The morning sun filtered weakly through the blinds, casting pale stripes across Pearl's living room floor. Her apartment was unusually quiet, save for the occasional sound of a car passing by or a distant voice echoing through the street below. But inside, everything felt still, unnervingly so.
Pearl sat on the edge of her couch, one leg curled beneath her, the other dangling lifelessly. A cold cup of coffee sat forgotten on the glass table in front of her. She hadn't taken a sip since she'd poured it almost an hour ago. Her eyes were distant, half-focused on the cup, half-trapped in the strange silence that seemed to have taken over her mind.
Sleep had completely evaded her. She'd spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable, unable to stop her mind from spiraling. And now, as the world outside woke up, she remained locked in that same mental fog, unsure of how to move forward, unsure if she even wanted to.
She hadn't turned on the television or looked at her phone since she got home. But she didn't need to. The moment she stepped inside last night, she knew what the headlines would say. It didn't take a genius to know that news of Richard Harrison's "engagement" would break the internet. And somehow, her name—Pearl Grey—was right there, alongside his.
She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and buried her face in her hands. Her breathing was shallow, her heart slow and aching. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be a name people knew. She wasn't supposed to be part of a fake fairytale.
With a soft exhale, she sat up and blinked hard. "No," she whispered to herself. "Not now."
She stood abruptly, needing something—anything—to take her mind off everything. Her eyes scanned her bookshelf, searching for something familiar, something grounding. Finally, she pulled down a novel she'd read a dozen times before. She didn't care what it was. All she needed was distraction.
Pearl returned to the couch, curled up with the book in her lap, and opened to the first page. She tried to read, tried to lose herself in the words, in the world of someone else's creation. But it was no use. Her eyes skimmed over paragraphs without comprehension. Her fingers turned pages she didn't actually read.
Still, she kept trying. Because doing nothing felt worse.
Across the city,
The sharp ring of his phone sliced through the quiet of Richard's penthouse. He sat at the kitchen island, a steaming espresso untouched beside him. His eyes were glued to the front page of the digital newspaper glowing from his tablet. There it was: the photo from the rooftop, the bold headline, the speculation. The announcement of their engagement had dropped at midnight.
The buzz had already begun.
He picked up the phone without checking the caller ID.
"Mum," he said, already knowing.
"Richard Harrison," came the warm, amused voice on the other end. "So you do know how to surprise people."
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I take it you saw the news."
"Saw it? I was practically tackled by Aunt Beatrice at brunch. She shoved the news in my face before I could even butter my croissant." She laughed softly. "I have to say, it was quite the headline. You and... Pearl, was it? She's very pretty."
Richard didn't respond immediately. He stared out the tall glass windows of his home, watching the early traffic build up in the streets below. "It happened fast."
"Clearly. But you know what? I'm proud of you," she said, and her tone softened. "For once, you're not hiding behind your work. You're actually doing something that seems... spontaneous. Human."
His lips pressed into a thin line. If only she knew the truth.
"Dad isn't pleased, is he?"
There was a pause. "He's fuming," she admitted. "I haven't seen him this riled up in years. Something about how it makes you look unserious. I told him to calm down and let you live."
Richard let out a quiet chuckle. "Thanks for trying."
"I know you, Richard. And I trust you have your reasons. Just... be careful."
His brows furrowed. "Careful?"
"With her. With yourself. With whatever this really is. I know you think you have control over everything, but people have hearts, and even fake things can turn real if you're not paying attention."
He closed his eyes for a second, letting her words sink in. "It won't get that far", he thought suddenly, the words striking like a flare in the dark."
Then his mum added, "Just promise me you'll look after her."
Richard didn't answer immediately. But in the silence, a memory of Pearl's stunned face the night before flashed in his mind, the way her eyes widened, the tremble in her voice, the confusion.
"I will," he said finally.
And with that, they said their goodbyes.
After the call ended, Richard remained seated, his eyes locked on the city skyline.
The lie had begun. The world believed it.
Now came the hardest part — pretending.
But for some reason his chest didn't feel as heavy as he'd expected. The image of Pearl, stubborn and wide-eyed, sitting under the city lights, flitted through his mind. He hadn't wanted this. Any of it. But now that it has started...
He couldn't help wondering, what if this was the first step toward something he hadn't dared imagine?
And somewhere across Montelucia, Pearl stared out her window, feeling the shift too.
The ripple had begun.