The Substitute Bride

Charles carefully carried Shirley to the bedroom and tucked her under the quilt. He walked out and closed the door gently when he made sure she had finally slept soundly.

"She just fell asleep. Don't wake her up," Charles reminded Sheryl.

"Where are we going?" Sheryl asked him. Charles didn't answer her question. He saw Nancy came back. Then he decided to take Sheryl out. He bought a bunch of Chrysanthemums on their way.

Sheryl suddenly realized where he would be taking her.

The destination was exactly the same as her guess.

"We are here," Charles said. Charles lovingly glanced at Sheryl before he got off the car and opened the door for her.

After getting out of the car, somehow, Sheryl couldn't move and just stood there, frozen. Charles grabbed her hand and found it was dead cold.

He embraced and consoled her, "Don't be afraid. I will be with you."

Sheryl wasn't afraid to come to Emily's tomb but she felt guilty. She took that medicine to forget everything partly because Charles had cheated her on Emily's issue.

She didn't come here to say goodbye to her when she died. In the past three years, she hadn't come to visit her either. She was worried whether Emily would blame her in heaven.

"Let's go," Charles suggested. He grasped her hand. He knew that the matter about Emily remained a burden on Sheryl's heart. So, he took her there that day to clearly explain things to her.

Obviously, Charles was very familiar with the place. He found Emily's tomb quite easily. At the sight of Emily's smiling face in the photo, Sheryl couldn't help but burst into tears.

Charles stood beside her, silently. When she stopped crying, he hugged her and said to the tomb, "Grandma Emily, I have brought Autumn back."

Sheryl kept on apologizing to Emily, totally ignoring to ask Charles why he knew her memory had recovered.

Charles put the flower aside and walked up to her. "I had no intention to cheat you on purpose. I didn't tell you the truth about Grandma Emily's death simply because of..

ve dinner now."

Sheryl leaned against the seat of the car and closed her eyes to rest. She felt upset. She wanted to talk to Charles, but she didn't know how to start it.

Charles took her to a hot pot restaurant and ordered a private room. Then he gave the menu to Sheryl. "Order food for us, please."

Sheryl didn't have an appetite but she still chose several dishes because she wanted to have a long talk with him during the dinner.

"You..." Sheryl said.

"You..." Charles said at the same time.

Both of them wanted to say something to one another.

"You first," Charles said to Sheryl with a smile.

Sheryl nodded and said to Charles, "When did you figure out that my memory has recovered?"

"When you were in the hospital." Charles looked at her and added, "You became weird since you woke up. I guess, maybe you remembered something. Later on, Nancy called me so I decided to take you here to see Grandma Emily."

'Oh, Nancy! She has worked at Dream Garden for so many years. She must be willing to do anything for Charles, ' Sheryl thought.

"Sher, I didn't hide this from you on purpose." Charles stared at Sheryl and said, "I just... I just couldn't find the perfect moment to tell you."

"I truly understand." Sheryl gave a bitter smile. She understood Charles' feeling because she had been in the same situation as his.