The Substitute Bride

The reason why Sheryl got angry was because Charles seemed not to care for his body and his health. He was aware that he had not fully recovered from his injuries yet, so how could he let Shirley climb up his back and play horseback riding?

Sheryl decided that if Charles kept on doing this without taking his health into consideration, she and Sheryl would leave because their stay here would cause him trouble.

Seeing that Sheryl held Shirley's hand and was about to leave, Charles immediately grabbed her hand and asked with inexplicable confidence,"Do you care about me?"

"Let go of my hand!" Sheryl shrieked. Then she growled,"It's useless to care about you because you don't even care about yourself. I think you don't need me anymore so I won't be coming here anymore starting tomorrow. Take care of yourself."

"Sher..." Charles held her hand more tightly. At that moment, he was really scared that Sheryl wouldn't come back anymore when he let her go.

"Don't leave," he pleaded. He looked at Sheryl with hurt and uneasiness in his eyes.

This kind of gaze moved Sheryl at once. Finally, she didn't shake Charles' hand off. Instead, she said to him in a cold voice,"You don't need me anymore. Why won't you let me go?"

Charles didn't answer. He just stared at Sheryl for quiet a while. After a long and awkward silence, Charles finally found his voice,"Sher, I... I'll listen to you. But please, just stay." "As long as you don't leave, I'll listen to everything you say," Charles promised.

Somehow, Sheryl's heart softened. She hesitated for a moment, and finally said,"Remember what you have just said today. If you break your words, don't blame me for not giving you another chance."

"Okay," he responded quickly. As soon as he confirmed that Sheryl would stay, he instantly put on a big smile and repeated his words,"As long as you stay, I'll listen to everything you say."

Sheryl had no other choice but to just look at Charles with resignation. He was as happy as a child.

Sheryl crouched down to talk to Shirley who was standing beside her. "Shirley, listen. Uncle Lu has injuries on his back so you can't sit on his shoulders just like that next time. Do you understand?"

"Sher, I'm sorry," Shirley immediately apologized. She looked at Sheryl with worry and fear. She didn't want to annoy her because she was scared that Sheryl would go to that kind of sleep again and she couldn't wake her up. As a little girl, she didn't know what faint was so she assumed that Sheryl just fell asleep suddenly this morning. "I'll be obedient. Just don't fall asleep all o

n the other line. "You really did me a favor this time. Thank you very much, Mrs. Zhou," he added with a smile.

"You're welcome. And anyway, we're friends so I just did what a friend should do." The person Charles was talking with on the phone was Pamela. She had been the headmaster of Kiddie Cove Kindergarten and she knew well about other schools in Y City. Since Charles had done some business with Burke for years, he also got along well with Pamela.

Pamela had put in a lot of efforts to help Charles because she treated him as a friend.

"By the way, Mr. Lu, Bruke and I aren't married yet," she reminded him. "I think it's a little early for you to call me Mrs. Zhou." Charles could sense that a smile was playing on Pamela's lips while she said it.

"Sooner or later you'll be Mrs. Zhou. So, I think it's okay for me to call you that way," Charles smiled as well. Then, he suddenly remembered that Sheryl had told him that Shirley was about to go to Pamela's kindergarten. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said,"I have to ask you another favor.

This coming school year, a girl named Shirley will enter your kindergarten. I want you to help me to take care of her."

"She is?" Pamela inquired.

"I'll tell you next time we meet," he answered. It was a long story and Charles couldn't just explain it on the phone. Pamela might have also understood so she didn't continue asking about Charles' relationship with the girl anymore.

As soon as he hung up the phone, he saw Sheryl walking towards him.

She looked around the empty living room and asked,"Both Shirley and Charlie went to sleep?"

"Yes," Charles replied with a smile. Then he suggested,"Why don't you go upstairs and take a rest too?"