Chapter 2

2

"I just want to see my mother! Why are you stopping me?"

"Let me go! I'm going to the city today no matter what!" I screamed, struggling.

By then, Gavin's patience had completely evaporated.

He raised his hand and delivered a stinging slap across my face.

His expression turned dark and sinister as he loomed over me.

"Oh, you're so desperate to find your mother? Fine."

"I'll let you go, but only if you bring me a rare Imperial White Pearl today."

"Otherwise, you'll stay locked in this room for the rest of your miserable life!"

He didn't wait for an answer before dragging me back toward the cliffside.

He pulled a thick nylon rope from his bag and tied one end around my waist.

The other end was looped around a heavy jagged rock on the shore.

"Go on then! You want to see her? Then dive!"

I looked at this man who had become a complete stranger and begged through my tears.

"The ocean is huge, Gavin. You can't just find an Imperial White in an hour!"

"The waves are too high today! I'll drown if I go down there!"

"We've been married for ten years. How can you be this heartless?"

As the words left my mouth, Ruby appeared, sauntering over to Gavin.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and let out a cruel, tinkling laugh.

"Gavin, honey, I heard the tide is perfect for Imperial Whites right now."

"One of those is worth a fortune. If someone else finds it first, we'll lose everything."

The slight flicker of guilt in Gavin's eyes vanished, replaced by pure, unadulterated greed.

"You heard her! Get in the water!" he roared.

"If you find that pearl, your mom gets her medicine. Now move!"

I glared at them, my feet frozen in the sand, refusing to budge.

Gavin lost his temper and kicked me hard in the stomach.

The force sent me flying backward, plunging straight into the icy, churning water.

A massive wave immediately crashed over my head, filling my lungs with salt.

I thrashed wildly, my hands clawing at the water as I struggled to breathe.

On the shore, Ruby was leaning into Gavin, laughing until she shook.

"Gavin, look at her! Doesn't she look like a drowning rat? It's hilarious!"

Then she screamed toward the waves, "Hey, rat! Stop splashing and find us some jewelry!"

I screamed for Gavin to save me, but he just folded his arms and watched with cold eyes.

In that moment, my heart finally died.

When the surface calmed for a second, I took a deep breath and dived.

The water was freezing, and the darkness below was absolute.

I searched through the jagged rocks and kelp, finding nothing but cold sand.

I felt my strength fading, my body growing heavy as my consciousness started to slip away.