The Substitute Bride

Aron was awakened. The anxiety in his wife's voice lingered in his mind, and he immediately knew that something was wrong. "Who was calling at this late hour, Isla?" he asked in his drowsy voice.

"It was Sher. I don't know what's wrong, but something happened to her. You stay here and watch Amanda. I will go out quick and meet her at the gate," Isla replied vastly as she grabbed her clothes and got dressed in a hurry.

Hearing what she had said, Aron came fully awake. Sitting up straight, he said, "Got it. Be careful, honey."

"I will. I'm worried, cause I don't know what's going on with Sher!" The concern in her voice was evident to him.

As the taxi dropped Sheryl off at Isla's house, Isla stood outside of her house, anxiously waiting for her friend. Watching Sheryl getting out of the cab, she called out with a wave, "I am here, Sher. Come here!"

Noticing that Isla was waving at her, Sheryl felt relieved and made her way in the direction of her friend.

Sheryl's reddened eyes and grim face caught Isla's attention instantly. Her heart sank when she saw her upset best friend, who seemed as if she had been through a difficult ordeal. "What's going on with you, Sher?" she asked in fluster.

With her head down, Sheryl remained silent, and tears started rushing out of her eyes.

Rattled, Isla took out a tissue from her jacket and wiped off her tears to comfort her. "Oh...Don't cry, please. Let's go inside," she continued, comforting her friend while leading her into the house and patting her back.

The moment Isla left their bedroom, Aron got out of bed and fixed himself too. When the two women entered the house, the lights in the living room were already on. He was worried about Sheryl and was waiting for them patiently.

"Aron, did you leave Amanda alone?" Sheryl asked as she glanced around the living room.

"It's okay, Sher. Amanda is sleeping soundly in her room. Luckily for us, she isn't a light sleeper. Honestly, I don't think that there's any sound that can wake her up, especially, once she's fast asleep," Aron replied.

"Please, sit down now, Sher," Isla said in a soft and calm tone, as she seated Sheryl on the couch. Turning over to Aron, Isla urged, "Honey, please go get Sher a tall glass of water."

"I already did, honey," replied Aron, as he smiled in an attempt to ease the tense atmosphere. He then pointed to the glass of water on the coffee table.

"Sher, before you tell us what's wrong, have some water first," Isla recommended to her friend, whom she was very worried about. She then handed the glass of water to Sheryl. She took a seat next to her friend and watched her drink it, in the hope that she would calm down.

However, Sheryl was not in the mood to drink water. She was sidetracked and boiling with anger on the inside.

"What if I divorce Charles? Would that be okay?" Sh

t she definitely wouldn't be sitting in front of her friend complaining and sobbing in self-pity.

Isla's phone's ringtone broke the silence in the room.

Isla quickly glanced over to her phone. When she saw the caller ID, she was enraged. Since Aron was closer to her cellphone, she turned towards her husband and said impatiently, "It's Charles calling. Give me my phone, please."

"Come on now, honey. By picking up the phone, you will only make things worse. I realize that Charles made a mistake and what he did was entirely unfair to your friend, but we should still give him a chance. Let me talk to him," Aron said as he picked up the phone.

Before his finger touched the screen, Sheryl snatched the phone from his hand and hung up immediately. With a sullen look in her eyes, she said firmly, "Don't take any of his calls. There is no need for any of us to talk to him."

'Facing love, everyone is selfish in some sense.

Aron has a point. Even though Charles failed me as a husband, he has his reason and he deserves to be forgiven.

Nevertheless, there is no right nor wrong when it comes to our marriage and what he did. It is but a mere question of his decision to choose which relationship to save first. It is a choice between his mother, who abandoned him, and his beloved wife.

He could only save one of his relationships. No matter who he chooses, the other one he fails would not run back to him in an act of desperation.

After all, he is the most important person in both our lives.

Although we don't like one another, we treat the man wholeheartedly and give our unreserved love to him. But when we don't receive the same level of love and care from him, we become upset.

I'm certain that Charles blames me for everything I failed to do.

His mother isn't good at acting whatsoever, but he still believes her. That's what hurts me most, ' she pondered in her mind.