- 13 minutes ago
My Merman Betrayed Me，So I Chose Another - Full EP 2026
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The merman who wouldn't even glance in my direction?
00:03I caught him wagging his tail so hard for someone else,
00:06I thought he'd snap it clean off.
00:09So it's not that he doesn't get attached.
00:12He just doesn't get attached to me.
00:15Fine, then we're done here.
00:17It's just a fish.
00:18I caved and bought a service merman online.
00:22The seller said they're super attentive, clingy even,
00:25and during certain special moments,
00:27they cry little pearls.
00:29Mine showed up two weeks ago.
00:31Not a single pearl won't even let me look at him
00:34without diving behind the seaweed.
00:38I filed a complaint.
00:40Customer service got back to me fast.
00:43Hi there, so sorry about that.
00:45Would you like us to send a replacement?
00:47I couldn't help asking.
00:48What do you guys do with the returns?
00:50No worries, defective units don't get resold.
00:53We usually send them to a premium seafood market.
00:55A seafood market.
00:56It's still a life.
00:58I'll give it more time before I pull the trigger on a return.
01:01Then that same night, I just finished watching TV
01:04and snuck over to Damien's luxury tank again.
01:07He spotted me from across the water and turned his back,
01:11burrowing right into the seaweed.
01:13Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and damn, that tail.
01:19Teal green algae drifting down from his shoulders with the current.
01:23No matter how many times I look, it never gets old.
01:27This merman was literally designed for my exact taste.
01:31No wonder he was the one I picked out of the whole lineup.
01:35Damien's eyes are going red at the corners.
01:38Tips of his ears are flushing too.
01:41I move closer.
01:43He bites down hard on his own arm and swims even further away.
01:48I reach out the way the manual describes, just a touch on his cheek.
01:53The manual clearly says this means he's hit his heat cycle.
01:56He's a full-grown memon now, so why is he still hiding from me?
02:05He smacks my hand away without a second's hesitation and bolts to the other end of the tank.
02:11I don't like being touched.
02:14Sharp, clean pain shot through my hand.
02:17I set his food down without a word and walked away.
02:24My best friend Harper had texted,
02:26Your fish still not letting you near him?
02:28I typed back.
02:31Not even close.
02:32Almost a month in and he's barely said 10 words to me.
02:36No way.
02:37Did you get a knockoff?
02:38How much did you spend?
02:39I pulled up the store and typed out everything that had been going on.
02:43$3,000 at the shop you recommended.
02:46That doesn't make sense.
02:47Mine has been perfect.
02:48That place has been around forever.
02:49Solid reputation.
02:51Ask them about it or just swap them out.
02:56Merman, I bought from you almost a month ago.
02:59Still won't let me touch him.
03:01Is that normal?
03:02They replied fast.
03:04Hi, did you follow the unboxing checklist in the manual?
03:07Skipping steps can sometimes cause this kind of behavior.
03:11Are you serious?
03:12I spent $3,000.
03:14You really think I skipped the manual?
03:16I lost it.
03:18I had basically been treating this fish like royalty.
03:21Harper's Merman was nothing like this.
03:23Hers loved coming up on land.
03:26Every night he'd shower himself off, blow dry his tail until it shifted back into legs,
03:31and climb into bed to keep her warm.
03:34I'm really sorry this has been your experience.
03:37Would you like us to send a replacement?
03:38We use express shipping.
03:40Should arrive within three days.
03:41What happens to the returns?
03:43Do you resell them?
03:45Of course not.
03:46We run an honest business return.
03:48Mermen are never resold.
03:49They go through our humane disposal process,
03:51so you don't have to worry about a thing.
03:54Humane disposal meaning?
03:57We sell them at a discount to a high-end Saishi restaurant.
04:01Sashimi.
04:02It's still a life.
04:03Maybe he just needs more time.
04:05I'll keep him a little longer.
04:06If nothing changes, then I'll make the call.
04:09I went back to my room and lit a cigarette.
04:12There was a message from home sitting in my notifications.
04:16Two hours old.
04:17Ava, your sister's staying with you for a few days.
04:20Be nice to each other.
04:21Don't go starting drama.
04:22Starting drama?
04:24Me?
04:25I wouldn't give Vanessa the satisfaction.
04:28We've never gotten along.
04:30Which made it even weirder that she suddenly decided she wanted to crash at my place.
04:35Vanessa is my parents' adopted daughter.
04:38I got lost when I was three.
04:40Ended up in an orphanage for 11 years.
04:42I was 14, still picking crackers off the floor of that place, when my parents showed up out of nowhere.
04:50When my parents showed up out of nowhere.
04:52Said I was their biological daughter.
04:55I went back to the home that had lost me with knots in my stomach.
04:59That's when I found out.
05:01A year after they lost me, they adopted a girl my exact age.
05:05I actually thought we could get along.
05:08Then my parents stepped out of the room and she leaned over and said quiet enough that only I could
05:13hear.
05:15Let me be clear.
05:19I've been in this family way longer than you.
05:22I'm their real daughter.
05:23They've always loved me.
05:25Don't think showing up changes anything.
05:26I'm not letting you take what's mine.
05:29She'd been in my parents' house long enough that she genuinely believed it was hers.
05:35A few years ago, maybe I would have been desperate for their love.
05:39But now, I just thanked God I finally got out of that orphanage and spent their money without blinking.
05:46Not that I cared anymore.
05:48Here's what Vanessa will never know.
05:50The night before my parents came to get me, I was lying awake,
05:54trying to figure out how to get out of an arranged marriage I was supposed to be locked into within
05:59the month.
06:00My parents didn't say a word about it.
06:02They just quietly handed me a black card.
06:05No limit.
06:06Old habit.
06:07I still couldn't bring myself to spend it.
06:10Aside from a few decent outfits, I secretly opened my own account and transferred money into it every month.
06:16When I turned 18, my parents could see how uncomfortable I was in that house.
06:22They gave me a villa. Just mine.
06:2411 years of absence. Paid in property.
06:28Vanessa didn't get one. She was furious.
06:31That two-faced act made my skin crawl.
06:35At least I'm honest about what I want. I like money. Simple as that.
06:39So when it came to Damien, expensive and absolutely not warming up to me, I had zero problem spending.
06:46His food was always imported. Air shipped. Top of the line.
06:51His salt water got a full refresh every day. Plus a nutrient supplement that ran 30 grand a unit.
06:58Even the scales on his tail had a dedicated care team.
07:02Girl, that $3,000? Worth every penny. Keep at it. You'll see what the hype is about.
07:09Harper said when she saw him.
07:10And honestly, at this point in my life, certain things were becoming... necessary.
07:17Compared to building that kind of intimacy with an unpredictable person, this transaction made perfect sense.
07:25Safe. Attentive. Always devoted.
07:28That was the shop's tagline. Current reality not included.
07:32As much as I dreaded it, Vanessa showed up with two cars worth of luggage and let herself in.
07:39She just stood there, scanning every corner of the room, like she was looking for something.
07:44I couldn't be bothered to engage. It's my house.
07:48Cameras? Obviously there are cameras.
07:50I don't know what kind of scheme Vanessa might cook up, so I wasn't taking chances.
07:54I went all out. Inside the flower pots, behind the outlets, tucked inside a stuffed animal.
08:00All hidden. All running.
08:02Which is how I got to watch, on camera, as Vanessa crept through my house at 3 in the morning,
08:08spent 10 minutes searching room to room, and then headed down to the basement.
08:14That was... a lot.
08:16And Damien, the same Damien who had never once looked at me without contempt, was practically glowing.
08:23He rose halfway out of the water.
08:25How could she do this to you? Keeping you locked in a tiny tank like this?
08:31Don't mermaids deserve rights? You think and feel just like anyone else. She's heartless.
08:39If I were taking care of you, I'd put you in a lake. Let you actually be free.
08:45What Vanessa didn't know was that putting Damien in a lake would cause his scales to blister and crack.
08:51A $3,000 merman isn't exactly low maintenance.
08:58Damien had no idea the basement was wired too.
09:01I'd installed those cameras so the care team could monitor his vitals remotely.
09:06I'd never actually watched the footage myself.
09:09So I had no idea he could be like this.
09:13He ate my food, lived in my house, gave me nothing but ice and indifference.
09:19And for her, he turned into a golden retriever. Then it clicked.
09:24When Damien was delivered, the package went straight to the house.
09:27I barely ever ordered anything, so I'd never updated the address.
09:32Vanessa had gotten to him first. No wonder.
09:36A month and a half of me trying everything, and he wouldn't let me near enough to touch the tip
09:42of his ear.
09:43I'd actually started thinking I was the problem.
09:46Then I opened the shop's chat without hesitating.
09:49A Damien who couldn't deliver wasn't worth another cent of my time.
09:53That merman isn't going to work out.
09:55Send me a new one.
09:56Sure thing!
09:57Just so you know, returns are handled by a separate department pickup usually takes about five days.
10:02If you're in a hurry, you're welcome to ship him back yourself.
10:07No rush. Come get him.
10:09The day after Vanessa arrived, Damien actually spoke to me.
10:15Where are my clothes?
10:18You never wanted to come out before. What do you need clothes for?
10:22Because I want to come ashore. I have somewhere to be.
10:26Too bad. I'm not in the mood to buy you anything right now.
10:29He just froze, then retreated under the water without another word.
10:34But Vanessa, who'd been lurking in the doorway, came rushing in.
10:37Ava, seriously? Over clothes?
10:40I looked at her, almost laughed.
10:42You're right. It's just clothes. You buy them.
10:46Fine. I will. Not everyone's as stingy as you.
10:50Sure. Go ahead.
10:52Merman clothing is custom-made. $700 minimum per piece.
10:57Lasts less than a month before it needs replacing.
11:00Vanessa's monthly allowance was $5,000.
11:03Because ever since I came home, most of the family's assets had been transferred into my name.
11:09While Vanessa spent years playing games and jockeying for position,
11:13I'd spent a decade grinding, two companies now, on top of whatever the family provided.
11:21Thank you, Vanessa.
11:27You've been terrible to me. I'm not speaking to you for the next two days.
11:31When you're ready to apologize, I'll consider forgiving you.
11:33Bless his heart. A fish with a death sentence and a broke, fake heiress.
11:39I genuinely couldn't be bothered.
11:42To her credit, Vanessa followed through, sold three bags to make it happen, but she got him the clothes.
11:48By the time I came back from picking up new supplies, Damien was already gone.
11:54The housekeeper told me he'd left with Vanessa.
11:57I didn't care even a little.
12:00It was actually convenient.
12:02Made it easier to swap out everything in the basement.
12:05They came back two days later.
12:07My new merman was arriving in a day.
12:10What Harper had been describing all this time, I was finally ready to find out.
12:16Damien's eyes swept to the pile of new merman supplies stacked in the room.
12:21If you just told me you were upgrading things, I wouldn't have left,
12:24given how much effort you've clearly put in.
12:26Damien, I forgive you.
12:27This delusional fish thought I'd bought all of it for him.
12:31I'd been too accommodating for too long.
12:34He'd completely forgotten his place.
12:36He was a product, created to serve.
12:39You got the wrong idea.
12:41None of this is for you.
12:42And he'd stopped functioning at even the most basic level.
12:45Okay, Ava, I'll admit.
12:46I pushed it too far.
12:48You're my owner.
12:48I'm supposed to serve you.
12:50I got out of line because you frustrated me.
12:53But I've forgiven you now, so you can drop the act.
12:56Who else would you be buying all this for?
12:58Vanessa picked up a linen set from the pile.
13:01Ava, I'll never understand you as a person, but your taste?
13:05Flawless.
13:06Doesn't this look perfect on him?
13:08Damien reached for it.
13:10I grabbed my dad's old golf club from the corner and brought it down.
13:13Vanessa screamed.
13:14Damien's expression went cold.
13:17Ava, what is wrong with you?
13:19I said it wasn't for you.
13:21Was I unclear?
13:23If you reach for something that isn't yours, you'd better be ready for what comes with it.
13:31Damien scooped Vanessa up and stormed to the guest room.
13:36Fine.
13:37You want what you want?
13:38Tonight, I'll give you what you bought me for.
13:41Just leave Vanessa alone.
13:42She's your sister.
13:43I didn't respond.
13:45But at three in the morning, my door got a knock.
13:49Damien stood there in nothing but a towel.
13:52I looked at him.
13:53I felt nothing.
13:55What exactly gave him the idea that he was in any position to negotiate with me?
14:00I never should have waited for him to change.
14:03I should have returned him from day one.
14:05Some things are rotten at the core.
14:07Being treated well doesn't fix that.
14:09He stepped closer.
14:11This is what you bought me for, isn't it?
14:13I'll take care of you.
14:16Every Friday, I'll come to you.
14:20But the rest of the time…
14:21I shoved him before he could finish the sentence.
14:25Back up, you smell like fish.
14:29I'd had the basement locked.
14:31Damien had gone nearly three days without proper hydration.
14:34He stood frozen in the doorway.
14:36My new merman arrived first thing the next morning.
14:47Hi, I'm Ryan.
14:48A crash behind me.
14:50Ava!
14:51What is this?
14:53What are you doing?
14:54A merman can only have one owner.
14:56From the moment of purchase, compliance is written into their biology.
15:00It means I'm done with you.
15:01A merman who can't serve his owner is just inventory waiting to be processed.
15:07Damien had always been defective.
15:09If you're keeping a new merman, where am I supposed to go?
15:15That's not my problem.
15:16The shop handles returns.
15:19Did you not read the service agreement?
15:21He couldn't even manage the most fundamental function, obedience.
15:26Damien went white.
15:27He finally understood.
15:28I hadn't been bluffing.
15:30Wait, really?
15:30Ava, if you don't want him, can I take Damien?
15:33Vanessa didn't look devastated at all.
15:35No.
15:36He cost three thousand dollars, you want him?
15:38Pay for him.
15:39Vanessa's face went red.
15:41She didn't have the money and she knew it.
15:43Don't worry.
15:43I'm not letting them take you.
15:45I'm going home right now.
15:46She didn't even grab her things.
15:48Just left.
15:50With the room finally clear, Ryan stood up, shifted his tail into legs, and carried me back to my room.
16:02Damien stood in the hallway.
16:06The door closed.
16:09Harper was right.
16:10Owner, I'll say it however you like.
16:12Don't waste time on him.
16:14I just hadn't known what I was missing.
16:17The second Ryan bent down, my whole body shivered.
16:21A sound escaped my throat before I could stop it, and Ryan went completely still.
16:28No.
16:29Absolutely not.
16:31Three rounds.
16:33Ryan's little pearl tears scattered across the sheets.
16:37This is what three thousand dollars was supposed to feel like.
16:41Once you've had something good, you can't go back.
16:45Once you've had something good, you can't go back.
16:48Ryan was exceptional.
16:50I didn't leave the room for two full days and a night.
16:55Afterward, he cleaned everything up without being asked.
16:58Then brought all three meals to my bed.
17:01Until my dad called.
17:03Hey sweetheart, you holding up okay?
17:05Vanessa giving you Drief.
17:06Your mom mentioned she came home with some story.
17:08Don't think too much about it.
17:09When are you coming home for dinner?
17:11We miss you.
17:11I'll come home for dinner soon, Dad.
17:13Love you.
17:15He didn't mention Damien once.
17:18Just said,
17:20If that merman wasn't making me happy, good riddance.
17:23Vanessa had gone home looking for backup.
17:26But between a daughter who built companies from scratch,
17:29and an adopted daughter who specialized in scheming, the choice wasn't hard.
17:34My parents had watched Vanessa's little maneuvers ever since I came home.
17:39They saw everything.
17:41Harper called to scold me for missing two days of work.
17:47My little mermaid has been begging me to take him to South Africa to see lionfish.
17:52You should bring yours and come with us.
17:54You should bring yours and come with us.
17:56I was about to say no.
17:58Then I looked at Ryan, so quietly hopeful, and said yes, yes.
18:04We're going on a trip?
18:05Yes!
18:06Service mermen aren't that different from animals raised in captivity.
18:11The breeders keep them boxed up from birth, just to turn a profit.
18:15I understood Ryan's excitement, and I was happy to give him something to be happy about.
18:20He started packing with pure, uncomplicated joy.
18:24I finally had a reason to get out of bed.
18:28I'd just finished getting ready and opened my bedroom door when a familiar figure was standing
18:33right there, Damien.
18:35You never once offered to take me to see the ocean.
18:39He used to ignore me from inside the tank.
18:42I couldn't get him to come out, let alone go anywhere, which made me look at him a little differently.
18:48Owner, I'm the top of the line. Don't waste brain cells comparing.
18:53Because of the delayed pickup, we ended up staying home one more day.
18:56And for that entire day, wherever I went, Damien followed, every step.
19:01Before, the way he looked at me always had an edge to it.
19:04Now he moved quietly, like he was afraid that breathing too loud might be the thing that finally finished it.
19:11Ryan drifted over and softly offered to make dinner.
19:14I take care of the owner's meals.
19:16Damien lunged ahead before Ryan could take a step.
19:20He disappeared into the kitchen.
19:23Clumsy.
19:24The soup came out pale and milky.
19:29I made this for you.
19:30Added the best dried scallops I could find.
19:33Will you try it?
19:34Cheap garbage. Get it away from me.
19:36That was the line Damien used to throw at me.
19:39Almost word for word.
19:41Back then, he'd shove my hand away without looking.
19:43He wasn't just rejecting the food.
19:45He was rejecting me.
19:47Now I gave it back.
19:48Damien went the color of chalk.
19:50Whatever hope he'd been holding onto, it shattered completely.
19:53He just stumbled back against the wall, cradling that bowl like it was the last thing keeping him upright.
20:00What were you saying you'd make me?
20:02Go ahead. I'm hungry.
20:04Ryan bounced into the kitchen.
20:06He paused right next to Damien on his way past.
20:11Some people just never get it.
20:13You treated the owner like that, and now the kicked puppy act is supposed to work?
20:17Meanwhile, she's never once raised her voice at me. Funny how that goes.
20:21Damien didn't say a word.
20:24I reached for water.
20:26I reached for water.
20:27Ryan moved to get it.
20:28Damien lunged ahead, poured a glass, held it out.
20:32I raised my hand and knocked it aside.
20:35It hit the floor.
20:40Ryan brought water.
20:42I took it without a word.
20:44Didn't look at Damien once.
20:48Ryan curled up next to me for a drama marathon, giving loud opinions about every scene.
20:54I laughed occasionally, passed him fruit.
20:58Small, easy things.
21:00The kind I'd once tried to give Damien.
21:03And Damien stood in the corner, watching.
21:06Too far to belong.
21:07Too afraid to move closer.
21:10He'd had all of this once.
21:12He just hadn't wanted it from me.
21:15The collection crew arrived, while Ryan was pulling me toward the garage.
21:20Rough deal, honestly.
21:22Nowhere to go.
21:23No one to take you in.
21:24Must be tough.
21:26Meanwhile, I get vacations and five-star everything.
21:29Life's just not fair.
21:33Damien grabbed the hem of my jacket.
21:35I know I was wrong.
21:36I really do.
21:38Please don't let them take me.
21:39I'll change.
21:40I'll do anything you want.
21:42Whatever you say.
21:43I swear I'll never treat you badly again.
21:45Please.
21:46Sure.
21:48Just pay me back what I paid for you.
21:50The light went out of his eyes completely.
21:54Three thousand dollars.
21:55He had nothing.
21:57We pulled away.
21:59The collection crew doused him before he got three steps.
22:02His legs dissolved into a silver-blue tail, and he hit the pavement hard.
22:07He just kept his eyes fixed on our car until it disappeared.
22:13I watched until I couldn't anymore.
22:16Then I sighed.
22:18Ryan went rigid beside me.
22:20Are you feeling sorry for him?
22:22Sorry?
22:24No, I was just thinking.
22:26I need to keep Ryan away from open water when we're outside.
22:30If he shifts on land, he won't be nearly as useful.
22:34Harper was waiting at the airport.
22:37Her merman was feeding her ice cream.
22:39Harper dissolved into giggles.
22:42Ryan watched with enormous focus.
22:47Harper raised her eyebrows at me.
22:52So where's the other one?
22:54Got collected.
22:55Probably sashimi somewhere by now.
22:58Shame.
23:00Decent looking.
23:01Just completely blind to his own situation.
23:03What I didn't expect was for Damien to show up again.
23:06Papa!
23:07Owner!
23:09Please!
23:10Help me!
23:11And managed to ruin five minutes of my afternoon.
23:14Harper and I were wandering through a black market stall when I heard it.
23:18He was gripping the bars with both hands.
23:20Lash marks across his shoulders and chest.
23:23I looked at the display board in front of his cage.
23:26Live merman.
23:273,000 per kilogram.
23:29Available by weight or whole.
23:31Bulk discount negotiable.
23:33Harper nudged me.
23:34Hey, don't tell me you've gone soft.
23:36If you really can't stand it, buy him back as a housekeeper.
23:39Cost effective, honestly.
23:40Not worth it.
23:41I shook my head.
23:42No loyalty.
23:42No limits.
23:44He's worthless to me.
23:45I'm not throwing money at that.
23:47Ryan caught the edge of my sleeve.
23:51I'm your loyal little dog.
23:53Only you.
23:54Always.
23:56Ava!
23:57I know I was wrong.
23:59I know it!
24:00Vanessa got in my head.
24:02I was stupid, but I like you.
24:04You know that!
24:05His voice cut off.
24:06Maimon's only bond with one person.
24:08You're the one.
24:09You've always been the one.
24:11It was Vanessa.
24:12She came after me on purpose because she couldn't stand seeing you happy.
24:16Come get me out of here.
24:18We can start over.
24:19I'll only ever be good to you.
24:22I felt a gaze land on us like a thrown knife.
24:25Vanessa was standing 20 feet away.
24:27His clothes in one hand.
24:29A bank card in the other.
24:36You absolute piece of work!
24:38I didn't do a single thing!
24:40Else you came crawling to me.
24:42And now I'm the one who seduced you?
24:44I sold my things to come here and this is what I get?
24:48Stay here and rot!
24:51Vanessa.
24:52Wait.
24:53Wait.
24:54Let me explain.
24:57Then he spun back to me, fury replacing the panic.
25:01You did this on purpose!
25:02You made sure she'd here!
25:04I really didn't.
25:05Don't flatter yourself.
25:06I returned you.
25:07I don't track the logistics of my old purchases.
25:10But his outburst had drawn attention.
25:12Fires nearby had already started moving toward the cage.
25:16The fear came back to his face.
25:18He shrank into the corner.
25:22The same way he had the very first time he'd seen me.
25:27You know what your problem was?
25:29You forgot what you are.
25:32When I chose to treat you well, you got to act like a person.
25:35When I stopped, you're just a fish.
25:38That's always been the deal.
25:42Damien.
25:44Next life.
25:45Pay attention.
25:47Know what you are.
25:57Someone outside the cage made an offer.
25:59The vendor nodded.
26:01The buyer smiled pleasantly and said the quantity was fine.
26:05He'd take his time with it at home.
26:07Hope the next life is kinder.
26:10We came back from two weeks away and Ryan had gotten even clingier.
26:22Vanessa had quieted down considerably.
26:25She'd tried her luck with Ryan early on.
26:28He didn't say a word to her face.
26:30Just quietly added something to her drink.
26:39She spent half of a lunch with her friends hunched over in the bathroom.
26:43And after that, she found other ways to spend her time.
26:47She didn't dare push her luck either.
26:52She didn't dare push her luck either.
26:54My parents had transferred nearly everything into my name by that point.
26:59All that was left for Vanessa was one property, which she'd already sold.
27:05If she didn't want to be living out of a suitcase, she needed to stay on my good side.
27:10And she knew it.
27:18The day I found out about the laxative, I left the office early.
27:23Came home to exactly what I expected.
27:26Ryan on the couch with a tablet, a completed order on screen, and a pile of incoming packages
27:33that included fuzzy ears, a matching tail accessory, and several items I wasn't going to describe out loud.
27:40Apparently, he'd taught himself online shopping.
27:44Later, I happened to catch him deleting the purchase history from the original Merman store.
27:55Owner only needs me.
27:57If the store's gone, you can't go back.
27:59I smiled.
28:01Didn't say anything.
28:02Didn't stop him either.
28:04If I wanted to, I had a hundred ways to find that store again.
28:09I could buy as many as I liked.
28:11But right now, one was enough.
28:14I've got a chance to be focusing on my bad thoughts on everything week.
28:14I can't do two actions before we've ever leaned away.
28:14I could pick up so powerful stuff.
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