Chapter 217 Is This Path Only for You?
Pearl wasn't naive.
She had heard plenty about Chloe from others.
Chloe always needed to be the center of attention and wouldn't allow anyone else to shine brighter than her.
Feeling exposed and humiliated, Chloe snapped, "Stop talking nonsense! You're coming with me!"
Pearl shot back, "I've got other things to do. I'm outta here!"
She walked past Chloe, refusing to be manipulated.
Chloe was so mad she stomped her feet and yelled, "Pearl!"
Pearl ignored her.
No one in the office dared to say a word.
Pearl was the first to openly show such disregard for Chloe.
As she left the TV station, Pearl hailed a cab and headed to the orphanage.
The urgency at the orphanage was palpable. Situated in a remote area, far from the city, it was challenging to access and often overlooked.
When she arrived, Pearl got out of the car. The orphanage gate was rusted, and inside was a large area filled with trees. The buildings looked old and run-down, nothing like the bustling city of Willow Creek.
"Are you Pearl?" Nova asked, seeing her outside.
Nova, the head of the orphanage, was a woman in her forties with graying hair, making her look older. She dressed plainly, wearing patched cloth shoes.
Her life seemed very frugal.
Pearl nodded. "Yeah, I'm here for an interview."
"Come on in!" Nova opened the rusty gate.
Inside, it was even more dilapidated. Children's chalk drawings covered the walls, making them look dirty and messy. Many tiles had fallen off.
As Pearl stood at the entrance, the children inside looked at her with curious and fearful eyes.
"Pearl, these are my kids," Nova introduced. "Some were abandoned, some are orphans, and some have disabilities."
"Say hello to Pearl," Nova said gently.
About twenty kids sat neatly on benches, both boys and girls. The girls had their hair neatly braided and looked clean, though their clothes were very worn.
The weather was a bit cold, and their little faces were red from the chill. They looked at Pearl and said, "Hello, but what should we call you?"
Pearl's heart softened at the sight of the kids; they were all so cute.
They'd grown up without parents.
Maybe because Pearl was pregnant, she felt these kids were especially pitiful.
"Call me Auntie," Pearl said.
"But you seem more like a sister, and you're so beautiful!" a little girl at the front complimented.
"You're so beautiful!" the rest echoed.
Pearl smiled and took some candies from her bag to give to them. "You all have such sweet mouths, so well-behaved. Here's a reward!"
"We get candy!" The kids' eyes lit up, and they clapped their hands.
Having candy was the happiest thing for them.
After handing out the candies, Nova remarked, "Pearl, you shouldn't have spent money on this!"
Pearl looked at Nova. "It's nothing, just some small gifts."
Nova smiled. "I can tell, Pearl, you have a kind heart."
Pearl replied, "It's only helpful if it benefits them."
Pearl roughly understood the situation.
This three-story building had to accommodate fifty kids.
From ages three to ten, the younger ones had more people in a room, but it was very crowded.
Resources were very scarce.
Some supplies were distributed from above, and some were donated by kind-hearted people.
Even so, they lived in great hardship.
The children haven't had anything good to eat for a month.
Even when they did have something nice before, each child only received very few pieces.
No wonder these kids were so skinny.
After learning more about the situation, Pearl walked outside and saw a little girl, about three or four years old, sitting under a tree, holding her piece of candy and just staring at it.
Seeing this, Pearl walked over and sat beside her.
"Auntie Pearl," the little girl called sweetly, lifting her round eyes.
Pearl asked, "Why aren't you eating the candy?"
The little girl lowered her eyes, holding the candy in her palm, and shook her head. "I can't bear to eat it."
"Why?" Pearl inquired.
The little girl said, "I heard them say this candy is really delicious, the best they've ever had! I'm afraid once I eat it, there won't be any more, so I have to save it. I'll just lick it a little bit, and that way, I can make it last a long time."
She carefully licked the candy with her tongue.
Hearing this, Pearl felt a pang in her heart.
To Pearl, this was just an ordinary candy, the kind she often ate as a child.
Pearl patted the little girl's head. "You're still young now. When you grow up and reach my age, you'll be able to afford candies and eat a lot of them."
The little girl put the candy back in her pocket, looked up, and blinked her eyes. "Really? When I grow up, I can eat lots and lots of candy? I love candy the most."
Pearl said, "Then you have to study hard and work hard in the future to earn money."
The little girl smiled again. "I know, I won't be lazy. I'll be diligent. When I make money, I'll help others just like you."
"Helping others is a good thing, but you must also love yourself and help others within your own capabilities," Pearl said. She had never experienced such hardship, but she felt that every orphan here needed love and also needed to take good care of themselves.
They had suffered too much, and what they lost in childhood could only be achieved when they grew up.
At that moment, the sound of cars came from outside.
"Nova, Nova, several cars are coming!"
Nova hurried out. "What kind of cars?"
"It looks like they're delivering supplies, several large trucks!"
Nova was delighted. "Really?"
Soon, five big trucks arrived one after another.
Pearl saw this too, stood up, and curiously walked over. "Nova, are these supplies from the distribution?"
Nova was overjoyed and grabbed Pearl's hand excitedly. "It can't be from the distribution; it must be because of your report. I haven't seen this many supplies in years. It's enough for the children for two months."
Pearl was stunned. "But Nova, I haven't published the report yet."
Nova was puzzled. "Then where did it come from?"
Pearl looked at the people unloading and asked, "Who sent these supplies?"
The person unloading said, "Ms. Harris, I'm not sure."
Pearl felt something was off and looked outside.
Outside, besides the bumpy road, there was nothing.
Feeling puzzled, Pearl walked out.
After walking a long distance, Pearl finally saw a car parked behind a tree.
Pearl quickened her pace and knocked on the car window.
"Mr. Brown," the driver called.
Oscar's car had been parked there for a long time.
Recently, he had been following Pearl whenever he had time, even to such a remote place.
He rolled down the window, not turning his head, and said coldly, "What is it?"
"Did you send the supplies?"
"No!"
Pearl said, "Then how did those people know my last name is Harris? If not you, then who else? Why can't you just admit it?"
Oscar remained expressionless. "It's just charity; there's no need to know who I am."
It was clear this wasn't a coincidence. Pearl asked, "Have you been following me all the way?"
Oscar turned his head, his deep eyes cold. "Is this path only for you?"
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