The Substitute Bride

"No, thank you," Sheryl said quickly, without even sparing a glance at the file. "BM Corporation told me that they will help make the arrangements for Shirley's schooling. You don't have to worry about it."

"Sher," Charles said softly. He frowned slightly as he continued, "At least take a look at the file before you make up your mind. The school that BM Corporation plans to send Shirley to is a decent school, but as Shirley's father, I want nothing but the best for her. What's more, I can afford the best school for her too. We don't need to worry about troubling other people."

Reluctantly, Sheryl opened the file and scanned through it. The more she read, the more she felt like she was reading the brochure for a school in a more advanced country. She wasn't sure if she should be impressed or intimidated by the content in front of her eyes. Finally, she asked in an incredulous tone, "Charles, is this school really in Y City?"

"Of course." Charles nodded slightly. Eager to persuade Sheryl, he quickly added, "It's very hard to be admitted into this school. I had to put in a lot of effort but I managed to secure two places for both Shirley and Clark. What I love most about this school is their security measures. I don't want the kids to face any more danger, so that's what makes this school the top choice for me."

Sheryl flipped through the school's introduction again. She noted that the school was fully quipped with all the facilities you could think of - high tech computer labs, tennis courts, a swimming pool, not to mention only hiring the nation's top teachers - you named it, they had it. It was indeed every parent's dream school for their children and she was convinced that Shirley and Clark would get the best education there. It was no wonder all the elite sent their children there. Suddenly, she saw something in the brochure that made her stop flipping and she stared at it again closely, hoping she had read the details wrongly.

"Charles, am I reading this wrong? Is this really the cost for a year's tuition?" she exclaimed. Sheryl's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"No, this is the fee for one semester." Seeing Sherly open her mouth to object, he quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, they are my children and I will pay for them. All I need from you is your green light and Shirley can start attending classes tomorrow."

"But..." she sputtered. "Even for you, this way is too costly

agreed. Amy's cooking was so delicious; only a fool would turn down the opportunity to savor one of her meals. He also enjoyed spending time with the family.

Everything had fallen into place and the whole family finally seemed complete and happy again. Although Sheryl and Charles hadn't officially gotten back together, everyone already considered him as part of the family. They all had faith that the two would reunite someday.

After dinner, Andy exchanged a meaningful look with Charles, who immediately got the hint. They went outside sneakily, avoiding the women so they would not be interrupted.

Andy held up a lighter, helping Charles light up a cigarette. Then he said shakily, "Charles... There is something I need to tell you."

Charles looked at Andy curiously and replied encouragingly, "Go ahead, I'm all ears."

Andy knew that his actions years ago had caused severe pain for both Sheryl and Charles, so he was now trying to redeem himself as best as he could. He told Charles that he had gotten a group of his men to tail Ferry and try to keep track of his actions. Ferry was good at disappearing but they usually managed to find him again not long after. This time, he managed to lose them totally, and they had no clue at all where to find him. Andy was worried that he would try to sneak back again.

"We lost Ferry. That's what I wanted to tell you urgently. We need to brainstorm together how to deal with this." Andy frowned as he told Charles, "Sheryl has suffered so much and now her life is finally starting to change for the better. I don't want him to reappear and ruin everything."