The Substitute Bride

"How are you feeling now, Autumn? What is wrong?" Chris asked question after question anxiously. "Please do tell me if you aren't feeling that well."

"I'm fine really. Please don't worry, Chris." Autumn said, "By the way, what brought you here all of a sudden?"

"Charles told me you were hospitalized. Oh my god, did he take care of you well? Autumn, I swear I will teach him a lesson later." In a short span of time, Autumn had been brought into the hospital twice. In Chris' view, Charles, as husband, had failed to protect his wife from harm's way, and she was quite unhappy about the situation.

"Are you really okay, Autumn?" Sam also inquired, as he stood behind Chris.

"I'm really okay. You both please don't worry any further. It's nothing a little rest won't fix, " Autumn answered. She suddenly realized that so many people had come to visit her and showing her with love and care ever since she got admitted. And a wave of happiness and gratitude washed over her.

"Autumn." While the three of them were talking, Arthur knocked at the door and came in. "I have something that needs my urgent attention. Could you please stay with Autumn here, " he requested Chris and Sam.

"No problem, she will be just fine with us, " Chris replied with a warm reassuring smile.

Arthur thanked them, and left the hospital to go to the police station. When he arrived, he found Aron there. There was no doubt that Wendy was a murderer, and was to be sentenced to life.

Aron saw Arthur and hurried to greet him, "Doctor Zhao, hello, what are you doing here?" Aron seemed to have been through a lot overnight. Arthur walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "I heard about your father. I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Gu."

"Oh, it's okay." Aron forced a smile. He was no longer bitter about his father's death. The fact that he helped the culprit get caught had something to do with it. "Doctor Zhao, you're here for... "

"I found out about Bowen, " Arthur said in a morose tone. "Autumn has been sick and hospitalized because of this. I'm here to see Wendy. There is something... I'd like to ask her in person."

"Is Autumn feeling any better now?" Aron left immediately after he sent Autumn to the hospital the previous night. And he had been at the station all night following up Wendy's case and had no time to think about her condition.

In fact, now he regretted saying those harsh words which up

s of fear as she looked at Arthur coldly. "Don't forget that you are at a police station. I advise you to consider your idea of hitting me again. I will be extremely happy if you get the cell next to mine."

"Rest assured. I am not as stupid as you are. I won't hit you physically but I will hurt you in places that will injure you far more as from in there you will not be able to do anything, " Arthur sneered. He knew Wendy was deliberately provoking and manipulating him. He took a deep breath as he took his seat again. "Then what about Autumn... Is she not your daughter? Why are you so cruel towards her?" he continued interrogating her.

"She?" Wendy said wrathfully, "Hmm, I'd rather even consider her as my daughter! Whenever I see her face, I immediately think of Bowen. Her existence is a constant reminder that I lost."

She then impatiently concluded, "Arthur, I'll tell you this, you are not only the cause of Bowen's death but also Autumn's suffering. You're the real one to be blamed. Your choices led us here."

Arthur smiled coldly as he attempted to intimidate her, "You think I don't have ways to torture you when you're under arrest? I'll tell you this, Wendy, I have countless ways... to make your life in prison worse than death. Everyday you live and breath, you'll wish I pity you and murder you instead... "

"You... How dare you threaten me like this!" Wendy's eyes widened in horror. She knew Arthur was capable of doing exactly what he described. "You won't do that to me. I am after all Autumn's mother. She won't let you go if you ever do that to me!" she tried to warn him away.