Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl



Esther rushed out of the Crawfords' house, crouched down, and burst into tears.

She felt lost. James had said some really hurtful things. They had been together for a long time and were even planning to get married, so his words shocked her deeply.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a new message. She wiped her tears, took out her phone, and saw it was from Pearl. But the message made her feel even worse.

Pearl had done some digging into James's past. Five years ago, he had been with his first love. She even sent a photo of the woman.

Esther had never met her, but the resemblance between her and the woman in the photo was striking. That explained why James had seemed so into her when they first met—he was reminded of his past.

Despite her doubts, Esther had always tried to believe that James loved her. But this felt like a harsh wake-up call.

Pearl, getting no reply, decided to call Esther.

"Why didn't you text back?" Pearl asked.

Esther tried to hide her crying, but Pearl could easily hear it.

"Did you go see him again?" Pearl asked.

Through her tears, Esther replied, "Yes. I just got back today and went to see him, but he told me to leave."

Pearl sounded frustrated. "I told you not to go."

"I was just worried about him," Esther explained.

"And? Did he appreciate that?" Pearl asked.

"...No."

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you," Pearl said firmly.

Esther had been squatting too long and stood up, feeling dizzy. "No, it's okay. Where are you? I'll come to you."

"It's not safe in Enswood right now, and you can't get a taxi. Just send me your location and stay there. I'll be there soon."

"Okay."

Thirty minutes later, a flashy Lambo pulled up beside her.

"Get in," Pearl said, rolling down her window and handing her a tissue. "Dry your tears and come with me. I'm taking you somewhere."

Esther, unsure of everything, just nodded and got into the car.

As they drove, Esther's curiosity got the better of her. "Where are we going?"

"To see something from my latest research," Pearl said with a wink. "We're at the final step

of the clinical trials before we start producing it for the epidemic. I think you'll find it interesting."

Esther's eyes lit up. "Will it save James?"

"Yes, it will," Pearl smirked, "but it won't cure your heartbreak."

Esther looked down, embarrassed. "Even though I'm hurt, I still want the best for him."

Pearl, knowing Esther was a kind soul, changed the subject and just continued driving to the lab.

When they arrived, Esther walked into the lab, and it was like stepping into a whole new world. She was so amazed by everything around her that she briefly forgot her troubles.

Simon Freeman was busy checking some data when he noticed Esther. He looked up, surprised. "You brought this woman along?"

"Hello, Grandpa Simon!" Esther greeted him cheerfully and playfully tugged at his beard.

Simon feigned annoyance. "Not only did you call me old, but you also pulled my beard."

"Haha, Grandpa Simon. What are you working on?"

Simon lifted his notebook and replied, "You should ask Pearl. At my age, she's got me running around doing all this. I'm worn out."

"It's for the greater good." Pearl gave a cheeky wink.

"I need to get back to this data," Simon said, turning away, then paused and turned back to Esther. "Oh, and I forgot to say, don't touch anything in the lab, okay? Be careful."

Esther nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be very careful."Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

"Okay." After Simon left, Esther's curiosity returned. She pointed to a purple liquid in the corner. "What's that, Pearl?"

"Oh, that's an acid, and it's very corrosive. Don't touch it."

Esther was about to reach out but quickly pulled her hand back when Pearl explained. "I'm glad I didn't touch it."

"Be careful," Pearl reminded her.

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid."

Remembering she had a meeting, Pearl told Esther to stay in the lab while she attended it. Esther promised not to touch anything, and Pearl felt reassured seeing her serious promise.

Pearl walked into her meeting, where everyone was already waiting. She sat and addressed the group, "We're here to discuss our latest research. We've seen promising results from our experiments. If we pass the final test, we can start production. Any questions?"

The room was silent; they all understood what the final test involved.

They needed a test subject. If the results were positive, they could proceed to production. But finding a test subject was the big question.

This was their first time making a medicine like this, and they didn't know much about it. It was very risky, and they didn't have a good track record to support them.

"Are we going to end up testing it on ourselves?" someone wondered out loud.

It seemed like a bad idea that no one would agree to.

Finally, someone from the back asked, "Who's going to be our test subject?"

Pearl knew it was a tough topic, but she couldn't avoid it. "I suggest finding a volunteer."

Wayne looked troubled as he said, "We've already asked everyone we know, but no one wants to try it, Pea."

"No one?"

Wayne nodded and stayed quiet.

Another person started complaining, "We've put so much work into this, and it's almost successful, but we can't find anyone to test it. I don't know why we even started. Maybe we should just give up now instead of wasting more time."

Pearl glared at the man.

"Miss Pearl, I hate to say it, but he's right. We've worked so hard, and we're almost ready to make it, but we're stuck," another chimed in.

Pearl responded firmly, "I'll find someone willing to try it."

"Can you really do that?" The man leaned back and scoffed. "Miss Pearl, please don't make promises you can't keep. Are you planning to test it on yourself?"

Wayne quickly stood up. "What are you implying?"

The man was initially just making a comment, but Wayne's reaction fired him up. "What? Can't I speak my mind? Tell us your plan then. I've invested so much time and effort. Are we

just going to throw all that away?"

Pearl tugged at Wayne's arm. "Let it go, Wayne. No need to argue."

"Let's hear it, Miss Pearl. What should we do next?"

Pearl was stuck for an answer.

"Here's an idea," the man suggested, "What if we end the experiment and split the remaining funds equally among us? What do you all think?"

Wayne was quick to retort. "You haven't contributed any money to this project, but now you want a share? Really?"

The man shot back, "I may not have put in money, but I've spent a lot of time and effort

here. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Is that so?" Wayne challenged. "You're always hiding in the corner whenever I'm in the lab. Why don't you tell us what you've actually done lately, Mister Thomas?" Thomas Middleton fell silent. After a moment, he said sternly, "I mean it. Give us a proper explanation and a solution, or I won't let this go."