The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 2051 Sheryl Laughed Sincerely

"I really can't accept these! They're too valuable. Please return them." Sheryl continued to reject Duke's gifts; however, it was to no avail. Instead, it only seemed to have encouraged him to further insisting. He kept walking, ignoring her refusals as if he didn't hear them.

"Don't worry about it, Sheryl. It's just a few gifts. Besides, I really do appreciate that you went shopping with me. I insist." Despite her refusals, Duke continued with a smile, waving his hand dismissively. Sheryl stayed quiet. Though she still wanted to refuse them, she didn't want to continue doing it in public, especially with the swarms of people around them. With that, she quickened her steps, catching up with Duke as her shopping bags swayed with the movement.

"Let me take these." As if Duke had finally noticed her, he stepped in, taking the bags from her grasp before she could even protest.

Sheryl hesitated, taken aback by Duke's action. However, he had already continued walking before she could even process what was happening. She never expected Duke to be such a gentleman. They continued with their shopping, with Duke suggesting they enter a few more shops. As they walked, Sheryl felt her head start to pound, her body growing heavier at every minute. "How long will it take?"

A familiar voice made Sheryl stop dead in her tracks. Her body froze as if the wind had molded her into an ice sculpture. Even with her eyes closed, she'd recognize that voice anywhere. After spending years with that man, how could she not?

In that moment, Sheryl gritted her teeth. 'Of all the damned places he could be...'

Sheryl paled, especially now that he had noticed her.

It was too late now for her to pretend she didn't see them, especially when he was already fast approaching her direction.

He wasn't alone. A tall and slender woman was by his side. Sheryl felt her jaw clench at the sight, feeling the world around them fade.

Sheryl straightened her back, fixing her shirt unconsciously.

As if finally noticing that she had stopped, Duke stepped closer to her. His eyebrows furrowed at the paleness of her cheeks. Then he put his hands on her arms to steady her. However, to outsiders, it looked as if he was protecting her from everyone around them-it was an intimate sight.

However, Sheryl was oblivious to the fact. Her gaze followed the couple, and she felt her chest constrict in pain.

It was her, the woman who had made Charles leave her and her family.

This was the first time Sheryl would meet her in person. However, she had heard or read her name on thousands of articles and magazines.

Vicky Ruan. That was her name, a name that had been engraved in Sheryl's mind when he had left them. She remembered every magazine, every article, and every word, remembering the feeling of wanting to rip the woman's head off for what she did. Sheryl sighed shakily.

At the other side, Charles had finally looked at her. In that moment, he hesitated as he moved a step forward, wondering if he should go talk to her or not.

Noticing his inner turmoil, Vicky roped her arm into Charles'. Once she got his attention, she gave a sickly sweet smile before dragging him towards the other two.

Distracted by surprise, Charles didn't remove his arm from Vicky's, blinking only when they were already nearing them. The atmosphere had gotten so tense that even Duke shuffled on his feet, backing up when he saw the nearing couple.

Sheryl exhaled.

'So, it was true,' she thought. Sheryl had always thought, or at least, wanted to think, that their affair was made up, invented by publicists to spur rumors. However, one look at their interlocked arms, and she felt reality slapping her in the face. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any pain. Instead, she felt a sinking feeling that rotted inside her chest, rendering her emotionally unattached.

"Let's get out of here, Duke," Sheryl murmured to Duke. She averted her gaze and was ready to walk out of there, but a voice called out to them.

"Hey!" Vicky called for their attention, breaking the silence. Finally nearing, she stepped in front of Sheryl, hovering over her like a player who had won first prize. Charles followed, standing beside her.

"You must be Sheryl. It's nice to meet you! Who's this handsome man? Your boyfriend?" Vicky asked with a meaningful smile.

Sheryl's jaw dropped open at the question and blinking, she thought. 'What the hell is she saying?'

Charles' stare never left Sheryl from the moment he had seen her. When the question left Vicky's mouth, he mistakenly inferred the uneasiness she had felt to be guilt. They were together. At that fact, he clenched his fists, backing away. 'So she has moved on,' he thought bitterly, eyeing the guy beside her.

Before Sheryl could gather herself, Charles sneered, cutting in, "It seems that Ms. Xia is occupied." He took a moment to observe the man before moving in. "The guy you're with now isn't the same one that was on the front page. I'm surprised. Aren't you afraid to be caught again? With a new boyfriend?"

Sheryl's face reddened as he finally spoke. She wasn't expecting this much resentment in his voice, his words dripping with acid that melted the smile right off her face. Her hands shook at the accusation. Charles was definitely a bowl filled with surprises. Sheryl turned away, not wanting to argue with him any longer.

"Excuse me, sir." Duke stepped in, his gaze flickering to and from the pair. "She's not my-"

"Though I appreciate your concern," Sheryl snapped, giving a sickly sweet smile. "My personal life is none of your business. Let's go, Duke." She grabbed Duke's hand before storming off, not bothering to give Charles a second glance.

Charles' expression became more thunderous by the second, but he didn't move-instead, he stared at Sheryl's retreating figure until she was finally among the crowds.

"Your ex-wife is so pretty! No wonder she's got guys falling at her feet," Vicky mused, purposely adding fuel to the flame.

Without giving it another thought, Charles stormed off in the other direction.

Vicky couldn't help but smirk. From what had happened, she doubted the two could stand each other enough to be in the same room. At the thought, she giggled.

It was a surprise how easily this all went. Now, she finally understood what the man had talked about on the phone. It really had worked out. She snorted, shaking her head disbelievingly.

Days were passing by quickly, and it seemed that Damian still hadn't given up much to Sheryl's exasperation. He just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. In fact, it seemed as if her refusal only fueled his

determination further. Now, he took every chance to meet up with her, giving up on another trick up his sleeve and showing up the next day with something else.

The partnership between Duke's firm and Cloud Advertising still hadn't been signed yet, and Sheryl still had to confront Duke's gift-giving from time to time. The best part of those days was that she still hadn't bumped into Charles since their meeting back in the mall. The man was giving her so much stress, and she'd be getting wrinkles if they met again.

She politely smiled when she saw Damian standing by the gate of their building. With a huge bouquet of red roses in his hands, how could she not have? Sighing inwardly, she walked towards him. Before she could say anything, he came forward in one big stride. With a goofy grin, he said, "Miss me, Sher?"

Her smile froze on her face as she averted her gaze, embarrassed at the attention she was receiving.

"I'm kidding, Sher. It's always a pleasure to greet a friend." His heart sank, but he covered it up with a much larger smile.

Sheryl chuckled awkwardly. "So, what are you doing here?" She looked around, knowing fully well that he came here to see her.

He shrugged. "I waited for you. It's fine, right? I mean friends do visit each other every now and then."

"Right." Sheryl nodded. "Do you need anything?"

Damien pushed the flowers towards her, but she placed her hands inside her pockets, making no move to accept them. His ears reddened as his arm continued to stretch out, the sweet smell of roses almost slapping her right in the nose.

"I'm taking you out for dinner. At least, unless you have other plans, which I hope you don't!" Damian continued to talk. He pretended that he didn't see the hesitant look on Sheryl's face. In the meantime, he used it as an opportunity to push the flowers closer to her hands, suggesting that she take them.

With a sigh, Sheryl grabbed them reluctantly. "I actually do," she said, wincing apologetically. "Maybe we could hang out some other day?"

"It's fine. Absolutely no worries. Maybe I can drop you off?" Damian suggested.

Though Damian was aware of Sheryl and Charles' complicated relationship, he had decided to turn a blind eye to them. As long as they weren't still together, he had made up his mind to try and win her the best he could. He wouldn't give up easily, that was for sure.

"You don't have to, Damian. Look..." Sheryl started to explain.

"Oh, c'mon, Sher. It's what a friend would do," Damian said.

Knowing that there was no way of refusing him, she finally nodded with a small smile.

"Fine. Please drop me by the pub. I'll show you where it is," she added.

"A pub? Seriously? Why do you guys choose a pub to talk about business?" Damian suddenly asked. The smile on his face was gone, and instead, he frowned, looking concerned. The gray skies thundered around them, and Sheryl couldn't help but compare his stormy gaze with the storm settling above them.

He cared about Sheryl. The more he continued to be with her, the more hesitant he was to leave her in places like these, places where she might be prone to get hurt further. He looked away.

Seeing his expression, Sheryl laughed. Sometimes, she felt as if Damian was too naive of these things. Shocked by her sudden laughter, he turned to her curiously. "Stop," she said in between laughs. "I go to the pub to hang with my friends, not with my clients."

She shook her head fondly, looking at Damian. This was the first time she actually had a good laugh in the last few days. In a way, Damien reminded her of her son, and she couldn't help but smile at the comparison. It was good to be with a friend.