The Substitute Bride

"Give a message to Charles for me. If anything happens to Sheryl, I will never let him go for it," Isla voiced angrily, glaring at Melissa. Then she turned around in a hurry and left without looking back.

Melissa was left stunned, and she gazed in the direction Isla headed in for quite a time, with her body trembling in spite of herself.

She had never expected that things would develop and escalate this way. Squeezing her eyes shut, she wondered what exactly had happened.

Still, Melissa couldn't figure it out and gave up finally. And, of course, she was no longer in the mood for lunch anyway.

Instead, she headed back to the Dream Garden.

Melissa found Charles was sleeping on the couch as soon as she returned home.

She shook her head. Concern filled her as she noticed how exhausted Charles was.

"Charles, how's that thing going? How did you deal with that woman?" Melissa asked Charles in a gentle voice while sitting next to him.

"Mom, you are back." Charles instantly opened his eyes and glimpsed at Melissa. He forced a faint smile.

"How are you feeling? You don't look very well. Are you sick?"

Melissa had changed a lot since the last fatal accident. She was no longer overbearing, and now she was gentle and reasonable.

She was not intent on interfering in Charles' affairs anymore.

At the sight of Melissa, who was so worried about him, Charles felt sorry. He held her hand, gave it a small squeeze, and assured her, "Mom, I'm fine. Don't worry."

"How's that Vicky?" What Melissa most wanted to know was whether that woman was still harassing her son, so she couldn't help asking him.

Everything was supposed to go in the best way. But unexpected things always happened. Who was that woman? Was she the devil that God sent to punish the Lu Family?

Thinking of that, Melissa said to him, in a tone full of guilt, "Charles, it's all my fault. I made too many mistakes, and this is the punishment. But it shouldn't be you who takes the consequences,"

Melissa sobbed, her face covered with tears, and she was so regretful.

Charles hadn't seen Melissa behave like this before. It was the first time in years, and he didn't know how to console her at all.

"Charles, I'm so sorry. I will do anything to persuade Vicky to stop harassing you, so you can retu

.

"Mr. Lu." David stood up as he greeted him.

"You can leave now. Get some rest. I can take care of it from here." Charles knew David was in a dilemma every time he faced Vicky. After all, she was a woman with whom even he found it tricky to cope.

"Charles, I know you won't ignore and neglect me. I just know it. Will that woman come again?" Vicky stared at Charles with so much anticipation.

What could he say? That the only woman he loved was Sheryl?

Charles felt deeply troubled but dared not to provoke Vicky any further. She was the person he had ever encountered who was the hardest to tackle. Charles knew David was in a dilemma every time he faced Vicky. After all, she was a woman with whom even he found it tricky to cope.

Vicky was among the kind of intractable people. She was stubborn.

"Not anymore." Charles held Vicky's gaze indifferently. Then seeing her reach out her arm for him, he tactfully avoided it.

The doctor said she couldn't afford any provocation now that would send her into a rage. So he had no choice but humor her. He believed she would be recovered one day.

"Charles, why are you so cold to me? Are you blaming me because I chased her away?" Vicky blinked her eyes, and the tears brimming in her eyes trickled down.

"Don't cry. No other woman will come for me anymore!" Charles blurted impatiently, trying to stop her from crying.

Charles sometimes couldn't help feeling suspicious whether it was true that Vicky had a brain injury. How could she then notice when he was angry?