The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 831 I'm Not Leaving

"Did you ever intend on telling me?" Sheryl was fumed at Sue. "So, if I didn't come today, you would have never told me?" Sheryl failed to contain her anger as she pointed at herself. "Am I unworthy of your trust? Do my words mean nothing?"

"I told you so many times already. This is my business." Sue sighed heavily, and pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated at how Sheryl was reacting. Then she turned her eyes on Sheryl. "Leave. There's nothing here that concerns you."

"I can't just leave! I'm not leaving." Sheryl shook her head firmly. "As I said, I never blamed you for what happened between you and Anthony."

Sheryl then smiled wryly and added, "I... I was never in the position to blame you at all..." She glanced to the side as her eyes displayed full melancholy. "Anthony's... Anthony's been my nominal boyfriend for three years now and he's a really great guy but... I don't know... Just never fell for him. Especially when I knew he might have done something."

Sheryl then took a deep breath and gazed into Sue's eyes. "I've never harbored any feelings for him so... I want you to chase your happiness." Sheryl weakly laughed. "No one has the right to take other's happiness away from them, you know?"

"Sheryl..." Sue felt her heart ache at Sheryl's earnest words as she looked into Sheryl's eyes as well. "I know you just want to make me feel better but I..." Sue averted her gaze away from Sheryl and continued, "But I just can't help but feel sorry for you... I'm even ashamed to see you..." She then made a pause.

"I mean... You've seen my family..." Sue went on and started to rub her arm as she wore a bitter smile. "M-Maybe this is what I deserve... It's karma..."

"Hey, come on. Don't be so down in the dumps." Sheryl flashed Sue a reassuring smile and placed a hand on Sue's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm here. I won't allow any of those people to even lay a single finger on you."

Sheryl was clueless as to why she was greatly concerned about Sue when she had decided to have a proper closure with her. But when she knew that Sue's family had antagonized her. Sheryl suddenly seemed to put the pieces together as to what Sue had done about Anthony.

Sue was silently dreaming to have a warm home of her own. She desired to be loved and cared for as that was she had lacked throughout her entire life.

This was one of the reasons why Sue was truly indignant at Sheryl for her attitude towards Anthony. Sue was incredibly offended that Sheryl had owned everything Sue had wanted, but never even batted an eye to them.

"Sher, don't be so gullible," Sue whispered to Sheryl. The profiles of her mother and her brother appeared in her mind and she felt her whole body convulse in agony. 'If only it were that easy to be with Anthony...' Sue thought with a silent smile on her face. 'But it looks like Peggy and Allen want to destroy every single dream I have...'

Peggy's and Allen's mere presence never failed to drill it against her head that she was never going to be anything more than just a woman that once resided in the mountains and that a man like Anthony was a person out of reach.

'That's why...' Sue sighed with a heavy heart. I'm giving up on you, Anthony.'

Taking a deep breath, Sue continued, "To tell you the truth, I was going to ask you if you could lend me a hand because I knew..."

Sue looked at Sheryl wryly and went on, "I knew that no matter what I've done, you'd always take my side and do whatever it takes to help me. But, you know, Sher?" Sue rested a hand over Sheryl's shoulder. At first, Sue couldn't look at Sheryl in the eye on account of the words she was about to say to her. But, Sue knew she had to get the message across. "I can't involve you much further in this family mess I mired." Then she glanced away from Sheryl's eyes. "I can't allow you to drag yourself down with me. Please... Just don't stick your nose in to where it isn't wanted, okay?"

"Sue, I... " Before Sheryl could even finish uttering her sentence, Sue interrupted her, "Now go." Sue made Sheryl face the door. "Get out of here before they do something to you... Even I... Even I don't know what they could do... So, just please... Go." Sheryl felt a gentle push against her back, making her tumble towards the door. Sheryl knew what Sue had tried to do but, but she wasn't going to take it. Sheryl immediately shifted her body to face Sue, and then saw Sue had already placed distance between them. "Sue, wait! I..." Sheryl dashed towards Sue, reached out her hand, and grabbed Sue by her arm. The moment Sheryl did this, she saw Sue hiss in pain. Sheryl knew something was off.

As if her body moved on its own, Sheryl slowly rolled the sleeve up and underneath the cloth revealed Sue's delicate arm covered in bruises. Sheryl made haste as she rolled the sleeves up and she knew that the bruises didn't just stop at Sue's arms. It also reached Sue's eyes.

Immediately, Sheryl's tone changed. "Who did it?"

"Don't ask. I'm fine." Sue took her hand away from Sheryl's grasp and rapidly rolled down the folded sleeve.

"How many more of these do you have?" Sheryl started to interrogate Sue. "It's not just this arm, isn't it? Is your mother and brother beating you again?" Sue was silent the whole time. Sheryl was filled with concern and said, "Please, Sue. Tell me. Please don't let me worry..."

Before looking at Sue's arm, Sheryl thought that Sue wore this long-sleeved dress to protect her skin from the sun. Now, Sheryl was crestfallen with herself as she realized that Sue wearing such clothes was to conceal the bruises she carried on her arms. "Are they even human?!" Sheryl gritted her teeth, tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

"You're their family! How could they treat you as if you're some animal! This is inhumane! How can you even keep this to yourself?!"

Sue quickly took Sheryl's hand into hers and looked into Sheryl's eyes deeply and earnestly. "Sheryl, listen to me. Stay out of this. They're like what you said. Perhaps, they aren't human, so, it'd be best for you to leave. I want you safe."

"Why're you worried for me?!" Sheryl asked, baffled. "Knowing you're all banged up like that, all the more reason I shouldn't be leaving you alone with those creatures!" "Sher, please, I..." Sue begged. Sheryl then took her hands away from Sue's grasp, and then pointed at Sue with her finger. Sue could see the anger seething from Sheryl's entire body. "Now, you either tell me the whole story and we both figure out how to deal with this, or I confront them myself," Sheryl remarked, her tone firm and never wavered. "I don't care what's going to happen to me, but all I know is that I wouldn't be able to sleep well knowing that you'd be beaten up again."

"Sher, please... I'm begging you. Don't..." Sue knew that, in this situation, Sheryl would never joke around. Sheryl was a woman of her words. Whenever Sheryl uttered something, she'd put her mind and head into it. Sue could see it in Sheryl's eyes. They were burning with determination and fortitude. "Do you intend on really getting involved, Sher?" Sue asked hesitantly.

"I don't turn back on my own words, Sue." Sheryl took Sue's hand and held them firmly. "I won't leave you to fight this battle alone."

Sheryl's eagerness and tenacity shook Sue to her core. Sue felt her body being painted in colors full of warmth. Sheryl was a true friend to Sue and this situation proved it.

Sue weakly beamed and said, "Looks like I can't say no to you, after all." Sheryl playfully winked, and then her somber demeanor returned. "Tell me everything. Spare no details." Sue begun to utter everything that had happened. She loathed to relieve the moment just by talking about it, but she knew she had to tell Sheryl. One statement in particular got Sheryl to fly off the handle when she had learned that Peggy wanted to transfer Sue's house to Allen.

Sheryl couldn't help but jeer, "I knew she didn't just ask about the house for no reason. She asked about it before you came back, and I had an inkling she'd use it against you, so I told her that it was just the company's house and only temporary lodging for you." "Well, you know how frighteningly smart my mother could be. It won't be long until she replaces out she's been deceived." Sue folded her arms, vexed. "And also, that girl I picked up, I didn't talk to her but everything about her just screamed 'shrewd.' I wouldn't want to think about what'd happen to me if they band up together."

Sheryl flashed a smile of reassurance and placed a hand on Sue's shoulder. "Don't forget that I'm here for you. We'll figure out a way to deal with those creatures. Together." Sue's lips tugged upwards. "Yeah, together," she stressed.

Despite neither of them bearing any excellent ideas during the time they spent together, Sue felt as if a big load was taken off of her shoulder as she learned that she wasn't fighting alone anymore, and that she had someone to lean on.

Dinner was eventually ready, and thus Sheryl and Sue asked for Peggy, Allen, and Doris to come dine in.

Sheryl feigned that she knew nothing about the issue regarding Sue and wore a bright smile. "Aunt Peggy. I cooked dinner today. Let's eat!" she cried.

"My, my. You seldom come over and yet here you are, cooking us a scrumptious looking dinner!" Peggy chuckled, full of smiles.

"Aww, don't mention it, Aunt Peggy." Sheryl modestly returned the smile and said, "It's the least I could do! I am Sue's best friend, so her family is like my family as well!" Sheryl then rushed to the table that Sue was in the middle of setting, and pulled a chair out for Peggy, saying, "So please, don't just stand there and let's eat!"

Sue remained perfectly silent and continued to do her job, just like how a robot would do. Peggy bristled at Sue's silence, but she kept her fury in check as Sheryl was in the area. She then sat herself down on the chair Sheryl had pulled out for her. Eying on Sue sharply, she grunted, "You should learn from Miss Xia here. If you were just half as sweet as her, maybe I wouldn't just be smiling but laughing when I wake up from my sleep."