The Apple of My Eye

"Charles, I promise you I will not do so anymore. Are you still angry with me?" Vicky hurriedly explained as she sensed Charles being anxious, wanting to leave. "Okay!"

Charles gently answered and spoke a few more words of comfort to Vicky before finally leaving. There was an expression of satisfaction and tranquility on her face.

At the same moment, David was at the nurse's station. He was taking up his time instructing a nurse to give Vicky a small amount of injection of sedative to help her sleep.

Soon after, everyone felt relieved when Vicky dozed off and then fell into a deep slumber on her sickbed.

David immediately followed closely behind Charles, who was walking in silence in the corridor. They were heading out of the hospital now.

Charles didn't say a word as they drove back to his office. He seemed to be in deep thought as he watched the scenery outside the window. David couldn't help feeling very nervous. So he chose not to utter a word at first.

Inside his office, Charles had spent the whole day reflecting on Vicky, contemplating more on her recent behavior. But it didn't take him long to finally make up his mind to go all out and stop her from bothering him.

"What did you want to see me about, Mr. Lu?" David asked as he gently pushed the door open and walked in.

Charles pensively looked up at David as he got to his feet. Then he began to speak, "You drive over to see Vicky and pass my message on to her. I'll give her proper care, attention, and lots of money as long as I am alive. But, I'm not going to marry her, because she is not my true love. Tell her to let go of her unrealistic dream."

Stunned, David could hardly believe his ears when he heard those words coming from Charles.

With a moment of doubt, he stayed for a while in the office. He didn't move as if he was still trying to digest every single word.

"You can go now. I am determined to stop her mad behavior," Charles growled as he stared hard at David.

Realizing Charles' unwavering attitude, David went straight out of the office.

He soon found himself standing outside the door of Vicky's room.

And word for word, David obediently passed on Charles' message to Vicky.

David was already mentally prepared for a tough time because he had supposed that Vicky would surely burst into hysterical weeping and screaming after hearing Charles' ruthless and brutal message. But contrary to what he expected, Vicky remained reserved and unemotional. She just looked at her own hands with a glassy stare.

"Are you terrified out of your senses?" David unintentionally spoke out his real thoughts.

"Well, I agree with his message but on one condition-let Charles see me again to say his goodbye," Vicky said softly with a shrug as she looked up from her hands and beamed at David. "I would like to talk to him face-to-face!"

"What?" David focused his gaze upon Vicky in dismay, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Can't you fulfill this simple wish?" Vicky queried as she looked at David with a terribly wrenched expression on her face.

And that did it. David was more convinced about Vicky's cunning behavior. He felt as though he was no match for this shrewd and calculating woman. For a brief moment, he let himself think for a while before finally making up his mind to make a phone call to Charles.

"Just wait a minute. I'll ask Mr. Lu if he is free now,"

David began as he took a quick look at Vicky, then he purposely went outside to give Charles a call.

Charles was patiently waiting for news in his office when he received David's phone call. He suddenly got a little nervous for no reason.

"How was it?" Charles asked, a bit too eager. And it was the first time he had ever spoken to David in such a tone.

"Mr. Lu, I have delivered your message to Vicky, and she readily agreed with it. But still, she wants to talk with you, face to face!" David had no idea how Vicky's mind worked or what plot she was creating, so he was seriously apprehensive about Charles' safety.

Charles had been confident earlier that Vicky had another trick up her sleeve. So when he heard David's report on the phone, he had figured out Vicky's real intention. Charles was fully aware that Vicky was very headstrong and would never show any sign of letting up.

"Well, I'll talk to her face-to-face!"

After hearing Charles' positive reply, David heaved a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding.

Exactly an hour later, Charles arrived at the hospital.

Charles knocked on the door and went inside the ward. He quickly noticed David, standing at the bedside. Vicky calmly raised herself into a sitting position when she saw Charles was walking towards her. "Take a break, David!" Charles nodded at David, thinking that the conversation between Vicky and him was private.

"Mr. Lu, I'm not sure about your safety. Let me stay here!" David felt that his instinct was telling the truth. He was not sure about Charles' safety and Vicky's mental stability, so he was in a predicament on what to do next. After all, he still didn't know what sort of woman Vicky was.

Upon seeing David's unwavering attitude, Charles could not say anything else, but somehow he willingly consented.

Looking up at Charles with a rueful smile, Vicky did not utter a word.

"Has David delivered my message? If you have no objection to it, please do take this cheque!" Charles said gently before clearing his throat. He was unnerved by Vicky's rueful smile.

"How do you suppose you can dump me and turn your back on our love?" Vicky mumbled softly as her face suddenly darkened. Her rueful smile vanished and was instantly replaced with a creepy and blood- curdling smile.

Concurrently, Sheryl was already in the Cloud Advertising Company.

She had embraced her pain as she drove to the company. For the first time in her life, Sheryl felt like that she wasn't truly living, but merely existing. At that hour, she lost her heart and faith and believed in absolutely nothing.

That day, Isla arrived at the company very early. As soon as she headed inside the company building, she took a quick look at Phoebe.

"Ms. Xia was the first to arrive today. She was inside and already working when I came in." Phoebe sighed as she pointed her finger at Sheryl's office.

Isla also sighed knowingly, signaling Phoebe to go on with her paperwork.

As Isla popped around to Sheryl's door, she took a long slow breath to steady herself before quietly entering the office.

"Sher, how is it that you've come so early?" Isla gave Sheryl a cheery greeting. She was all smiles as usual.

Isla had meant to pretend that nothing had happened to Sheryl to make her feel better. But when she stepped inside Sheryl's office and saw her expressionless and mask-like face, she felt her heart wrench. She fought hard against the urged to take Sheryl in her arms, to comfort and soothe her.

"Sher, don't be so pessimistic, this is not like you. My heart hurts, seeing you that way. Don't you know what I really feel? Don't look so sad and downcast. You have just lost a heartless and callous man. Pull yourself together, you know, the sky won't fall!" Isla spoke a few words of comfort to coax her, but she was still baffled by Sheryl's sadness. She knew Sheryl had always been an optimistic sort of woman. What on earth had happened to her today?

Sheryl managed to force a smile when she heard Isla's kind words, then she said softly, "I'm fine. I just can't figure it out. Can you tell me who on earth that woman is?"

Isla seemed to detect some bitterness in Sheryl's voice. She knew that Sheryl must surely be extremely uncomfortable and upset.

"Sher, listen to me. Even though you and Charles have gotten divorced, he still has the responsibility of being honest with you. Therefore, you need to make a phone call to him right now and ask him whatever is going on?" Isla knew Sheryl had a brittle temper, so she offered an idea right away.

"Well, I'll make a call to him right now," Sheryl answered wooden-faced, of course, she had a frail temper, and she wanted to call Charles right now.

With that, Sheryl picked up the phone and dialed Charles' number without any further hesitation.

On the other hand, Vicky was troubling Charles in the patient room. Vicky didn't think of letting up, so she continued pestering Charles with requests for love and help.

At that moment, Charles was looking impatient and dubious about Vicky's mental stability. He even believed that Vicky was mentally abnormal and had gone off her rocker.