The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1776 You Look Like A Perfect Match

Nancy helplessly shook her head. Looking away from Leila, she decided to keep her mouth shut.

"What are you thinking about? Are you hoping that Sheryl will return to Dream Garden? You better get that wild thought out of your head. She's never coming back." Leila looked at Nancy in disdain. For her, Nancy was nothing more than a stupid servant, so she always looked down upon her.

In Leila's eyes, a servant was below her level and should never be treated with respect. In Nancy's case, the fact that Leila knew she got along with Sheryl, and preferred having her in Dream Garden, made her despise Nancy even more. She never stopped picking on Nancy, intending to drive her away completely.

"Leila, this is the Lu Family. I am not part of the family, so I know what I should and shouldn't care about. I think right now, I should continue my job, instead of arguing with you," Nancy answered nonchalantly. Feeling irritated by Nancy's retort, Leila glared at her. She wanted to discipline Nancy for her rudeness.

Shortly after Nancy finished speaking, Leila approached her and shouted, "Nancy, but I think you have always care about things that are none of your business, haven't you? You're just pretending that you haven't!"

"Leila, I don't know what you mean. Forgive me, I may be too old to understand your words clearly. If you will excuse me, I have to go back to work now! And it's not good for you to stay in here, aren't you aware of the strong odor of cooking oil inside the kitchen," tolerating Leila's rude demeanor, Nancy just replied with a faint smile.

Though Nancy treated her kindly most of the time, Leila had always noticed the strong disregard in her eyes every time they ran into each other. Since Sheryl had been gone, no one who could stand up for Nancy anymore. Seeing this as an advantage, Leila wanted to vent all her anger on Nancy. But to her dismay, it appeared that Nancy was smart and avoided getting into conflict with her. Frustrated, Leila angrily stomped her way out of the kitchen.

Passing by the living room, Leila saw that Charles and Melissa were chatting with each other. Reading how they responded to each other, Leila could tell they were getting along very well, so she decided not to interfere.

"Aunt Melissa, I am going upstairs to change my clothes," Leila greeted Melissa, before heading to the stairs.

Melissa nodded her head slightly, her eyes watching Leila as she went up. On the other hand, Charles didn't bother to throw her even a quick glance.

Quickly, Melissa pulled herself back to her discussion with Charles. Missing half of what he had said, she asked, "What? Charles, what did you just say? Are you serious?"

Seeing Melissa's happy expression, Charles thought that his mother must be very excited to learn about his news. He felt happy too. He was even more convinced to carry out his decision.

"Yes, I am. Have I ever lied to you? Let's leave for Malaysia tomorrow, all right? I can't wait anymore," Charles repeated, smiling back at Melissa.

Melissa regarded Charles. She was still not sure whether Charles was joking or not. Come to think of it, Charles had always been a serious man. She could say that he had never made such a joke ever before. Besides, his face exuded nothing but honesty and expectation.

Thinking about how their conversation had gone last night, it appeared that her act had made a difference. Even if Charles seemed to be indifferent back then, his demeanor today explained a lot. Realizing that she and Leila were getting closer to the fulfillment of their plan, Melissa couldn't help feeling delighted. Still, she tried her best to hide her happiness from Charles. Clearing her head, she sank into deep thought, pretending to be reluctant to Charles' proposed trip. Frowning, Melissa said, "Charles, I know you are a busy man. Your company needs you more than ever. Are you sure that you can find the time for a trip?"

"Rest assured. Mom, I can handle it."

Seeing Melissa was still putting him and his business first, Charles couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. For a second, he not only felt that he had failed as a husband; but also, that he had been unbecoming

as a son.

"Look, Charles. I know you care about me. But I don't want you to postpone your work. Your company needs you! Even if I am really excited to take a trip around Malaysia, there's no rush. It will be better if we go there together when you're available!" Melissa explained, making sure that Charles could hear the concern she was trying to express.

"Mom, don't worry," Charles interrupted her at once. "I have had everything prepared. Just agree with my idea and say yes."

As a senior, she didn't neglect using becoming behavior, especially in front of her son. As a matter of fact, Melissa was more than happy to hear that Charles wanted to take her on a vacation. Being a materialistic old woman, she loved having fun. Even though she kept shaking her head and waving her hands, in a show of unwillingness, she really wished for Charles to urge her on more vigorously. At that point, she thought that it was time to say yes.

"Okay, Charles! I am so happy to have you as my son! I am so proud of you!" Melissa answered, nodding her head. Tears started to blur her vision as she thought of so many things that had happened between her and her son. And finally, Sheryl was away, allowing her to enjoy a comfortable life from now on. She felt grateful and intended to cherish what she had.

"Mom, do we really need to be so courteous with each other?" Charles asked, faking a frown, while looking at Melissa.

"Of course not! I just got too excited!" Melissa smiled and quickly patted Charles on the back, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Madam, Mr. Lu, dinner is served," Nancy reminded them, stepping out of the kitchen as she carried the last dish out of the kitchen to the table.

"Actually, Mom, why don't you eat first, if you're hungry? I need to change my clothes." Charles supported Melissa over to the dinner table, helped her take a seat, and went upstairs to his bedroom. Recently, Melissa's constant illness had bothered Charles a lot. As he made his way up to his bedroom, he kept thinking of a reason for Melissa's poor health. He doubted that somewhere along the line of her life, something might have gone wrong. Perhaps she got stuck in a boring lifestyle that she wasn't even aware of. Charles wanted this trip to have an impact on her mother's mood, so she could finally adjust to her new life and stay healthy.

Charles wanted Melissa to experience life now while she could still appreciate it. He knew that he might regret it if Melissa ended up too old to move around, and he had not done this for her. Life was so unpredictable, and no one could guarantee what would happen to their loved ones.

Meanwhile, Leila was in the next-door bedroom, trying on her favorite dress. Turning around in front of the full-length mirror, she seemed pleased with her curves.

Her figure was in perfect shape. Looking into the mirror, Leila stopped to stare at her delicate face. She thought highly of herself, believing that she was just as beautiful and elegant as a queen in a painting. However, she was not happy at all. Thinking of Sheryl, she couldn't help but grow envious. Even if she was so charming and graceful, Charles still wasn't attracted to her. And even Nancy, a servant, dared to disobey her orders.

Being reminded of that, Leila felt anger building up in her heart.

Clenching her fists, she swore to herself, 'I can't miss this trip. I have to go with them by all means. That's the only way to get a chance to sleep with Charles. I can't imagine Sheryl's reaction once she finds out that I'm having Charles' baby.' A wicked smile crept over Leila's face. Rubbing her tummy, she pictured herself as a mother.

Leila had become tired of waiting, as Charles deliberately postponed the divorce. She knew for a fact that Sheryl had vigorously asked to divorce Charles as soon as possible, but he was intentionally delaying the procedure. As a result, the divorce became a theory. Right now, she needed to push further to make sure the couple separated once and for all.

Leila had been trying to find a way to do just that. So if Charles accidentally got her pregnant while traveling, she believed his attitude would change. Besides, Sheryl's endurance would definitely run out. Without a doubt, the plan would succeed.

Thinking of her upcoming success, Leila's lips curved into a spiteful smile. She had never put on a smile like that. After a close check on how she looked, she finally decided to go down and have dinner. As soon as Leila stepped out of her bedroom, she bumped into Charles. Her heart jumped in excitement.

However, Charles quickly looked away after meeting her eyes. Silently, he proceeded downstairs, completely ignoring Leila's presence.

Trying to keep her smile, Leila blurted out, "Charles, David told me that you are planning to take Melissa on vacation. Is this true?"

"As you've been told," Charles replied coldly. A tinge of displeasure quickly settled on his eyebrows. Charles believed that this family vacation was definitely a private affair. He didn't want anyone else knowing or talking about it.

Charles' curt reply left Leila fazed. Sizing up his expression, Leila immediately knew what was on his mind. She decided to stop asking further about the vacation agenda, to avoid raising Charles' displeasure. Leila silently followed behind Charles as they went down the stairs. The sound of their footsteps caught Melissa's attention. The sight of Leila and Charles coming down together reminded her of a young couple in love, so she teased, "Charles, I have to say, you and Leila look like a perfect match!"

Melissa nodded her head happily, and a pleased grin showed on her face.

Leila became bashful. She knew Melissa was doing her a favor on purpose. With a knowing smile, she answered at once, "Aunt Melissa, stop joking about Charles and me. I don't think I am suitable for him." Though her words sounded like a denial, Leila actually tried to admit it.