The Apple of My Eye

"Clark, you can't threaten me like that. If I take you there, your mother will get mad at me. She told me that she didn't want anyone involved. So even if I wanted to, I couldn't do that. I'm sorry!" Isla didn't know what to do. It was so disheartening to reject Clark like that. However, she knew Sheryl would get mad at her if she gave in and did as Clark had asked.

"Aunt Isla, I promise, I just want to see Dad. I won't cause any trouble! I promise!" Clark lifted his head and looked into Isla's eyes, pleading. He looked upset, and tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes.

Isla felt sorry for Clark. She got on her knees and wiped the tears from his eyes. She asked softly, "You really miss you father that much?"

"Yes!"

Clark nodded firmly. Isla felt as if she had no choice. She believed Clark, and she knew he wouldn't lie to her.

This was actually the best time to do this since both Sheryl and Shirley were already sleeping. Sheryl wouldn't find out as long as Isla brought Clark back in time.

As they drove on their way there, Clark asked Isla, "Aunt Isla, what exactly happened between my parents? Can you tell me? They didn't just fight, right?" Clark could tell something was wrong. Sheryl had fought with Charles in the past. But this was the first time that Clark had seen his mother this upset. "Nothing, really."

"Auntie Isla, why can't you just tell me? Is it because I'm just a child? I have the right to know what happened. They're my parents. Please, tell me what's going on, Auntie Isla. Please!" Clark said firmly as he looked Isla in the eye.

Isla knew Clark wouldn't stop until he had gotten the answer. He was clever and sensible like that. He really was quite mature for his age.

Isla was disappointed with Charles. He kept letting Sheryl down again and again. She figured it wouldn't hurt if she told Clark the truth. This way, he knew what kind of person his father was, and he could protect Sheryl from Charles.

However, Clark would only get worried. Children shouldn't be worrying about relationships between adults.

"Auntie Isla, why are you hesitating?" Clark was acting beyond his age. Isla didn't know what to do, so she gave in.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But you have to promise me that you won't cry, and you won't tell your mother!" Isla knew it was a risk to tell Clark.

"I won't tell anyone else, Aunt Isla," Clark promised Isla.

"You'd better keep your word." It took Isla a while to gather her thoughts before speaking, "Actually, your Mom and Dad got a divorce."

Clark was dumbfounded upon hearing this. He didn't know what to make of this.

"Clark, you're not a child anymore. Sometimes, you need to understand that things like this happen. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but what you can do is not worry about your Mom anymore, okay? She's already upset enough," Isla tried to comfort Clark.

"I know."

Clark nodded at Isla as he remained unmoving in his seat, seemingly wrapped up in his own sadness.

"Please, do not tell your mother that I told you about this, okay?" Isla was scared that Sheryl would get mad at her. But it was too late, and she had already told Clark. There was no turning back, and Sheryl would have no choice but to accept it.

"Okay, Aunt Isla, I will listen to you. But why? Why would they get a divorce?" Clark just couldn't seem to understand why.

"Because your father loves someone else, that's why he and your mother got a divorce." Isla didn't want to defend Charles even if this was his son. If he really had been a good husband and a good father, he would never have cheated on Sheryl.

"Aunt Isla, can you bring me to my father's company? I want to see him!" Clark anxiously asked as he grabbed her arms.

"Clark, why would you want to see him?"

"I don't believe Dad could do that to Mom. I want to ask him why," Clark answered firmly. 'No, there has to be some mistake. I need to ask Dad directly and figure this out,' Clark thought to himself.

Isla shook her head and sighed. This was the same reaction she had when she heard the news. She knew how hard it was to accept it, especially for Clark, who was just a child. But they had to accept it as this was the truth.

"What's the point in asking him? You won't be able to change anything." Isla was a little annoyed.

"Then, Aunt Isla, can you bring me to the woman that my father loves? I want to tell her that my father still loves my mother, and he won't leave my mother or our family," Clark insisted.

As much as Isla wanted to do that, she didn't know where the woman lived, so she declined.

"Then take me to my father's company, please, Aunt Isla," Clark pressed.

After giving it some thought, Isla eventually gave in as this was her only option right now.

While she knew that it was completely inappropriate for her to get the kids involved, she just hoped that Clark would be able to talk some sense into Charles.

As she thought of this, she nodded at Clark then drove to the Shining Company.

However, when they arrived at the counter, the receptionist stopped them.

"Okay, you can stop me, but don't you know who this kid is? You're really stopping him? Don't you know who he is? Do you want to keep your job?" Isla snapped at the receptionist. Isla was already quite pissed. So when the receptionist blocked them, her temper only worsened.

Besides, Isla never liked going here, so whenever she was at the Shining Company, she was often in a bad mood.

The receptionist didn't know what to do as she had never dealt with a guest like this before.

"Charles is my father. I want to see my father," Clark chimed in when things were getting intense.

"You're President Lu's son? Wait a moment, please." The receptionist grew more anxious. She was new here. She had already blocked Sheryl the last time she visited here, and she didn't want to make the same mistake.

The receptionist called David immediately after she let Isla and Clark in.

David was in Charles' office, watching Charles anxiously as he waited for further instruction.

"Isla and Clark are here?" Charles said nervously.

"Yes, I think so," David said awkwardly. He didn't know why Isla would bring Clark here.

"Tell them that I'm not here," Charles said to David. All he wanted to do now was escape. He didn't want anyone, especially his son, to see how frustrated he was right now.

"Yes, President Lu!" David then walked out of the office, not wasting any more time.

It was the perfect timing. Just as David was about to step in the elevator, he bumped into Isla and Clark, who was just stepping out.

"David, where's Charles?" To Isla, Charles was just the ex-husband of her best friend and not the powerful president of a powerful company, so she referred to him by his first name.

"President Zhao, I'm surprised to see you here. And Clark, you too. I'm sorry, but President Lu isn't here," David said as he stepped in their way.

"I'm afraid that we have to leave, Clark," Isla said. She took his hand, ready to leave.

"Uncle David, can you ask my father to call me when he gets back?" Clark asked David. He was pretty adamant even for a kid.