The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 729 Knowing The Truth

At the hotel

Laura and Junia stood in front of the hotel gate. They were waiting for Anthony to pick them up. Laura was slowly gaining confidence that she could dissuade her son from marrying Sheryl. Till now their plan had been working for them. After Laura pretended to faint, Anthony thought she was really ill and stayed with her most of the time. And she knew that Anthony had never seen Sheryl since then. Both Laura and Junia were happy that their scheme worked.

Hence, both the ladies stood there sharing niceties with each other. Laura took this opportunity of Anthony's absence to pep up Junia a little more. Laura patted Junia's hand and said, "Junia, I have done everything I could to help you. Next it depends on you in terms of whether or not you can win Anthony's heart. You must grip this opportunity."

"Aunt Laura, don't worry. We have won half the game. Now Anthony has a good impression of me," Junia said smiling confidently. As both the ladies thought that they had out smarted Anthony and after all the games they played, he would most definitely move away from Sheryl, neither of them noticed that Anthony had gone out of the hotel.

Anthony had had a stomach upset, so he had gone into the washroom at the hotel. When he went out, he wanted to play a trick on them so he tiptoed to them. At that time, Laura was speaking with a smile, "A good impression on you? That's great. I don't have any other wish except that Anthony and you get married. Only then will all my efforts be worthwhile."

"Don't worry, Aunt Laura," Junia spoke with a big smile on her face. "I have followed your instructions and it has really worked. My disagreeing with your behavior in front of Anthony has helped me win his trust. Now he feels that I will give him sensible and genuine advice. Hence, he even listened to me when I asked him not to see Sheryl any more,' she added with a confident smile on her face. "So now I think I have the opportunity to be with him," she added.

"That's really good," Laura said with a big smile. She felt relieved, thinking that Sue could finally replace that single mother in her son's heart who had no family background. 'Anthony is young and blind in love. He will never understand why I am doing all this. But whatever I am doing is only for his good. Perhaps he will understand when he becomes a father himself, ' Laura thought to herself. Then she continued her words, "I know my son. He wouldn't listen to you if you oppose him. But if you can make him feel that you are on his side, it will be very easy to convince him. I don't think that woman will be able to keep my son happy. You are destined to be my daughter-in-law." Saying this, Laura touched Junia's cheek lovingly.

"Aunt Laura..." Junia lowered her eyes as she blushed. She felt a little shy. "It is you who know your son best. If you hadn't pretended to be ill, I wouldn't have got a chance to approach him." She showed her great gratitude to Laura.

As both the ladies were freely speaking about how their scheme was working well for them, they did not even notice that Anthony was standing right behind them. After hearing their words, Anthony was dumbstruck.

A playful gesture that he had planned for surprising his mom turned out to be a great revelation for him. He just wanted to frighten them by cropping up, but instead the one who got truly scared was none other than he, himself.

This was so ridiculous.

All the while he had just been a fool! He froze at the spot he stood. Too scared to even call them. Too scared to confront them. Needless to say, he was heart broken by what his mom had done to him. But it lef him to become absolutely numb.

Suddenly, Laura felt it was taking unusually long for Anthony to come back. "Why hasn't Anthony still arrived here?" Laura asked. Having said that, Laura suddenly had an uncanny feeling that kind of scared her. She then turned around and there he was. Anthony was standing right behind them.

He stood there motionless. His face was as white as a sheet, as he stared right into his mother's eyes. It was utter embarrassment for Laura. As Junia noticed Laura had turned absolutely silent after turning around, even she felt something was wrong. Then even she turned around to come face to face with Anthony. Both the ladies were dumbfounded to see him. Laura tried to gather her speech as she stammered, "When... when did you arrive, Anthony?"

She wanted to confirm if Anthony had heard their talking. Anthony looked at her without even casting a glance at Junia who stood there, petrified.

Anthony curved his lips in a sarcastic smile and said, "I arrived when both of you were busy appraising each other."

Laura understood that he had heard everything. She could not replace words to explain to him. "Anthony, please listen to me. I can explain it..." Junia spoke hastily. She took a step forward and tried to hold Anthony's hand. But Anthony just shook her hand.

"That's enough. What else do you still want to explain?" Anthony asked her in an angry voice without even looking at her face. "You want to fool me again?" Now he turned towards her and gave her a sardonic smile. Junia lowered her eyes immediately. Then he continued his words, "I was so silly. You just said a few words and I just believed in you. Junia, I did not expect this from an educated and independent girl like you!"

"Anthony!" Laura frowned at him as she interrupted his terrible words, "What are you speaking?" She tried to defend for Junia, "It has nothing to do with Junia. If you truly want to blame someone, you should blame me. It was me who instructed her to do so."

"Yes of course. How did you think that I wouldn't blame you?" Anthony said with an ironic smile. "I replace it difficult to believe that your are my mother? You schemed with another woman to cheat me. I have been with Sheryl for three years. I thought that you truly wanted to know her. I took her to see you with so much of expectations. But what have you done? You humiliated her in front of me. I just believed that you were testing her. Mom, do you think I am a fool?"

"Do you know what kind of nonsense you are talking? Is this how you talk to your mother?" Laura creased her brows. She then tried to pacify his anger. "Whatever I have done, it was only for your good. Just think about it yourself. Do you think Sheryl has no relationship with that man? Why do you insist on wasting your life with such a disreputable women? How can I, being your mother, accept this kind of women as your wife." Laura realized that there was no point pretending anymore. It was the time to take the bull by its horn.

"You know nothing at all!" Anthony yelled at Laura with a sardonic smile. "That man is Shirley's biological father. It was he who kept harassing Sheryl. Sheryl does not have an affair with him at all." Anthony tried to defend Sheryl.

"What?" Laura's eyes were wide open when she heard Anthony's words. Even after she heard what Anthony said, she heart did not soften towards Sheryl. She remained firm on her opinion and said, "So what? Although she was not with that man earlier, what is the guarantee that she will not an affair with him later on?"

"Shut up!" Anthony couldn't help but speak sternly. His mother's attitude towards Sheryl hurt him beyond words. He felt so belittled at the very thought that Laura just refused to trust Sheryl, he felt he would never be able to face Sheryl. He was so confident that his mother would like her once she met her. But here, Laura had closed all doors for her even before she met Sheryl. She came here with a scheme to separate her from him. He cast a cold glance at Laura and said sarcastically, "From now on, you must not meddle in my relationship with Sheryl. I can handle it myself."

He then glared at Junia grimly. "And you, as a girl, please respect yourself. You can't get someone like this. No one would like to be with you if you try to get him by hook or by crock." "Anthony!" Laura yelled at Anthony with furrowed brows, "Don't cross your limits. It has got nothing to do with Junia at all."

"Whatever you say." Anthony's expression hardened as she looked at Laura. After Anthony had heard their conversation, no explanation from Laura could bring back his faith on her. "Mom, now you have had a visit. Just go back," Anthony looked away as he spoke to Laura. Then he added unemotionally, "If you still want to stay in Y City, I can't stop you.

But I wouldn't care about you anymore. I will get Sher back now. If you still cannot accept her as your daughter-in-law, then prepare your mind to forsake me as your son as well. I will break all ties with you." Anthony spoke in a stern voice with a very hard expression on his face.

Then he just turned around and walked out of the hotel. Laura was so enraged that her blood pressure shot up immediately. She fell on the ground and lost her consciousness. Junia was utterly scared and supported her with her arms. "Aunt Laura, what's wrong with you? Are you okay?" Junia asked concernedly tapping her on her face.

"Anthony, Anthony! Stop!" Junia called out to him from back out of fear. "Aunt has fainted." She tried to stop him from leaving.

Anthony stopped after hearing her cry. "Now, stop crying wolf," he said without even turning back at them. He stood right there just a few steps apart, resolved not to fall a prey to their trick anymore. "Don't you get bored of playing the same trick again? I have no faith in your words any more," he said with a hardened expression.

Then he stepped ahead and left the hotel premises ruthlessly. Junia watched him walk away as she knelt down on the floor holding Laura in one hand.

She then asked for help from a hotel employee and took Laura to the hospital immediately. After the doctor examined her, she said that a delay of even a few more minutes could have resulted in being fatal for Laura.

Junia was extremely worried and angry as she could not get through with Anthony over the phone even though she called him over and over again.

At the same time, she could even understand Anthony's position as well. 'If I were in his place, even I would have thought that Laura was pretending to faint. No one could believe this time it was true, ' she thought in her mind.

Eventually Laura opened her eyes. Junia was sitting on a chair in front of her. She took a deep sigh of relief and said in a tearful voice, "Aunt Laura, you really scared me just now."

"Good girls don't cry." Laura tried to pacify her emotions. Laura had a faint smile on her face as she said, "I am okay, don't worry."

Laura glanced around the ward to replace her son in the room. Then she couldn't help but smile wryly. She asked Junia, "Where is Anthony? Did he just leave?"

"He..." Junia furrowed her brows as she didn't know how to explain to Laura. Then she smiled and reassured Laura softly, "Anthony has something urgent to solve. Aunt, are you hungry? How about ordering a take-away food for you?"