The Apple of My Eye

"Why are you doing this? I really don't feel like eating!" Sheryl's eyes seemed to be swollen. Clearly, she had been secretly suffering during the past two hours. And now, Phoebe caught a glimpse of it. Phoebe understood why she had been crying her eyes out.

Even though Phoebe knew Sheryl was sad, she hadn't guessed that things were this bad. She went closer to get a better look at Sheryl and felt it sting in her heart.

"Ms. Xia, you know we're all worried about you," Phoebe said, hoping she could pressurize Sheryl to eat something.

Normally, she spoke to Sheryl using her softest tone. However, under the circumstance, it wouldn't be of much use. Hence, she resorted to emotional blackmail.

"Okay, if that's the case then I will try to eat. But only a little!" Sheryl couldn't refuse her this time. Moreover, she didn't want Phoebe to be worried about her. That was why she agreed, albeit reluctantly.

But deep in her heart, she knew she couldn't eat. 'I just parted with the man whom I love with all my heart. How can I have an appetite?' she thought mournfully.

During the meal, Phoebe kept initiating new topics, hoping that Sheryl would be willing to open up and enjoy the chat. However, all the attempts were to no avail. Instead of smiling, she seemed to be even more uneasy.

"Ms. Xia, I know you don't want to eat, but, please, just take a few bites. That's not a lot to ask, is it?" Phoebe pleaded with Sheryl.

"Okay, okay. I'll eat. Stop looking at me in that manner," Sheryl replied in a tearful tone. Even as she spoke, she looked down at the plate.

Phoebe stopped pressing Sheryl further. 'She seems to be on the verge of crying. I shouldn't push her anymore. Anyone who had experienced such a thing would feel down,' she pondered. After ensuring that Sheryl had taken a few bites, Phoebe left Sheryl's office.

But even then, she couldn't stop worrying about Sheryl. Wracking her brain, she tried to come up with a solution to help her. Eventually, she decided to give Isla a call.

In the meantime, Isla and Cassie had just gotten inside Nick's car. When Isla saw the caller ID, she had a gut feeling that something was wrong.

"What's the matter?" she asked as soon as she answered the call. From what she knew, Phoebe wasn't someone who called her to exchange pleasantries.

"Ms. Zhao, where are you?" Phoebe's tone was serious. Now Isla was sure that something terrible had happened.

"Why? Is it related to Sheryl?" Sheryl's name instantly popped up in Isla's mind. Following that, her entire body began to tense up.

Upon hearing Sheryl's name, Cassie and Nick both turned to look at her nervously. Anything related to Sheryl was a serious matter. They listened intently to the conversation.

"Ms. Xia locked herself in the office this morning, and her mood is off. I forced her to eat, but she has lost her appetite too. I don't know what's wrong, but she has been eerily silent..." Phoebe had been speaking without a break and now started to feel out of breath. But she got it all out since Isla was the only one who could help her.

"All right, don't worry. I'll come there and see what I can do." After the call ended, Isla fell into deep thought.

When she finished contemplating, she raised her head and said, "Let's go to Cloud Advertising Company now. We have to console Sheryl. Mark my words, one of these days, I'll kill Charles!"

"Isla, please don't be angry. Don't let that man ruin your mood. Your priority is Sheryl, so focus on her." Cassie cast a worried glance at Isla, afraid that she would rush to the Shining Company right now. "Don't worry about me. Even though I am determined, I don't think there is much I can do to ruin that man." Isla heaved a huge sigh of frustration, feeling defeated for not being able to help her friend out of distress.

Nick drove at a high speed. Before long, they arrived at the Cloud Advertising Company.

Phoebe felt much more relieved upon seeing them arrive. 'They all mean a great deal to Sheryl. If they manage to console her, Sheryl might feel much better, ' Phoebe thought with new-found hope. When the three visitors entered Sheryl's office, Phoebe went to get them some coffee.

Sheryl heard a bunch of people stepping into her office without permission, and she was about to scold them. However, when she saw who the visitors were, she was startled.

"Why are you guys here?"

"Sister Sher, we missed you and wanted to see you. Take a look at what we've gotten for you!" Cassie jumped joyfully to Sheryl's side.

Cassie's enthusiasm touched Sheryl. Gradually, a mild smile crept onto her face. In Cassie's hand, there was a piece of clothing. Sheryl quickly identified that it was from a famous European brand. She remembered seeing it during the pre-sale period. It was a pleasant surprise to have it as a present from Cassie.

"Cassie, you have great taste! I thought of buying it myself. But now I am glad I didn't!" Sheryl praised the girl.

When Cassie sensed that Sheryl was in a much better spirit, she started to chat with her, hoping that it would help Sheryl forget her worries.

However, Nick didn't think Sheryl could ever forget her problems. He already knew that Sheryl had divorced Charles. He also knew there was a woman involved in this. Like Isla, he too had several questions for Charles. It was beyond him how someone could cheat on a woman like Sheryl.

'That man needs a serious kick in his ass. He thinks marriage is a joke!' Nick thought angrily. Charles was the one who had proposed to have a fake divorce. But now he had had a real divorce from Sheryl for another woman! To an outsider, it seemed like he didn't even have an ounce of love for Sheryl.

"Sister Sher, what is Charles doing?" Nick couldn't help but pose this question to Sheryl.

The moment he finished speaking, Cassie's face immediately turned grim. She glared at Nick, blaming him for ruining her efforts to make Sheryl forget her miseries.

Nick was aware his question would anger Cassie. However, he didn't like to beat around the bush. He was too anxious to know the answer. Briskly walking up to Sheryl, he added, "Sister Sher, I know that you still have feelings for him. Take a look at what he has done! It is evident to all of us that he is a heartless man. Why are you still crying over him?"

"I get your point. It is hard for me right now, but I will move on. Don't worry about me." Sheryl suppressed her sorrow and gave Nick a reassuring look.

Nick had thought that Sheryl would either tell him everything or end up breaking down. However, she seemed collected and calm.

"Emm...Sister Sher..."

"Okay, I'm fine. I know all of you are concerned about me. I'm truly alright. You don't have to waste your time on me, Isla! You should be at work right now. Why are you still here?" Sheryl asked in a mock- serious tone. She also donned a smile to convince everyone that she was okay.

"Sheryl, why are you putting on this facade in front of me? Do you think that I'm oblivious to your sadness? You're clearly depressed. I..."

"Yes, I am broken. But these feelings aren't going to last for long. I just need some time to think. I am starting to realize he wasn't worth my love. It is just that I feel stupid about wasting my time and energy loving him. That is the root cause of my sadness. I am not mourning for him; I am mourning due to my own stupidity," Sheryl stated firmly.

Her words were convincing enough. Shrugging, Isla exclaimed, "Okay! You have made me feel much better. Since you've said that, let's all go!"

She knew that it wouldn't do Sheryl any good even if she continued to stay with her. Also, in this crucial period, Sheryl truly deserved some personal space.

Right after they left, Sheryl burst into tears. She hadn't thought herself to be so fragile. The last time they had divorced, she hadn't felt such strong emotions. 'Why am I so grief-stricken? Why can't I control my emotions?' she asked herself.

It was as though she had lost her soul.

In this numb state, she didn't see time pass by. When she checked her watch, she realized it was time for her to leave. But she continued to remain in her seat. If she went out in this miserable state, she was bound to draw more unwanted attention. Her puffy eyes were a testimony to the misery she was feeling inside. Patiently, she waited for everyone to leave so that she could leave as well.

However, Isla didn't have to see Sheryl, for she knew her state of mind. She had a heart to heart connection with her. Without Sheryl even telling her, Isla knew Sheryl must be suffering immensely.