Chapter 262 Are You Talking About This Girl?
Pearl was so sure of herself, she forgot she’d been gone all summer. This made Oscar pause. That summer might’ve been more than just a break.
Pearl, not noticing anything odd, looked ahead and said, "I'm almost home. You can drop me off here."
Harold braked and stopped at the intersection. Pearl got out.
"Bye. You should head home early too," she said to Oscar.
Oscar couldn’t figure out what was off. Seeing him lost in thought, Pearl didn’t wait and walked into her neighborhood.
Oscar watched her go, stuck in a loop of confusing thoughts.
"Pearl’s info is complete, right?" Oscar asked.
Harold, who had handled the details and spent a lot of time hunting down this Magee, replied, "It’s all there. If everyone knows, there shouldn’t be mistakes. Maybe she just forgot?"
"Do you remember stuff from when you were sixteen or seventeen?" Oscar asked.
"Yeah," Harold replied, confused.
"Why doesn’t Pearl?" Oscar fell into deeper thought. "She has a gap in her memory, and Magee showed up then. Is it her memory that’s off, or did we mess up?"
Both were possible. Harold felt a headache coming on.
"Pearl and Adrian are old classmates; he should know too," Harold said. "I don’t think Adrian is Magee. Mrs. said she hadn’t seen Adrian in years, and they were just old classmates."
Oscar got it. No matter how mad he seemed, it was just because he didn’t like her being close to Adrian. But he wouldn’t ask Adrian.
Pearl had many classmates, and Harold had asked the important ones. None were in that memory gap.
"Right, Mr. Brown, remember Eric? He was Mrs.’s homeroom teacher; he should know a lot," Harold suddenly remembered.
Oscar said, "When we get back, I’ll talk to Eric."
He needed answers.
--
Pearl got home, turned on the lights, and took off her shoes. She put on her fluffy bunny slippers. Sitting on the sofa, she felt a constant emptiness, her mind drifting to what Oscar had said—things that didn’t match her memories.
Pearl took out her phone and assured her family she was safe. Kittie replied quickly with some caring words: [Take care of yourself, don’t work too hard. Come home for dinner this weekend; Evans misses you but is too shy to say it.]
The warmth of family always helped her forget her exhaustion. Pearl replied: [I know.]
Kittie responded: [By the way, have you and Oscar divorced?]
Pearl knew they’d be concerned: [Not yet.]
[Don’t drag it out. He’s wasting your youth.] Kittie continued: [What if you want to get married and have kids? It's crucial to make the right decisions when a woman is in her youth. Once it’s gone, it’s too late. While you’re young, make a decisive choice. Our Pearl is so amazing; you’ll find someone a hundred times better than Oscar!]
Pearl couldn't help but smile. To her parents, she was always the best.
When it came to Oscar, Pearl had a big question. She hesitated for a while before finally typing: [Mom, during high school, was there a summer when I wasn't home?]
Since Oscar had doubts, she wanted to have answers too. But Kittie didn't reply for a long time. The sudden silence made Pearl uneasy.
After ten minutes, Kittie finally responded: [Who told you that?]
Pearl replied: [No one, just curious.]
[That's nonsense.] Kittie wrote back: [You were home almost all the time except for work. Our family has strict rules; you couldn't have been away for a whole summer. Don't overthink it, and don't listen to others' nonsense!]
Pearl thought that made sense. Their relatives were all local. Even if they visited, it wouldn't mean disappearing for a month. She dismissed her doubts and got ready for bed.
--
Meanwhile, Oscar rushed to Eric's house. Eric had already gone to bed, but when he heard Oscar was there, he got up, threw on a coat, and opened the door.
Seeing Oscar, Eric was enthusiastic. "Oscar, why are you here so late? If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone to bed."
He quickly invited Oscar in and had someone make tea.
"Sorry to bother you so late," Oscar said as he walked in.
"Not at all," Eric replied. "Have you eaten? Want something? I have plenty here."
"No, thanks," Oscar said. "I have a few questions for you."
Eric sat down, listening carefully. "What do you need to know? Ask away."
Oscar got straight to the point. "You were Pearl's middle school homeroom teacher, right?"
Eric was surprised. "Yes, Pearl is your secretary. Are you asking about her?"
Oscar's eyes were intense, focused on Eric. "When you were her teacher, was she ever harmed or saved by someone?"
Eric's face changed, and he didn't respond for a while.
Seeing his reaction, Oscar knew something was up.
After thinking, Eric said, "This happened a long time ago, and no one likes to talk about it."
Eric sighed.
"Answer my question first!" Oscar demanded, sensing something was wrong.
Under pressure, Eric lowered his eyes. After hesitating, he adjusted his glasses and explained, "Pearl was kidnapped once. Several students died, and she was the only survivor. It was a tragedy for our school, unforgettable! It affected her deeply, both physically and mentally. She developed depression. For her sake, we never brought it up. If it came up, we changed the subject to help her move on."
Oscar's face turned cold. "Are you talking about this girl?"
After Eric finished, Oscar placed a photo on the table. Seeing it, Eric's eyes widened in shock, and he was speechless.
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