Serpentine Apotheosis

Jonathan smiled gently at me.

"It's okay. Even if you look like this, I'll always love you. I'm the only one who will never mind the way you look."

Those were the very words that made me fall hopelessly in love with Jonathan in my previous life, when I was drowning in my self-loathing. I was trapped in his so-called love, unable to pull myself out.

Thinking about it now, it was obvious that this was just emotional manipulation.

How ridiculous!

I didn't wait for Jonathan to repeat his old act. Instead, I turned around and went to the bathroom.

Honestly, those ladies weren't wrong. The face I saw in the mirror really was hideous.

Still, it was a mark of my bloodline. It was the source of my power.

I gently touched the scales on my face and noticed something had changed. The bumps and ridges were now scabbing, separating from the healthy skin around them at a speed that my eyes could discern.

If I could make it through these next few days… I would make every single one of them pay!

I took a deep breath and got out of the washroom, ready to return to the private room and back to my seat.

"Jonathan, you can't seriously like that ugly freak, can you?"

When I heard that voice, I stopped. I remained standing outside the door and listened in.

"Heh, don't make me sick. I'm only doing this for Anna," Jonathan spat.

Sam grinned. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Everyone knows you crawled on your knees all the way from the foot of Crystal Temple to the main hall, just begging for her safety."

Jonathan held his prayer beads tight with a serene look on his face.

"If it weren't for that accident three years ago, when Anna…"

Sam didn't finish, but his worried look said it all.

"Ever since she died, you cared little about your family business. You just play devotee all day with those beads. When I heard you were getting married, I was actually happy for you, but who would've thought…"

Sam suddenly changed his tone.

"Who would've thought you were going to marry that thing? Just seeing her makes me want to throw up!"

My fists clenched tightly.

"I only married her to get the Blood of Essence from her heart. There's a forbidden sacred scripture that says the Blood of Essence from the heart of a descendant of Echidna can guide one's spirit back to the realm of the living and resurrect them," Jonathan said. "But her body is filled to the brim with Dark Energy. It needs to be balanced with Light Energy, or Anna won't be able to handle it. So, I married her just to…"

Sam let out a snort. "Come on, Jonathan! You don't have to do it yourself. You could've just bought someone to do the job. She might look gross, but she has nice curves. Put a bag over her head and throw her under the bridge, and there'd be a line of old men waiting their turn."

Sam's words seemed to spark something in Jonathan. He nodded.

"You're right…"

He didn't even finish, but I was already seething with rage. Furious, I burst into the room.

The moment he saw me, Jonathan's face changed. "Honey, come sit."

Instead of getting angry, I put on a bright smile. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing much. There's going to be a family dinner in a few nights. Why don't you invite your parents, and we'll discuss the wedding?" Jonathan said kindly.

I smiled and agreed, but my heart was filled with hate.

In my last life, I insisted on marrying Jonathan. However, the Perry household kicked my parents and me out like dogs.

My family business wasn't as big as theirs, but we weren't poor either.

When my parents objected, I threatened suicide.

My mom eventually agreed, going so far as to offer our mining business as a wedding gift. My dad drank himself ill at the table just to please them.

Jonathan's parents only agreed after a lot of reluctance. They looked down on us, sneering at the corners of their mouths.

"Hmph! It's just as we expected. Birds of a feather do flock together. Their daughter is shameless enough to cling to our Jonathan and refuse to give up. Apparently, it runs in the family."

As that thought crossed my mind, a dull pain spread in my chest.

"I'll go home and let my parents know. I'm leaving," I said curtly.

Jonathan hesitated. "What's… What's wrong with you today?"