The Substitute Bride

Sheryl hastily carried Shirley in her arms and said to Anthony, "Please, leave us now. I don't want to see you anymore."

She was again afraid that Shirley would be stimulated by Anthony's presence. So she hugged Shirley tightly. Her whole body trembled.

"Sher..." Anthony said with a bitter smile. Then he continued, "I can bear your hatred or dissatisfaction towards me. But straightaway avoiding me just wouldn't solve the problem at all. I just want to have a talk with you and clarify things. Even if you want to... you want to end our relationship, we should have closure before the breakup, shouldn't we?"

Sheryl hesitated for a while and then finally nodded her head slightly. "Okay, I can give you only half an hour. Is that enough?"

"That's long enough." Anthony kept on nodding after hearing her positive answer. As long as she was willing to discuss with him, he would not mind whether the time was long or short.

Then Anthony and Sheryl headed toward a small park next to the apartment. Sheryl let her daughter play on the nearby swing. They just sat on one of the adjacent stone benches and watched Shirley play. Sheryl fixed her eyes on Shirley. Actually, she didn't want to have a chat with Anthony at all.

Eventually, Anthony opened his mouth and broke the silence, "Shirley... Has she felt better now?"

"I think, you have seen her conditions," Sheryl replied with an ironic grin. "She doesn't talk or smile now. The doctor said she has had slight autism."

"I'm so sorry. I..." Anthony smiled sadly and sincerely expressed his regret. He had never thought that his behaviors after getting drunk could bring such big harm to Shirley mentally.

"Anthony, please don't say sorry to me again. It's too late. That word can't make up for anything at all now," Sheryl said impatiently. She had been tired of listening to his apology. To be honest, she agreed to talk to Anthony because she merely wanted to clearly end their relationship.

Anthony's face turned red out of embarrassment after he heard her words. He glanced at Sheryl and exclaimed, "I know you really hate me now. But Sheryl, whatever I have done, I did so because I love you so much. I didn't know what I should do just to keep you at that time. So I have to..."

"Love me? So much?" Sheryl interrupted with an ironic smile. "If your behaviors were the reflect

ce to both Shirley and you just like before. We can take Shirley overseas. We will seek for her treatment there. And we can stay there and never came back just like our old days. What do you think of it?"

He held Sheryl's hand tightly and begged her, "I have gone through so many things in the last few days. And I'm tired of it. I just want to spend my whole life with you. I don't want somebody like Charles to step in between us. Please trust me, you won't be happy if you choose to be with him."

"So you mean that I will be happy if I am with you?" Sheryl rebutted with a sarcastic smile.

Anthony paused for a second upon hearing her words. He gazed at Sheryl and even thought how she became so strange to him.

Sheryl fixed her eyes on Anthony and spoke in a faint voice, "Anthony, I once believed that I knew you best. But I haven't realized that I actually didn't understand you at all until today. I don't know what kind of a person you are and don't even know how much of terrible things that you have done behind my back."

She looked at him and continued in despair, "Anthony, I can't be with a man like you. I truly don't understand you. That will surely make me feel... feel so terrible."

Anthony's expression turned grim with her refusal. He thought that what she alluded to was that thing Andy and him had done. So he instantly caught Sheryl's arm and hurriedly explained, "Sher, please listen to me, that thing was not what you have thought of."

"So how should I think of it? Sheryl queried directly as she shook Anthony's hand off her arm.