Daily Dose of Escapades 🎧
S2 Ep22: S2 EP22. Mom Forced Me To Marry The Prince / Please Share This Story
Hello lovers, welcome to another episode of daily dose of escapades. Make sure you stream, download, and most importantly, share the story to friends and family. This would push us to give you more and better stories. 1K downloads and streams to unlock the next episode. Thanks. Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss! The hall was packed with nobles and everyone had their eyes glued to me in my fiance. A prince with buck teeth and greasy hair leaned in trying to kiss me, sweat was pouring down my face. There was no way I was letting this not so charming prince ruin my love story. Without thinking, I punched him right in the face. The entire hall gasped in shock and then the crowd started to get angry. I had just insulted their precious prince. My parents, the king and queen, were completely stunned. They couldn't believe what their daughter had just done. I don't ever want to marry him. What did you just say, princess? I stepped out of my daydream, realizing I was still sitting in the royal classroom. My little sister Lydia sitting next to me was giggling. Shut up, Lydia. I zoned out again, staring out the window. I had no idea that my real-life prince was about to turn my world upside down. Hi there, I'm Isabella, a princess of a small European country. My life had always been filled with etiquette lessons and the constant pressure to uphold the royal family's honor. But I was only 15, and you know the most important thing for a 15-year-old princess? Finding a super-dreamy prince to marry. But reality, as it often does, had different plans for me. You're going to marry the Prince of Eldoria. The marriage has been arranged, but don't worry, he's cute. I haven't even met him yet. Does cute mean handsome? What if he's not like the charming princes I've always dreamed of? The next day, while lounging by the pool, I poured out my terrible fears to Lydia. Aw, what if he's horrible? What if he's ugly? Hi, herdie, looks like a monkey. Stop it, Lydia, that's not funny! Why don't we do some stalking? Lydia's suggestion made me sit up. We quickly found his Instagram account. My fingers couldn't stop scrolling through his profile, but the more I saw, the more tears started rolling down my face. He looked exactly like what I feared. Lydia couldn't stop laughing. I'm not meeting him. You can't refuse. Mom will be flipping flapjacks. I don't care. I'm not going anywhere. Mom pushed me into a chair, throwing me a look that could melt ice. Lots of fancy guests were attending the royal meeting between our two countries. I tried to make myself invisible as the king and prince walked in. Everyone bowed respectfully. Mom shoved me forward and I cut my head down as low as possible. It's a pleasure to meet you, princess. I'm prince, Alexander. My heart nearly stopped. Not out of fear, but out of sheer shock. This prince didn't look anything like the one we stalked online. He was tall, was striking blue eyes, and a smile that could melt butter. I turned to Lydia, standing next to me, who was also wide-eyed with surprise. The guy we stalked is his brother. Over there. A wave of relief washed over me. Alexander looked exactly like the prince I dreamed of in my childhood fantasies. Soon enough, we became a couple, and being with him was pretty awesome. We went on dates, explored the kingdom, and attended grand royal balls together. Everyone said we were a perfect match, but even after months passed, I still felt a bit lost in Alex's world. Especially when he had locked himself in his room for days without telling anyone. And more than anything, I never got used to his bodyguard, Marcus, who was a few years older than me. He was the coldest guy I had ever met, like his heart was made of ice. I tried to be friendly, offering him apple pie or bubble tea, but he always responded with a blank face. What on earth? He seemed to be everywhere, a silent shadow that never left Alex's side. As the wedding day got closer, Alex started locking himself in his room more and more. He was too busy with some secret project that I knew nothing about. Even though I was getting more suspicious, I tried to accept my feet. I kept telling myself that I liked Alex a lot, gave him space, and just hoped he would share something with me. But right before the ceremony, everything changed. Alexander vanished without a trace, throwing everyone into chaos. The royal family decided to keep the news under wraps, fearing his scandal. No one would take my calls except for Marcus. What happened? Weren't you always by Alex's side? Except at Night Princess. You was gone when I went to his room this morning. I dropped my phone, unable to stand from the shock. I searched for him in every nook and cranny, but every path led to a dead end. My desperation grew with each passing day. One evening after yet another fruitless search, I collapsed onto the sidewalk and defeat. A queen dropped in front of me and I looked up startled to see a couple. Poor thing, she's beautiful but broke! I'm not a beggar! No one in this country knew I was a princess. Did I really look that pathetic? As I turned a corner, I spotted a familiar figure sneaking through the shadows. Marcus, wait up! Princess Isabella, what are you doing here? You're looking for Alex too, aren't you? Shh, follow me! Marcus led me to his car and started driving away. Yes, finding Prince Alexander is my duty. Let me come with you! No, I'll handle it alone. I'm taking you back to the palace, and tomorrow you'll return to your country. After that, Marcus refused to answer any of my questions or pleas during the entire ride. Was he even human or some kind of robot running on a bunch of gears? But that very night, I received a call from Marcus for the first time ever. Princess Isabella, I need your help. To find Alex? Of course, but when? Right now. What? It's the middle of the night! Okay, the princess room is heavily guarded. I need you to go in and find more information, because I'm not allowed in there. But after this, you can't ditch me, okay? After two seconds of hesitation, Marcus agreed. I boldly entered Alex's room and signaled Marcus to follow. It was my first time stepping into my fiancé's secretive room. We began searching every drawer, behind the paintings on the walls, and even under the bed. Over here. Marcus whispered excitedly as he tapped on the floorboard. He lifted it up and I merely dropped my jaw when I saw a dark room beneath it, but it wasn't as scary as I'd imagined. It was just a small room where many pictures were hanging on the walls. They were all related to a village that, according to Marcus, was located in the southern part of the country. The prince might be there. Then, we're going there. The next morning, we set off at the crack of dawn, and to avoid any royal gossip, we didn't tell anyone about our trip. The journey took us through bustling towns and quiet countryside, and finally stopped at the edge of a vast forest. We have to walk through this forest. The village is right on the other side, Princess. You can call me by my name, you know. Yes, Princess. I mean, Isabella. The trees were tall and dense. As we walked, a sense of unease washed over me. Something fell off about this place. Suddenly, a group of rough-looking men appeared. Hello there. You look pretty wealthy, don't ya? Bandits! Marcus immediately stepped in front of me. Stay behind me. As they charged, Marcus fought them off fiercely. After all, he was the prince's bodyguard, so I knew I could totally trust him. Before I could react, one of the bandits grabbed me by the neck. Ha, stubborn, huh. Now, how are you going to protect this little lady? Being a princess and having been trained in self-defense in childhood, there was no way I was going down without a fight. Yeah! I grabbed his arm and flipped him forward, sending him crashing to the ground just as Marcus took down the remaining bandits. He looked at me, seeming unable to believe his eyes. I gave a victory sign, but then noticed Marcus's sleeve was slowly turning red. You're hurt! It's just a scratch. We tied up all the bandits to a tree just before the sky opened up with heavy rain. Luckily, we managed to take shelter in a shallow cave. I held Marcus sit down and started bandaging his wound. You looked pretty cool out there. You surprised me too? Piece of cake! We started a fire to keep warm and as the flames danced, Marcus spoke softly. I've known Alex since we were cats. I understand him better than anyone else. And I want to find him. Not just because it's my duty, but because he's my friend. We'll find him. I found myself holding Marcus's hand as a way to comfort him. But then I realized how awkward it felt, so I quickly changed the subject saying I'd go to sleep. We'll take turns keeping watch. Make sure to wake me up. I drifted off to sleep, feeling safe knowing Marcus was there. But I only woke up and bright sunlight hit my face. You've stayed up all night? You needed the rest. Now, let's go. He actually knew how to care for someone. We were almost out of the forest and I could see the smoke rising from the chimneys of the village in the distance. I got so excited that I started walking faster. Suddenly, my foot slipped on the wet ground and I tumbled down a slope, falling into a rushing stream below. Princess! Without a second thought, Marcus jumped in after me. His strong arm reached out to pull me to safety. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pushed me up onto the bank. But his unyield boon took its toll, and just as his grip loosened, I grabbed onto his hand tightly. Marcus! Hold on to me! I struggled to pull a solid frame up onto the bank, feeling like I just won a national weightlifting championship. Marcus lay there motionless, his face pale. I slapped him hard, but he didn't react. I bent down to give him CPR, praying silently. Come on, Marcus! Breathe! Please! Seconds pass like hours, but finally he coughed violently, spitting out the water from his lungs. *coughing* He's... *coughing* Thank you. Both of us seemed to remember that moment when our lips touched and we turned bright red. It felt like our clothes could dry instantly from the heat. We sat there, not daring to speak, even to embarrass to look each other in the eye. When our heartbeats finally returned in normal, I stood up. Let's go! The village is right there! The village nestled peacefully in a valley, a stark contrast to the chaotic royal life we had left behind. Push, everyone! One, two, keep going! I felt a wave of relief wash over me when I heard that familiar voice. Alex! He turned around, his face showing clear surprise. Lisa, Marcus, what are you two doing here? We came to find you! We ran over to help Alex push the card up the slope. Why did you leave? We searched everywhere for you. Alright, let's find Summer to talk. We followed him to the edge of the village and sat down on a bench by a small stream as Alex began to speak. I'm sorry for leaving without a word. I couldn't handle the pressure anymore. The expectations, the responsibilities, it's all too much. I feel like I'm suffocating. I know I'll inherit the throne one day, but I didn't think it would be this soon. Then you came along and everyone started preparing for the wedding. I panicked and I ran away. I'm such a coward. Did you ever think about me, Alex? I like you, Lisa. Lot. Do you want to stay here with me? Tears welled up as I realized the truth in his words. I had always dreamed of a fairy tale romance, but real life was so much more complicated. I can't do that. I have a duty to my country, to my family. I can't abandon them. My words left Alex silent. I walked away leaving Marcus and Alex to talk. A while later, Marcus came to find me holding a letter that Alex wanted to send to the king. I nodded and smiled, taking one last look back at the village. "Goodbye, Prince Alex." We returned to the palace and handed Alex's letter to his family. I went back to my room to pack my things. With Alex not coming back and that the wedding was off. I figured the past few days in this country would be a journey I'd never forget. I boarded the plane without saying goodbye to Marcus. My life returned to normal and it would probably be a long time before mom introduced me to another potential husband. Lydia continued teasing me by pairing me with goofy looking guys she found online. "Oh, look at this one." Give it a rest, Lydia. It's just the governor's son. "No, this guy's really handsome." Lydia dragged me to the window and pointed outside. There, I saw Marcus felling respectfully to my father, the king, before walking towards me. As we stood face to face, I couldn't hide the blush spreading across my cheeks. "You came to see me?" "Yes, princess." If you keep using formalities, I'm going to knock you out like I did that bandit. Marcus suddenly bent down and extended his hand towards me. "Holy moly, this was exactly the scene that triggered me whenever I watched those princess movies." "I could search for you forever, but I'd never let you slip away." I happily placed my hand in his, already picturing our future together. [laughing] [music] The stage lights shone on me, lighting up like a Christmas tree. Every step I took, the applause and cheers from the audience grew louder. This wonderful feeling seems to only exist in dreams. "Girl, you're so gorgeous! I love you!" "Hold my hand, Pearl!" Suddenly, the blinding lights went out. "Oh, Pearl! I can't see you anymore! Pearl! Pearl!" "Purl! Pearl! Wake up! Oh, what's up! I was just hanging out with my fans." "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" The library's closed, Pearl. There are no fans here. "Hey guys, I'm Pearl, 16 years old, and I hold the record for spending the most time in the library in Maryland." "I guess." [laughing] Don't forget to like and subscribe to M.T.A. [music] Just one look at me, and people can tell him a total bookworm. "Yeah, my appearance says it all. That's why I'm rarely at parties, or all the girls are super pretty. Come on, Pearl. It's just puberty." Soon, you'll be as stunning as those models. "And Irene's right. But to me, you're always the most beautiful." "Oh, that's Irene, my BFF. Not only gorgeous, but also super cool. And this handsome guy? My boyfriend, Galvin." "He's like sugar in my coffee." "We've been together for two years, and I thought happiness would always smile at me until..." "Galvin started getting photoshoot offers for big brands." "Thanks to his hard-throb looks. He quickly became a famous influencer." "Hend me?" "I was just... nobody." Pearl, I did some digging, and this might help. "It's a reality show called Glow Up." A friend of mine joined and looked. She's like a whole new person in just two weeks. "Yeah, right. Probably just their promotional gimmick. Still worth a try." "That night at Galvin's party, I could see the unease in his eyes when he saw me." "No way, Pearl. Please, Irene, the press will be there and so many other influencers." "If I go up there, I'll embarrass him." "You're crazy." "Your girlfriend of three years is here tonight, right? Can we invite her for a photo?" "In that moment, I hope Galvin would call my name, but..." "Uh, sure. Irene, can you come up here with me?" "Oh, hi, everyone. I'm Irene, Galvin's girlfriend. I'm honored to meet you all today. Galvin is an amazing boyfriend." "Oh, you're too modest. I wouldn't be here without her. My love and strength." "I couldn't say I felt good seeing this, but maybe it was for the best." "Oh, no. I've made a mess of things again." "What's that? Who is she?" "Ruining the whole party?" "Come on, everyone. Look at the camera and smile." "Wow, what a perfect couple. Let's take another one. Yes, that is it." "My heart was heavy as I returned home. If it was me standing there instead of Irene, would we still be called a perfect couple?" "They all had their glow-ups while I turned into an ugly duckling." "Hurl. I know you feel terrible, but you need to change." "Is it Galvin?" "Sorry. I wanted you to come up, but it was awkward. You understand, right? Got a sudden brand event in New York tomorrow. So, can't see ya. Forgive me, love." "I, Irene, maybe you're right. I need to change to stand proudly beside Galvin." "After I applied to the glow-up show, I got assigned a personal coach to oversee my transformation." "And I had no idea it was going to be this intense and tough." "Wake up. Wake up." "An unhealthy lifestyle is the reason for those pimples, you know." "My schedule was down to the second, and even my meals were planned out." "Thanks to that. I started living more orderly, and my acne reduced a lot." "Turns out. It's all about how I take care of myself." "I got advice for makeup pros and stylists on the show to find my style." "Hey, Pearl. I'm Jimmy, the show's stylist. I'm excited to work with you. Let's see. This makeup look is perfect for you. Now, let's-" "Oh, my God. He looked like a Dubai prince with his tan skin and killer fashion sense. Uh, can I try that outfit, please?" "Hmm, Barbie style? It's totally in right now." "Swapping my glasses for lenses." "And a layer of makeup. I was almost a new person. I just needed a stylish outfit, and when I stepped out of the changing room, Jimmy looked blown away." "Jimmy, I can't even look at myself in the mirror." "You look stunning, Pearl." "I had to blink a few times to make sure the person in the mirror was really me." "Can you believe it? That's me now." "But getting used to this new style made me swipe bullets. How do models walk in these things?" "Ha ha ha! Guess she thought it was too hot today!" "It looks like she's in the glow-up show. Found her old pics. Barbie outfit really saved her looks." "Alright, no biggie. Everything takes time. I got this." "One day while I was busy learning a new makeup look, the article was about an event Galvin attended. And beside him, Irene, I was clueless about this. My mind raced with a thousand bad scenarios." "It was a must, Pearl. Trust me. Why were you at that event? Huh? Oh, I..." "Alright, Galvin asked me to prep his stuff last minute because his assistant got COVID. I was just there watching his stuff, and then suddenly a reporter dragged me on stage. I swear. Here, check my texts with Galvin. Gosh, he was freaking out hours before the event." "You don't doubt me, do you?" "Hmm, maybe I'm overthinking it? Irene's been my friend for four years, even before I like Galvin. She wouldn't do that to me." "That night, Galvin sent me a huge bouquet with an apology card, still too busy to see me. It felt like something between us had changed. Finally, my makeover show got aired and got impressive ratings." "A few brands started noticing me and said Colab invites. Wonder how Galvin will react to this new me. Alright, I'll prepare a surprise gift at his apartment. But then..." "Really did become prettier after the show, huh? What do you think?" "Of course, but I'm tired of her anyway. Everyone can see you're my girlfriend now." "What the heck is going on, Pearl?" "Oh, why'd you text me, you're coming tomorrow?" "Ah, Irene and I, huh?" "Enough, Galvin. You liar!" "I couldn't stay in that room another second." "Feeling terrible. I drowned myself in junk food and returned to the habit of staying up late." "Turned out. I was changing just to please two backstabbers." "The final recording of the glow-up show was coming up. I was supposed to show up in the studio in my new look and chat with the audience about my journey." "But now I just couldn't care less." "Come on, Pearl. You can't keep going like this. It's not good for your health." "But I don't know what to do, Jim. Everything's getting worse. Both my boyfriend and best friend ditched me. Where did I go wrong?" "We'll never be perfect, Pearl. Even at our best. If they don't appreciate you from the start, no amount of perfection for them will ever matter." "Focus on yourself. Do what you love and what makes you happy." "Jimmie's words hit me hard. I went back to the healthy lifestyle and diet, took care of my skin, and learned makeup." "Yeah. I don't need to try for anyone but myself." "On the day of the final shoot, I ran into those two traders, Galvin and Irene at the studio." "I was wrong, Pearl. Can we start over?" "Perle, please let us explain. What do you want from me now? It's over!" "It's just a misunderstanding. Believe me. We've been together for two years, Pearl." "Leave her alone. Hey, it's almost time to get ready." "It's all in the past now. They chose not to be with me. I had to stand on my own two feet." "The stage lights shone on me, lighting me up. Every step I took, the applause and cheers from the audience grew louder." "I knew. This amazing feeling right now is real." "Then I saw Irene and Galvin in the front row holding hands in, suddenly my steps faltered, and even my high heels betrayed me at that moment." "Darn it. No, I won't give up. High heels, whatever. I can ditch them just like I ditched Galvin and Irene and still shine." "Wow, a bookworm turned into a Barbie girl. Impressive." "A question I would glow up audience always wonders. Will you continue this style in the future, Miss Barbie?" "Before everyone's astonished eyes, I started a real transformation." "It's Pearl, actually. I'm grateful to the show for the incredible makeover. But maybe I don't need to chase an image. I truly glowed up only when I found confidence in myself." "The whispers arose from the audience. Suddenly, Jimmy appeared and started clapping loudly, followed by thunderous applause. I knew I had made the right choice to become a better version of myself instead of someone completely different." "After the glow up show, I decided to decline all brand collaboration offers." "Uh, may I know why?" "I never intended to become Barbie Girl and didn't expect it to cost such a stir. So many amazing opportunities came my way, but I don't want Barbie Girl to be all that people remember about me." "I see. So, what's your plan now?" "Focus on myself. Like you said, Jimmy. I'll take a break and maybe enroll in a modeling course." "I'm glad to hear that, Pearl. And I'd be even happier if I knew I was a part of your upcoming plans. What do you think?" "We'll see about that." "Dad, I'm not a child. I don't need a babysitter anymore. Gosh, I'm 17 years old and my dad still thinks I'm a baby." "Well, I hope that the babysitter doesn't freak out when she sees this baby." "Alright, alright. Coming." "I opened the door again. Why was he still here? What are you doing here?" "Is this the Douglas' house?" "I'm the babysitter. Where's the baby?" "Don't tell me you're the baby." "Oh, God. I just wish the ground would open and swallow me up." "Hello, MDA audience. My name's Paige Douglas. The guy at the door is Mason Duncan, a super spoiled rich kid. The problem was, he was the babysitter that my dad hired. A billionaire became my babysitter. Can you believe that?" "Anyway, if you want to know the full story, make sure to like and subscribe to our channel. First of all, let me talk about myself a bit. I came from a single parent family. My dad used to tell me that he and my mom had tried really, really hard to bring me into the world." "Unfortunately, my dad lost her in childbirth. That was the reason why my dad became so overprotective, even when I'm grown up." "My dad is a cop and he's super busy. Even when it came to taking me to my friend's house for Halloween, he couldn't rely on anyone, but he took me there by his patrol car. I thought it was cool back then, until I entered high school." "Yep." "That little girl who was covering her face over there was me." "Pumpkin pie, you forget to say I love you, Dad." "Are you serious? I'm not a child." "I love you, Dad." "Stop! People are watching!" "Oh, MG, this is embarrassing. See how people look at me like I'm some kind of alien?" "I hate to be treated like a clown in front of everyone." "I mean, my dad is definitely pressing that horn again if I don't say it." "I love you, Dad." "That's a copy. I love you too. See you later, pumpkin pie." "After my dad left, I had to deal with the mocking laughter of other fellow students." "Oh, dear, it was literally humiliating." "Hey, the baby was escorted to school again. I think you should tell your papi to take you to class baby." "Mason, yeah, you saw his little spoiled face at the beginning of the video." "Coming from money, he had nothing but a damn good book and billionaire parents. He's also the teen captain of the basketball team." "I heard he used money to buy that position." "Anyway, as for me, he's just a show off." "Gosh, that was so annoying." "Listen to what the air heads saying." "I beg your pardon, Bookworm." "You lost your brain then and now lost your ears." "What a spoiled rich kid." "You should throw your money on something more helpful, like a brain surgery." "Mason was gobsmacked and so mad that his face turned red. Still, he just left." "Wow, this really satisfied me. Literally." "Punkin' pie. Can you make it home by yourself?" "Got stuff to do, so I can't come and pick you." "My dad got busy with some illegal trafficking cases again." "I heard the mastermind behind the crime had not been detected yet, and it had been bothering my dad for a few days now." "That's how it goes, I guess." "As soon as I walked to the gate, a bunch of dudes blocked my way, and the heater was none other than..." "Mason, what do you want?" "It's no biggie." "Before I could react, someone grabbed my bag from behind." "It was given to Mason, and he turned it upside down causing everything inside to fall to the ground." "Geez, what on earth do you bring to school, dude?" "They're mocking laughter made me feel humiliated." "I couldn't hold it anymore, so I rushed to grab my bag." "Unexpectedly, Mason raised it up high that was beyond my reach." "I went nuts, and so I stopped on his feet." "As soon as he dropped the bag, I quickly snatched it back and bolted." "Mason and his dudes immediately chased after me." "They might be muscle, but they could never outrun me." "It was hilarious as hell." "I could even tease him while running, and..." "This is what came after the accident." "After what happened to me, Mason had called an ambulance before running away." "My dad rushed to the hospital right after the nurse called him." "Oh sweetheart, I shouldn't have let you go home alone." "Dad, I'm alright." "Even though I had confirmed that I was totally fine, my dad still didn't buy it, and decided that I should stay home for one week until I fully recovered." "I know my dad well enough to know that he would be worried sick if I insisted on going to school." "Anyway, since I wasn't going to school, and my dad wasn't comfortable leaving me at home alone, he decided to hire a babysitter." "Yes, you heard that right. A real human being babysitter." "Things after that happened exactly like you saw in the beginning of the video." "That babysitter was Mason the rich kid." "After he found out that I was the one in need of care, he burst into laughter as if he was struck by lightning or something." "Gosh, I hate that! Can you stop?" "You're not a kid!" "But you still look for a nanny!" "And you, what are you? A dude is a nanny, and why is your name Madeline?" "Oh, that's actually my cousin's name. I'm just covering for her." "Of course you are! Why would a silver spoon like you need to be a nanny for money?" "Better than someone who's being grown up and still needing someone to change her diapers!" "Ugh, you're despicable!" "I angrily slammed the door, then my genius mind realized something." "I could absolutely take advantage of this to torture Mason!" "Come on in!" "Before I could finish my words, Mason nudged me aside and entered my house." "Of course a young prince living in a castle has never seen an ordinary house before." "I plop down on the sofa casually watching Mason." "Since you are my babysitter, you have to do as I say." "Based on what?" "Based on this, if you don't listen to me, I'll tell my dad everything." "He's a cop and he won't let you get away with this." "Don't even think about using your money. My dad can't be bought." "Yes, fear me now, Mason." "Welcome to hell, darling." "Yes, yes." "The babysitter you found is doing so great." "Uh-huh?" "I won't cause any trouble for the nanny." "Bring me more snacks!" "Seeing his pale face made me feel victorious, but that wasn't enough." "I ordered him to clean the pool, which hadn't been cleaned for years." "Mason was furious, but still had to do what I said while I was relaxing on the chair." "You'd better do it well. I don't want to see any stains left." "That spoiled Douglas kid." "I could hear you. If you show that bad attitude one more time, I'll tell my dad everything." "Mason was so mad that he stomped his foot and slipped." "Oh my god, Mason, you're so clumsy." "I was stepping forward to mock him, but then I slipped too and…" "Ah!" "I thought I would fall into the pool floor, but it fell oddly soft." "Oh, turned out I fell into Mason's arms." "Oh, MG, what was happening?" "My heartbeat like it was going to jump out." "I struggled to be free, but Mason just carried me tightly." "Stop wiggling. The floor is slippery. Both of us might slip." "Why was he so gentle all of a sudden? I just couldn't take it." "As soon as he put me down, I hurriedly ran out of the pool. If I moved quickly enough, he wouldn't be able to notice my red like a tomato face." "Anyway, being bossy over Mason all day was incredibly satisfying." "Well done, my friend. I'll see you tomorrow." "What?" "When my dad came home from work, he was surprised to find the house unusually clean and tidy." "He even questioned whether the babysitter was the one who cleaned it." "Well, she's a dedicated person, Dad." "Dad seemed satisfied and didn't ask for any further detail." "That evening, I passed by my dad's room and accidentally saw him pacing back and forth and mumbling something inaudibly." "How did this mess happen?" "Is everything alright, Dad? You good?" "Yeah, yeah. Sweetie, did you enter my room by any chance?" "No, I didn't. What's wrong?" "Oh, nothing's wrong. Good night, Sweetie." "Recently, Dad had been so busy investigating that trafficking case that he seemed to have aged a few years." "I didn't want to cause him any more trouble or worry, so I decided not to tell him about Mason replacing Natalie as my babysitter." "The next day, Mason came to my house. We sat in the dining room and worked on the school assignments that I had missed." "Hey, concentrate." "This is too much. I can't finish it." "Mason laughed as he saw my fees, but eventually helped me with my homework." "Wow, I didn't expect him to be so smart." "With his help, I managed to finish all my assignments." "However, I ended up dosing off since we sat for so long." "When I woke up, Mason was gone." "Did you sneak off?" "I was in deep pot when suddenly there was a strange noise upstairs." "Was there a burglar in my house?" "I swallowed hard and decided to go check it." "If there really was a burglar, I'd take him down in a blink of an eye. Don't you mess with the Douglas?" "What are you doing here?" "I was looking for the bathroom." "Are you hungry? How about some pizza? I'll place an order." Mason said and quickly went downstairs. "I told him that I was exhausted and wanted to take a nap, so he could do anything he wanted as long as he didn't leave my house before his shift ended." "Sure enough, as soon as I came back to my room, he started to take action. He went into my dad's room and began searching for something." "It didn't take him too long until he pulled out a file from the drawer." "What are you doing here?" "Mason looked at me in panic, clutching the file tightly. Being the replacement babysitter is not your true purpose, isn't it, Mason?" "Why are you taking advantage of me? Tell me, Mason. Tell me!" "You should get out of my way. I don't want to hurt you." "This is my house. What are you going to do to me?" "You won't understand. Just get out of my way." "What you're doing is illegal!" "Shut up!" As he spoke, he lunged at me. However, he quickly stopped because my dad had been standing behind me all along. Mason then realized that he had fallen into my trap. That was right. After detecting Mason's sneaky behavior, I started to doubt. So, when dad got home from work, I asked him a bit about the case he was investigating. I found out that last week, police had found suspects DNA at the crime scene and were comparing it to the database to find their identities. You must be wondering what this case has to do with Mason. Well, I'm pretty sure that he was one of the criminals that my dad was chasing. "Alright, you should tell me the truth now, Mason. What was your involvement in this case?" "It wasn't me, but my cousin, Tyler. He said you had evidence against him, so he sent me here to steal it." "Okay, maybe I got that part slightly wrong. Why did you listen to him?" "Tyler, he's the leader of a gang. He threatened that, if I didn't do what he asked, he would harm anyone that was close to me." "I'm so sorry, Officer Douglas. I know what I did was wrong." "What? So the whole thing that said you were the babysitter instead of Madeline was..." "All fake. Tyler arranged everything and sent me here. Are you taking me to jail, Mr. Douglas?" "Stealing evidence is a serious crime, Mr. Duncan. I got it." "Dad, are you really going to arrest him?" "Alright. Pumpkin Pie, can you give us some space? It's gonna be fine." "Looking at Dad's eyes, I knew that I had to do it, even though I didn't want to. So I left Dad's room. I literally had no idea what they were talking about. All I knew was after 20 minutes of talking. Mason stepped out. My Dad was right after him. How was the talk? Are you alright?" "Mason smiled at me, then looked at my Dad." "Mr. Douglas said if I agreed to come forward as a witness against Tyler, I'd be cleared of all charges. I'm ready to cooperate. I'll do everything you say, Mr. Douglas." "Mason's cooperative attitude had me realize that he wasn't necessarily a jerk after all." "He might have made a big mistake, but he also realized it and genuinely felt remorse about it." "I think my Dad was right to give him a second chance to stand on the side of righteousness and fix what was wrong." [music]