The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 497 Anthony's Secret

A hint of regret flashed in Charles' eyes as Chris mentioned Gary.

Chris glanced at her brother to make sure he was all right. "Anyway, you need to take care of your health. If you promise to do that, I will leave you alone," she offered. Charles quickly agreed. "Fine," he replied. He would say anything to make his sister stop nagging.

The moment Charles arrived home, he summoned Nancy to his study. After several days of living like the dead, he was now determined to put his life back in order. And the first thing he had to do was dismiss Nancy. It was now impossible to let her continue living in this house.

"I think you know why I called you here," Charles began. He spoke calmly but inside was a jumble of nerves. He had lost much weight in the last several days. His face was gaunt and covered by stubble that was quickly growing into whiskers. Since Autumn disappeared, he no longer paid attention to his appearance.

Nancy also appeared composed. "Yes, I know," she replied. It was clear why Charles asked to see her immediately. After she had taken care of Brent's funeral, Nancy had been expecting this moment. And she knew she had to leave sooner or later.

Charles looked at their long-time housekeeper. Politely, he said, "I'm sorry for what happened to your son. You have served us for many, many years and did an excellent job. But this time, I have to let you go. You cannot stay here any longer."

Charles' announcement came as no surprise. Nancy had anticipated this day would come. But she didn't expect it would be so soon. She saw Charles take something from his pocket.

He handed her an envelope. "The money is for your retirement. Take it," Charles declared. He no longer wanted to see Nancy's face in his house. Her continued stay would only be a reminder that he was responsible for Autumn's disappearance.

"I can't take it, Mr. Lu," a flustered Nancy pushed the envelope away with shaking hands. Embarrassed, she lowered her head and said,"I owe you and Mrs. Lu a lot. I had planned to leave after you found her. That way, I would feel less guilty about all this." She kept wringing her hands. "But it's been many days, and there's still no clue as to Mrs. Lu's whereabouts." Nancy raised her eyes to look at Charles. "I'm too ashamed to continue staying here."

With a bitter smile, the housekeeper admitted, "Even if you didn't ask, I've intended to leave soon. So, I can't take your money." Nancy kept her hands behind her back.

"Just take it," Charles persisted, his manner cool. "If Autumn were here, she would insist that you do," he almost mumbled.

Charles ran a hand through his hair. Without Autumn beside him, he felt something was missing inside him. And no matter how hard he tried, he remained miserable.

He thought, 'Nancy spent most of her life working for our family. Now, she's lost her son, and I have to fire her. It's hard for an old woman like her to replace another job. If she doesn't take the money, I can't imagine how she would support herself.'

Charles insisted, and spoke louder,"Take it. I will feel much better if you do." Nancy felt terrible seeing her young master this way.

Finally, she nodded and accepted the money. "Mr. Lu..." she faltered. Nancy changed the topic and said earnestly, "For whatever it's worth, I believe that Mrs. Lu is still alive. She has a kind heart, and God will be on her side." She hurriedly added, "If you do replace her, please let me know. I want to beg her forgiveness personally. I hope she can still forgive my son and me."

Nancy grieved for her son's death. But she was more worried about Autumn's safety.

Charles nodded. "I will," he promised. He let out a long breath as Nancy went to her room.

The following morning, Nancy left the Lu family house. As soon as she heard the news, Chris decided to move back home.

That way, she could take care of both Charles and Gary while keeping an eye on her brother.

Chris made no mention of Autumn, whom she missed very much. She secretly shed tears every time she saw Autumn's belongings. Charles caught her crying a few times but made no move to comfort his sister. Instead, he focused all his energy into searching for his wife.

Anthony, who had asked to go on leave for a week, was returning to work today. Autumn was feeling better and could get out of bed without any trouble.

Anthony rattled off several reminders before leaving the apartment. First, he told Autumn to eat the pigeon soup for lunch. It was on top of the stove. Then he said the rice had been pre-washed and just needed to be cooked. Finally, he told her to heat the other dishes in the microwave. "Is that clear?" Anthony asked.

Autumn's head was spinning from all that he said but she nodded. Since Autumn moved into Anthony's apartment, the doctor had been very considerate and took excellent care of her and the baby. So, it was easy for her to feel at ease in his house.

Since she had the baby to keep her company, Autumn was content and yearned for nothing more.

Autumn named her daughter Shirley, with the hope the little girl would lead a life without misery.

Before stepping out of the door, Anthony turned to Autumn and said with concerned eyes, "As for the baby, you..."

Autumn quickly interrupted him,"Come on, grandma! You say this every day that I can recite them back to you. I know what to do." With a sigh, she proceeded to lecture Anthony, "You keep nagging! I wonder what kind of woman will marry you."

Anthony brushed her off and responded, "I really don't care." He glanced at Autumn one last time and said, "Well, I'm off to work. Call me if anything happens or you need help."

"Okay." Autumn smiled and waved him off. She hurried back inside to check on the sleeping baby.

When Anthony got to the hospital, he learned that Abby had already given birth. Since she was Autumn's aunt, he decided to pay a visit.

When he reached Abby's ward, he found that Arthur and Amy were inside with Abby. Amy was holding the baby, and everyone looked preoccupied when he saw them.

Anthony knocked before entering. His arrival broke Arthur's reverie. He smiled and greeted the doctor, "There you are!"

"How is Abby, Grandpa Arthur?" he inquired. He peeked at Abby and she still looked a little pale.

"She and the baby are fine," Arthur replied. Autumn's disappearance greatly disturbed Abby. As a result, she gave birth way ahead of her due date. The Zhao family remained depressed since Autumn was still missing.

Shortly after Anthony's arrival, Andy returned carrying lunch. When he caught sight of the doctor, he gave a loud greeting, "Hello Anthony! I heard from a nurse that you asked to go on leave for a week. Were you sick?"

Anthony was startled and stammered, "Well... uhm, yeah." He was a terrible liar. And hiding Autumn in his apartment was the worst thing he had ever done.

But he justified his actions. He had to lie to protect Autumn.

Andy kept looking at him, and this made Anthony uneasy. He decided to leave. He told Arthur,"There's something I need to deal with, so I have to go ahead. Please come to my office if you need anything." Arthur patted him on the arm and nodded, oblivious to the doctor's discomfort. Anthony bade everyone goodbye and rushed out of the room.

His immediate departure aroused suspicion in Andy. He stared at the doctor's retreating back, wondering about his unusual behavior.

Andy mumbled to himself, 'Hmmm. It looks like he's hiding something.'