The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1084 Midnight Scream

"Mommy, look!" Clark shouted happily as he approached Sheryl. He was holding something in his hand. "This Transformer is fantastic! Grandma bought this for me." What he didn't understand was why his grandma ignored his mom. 'Was there something wrong with Mom's greetings?' thought he. Anyway, this was his way of rescuing his mom from embarrassment, by showing her his new toy. 'I don't like toys anymore. They are for little kids. I prefer now those technical or battery-operated ones. But I understand. Grandma just got out of jail. She doesn't know my likes and dislikes yet, ' thought Clark. He knew exactly how to behave and was willing to get along well with Melissa. He pretended to be happy so that Melissa would feel good about him. Family harmony needed everyone's effort.

"That really looks great. Did you say thank you?" Sheryl responded with a sweet smile. She was surprised by Clark's words, for she knew the interests of his son. Clark was really very mature for his age. Still, there were times that she still felt surprised at his precocious talent for communication. Looking at her son's face, she was filled with pride.

"Yes. I told her that, and Grandma said I was welcome," Clark replied as he held his mother's arm.

"That's very good. You are such a polite boy." Clark blushed at his mother's praise. He was shy in nature. Because of Leila's busy work, he was used to being alone. It was a new experience to be praised due to his politeness.

"Mommy, mommy! Grandma also bought something for me. Look at these Barbie dolls! And, I also said thanks," a sweet voice chimed. Shirley's full attention was on her new dolls. But when she heard her mother and brother talking, she rushed to Sheryl and showed off her new toys.

"Oh, Shirley is as good as Clark," Sheryl said and then kissed both of them on their cheeks. She always saw to it that she talked to her children every day when she came home from work. It made her happy. It also seeped all her tiredness away after an exhausting day. But lately, she worried about living with her mother-in-law. She found it hard to adjust. She was also worried that it might also be hard for the children to adjust living with their grandmother. But, tonight, seeing the children happy was a relief.

Melissa had a good time with the children. But Sheryl's arrival dampened her mood. She saw the children liked Sheryl more than her. This made Melissa's face darken. She remembered that Charles, in his childhood years, was not close to her. How could Clark and Shirley be attached to Sheryl? She wanted them to be closer to her than to Sheryl. She was overwhelmed by jealousy. Gone was the smile on her face. She didn't glance at Sheryl and kept sitting still on the sofa.

Meanwhile, Charles was looking at his wife and children. When he turned his gaze at his mother, he saw that his mother was unhappy, and was obvious what the reason was. He went to Melissa, winked at Sheryl, and said, "Mom, Sher has a gift for you. I hope you will like it."

Charles knew Sheryl bought something for his mother. He thought it was a good way to lessen her mother's anger.

"Yes, Mom, I bought you a gift. I don't know your taste, but I hope you will like it. Have a look," Sheryl said as she took out a Patek Philippe watch from her handbag. "If you don't like it, I will exchange it for something you like." Respectfully, she held the watch to her. But Melissa did not take it. Nor did she say anything.

For the second time, Sheryl felt embarrassed. Choosing a proper gift was exhaustive and time consuming. Anyone would feel insulted after receiving such treatment. 'I thought Melissa is kind and easy-going. It's obvious that she doesn't like me. I have no idea why she feels bad about me. And I am afraid our relationship will be hard to handle, ' thought Sheryl. Even though she was unhappy, she stayed put. She knew it was important to have a good relationship with Melissa. She would show her sincerity and respect. She would do everything in her power to get along with her. After all, they would live together for many years.

Everyone could feel the awkwardness of the situation. To lighten what everyone felt, Charles took the watch from Sheryl and showed it to Melissa. "Mom, Sheryl bought this to show you her respect. Just have a look," said Charles with a flattering smile.

Melissa was not satisfied with the gift. Since Charles was there, she tried to hide her unhappiness. She took the watch and just glanced at it. But she did not wear it. "Is this a warning for me to cherish my freedom after 15 years in prison? For me to live and enjoy every moment of my freedom?" asked Melissa sarcastically. She did not like Sheryl, and regarded her as a greedy woman. Why? Because she believed everything Leila had told her. That was unfortunate on Sheryl's part. She was judged without knowing her first. So anything Sheryl did would just make Melissa unhappy.

"No, Mom! The watch is attractive. That is why I bought it for you. No malice included. I hope you will like it. Please don't take this the wrong way," explained Sheryl as she shook her head. She felt frustrated and sad because her good intention was ridiculed and given a bad meaning. Having such a difficult mother-in-law was causing her a headache.

"Okay, stop explaining! I don't care about your intention. Since you bought it, I accept it. It's getting late. Let's have dinner," Melissa glanced at Sheryl and sniffed. Though she accepted the gift, she didn't hide her distaste. The watch was thrown on the desk. Deep inside, she never accepted Sheryl as her daughter-in-law. No matter what Sheryl had given her, she would never appreciate it. She was even confident that no matter what she did, Charles would always tolerate her behavior.

Sheryl was sad. She was doing everything she could to please Melissa. She even bought her an expensive watch. But look at what she did. If Melissa didn't like the watch, she would understand it. But what hurt her the most was Melissa's facial expression. She saw on her face that whatever she bought, Melissa would not accept it with all her heart. 'My instinct tells me that she thinks bad of me. She may give me much trouble,' thought Sheryl. She was right. Melissa didn't like her; she liked Leila. If it was possible, Melissa would accept Leila as her daughter-in-law.

Charles felt Sheryl's grief. He picked up the watch from the desk and persuaded Melissa to wear it. "Mom, since you accepted this, why not wear it? Sher bought it to make you happy. Please don't give any meaning to her actions. Sher has a good taste. This Patek Philippe watch is very elegant. It suits elegant women like you. Give me your hand." Upon hearing that, Melissa gave him her hand and let him put the watch on her wrist.

She could never say no to Charles. Whatever happened, she didn't have a heart to reject him. But that didn't mean she was willing to start a good relationship with Sheryl. She still didn't like Sheryl. Melissa's face was still a reflection of distaste even after Charles put the watch on her wrist. She pulled a long face and impatiently said, "Enough! Let's have dinner."

"Okay, let's have dinner," answered Charles. Then he turned to his wife and said, "Sher, go wash your hands. You must be hungry after the day's work." Being a husband and a son, he had to be a mediator. He was trying his best to connect his wife and his mother. When Sheryl went upstairs, he turned his attention to the children and told them to follow him. "Shirley, Clark, stop playing. Let's wash your hands and get ready for dinner."

Charles and the children went upstairs. While he was washing the hands of the children, he noticed Sheryl was still sad. He instructed the children to continue washing their hands. Then, he approached her. He put his arms on her shoulders and told her comfortingly, "Sher, I know Mom was wrong for doing that to you. But will you please be more understanding with her? Forgive her rudeness? She has just gotten out of the prison. I am sure that you will get along well with each other as time goes by." Charles didn't understand Melissa's behavior towards Sheryl. He knew very well that it was impolite on the part of Melissa to ignore and misunderstand Sheryl's kindness. And he didn't know how to solve the problem. His only hope was to ask Sheryl to be more patient with Melissa. He knew there would be a big problem once Sheryl couldn't take Melissa anymore.

Sheryl gave Charles a small smile. "Don't worry. It is okay," she said in a low voice. But deep inside, she was full of questions. 'Why is Charles giving excuses for his mother? Doesn't he care about my feelings anymore?' She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't help it. She was afraid that her husband was becoming a mama's boy.

Meanwhile, Charles was feeling guilty. He didn't want to see Sheryl so sad. He knew that Sheryl already had problems at work. Then, here came his mother adding to her problems. He heaved a deep sigh and continued, "Sher, I know you are suffering a lot these days. If my mother keeps making trouble, I will talk to her. Just give her two more days, okay?" Though he said those, he was still not sure if they would be okay. How to achieve a harmonious relationship between his long-suffering mother and his wife was a conundrum for him.

"Okay, I am fine. Let's go downstairs. They are already waiting for us. If we stay longer, your mother will be angry again," answered Sheryl. Despite how she felt, she understood his husband. It was difficult to be torn between the two ladies of his life. She also felt that Charles was feeling guilty for giving excuses for his mother. To show him she understood and ease his guilt, she gave him a smile, though bitter. But Charles didn't hear her answer anymore. His attention was now focused on her face. He noticed that her face was slightly swollen. He asked worriedly, "Wait, what's wrong with your face?"

"Oh, nothing. I was so tired I fell asleep in the office. Maybe my face was pressed for too long," muttered Sheryl. In fact, what she told him was a lie. Vivi slapped her and Duncan embarrassed her. If Charles would have known about this, he might have gone to Tarsan Corporation and would have given Duncan a beating.

Though they did something bad to her, she did not wish them ill will. It would be enough to stay away from them and not to have any dealings with Tarsan Corporation.

Charles was very concerned with his wife. He touched Sheryl's swollen cheek. Then he said, "Sher, your workload these past few days is very overwhelming. You don't usually sleep at work. Promise me, after this big project, you will take a holiday. You deserve it." Sheryl felt her heart beat so fast. Actually, she could hear it! She was so nervous. She slowly released the breath she was holding. Charles had no difficulty believing the lie. It was a good thing the fingerprint already faded since several hours had already passed. It wasn't obvious anymore that she had been slapped.

"Um, I see. Don't worry, my emergent work is almost done. If you notice, I didn't work overtime anymore today." Sheryl fought back her tears and smiled at Charles. She was touched by his tender care. He was really thoughtful and very considerate. Their love for each other helped sustain her. She could really face anything as long as Charles was with her, and even brave a difficult Melissa.

"That's good news," replied Charles. Somehow, his worry over his wife's work lessened after he learned that she was almost finished with the project.

Then, Charles stood up and helped Sheryl stand. Sheryl called the children, then held their hands. Together they went downstairs. Gary and Melissa were already waiting for them. During dinner, silence reigned except for the occasional sounds of the spoons, forks and glasses. Everyone was looking down at their plates, focused on eating. It was just like lunch, all over again. It was Melissa who broke the silence. "Charles, after careful consideration, I decided just to use the bedroom next to yours. It will be too much trouble for you to move out of the room."

"Don't worry, Mom. It's okay. I came home early today. After dinner, I will take our things out with Charles. It won't take too much time," answered Sheryl. Sheryl and Charles made eye contact as she offered her assistance to him in moving their things to the next room.

"There's no need, really. I realized that it has been your room ever since you got married. How could I take it away from you?" Melissa countered. "Just stay in your room. I am already old, and I really do not mind where to live. Besides, I went upstairs earlier and found the vacant room situated between yours and the children's. I like it more," Melissa said in a fake courtesy. In reality, Melissa didn't really care which bedroom she would be in. She just decided to take the master's bedroom out of whim just to piss off Sheryl. But after seeing the rooms upstairs, she liked the middle room more. She would be nearer to the children.

It was only during lunch that Melissa told them that she wanted their bedroom for herself. Actually, Charles didn't like to move out. He just couldn't say no to his mother, because he didn't want her to be disappointed. That room witnessed their happiness and sorrow. So, Charles felt relieved and happy that his mother gave up.

Seeing Sheryl was about to speak, he interrupted her and said, "Since Mom already decided to use the next room instead, let's just respect her decision."

"Okay," Sheryl simply replied. She then nodded as she understood the hidden message beneath Charles' words. She was not willing to move out of their room either. But out of respect to Melissa, she could compromise. Anyway, she was really trying to win her.

Melissa was so happy that Charles and Sheryl agreed with her decision.

Around midnight, when everyone was already sound asleep, a piercing scream shattered the silence of the night. Sheryl was the first to wake up. She turned to Charles and saw that he was also awakened by the sound.

"Charles, did you hear something?" asked Sheryl. Though she heard the scream, she wanted to be sure that it was real. She might just be dreaming of it. After all it was midnight.

"Yes, I heard it! It was definitely a scream. It came from Mom's room," Charles replied after judging its direction. They were now totally awake. Charles stood up quickly. Sheryl followed as fast as she could. They were worried about Melissa.

Before they could go out, there was another scream!

They ran fast to the next room. Charles grabbed the doorknob and turned it. It was locked! Charles banged the door loudly and shouted anxiously, "Mom, open up! What's wrong?"