The Substitute Bride

She couldn't wrap her head around it. Why would that even invade her thoughts? Was it because she hadn't been intimate with a man in too long? 'It was just a little slip, ' she tried to tell herself.

Without even looking at the man's face, she could feel his taunting gaze on her.

"God, you're despicable," she threw the remark at him in exasperation as she got off the car.

His mocking laughter rang in her ears as she hurriedly walked away.

After eating at Hong Fu Restaurant, Anthony led Laura and Junia back to the hotel.

He let Laura's ramblings about Sheryl's condition enter one ear and leave the other. He was sick of it.

Sheryl's face just couldn't escape his mind.

There was no doubt that Anthony had hurt her. He kept silent when he could have pulled her out of that predicament. He knew within himself that it was far too late to do anything more about it.

His mother's voice had almost faded to mere white noise to him, but it was relentless. "I told you, didn't I?" Her resentful words cut through his little trance. "The woman has an affair with some other man and has the nerve to bring him to us. You can't possibly be with such a woman without getting hurt, or you will be caught up in some mess."

Charles' sudden appearance, of course, brought but joy to the Laura. She would be nothing short of cunning when it came to breaking Sheryl and Anthony up.

"It's shameful, Anthony. You can't keep this up. Think about what it would do to your family," she added carefully but eagerly. Her eyebrows were furrowed in deliberate concern as she grabbed at his hands. "You're lucky your father wasn't here today or he would be livid."

He shook her off, the frustration taking over his demeanor. "That's enough," shouted Anthony. His mother could hear the anger in his voice. "What more do you have to say, Mom? You came here to tear us apart. That is clear."

Laura's eyes widened at her son's tone. "How dare you! You'd better listen to you

with Junia sitting beside her. "Aunt Laura, you really scared me there. I can't believe you fainted just like that." Anthony heard Junia's worried voice as he entered the room.

"I'm fine, child. Don't worry about me." She smiled faintly as she saw her son walk in. "Thank you, Junia."

"Anthony was so anxious, Aunt Laura," Junia played along. "You musn't get stressed or agitated. The doctor said it's awful for your health."

With a calculated soft smile, Laura put her hand on Junia's. It was quite the scene the two were putting on. "I will try," she said gently.

The guilt was evident on Anthony's face, as the two ladies expected. He stood awkwardly by the entrance for a while before finally asking, "Mom, are you feeling better now?"

Her face went deliberately sour at hearing his voice. "Well unfortunately for you, I'm not dead yet. Are you still going to the cheating bitch?" There was such disdain in her voice. "Mom."

"Well go on then," she didn't let him continue. "Junia is here. She'll take care of me since it seems to be so inconvenient for my own son to consider his mother." Anthony didn't know what to say.

Junia, sensing Laura's wishes, decided to stand up then. "Come, Anthony. Talk to your mother. I'll get some water for you."

Junia left the room, and the air went still.