The Substitute Bride

With a smile, Anthony replied lovingly,"In my eyes, you will always be my little girl."

Sheryl felt no happiness when she heard the sweet words from her boyfriend. Instead, she felt heavy in her heart. She thanked him, said bye and hung up the hotel phone.

"You're so lucky. Your boyfriend regularly calls you every night. Look at me, I'm alone and no one cares about me," Sue sighed while walking out of the bathroom, toweling her wet hair.

"Are you sure?" Sheryl asked while looking at her friend. She walked to Sue and put her arm around her neck. "You still have me. I always care about you," she grinned.

"I'm serious," Sue responded. The two women laughed and joked while lying head to head on the bed. After a short while, they were silent. Sheryl asked abruptly,"Mimi, how does it feel to be in love?"

"Seriously? You are the one with a boyfriend. Why ask your single friend that question? Are you kidding me? "Are you trying to be smart with me?" Sue pouted her lips, grumbling.

"Don't get me wrong. I just feel.. confused," Sheryl explained. 'Since I lost my memory, Anthony has always been by my side. But, do I really love him?' she questioned herself inside.

Sheryl couldn't figure out her true feelings towards Anthony. Perhaps, she just got used to having him around. She couldn't delineate companionship from love anymore.

The feeling was totally different when Charles held her hand. She found herself blushed and her heart pounded fast. She wasn't sure if that was love. But, she was sure she never felt the same way with Anthony.

"Mimi, since I lost my memory, Anthony has always been with me. The first time I regained consciousness he was there. He told me that he was my boyfriend, but... I never felt that there was a deep chemistry between us. I just feel secure to have him around. I don't think the feeling I harbor for him is love. I'm confused," Sheryl blurted out her thoughts.

While she looked at the ceiling, her eyes narrowed. 'Perhaps, I've already regarded him as my elder brother, ' she thought.

"Do you have any idea what you are talking about?" Sue scowled at her best friend. "Now listen to me. Love is a luxury not everyone can afford. People like us should find someone who will marry us and treat us

ed into was no better place than jail.

In fact, she led a more miserable life there than in prison.

She lived like a whore. Once gangsters who worked for Ferry came to her, she must serve them with a smiling face.

If she cried, frowned or refused, she would be beaten up.

Ferry was also one of her 'clients'.

She stayed at that place for half a month. During that period, she had slept with thirty five men. When she lost hope and tried to kill herself, Ferry took her to Korea.

Ferry left her there totally wasted and almost dead. Then, he disappeared from her life. She chose to have a plastic surgery for she couldn't bear to look at her former face anymore. That face kept reminding her of her miserable past.

When she met George, she was just a clerk in a shopping mall. With no one to depend on, she had to work to survive.

Since the department store belonged to George's family, an idea to seduce the young, wealthy man occurred to Holley Ye: Yvonne Gu's new identity.

When she was trapped as Ferry's whore, she had learnt one thing.

That was how to entertain and tame men. Once she behaved obediently, the men would treat her tenderly.

Otherwise, she would be stricken and maltreated.

She tried all means to win George's affection including sleeping with him frequently and her plan worked. To be with her, George even had several fights with his family.

One day, Holley told George her decision to go back to Y City for an important, unfinished matter she had to do.