The Substitute Bride

"But....." Charles felt upset. It was his wishes to give her gifts and not the other way around.

"No more shilly-shallying!" Autumn got up with the help of Charles, "It is late. Let's get some rest."

Charles said to himself, 'I will make Autumn realize her mistake.'

On the following weekend, Autumn decided to take her grandma out to buy some new clothes, as all of her grandma's clothes were too old and bleached to wear anymore.

However, the intense and passionate love-making with Charles last night had rendered her absolutely exhausted. She woke up late, and found her grandma basking under the sun in the courtyard. Grandma said to her, "I've prepared breakfast for you in the kitchen, hurry up and have some breakfast. You should never miss you breakfast even if you're too busy."

"Grandma, thank you." Autumn replied at once, "Grandma, prepare yourself, we're going out after breakfast."

"There's no need to accompany me. You must be very busy anyway." Emily declined immediately. She had been overcautious in fear of troubling Autumn and Charles, since settling down in Dream Garden.

"Grandma, I've decided to buy some new clothes for you today, youe see, the winter is coming." Autumn whispered to her, "Dear grandma, I do this for you at my own expense. Moreover, I have just bought a new car for us. Why don't we go for a drive today?"

"I am afraid..." Emily finally acceded to Autumn's requests, "Then go have your breakfast now."

Autumn changed her clothes after breakfast and was about to go out with her grandma, when Wendy, her mother unexpectedly walked in to the house.

"You are not welcome here!" Autumn stood in front of her grandma like a shield and challenged her mother, "Now you do not have any power over me!"

"Yes, you must feel very powerful, now that you have found your grandma even though I hid her so well." We

aughter and we are relatives by this marriage."

"Is she really? It, indeed, surprises me to know of your relashionship with Autumn, as she had told me that she was orphaned without a mother, as a child." Gary said in amazement. "Mrs. Gu, I have to apologize to you for what happened to your daughter. Chris beat your daughter, because she was angry at her for hurting Autumn. Chris wasn't aware that Yvonne was pregnant. We acknowledge the error in our ways and are ready to provide you with any compensation you may deem fit, including a big wedding gift. You can rest assured" Gary said with great composure.

"You must be joking. Yvonne was just bewitched by someone. Now that she has come to her sense, the one she is going to marry must be a young man with enterprise, rivalling Charles." Wendy always talked in reference to Charles.

"That will be rather difficult, I guess." Gary replied seriously, "Autumn is, indeed, a good girl and a rare find in this society. Charles is incredibly lucky to be married to a woman like her. But Yvonne... I am afraid, has yet to find a man of good match."

"How could it be...." Wendy felt embarrassed at Gary's deprecative remarks, that were seemingly in favor of Yvonne, but actually were not.