The Substitute Bride

That would be absolutely perfect. If Sheryl died, Melissa was confident that Charles would listen to her once and for all and leave his property in her care. In that case, she would be the real hostess of the house—it would be necessary for her to manage the family's finances.

Indulging in her imagination of an easy future, she thought, 'Sheryl, you've tried to fight me all the way through. Well, now you're facing the consequences!'

With this in mind, Melissa could barely hold back her laugh.

Soon, the ambulance sirens could be heard from outside. A group of medical staff jumped out of the car and rushed to Sheryl's room to put her on a stretcher and drive her to the hospital.

On the way there, Nancy stayed with Sheryl in the ambulance. She remembered to call up Charles and tell him to head to the General Hospital instead of Dream Garden.

Worried out of his mind, Charles drove to the hospital at incredible speed. In a gloomy mood, he felt everything turn gray around him when the dust flew by as he drove.

Once he got to the hospital, he rushed to the emergency room faster than ever in his life.

Inside, the doctors were doing their best to save Sheryl's life.

A doctor came out to have him sign the Critically Ill Notice, telling him with candor that the patient inside might not be salvageable. Charles' hands shook violently. At that point, he could no longer stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks.

Staring at the sheet in front of him, he signed it like he was stuck in some kind of dream, in contrast to the usually vigorous signature he would use on his office files. His uncontrollably shaky hands revealed his extreme panic at the moment.

"Doctor, please save my wife. Please!" Charles pleaded, grabbing the doctor by his ar

lthough she had looked forward to Sheryl's death for a time, she realized soon after that things were different in this case—she was a major player in Sheryl's critical illness. If she died, it might end up a real murder case.

In spite of everything, Leila couldn't afford to risk facing the consequences of murder.

While she wanted to bring Sheryl down, she didn't want to live the rest of her life as a murderer. Gritting her teeth, she wondered and regretted how her impulses led to such dire consequences.

For the first time in her life, Leila genuinely worried about Sheryl, even if only for her own sake. In her heart, she prayed hard for Sheryl's survival.

Subconsciously, she ended up taking Melissa by the arm, seeking any kind of support.

Playing the part of the concerned relative, Melissa feigned mumbling to herself, "Poor Sheryl, please be alright." As she did it, she subtly glanced at her son, hoping he heard her small prayers.

Much to her disappointment, Charles didn't even spare her a glance. Sheryl's safety was all that mattered to him at that moment. Regardless of the mess of the situation, he just wanted Sheryl to recover as soon as possible.