The Substitute Bride

"Sheryl what? Oh, that! It's just the vitamins that I take every day." Charles gave a foolish explaination to her with a fake smile.

Sheryl understood that Charles was not going to reveal anything to her. Rolling her eyeballs, she turned to Charlie and asked in a soft voice,"Charlie, please tell me what the medicine is? Is it really vitamin pills?"

Charlie had not expected Sheryl to question him. He glanced at his father in panic. Charles shook his head slightly. Charlie then murmured in a low voice,"That's right, Sher. They are just some common vitamins prescribed for my daddy."

At this moment, Shirley pulled Sheryl's sleeve and said timidly,"I know what they are, Sher."

"Do you, Shirley?" Sheryl asked in wonderment. She crouched down and looked into her daughter's eyes. Gently pulling her in a hug, she said,"Please tell Mommy!"

"Uncle Charles said that his back was hurting him and Charlie fetched some painkillers for him," Shirley blurted out what she had heard with a sideways look at Charlie and Charles. "Uncle Charlie said several times that his back was killing him. Sher, what's wrong with him? Did he get hurt?"

"Painkiller?" Sheryl mumbled to herself. She had asked Charles if his back hurt after they left the hospital. She remembered he had said no as if nothing had happened to him. Now she realized how stupid she was. Why didn't she take a look at his back? Why did she believe him? How could he not feel any pain after such a thick plank smashed hard on his back?

She realized that Charles had hidden his pain from her as he didn't want to upset her. Besides, she was trying to maintain a distance from him all the time.

"Don't look at me like that, Sheryl! Look, I'm fine!" Charles explained hurriedly as she stared unblinkingly at him. "You had better hurry home with Shirley now. It is getting very late."

"How about your back? It still hurts, right?" Sheryl found herself asking after a long hesitation.

"No, not anymore," Charles replied and shook his head vigorously. However, he was not telling the truth. He was not made of steel after all. It would take at least a month before he fully recovered.

"It hurts! You're lying, Daddy!" Charlie exclaimed. He couldn't keep quiet anymore. He decided to tell Sheryl all he knew. He frowned and said,"Let me tell you everything, Sher. My daddy lay on the sofa for a long time last night after you

had only Charlie for company in the night. If Charles needed something at midnight or if his back hurt so much that he needed a doctor, she didn't think Charlie could manage it.

Therefore she had decided to stay the night in his house.

She talked to herself in her mind, 'It is only for tonight. I won't do this again!'

"What did you say? Please repeat it again!" a dumbfounded Charles said. He had heard her words, but he found it difficult to believe his ears. He had never expected Sheryl would agree to stay at his house. Not even in his dreams.

"I said… I said that I wanted to see my room," Sheryl stammered in embarrassment. "If you have any reservations about this, I can leave now with Shirley!"

She threatened and made a gesture of walking away. Charles grabbed her hand right away and held on tight.

Finally! She had agreed to stay here, in her own home. He would do everything in his power not to jinx that.

Charles couldn't hide his happiness and the big smile on his face. He said in a joyous voice,"Follow me. I'll show you your room now."

The room he chose for her was next to his own bedroom. Charlie's room was on the opposite of it. The room was clean and had a fresh sheet with a pretty floral print on the bed. There was a large French window and it was a very comfortable and pleasant room.

Since it was night time, Sheryl couldn't see anything outside. Otherwise, she would have seen the beautiful garden outside the window. This room had the best view in the house.

"Is this the guest room?" Sheryl asked. It felt more like a girl's bedroom to her.