IN THREE LIVES

PEARL

I stepped out of the shower cubicle in my bathrobe with a towel wrapped around my hair. I moved to my closet and after debating on which clothes to put on, I finally settled for a pink shirt and a blue skirt.

I moved towards my vanity table, pulled out the stool and sat. I looked at my face in the mirror and the first thing I saw was the scar - it was still there. Each time I saw it, ugly memories of my past came rushing back.

Well, the scar was going to remain there except I did something about it: Perhaps, a plastic surgery. Not that I liked the scar being there or did not want a surgery; finances was the problem.

Yes! I live in a condo. I have good furniture and gadgets lying around but I don't have a job. I am not a glitterati. I'm middle class.

Living in San Francisco, California without a job is like waiting for hunger to eat you up bit by bit. So here I was, in front of my mirror trying to get prepared for another job hunting.

I had gone to three other companies and I had been rejected. Reasons being that other interviewees had better and higher qualifications than me, I had no work experience or any other lame excuse they could give me.

I ran my fingers on the scar on my right cheek, as tears threatened to fall from my eyes. I quickly blinked back the tears and ran a touch of concealer on my face. At least that would make the scar fairly visible.

After putting finishing touches to my make up, I slipped my feet into a pair of pink colored flats and grabbed a small black shoulder bag from my bed and a folder which contained some documents.

Lest I forget, I'm Pearl. Pearl Anderson and I'm 26 years old. I'm ruddy in complexion with a round face that is decorated with raised eyebrows, hazel eyes, curly long lashes, a hooked nose, thin lips and a pointed chin.

My perfect figure: flat stomach, slim waist and wide hips is well fitted on a pair of shapely legs. I'm not so busty, though. I could pass for a model with this figure of mine which makes heads turn more than twice.

No doubt, I'm an epitome of beauty but I have an ugly past I ran away from and I'm trying hard to forget. A past which has stained my record, a past which still haunts me, a past which I don't want to encounter, ever again.

Enough about me. I took a last look at myself in the mirror before stepping out of my room and my house, locking the door behind me.

I walked out to the streets and flagged down a taxi which took me to 'Scottsdale Companies'. I paid the driver his fare and watched him zoom off before assuming entry into the building.

It was a gigantic one. I walked into the reception hall after some devices handled by the security personnel had scanned me. I asked for directions from the receptionist and she directed me to the room where the interview was going to be held.

Prior to that time, I had submitted my curriculum vitae via E-mail and I had been invited for the interview. I sat amongst other interviewees and waited for my turn.

Finally, I was called in only to go sit in front of a tough looking panel which threw nerve wrenching questions. I answered to the best of my ability and I was told to wait outside. I only prayed and hoped that I would be employed. Others after me took their turns and after a while, we were called in for the results.

Earlier on, I had done a quick arithmetic of how many people applied for the job and out of fifteen of us, only seven were picked and I was among the lucky seven.

I had graduated from college with second class uppers in 'Human Resource Management' and I had just been employed in 'Scottsdale Company', specifically as an 'Employee Assistance Plan Manager'. The pay was good and I was told to resume work the next day. I was about to walk out of the company when a lady called out to me.

"Excuse me, miss" She called and I turned around

"Miss Anderson, right?" She asked

"That's me. Any problem?" I replied

"You are being called by the boss" She said and I was stunned.

-How would the boss even know me? I'm some new employee. I've not even started working yet.

"So, where is he?" I finally asked

"In his office. This way" She said and started walking towards the elevator.

I followed her behind and we got into the elevator.It came to halt, giving a loud ding. It gave way and we stepped out. The lady told me to wait while she went inside.

After a short while, she came out and told me to go in. I moved towards the door which seemed to be made of expensive and polished wood and knocked. It had a tag with 'CEO' at the top.

~

ROGERS

I heard a knock on my door and I supposed that it was the lady I had sent for.

"Come in," I said in a gruff voice. My office door pulled open and she walked inside.

'Whoa. Exactly as you had seen her: curvy with a slim waist' My subconscious whispered and I couldn't do less but agree with him.

While the interview was going on, I was watching the whole session from a computer in my office which had the CCTV footage of the interview room wired down to my office. That was the way I had programmed my company: To watch every damn move of my employees.

She walked down to my table and stood, bowing her head. I wondered why she was keeping those pretty eyes down.

"Miss Anderson?" I questioned, looking at her

"Yes sir" She said, still bowing

"What's the name and I need you to raise your face"

"Pearl Anderson, Sir" She said, slowly raising her head.

No doubt, she was a lady with a fine face but there was some kind of spot which I noticed on her cheek and I wondered what it was doing there. I looked her straight in the eye but she shifted her gaze. My eyes raked her body as though they were searching for something.

Actually, with my eyes, I was undressing the glorious body in front of me and there was only one thing in mind: I MUST have her on my bed, laying emphasis on must. Well, that was the main reason I called her to my office in the first place - to have a little chat with her and see what she was like.

I had admired her right from when I saw her from my system and just like a magnet, I was attracted. I was even beginning to wonder what a blissful moment it would be when I would make her scream my name.

Fuck! At 45, I was still such a pervert. But I wasn't the type of predator who would pounce on its prey without carefully mapping out strategies.

"Have a sit, Miss Anderson" I said

"Uhm..It's... I'm alright sta...standing, Sir" She stuttered

"I insist" And she finally sat, still avoiding my gaze

"So, tell me, why did you choose the Scottsdale Company?"

"Well Sir, I saw the vacancy for the position which I applied for online with the benefits attached and so, I decided to give it a try"

"Just like that? What if you had been rejected?"

"Well, I would have accepted my fate. But I doubt if I would have been rejected with the kind of qualifications I carry"

She even has confidence.

"Is this the first company you've applied for a job at?" I pressed further

"No Sir. Actually, I had applied for a job at three previous companies but I wasn't taken" She replied

"Oh! I see" I said, my gaze fixated on her boobs. I didn't want to waste her time any further.

"Thanks for your time, Miss Anderson. Do have a nice time working in Scottsdale" I stretched out my hand for a shake

"The pleasure's all mine, Sir" She shook my hand. She walked out of my office, her hips swaying and I enjoyed every bit of what I saw.

Just so you wait, Miss Anderson, 'cause when I'm done with you, you'll come back begging for more.

I smiled mischievously as I sunk into my swivel chair.

~

PEARL

I walked out of his office feeling relaxed at last. The atmosphere there was so intense and I was glad that I was finally out. I moved to the street and boarded a taxi. I finally arrived home,got into the room and slumped on my bed. I stared at the ceiling, smiling that I had finally gotten a job.

After a while, I sat up, pulled my shoes off, as well as my clothes. I dropped the shoes in my shoe rack and dropped the clothes in my laundry basket, hoping to do them later in the day.

I stepped into the shower cubicle and had a refreshing bath. I slipped into a pair of shorts and a tank top. I moved to the kitchen and gawd, I was damn hungry. I did not eat in the morning before going for the interview. Well, the hunger kind of paid off, 'cause I got the job.

The moment I realized that there was no single food in the house and that my pots were clean, I got lazy. Either way, I still had to cook so that I would eat. I filled some water into a pan, lighted the burner and dropped the pan on the burner.

Before I could even say Jack, I was already done with cooking. I took out a bottle of chilled water from the fridge and with my tray of food, I moved to the breakfast bar, sat on one of the stools and began to dig into my food.

Yeah, I didn't have a dining room because I didn't feel the need to have one. It's not like I would be entertaining any guests. I was a loner and I felt very okay eating in my kitchen. So there, I didn't have any need for a dining room.

Soon, I finished eating my food, cleared my dish and walked back to the room. I laid on my bed, took my phone out from inside my pillow where I had kept it and began to go through the pictures in my gallery.

There were mostly pictures of my Mom before she died, pictures of my younger self before I had the ugly scar, my present self and finally pictures of any other thing I fancied. I was in that position till I slowly drifted off to sleep.

~

"Let go of me you scat!" I screamed as I tried to resist some evil looking man who held me firmly to himself

"Really? I should let go of you?" The man growled. I could see wrath flicker in his eyes as he held me

"What did I ever do to you?" I yelled but this time, he not only tightened his grip on me but he grabbed my neck as well

"You left! You ran away! Don't you get it?"

"I left?" I myself never understood what he meant by me leaving

"Don't you dare try to play dumb with me, lady. Why did you ever leave?"

"Mister, I really don't understand what I did to you, but all I know and want now is that you let go of me, I beg you" I cried

"Shut the fuck up, bitch" He snarled

"You are mine! All mine! Like my dog, my falcon or my slave!" By this time, his large hand which was still on my neck was choking life out of me

"You're choking me, Sir" I whimpered

My knees were beginning to go numb. After a while, he released his hold on my neck but still held me firmly to himself.

"You know I used to enjoy being with you before" He said, looking me in the eye

"Especially this" He trailed his fingers on my breasts and fondled them

"I beg you in God's name to please stop this" I pleaded.

He relaxed his grip on me but did not let go of me. I fell on my knees quickly and wrapped my hands around his legs.

"Please, I know nothing of what you're talking about Sir, just let me go"

He lifted my chin up to face him.

"There's no need to beg kitten, 'cause all those are in the past now" He stroked my chin

"So are you letting me go?" I asked, a little bit of hope dancing in my eyes

"Not so fast, kitten. I've got something to show you first" And with that, he pulled me up by my hair which was already a mess. I winced as I followed him to where he was taking me.

Finally, we reached where he was taking me. It was a large dark room. Next, the lights went on and I shut my eyes quickly due to the brightness of the light.

After a while, I opened my eyes and tried to adapt to the illumination of the room. My eyes darted around the room and all I could find was an empty room with filthy stuff, save for a large circular iron lid with iron bars on each side in front of me. Then I guessed that it was a pit, a well or something deep because the lid looked like it was stuck in the floor.

"Mister, will you let me go now?" I pleaded again

"Quiet!" He scrawled and I flinched in fear

"Just let me take my last right" He said and before I knew anything else, he spun me to face him and did the unexpected

He kissed me. It was long and deep but I didn't reciprocate which made him bite my lower lip. After a while, he pulled away.

"You still taste sweet, you know" He said, pulling a strand of hair away from my face

"Please just let me go" I said,tears falling from my eyes

"Not until I'm done with you" He said and snapped his fingers.

Two giant men who were evil looking just like him came out from the inner part of the room. Whatever he planned to do to me, it looked like he was really prepared for it.

He gestured to the pit and the two men, placing their hands on the iron bars on both sides of the lid, lifted the lid off.

Since I was a few meters away from the lid, he dragged me by the arm, making me move close to the spot where the lid had been taken off from - It was a pit. A very deep pit.

"Look inside" He ordered and I bent my head a little bit.

My eyes flew wide and I cringed with sheer terror as I saw what was in the pit.