The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 548 Charlie's Friend

Despite Charlie being Leila's son, Alice had a strong urge to protect him. After all, she knew he was still a child.

From the looks of him, the boy didn't think or care if his father might throw a tantrum because of what happened to the picture frame. His full attention was on the woman in the photo. "Does my father like her very much?" he asked Alice. "Does he still want to marry her?' he added.

"Of course, he does!" Alice blurted out. Alice felt deeply sorry for Charlie after what she said. 'He's only a child. Like other kids, he's probably hoping his parents will stay together. It must feel awful to replace out there is a woman that stands between his father and mother,' she thought.

Feeling guilty, she hurriedly moved to comfort the boy and said, "Your father used to like that girl very much. But now that he's found you, he will treat you and your mother well."

Little did she know that Charlie was aware that his father would never accept Leila.

Of that he was sure.

'Adults always lie to me. They think I'm too young to understand things. But I do get it,' he thought to himself.

The boy knew Charles had no feelings for his mother, and marrying her was out of the question. It was his mom who kept pestering him.

Then he got to thinking, 'If Charles like Sheryl so much, should I help him win her back?' He then thought about his father and his friend.

Charlie wanted to see Charles smiling brightly just like in the picture. In his eyes, his father became very charming and dashing when he smiled sincerely.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Alice turned to look and saw her boss about to enter. As David held the door open, she quickly stood up and lowered her head. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Lu. I broke your cherished photo accidentally. It's all my fault, and I'm willing to accept whatever punishment," she apologized, her voice trembling with fear.

She was preparing for the scolding that was sure to follow. "You should have been more careful," David berated Alice in a low voice, standing behind Charles with his eyebrows knitted.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Alice defended herself. She looked miserable as she avoided Charlie's eyes.

Suddenly, a new voice filled the room. "Dad!"

The boy called out, walking up to Alice.

'It was me, not her. I will not let Alice take responsibility for my mistake,' the boy resolved.

"She's lying," he spoke up. "I did it. She has nothing to do with what happened," the child confessed, his expression serious and his voice clear. Alice was taken aback by Charlie's admission. Quickly, she said, "Charlie, stop talking nonsense!"

She turned to look at Charles and explained, "Mr. Lu, don't listen to him. It was my fault. I'm the one to blame."

But Charlie interrupted, "She is not telling the truth, Dad."

He took a deep breath before explaining,"I only wanted to look at the sister in the photo. I wasn't holding it tightly, and it fell. If you're angry, punish me, not her."

"Did you?" Charles looked at him straight in the eye with no angry expression. He checked if the photo was damaged. Seeing that it wasn't, he spoke to his son,"Tell me, why did you want to see this picture?" "Because she is very pretty," Charlie replied frankly. David hurriedly dragged Alice out of the office to give father and son privacy. "Dad, do you honestly like that girl in the picture?" Charlie asked, looking at his father with soulful eyes.

The man replied bluntly, "Yes, I do."

Suddenly, thoughts of Autumn filled his mind. 'It was three years ago when she disappeared. There are times I nearly forget what she looks like, ' he thought, 'I dream about her every night, and in my dream, I would open my eyes to catch a glimpse of her. But I never see her face. So, I look at this photo to remind myself never to forget her, and her face.'

"Did you refuse her because of this girl?" Charlie couldn't help but ask after seeing how sad his father was. While there was no mention of a name, Charles understood his son was referring to Leila.

"No, this isn't about her. Even without her, your mother and I..." he said, shaking his head. "Never mind. This is complicated for you."

With a deep sigh, he stated, "Anyway, I will never accept your mother. I won't ever be with her."

"So, is this girl still alive?" Charlie asked reluctantly. At the question, Charles looked at his son. "I don't know. Maybe. Perhaps, she's still alive. Or..." he broke off and stared blankly.

This made Charlie break into his thoughts. "Well, dad..." He had decided to help his father pursue Sheryl.

The boy couldn't bear seeing his father suffering this way. "I have an appointment with a pretty young sister. Would you like to go with me?" Charlie shared.

"Young sister?" Charles asked, raising an eyebrow. "And who is she?"

He gave the boy a puzzled look, wondering when his son had made friends with an adult.

"She looks exactly like that girl in your photo," Charlie disclosed. He pointed to Autumn.

Charles was stunned, overwhelmed by the information. Afraid that he misheard what the boy said, he clutched Charlie's arms. "What did you just say? Can you say that again?" he asked urgently.

"I know a pretty young girl who looks exactly the one in this photo. But, she has a different name," Charlie said slowly. Suddenly, he was confused and scratched his head. "Dad, have you ever met two persons who looked exactly alike?"

Suddenly excited, Charles ignored the boy's question. "Charlie, tell me, where is this friend of yours?" he asked. His son's words gave him a ray of hope. He had suffered a lot these last few years. Each time he found clues leading to his wife's whereabouts, he would get excited only to end up disappointment. Sometimes, he would mistake a person for Autumn walking down the street. He would run after her only to replace out he was wrong. He had been mistaken for a mad man many times.

Gradually, he lost hope and even began to doubt if Autumn was still alive.

But hearing his son describe his friend rekindled the hope inside him. He was not giving up however slim the chance that it was Autumn.

Somehow, he didn't seem to mind if he would be disappointed again.

When Charlie told him where Sheryl was staying, he was surprised. 'She's in Eric's hotel. Maybe I've run into her without knowing it,' he thought.

Overjoyed, Charles hugged his son tightly and kissed him several times. "If that woman turns out to be Autumn, then he is my lucky star,' he said to himself.

"Dad, my face is wet all over!" Charlie complained because of the kissing. But while he grumbled, the boy was also ecstatic.

The man wasted no time and lifted his son, carrying him to the car. He practically ran out of the office. On the drive to the hotel, Charlie sent Sheryl a text message without his father knowing. His friend had just come out of the shower and read the message.

When she learned Charlie was coming, she grabbed a towel and quickly dried her hair. She got dressed and told Sue, who was inside the bathroom, that she was leaving.

"Where are you going?" Sue called out. "Have you forgotten we have a meeting tonight?"

It had been a while since all the models arrived in Y City. With everyone busy with rehearsals and so many other activities, there was no time for them to sit down and get to know each other. With the show date fast approaching, George arranged a party for them, hoping they could relax and catch up.

Sheryl replied loudly, "I'm going to pass on this. Tell them I don't have time!"

She ran out of the room, worried that Charlie would arrive early and have to wait alone. She stood outside the hotel waiting for the boy, whom she had come to adore in such a short time.