The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. From start to finish, I had been nothing more than a replacement for his ideal muse. Now that his ideal muse had returned, all his past promises seemed to have been forgotten.
The doctor told me that my leg injuries were severe and might result in permanent damage. It felt like a lightning bolt had struck me.
I locked myself in the bathroom, staring at my injured tail, tears streaming down my face. If my wounds weren’t treated promptly, I might lose the chance to return to the sea forever.
Conrad’s voice was sharp and irritated when he called. “Serena, are you serious? You’ve called me dozens of times. Why are you even doing this?”
Tears stung my eyes as I pleaded, “Connie, I’m injured. You can’t just—”
He cut me off abruptly, his tone icy. “If you’re hurt, just take a cab to the hospital.”
“I’m busy. Goodbye!”
Before I could say another word, he hung up on me, leaving me in stunned silence.
In excruciating pain, I dragged my injured tail through the streets to find him, only to see him passionately kissing another woman.
Conrad was drunk, his eyes shimmering with a hurt expression, like a forlorn kitten left out in the cold. His kisses were rough and relentless, carrying a hint of punishment. My heart sank deeply.
Maya shoved him away. “You’re engaged to Serena. Why are you even here, looking for me?”
Conrad’s eyes sparkled with a wild mix of relief and joy. “I’ve been searching for you for years and the no contact with you nearly drove me insane!”
"I kept her around as a pet because she reminded me of you," he admitted casually.
The revelation hit me hard: I was merely a distraction for him, not even a genuine substitute.
Those dreamy, longing looks he gave me? They were just his attempts to find echoes of his ideal muse in me.
His youthful first love was draped across his lap, their mouths connected in an intense, unbreakable kiss.
Conrad declared, “Even if she looks like you, she doesn’t come close to you in any way.”
Maya clung to his neck, her voice a teasing whisper. “Connie, I won’t be your mistress!”
He pulled her close, his arms wrapped around her slim waist as he whispered back, “I’ll have Aiden, my assistant, inform the media—the wedding is canceled!”
I felt like I was plunged into an icy void, my shoulders trembling uncontrollably.