The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 568 Reunion Without Recognition

After wearing her shoes, Sheryl, with a concerned look, followed Charles and said, "I don't know what Charlie likes, so I just got him an Astronomical telescope. Do you think he'll like it?" With a smile of reassurance, Charles replied, "Don't worry. He'll love the gift because it's from you."

She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at him.

In the small confines of the elevator, there was an awkward silence. Sheryl eventually cleared her throat to ask, "Is Charlie's mother going to be there?" There was a slight quiver in her tone.

Slightly taken aback by the question, Charles countered, "Why are you asking this?" He felt slightly uncomfortable at her mention of Leila.

"I'm just curious, that's all," Sheryl replied. The dissatisfaction she noted on Charles' face did not deter her from continuing. Awkwardly, she said,"I've never met Charlie's mother. And she raised Charlie to be a good boy."

In her mind, Charles' son was far more obedient than her daughter. So, it made her curious about the woman who guided Charlie so that he turned out to be a good boy.

Charles chose to keep quiet. He didn't want to talk about Leila in front of Sheryl.

Meanwhile, in the spacious private room, Leila was fidgeting in her seat while waiting for their mysterious guest.

All the other guests were seated and cheerfully talking to one another. Leila felt isolated and thought it unnecessary to be there.

Fifteen minutes had passed, but Charles still had not made an appearance. Isla was slowly running out of patience.

To begin with, Isla was not enthusiastic about attending the birthday party. "Where's the host? If he doesn't show up, I'm leaving," she grumbled.

Her behavior upset Aron, who commanded sternly,"Sit down!" He threw his wife a glance and realized it was the first time he ever spoke to her in that tone. "Since we're already here, just be patient," he went on. Softening his tone, he said,"Perhaps the guest is meant to surprise us."

But Aron's expression had terrified Isla, so she didn't pay attention to his subtle hint. She obeyed his order, sat back down and saw Amanda following Charlie. With a frown, Isla stood up to carry her daughter back to their seats.

But Amanda had other ideas. She struggled to get out of her mother's arms and wailed about wanting to play with Charlie. The little girl's behavior annoyed Isla, and as she lost her temper, she lightly spanked Amanda in her behind.

The little girl burst into tears. Aron looked at his wife disapprovingly and immediately took his crying daughter from Isla. Amanda's wailing echoed throughout the room further upsetting her mother. Suddenly, the door was thrown open. And all eyes were fixed on who was about to enter, including Amanda, who had stopped crying. The girl was staring at the door with curious, round eyes. The crowd inside the room stared at Charles expectantly as he entered the room. Stepping aside, he turned to the woman behind him. "Come in. Charlie is waiting for you," he said softly. Nervously, Sheryl stepped inside the room slowly. As she moved forward, the people in the room saw her slender figure approaching.

When they finally saw her face, everyone was stunned, and the room became silent.

There before them stood the woman who caused Charles to be miserable for the last three years. It was unbelievable that she was back and standing beside him.

The woman before them and Autumn looked exactly alike, yet they sensed something was different with her.

All eyes were on the beautiful woman, who stood feeling that she was under intense scrutiny. Sheryl suddenly felt awkward and shy.

It was several minutes before the shock of seeing their mysterious guest wore off. Then, everyone looked ecstatic and began chattering.

The people inside were the ones who cared deeply for Autumn. And they were all glad to see her safe and sound.

Everyone but Leila rejoiced at seeing Autumn.

The moment she realized it was Autumn, Leila felt as if lightning had struck her.

Scenes of Autumn sprawled on the ground, helpless, in the depot three years flashed through her mind. Leila began trembling in fear. Her legs felt as if they were about to collapse, so she gripped the edge of the table for support.

"No, it can't be! I must be dreaming..." she muttered.

Panicked, Leila thought, 'She died three years ago. How can she be standing in front of me?'

Isla, who just moments ago had lost her temper, was happiest of them all. Hearing the noise Leila made, she glanced at the woman with a contemptuous smile on her face.

Mumbling to herself, Isla said, "Autumn is back. And her happy days are about to end." She could not stop herself from looking at Leila.

Still trying to figure out if she was dreaming or not, Leila's mouth dropped open as she witnessed aloof Charlie running towards Sheryl and wrapping his arms around her leg. "Dear Sher, what took you so long?" the boy asked sweetly.

"I'm sorry," a smiling Sheryl replied. She knelt to look him in the eye. "Am I late for the party?" she asked Charlie while looking up at Charles.

"No, you aren't." It was Charles who spoke up. A peaceful smile lined his handsome face.

In his heart, he was thinking, 'Your return is the best gift. It's never too late.'

Staring at his beloved, he could not help but be pleased.

As this scene unfolded before Leila's eyes, she nearly broke down.

She wondered, 'The three of them are standing there like a happy family. Why? What is going on?'

Filled with jealousy and hate, Leila kept thinking, 'Why does Charlie refuse to accept me but treat this woman in such a friendly manner?'

Finally, Charles said, "Let me introduce you to everyone." Charlie held Sheryl's hand as his father introduced her to his guests. She had no idea they were the people most important in Autumn's life. It amazed her that everyone was happy to see her and felt like they all knew who she was.

When Charles introduced Sheryl to Aron's wife, tears were streaming down Isla's face. Sheryl was both surprised and concerned. Then Isla hugged her tight while saying, "Autumn, you're finally back. I'm so thrilled to see you. You're really here!"

The enthusiastic and emotional greeting overwhelmed Sheryl, who looked to Charles for help. Seeing the excitement and sorrow on Isla's face, she was at a loss for words and also felt a bit sad. When she looked at Isla, her expression seemed to mirror hers.

"You're scaring her," Aron cut in, while gripping his wife's hand. Isla's excitement kept her from noticing some details about the woman. But Aron didn't miss them.

For one, he remembered Charles introduced her as Sheryl, not Autumn.

"I'm sorry. My wife mistook you for her best friend. You two look exactly alike, you see," Aron explained with a slight smile. His explanation helped Sheryl understand the other woman's excitement.

Isla heard this and argued, "What are you talking about? She is..." Isla kept telling herself, 'I've been waiting for three years, now she's finally back.' Aron discreetly pulled her to a corner and whispered, "Can't you see?" He threw a glance at Sheryl. "She doesn't remember her past and what happened. So, stop being too excited," he warned his wife.

Her husband's words jolted Isla. She did notice that Sheryl acted as if she didn't know herself. But she was still glad that her friend was back safe. 'That's all that matters,' she thought.

Charles introduced Sheryl to everyone except Leila as if he ignored her intentionally. However, Sheryl approached Leila and offered her hand as she asked, "You're Charlie's mother, right?" Leila's heart started to pound as she shook hands. "I've always wanted to meet you. And now, here you are," Sheryl said politely.

"You wanted to meet me?" Leila asked, sounding incredulous. Now, she started to quake in fear. 'I watched her die. How can she be standing in front of me? How am I going to face her?' Leila thought nervously.