The Apple of My Eye

Chapter 525 Trapped in Circumstances

The following day, Anthony and Shirley went to see Sheryl off at the airport. Sue was already waiting

for her by the gate. Sheryl wasn't eager to leave. So Anthony tried to encourage her,"We will see each

other soon; don't worry."

However, his words were no match for her deflated mood; she didn't want to leave them. Even after

passing the security check, Sheryl still wouldn't let them leave her sight. She kept waving goodbye but

was not taking any steps towards her gate. So Sue decided to pull her away and teasingly said,"If

you're so hesitant to leave, just go back and marry him."

Sheryl smiled but said nothing in return.

On a different note, she had heard that BM Corporation's owner was on the same flight with them, but

she hadn't seen him yet... perhaps on landing she would. However, after landing everyone was rushed

into a bus and taken promptly to the hotel. Sue and Sheryl were given one suite together. As soon as

they got inside the room they both collapsed on the bed, exhausted.

Dinner time had arrived, and all meals are provided throughout the residential course. However, Sue

had other plans. Being that it was their first time together in Y City, she convinced Sheryl to go eat out

with her.

"You know," Sue began sharing nostalgically,"before I went to the US, I was here once before. I

remember there are mountains and rivers around; I really liked it here. At that time, I've actually thought

about buying a house in this place, once I had enough money, and spending the rest of my life here."

That thought amused Sheryl. Her mind hadn't gotten that far; so she commented,"Come on, don't you

agree it's a little bit early for you to think about that?" Sue turned around and looked at Sheryl, taken

aback by her reaction.

After a short pause, she asked,"Too early?" She obviously didn't agree. "I don't think it is early at all.

Time passes so fast, and we only live once; I don't ever want to do anything that I may regret in the

future."

Sheryl was speechless for a moment. She didn't understand where Sue was coming from. She wanted

to dig for answers but didn't quite know where to begin.

"Hey, Sher, what about this one?" asked Sue excitedly, pointing at a hot-pot restaurant. One of the first

things that Chinese people would do while abroad was finding and eating at a hot-pot restaurant.

Those meals made them feel most at home. Now that they were in China, Sue decided to eat hot-pot.

So, not surprisingly, Sheryl agreed,"Okay, hot-pot it is!" Excited about their find, and the delicious food

there, they ordered a lot of dishes. Therefore, by the end of their meal, they were so stuffed that they

could barely move.

"If I weren't so full, I'd show you around more. But now, I'm not even sure I can walk back to the hotel,"

said Sue in between huffs. Sheryl was also too full to explore the area.

Laughing at Sue's comment, she agreed "I'm totally there with you." They both continued giggling at

their condition for a while; however, after thinking about it a bit longer, they realized it was still too early

to sleep.

Determined to overcome their lethargy and fight off the jet lag, the two decided to take a stroll around

the area. This would also help them digest quickly and get some good sleep.

That day, Charles had also gone out for dinner with some guests. After taking a guest back to his hotel,

he caught sight of a vaguely familiar figure. It couldn't have been... no way; it was Autumn indeed. A

rush of adrenaline overtook him, and he shouted at his driver to pull over.

After all that time! He thought of her day in and day out, throughout all those years; so he wasn't going

to miss that opportunity.

However, the driver was reluctant to do as he said. According to him, it would have been illegal to pull

over right then and there. So he politely inquired if he could do it at a more appropriate spot.

Furious about the delay and the driver's perceived insolence, Charles shouted at him again,"I said pull

over; are you deaf?"

Alas, the driver had to pull over in spite of his better judgment. Charles got out of the car immediately,

and ran to the spot where he saw the figure. But by the time he got there, he found no one.

So he started laughing... a bitter, sarcastic laugh. In fact, it felt like life was laughing at him. What a

prank his mind had pulled! She couldn't have been there. He would have known that had he thought

about it more.

His desolation was too much to bear. Alcohol was the only answer at that moment. So he drank, and

drank, and kept drinking the night away. Once back at the house, Chris greeted him at the door. His

clothes stank of alcohol, and he was barely standing straight. His sister was mad and worried, at the

same time. She didn't like seeing him in that condition, and she had to have a word about it with Leila.

It didn't matter the time; she picked up the phone and gave her a call.

As soon as she answered, Chris demanded an explanation,"Leila, tell me... how come, after all this

time, you are still not together? How come he is wondering around the bars all alone?" She felt as if it

was Leila's duty to be by his side. All groggy-eyed, Leila was at a loss for words.

Looking at the clock, she said in her own defense,"Miss Lu, have you any idea what time it is? How can RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

you call me at this late hour?" Her impoliteness was stemming from her tiredness and confusion. Leila

wasn't being her usual self.

Chris cleared her throat contemptuously and proceeded to address Leila through the phone,"It will be a

few days away when Autumn disappeared on the same day three years ago. For the past three years,

my brother has been consistently breaking down on this day. He needs someone to be there for him

and replace Autumn. So I'm hoping you're going to try harder; otherwise, you will lose him once and for

all. I trust that you understand what I'm saying."

Even though displeased with Chris' tone, Leila calmly vouched,"I do, and I know exactly what to do."

On the upcoming weekday, Leila arrived at work as usual. The gloomy, depressing atmosphere in the

office was accentuated by Charles' ill-looking appearance.

"Mr. Lu, here are the documents you asked for," said Leila stepping cautiously in his office. "I have

arranged them for you." She then waited patiently near Charles, watching him look over the

documents. Raising the folder in a victorious manner, Charles nodded at her stating. "Great job! I didn't

expect you to re-adapt so quickly to the work here at Shining Company; after all, you've just gotten

back."

"It was all David's work, not mine," clarified Leila humbly. Then, she planted an appreciative smile on

her face and thanked him,"Mr. Lu, if it were not for you, I couldn't have come back to work here. So it's I

who should be most thankful, and because of that, I was wondering if you would do me the honor to

buy you dinner tonight. I've been meaning to do this for a while; so please don't say no."

It wasn't Leila's preferred way of winning him over. She had planned to get inside his heart slowly, but

Chris was right. Autumn's memory was in her way, even after all those years; so she had to speed up

her game if she wanted to stand a chance against his past.

"Well, since you're asking so nicely, sure I'll go," agreed the unsuspecting man. He wasn't that keen on

going out with her, but he kept recalling the other night's events and the trick his brain had pulled on

him. He had to at least try to cheer up.

Besides, he did feel lonely at times. Even at work, he was mostly listening to the complaints and issues

of his subordinates. It would be nice to have a decent conversation with a nice lady over dinner, for a

change.

Leila was definitely excited about his immediate confirmation. She was expecting him to take some

time in deciding, but this had turned out even better. She suggested the same hotel that Sheryl lived in.

Charles agreed, and that same evening they both went there together for their dinner.

Once at the restaurant though, Charles began talking about the one thing that pained him the most:

Autumn. He recalled their days together, and the heartbreak he felt after she was gone. Leila wasn't too

thrilled about the conversation but he didn't seem to want to change the topic. So she kept her cool and

allowed him to release all the negative emotions he had been keeping inside. However, his memories

of Autumn became too much for him to handle, so he began drinking shot after shot of tequila, no less.

Leila didn't try to stop him either; in the end, she figured that would be a good opportunity for her to

make her way into his bed faster.

The alcohol began revealing all his secrets, including the story about him perhaps seeing Autumn's

figure outside, the night before. It was obvious that in reality he hadn't convinced himself that it was just

an illusion. He looked at Leila with a hopeful expression and said,"Tell me, Leila. Tell me that she's still

alive. She must still be alive, right?"

Leila knew that Charles was already too drunk, so she suggested to end the dinner. She helped him up

from the chair explaining,"Mr. Lu, you drank too much; let me take you to your room."

Resting part of his weight on her shoulders, Leila took Charles to the hotel room she had booked the

previous day. Chris' words had influenced her drastically, and she was now excited to make the next

move.

Alcohol is often the first resort when a man is sad or depressed. However, it also turns him into an easy

prey. Charles had drank too much that night and was slowly fading out of consciousness.

The next morning, he woke up hungover, with an unbearable headache. Once he opened his eyes

wide, the white ceiling with the huge chandelier indicated that he wasn't at home.

Confused, he struggled to sit up, but as soon as he turned his face towards the window, he saw Leila

lying beside him naked. In shock, he jumped out of the bed, trying to piece together the events of the

previous night.

There was no point in trying, though. What had transpired was obvious. Leila's underwear, heels and

the white dress she was wearing the night before, were all on the ground.