The Substitute Bride

"I have forgotten," Isla said with a chuckle. She narrowed her eyes, raised her head, and flashed Sheryl a childish smile.

Sometimes, Sheryl admired her friend's ability to smile at any time. The smallest piece of good news could make Isla beam with joy. Although there were moments when she was easily angered, she often calmed down just as quickly. Sheryl attributed this to Isla's thoughtful and sensitive nature.

'If I were as open-minded as Isla, maybe things wouldn't have ended this way, ' Sheryl thought.

"Sher, what's wrong?" Isla noticed that Sheryl had become distracted and unnaturally quiet while she was talking. She raised a hand and waved it in front of Sheryl's face.

Her attempt worked like a charm. "Ah, nothing. I have to go through security now. You can go back to the office. I'll be fine. I'll be back in one or two days." Sheryl, now brought back to reality, noticed the worry on Isla's face. She patted her on the shoulder in a feeble attempt to comfort her.

"Well... If anything happens, don't forget to call me," Isla said as she shot Sheryl a meaningful gaze.

"What's going to happen to me? Stop worrying for no reason!" Sheryl assured her with a smile. She had no idea what Isla meant, and she thought no more of it.

Suddenly reminded of the plane's schedule, she smiled, waved Isla goodbye, and walked toward security.

When Isla finally thought of the proper response, Sheryl had already turned away and had gone through the metal detector. Isla had no other choice but to remain standing where she was and sigh.

She silently wished Sheryl a safe and happy trip.

As soon as Sheryl found her seat, she settled into it. Once she was comfortably seated, she reached into her handbag and fished out her earbuds. She placed one earbud snugly in each ear, played her choice of music, and closed her eyes. At that moment, the music seemed to be her only escape from the sad realities of her life.

Outside the airport, Aron was leaning against his car, patiently awaiting Isla's return. When he saw her walking out of the sliding doors, he felt inclined to call her attention. However, something was off. His wife looked upset and distracted. Aron was worried that there must have been some disagreement between her and Sheryl.

Isla approached without a word and, still dazed, got into the car. Aron sat in the driver's seat and looked at her. It seemed as though she had no intention of talking or even acknowledging him. He cleared his throat to try to get her attention—nothing.

It was as if Isla was lost in her own little world.

"Isla, are you okay?" Aron didn't hesitate to ask. This behavior was extrem

ess," Charles interrupted Melissa, not bothering to mask his impatience. He was clear on how badly he didn't want to be with Leila, but what could he do now?

Melissa understood. She knew that Charles felt forced to do things and that he despised her for it. The grudge he held against her was evident in his eyes. She was afraid that if she continued to speak, she would push him even further.

"Okay. Fine. I'll stop. Just go. Don't keep Leila waiting for too long," Melissa responded with a hesitant smile. She decided that it was the last thing she was going to say on the subject.

Keeping mum was not an easy thing to do. She cared deeply about Leila. Whenever she spoke to Charles about her, she felt as though she was telling her son to take care of his wife.

"Take care of yourself. I'm going," Charles reminded Melissa. Then he made his way to the door and eventually out of the hotel.

He was about to do what his mother wanted him to do, but spending time with Leila didn't mean he accepted her in his life the way Melissa wanted him to. There were too many factors to consider, Melissa's health being an important one. For now, no matter how much he hated the idea, he had to go to Leila.

He didn't have to walk far. He was able to locate the address that Leila had sent quite quickly. When he arrived, he immediately spotted Leila sitting by the mall's entrance. After sighing deeply, he walked on over to her.

Leila was passing the time with a game on her phone and had her head lowered. Suddenly, everything appeared dim as a shadow showed up in front of her. Irritated, she raised her head, only to see that it was Charles. The displeasure that had been on her face was gone in an instant. She smiled at him. "Charles," she said. "You came."