The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 507 Single Unwedded Mother

Several hours later, Chris settled on a ton of baby stuff. When she turned around, she caught sight of a pretty, slender woman. She stood in front of shelves but looked a bit awkward, as if she didn't know what to do.

With her was a fair-skinned boy, about three or four years old. Chris was struck by gorgeous eyes that appeared to twinkle. He was adorable. The child was staring obsessively at a harmonica.

"Do you like this, Charlie?" the woman asked, stooping to the boy's level. The cute boy nodded, and the woman bit her lower lip before saying, "Okay then, we'll take it."

Gettting the harmonica from the shelf, the woman took the boy's hand and headed towards the counter. As they approached, she met Chris' confused gaze.

While in deep thought, Chris stared at the woman, a finger tapping her chin. She kept thinking she had met her somewhere. She thought harder until it finally came to her. 'Is that Leila?' She stood up straighter. 'What is she doing here?' Chris wondered.

'And who is that little boy with her?' A hundred questions were running in her head.

"Miss Lu..." a surprised Leila mouthed as she saw Chris. Deliberately, she hid the boy behind her back to prevent Chris from looking at him.

But the child stuck his head out from behind Leila and stared curiously at Chris' bulging belly.

The boy's eyes were twinkling as Chris stared at him. She was wondering where she had seen something similar. Instinct had her turning around to look at Charles, who was paying for her purchases. After he finished paying, Charles asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Over there, Charles," Chris pointed towards where Leila stood. She intended to show Charles how much the boy with Leila looked like him.

Charles looked at where Chris gestured but saw nothing. He was puzzled and stared at his sister. "What am I supposed to see?" he asked Chris in confusion.

Chris turned and saw Leila running, dragging the child behind her. Heart pounding quickly, she wanted to follow to confirm the boy's identity. But she resisted the impulse.

She paused to think, 'I hope that is not Charles' child with Leila. I figure he's about three years old. Three years ago, Charles and Autumn were still together. If that boy is his son, then it only means my brother cheated on his wife.'

Some part of her wished the boy was Charles' son. 'If he did cheat on Autumn, maybe she wasn't that important to him. Besides, maybe Leila can help Charles finally forget Autumn,' she thought. Being a woman of action, Chris decided it was time to have a talk with Leila to confirm her suspicions and set things straight.

That evening, she hired a detective to replace out where Leila lived. 'Fortunately, Sam is away on a business trip. Otherwise, he would never allow this,' she thought. It was not long before she learned where Leila was staying.

Chris got up earlier than usual. After getting dressed, she headed to Leila's house. When she arrived at the apartment building, she waited at the corner. At 7:30, Leila and the boy came out and walked to a nearby kindergarten. Chris followed at a distance to avoid being seen, never taking her eyes off the little boy.

The longer she saw the child with Leila, the more suspicious she became. 'What a coincidence, ' she thought. The boy not only looked like Charles but they also shared similar characteristics based on her observations.

Leila watched Charlie go inside the school. When she turned around, she caught sight of Chris, standing not far from where she was. Chris flew into a panic and tried walking away quickly.

Then she mumbled to comfort herself,"I came here to replace out about the boy's identity, so there's no need to hide."

Chris composed herself and made her way to Leila.

She stared as Chris approached, with no sign of shock registering on her face. It appeared that she was ready to talk to Chris in case she came. Looking at Charles' sister, she offered, "There's a coffee shop around the corner. We can go there and talk."

"Good idea," Chris agreed. She didn't hesitate, as she was more curious than anxious.

Since Chris was pregnant, Leila ordered a glass of warm milk for her instead of coffee.

Chris gripped the glass, but did not drink from it. She kept staring at Leila, who lowered her head looking calm. Chris inquired,"Aren't you surprised to see me?"

"I am, yes," Leila replied, face still impassive. "I guessed you would be looking for me. Since that day when we met at the toy store, I have been waiting for you to come. Admittedly, I didn't expect it to be this soon," she explained.

"Then you must already know why I wanted to meet you," Chris said slowly. Leila nodded, while staring at her cup of coffee.

Chris decided to get straight to the point. "Is Charles your son's father?" she asked frankly. Chris had never been good at hiding. And she wasted no time to get to the point.

"No, he isn't. You're mistaken," Leila answered nervously, looking up at Chris.

But the other woman noted Leila's flustered expression and confirmed her suspicion.

"Then why do you look so nervous?" Chris asked. The two women stared at one another.

"I'm not nervous," Leila defended. But she looked down to avoid Chris' eyes. Quickly, she changed the subject, settling on Chris' pregnancy. "You're about seven months pregnant, am I right?" she asked. "Yes, I'll soon be giving birth," Chris smiled as she looked at her belly and stroked it gently. As she raised her head, Chris met Leila's eyes full of envy.

"I need to talk to you, Leila," she said with a hint of scorn. After three years, she still found Leila annoying. But, if the boy was Charles' child, then Chris thought she would prefer it that her brother and this woman ended up together.

'At least, the boy could distract Charles. And hopefully, he would stop looking for Autumn, ' Chris thought.

"What do you want to talk about?" Leila asked sternly. Inside, though, she was giggling. In the last three years, Leila had been closely observing Charles.

She knew Charles would never forget Autumn, and this knowledge was what stopped her from carrying out the plan. And by then, three years had passed. But a month ago, she finally made up her mind to seek Charles again. Now, she had no intention of giving up.

Their meeting was on purpose so she carefully planned everything. Leila believed Chris would make the connection between Charlie and Charles.

Somehow, Leila found out that Chris had been hoping Charles would move on from Autumn's disappearance. So, she intended to use Chris to help her get Charles.

Despite being reluctant, Chris realized that it was an opportunity to help her brother. "I want to talk about you and Charles," she finally admitted. However, Leila showed no reaction.

"You grew up under the loving care of your family. Then you married a good man who treats you well. You will never understand how life as a single, unmarried mother is, Miss Lu," she said bitterly as she slowly sipped her coffee and looked Chris in the eye.

Her smile was equally bitter. "You never need to worry about making a living," Leila went on. "But unlike you, I have to work to support my son and our needs. That's why you will never understand me."