The Villain's Wife

162

The Next Day

Sentosa, Singapore

"I don't like sharks." Jennie crossed her arms across her chest as she stared at the hammerhead on the aquarium. She shivered involuntarily and edged closer to Lisa. "I feel like he is staring at me," she whispered. "The moment I go into the water... that shark will eat me."

Disbelief flashed in Lisa's eyes before he stifled a burst of laughter. Who would have thought that his lovely wife would fear such a harmless animal? Of course, Lisa did not voice out his opinion. He shook his head inwardly. He already knew that Jennie would lecture him if he calls this animal harmless. "Actually, they are afraid of humans. They consider us the greatest threat." He said as he eyed the sea of people looking at the sea creatures behind the glass in Sentosa Aquarium.

"That's just wrong," Jennie said. She held Lisa's arms. "Look at those fins."

"What does it have to do with eating you?"

"Well... it's scary." She shivered for the second time. "And those teeth. They could devour one whole arm in a second."

Lisa helplessly nodded. "So you are not going to dive with the sharks? You know that we are protected in a cage-like acrylic, right?"

"Nope. I am never going in the water. No amount of money could tempt me to do so." She then widened her eyes and look at him. "Are you going?"

"I won't go down without you." He shrugged and pulled her to see other sea creatures. "Sharks aren't that scary. I think we have killed more sharks than they have devoured humans."

Jennie did not respond. She roamed her eyes in the aquarium. "I hated the ocean." She uttered in a low voice. "I hated the uncertainties."

"You don't hate the ocean," Lisa stated. "You are afraid of what's beneath it."

Jennie nodded in response. As someone who wanted to see every scenario that could happen, the uncertainty of the ocean scares her. The ocean and what lurks beneath it is something that could defeat her need to control, her need to calculate everything. "What was it called?"

"Thalassophobia," he answered. "I think the ocean... has so much freedom." He said. He eyed the Mantis Shrimp that was burrowing a new passageway near a coral. "I think the fact that we don't know a lot about the ocean means that we have the chance to explore and discover things. Its and endless discovery of new things."

"I don't understand," Jennie said. "Have you tried diving before?" He nodded. "Did you like it?"

Again, Lisa nodded. The peace that he found on the seabed is just wonderful. The water muffled the sound of the chaotic world that it made him feel at peace. "We could go diving sometimes. Philippines have really good diving spots. Maybe we could spend a week in the country." He shifted his gaze towards her. "And there are no big sharks there... just small ones. Maybe as big as your leg."

"It won't devour you, I promise." He stroked her head. "Now that I thought about it... you haven't really done anything fun. You haven't tried skydiving or diving deep in the ocean, right?"

Jennie immediately frowned. She let go of Lisa's arms. "I don't like skydiving, diving, free diving, and all types of diving." She said sternly before her lips lifted into a smile. "But if you promise to hold my hand while I do it... then I might change my mind."

Lisa chuckled. "That sounds so... cringey you know." He pinched her cheeks.

"What? I am serious!"

"I know..." he nodded and pulled her towards him. "Come here... let's go see the snakes."

"What? NO!" Jennie immediately disagreed. Snakes? She would never.