The Substitute Bride

After Leila listened to Melissa's kind words, tears streamed down her face. She was a natural actress.

"Aunt Melissa, in fact, I didn't want to bother you by telling all this. But I couldn't bear it anymore!" Leila sobbed in deep grief.

"Leila, my dear. Stop crying. Tell me what happened?" Melissa asked anxiously. She knew that Leila wouldn't cry so desperately until and unless there was a compelling reason behind it.

Leila sobbed and told Melissa about her encounter with Sheryl in the supermarket.

"What did you just say? Did Sheryl really say that to you? She even dared to beat you!" Melissa was so much taken aback that she sprang up immediately and gaped at Leila in disbelief.

Leila nodded, feigning to be utterly aggrieved and sad.

"Who does she think she is? What did she mean that Dream Garden was her property and she was the hostess as long as the marriage continued?" Melissa snapped angrily. If Sheryl was there in front of her, she might have given her a good beating right away.

"Aunt Melissa, please don't get mad for a woman like her. I think she was partly right," Leila pacified Melissa, still sobbing.

"She was right? Nonsense! She will never ever take charge of Dream Garden! Leila, don't worry. When Charles comes back, I'll ask him to divorce Sheryl and marry you. You are the only daughter-in-law that I find suitable for this family!" Melissa looked at Leila affectionately.

Leila nodded and stopped crying.

After a while when Melissa was distracted, Leila broke out a wicked smile. However, she made sure that Melissa didn't notice her.

In the other part of the city at the same time, Sheryl got out of Isla's car and was ready to go home. Suddenly she sneezed.

"Go inside now. You will catch a cold if you stay outside for long. Tell the kids that I'll take them to the entertainment park next time!" Isla said, urging Sheryl to go home as soon as possible.

"All right. Got it. You have a safe drive home!" Sheryl said.

After seeing Isla leave, Sheryl walked into the building.

It was late at night. Sheryl knew that the kids must have been asleep already. She tiptoed to the kids' room, looked at their sweet faces with a smile, and gave each of them a kiss on the forehead. Then she returned to her own room.

However, she tossed and turned for the whole night unable to get proper sleep. Her mind was occupied with a series of problems that had occurred recently. It kept her perturbed throughout th

haved just as Holley had expected out of her. She knew Leila's nature. She always dreamed of becoming Charles' wife, but she never had a correct understanding of herself.

"Take a seat first. Why are you in such a hurry?" Holley shrugged carelessly. Then Holley ordered a cup of coffee for Leila, and looked at her face quietly.

Sitting in silence, Leila couldn't stand it anymore. She knitted her eyebrows and asked, "Why did you call me? Did you lie to me just now?"

"What good would it do me if I lied to you?" Holley retorted in a very calm manner after she took a sip of her tea.

"Then why don't you just tell me what your good way is?" Leila asked nervously as she stared at Holley with her eyebrows stitched in a stern frown.

Holley burst into a smile and then said, "The good way is: you sneak into Charles' office and get a confidential file of Shining Company. Period."

Holley's tone was careless and indifferent as if she was talking about a common business practice.

Leila flared up as soon as she heard her.

"What do you mean? All I want is to get Charles and Sheryl split up. I don't want to ruin Charles or his company. Tell me the truth. Are you trying to set me up?" Leila stood up immediately and asked Holley in a loud voice.

Holley and Leila had never trusted each other. They had come together because they wanted to make use of each other for their own vested interests.

"Relax Leila. I'm not your enemy, but your ally. Why would I set you up?" Holley explained. She asked Leila to sit down and then continued, "Have you ever considered why Charles never liked you and doesn't want to stay with you?"