"Reina, where did you hide Winnie?" my husband asked with a cruel smile.

"If you don't tell me, your parents will be dumped into the sea," he threatened. I couldn't believe he would kill my parents just for his mistress.

Because I couldn't speak, I could only cry and use sign language to tell Kendrick Rooney. "Please don't do this. I didn't hide Winnie. I have no idea where she is!"

Without any mercy, he pushed my parents into the sea.

Then he touched my cheek and said, "Reina, remember, your disobedience caused your parents' death."

I stood up in shock and went to see my friend who works as a pharmacist.

Using sign language, I asked, "I need a poison that has no color or smell."

***

Winnie Griffith is Kendrick's recently kept mistress.

After getting married, Kendrick actually had many women outside.

But most of these women behaved well and never caused trouble in front of Reina Hatton.

Kendrick always said Reina was pure like a clean sheet and wouldn't allow anyone to disrespect her. If anyone tried to cause problems, he promised to make them regret it.

But Winnie was different.

She came from California, liked wearing Victorian dresses, and spoke softly, like a graceful beauty from a painting. Kendrick was immediately drawn to her.

He didn't mind Winnie causing problems in front of Reina. He even brought Winnie home and told Reina about her.

He said, "Reina, since you married into a rich family, you need to act like a wealthy wife.

"I just made a mistake that any man would make. Don't make a big deal. She and I are just having fun. When I'm done, I'll come back to you and make it up.

"But if you cause a scene, things will be different. You should know I hate being controlled by anyone."

Reina really loved him. But her husband brought his mistress home openly. How could she stay quiet?

She cried, protested, and even asked for a divorce.

But when he heard "divorce," Kendrick lost control.

He grabbed her chin and said with fierce eyes, "Reina, I love you so much, and you want to leave me?

"Don't even think about it! You will always belong to me, in this life and even after death.

"Don't let me hear the word 'divorce' again, or I can't promise what I might do..."

Winnie heard Kendrick's words, and then she vanished without a trace.

Reina swore that she truly didn't know where Winnie had gone, but no matter how much she explained, Kendrick didn't believe her.

He even took Reina's parents hostage, using their lives as a threat to force her to tell him where Winnie was hiding.

"Reina, don't play games with me. You know I hate it the most when women lie to me, and I don't want to hurt you.

"The ship is already far out at sea. Killing someone there is not against the law. This is your last chance. Just tell me where Winnie is, and I'll forgive everything."

Tears nearly blinded Reina, and her hands trembled as she signed, "I really don't know, Kendrick. Please, let my parents go."

But the man's expression changed from soft to icy cold.

"Such a naughty girl." He lightly touched Reina's face and said with a harsh tone, "Reina, remember, it's your naughtiness that caused your parents to die."

Then he made a motion to his men.

On the big screen, Kendrick's men followed the order. They covered Reina's parents' heads with sacks, bound them, and tossed them into the sea.

"Ah! Ah! Ah..." Reina's screams were rough and desperate, sounding like nails scraping on glass.

She couldn't say a word or even cry out. She just quietly fell down.

Watching her weep, Kendrick gently touched her head, feeling very sad. "Reina, don't blame me. It's your fault for not listening. Promise me you won't play tricks again."

Reina pushed him away. The sea was vast, and she wanted to jump in to save her parents, but Kendrick's bodyguards stopped her. She wasn't even allowed to collect her parents' bodies.

After kneeling by the sea and crying through the night, Reina stood up with a blank expression and went to see her best friend, Mina Tracy, who worked as a pharmacist.

Using sign language, Reina quietly told Mina, "I need a poison that has no color or smell for two people.

"I want the strongest poison that's hard to notice, no matter how much it costs."

Her parents, who loved her the most in the world were gone, and her husband not only betrayed her but was also the killer.

"Kendrick, since I can't leave you, let's die together!

"Let's go to the afterlife and apologize to my parents..." Reina thought.

Then Mina gave her a dose of poison and explained that if she wanted the poison to go undetected, she couldn't give it all at once. Instead, she had to give a small amount each day for seven days.

Reina took the poison home. When she walked in, she saw Kendrick and Winnie sitting on the sofa waiting for her.

Winnie leaned against Kendrick, looking weak and limp. She wore a dark blue Victorian dress that hugged her figure, making her figure look seductively alluring.

Kendrick said with a serious face, "My men found Winnie in the pond where your father keeps fish. You actually locked her in the basement with a bunch of dead fish."

Winnie trembled, her voice soft, and tears started to fall suddenly. "Kendrick, I'm really scared."

Kendrick immediately showed a concerned expression, but then his eyes grew colder when he stared at Reina. "Apologize to Winnie for what you did."

He spun the bloodstone ring on his finger and spoke with a warning tone, "Or I'll lock you in the basement with dead fish for a whole week. The choice is yours!"

After hearing that threat, Reina gave a bitter smile.

Before she married Kendrick, her family made money by selling fish. Her father caught fish while her mother sold them. Since she was little, she helped her mother clean fish, kill fish, and remove fish scales.

She was known as a fish girl. Maybe because she spent so much time with fish, her clothes were always covered in dirty fish scales, and she smelled like fish.

Even though she was very pretty, no one at school wanted to sit with her.

Whenever people saw her, they held their noses and ran away, saying she smelled bad like fish.

Because of this, Reina always felt insecure. When she got older, every time she helped her mother clean fish, she would take a long bath and buy lots of scented bath salts, worried that the fishy smell might still be on her skin, which annoyed other people.

Kendrick and Reina were childhood sweethearts and classmates. Whenever Kendrick saw others teasing Reina, instead of looking down on her, he stood up for her and taught the bullies a lesson. He even hired a famous perfumer from abroad to create a special perfume just for her.

He said, "Reina, I called this perfume 'The Little Mermaid.'

"Because in my heart, you're not some lowly fish girl—you're like the daughter of the ocean. Beautiful, pure, and silent—like the little mermaid from a fairy tale."

At that moment, Reina was so touched she cried. No one had ever been so kind to her before.

Others saw her as a mute girl who smelled like fish, but Kendrick treated her like a princess.

Whatever she wanted, she never had to ask. Just by looking, it would appear by her side the next day.

Romantic gestures like roses and fireworks were too childish for them. Kendrick even gave her a diamond ring every day.

"My mermaid princess, I know you're scared right now. You feel our worlds are too different and you don't dare to be with me.

"That's okay. I can wait. Starting today, I'll give you a diamond ring and propose to you every single day.

"I hope that when I propose to you for the 1,001 times, you will say yes and become my bride.

"I will give you a fairytale love and make you the happiest woman alive."

When he asked her to marry him for the 1,001 times, he even set up lanterns all across the sea. The moment was extremely romantic.

Reina believed she had found the man she could trust with her whole life.

But now, to take his anger out on another woman, this man actually wants to lock her in a basement filled with dead fish!

He clearly knew the smell of rotten fish scared her deeply, and she was teased by her classmates because of that smell before.

Reina bit her lip and signed with her hands. "It's not my fault. I didn't do anything wrong! I won't say sorry!"

Her face was pale, but she looked up with determination, refusing to lower her head.

Winnie cried sadly. "Kendrick, please stop. She's your wife. How could she be at fault?

"It's all my mistake! I shouldn't have stayed with you. I better leave."

After saying that, she got up and walked out in her long dress, looking graceful like a swaying tree.

Kendrick, of course, didn't want to let her leave. He reached out and pulled Winnie close.

"Leave? Where would you go? Don't you know I almost lost my mind looking for you when you disappeared for those days?

"From now on, you're not allowed to leave my sight anymore!"

Kendrick held Winnie's slim waist firmly, and the desire in his eyes was hard to hide.

He pressed Winnie down onto his lap, shielding the strong feeling growing between his legs, then issued a command, "Since Mrs. Rooney won't admit she's wrong, put her in the basement.

"Let her stay there and think about what she did. She can come out when she understands."

After saying this, before his men could even take Reina away, he quickly tore Winnie's dress and pushed her down on the sofa.

Reina closed her eyes in utter despair. Her tears had long since dried, but her heartache remained as sharp as ever.

The basement smelled terrible because of all the dead fish inside, and the stench made her eyes hurt.

As soon as Reina got in, she couldn't hold it and started throwing up while leaning on the wall.

It wasn't just because of the awful smell. It was because the smell reminded her of a scary memory.

Whenever she smelled fish, she couldn't stop thinking about the time she was bullied as a child.

They hit her face with dead fish, covered her in fish scales, and made her eat rotten fish meat.

Reina huddled in the corner, her body shaking uncontrollably. She kept shaking her head, trying to beg for mercy, but no sound came out.

He clearly promised to treat her well for the rest of his life—so why is he treating her like this now?

After being kept locked in the basement for three full days, Reina was finally released.

But as soon as she came out, Kendrick asked her, "Do you realize what you did was wrong?"

Reina quietly nodded, having lost all hope in him.

"It's good that you understand," Kendrick said, reaching out to touch her cheek, his tone softening a little.

"Reina, be good, and I will keep treating you well."

Reina stayed silent, but while making dinner, she secretly added the first dose of poison with an empty expression.

After eating, Kendrick took her to an auction.

"Just hold up the paddle for anything you want. No matter the price, I will buy it for you," he said gently.

First, he hurt her and then he comforted her, treating her like a dog.

Reina's eyes were full of sorrow. In her heart, she wondered, "Kendrick, can you bring my parents back to life?

"Sadly, money can't buy everything."

The auction started soon, and Kendrick spent a lot of money on expensive jewelry for her.

But none of that could make up for the pain he caused.

Just when Reina was tired and wanted to leave, Winnie showed up at the auction.

But she didn't stand on the auction stage. Instead, she was locked inside a cage like a slave.

The auctioneer introduced loudly, "The last item for today's auction is the Victorian Beauty, brought by Mrs. Rooney.

"Mrs. Rooney said this Victorian Beauty likes being a mistress, so her price starts at only 50 cents.

"The bidding begins at 50 cents!"

Reina was shocked. She thought, "Mrs. Rooney? Are they talking about me?

"But I did nothing."

Inside the cage, Winnie was tied up, her hands and feet bound. She wore a very revealing Victorian dress, with a cutout on her chest and her back showing.

The dress used semi-transparent fabrics, showing off her pale thighs, and her underwear was faintly visible.

All the men watching were excited and began bidding.

"I offer 200,000!"

"This figure is absolutely stunning! Four hundred thousand!"

"One million! I'm offering one million! No one can beat me!"

***

During the bidding, Winnie looked at Kendrick with tears in her eyes.

Kendrick's face was cold as he made a hand gesture, signaling his intention to unlimited bidding.

The auctioneer shouted excitedly, "Sold! Mr. Rooney has gone all in! Tonight's Victorian Beauty belongs to Mr. Rooney!"

Kendrick stepped forward with a serious expression and took Winnie out of the cage.

Winnie sobbed. "Kendrick, please don't stop me. Let me die. I've been humiliated like this. I can't face living anymore."

She tried to bang her head against the wall as she said this.

Kendrick's face twisted with anger. He held her firmly, then spoke gently to comfort her, "Winnie, don't worry. I will never let you suffer humiliation in vain.

"I promise I will make them regret all the pain they caused you!"

Right after he finished talking, his eyes darkened, and he gave Reina a cold look.

Reina's heart shook badly, and she tried to communicate with hand signs. "It wasn't me, but you probably won't trust that, right?"

However, Kendrick had already looked away and didn't notice Reina's gestures at all.

That evening, photos showing Reina being bullied suddenly appeared all over the major news media.

In the photo, her school uniform was ripped to pieces, barely covering her private areas.

The rest of her body was covered in filthy fish scales.

Some were glued onto her skin, while others were driven straight into her flesh!

Blood ran down her legs as she lay on the floor, crying, surrounded by heaps of dead fish...

Under the photo, a few bold words were written, "Breaking news! Photos and videos of Mrs. Rooney being mistreated when she was young will be privately auctioned tomorrow night at the Losenford Hotel."

Reina trembled with rage, her body shaking uncontrollably. She clutched the photo in her hand and went to confront Kendrick, asking him through gestures, "Was this you doing?"

Kendrick casually took a sip of his tea and responded without really answering, "Reina, remember what I said. Be good, and I'll treat you well."

Reina signed with shaky hands. "I already told you, I didn't do it. Why don't you trust me?"

Kendrick gave a calm smile and replied, "So you're saying Winnie just trapped herself in that cage and sold her dignity for 50 cents all by herself?

"You clearly don't understand that Winnie isn't like you. She was raised in an educated family, and her reputation means everything to her.

"If it weren't for her love for me, she'd rather die than become someone else's mistress. What you did is pushing her over the edge."

Reina burst out laughing at that moment.

While laughing, tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

Back when Kendrick was trying to win her heart, he told her that her family background didn't matter to him.

But now, he claimed that Winnie came from an educated family, cared deeply about reputation, and couldn't stand any shame.

Then what about her? Just because she was a fishmonger's daughter, born into a lowly background, did that mean she deserved to be humiliated?

Kendrick said in a slow tone, "Go and apologize to Winnie. If she chooses to forgive you, I'll place another unlimited bidding and buy back those shameful photos and videos."

Reina brushed away her tears and gave a small, bitter smile before signing. "That's not necessary. I wasn't born into an educated family, so it doesn't bother me."

She turned her back to him after making the sign and walked away firmly, without a second thought.

That night, she secretly added another dose of poison to the food.

She thought that she was going to die anyway, so just let everyone see those photos and videos.

She wasn't the villain here. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. She was the victim.

Not long after, Reina's birthday came.

Perhaps as a form of compensation, Kendrick threw her an extravagant luxurious birthday banquet.

He even gave her a custom-made evening gown that cost millions. But when Reina showed up at the banquet wearing it, whispers and laughter spread through the crowd.

"Is that Mr. Rooney's wife? The fish girl who was bullied, the one from the news last week?"

"I thought I smelled something weird. Turns out the fish girl is here."

"She really thinks she belongs here just because she's dressed in a designer gown? No matter how fancy the gown is, it can't cover up that stink of hers."

***

When Reina heard the crowd mocking her, she instinctively turned to glance at Kendrick.

Back when their relationship first started, she was often mocked at parties for her background as a fish girl.

But at that time, Kendrick always stood up for her. He would point out every person who made fun of her and order his people to hit them across the face.

He'd keep hitting until the person's lips were bloody and they couldn't even laugh anymore.

He once said calmly, "You should count yourself lucky. Reina gets scared at the sight of blood.

"If not, I would've had your tongue cut out instead of just slapping you."

He had said that in front of a full room of guests, smiling.

From then on, no one in their social group dared to make fun of where Reina came from.

But now, photos of Reina being bullied when she was young were spreading everywhere, and Kendrick didn't do anything to help.

Naturally, people started assuming he didn't care about her anymore, so they didn't hold back.

"Doesn't that dress the fish girl is wearing look familiar? I'm pretty sure Winnie had it on a few days ago."

"What a joke. The wife's wearing the same hand-me-down as the mistress."

The teasing grew louder and more piercing, but Kendrick was too focused on being intimate with Winnie to even glance at Reina.

Feeling completely let down, Reina turned to leave. But just as she did, the big screen behind her suddenly lit up on its own. It began to display private, revealing photos of Winnie!

The photos were scandalously explicit, one even showed Winnie kneeling in front of Kendrick in a sexual act.

Still, the photos only showed Winnie's face clearly, Kendrick's face was hidden, and only his back could be seen.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Winnie sobbed, nearly fainting.

Tears streaming down her face as she pointed at Reina. "Wasn't humiliating me at the auction last time enough?

"Is it only when I'm dead that you'll finally leave me alone?"

She tried to commit suicide again, but Kendrick stopped her.

"Don't stop me, Kendrick. Just let me die."

Winnie cried again. "The Griffith is a family of scholars. My parents and I are very conservative.

"If they saw those photos, they'd kill me!"

Unintentionally, she elevated her status again.

Kendrick pulled her into his arms and said gently, "Don't be scared, Winnie. You're mine. No one can touch you without my permission."

Winnie kept crying. "You always say that, but Reina keeps humiliating me over and over, and you never punish her..."

"I just didn't punish her in front of you," Kendrick said coldly. "But since you brought it up, I'll vent your anger for you, right here, right now."

He waved his assistant over and whispered something in his ear.

The assistant listened respectfully, then gathered all the Rooney family's men and shouted, "Go home and bring all the dead fish from the basement. Carry them all upstairs now!"

Reina flinched, sensing what was coming.

She looked up at Kendrick, eyes silently locking with his. Her eyes had turned red unconsciously.

Kendrick met her gaze with a smile. "Reina, why can't you just behave?

"I didn't want to do this to you, but you brought it on yourself."

As soon as he finished speaking, a downpour of dead fish came crashing down on Reina.

But the fish wasn't the worst part—the real horror was the foul-smelling ice water they had been soaking in. It splashed down with them, drenching her from head to toe.

Reina stood there soaked, her hair and clothes dripping with slimy, stinking fish water. The stench was unbearable.

Kendrick's men stood on the second floor, dumping bucket after bucket of ice water filled with dead fish onto Reina.

Dead fish rained down on Reina like hail, even cutting her forehead.

Filthy, reeking fish scales covered her from head to toe, and they emitted a foul stench.

Guests quickly covered their noses and backed away. Their eyes were full of disgust as they looked at her.

For a moment, Reina felt like she was back in her childhood, back when she was bullied.

Only this time, it wasn't classmates hurting her. It was her husband, the man who once promised to love her forever, protect her, and treat her like a princess...

"Winnie, are you happy now?" Kendrick asked with a smile. "My dear lady."

Winnie replied sweetly, "Kendrick, I was just complaining... I didn't want you to really punish her.

"I'm sorry, Reina. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"There's no need to apologize to her," Kendrick said coldly. "She's the one who crossed the line. She doesn't deserve it."

The crowd murmured in shock. Even the ones who had laughed at Reina earlier now couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

"Poor Mrs. Rooney. Today is her birthday. I can't believe Mr. Rooney did this to her."

"What can you do? She provoked Winnie. Winnie's the one Mr. Rooney really cares about now."

"The wife lost to the mistress. How pathetic."

***

Reina couldn't speak. She didn't even bother to hide anymore.

The final bucket of ice water and dead fish hit her. Soaked, bruised, and numb, she turned around and limped away.

Do mermaids hate the prince as they turn to foam?

Reina didn't know. All she knew was that right now, it was hard not to hate Kendrick.

A few days later, the poison reached its fourth dose.

Only two more to go.

But that day, something went wrong.

After finishing her meal, Winnie suddenly started coughing up blood.

"Reina, what did you put in my soup?" Winnie cried, "My stomach hurts so bad!

"Kendrick, please help me! Am I going to die? I'm scared..."

Reina froze. She did poison the soup.

She had even asked Mina for more poison, planning to take Winnie away with her too.

After all, if Winnie hadn't framed her again and again, her parents wouldn't have died tragically.

But Mina said the poison only works after all seven doses were taken.

So why was Winnie coughing up blood in advance?

Kendrick looked tense. "Winnie, don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to you."

He scooped Winnie up and rushed outside but stopped suddenly at the door.

"Someone, bring Mrs. Rooney to the hospital too," Kendrick ordered coldly.

"And pack up all the food on the table. Take it to the hospital for testing!"

Reina closed her eyes in despair. She knew it was over.

At the hospital, Winnie was rushed into the ER.

Soon, a doctor came out. "The patient has severe stomach bleeding and needs a blood transfusion.

"The blood bank is running low, but luckily, the patient is type AB.

"Blood types A, B, AB, and O can be donated. Is anyone willing to give blood?"

All eyes immediately turned to Reina.

Kendrick walked over slowly, looking down at Reina. He grabbed her face like he was playing with a bird.

He said, "Reina, you've been way too stubborn lately. But if you beg me, if you just give in, I won't make you donate blood."

Reina smiled and signed clearly to Kendrick. "Never."

Kendrick's face darkened instantly. "Reina, you've been way too defiant lately. Always trying to anger me. Looks like you need a lesson."

Moments later, he ordered his men to hold Reina down. "If she wants to donate blood, then draw it!

"Take as much blood as Winnie needs."

Reina struggled but couldn't break free. She was pinned to the hospital bed as a thick needle pierced her skin, bright red blood slowly draining through the tube.

She was already a bit anemic, and Kendrick knew it. When they first married, he'd personally made her nourishing food and made sure she ate it all.

But now, he had his men hold her down while nurses took bag after bag of her blood.

Her vision blurred and darkened. She gave all the blood Winnie needed, and just as she was about to pass out, Kendrick's assistant suddenly rushed in.

"Mr. Rooney, the poison test results from the soup are in," the assistant reported grimly.

"Not only was Winnie's soup poisoned, but the same poison was found in yours and Mrs. Rooney's as well.

"The dose is small. One time won't harm you, but long-term consumption is deadly."

He glanced worriedly at Reina, then Kendrick's face instantly turned terrifying.

"How dare someone poison food right under my nose! Find out who did this!"

The assistant hesitated, glancing secretly at Reina, but staying professional, he said, "Mr. Rooney, I've already identified the person responsible."