The Substitute Bride

Bending down, Sheryl patiently explained to her daughter, "Shirley, many people may look alike, but they may not necessarily share the same qualities. For example, you know that your dad is good, but you know nothing about Uncle Li. It is not right for you to conclude that he's good because he looks like Dad."

"Then is he a bad person?" Clearly, Shirley didn't fully grasp Sheryl's meaning.

Sheryl was momentarily struck speechless. She wasn't sure how to explain things in a manner that the little girl would understand.

After all, for kids, the world was clear-cut. If something wasn't good, then it had to be bad. There was a zone between good and bad, which seemed beyond Shirley's understanding.

Sheryl decided not to discuss this topic further. Perhaps, they would never meet the man again.

At that thought, Sheryl tugged at her children's hands and walked back home.

At the exit of the mall, Damian watched Sheryl walking away with the kids. A vicious smile gradually made its way to his face.

Once they reached home, Clark and Shirley kept themselves busy with watching TV. To be more precise, Shirley was randomly pressing buttons on the remote, while Clark was racking his brain to solve a puzzle game.

Suddenly, Shirley shouted out, "Dad! It's Dad!"

Since Shirley had already mistaken someone else for Charles earlier today, neither Clark nor Sheryl paid any heed to Shirley's words.

Nevertheless, Shirley's excitement heightened. "Clark...Mom…come here! It's Dad! He's on TV!"

Clark raised his head, and his eyes instantly glued to the screen.

It was indeed Charles!

On the TV screen, Charles was being interviewed. His face was so familiar, and his voice was soothing to their ears! There was no chance for this man to be anyone else. It was their beloved father, Charles!

Sheryl came out from the kitchen and walked into the living room.

She, too, saw the figure on the screen.

However, she was not as excited as the kids were. All she felt was more pain. The scar on her heart was once again torn apart by the sight of him.

Many days had passed. Yet this man was still as vigorous and spirited as he had been when they

harles, and he was standing next to Leila!

On closer inspection, she noticed Charles had his hand wrapped around Leila's waist. The proximity between the two pained her. The smile on Leila's face pierced Sheryl's already broken heart.

Slowly, Sheryl's gaze shifted from Leila's face to Charles'. She could feel her heart bleeding because there was a smile on Charles' face as well. It was a mild smile, but still a smile.

"Mom, is that true? Has dad abandoned us? Really?" Clark's voice suddenly turned tearful.

The pain in her heart was excruciating. Sheryl had no idea about how to answer her son's question.

She had thought of telling the kids the truth. She wanted to find a good time to tell them that she had already divorced their father. However, no matter what happened between her and Charles, she thought Charles would still be Shirley and Clark's father. Nothing was going to change that.

At this moment, Sheryl felt that those words were stuck in her throat. It became impossible to voice her true feelings. If she were to say that right in front of this photo, she would make a fool out of herself. She could neither convince Clark nor herself.

"Clark!" Sheryl exclaimed. Clark's eyes were filled with tears, but he tried to force his emotions back. He didn't want to come across as weak. Feeling a sting in her heart, Sheryl wrapped her son into her arms. Under the circumstance, this was the best she could give them.