The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1058 Melissa Shen

With a steady flow of uneasiness in her heart, Holley held the invitation in her hand. Staring at Donna as she disappeared in the distance, she had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. She shook her head to try and shake off the negative thought from her head. After she cleared her mind, she headed back to her apartment.

On her way home, she received a message which contained flight information. She learned that the woman she was going to united with was supposed to be arriving the next afternoon. Holley decided to pick her up at the airport after attending the appointment with Donna at noon.

She couldn't hide the excitement she felt as she thought about her strong ally.

Meanwhile, in a prison in Y City

Leila had been sentenced to three years. Since she had gotten arrested, she had done a lot of reflecting. In spite of that fact, she still harbored strong resentments towards Sheryl.

'That bitch stole Charles and Charlie from me. But now I am a prisoner and there's nothing I can do to get them back.

I am not going anywhere for three years,' she said to herself.

She was anxious to get out and retaliate against Sheryl in order to win back her beloved man and "son". But she had to wait until her release. She understood that a lot of things could and would happen in three years.

"Is there something on your mind?" another inmate asked. She was an older woman in her fifties, with whom Leila shared a cell with. Although she wore the same orange uniform as everyone else, she had an air of grace and sophistication about her. In spite of the fact that she was behind bars, she always seemed so cool, calm and collected. Not allowing anything to ruffle her feathers.

Since Leila had been put in jail, she hadn't really spoken to anyone. She mostly kept to herself. However, today was different. She wanted someone to confide in.

"I was thinking back on my past," Leila replied with a hint of a smile. She walked up to the middle-aged woman and asked, "Do you think that the world will ever change?"

"Wow..." The woman gazed out the window with longing eyes as she replied with a forced smile, "I definitely hope so."

She turned her head to Leila and asked, "Now that we are alone in our cell, is there something you would like to get off your chest?"

"Sure, I'd love to," Leila replied immediately, a subtle smile spanning across her face. It had been a long time since she chatted with others. So she was desperate to share her story with someone. She hadn't made any friends since she got locked up. So she considered herself lucky that this woman was willing to talk to her.

"What is your name?" the woman asked, with a friendly smile.

"I am Leila Zhang. Please call me Leila," Leila beamed. "And you?"

"I am Melissa Shen. You can call me Aunt Melissa."

"Aunt Melissa..." Leila repeated sweetly. With a little hesitation, she asked, "Have you been in here for a long time?"

"Yes," Melissa Shen answered honestly with a bitter smirk. "Honestly, if you hadn't asked, I probably would have forgotten. I have been trapped in this dark place for fifteen years."

"Fifteen years?" Leila reiterated, slack-jawed. She was taken aback by the amount of time Melissa Shen had been there. As she got over her shock, she asked carefully, "When will you be able to get out?" "In half a month," Melissa Shen replied. However, there was no joy in her voice. "Whatever. My family has already disowned me. I don't know where I will be able to go once I leave here." "Come on, Aunt Melissa," Leila encouraged. "They are your family. I'm sure they will be there for you. So cheer up. I believe your family will be happy to see you when you get out." "Will they?" Melissa Shen countered with a look that clearly exhibited her uncertainty. She wasn't sure that her family would be pleased to see her.

"Well, never mind me," the old lady changed the subject, as she drew a faint smile. "Let's talk about you. Why don't you tell me what happened to cause you to end up in here?"

"Me?" Leila gave a wry laugh and replied, "To be honest, I don't know why I ended up here. Perhaps I messed with the wrong person."

"What?" Gazing at Leila, Melissa Shen asked in shock, "What a world! In order to end up here, this person must have been a little more than a little pissed off."

With a slight smirk, Leila responded, "Aunt Melissa, it's a long story. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Come on, Leila! How about you start at the beginning?" Melissa said with raised brows. "I'd love to hear about it. It's not like we have anywhere to go. We have nothing but time here anyway. A good story is a wonderful way to pass the time so I don't die from the sheer boredom that can take over in this place. Besides, I have been in here for so long. I want to know what kinds of things are going on outside these walls."

Leila saw the eager look on her face when Melissa Shen spoke. With a bitter laugh, she said, "As long as you're sure, here goes."

Studying her cellmate, she continued, "I hope you will not laugh at or judge me after I tell you my story."

"I won't," Melissa Shen assured her with a friendly and reassuring smile.

Leila slowly began to tell her story. "If truth be told, I was sent here on account of a man."

A trace of suspicion was present on Melissa's face. However, she didn't interrupt her. Instead, she kept silent and waited for her to continue.

"I met him three years ago. I was his secretary and we got along so effortlessly." A trace of obsession flashed across her face. She smiled sweetly and went on, "I fell in love with him from the moment I first laid eyes on him."

Leila chuckled as she recalled, "When I first saw him, he wore a white T-shirt and slacks. His arched, full eyebrows framed his extremely captivating eyes. He also has long, curly eyelashes and a delicate nose that made him even more alluring. Since then, I had been madly in love with him."

"Were you able to tell him how you were feeling about him?" Melissa Shen asked curiously. 'Nowadays young people are more bold and active when they meet someone they have an affinity for. I guess, if she made her feeling known to the object of her desire and the feelings were mutual, that they could develop a longstanding relationship.' she pondered.

Leila gave a woeful smile and replied, "When we first met each other, I was a just the girl at the front desk. That day, he came to the office to take care of a few things. I noticed that there was one woman, in particular, that he paid much more attention to than any other person in the office. I thought he might have a thing for her, but later I found out that she was his wife."

"A married man?" Melissa Shen asked in surprise.

"Yes..." Leila took a long calming breath before she continued, "When I first learned this, I was extremely upset. I knew that I had to do something to make him mine. You know what? Before I knew it, I made the decision to fight for my love and no matter the outcome. I just knew I had to try."