The Apple of My Eye novel Chapter 1898

Bending down, Sheryl patiently explained to her daughter, "Shirley, many people may look alike, but they may not necessarily share the same qualities. For example, you know that your dad is good, but you know nothing about Uncle Li. It is not right for you to conclude that he's good because he looks like Dad."

"Then is he a bad person?" Clearly, Shirley didn't fully grasp Sheryl's meaning.

Sheryl was momentarily struck speechless. She wasn't sure how to explain things in a manner that the little girl would understand.

After all, for kids, the world was clear-cut. If something wasn't good, then it had to be bad. There was a zone between good and bad, which seemed beyond Shirley's understanding.

Sheryl decided not to discuss this topic further. Perhaps, they would never meet the man again.

At that thought, Sheryl tugged at her children's hands and walked back home.

At the exit of the mall, Damian watched Sheryl walking away with the kids. A vicious smile gradually made its way to his face.

Once they reached home, Clark and Shirley kept themselves busy with watching TV. To be more precise, Shirley was randomly pressing buttons on the remote, while Clark was racking his brain to solve a puzzle game.

Suddenly, Shirley shouted out, "Dad! It's Dad!"

Since Shirley had already mistaken someone else for Charles earlier today, neither Clark nor Sheryl paid any heed to Shirley's words.

Nevertheless, Shirley's excitement heightened. "Clark...Mom…come here! It's Dad! He's on TV!"

Clark raised his head, and his eyes instantly glued to the screen.

It was indeed Charles!

On the TV screen, Charles was being interviewed. His face was so familiar, and his voice was soothing to their ears! There was no chance for this man to be anyone else. It was their beloved father, Charles!

Sheryl came out from the kitchen and walked into the living room.

She, too, saw the figure on the screen.

However, she was not as excited as the kids were. All she felt was more pain. The scar on her heart was once again torn apart by the sight of him.

Many days had passed. Yet this man was still as vigorous and spirited as he had been when they had first met. Sheryl thought that aging had no impact on Charles; he was still the same.

Clark noticed Sheryl coming. "Mom!" he shouted. "Look at Dad! He is being interviewed again!"

Sheryl turned around and walked back to the kitchen after she mumbled, "Okay. I see."

The clever boy sensed that his mother's mood seemed to be off. Hence, he stopped calling her. However, Shirley was totally oblivious to her mother's pain. She thought her mom hadn't seen Charles yet, so she ran after her.

"Mom, take a look! He's on TV!" Shirley wanted to pull her mother to the living room.

But Sheryl didn't budge.

"Mom, don't you want to see Dad?" Shirley asked innocently.

Putting on a bitter smile, Sheryl replied, "Shirley, I want to see him, but we're having lunch soon. I am busy preparing the meal for us."

"Mom, can we call Dad after lunch?" Shirley asked, looking hopeful.

"Mom, Don brought a magazine with him. There's dad's photo…" Clark's voice trailed off, as if it was difficult for him to describe what he had seen.

"And then?" Sheryl probed.

Now that Charles' name had been brought up, she had to get to the bottom of the matter. She realized this wasn't a petty issue that happened between the kids. In fact, it was something concerning her as well.

"Mom, take a look yourself!" Clark handed the magazine, which he was grasping tightly, to his mother. While doing so, he didn't bother looking at it. The mere thought of it repulsed him.

Sheryl lowered her head. When she recognized the figures in the photo, she couldn't take her eyes off it!

It was indeed Charles, and he was standing next to Leila!

On closer inspection, she noticed Charles had his hand wrapped around Leila's waist. The proximity between the two pained her. The smile on Leila's face pierced Sheryl's already broken heart.

Slowly, Sheryl's gaze shifted from Leila's face to Charles'. She could feel her heart bleeding because there was a smile on Charles' face as well. It was a mild smile, but still a smile.

"Mom, is that true? Has dad abandoned us? Really?" Clark's voice suddenly turned tearful.

The pain in her heart was excruciating. Sheryl had no idea about how to answer her son's question.

She had thought of telling the kids the truth. She wanted to find a good time to tell them that she had already divorced their father. However, no matter what happened between her and Charles, she thought Charles would still be Shirley and Clark's father. Nothing was going to change that.

At this moment, Sheryl felt that those words were stuck in her throat. It became impossible to voice her true feelings. If she were to say that right in front of this photo, she would make a fool out of herself. She could neither convince Clark nor herself.

"Clark!" Sheryl exclaimed. Clark's eyes were filled with tears, but he tried to force his emotions back. He didn't want to come across as weak. Feeling a sting in her heart, Sheryl wrapped her son into her arms. Under the circumstance, this was the best she could give them.