The Substitute Bride

Sheryl took her time watching the retreating figures of her children, and then she hurriedly drove towards Cloud Advertising Company.

Silence soon engulfed her as her mind drifted away. But even though she was kind of lost in her thoughts, she had managed to fix her eyes on the road. She was finally clearheaded enough at the time she drew near her company. Then after a moment's reflection, she braced herself and decided to focus on the plan for Tarsan Corporation. And with a firm resolve to forget all the unpleasant things that had happened, she alighted herself from her car.

"Please go and get the information we need on Tarsan Corporation, Isla. I am going to handle it," Sheryl prompted. Isla was quite taken aback, but she absolutely heard it right! Sheryl had changed her mind, she thought.

"I am surprised. Yesterday, you wavered in accepting the case, and now you are so interested in it? What's with you?" Isla scoffed. Isla, in all honesty, was really excited to see Sheryl's keenness on the case.

After all, this deal would bring Cloud Advertising Company a handsome profit.

"Come on, Isla. Don't laugh at me. I was only hesitant yesterday. Now go! Get it for me please," Sheryl returned with a slight smile. She admitted that she had been oversensitive yesterday. But after hearing Isla's remarks, she figured it out and decided to finish the plan for Tarsan Corporation.

Basically, she had put lots of energy and time in it, and she would not let all her efforts went in vain.

"Since you desire to continue working on it, I will support you. I will get it and be right back soon," Isla responded with a grin. Beaming, she stared at the enthusiastic Sheryl, who was at her best again, ready to nail every project.

Sheryl had another hectic day. It was already past nine in the evening when she had managed to work out the scheme.

Though she couldn't avert her eyes from the working papers that were meticulously spread out on her table, she forced herself to reach for her phone and checked if there were notifications. And there she found that she had missed several calls from Charles. In that instant, she returned the call. "Hello, Charles, I am still in the office. I will be back soon."

"Why didn't you take my call, Sher?" Charles queried

No matter what Charles says to me, I will not sleep in his mother's room anymore, ' she swore to herself.

She no longer cared about how Melissa was going to handle her.

"Stay, Sheryl!" Melissa yelled on top of her voice as she stood up and glared at her.

Sheryl closed the door as if nothing had happened. After taking a shower, she threw herself onto the bed and fell asleep right away.

Charles came back around midnight. By that time, Sheryl was already in a deep slumber, and so were Shirley, Clark, Nancy, and Gary.

He turned on the lights in the living room as soon as he stepped in. But the scene unfolded before his eyes freaked him out. "Mom! What happened, Mom? Are you all right? Wake up!" Charles screamed in fear.

With a fruit knife in her hand, Melissa lay motionless on her own blood. As her eyes were closed, blood oozed from her wrist.

"Sher! Sher!" a panic-stricken Charles cried out as he held his mother in his arms. "Nancy! Nancy!"

Since it was midnight, the Dream Garden was long enveloped in dead silence. Charles' screams woke up everyone in the house.

Nancy was the first one who ran to the scene. Gaping at the horrifying sight, she flustered, "What's going on in here? Why is there so much blood?"

"Nancy, call the ambulance and tell them my mother cut her wrist, committing suicide! Ask them to send people here as soon as possible!" Charles instructed anxiously.

His statement brought her back to her senses. She muttered, "You're right. I am calling them right now!"