'If Charles did whatever Melissa asked of him, then all my efforts to please this old woman would not be in vain. But as far as I've observed, he does not just blindly obey her.
If Charles finds out that I set Sheryl up with his mother, I might be unable to get back to Shining Company. I don't think Melissa could help me with that, ' she brooded, distressed.
As she thought it over, Leila was at a loss and didn't know whether she should work with Melissa in framing Sheryl.
"I haven't washed up yet. You know what? I was so thrilled that I was up the whole night. As long as I can teach that bitch an unforgettable lesson, I don't mind staying up and getting wrinkles on my face," Melissa said in high spirits. She entered the bathroom while she spoke to Leila on the phone. As she walked up to the mirror, she was stunned. She touched the corner of her eyes and abruptly screamed, "Oh my God, Leila! I got new wrinkles around my eyes. What should I do?"
When Leila heard her scream, she smiled defiantly. 'A genuinely elegant woman would never scream like that, ' she thought to herself and sneered.
"Oh, Aunt Melissa, you must be kidding. You're young and beautiful. I don't think you would get wrinkles. You must be seeing things because you didn't sleep all that well last night," Leila attempted to flatter Melissa.
The older woman gently touched the harsh lines around her eyes and asked skeptically, "Is that so?" She sighed and went on, "You know what? For women my age, wrinkles are the worst enemy. Oh, never mind. Focus on driving. I'll talk to you later."
Melissa carried on saying some things and then reluctantly hung up the phone.
Leila dropped the phone onto the passenger seat. Her red lips curled into a contemptuous smile.
'She is nothing but an old, pathetic ex-convict. She doesn't even have a husband or a boyfriend. Why is she so concerned about looking good?'
At Eton Kindergarten
Clark held his sister's hand and obediently greeted his teachers at the gate of the school.
Sheryl waved at her lovely children with a smile. All of a sudden, Clark trotted over to her and motioned for her to bend down. She did as she was asked. He whispered in her ear, "Mom, if Grandma is still upset when you get home, please just ignore her."
Sheryl was surprised and touched by her son's sweet advice. With a warm smile, she replied, "Mom knows what to do. Don't worry. Grandma is an elder and I will always respect her."
"If she goes too far, please call Dad, okay? Don't act tough. I hate seeing you suffer," Clark pleaded with a worried look.
Sheryl patted his little head lightly, deeply moved by his innocence and concern. 'What a good boy! He is always so sweet, ' she joyfully thought as Clark ran back toward the gate to join his sister.
Watching her son and daughter walk through the gate hand in hand, Sheryl became lost in her own secret world.
'Several years have passed. My kids are already in kindergarten. When I lived with Shirley, I felt tired yet happy taking care of her. After going through so much, Charles and I finally got back together. Just as I started to experience the happiness of being with my family, trouble found me again.
Since Melissa got out of prison and moved into Dream Garden, she has been screwing up my life. She has kept bugging me and getting me into trouble. I was fed up with such a lousy life. But I couldn't do anything about it. She is my husband's birth mother, after all.
So I decided to endure her being unreasonable, and I told myself to live with it. But when will I stop living such a life?'
Sheryl shook her head and smiled bitterly.
When she thought of what Melissa had said to her, Sheryl turned around and got into her car. The moment she buckled up, her phone rang.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: His Real Wedded Bride