413 The Morning In New Infanta Settlement, The Story of Pearls Ruin (2/2)

Hearing that, Mei immediately sat up and went to do things she needed to do. She looked as if she had not just woken up at all.

\”Why do I feel like I've been cheated.\”

Mark muttered as he watched Mei go out of the room to wake up the little girls.

***

Day 71 - 8:17 AM - New Infanta Settlement, Barangay Banugao, Infanta, Quezon

They were having breakfast when Edzel arrived. Of course, he had Pearl with him. She looked too awkward and afraid. It was obvious that she was scared that she would be discriminated against because of her current appearance.

It seemed that it had been a normal occurrence to her in this settlement and became engraved in her heart and mind.

\”Boss... Everyone, good morning.\”

Edzel greeted as he entered the room where Mark, Mei, and the little girls were eating. Aephelia, Amihan, Jaeya, and Odelina with her children were also here.

As for everyone else, they were in the proper dining area for breakfast.

Since Mark was expecting Edzel, he decided to eat separately. It was not necessary to divulge Pearl's circumstance to everyone in the group.

\”Boss, you see...\”

After Edzel entered with Pearl, he was about to talk about the details. He was kind of awkward as he knew that Mark saw what happened to them before. Before he could continue, however, Mark cut him off.

\”You don't have to say anything. I knew what happened.\”

Edzel had a complicated expression. He did not know whether he should be surprised about this or not. On the other hand, Pearl felt even more scared. Mark spoke with a nonchalant expression. She felt that what Edzel wanted would not happen.

Then... Mark turned to Odelina.

\”Odel, bring the children out first. We have to talk about something.\”

Without hesitation, Odelina brought the children out.

Mark then turned to Pearl who was covered with her ragged cloak while hiding behind Edzel.

\”Step forward. Don't hide behind Edzel. Also, don't cover your face.\”

The scared Pearl looked at Edzel who nodded. Slowly, she stepped forward while holding Edzel's hand tightly. She then removed the hood of her cloak and swiped away her hair that covered most of her face.

Mark and Mei had no reaction to her appearance. Of course, the others were shocked and felt pity.

\”I want to ask,\” Mark spoke. \”What happened after you left with the Cristobal Family during the evacuation in East Port Settlement before?\”

Pearl shivered even more. It was a memory she did not want to remember anymore. She did not want to say what happened at all.

\”You don't have to say the specific details.\” Mark knew what he should ask and what should not. \”Just tell what you can.\”

Finally, she spoke.

***

Back then, she did not know much. However, during the evacuation, she heard that the Cristobal and Ruanto actually had a secret alliance. That was why the two families left together abandoning everyone else on the verge of the disaster.

There was not much infected on the road at that time. However, she noticed that the noise from their vehicles was actually attracting the infected nearby causing them to block the road behind.

When they reached the town in Dinahican. The vehicles stopped by the orders of Former Mayor Jacob Ruanto. Then, the Cristobal Family learned the awful truth.

The alliance of Ruanto family to them were nothing but lies. The real allies of Ruanto Family were the forces of Death Valley Settlement. Thus, with their futile resistance, everyone in Cristobal Family was captured to become slaves. Including Pearl.

However, that was not the worst part. Trying to save himself, the young master of Cristobal actually tried to sell his girls off. That was when the first time she regretted her dumb decision.

And the torture ensued after that. The men of Death Valley settlement were like hungry wolves. Inside the vehicles used to transport them, Pearl and the other women were already treated as toys for pleasure.

Arriving at Death Valley, the torture for her became worse. As a young girl with good looks, a middle-aged woman had taken fancy on her. However, not because the middle-aged woman was a homosexual, but because she hated young women with good looks.

At that short time, Pearl was taken under that middle-aged woman's roof, she let her boy toys play with her while she ruined Pearl's appearance slowly.

Pearl could still hear the middle-aged woman's laugh even now in her sleep. The laugh she heard as she was being tortured using different devices.

She heard the boy toys muttering about Pearl being killed afterward. At that time, she did not care anymore. But in the middle of her torture, gunshots echoed. The middle-aged woman escaped with her boy toys leaving her chained in the basement.

At that time, she passed out from blood loss. The next thing she knew, she was being transported by soldiers inside one of their vehicles while her wounds were being treated.

Hearing this part, Mark nodded.

It was something he knew. In fact, Mark still remembers the middle-aged woman Pearl was talking about. For sure, it was that cougar he bisected with her boy toys.

In fact, Mark knew that Pearl was there all along in the basement as he took Alaula from the top floor of that building. However, how could he care for a slut like her? That was why he did not do anything and proceeded to do with the things he needed to do.

Hearing all these, for sure, Pearl was just lucky to survive those things.