The Apple of My Eye

Chapter 554 What Are You Implying

Sue had too much to drink last night. In her drunkenness, she confessed about her deep feelings for

Anthony. Sheryl realized that Sue was heartbroken every time she saw her and Anthony together. So

her decision to sign with George and stay in Y City was understandable. But that was Sue. Now, when

she was struggling about George's offer, Sue didn't even try to prevent her from staying in Y City. If she

stayed, Sue would still be jealous and frustrated about her relationship with Anthony, and suffer over

time. But it shamed her how Sue cared more about her friend's happiness than her own. So Sheryl

vowed to cherish their friendship even more.

"I will consider it carefully," Sheryl assured her friend. As she remembered what happened before she

left for America, Sheryl frowned. After passing the interview and telling Anthony about her trip to China,

he was furious. He was against her traveling to Y City. So Sheryl promised that after the show, she

would leave and never return. If Anthony found out that she was considering staying and bringing

Shirley with her, they would argue again. Breaking her promise might even result in him ending their

relationship.

Now, she felt torn between leaving or staying in Y City. Deciding which was more important in her life

confused Sheryl now. Did she want to earn more money so she and her daughter would have a better

life? Or was it best to give Anthony peace of mind to keep their relationship intact? Seeing her friend

struggling with a decision, Sue proposed,"Sheryl, I think you'd better discuss this with Anthony. When

you first told him you were coming to Y City, he strongly objected and became furious. But he'll be more

than furious if he learns you're considering to stay. You're a couple. So you need to talk about it before

making a final decision." Sue knew fully well why Anthony was against Sheryl's coming to Y City.

Shirley's father lived there. And Anthony worried the two would get back together if the man found

Sheryl. So, she understood Anthony's anxiety.

"Yes, you're right." Sheryl nodded in agreement, looking gratefully at Sue. She had long been used to

making decisions alone. Fortunately, her friend reminded her that she was not alone anymore. Anthony

was her boyfriend. Before making any final decision, she had to consult him. It was the right way to

show her respect for him.

Before either one could speak, Sheryl's cellphone rang. She didn't recognize the caller, except that the

number was from Y City.

She wondered, 'Charlie is the only resident in Y City that I know. Who else would be calling me?'

Although the number was unfamiliar, something urged Sheryl to answer and kept telling her to pick up

the phone.

The woman hesitated briefly but finally answered. She was surprised to hear a deep and powerful male

voice. "Is that Miss Xia?" she heard him say. "This is Charles Lu, Charlie's father," the caller said,

introducing himself.

"Oh hello, Mr. Lu. Why are you calling?"

As she heaved a sigh of relief, she was happy to learn it was Charlie's father who called her. Sheryl

was initially worried that someone she did not know had dialed her number.

"Miss Xia, have you finished your work? Charlie and I are heading to a restaurant not far from your

hotel. The boy is craving for Szechuan food. I was wondering if you might want to have dinner with

us?" Charles laughed nervously but spoke persuasively. "If you're not busy now, please have dinner

with us. Charlie is dying to see you."

"Uhmmm," Sheryl responded reluctantly. She was struggling again. Charles was polite and knew

exactly how to convince Sheryl to say yes. It seemed as if he chose that particular restaurant to make it

more convenient to drop by her hotel if she agreed to join them. But he spoke casually and politely that

it would be rude to refuse his invitation. Maybe in her heart, she was eager to meet Charlie and didn't

mind eating with him and his father. Sheryl had long admitted she liked the little boy very much and

was fond of him.

"All right. I'll join you," she replied softly. She brushed her forehead with her hand in relief and stood up

to change.

"Are you going out?" Sue inquired. As Sheryl headed straight to her closet after hanging up, she got

busy deciding what to wear. Sue was curious about Sheryl's caller. The woman was not usually

particular about clothes. Now, she was deliberate while going through her wardrobe. Since Anthony

was not with them, Sue felt it her duty to remind Sheryl to be loyal and not date anyone while in Y City.

"Yes, I promised Charlie I would take him to an amusement park tonight," she replied. Sheryl didn't

think it was necessary to lie to Sue. She was fond of the pretty little boy, and it was not a big deal to go

out with him.

"Sheryl, aren't you becoming too close to that boy? Wouldn't his parents get mad at you? They may be

worried about your intentions," Sue warned. She frowned a little as she glanced at her friend. She

knew Sheryl had a natural affection for children. She was, after all, a mother herself. And when she met Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

a pretty boy the same age as her daughter, it was understandable that she would show her fondness

for him.

But Charlie had parents. And if Sheryl continued seeing him, sooner or later his parents might be

suspicious of her intentions. Sue was becoming uncomfortable with their constant meetings.

"His father will be with us," she replied casually. Sheryl was still concentrating on choosing the right

clothes for their meeting and did not see Sue's gloomy face.

But she heard the concern in her voice. "You said he didn't have a father, didn't you?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when I get back," Sheryl responded. She suddenly felt light and happy.

Eager to see the boy, Sheryl didn't want to waste time explaining the whole story to Sue.

She then stopped and thought about her behavior. 'I'm just meeting Charlie, so why do I need to dress

up? Why was that my spontaneous reaction?'

She mumbled,"Perhaps I just want to look my best when I meet Charlie's father."

Instead of Chinese food, Charles decided to bring Sheryl and Charlie to the best French restaurant in Y

City. A waitress led them to a table. Charles pulled out Sheryl's chair and helped her be seated. He

never asked about what she liked or disliked. They had been married for years, and he knew what

Sheryl preferred, so he ordered for her.

Before Sheryl lost her memory, she was known as Autumn. She was Charles's wife. They had been at

that restaurant before. It might have been scheming to bring her there, but it could be a way to help

Sheryl recall her past life. Charles hoped it would work. It was torture for him to treat his beloved wife

like a stranger. He was heartbroken that she didn't recognize him, so he vowed to pursue her again.

The man was confident he would succeed sooner than later. Her decision to join them for dinner was a

good start.

It took a great deal of effort to pretend he was calm and natural in front of Sheryl. Charles asked

casually,"Miss Xia, are you married?" He realized it was not an appropriate question, but he was eager

to find out about her status. If she were married, things would be more difficult. Charles was not ready

to compete with a rival in love but was somehow assured because he and Sheryl were still legally

husband and wife.

"I suppose no," Sheryl forced a smile as she answered. She knew her answer was vague. But the truth

was she didn't know her actual status and had never been curious about it.

Charles sat up and repeated,"Suppose?"

Sheryl realized what she said and quickly explained,"I mean I don't know for a fact whether I'm married

or not. I have a daughter. Her birthday is coming up in a few days. But, I'm not sure if I'm married or

not."

Without thinking, she began to tell Charles her story. For some reason, she trusted him enough to

relate what she knew about her life. And she was willing to answer all his questions. She took a deep

breath before continuing,"My boyfriend said I was seriously ill three years ago. When I regained my

health, I lost my memory. So I don't quite know about my past."

Charles clenched his hand as he was asking Sheryl while looking at her almost without blinking. "Did

you ever think about looking for your child's father?" he inquired.

He was getting closer to the truth, and his heart beat faster with excitement.

Sheryl hesitated and shook her head. "I thought about it, but I finally gave up."

"But why?" There was an urgency in Charles' voice. He couldn't understand why she gave up looking

for her husband. Charles thought, 'We loved each other very much. Now, here she is sitting opposite

me but having no idea who I am. Why does she seem so unreal? She can vanish into thin air any time

again.'

With eyes taking on a look of steel, Sheryl said,"If my husband truly loved me, he should have

searched for my baby and me. Why did I have to do the searching?"

She thought that if her daughter's father came to find her, she might consider persuading the child to

accept him. But if he didn't appear, she would rather forget the man. In her heart, Sheryl felt that her

past was unhappy and preferred the status quo. After pausing, she went on,"I've been thinking about

what kind of person he is, I mean my daughter's father. He could be gentle, handsome, and successful.

Or he could be poor and bad. As time went by, I stopped imagining what he was. My daughter and I

now live a happy life. I have a faithful boyfriend, who loves and cares for me. But most importantly, he

treats my daughter like his own. So, I should be grateful for what I have."

"From your description, your boyfriend must be a wonderful man. And he is lucky to have won your

heart," Charles offered. He spoke as calmly as he could but felt his veins throbbing as he listened to

Sheryl's story.

Deep inside he was miserable. He thought, 'Three years have passed. You forgot me, and you're now

with another man living happily. You're even open to letting my child call that man father. I should be

furious with you now. But I can't tell you the truth yet. I will pursue you and wait until you say yes. Your

memory will come back sooner or later. And when that time comes, I will talk to you about your life with

another man, and how you should make it up to me.'

"He is an ordinary man, not quite like you," Sheryl said humbly. When she smiled, her eyes sparkled

and her face looked even softer under warm lights.

Charlie sat quietly at the table. He never disturbed their conversation. If Sheryl became his mother, he

would be ecstatic. The boy knew his purpose in this meeting. Charlie muttered to himself,"Sheryl would

have refused my father's invitation if I did not come along. But since she likes me, she was more willing

to join us. Even if I'm the third wheel, I will try my best so they don't notice me."

Charles was offended by Sheryl's statement about her husband. So, in defense, he said,"Miss Xia,

have you ever thought that there was a chance your husband would have been eager to find you but

couldn't?"

While he accepted that Sheryl had forgotten him, Charles could not bear accepting the blame for their

being apart. She had no idea how desperate he had been to find her. 'Ungrateful woman!' he screamed

silently.

"Mr. Lu, I feel you mean something other than what you are saying. What are you implying?" she

pointed out. Sheryl was looking at him curiously. When their eyes met, his intense gaze made her feel

anxious and uncomfortable. She thought, 'Why is he looking at me that way? I am not his wife. So, how

can he stare at me with affection?'

"Don't worry, Miss Xia. I was only citing one possibility about what could have happened," he told her.

Charles masked his feelings with laughter and comforted Sheryl. It made him feel better to see her

nervous. Perhaps, it wouldn't be so hard to win her back. He took a deep breath and kept talking. "Take

Charlie and me for example, I never knew about his existence until recently. It was impossible for me to

look for my son. Does that mean I was at fault?"

"Your situation is unusual," she admitted. The woman didn't bother to reveal the rest of her thoughts.

After all, they were still strangers. And it would be impolite to comment on his personal affairs.

In her mind, Sheryl was thinking, 'If you're a responsible man, how could you not know about Charlie's

existence? The child is three years old, at least. You would have had a long time to look for him.'

As she wondered, uncomfortable thoughts filled her head. 'If you loved Charlie's mother, why didn't you

look for her? And if you didn't love her, why did you get her pregnant? My conclusion, sadly, is that

you're not a responsible man at all.'