coming to hell with me!”
Charlie didn’t hear that last part. His phone rang–it was the hospital. In a panic, he rushed me there.
“Maria’s in labor! Adriana, hurry up and make the wish for her and her baby to be safe!”
Maria was his childhood sweetheart. She claimed her baby was a
reincarnated saint, and only a mermaid priestess’s blessing could ensure a safe birth.
Charlie believed her. He forced me to use the third charm to wish for
Maria and her child:
But he didn’t know. A mermaid priestess only gets three wishes in her life. And every wish demands an equal sacrifice. The first time, I gave up my unborn child to save Charlie. The second, I gave up my life’s cultivation to save the Sullivan family.
The third wish would cost me my life.
I told him everything. But Charlie didn’t believe me.
“Just like Maria said. You’re jealous of her carrying my child, so you made up this whole story to hurt her.
As punishment, he threw me into a men’s prison. I was tortured all night, my body broken.
And now, he still wanted me to bless Maria.
From the delivery room came screams of agony. Charlie exploded with rage, kicking me in the chest. “She’s fighting for her life in there, and you’re still playing jealous games? Adriana! This is your last chance. Are you making the wish or not?!”
When I stayed silent, his fury hit the roof. With a cold laugh, he made a call. Moments later, the butler brought in a rosewood box.
The moment I saw what was inside, my whole body went cold.
