Chapter 1

My roommate, Joan Bryan, was short, ugly, and messy. She never showered, and her voice was unbearable. But she was incredibly confident and relentlessly pursued the school's heartthrob every day, making herself the laughingstock of the whole school.

After Shawn Caldwell rejected her for the fiftieth time, she was, as usual, mocked by the other roommates. But she just said, "I was once a beautiful mermaid. I traded my beauty and voice for these legs with a witch, and this is what I became. But we're destined to be together. No matter how I look, he will love me and be with me!"

Chapter 1

As soon as she finished speaking, the room went silent. No one dared to argue with her anymore, thinking she had lost her mind. Although everyone had the right to pursue the one they loved, she really didn't deserve Shawn in any way.

Sometimes, I thought she didn't look human at all but more like a sea creature, a blobfish. The fact that she could say such ridiculous things had to be the result of being rejected so many times, her obsession growing deeper and twisting her mind. She was such a poor thing.

But one day, when I returned to the dorm after work, I found her kneeling on the floor, crying. Pearls were rolling around on the ground.

I looked more closely and saw that those pearls were falling from her eyes!

Tears turning into pearls... Could she really be a mermaid?!!

Chapter 2

In that instant, my entire worldview seemed to collapse.

I stared in disbelief, too shocked to even blink. The fear crept in, and I instinctively took a step back.

I had only wanted to run away, but then I saw the pearls rolling across the floor.

Each pearl was large and round, shimmering with a colorful glow. They poured from her palms like they were free, spilling out in a constant stream, rolling wildly across the floor.

I couldn't move. My legs felt like they were made of lead, and no matter what, I couldn't make myself move.

The flickering light from the pearls kept flashing in my eyes, making it impossible to look away.

It felt like the pearls were crying babies, reaching out to me with their tiny arms.

The light of the pearls reflected in my eyes. I swallowed hard and couldn't help but ask her, "Joan, where did you get all these beautiful pearls?"

Chapter 3

As soon as I spoke, she quickly stood up.

Her already ugly face, distorted by crying, looked even worse. Her lips were twisted downward, her red eyes were bloodshot, and at that moment, she looked more like a toad than a person.

Though it was rude, I couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust in my stomach when I saw her like this.

Her eyes were red and swollen with tears, which slowly slid down her face, turning into pearls as they fell.

The pearls sparkled with a dazzling light, hitting the floor with a sharp "pop" before rolling into the corner.

I instinctively reached out to pick one up, but I stopped myself, embarrassed.

I thought, "Damn it, why did I suddenly feel that Joan had this strange kind of charm?"

She rubbed her eyes furiously, then glared at me with those bloodshot eyes, staring as if she could burn a hole through me.

Suddenly, she reached out with her hands, claws-like, and grabbed my arms tightly.

"Please, please, Teresa Santana, you have to help me! Only you can help me!" she begged, her hoarse voice sounding even more unpleasant than usual.

Her desperate gaze was crazed and sickly, making my skin crawl.

I froze, horrified, trying to pull my arms free, the struggle sending sharp pains through my arms.

Chapter 4

She held onto me tightly, refusing to let go no matter what.

Her small body had surprisingly strong strength, and she kept pleading with me, saying frantic words of desperation.

As she spoke, she started crying again, tears falling like a string of pearls.

Seeing those pearls, I suddenly had a flash of realization, almost forgetting the situation we were in. Without thinking, I stretched my hand toward her eyes and finally caught one of the pearls.

I gripped it tightly, not wanting to let go.

The smooth, round texture of the pearl sent a jolt through my heart.

It felt like this was something that was meant for me.

In that instant, I seemed to overcome my fear, steadying my thoughts. I gazed at her, my eyes burning with intensity, and asked.

"What do you want me to do for you?"

She was overjoyed, crouching down to gather a handful of pearls and placing them in front of me.

"You like them? From now on, all of these are yours, as long as you help me!"

I stared at the pile of pearls, swallowing hard, unable to resist the urge to reach out and take them.

"How do you want me to help you?"

"Teresa, I want to swap bodies with you. If you agree, I'll give you all my pearls from now on. Please, I beg you, agree to this!"

Her voice grew more excited as she sized up my face, her eyes starting to sparkle even brighter.

"Teresa, you're so beautiful. With your looks, he'll definitely like you. I'm too ugly. He never notices me. I can't stand the look of disgust he gives me. I want to use your body to go after him!"

Her gaze was intense, full of longing for Shawn, almost burning with desire.

"Teresa, you have to help me! I'll give you anything you want, anything at all!"

I reached out and grabbed her wrist, holding the hand full of pearls. I smiled and replied.

"Alright, Joan, I promise.

"I don't want anything else. Just give me all of your pearls."

"Okay, everything now and in the future, they're all yours!!"

Chapter 5

My mind was clouded by greed, and without thinking twice, I agreed to her.

I figured these pearls must be worth a lot of money. With these pearls, with money, I wouldn't have to work multiple part-time jobs every day, running around, struggling to make ends meet.

She handed me two pills. I took one and swallowed it immediately.

She watched me swallow it before she popped one into her mouth as well.

The moment I swallowed the pill, everything went dark. My ears rang, and a sharp pain hit my head.

In an instant, I opened my eyes again, only to see my hands looking like clawed fingers. At that moment, I realized I had become her.

I looked at her, now in my form, smiling smugly, and she did the same.

Now, I had truly gained something on both fronts.

Because I had always hated the way I looked.

Chapter 6

I was born into a poor family, but my mother was extraordinary.

When she was younger, she was the star performer in a dance troupe. She was beautiful and talented. She could sing and dance.

Someone like her, so stunning and talented, ended up marrying my dad, a complete scumbag.

She was the kind of person who believed in love wholeheartedly, sacrificing everything for him.

I remember the most precious thing to my mother was her hair. It was beautiful, like seaweed, and many people envied it. She herself was very proud of it.

But when she lost all her hair because of illness, and instead of comforting her, my dad called her ugly.

Afterward, she left, leaving me with a face that resembled hers and a father who only knew how to drink and gamble.

So, I grew up learning to survive in the cracks of life.

In such a family, beauty was actually my curse.

In sixth grade, I was sexually harassed by the old bachelor next door. He grabbed me and touched me all over. After I stomped on his foot hard, I broke free and ran to my dad, crying to tell him. But instead of comforting me, he said I was just like my mom, with a pretty face, and I would only attract men, called me a slut.

I was still young, weak, and timid, but somehow, I found the courage to pick up a beer bottle lying on the ground and smash it on his head. He collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from his head.

My eyes were red, and I wasn't sure whether it was anger or the sight of blood that did it. My mind went blank, but my mouth didn't stop.

"Don't talk about my mom like that! Don't talk about my mom!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, repeating the same words over and over.

It wasn't until he lay motionless on the floor that I finally regained my senses.

I searched through his filthy pockets, grabbed his broken phone, and called 91