Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Esther's excitement vanished instantly.

"Take this time to rest. Try not to contact me unless necessary. Let's make it seem like we've ended our relationship, got it?" James instructed.

Esther's eyes lit up. "Well, isn't that my forte?"

Pretending they were strangers was just another acting gig, and Esther was confident in her acting skills.

Esther nodded, smiling brightly.

*

However, Esther didn't expect the drama to start so soon.

She was sleeping at home when a knock on the door jolted her awake. Opening it with sleepy eyes, she found herself face-to-face with a noble and beautiful woman.

The woman's eyes were slightly slanted, with few wrinkles, and she carried an air of sophistication.

"Are you Esther?" the woman inquired.

Esther was startled. She widened her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I'm Esther. What can I do for you?" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her anxiety.

The woman frowned. "I'm James's mother, Agnes, and I came here to ask you something. Do you have time?"

Hearing she was James's mother, almost her future mother-in-law, Esther perked up, smiling. "Of course. However, I'm no longer with James, so if you want to know what's going on, I may not be

able to help."

Esther didn't act like she would never see James again, in case they might pretend to get back together later. So, she needed to make sure James's mother wouldn't dislike her.

Politeness and keeping a distance were her strategies.

"That's quite alright." Agnes fixed her hair with a graceful flick of her hand. "I just wanted to know about your past with James. I only found out recently that he had a relationship."

Esther politely invited her in.

Looking around, Agnes frowned. "Uh... your family doesn't seem to be very well-off."

"Yeah. Please have a seat, ma'am." Esther warmly welcomed her and made her some tea. "My family may not be affluent, but rest assured, I hold no interest in James's wealth. My intentions are sincere."

Agnes chuckled at Esther's assurance. "Don't worry, James is smart. I'm sure he wouldn't be so foolish as to give away his family's wealth," she remarked with a knowing smile.

Were you sure about that? Your son had spent quite a lot of money on me.

Esther bit her tongue to stifle a retort, choosing to keep her thoughts private.

Clearing her throat, Agnes asked, "I'm curious, how did you two meet?"

Esther blinked. "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie? The truth might be surprising, like something from a novel. It even took me quite some time to accept it myself."

Agnes laughed heartily. "Of course, I want to hear the truth. I do enjoy hearing interesting stories."

Seeing that Agnes was open-minded and not arrogant, Esther candidly recounted everything from their childhood to their encounters, noticing that Agnes's eyes were brightening with interest.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.