The Apple of My Eye novel Chapter 1999

Try as she might, Sheryl could not stop the curved smile that came to her lips at the sight of Clark and Isla working together so perfectly. She planned to keep up her facade of anger, but even so, she knew that it wouldn't work. Having no other resort, she continued to watch them with a small, resigned smile.

Isla was doing her best to steer clear of the issue. She kept talking to the children about the most mundane of topics, effectively burying the graveness of the matter beneath these, at least for a while.

Sheryl was aware of what Isla was doing. She knew that it was for her sake.

It was as if she found herself at a crossroads. The children knew nothing of the divorce. On the one hand, she wanted to tell them and explain–it was the right thing to do. And yet, she did not know how to begin. How does a mother tell her children that their family was no longer whole? No matter what words she used, it would all go back to the same thing: their home was broken. And now, here was Isla, coming to her rescue, delaying the inevitable shattering of their peace.

Isla knew the conflict that was eating at Sheryl's insides. She had two reasons behind her actions: the first one being that Clark already knew, and the second was a matter of timing. She did not think that telling them now would be good.

After Isla's persistent waylaying, Sheryl did not attempt try to bring up the matter again.

All was well. The two women played with the kids for a while after dinner, and for a moment, the heavy burdens were forgotten, with the two of them carefully bearing the delicate balance of the house. Soon enough, the kids succumbed to the contentment of sleep, and Isla followed Sheryl to the living room.

"Joan, it is getting late. Go and get some rest," Sheryl said, feeling apologetic at the sight of Joan still waiting for them.

"Alright, Miss Xia. Then, I will be going back to my room. Please let me know if you need anything. Good night," Joan gave Sheryl a small smile and made her way to her bedroom.

The moment she left, Sheryl looked Isla straight in the eye.

Her gaze pierced through the other woman with such intensity that it created in Isla a growing awkwardness. Unconsciously, she touched a hand to her head and smiled at Sheryl. "What?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

Sheryl's gaze remained fixed on her despite her visible discomfort. "You did that on purpose, right? Why did you stop me from telling the kids?" The children were young, but they were entitled to the truth. She could not keep it a secret forever.

"Sher, do you really think this is for the best?" Isla reasoned, meeting Sheryl's eyes.

Sheryl fell silent at the question. Truth be told, she did not know the answer herself.

Indeed, was it really for the best? Was the truth always absolute?

She had already felt confused. Now, in the face of Isla's question, it was as if her doubts were doubled.

And then, there was also Melissa. She had been frequenting the house these days. Besides that, she had seen what Charles had done. There was simply no way to unsee something that was very clear, no matter how much one circled and twisted the truth.

"Isla, do you…Do you think there is still a chance for me and Charles?" Sheryl was able to let down her guard only when she was in front of Isla. Yet, her question caught Isla off guard.

"I..." It was Isla's turn to be silent. Sheryl looked at her as if she was pleading for an answer, but it was not something that she or anyone else could give. She felt dwarfed by the weight of Sheryl and Charles' conflict, but there was nothing that she, an outsider, could say or do that could possibly fix things. Only the two of them could make the decision for themselves and for their family.

However, she was Sheryl's best friend. She had no answers or solutions, but at the very least, she could offer her friend advice and hopefully ease some of her burdens.

Taking a deep breath, Isla looked at Sheryl's expectant eyes. "Sher, tell me honestly. Have you ever thought that this relationship with Charles was doomed this time?"

Isla had seen the two of them with her own eyes. It seemed that Charles truly had no more feelings for Sheryl when she visited him yesterday. The other woman was probably just a convenient pretext for him to cut off his ties with Sheryl.

"Do you think it is still necessary, right now, for us to hide it from the kids?" Isla's question prodded at the places that hurt the most. Sheryl had tried to ignore these feelings, but she knew that Isla was right. It was impossible for her to get back together with Charles this time. It was almost a relief to finally acknowledge it. There was nothing more she could do. It was time to move on.

The thought of ending things with Charles overwhelmed her. After that step, it was as if nothing but misfortune followed her, and no matter how desperately she tried to keep things together, she was staggering under the weight of the situation. But it had been enough. She no longer wanted to wallow in melancholy days. If possible, she did not want to involve herself in any way with him.

She had lost more than enough. She would keep what little remained of her pride and stop trying to make something out of nothing. She gave until she had been wrung dry, but all of it had been for nothing.

Isla followed the movement of Sheryl's head as she broke away from her gaze and slumped. She was the image of a woeful woman, worn out by the miseries of life.

"Sher, stop being so gloomy. Charles will regret it someday. Then, it would be your turn to watch him suffer and pay him back in full. You can make his life hell. I will fully support you," she declared. Taking a step forward, she gently gathered her friend in her arms.