4#04

4

My diving team coworkers gossiped about me, calling me the captain's pet.

Zayn boldly stood up, grasped my hand, and declared to everyone, "Marie is my girlfriend. Anyone who gossips about her will have to go on 20 deep dives with me!"

That day, our relationship became official, and the rumors ceased immediately.

Zayn treated me with great kindness. During holidays, we went diving worldwide, he eagerly captured my beautiful moments, and when I was exhausted, he'd prepare warm tea and give me massages.

When I wept during Finding Nemo, Zayn took me to dive in the Great Barrier Reef to observe thousands of clownfish with their families and made a comforting gesture to me.

At the Atlantis Aquarium Hotel, Zayn, surrounded by fish and wearing diving gear, held up a ring to propose to me outside the glass. The entire hotel's guests cheered, "Marry him!"

The proposal video garnered over 2 million likes online.

Many female teammates told me, "Marie, you're so fortunate to marry Zayn."

But I later discovered I was just Michelle's replacement.

One day, I found a diving photo of Zayn holding Princess Michelle in his locker. I questioned myself and considered calling off the marriage, but Zayn's kindness always made me wonder if the love was genuine.

However, when Michelle arrived in the Maldives to be a mermaid, his attitude towards me grew increasingly impatient and disgusted. He disregarded and doubted me countless times for Michelle, and I kept making excuses for him.

After Michelle's death in the previous life, he calmly searched for rare tonics for me and supported the child's safe birth. Such intense love once made me mistakenly believe I was the true recipient of his affection.

It wasn't until he killed me later that I awakened and understood. Zayn never truly loved me. This was the harsh reality I accepted after two lifetimes.

When I regained consciousness, the scent of hospital disinfectant filled my nostrils.

The doctor compassionately informed me, "Your arm tendons are torn, limiting your movement for five years. Future diving depends on your recovery."

He paused before continuing, "You suffered severe abdominal trauma and arrived too late for treatment. Your uterus ruptured, the baby is lost, and future pregnancies are inadvisable."

The emotional pain surpassed my physical wounds. My dear child, I deeply regret not protecting you as I should have. Instead of being born into an unfortunate family, it's better for you to choose a loving home for your next life. I wish you a carefree future.

The nurse beside me, with teary eyes, gently asked, "Where's the child's father?"

"Dead."

She looked at me again, puzzled, "Aren't you the wife of the famous rescue captain Zayn? I just saw him with another female patient!"

Just then, my phone displayed a message from Michelle. The photo showed Zayn feeding her red rice dumplings. He must have cooked them himself, evidenced by the burn ointment on his hand. I had seen such intimate photos countless times and had grown numb to them.

My phone buzzed with notifications as today's shark attack incidents dominated social media's breaking news.

The diving team's investor and star captain Zayn addressed the public. Zayn bowed and apologized, claiming I had deliberately lured sharks to harm people out of jealousy and misused public resources.

Michelle, wearing a hospital gown, appeared cold and pitiful. She gazed at Zayn affectionately and said, "Marie must misunderstand me. Although I suffered a concussion, since she's Zayn's wife, I'm willing to forgive her..."

These three collaborated to thrust me into the center of cyberbullying. All the loving videos Zayn and I had made were reported and removed, and my social media inboxes were flooded with 999+ abusive messages.

Yet news of the star captain's successful rescue and Michelle's forgiveness garnered thousands of likes. Some netizens even uncovered Zayn and Michelle's 5-year fairytale romance, expressing regret for them in every comment.

Marketing accounts spread rumors for traffic, "The love story the kindhearted mermaid princess and star diving captain missed years ago, possibly due to Marie's interference!"

I messaged Zayn, [Divorce]

Zayn called immediately, "Finally realized your mistake? Or is it because of the online backlash? Why haven't you apologized to Michelle yet?"

Zayn sneered, "Stop pretending, I know you. You won't divorce me, even for the child's sake!"

I replied coldly, "The child is gone."

The other end of the line suddenly fell silent.