The Substitute Bride

Sheryl was done with all of it. Laura had been pestering her for far too long, and if she could only get a hold of Anthony, she wouldn't have to deal with it anymore.

She turned to Sue and said, "I know Anthony's at your place. Please just tell him I need to speak to him."

Sue didn't know much about the Laura issue. All she knew was that Anthony didn't want to see Sheryl at all, so she plastered on a crafted, innocent expression. "Don't be silly. Anthony is your boyfriend. Why would he be in my house?"

Sheryl's jaw tightened. "Stop pretending." "Sue, we used to be good friends. I don't care what you and Anthony do together, that's your business. Right now, I just need to find him and have him sort things out with his mother so that they'll leave me alone. I just want to be with my daughter as soon as possible."

It was quite a plea, but Sue remained stubborn. "I told you. He's not here." She wasn't certain about Sheryl's motives. But judging from the people coming with her, there must be something bad. She would not sell Anthony.

"So? Will you let me see him?" Sheryl's expression turned hard, and determined. "Or should I just go in and find him myself?"

The words ticked Sue off. "Excuse me?" She stepped forward in warning. "Don't go overboard, Sheryl. This is my home. You have no right to come barging in when you want to."

The smile on her face was quite hostile. "You're his girlfriend," she taunted, "he's missing, and this is where you look for him? You're being ridiculous."

Something snapped in Sheryl, and that wasn't lost on the other woman. "Sue," her voice went dangerously low. "You'd better bring him out here, right now, or you're not going back in that house with your face in order." Sue could hear the deep anger in her voice, but she resisted.

Sheryl took a deep breath to calm herself, and yelled, "Anthony, get out here now! You think you can get away with what you've done without facing the consequences? Be a damn man and sort this out yourse

put everyone around her in distress.

In spite of what Sheryl said, Laura called her out as she walked away. "Stop right there. Have I allowed you to leave?"

She then went to pull Sheryl back by her arm. "I told you before, you have to break up with Anthony in front of me, and guarantee on paper that you're never to see him again. This was your promise. You'd better do what I ask, otherwise your daughter will suffer," she added viciously.

Perhaps Laura didn't realize that threatening Shirley was beyond any threat she could make to her, and Sheryl went livid.

"What…" she said dangerously slowly. "What did you just say?"

Laura's expression went cold. "I said..." "That's enough!" Anthony stopped her.

He glared at his mother in disbelief. "Haven't you had enough, mom?"

He laughed, almost hysterically, in defeat. There was no more hope for him, after all that had happened. He would never be with Sheryl again.

His mother didn't know how dear Shirley was to Sheryl. She didn't know that Sheryl would die for her daughter, that she was more of a mother than Laura could ever be to Anthony, and he knew that she crossed a very dangerous line when she threatened Sheryl's daughter.

And yet, Laura thought she could use Shirley to get to Sheryl and come out of this situation unscathed. How stupid Laura was!