The Substitute Bride

"So, I must only tell Miss Xia?" David frowned. Sheryl was all over the news. The rumor was that she had tried to kill Charles after cheating on him. And as someone who knew the truth, this didn't sit well with David.

"No, on second thoughts, don't tell her yet." Charles said on the other end of the line. Deciding not to tell Sheryl the truth was hard, but he knew it was necessary.

"But President Lu, Miss Xia is now a suspect after Leila insisted that she pushed you into the water," David tried to reason. "Besides, she thinks you're dead. She's...heartbroken. The recent events have definitely taken its toll on her."

David had visited Sheryl twice, albeit secretly. And he couldn't believe his eyes when he had seen the state Sheryl was in. It was as if she had turned into a completely different person. Her usual air of elegance had been replaced by a sad, dark cloud.

Charles thought about what David said. His words repeated over and over in his head.

"Suddenly, his vision filled with red, and his fists clenched unconsciously when he heard that Leila had set Sheryl up. Feeling the urge to hit something, he kicked the foot of the bed and let out a string of curses. "Don't say anything about what happened to Sheryl just yet, in case Leila notices anything. Tell her I'm fine but be subtle about it."

Charles scowled. Leila couldn't have been alone in this, so he decided to catch everyone in one go.

"Very well, sir," David replied. "Please, try to rest."

David hung up the phone. It was time he paid Cloud Advertising Company a visit.

Inside the Cloud Advertising Company, Sheryl sat in her office.

Since coming back from Malaysia, she had lost a lot of weight. Her bones had become more prominent under her skin, and her cheeks had hollowed a bit. She lost the healthy glow of her skin and looked paler than usual. Recently, she never felt like eating. In fact, if it wasn't for Isla forcing her, Sheryl wouldn't have eaten anything the past few days.

Isla believed that if it weren't for Sheryl's kids, Sheryl would've followed Charles to the grave.

"You have to eat something, Sheryl," Isla admonished. "Starving yourself won't help anyone. Besides, you look too pale. The kids must've noticed too." To be completely honest, Sheryl's behavior irked Isla. She already had a lot of business to take care of, and now she had to take care of Sheryl too. If one more thing was added to her list of responsibilities, she was going to faint for sure.

Sheryl lifted her eyes ever so slightly and shook her head. "I'm not hungry. Just leave me be, please."

isappointment marred her features, and David felt his heart sink even more. Sheryl sniffled, and David moved with pity for her, almost told her that Charles was fine.

For a moment, Sheryl was lost in thought. David thought she might start crying, but Sheryl only cleared her throat and forced a smile. "Is there anything I can do for you, David?"

"No," David shook his head. "Actually, I came to see you on behalf of President Lu." It pained David to see Sheryl look like this, so worn out and empty.

She considered his words, and after a while, offered him a small, tired smile. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"If you say so, miss," David relented, subtly looking around for anyone who might hear. They were the only ones in the room, but it wouldn't hurt to be careful. "I'm not supposed to say anything, but I'll tell you anyway. I have news." He had decided a while ago to tell Sheryl a little, despite what Charles told him. He just wanted to ease her mind even for a bit.

Sheryl nodded mutely. She had no idea what David was going to say, but Sheryl couldn't find it in herself to care. A tired sigh escaped her lips. Unless the news was about Charles, then she couldn't care less.

David took this as a sign to go ahead. "Miss Xia, my friend in the police station told me that a Chinese man has been sighted on an island near Malaysia." This caught Sheryl's attention. Her chest suddenly felt heavy. She knew she shouldn't get too excited, but by God, she couldn't stop the hope blossoming in her heart. "It's possible that someone has saved President Lu. There's a storm brewing in that area right now, but I'll go there to confirm as soon as the weather allows."