Chapter 1

"I want a divorce."

After being married for four years, Pearl Hamilton decided to bring her marriage to a close.

Yet, the lawyer before her seemed to think she was merely pulling a prank. He arched his brow and drawled, "Kid, a divorce isn't a solo gig."

Pearl could understand why the lawyer didn't think she was being serious. After all, she had rolled into his office right after class. She was even wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans, for crying out loud. Suffice it to say, she did not look like someone who wanted to get a divorce.

Regardless, she had come prepared. So, she ignored his silent dismissal and continued calmly, "I just need you to draft a proper divorce agreement for me. I'll get my husband to sign it myself."

She had borne Jonah Lawrence no children, and she had no interest in his wealth. Thus, the divorce agreement came to a total of two measly pages.

When she returned home, a disgusting scent hit her smack-dab in the face.

Pearl searched for the source of the smell and saw that Cecelia Shaw and Jonah were having surströmming together. There was even a half-eaten nectarine on the table.

She couldn't hear their conversation, but they looked so intimate as they laughed together.

When Jonah saw Pearl standing by the door, the smile on his face immediately disappeared as he asked her sternly, "Pearl, I didn't know you were coming home, so I only ordered two portions. What do you want? Should I place another order?"

"It's fine. I ate at the cafeteria," Pearl murmured.

She glanced at the surströmming before lowering her gaze.

She had never dared to indulge in any pungent dishes over the years because of Jonah's rhinitis. He even made it clear that he didn't like weird smells in his home.

Pearl took out the divorce agreement from her bag and handed Jonah a pen, saying, "The university needs this safety slip signed by family. Could you sign it for me?"

Pearl was an orphan. Since Jonah was her husband, he really was her only kin.

"Give it here." Jonah furrowed his brows slightly and reached for the papers.

Pearl didn't think he would actually read it. After all, he had never really paid much attention to her affairs. In fact, he had become even more indifferent ever since Cecelia returned to the country after her divorce a month ago.

Pearl's fingers tightened around the divorce agreement, her body stiffening in anxiety. She had no idea how to proceed from there.

"Jonah, what's with you?" Cecelia suddenly interjected.

Her red lips curled into a teasing smile as she swatted Jonah playfully. "Look at you being all serious in front of Pearl. You look like you're a second away from signing her pink slip. Look at how scared she is."

"Is that right?" Jonah retorted in jest.

The frown on his face had vanished the second Cecelia spoke up. There was mirth in his eyes as he took the papers from Pearl and casually signed his name where Pearl had pointed.

Pearl nearly deflated with relief, but that sweet victory was soon followed by a wave of bitterness.

Jonah had always been cautious and solemn whenever he was before her. Yet, his sharp edges seemed to soften whenever Cecelia was around. He looked at ease, something that he never was with her.

He could've discovered the truth if he had taken a closer look at the papers. He would've known then that he wasn't signing some safety slip but a divorce agreement.

Alas, he was far too busy having fun with Cecelia. "I think of Pearl as a sister. As her elder brother, I naturally have to be stricter with her."

A sister?

Pearl froze as she thought wryly, "That definitely wasn't what he was saying when he was fucking me into the bed every night."

Her parents passed away when she was still young. When her mentor, Nathaniel Lawrence, found out about her living situation, he often invited her over for meals under the pretense of needing her help organizing research materials.

As time passed, Pearl eventually got to know Nathaniel's son, Jonah.

Nathaniel was a highly respected clinician, but his only son, Jonah, did not follow in Nathaniel's footsteps.

Instead, Jonah started his own gaming studio while he was still in college. He had even become a rising star in the business world before turning 30 years old and was often featured in financial magazines.

He had the looks and the money. So, he was practically every woman's dream guy. Pearl was no exception to that rule. In fact, she had developed a rather hopeless crush on him after interacting with him a few times.

Still, she was well aware of the vast difference between them. So, she kept her feelings to herself and didn't even dare to look him in the eye when they ate together.

She thought life would go on just like that until that incident four years ago.

Nathaniel and his wife, Marlene Darrow, had left on a business trip together and asked Pearl to drop off a document at their home.

That night, she was just about to leave after mailing the package when a completely wasted Jonah suddenly burst in and collapsed into her arms.

Things escalated quickly.

Jonah was relentless, and Pearl… Pearl was a doormat when it came to him. In the end, they ended up tangled in each other. Jonah had even left a rough bite mark on her shoulder.

The scent of alcohol lingered on his breath as he growled with frustration, "You knew full well that I like you!"

Only later did Pearl learn that Cecelia had gotten married to a foreigner that day.

Unfortunately, she had no idea Cecelia even existed then. At the time, she was overjoyed. She assumed that her crush was requited. So, she gave herself to him completely that night.

The next morning, Marlene soon discovered what had happened between them. When she did, she immediately made Jonah promise to take responsibility.

So, they got married as soon as Pearl was legal.

They barely interacted the next four years because Jonah was busy with work, and she herself was still living in the dorms. When Jonah treated her coldly, she had chalked it up to his personality.

She had loved him with all her heart, never asking for anything in return.

A month ago, she used her scholarship money to book a high-end restaurant to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary. It was, incidentally, also her 24th birthday.

She had scheduled the dinner weeks in advance and told Jonah's secretary about it repeatedly.

Jonah had promised he would come. Yet, she waited and waited for him till the restaurant closed. To make matters worse, his phone remained unreachable.

The restaurant staff eventually asked her to leave. When she did, she saw a news headline on her phone. There had been an accident nearby. Panic had instantly gripped her heart like a vice.

She rushed to every nearby hospital in just two hours. Yet, Jonah was nowhere to be found. Just as she was about to lose it, she finally got hold of Alex Fallows.

Alex was one of the few people who knew about her relationship with Jonah. He sounded surprised when he heard her, saying, "Didn't Jonah tell you? Cecelia returned to the country today. He's hosting a welcome banquet for her at the hotel."

Pearl had never heard Jonah breathe a word about Cecelia. She only found out about it when she arrived at the hotel. She only learned that the travel influencer Jonah followed nigh religiously was none other than Cecelia.

She stood by the private room's entrance and saw Jonah's classmates having the time of their lives in there. Amid the laughter and cheers, Jonah lifted Cecelia in his arms and even chugged a glass of alcohol.

Pearl had never seen Jonah that happy.

She had barged into the room, hoping for an explanation. However, Jonah looked embarrassed and awkward when he saw her. Then, he turned to the others and introduced her, "She's a relative."

In that moment, Pearl finally understood the truth of it all—she had never once been part of Jonah's life.

Now, she watched Jonah and Cecelia casually serving each other's dishes with cold eyes as the divorce papers crinkled slightly in her hand.

After the one-month cooling-off period, she would get the divorce certificate and leave. She would leave Jonah, who had never once been hers from start to finish.

Chapter 2

Cecelia had rented the unit above them and kept dropping by nearly every day.

Jonah, who used to work overtime and rarely came home, suddenly seemed to have stumbled upon a great deal of free time. He was always waiting for Cecelia at home every single day.

After dinner, they would watch TV in the living room. Cecelia would even invite Pearl to join them.

"I still have a thesis to finish. Enjoy without me," Pearl said before returning to her bedroom.

She could hear Cecelia's boisterous laughter through the door as she commented, "Pearl's such a good student. She really is nothing like me. I could still remember how I made you help me with my assignments back in the day, Jonah."

Pearl slaved away on her laptop till 11:00 pm. She was so invested in her work that she didn't notice Jonah entering the room, his slippers smacking on the floor.

Pearl's heart nearly stopped in her chest when she saw him reach for a folder on the desk. She wanted to stop him, as the folder contained the divorce agreement he had signed, but it was too late.

"What's this?" Jonah frowned as he pulled out a piece of paper and tossed it onto the table. "You're volunteering to go to Nyora?"

Pearl risked a look at the paper and saw that she had accidentally placed the application form for the Nyora aid work project on top.

"That's not mine. I printed it for my roommate. We don't have a printer at our dorm."

Pearl kept a straight face as she lied through her teeth. Jonah fell for it, immediately losing interest in her folder.

She let out a sigh of relief at his disinterest. She didn't want Jonah to find out about the divorce just yet. After all, she had sustained this farce of her marriage with her one-sided love for years. So, she wanted to leave the marriage behind her with her head held high.

"I hear that the Nyora aid program requires their volunteers to head out to the poorest parts of the country for three years. It's hard work."

Jonah tapped a finger against the desk lightly as he continued, "You don't need to jump on that bandwagon. I'm sure my father's connections are more than enough for you to get a proper job at a hospital in Northriver."

Although he sounded concerned, his words only made Pearl miserable.

She was the best student in the medical department at her college and had published over a dozen papers during her time in grad school. She could easily get a job in Northriver with her own merit. She didn't need anyone's connections.

Jonah didn't even know that. He had never made a single attempt to get to know her in the past four years.

Meanwhile, Pearl knew the exact temperature Jonah preferred for his air conditioner. She would even lower the temperature in advance for his comfort before they went to sleep, disregarding how she would end up freezing and sneezing in the middle of the night.

She was no longer going to force herself through that torment.

Sure enough, Jonah tossed and turned as soon as they retired for the night. "Why is it so hot tonight?"

"It's not hot. I don't like the cold," Pearl replied blandly. Then, she turned her back to Jonah and pulled most of the blanket over to herself. She assumed that Jonah would adjust the temperature himself.

To her shock, Jonah reached out and hugged her from behind. His warm breath tickled the back of her neck as he brushed his lips across her nape.

Jonah worked out regularly, so all it took was one swift motion, and Pearl was in his arms, facing him. He pulled her against his chest and began to kiss her.

Pearl struggled against his hold, but it was useless.

Jonah had always been forceful in bed. It was a complete 180 from his usual calm and composed self.

Pearl frowned and jerked her head away. She caught sight of the digital clock on the nightstand and realized that it was Friday.

This was how they had spent their Friday nights for the past four years.

She had naively thought that Jonah was insatiable every Friday because they hadn't seen each other all week.

However, that all came crashing down a few nights ago. She browsed through Cecelia's social media and discovered that she always posted her vlogs on Fridays.

Cecelia was a travel blogger. Therefore, every video she posted featured her and her foreign husband traveling the world together. Aside from the scenic shots, nearly every frame was oozing with public displays of affection between the couple.

Pearl couldn't help but feel revolted knowing that Jonah only decided to sleep with her after watching Cecelia's videos.

Soon, she started retching, and Jonah finally stopped what he was doing.

"What's wrong?" he demanded as he turned on the bedside lamp. The soft yellow light illuminated the sharp planes of his face.

"I'm not feeling well today…" Pearl groaned.

She had only intended to stop Jonah from continuing, but her stomach started churning violently. It was as if her insides desperately wanted out.

"I'll take you to the hospital. Could you be…" Jonah trailed off.

"No way!" Pearl denied his hunch vehemently.

She knew what he was getting, but they had always used protection. There was no way she was pregnant.

"Let's still get you checked out. In any case, you look like a wreck," he said, already putting on his clothes and grabbing the car keys from the nightstand.

Just as he was about to help her up, his phone rang.

Jonah shot a look at the caller ID and immediately picked it up.

She didn't know what was being said on the other line, but it made Jonah frown slightly before he let out a helpless laugh.

When he ended the call, he turned to Pearl and said, "Cecelia said she was nearly scared to death because she's watching a horror movie at home."

The soft light exposed Jonah's hesitance for all to see.

Pearl instantly knew what he was implying. "Go on ahead. I'm fine."

Those words had just left her lips when Jonah's phone started ringing once more. The urgent ringtone seemed to urge him along. Jonah glanced at the screen before quickly rising to his feet.

He took a few steps toward the door before turning to look at Pearl guiltily, seemingly realizing that he had forgotten something in his haste. "I'll take you to the hospital when I get back."

A bitter smile appeared on Pearl's lips as soon as the door swung closed with a soft click.

When he got back? That was a lie if she ever heard one. Besides, she was no longer going to play the waiting game. Not anymore.

Since her stomach decided not to cooperate, Pearl figured she might as well keep busy. She pushed herself up and reached for the Nyora aid application form in her folder.

She had waffled about going abroad in the past. However, considering her current predicament, it was likely that she would run into Noah again if she remained in Northriver after graduation. If that was the case, she might as well go abroad and gain some experience.

When her pen fell onto the marital status section, she decisively ticked the "single" box.

Chapter 3

Jonah didn't come home that night. Early the next morning, Pearl came across a post Cecelia had just shared on her social media account.

It said, "I'm fortunate to have someone willing to drop everything for me and go on a spontaneous hike with me up Siren's Peak!"

Although Cecelia was the star in her selfie, Pearl instantly recognized the silhouette behind her. It was none other than Jonah.

Cecelia's followers commented on her post, all eager for the latest gossip.

"As expected of the charisma of a free-spirited girl! I'm sure Cecelia must have suitors lined up all the way to Lis."

"I knew it! I knew Cecelia wouldn't let her cheating ex-husband bring her down. She's truly the role model for all women."

"That guy looks really tall. When are you going to let us see his face?"

…

Pearl couldn't help but let out a sardonic chuckle as she thought, "I wonder what those beloved fans would think when they find out that guy happens to be a married man."

Cecelia herself had shown up in the comment section, replying, "Hey, darlings. Do any of you know the legend of Siren's Peak?"

It was said that lovers who hiked all the way to the top of Siren's Peak would be together forever in loving matrimony.

Last year, when Siren's Peak became a must-visit destination online, Pearl had begged Jonah to go there with her over and over again. Alas, he had only shot her a cold look and said disdainfully, "Pearl, here I thought you weren't the type to blindly follow trends."

She had nothing to say at the time and had no choice but to drop the subject.

It was the same thing now. Yet, when she did it, she was boring and lacked critical thinking. Meanwhile, when Cecelia did it, she was a free-spirited woman with freedom in her veins.

It was clear then that the difference between them was that one of them was loved, while the other just… wasn't.

Still, Pearl couldn't understand men at all. How could they still get it up when they didn't love the women sharing their bed? So, in order to avoid what happened the night before from happening once more, she decided to pack up her things and never return until the divorce was finalized.

It wasn't much of a hardship. After all, she mostly spent her time on campus anyway and barely had any of her possessions here. In the end, one suitcase was all it took.

Finally, she opened the drawer of the nightstand and took out a thick Polaroid album. It was filled with pictures she had taken of Jonah.

Every single one of them was a candid side profile, as Jonah had never bothered to cooperate with her whenever she tried to take his picture. She had better luck hoping for pigs to fly than getting him to pose for her.

It was a completely different thing when it came to the picture Cecelia had posted, though. Although Jonah had merely shown up as a silhouette, it was evident he had deliberately positioned himself just so for the shot.

When Pearl left the apartment, she brought the album with her and threw it in a random bin in the lobby.

After all, a love that wasn't valued was no better than trash.

As graduation came knocking on her door, she became so busy that she barely had a moment to herself. Thus, she barely thought of Jonah for two whole weeks.

So, she was caught off guard when she saw a missed call from Jonathan after her group meeting on Friday.

She had always been the one to reach out to him first throughout their four whole years of marriage. Sometimes, she even had to make an appointment with his secretary just to see him.

Jonah had said, "Phone calls are the most inefficient way to communicate. It's a waste of time."

As she recalled how he used to reprimand her for calling him, she swiped the missed call notification away and decided to ignore it.

Unexpectedly, Jonah kept calling her over and over again. He even sent her a message via Twitter, saying, "Dad wants us to visit him."

Nathaniel had been in a slump ever since Marlene passed away two years ago. His health deteriorated almost overnight. Sure enough, he resigned from his position and decided to spend his remaining life in a nursing home.

Back then, Pearl would visit him every ten days or so. However, she hadn't dropped by after what happened last month.

A flicker of guilt stirred in her chest at that realization.

She shouldn't have done so. Although her marriage to Jonah was gone with the wind, there was no denying that Nathaniel and Marlene had loved her from the bottom of their hearts.

So, she really should have visited Nathaniel more often while she was still residing in Northriver.

Jonah came to pick her up. The second he saw her, he asked, "Why haven't you been coming home lately?"

"I'm busy with my assignments," Pearl replied succinctly.

"That's good. Cecelia thought you were upset about how close she and I have gotten."

Jonah tapped the steering wheel lightly and continued, "I told her you're not that petty, but she didn't believe me. She said she'll move out next month to avoid any unnecessary conflict."

"Tell her not to bother. I don't care," Pearl said mildly, sounding as though she was merely reporting on a run-of-the-mill case during a hospital shift.

Jonah couldn't help but frown slightly at her remark. That was precisely the answer he had wanted to hear, so why did he feel discomfited after hearing her say it so indifferently?

As the car came to a stop at the red light, he turned to get a closer look at Pearl's expression.

Unfortunately, Pearl had already fallen asleep in the passenger seat.

Chapter 4

Although it has only been a month or so since they had last met, Nathaniel seemed to have aged a decade during that time. His hands shook as he opened a box, pulled out an aquamarine bangle, and pressed it into Pearl's hand.

"Pearl, this was Marlene's. It's a family heirloom that has been passed down to the daughters-in-law in the Lawrence family. Marlene's passing was so sudden that she didn't have the chance to give it to you herself.

"Today, I'm putting it on you… just in case that I, too, leave this world in a similar fashion."

"Nathaniel, please don't say that," Pearl retorted, tears welling up in her eyes as she saw how the once-proud and mighty Nathaniel was now brought down so low.

He might have good intentions, but she knew the truth. She and Jonah were getting divorced soon. So, she couldn't, in good conscience, accept something so priceless. Alas, Nathaniel was insistent and slipped the bangle onto her wrist despite her protests.

Then, he added, "Back then, we didn't bother with a grand wedding because you were still studying. Now, you're about to graduate soon. It really is time for you to hold a proper wedding. This was also Marlene's final wish."

Pearl and Jonah said nothing in response.

Nathaniel rambled on about the wedding by himself before whipping out two tickets and handing them to Jonah. "These are from Logan for the two of you. It's a musical his son is directing, and the show's tonight."

"Logan?" Jonah furrowed his brows in confusion.

Nathaniel beamed, replying, "Pearl knows who that is. Logan's a friend of mine here at the nursing home. When Pearl dropped by last time, she happened to stumble upon Logan, who had collapsed on the roadside due to a heart attack."

Nathaniel looked at Pearl proudly. "Logan survived all thanks to her quick thinking and emergency first aid. He's never forgotten about his savior. He even said he wants to attend your wedding and drink to your happiness."

"That happened? Why wasn't I told?" Jonah turned to look at Pearl. He had no idea something like that had ever occurred.

Pearl didn't expose him in front of Nathaniel. However, she remembered as clear as day that she had sent Jonah several voice messages after saving Logan. He had never responded to any of them.

Now, she knew. He didn't even bother clicking on them.

After they left the nursing home, Pearl wanted to hail a cab straight back to campus. Alas, Jonah waved the tickets in his hand and said, "These were meant for you. Wouldn't it be rude of you not to go?"

Nathaniel and Logan Hughes' kind intentions came to mind. So, Pearl took one of the tickets and decided to watch the musical.

On the way there, Jonah suddenly said he needed to stop by the house to grab his work phone. Thus, they took a detour to the apartment.

Pearl couldn't help but think disparagingly, "It's funny nothing happened when he ditched work to go hiking with Cecelia and left his work phone ringing all night in the study. But now that he's with me? Oh, no! Work is oh-so-important now."

Pearl quietly slipped off the aquamarine bangle when she came to that conclusion. It was best to return something that didn't belong to her to the rightful owner.

She had just removed it from her wrist when she saw Cecelia sashaying out of the elevator.

"Jonah, there you are! No wonder you weren't home when I went to your place earlier. Where did you go?" Cecelia demanded.

Cecelia completely ignored Pearl and bounced over to Jonah. Pearl instinctively took a step back.

"You were looking for me? Whatever for?" Jonah asked.

"Of course I'm here to get you to join the competition! Look. I even got the bikes ready!" Cecelia promptly replied.

Only then did Pearl notice three bicycles in the elevator, along with a blonde girl. Pearl recognized her. She was Isla Wood, a social media influencer who had appeared in Cecelia's videos in the past.

Isla greeted them warmly and teased Cecelia with a mischievous grin, "So this is the guy from your picture, huh? He definitely is a total heartthrob."

Then, her gaze shifted to Pearl, and she asked in bafflement, "And she is?"

Cecelia and Jonah both looked visibly uncomfortable. In contrast, Pearl looked bored as she pointed at Jonah and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm his sister."

Chapter 5

Jonah and Cecelia didn't say a word, which counted as their silent agreement to Pearl's statement.

Jonah cleared his throat, shifting the topic and asking Cecelia, "What's this competition you're talking about?"

Cecelia stuck her tongue out playfully and said, "We're going to race around the lake at night. I signed you up for it. You're not mad at me, are you?"

Jonah fell silent before turning to look at Pearl.

Pearl shrugged nonchalantly. "You guys go ahead. I need to return to campus to work on my thesis anyway."

Isla, who was utterly unaware of their true relationship, warmly invited Pearl to join them, "You should come with us!"

"I doubt Pearl likes something as boyish as biking," Cecelia replied on her behalf before Pearl could say anything in response.

Jonah echoed, "She's right. Pearl's rather timid, and she's not that great at sports."

Pearl didn't bother denying it even as she thought with a bit of exasperation, "Not good at sports? I, the captain of the college's boxing team, am not good at sports? The same captain who has been undefeated for three years?

"Man, my juniors would probably be frothing at the mouth to have a go at Jonah if they heard this."

Still, she didn't want to waste her time with them. So, she took the bangle she'd removed from her wrist earlier and handed it to Jonah. "Here."

She wanted to tell Jonah to keep it safe, but Isla's eyes lit up the moment she caught sight of it. She snatched it away from her grasp and exclaimed, "Oh, my gosh! What a stunning aquamarine!"

She looked at Cecelia with envy. "You just said the other day that you wanted to find a good-quality bangle, and Mr. Lawrence immediately got you one! God, why don't I have a classmate this thoughtful?"

Cecelia lowered her head bashfully.

Isla continued to tease her, "Cecelia, you should put it on. I've never seen an aquamarine this pretty. It must be worth thousands of dollars."

Jonah hesitantly took the bangle from Isla under Cecelia's expectant gaze and handed it to Cecelia. Yet, his eyes never left Pearl's face.

Pearl saw Cecelia put it on and immediately let out a sigh of relief. The aquamarine bangle might be an heirloom, but it was precisely because of its significance that it felt like a hot potato when it was in her possession.

Besides, it would end up in Cecelia's hands sooner or later. It was better to let it go now rather than later.

"You two have fun. I'll get a cab." Pearl didn't look back as she stepped into the elevator.

Behind her, the very person she had been watching from afar was now watching her walk further and further away.

Jonah stared at the closing elevator doors and felt something he couldn't quite name stirring in his chest when he noticed how decisively she had left him.

Pearl went to the musical alone. The tragic "Hamlet" show lived up to its name, making her cry through most of the performance.

On her way back to campus, she checked her phone and saw Cecelia's latest post.

The bangle was now on Cecelia's wrist, and the caption of her picture read, "I'm sure no one else is cycling around the lake wearing an aquamarine bangle!"

Her and Jonah's shadows overlapped intimately in the photo.

Pearl calmly clicked on Cecelia's profile and selected "Unfollow" and "Not Interested".

When the great Cecelia had barged into her life, she had scrolled through Cecelia's account like some sort of creepy hate stalker. Now, though? Now, she had better things to do.

She had been a spectator of a show named "Jonah" for the past few years. She had laughed and cried over that show. Now that it was over, it was time that she finally removed herself from it.

…

Pearl's classmates had decided to apply for leave to spend the remaining days with their families before leaving for Nyora as the Nyora aid work project's departure date came closer and closer.

Pearl, who had chosen to stay on campus, took over most of the logistics work. She spent days puttering about preparing supplies and barely slept a wink.

There were only ten days before her departure. So, she went to the pharmacy to stock up on medical supplies. When she did, she happened to chance upon some pregnancy tests on the shelf and picked one up on a whim.

After all, she had been oddly nauseous lately. It had gotten so bad that she had been throwing up every day recently. Plus, her period was late, too.

She couldn't be that unlucky, could she?

Fate had to be mocking her. Pearl nearly cussed herself silly when she saw the two lines on the test.

She forced herself to calm down. False positives could happen sometimes. Perhaps that was the case here. So, she immediately made an appointment and went to the OB-GYN first in the morning for a blood test.

An hour later, she stood in the hospital lobby, utterly dazed. Her mind felt fuzzy as she clutched the report that read, "Two months pregnant."

If it were two months… That lined up perfectly with the last time she had slept with Jonah. It was right before Cecelia returned to the country.

How could fate be so cruel?

She was just days away from getting that damned divorce certificate. She was merely a few days away from leaving this cursed country for Nyora!

Pearl couldn't help but pull up Jonah's number.

It didn't matter how strong and independent she actually was. She was still only a 24-year-old college student. After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the call button.

The next second, a ringtone sang to life not far from her.

Pearl turned in the direction of the sound and saw Jonah. He was in a trench coat, standing right next to the beautiful Cecelia. They looked like a match made in heaven.

Jonah heard the ringtone and picked up his phone with a frown on his face.

Pearl hastily ended the call before it could connect and ducked into the nearest corner.