The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 748 Give Me More Time

Andy pulled Abby intensely to the staircase which was diagonally opposite the ward. He dragged Abby so hard that she couldn't free herself and spill the beans to Sheryl. Andy closed the door of the staircase immediately. He felt relieved and involuntarily loosened his grip. Abby yelled at him with rage as she tried to pull herself free, "Release me! I can't hide the truth from Sheryl any longer. I'm stricken with guilt. I'll tell her the whole truth right away." Unknowingly, Charles was just outside the ward. Since the wall was not soundproof, Charles could still clearly make out what they were talking about despite the door being closed.

"Are you insane?" Andy exclaimed. Although Andy tried his best to fully control his voice, Charles could still hear him clearly. They didn't know he was eavesdropping.

"If you tell her the truth, I'll look like a deceitful person. Don't you realize that? Regardless of what Anthony did, he saved our son's life before. We owe him. Can't you just stand on our side and keep your mouth shut?" Andy pleaded as he persuaded her to side with him.

"Save your breath. I have made up my mind," Abby clicked her tongue in contempt. "Anthony did help Rick replace a matched heart donor and I can't thank him enough for that. But we can show our gratitude to him through other means. Why do you have to do things against your conscience?"

Abby continued with a bitter smile, not allowing Andy to speak, "Didn't you hear what Sheryl has just said? You heard what that bastard did to Sheryl, didn't you? That scumbag attempted to rape Sheryl. The worst part is, Shirley was there and she was too young to witness that horrific scene. She was so scared that she got tensed up. Now, she has developed autism. Shirley is my great-niece. Now tell me, how can I stand on your side and keep my mouth shut?"

Abby's heart ached as she pictured a panic on Shirley's face. She looked at Andy who was in front of her and said with regret, "If I had told Sheryl the truth earlier, she would have known Anthony's true colors and kept a distance from him. Then all those things wouldn't have happened. Most importantly, Shirley would have been perfectly fit and well with complete happiness."

As her eyes were fixated onto him, she said to Andy with determination, "Andy, we shouldn't do things which prick our conscience. Sheryl is my niece. I can't act as if I'm a stranger or a bystander who keeps her in the dark. We should..." She became more excited as she spoke and her face turned red.

Andy cut in to stop her from blabbering and raised his voice a bit, "Abby! please listen to me." Andy lifted his hands and gently held Abby's shoulders to comfort and calm her down. He said to her insistently, "I admit that I didn't cover all the bases before I helped Anthony. But you should consider the fact that Sheryl's story might be unreal. Anthony did help save Rick. That's the thing we are absolutely sure of. Abby, I beg you, let us please stay out of this mess."

"No! I am not doing that," she shouted. Knowing that Andy still didn't budge on the issue, Abby was enraged beyond measure. She violently shook his hands off her shoulders. She clicked her tongue in despair and told Andy, "I have been married to you for so many years. I don't know your true nature until today. You are such a selfish person. How can you be so distant and cruel to Sheryl and Shirley? I can't hold my tongue any longer from revealing the truth to Sheryl. Keep that in mind. I will not force you to do anything but think about it carefully before you make a decision."

Abby felt a great disappointment towards Andy. Before she was able to turn around to leave, Andy stopped her. He took her by the hand and implored her, "Abby, please give me more time, will you? Give me two more days, just two days. I will meet Sheryl to apologize after I repay Anthony. Is that agreeable to you?" His eyes begged Abby.

Abby had already made up her mind. But when her husband eventually budged on the matter and appeared to be sincere, her determination disappeared. She couldn't turn him down the way she did minutes ago.

She hesitated for a while. Finally, she asked, "Do you mean it? Or is it just another lie to stop me?"

"Of course not," Andy promised sincerely. "Believe me, after two days, I will tell the whole story to everyone."

"All right. I will give you one last chance then." She believed him anyway. Abby smiled bitterly and spoke to him, "Andy, make sure not to let me down again. Remember, there is no second chance as this is the last." Andy nodded reassuringly.

Abby turned around and opened the door. She walked out with Andy following her. The moment they stepped out, they spotted Charles sitting right outside the ward. They had been too preoccupied with the secret buried deep in their heart to pay any attention to the people in the corridor of the hospital. They both glanced at each other and didn't know what to do at that moment.

A sudden pang of guilt and embarrassment welled up inside Abby. Their selfishness deepened the misunderstanding between Charles and Sheryl and continued their separation. She felt too ashamed to look at Charles, so she immediately lowered her head to avoid eye contact. After her senses came back to herself, she strode towards the ward without a second thought. On the other hand, as Andy walked towards Charles, he asked, "Cigarette?"

"Why not?" Charles inclined his head slightly. He knew Andy had something to tell him in private so he tilted his head sideways and said to Charlie tenderly, "You can go and play with Shirley. She needs you." Charlie understood it so he walked inside the ward to give them space for a private conversation. After Charlie closed the ward door, Charles silently followed Andy to the window. They stood facing each other. Andy brought a packet of cigarette out of his pocket and gracefully shook it until one cigarette showed a little. He handed the packet to Charles and helped him light a cigarette. They both smoked without talking for some minutes. Suddenly, Andy broke the silence and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Charles asked in an irritated tone. Even without the knowledge of the whole story, he could still make a rough guess from what he had heard when he eavesdropped a while ago. He was certain that Andy was involved in the disappearance of Sheryl back then.

"I know you heard us," Andy said with a bitter smile. "When I found Sheryl in Anthony's department back then, she made it clear that she didn't want to see you again. I hesitated for quite some time. But she was so serious. I didn't want to force her to do anything. She was unstable and close to a breakdown. I planned to tell you her whereabouts after she pulled herself together. But she took the drug. Then..." He paused and heaved a deep sigh.

He resumed, "Rick was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. Anthony found a matched heart donor and used this to control me. He warned me not to tell you about Sheryl's whereabouts. I had no choice but to follow him."

Whenever Andy remembered this, he couldn't help blaming himself. He couldn't think straight when faced with such an exhausting situation. Since Anthony could replace a suitable donor, Arthur could surely do it too. Arthur also had a wide network of friends. If only he had turned to Arthur for help instead of Anthony, he might have been free from being controlled by someone.

After all, when it came to the life of his beloved son, he couldn't compose himself and think reasonably.

"So, you just watched the situation and let Anthony take her away. Suddenly, you and your whole family disappeared without a clear reason. You stayed away on purpose and avoided me like a widespread disease. You deprived me of the knowledge about her whereabouts for 3 years. What if I haven't heard what you said today? Do you really have any plans to tell me the truth?" Charles was enraged.

Andy knew he was wrong. He couldn't do anything but to lower his head in embarrassment. He repeatedly apologized to Charles, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for what I have done. I know it can't be undone. My apologies and reasons are pointless. I can't fix your pain. But I still want..."

"Enough is enough!" Charles furiously cut him off. Out of annoyance, he yelled at Andy, "Of course you can't!"

Frightened by Charles' rage, Andy suddenly stopped. He knew Charles was in great bitterness at the moment. No matter what he said, Charles wouldn't listen to him. He trembled in fear so he leaned forward and rested his hands on the window sill to stop himself from shaking.

"Since you are Anthony's accomplice, you must know where my other child is. Am I right?" he softened his tone and anticipation could be observed in his reaction. After three years of unsuccessful search for his other child, Charles lost his hope. But now that he learned about Andy's secret, he found that there was still something to expect. His heart lifted at the thought that he might meet his other child sooner or later. He stared at Andy with a lighter mood compared to a moment ago and waited for his answer.

Andy glanced at Charles. He hesitated for a while and said, "Sorry, I can't tell you now."

He continued speaking to prevent Charles from responding, "I can only assure you that your child isn't in danger."

"What do you mean by that?" Charles asked. However, Andy kept beating around the bush. He avoided Charles' eyes and said, "Charles, give me two days. After that, I will tell you everything you want to know But I can't do that now. Please, don't push me."

Andy turned and walked towards the ward, leaving Charles in dismay. Charles irritably stubbed his cigarette out. He tossed the cigarette into the basket angrily and went back to the ward.

Andy and Abby, with a sober look on their faces, were sitting on the other side of the bed. When Charles got inside, Abby gave him a smile with guilt, but Charles ignored her and went right past her.

Amy took Sheryl's hands and rubbed them gently and lovingly. As tears formed in her red-rimmed eyes, she said, "My baby girl, you have suffered so much at such a young age. It's unfair. It is really unfair for you."

"Grandma Amy, it's not a big deal. Don't cry. See, I'm as good as the beautiful sun." Sheryl squeezed her hands gently to comfort her. As she tilted her head, she noticed a little movement from Shirley's bed. Shirley was awake. Sheryl rushed towards her and asked affectionately and tenderly, "Shirley, how do you feel? Do you feel any better?"

When Shirley saw a bunch of people surrounding her, she panicked. Feeling uncomfortable, she instinctively leaned towards Charlie for security.

Charlie took Shirley into his arms and calmed her gently, "I got you. Don't be afraid."