The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1118 A Trump Card

Without sparing a glance at Charles or Sheryl, Melissa walked down the stairs slowly, maintaining her cold expression. When she reached the bottom floor, she made her way to the sofa before settling into a comfortable position. "Just because I was released from prison, it doesn't mean I'm an idiot, clueless about what's going on!"

"Mom...you've read the news?"

As he asked, Charles made sure to speak carefully.

"It's already made the headlines of entertainment news. I'm not blind. How could I miss it?"

It was clear that Melissa was in a foul mood.

"Well, since you know, Mom, I'll be honest with you. It's fake news. Someone wanted to frame Sher, and we need your help." After he exclaimed that, he looked at Melissa intently. At that point, he couldn't tell whether or not Melissa would believe and help him.

"I'm an old woman. How could I possibly help? Charles, if this is your explanation, then I have to ask you, how do you know if it's true that someone wanted to set her up?"

Obviously, Melissa was not convinced.

"Moreover, there are so many rich families in this city. Why should someone choose her to target?" she continued.

"Mom, this is a complicated matter. It's partly because of me. I can't explain everything to you right now. How about this? Let's draw away the paparazzi first. I'll explain everything else in due time. Please help us!"

"We can't let those people surround the house. We have two kids in our home! Once this issue goes out of control, it will become a nightmare for Shirley and Clark! Look at what you've done. It's always the kids who suffer the most." Full of frustration, Melissa couldn't stop complaining.

Though Sheryl wanted to defend herself, Charles stopped her. He pleaded, "Mom, you're right. But it has already happened. Could you help us for the sake of Clark and Shirley?"

"What do you want me to do?"

she asked in spite of her angry expression.

After Charles relayed his plan, Melissa nodded. "Alright, I'll help you this time. But Charles, I have to warn you, be careful in the future."

Since Charles was smart enough to understand what she meant, Melissa didn't bother trying to lecture him. Finally taking a glance at the source of the chaos, she coldly snapped, "Where are her clothes? Bring me the clothes, now!"

"I'll bring them to you!"

Charles replied and stepped in front of Sheryl to prevent further conflict before going upstairs.

All of a sudden, Melissa and Sheryl were left alone awkwardly. Surprisingly, Melissa didn't continue to mock Sheryl. A simple glance at the woman, Melissa thought, would disgrace herself enough. When Charles walked out accompanied by "Sheryl" who was wrapped from head to toe, the paparazzi rushed toward them.

"Mr. Lu, what do you feel about your wife's affair?" asked one.

"Mr. Lu, is the news about your wife true? If it's true, do you still love her? If it's not, can you give us an explanation?" asked another.

"Mrs. Lu, why did you cheat on your husband?" They began targetting Sheryl.

"Mrs. Lu, did you feel stressed in the Lu family? Is that why you sought out pleasure somewhere else?"

All of them pushed against each other to get closer to the couple, not wanting to miss a reaction.

However, Charles didn't answer at all. Instead, he just held his wife's arm and pulled her to the car under the protection of bodyguards. Their car was parked near enough that they managed to reach it after a challenging walk through the crowd of reporters.

As soon as they reached the car, they drove away from Dream Garden, leaving the crowd of paparazzi behind.

Removing her disguises, Melissa took a deep breath. With a look at Charles, she said, "Now I've done what you asked me to do. What about the favor I asked of you? Do you still remember?"

Her tone was serious as if they were negotiating at a business meeting. In fact, she had been doubting whether or not her attitude would offend Charles or not. But on second thought, it was Sheryl who did the wrong thing. It was important for Melissa to let Charles know that she only helped them out for his sake and not Sheryl's.

"You mean the thing about Leila? Yes, Mom. I do remember," he nodded.

Since he was deeply troubled by the scandal surrounding Sheryl, he couldn't promise to help Leila out right away. First, he had to save his wife. Comforting Melissa, he said, "Mom, I'm sorry to involve you in this. You have to stay outside for some time. But I promise I'll handle it as soon as possible. Once everything goes back to normal, I'll bring you home."

"Alright, if you say so. But where do you want me to live now?" she asked.

"I'll book a hotel for you. But I'm afraid that I can't visit you often for a while. I hope you can understand..." Charles replied apologetically.

"I know. Right now, the reporters won't leave you alone. It's okay for me to live in a hotel. Don't worry about me and figure this thing out first." Melissa felt relieved after knowing Charles was willing to help get Leila out of prison. Since that was all she wanted at the moment, all other inconveniences were acceptable.

If Sheryl was driven out of Dream Garden because of the scandal, Melissa thought it would be great. But even if she survived, it didn't matter. After all, there would be ample time ahead. If she worked with Leila, she was confident that they could kick her out themselves.

As it turned out, Charles had booked a room at a five-star hotel. When their car arrived, Melissa had to change into her own clothes and casually leave the car without drawing any attention. Nobody could've imagined that she had been posing as Sheryl just moments ago.

As she walked into the hotel lobby, Charles stared at his mother, making sure she was inside. Finally, he could leave in relief.

The battle had just begun. For them to overcome it, Charles knew that he had to make use of every minute. The rumors spread like wildfire, and the longer they lasted, the more difficult it would be for Sheryl. Moreover, Clark and Shirley would be affected in school.

Meanwhile, Rachel was extremely satisfied with the result. "Holley, have you watched the news? How is it? Even though I've been gone for three years, the media won't forget me so easily," Rachel gloated. "Congratulations Ms. Bai! The news is truly impressive. With these high-definition photos, it's impossible for Sheryl to turn the tables this time!" Of course, Holley was more than happy to see Sheryl being defeated.

"It's not the time for us to celebrate. Keep calm. Let's wait until we win a thorough triumph!"

In spite of what she said, Rachel was looking overjoyed as she urged Holley to calm down.

"By the way, I remember you had a former employee called Duncan, right? If we invite him to join us now, I'm sure he'll be glad to grasp this opportunity!" Now that anything could happen, Holley wanted to add a safety measure for their success. She had to make it a no-win situation for Sheryl.

"That's a great idea! Holley, you're a genius. Duncan must be desperate to get revenge on Sheryl now. But how can we use him against her?"

"You don't need to worry, Ms. Bai. I'll handle everything. I'm sure you'll be satisfied," Holley sneered maliciously.