Chapter 1. Bad Decision

His breath roared closer, frightening Pearl even more. The man approached Pearl until his nose tip nearly touched hers. Pearl held her breath as if she were going to die. His golden brown eyes captivated Pearl from pushing.

The man then hissed, "Stop squirming, Babydoll. I won't let you go," without blinking his eyes, frightening Pearl as he restrained her body.

"Who are you? I don't know you," Pearl answered fearfully. He stroked Pearl's flawless skin with the tips of his fingers, then took hold of her jaw. Pearl opened her eyes wide at once. Breath stopped. This time, she will die.

"You know me well, Doll.” The man's loud hissing continued. Pearl still shook her head, but the man grinned broadly.

"You are my mate, and I will enjoy your body now."

"No, please don't. Let me go!" Pearl attempted to scream. Yet, her voice didn't seem to want to come out. The man grew farther away and suddenly transformed into a hideous monster. Pearl slammed her eyes closed. He bit Pearl's neck painfully when she cried out at the top of her lungs.

"No!"

Her sister Briana came to shake Pearl. She appeared due to Pearl's scream in the middle of the night. 

"Pearl, Pearl! Get up! Pearl, what's wrong with you?" Pearl was battling something in her sleep as Briana yelled at her. At last, waking up, she cried. Pearl snorted awake. She quickly hugged Briana. Briana was also scared to see her sister having a seizure while asleep.

"What happened? Had you a bad dream?" Briana asked as she let Pearl go of her hug. Pearl was yet gasping for air. Her face was still pale with fear.

"A man appeared in my dream and strangled me. He turned into a terrible monster and then bit my neck," said Pearl, trying to retell her dream. While rubbing her head, Briana also looked worriedly at Pearl.

"I'm so scared." Pearl sighed again, covering her face with her hands.

"You dreamed the same thing again?" Briana asked in a worried tone. Pearl nodded, then looked down.

"Don't worry, it was just a nightmare. Nothing happened to you, Pearl." Pearl nodded, then took a deep breath. It feels calmer after returning to the real world.

"Yeah, I hope that dream will disappear. It feels terrible."

Pearl had to carry on resting as it was still night. Briana also slept in Pearl's room to accompany her. Pearl's nightmares, however, will keep her from sleeping ever again. Who is the man who turned into a monster? Pearl doesn't want to remember it anymore. His face remained stuck in Pearl's mind all this time, even though she didn't know him.

In the morning, Pearl received a surprise email notification. When he read the email from a large company, his eyes widened.

"Oh my God, this is amazing!" Pearl squealed so happily. The bad sensation from the nightmare of last night disappeared. Pearl bolted, yelling from the room.

"Daddy, Daddy, look! I got it. I got the internship from Excellor!"

John left his chair immediately and glanced at Pearl's cell phone email. Broadly grinning, he gave Pearl a hug of congratulations. Keith, Briana, and John were also grinning widely.

"Oh, congratulations, sweetheart. You did it. Oh, I'm so proud of you!" said John, hugging Pearl. Pearl was thrilled and gratified when, following the internship program, she was hired by Excellor Enterprise for an excellent position.

"You are amazing, dear!" Keith joins in praising Pearl. Pearl remembered to hug her older brother.

"Thank you very much, brother. You always support me." Keith smiled broadly, then hugged Pearl once again. Briana and Keith exchanged hugs and then laughed together. Seeing his three children made John thrilled. Pearl's remarkable intelligence, generosity, and achievements especially thrilled John to see her.

After rereading the email, Briana said, "I heard that the company also provides scholarships for master's programs for those who pass internships there." Pearl smiled broadly and nodded.

"Yes. It has been my dream all along to get in there. Oh, I'm so happy!" said Pearl, moving. She even shed tears. Her dream of becoming a well-known interior designer will come true. Excellor is a famous company today. Making her way through an internship program is an honor.

Suddenly, Sandra came to scold her, "What is it?" Sandra frowned, not liking to see Pearl happy. However, Pearl still showed a different manner, although her stepmother didn't want her.

"Mom, look. Excellor took me as an intern. I am so happy!" Pearl smiled broadly and then showed Sandra the email she received. Sandra skimmed the email and then glanced at her husband, John, who was still smiling.

"You know all this?" Sandra rebuked John. Pearl immediately turned flat. Likewise, Briana and Keith needed clarification.

"Yes," John answered briefly with an unsmiling face.

"And you just let her go? She can't work there now!" said Sandra, surprising Pearl. Pearl needed clarification. Her brow furrowed in misapprehension.

"What do you mean, Mom? Why can't I work there?" Pearl asked perplexedly. Sandra half threw Pearl's cell phone down on the dining table like she was pissed at the situation. She turned to John. He said nothing.

"John, tell her what she has to do," Sandra ordered John tensely. John glanced at his children one by one. The joy that had appeared before now disappeared instantly.

"What's going on, Dad?" Pearl asked her father.

"It," John seemed hesitant to say. Meanwhile, Sandra crossed her arms, pressuring John to speak more truth. John had no choice.

"Tomorrow night, Pearl has to come to a ball dinner. Your future husband will introduce himself." John finally spoke. Pearl and her two siblings were so shocked.

"What? What do you mean, Dad?" Pearl gasped in disbelief. Sandra then grabbed Pearl's arm because she wanted to approach her father.

"We have decided to marry you now."

"But I'm going to Excellor, Mom. I can't get married now!" Pearl denied rejecting the unexpected match. Sandra shook her head, then glared forcefully at Pearl. She will not lose the opportunity to become part of his future son-in-law's family.

"You have to do it. This is your father's decision, and you will obey him."

"But,"

"Stop this useless idea of Excellor. If you marry him, you will never have to work for the rest of your life!"