Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Saule had assumed they were just dating. Ending things would have been straightforward, without much fuss.

But now, they were married.

"Then you two need to move quickly and file for a divorce," Saule insisted, but they remained motionless on the sofa.

Their hesitation and reluctance stirred complex emotions within her. "Pearl, I wouldn't have interfered with your pursuit of happiness if it were just for my sake. But the possibility of you two being relatives changes things. It's morally wrong. Do you understand?"

Bitterness filled Pearl. "Mom, I know. I understand that."

"I know that you and Rick are sensible people. You guys know what to do when you face this kind of issue. Just don't wait for me to urge you, okay?"

Saule sincerely hoped for Pearl's happiness. Even though she hadn't been part of Pearl's life until now, she wished for her daughter to lead a peaceful and fulfilling life.

If the truth of Pearl's biological relation to Richard were to be exposed, their future would be full of hardships. People would keep on criticizing them.

Sitting on the sofa, Pearl contemplated their predicament carefully. Then, she stood up and pulled Richard to his feet. "Let's go."

At this point, she refused to accept that she was Richard's cousin.

Richard remained silent, but his expression was somber. Feeling disheartened, he spoke up, "It's the weekend, Pearl. The marriage bureau is closed."

Strangely, Pearl felt a sense of relief knowing they didn't have to rush things.

"Well, you'll have to go there when it's open," Saule insisted firmly. She might have been frail, but she was resolute in this matter. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

"Mom, please calm down. We know what to do," Pearl reassured Saule gently. Staying at Waldorf Residence would only stir painful memories for her mother.

"Are you two living together now?"

"We're staying in separate rooms. Don't worry, ma'am. I respect Pearl's boundaries. I won't do anything without her consent. Nothing inappropriate has happened," Richard explained earnestly.

Saule sensed something odd. They were married, yet they hadn't consummated their relationship.

She regarded Richard with newfound respect. Despite being a man, he showed restraint and respected Pearl's wishes. He was the kind of man one could build a lifelong partnership with.

It was a pity, Saule thought. If only they weren't cousins, they wouldn't be facing this problem.

"I don't need to say much. You two seem sensible enough. Do what you think is best," Saule said wearily, the weight of the situation evident in her voice.

Shifting away from the gloomy topic, Pearl redirected the conversation. "What happened to lead you to bump into the Jesseltons?"

Saule took a deep breath. "Life abroad was going well, but a local troublemaker took an interest in me. He wanted to marry me, and since everyone knew I lived alone, I decided to relocate to avoid him. But someone tipped him off, and he came to my house, attempting to assault me."

It was another grim chapter in Saule's troubled life, but Pearl sensed there was more to it than met the eye.

"I grabbed a nearby vase and struck him with it in self-defense. Unfortunately, it killed him. I turned myself in to the authorities. It was deemed self-defense, so I was sentenced to fifteen years in prison."

Pearl didn't expect such a seemingly gentle and weak woman to be this strong. In that moment, she felt a surge of empathy for Saule's plight, her wandering existence, and her turbulent life.

"What happened after you were released from prison?"