The Substitute Bride

Leila understood what Melissa was trying to tell her.

Just seconds ago, Leila had been on cloud nine. But Melissa shattered all of that in just a few words. Leila couldn't help but feel hopeless and frustrated. Still, she didn't say anything. Instead, she mustered up a smile and tried her best to comfort Melissa.

"Aunt Melissa, I get it. I'm just scared that if we keep prolonging this, it will get worse. We need to deal with this as soon as possible," Leila said. She was purposely exaggerating so that Melissa would panic.

"I have the same concern too. Sheryl's only going to get more chances if we delay this further and that wouldn't help us at all. But I assure you that I'll be keeping a close eye on that. Still, we can't push Charles too much. Too much water drowns the miller, you know. And you know how Charles still loves Sheryl. After all, she is his wife," Melissa said, analyzing the situation so Leila could understand.

"Uh-huh, you're right, Aunt Melissa. It's getting late now though. You'd better get some rest." Leila knew that no matter what she said or did, Charles and Sheryl weren't going to get a divorce anytime soon. Besides, she had more important things to do. She didn't want to waste any more of her time on Melissa.

She was relieved that she was able to talk to Melissa.

But right now, she had something else to figure out. She needed to leave as soon as possible.

"Don't worry, Leila. I have your back. There's no way Sheryl is ever coming back to the family," Melissa assured Leila confidently.

Leila knew that Melissa's word was good—she was Charles' mother, after all. However, Sheryl wasn't very easy to deal with.

"Thank you, Aunt Melissa!" Leila smiled at her.

After she left Melissa, Leila quickened her pace as she walked back to her bedroom. Once there, she took out her cell phone and started to dial a number.

"Did you kill Sheryl?" From what she heard from Charles earlier that day, it didn't seem like anything had happened to Sheryl. So when the man answered her call, she questioned hi

, so she had failed to inform Sheryl that Lewis was here already.

"I had some errands to run, so I just came here when I finished." Lewis stood up and greeted Sheryl.

Phoebe knocked on the door.

"Ms. Xia!" Phoebe glanced at Lewis and nodded at him. She then walked to Sheryl's desk and put down a file before she said, "Ms. Xia, this is the file for the meeting this afternoon. Please check it!"

Lewis didn't want to interrupt Sheryl. He sat quietly and just watched her.

Sheryl lowered her head and checked the file. "This is good. We'll push through with the meeting as planned. Make sure I don't have an appointment tonight. I have to attend a parent-teacher meeting for Clark."

"Yes, Ms. Xia."

After Phoebe left, Sheryl discussed her ideas about the advertisement with Lewis. Soon, other people started arriving and then it was time for the official meeting to begin.

Sheryl spent the entire morning going over the particulars with her and Lewis' team. She had to make sure that her efforts wouldn't go to waste. Everything went smoothly. Soon, they were just ironing out the details. Sheryl needed to shoot the video next.

After the meeting, Lewis walked over to Sheryl. He smiled as if hesitating, then asked, "Sheryl, it's time for lunch. Do you want to have it together?"

Sheryl checked her watch and saw that it was already around eleven.