All the way, Melissa was wondering what she should say. The worry was gnawing at her and growing heavier by the second. In fact, if Charles didn't confront her, she wouldn't have felt any guilt at all.
Melissa regretted all her actions now and wondered if Sheryl would think it was all Charles' fault after Jackson told her everything that Melissa had done.
That was her biggest concern. The more Melissa thought about it, the worse the pounding in her head became.
After just a few more moments, Melissa arrived at Cloud Advertising Company. At the gate, she braced herself by taking a deep breath and then immediately walked in.
The receptionist glanced at the visitor and frowned when she recognized the woman. She was at a loss on what to do, but she still walked up to Melissa and stopped her from going any further.
"Why are you stopping me?" Melissa tapped her foot impatiently and thought, 'I just came here. Why doesn't she recognize me after such a short time? And she's even stopped me. Why is she doing this?'
The receptionist had to force a smile but still tried to stop Melissa. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lu, but my boss told me that you're not allowed inside."
The girl didn't know how to explain, so she just repeated what Phoebe told her to say.
"What did you say to me? Excuse me?" Melissa looked at the receptionist in disbelief.
The receptionist noticed Melissa's expression and took a deep breath to brace herself. "My boss said, in the future, you need to make an appointment before coming to the company."
"Damn it. I have to make an appointment to see Sher? Do you know who I am?" Melissa was furious and jabbed a finger into the girl's face, her temper flaring even hotter.
The receptionist blinked and was at a loss for words. However, she just stood her ground without a word and didn't allow Melissa to come in.
In Sheryl's office upstairs
After a phone call from Phoebe just half an hour ago, Jackson's assistant had told Jackson that Sheryl wanted to see him.
In less than half an hour, Jackson drove over and arrived at Cloud Advertising Company.
Sheryl stood up the moment Jackson entered, and she looked lost as she focused on him.
They politely chatted about their businesses, and, all the while, Sheryl stared at Jackson. She wanted to tell him something but every time she tried, she hesitated.
Jackson had only met Sheryl personally a few times, but he knew enough about her. So he smiled. "Ms. Xia, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Jackson, in fact, I wanted to apologize to you." Sheryl had no choice but to tell Jackson the truth.
It was Jackson's first time to see Sheryl's embarrassed expression, and he couldn't help but smile because of the redness on her face. He shook his head helplessly. "Ms. Xia, we're not close friends, but we're friends, right?"
"Hmm, yes. That's why I need to apologize to you. You were dragged into my personal issues." Sheryl had been awkward from the beginning, but looking at Jackson, who was so kind to her, just made her face burn even more, and she couldn't bear to face him.
"Ms. Xia, please don't be so formal. You don't need to say that to me. I know it's not something you can control. I don't mind it at all, and I believe that Mrs. Lu will understand in the future." Seeing Sheryl feel so guilty for something that wasn't her fault made Jackson want to comfort her.
Sheryl thought she owed Jackson, but unexpectedly, he said something to make her feel better.
"Jackson, you're being so considerate. It just makes me feel more ashamed." Sheryl smiled bitterly.
Sheryl shook her head immediately to stop him and smiled. "We couldn't get along. Nobody can predict the ending of a relationship, right?"
"Yeah. What do you plan to do next?" As Sheryl's business partner, Jackson thought it was necessary to care about her.
"Just let it go."
Sheryl looked into Jackson's eyes and said it firmly to make it clear.
"Let's go out. I'll treat you to a cup of coffee to make up for it." Sheryl invited, smiling at Jackson sincerely.
Jackson naturally wouldn't say no to such a beautiful lady. They went downstairs while talking and laughing.
Right as they walked out, Melissa was shouting at the receptionist in the lobby and saw them walk out happily chatting.
Melissa got even angrier and rushed over to them.
Sheryl hadn't expected Melissa to be here and froze for a moment, but she recovered quickly and forced a smile on her lips. "Aunt, what are you doing here?"
Hearing the word "aunt" out of Sheryl's mouth irritated Melissa.
The past few days that she saw Sheryl, she would avoid directly addressing Melissa, but now in front of Jackson, Sheryl called her "aunt." Did she clarify their relationship intentionally?
Jackson made a face when Melissa stood in front of Sheryl. He had told Sheryl that he didn't mind what had happened in the restaurant, but when he saw the cause of the problem, he still felt annoyed.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Apple of My Eye