Chapter 2 CHAPTER

ROSE’s POV

I still love you Jay, but I will never forgive you for everything you did to me.

My tears slowly falling down on my cheeks while looking at the two-storey house that was built right in front of the sea. It still hurts me, even though it was happened 18 years ago.

That house reminded me of everything that happened between me and Jay. Our memories together, the pains, the heartaches, everything.

As I swim away to continue looking for my daughter, I can’t help but remember the past.

“Will you marry me Rose?” Jay asked, showing me the beautiful ring in a red velvet box, he was kneeled right in front of me while I laid on the sand, my tail in the salt water.

“Yes Jay, Yes! I will marry you!” I was teary-eyed when he pulled me closer and gave me a deep and passionate kiss before he shoved the ring in my finger.

I am so overwhelmed with what was happening right now. I never thought he would propose right away after a month of our relationship.

I had met Jay in the middle of the sea. He was having a vacation from his school and staying at the beach house that was owned by his father.

One day, he went fishing, and the boat he was riding sank. He was a good swimmer but he suddenly had leg cramps. When I saw him getting drowned, I wasted no time and saved him. “Thank you for saving me, I’m Jay and you are?”

“I’m Rose and I am a mermaid.”

At first, he felt scared but when he learned that I was nice, not to mention my beautiful face, and an aqua eyes that made him mesmerized every time he looked at me, he eventually fell in love with me, even though I am different from him.

When I turned 18, I asked my mother to give me human legs as a gift but she declined my request. “Please mother, just this once. I want to be a human.” I begged.

“No Rose, you can ask anything but not this one!”

I felt disappointed as I swim far away from home and I stopped by the seashore. Jay was already waiting for me. “I’m so sorry Jay but mother doesn’t want to give me the legs I was asking.” I looked down, my voice was trembling. “It’s okay Rose, don’t cry. I love you for what and for who you are. I will love you until the day I die.” He promised.

“Oh Jay, I love you too.” I pulled her through her nape and crashed his lips with mine.

“Tomorrow, I will be going back in Seoul to continue my studies. I will come back Rose, wait for me.” he said, his thumb brushing my cheeks.

"I will wait for you Jay, no matter what. I love you so much.”

And before he left, he proposed to me. He said he will marry me when he comes back.

But five years had passed and Jay didn’t come back. Everyday I patiently waited for him on the seashore but he never appeared even once until I decided to steal the pearl from my mother. The purple pearl who gave me human legs.

AREUM’S POV

“We’re in trouble now Areum,” Chan said, his face frowned in nervousness.

"Areum, where have you been?" I saw Father Jin approached us, his face was tired and exhausted, maybe from looking at me.

"Father?" I was glad he was the one who found me first. He would always saved me from mother's angry blast.

"Your mother and I were looking for you everywhere. Where's Chan?" he asked, looking through my hair. Father knew him very well, he always hides inside my golden hair every time he knew that he would be scolded by mother.

"Ta-da!" Chan suddenly jumped out of my hair, making father startled. Chan and I laughed so hard.

"You--" father purred, his hand on his chest. "Go home Chan, if you don't want to be scolded by Rose."

"I'm so sorry father, it was my fault. I didn't realize it was already dark. I enjoyed playing with Chan and the mermaids." I said looking down.

"Daddy Jin, we saw a--"

"We saw a shark!" I said cutting Chan off. I knew he would talk about the yacht. I don't want them to know about me seeing a human. Mother forbade me to see human and I really don't know why. I gave Chan a warning look and he nodded, understood what I was trying to say.

"And Areum saved me."

"Are you okay Areum?" Father asked, his face was really worried. "Didn't you hurt yourself from that shark?"

" I'm fine father."

Father gently brushed my hair with his fingers away from my face." Okay then, let's go." he held my wrist and together we swam away from Chan.

"Bye Chan, see you tomorrow!" I said waving my hand at him.

"Bye Areum, bye daddy Jin." he grinned, teasing father.

Father glared at him and I laugh watching Chan covered his mouth with his fin. I winked at him as I turned around and swam away back home with father.