The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1661 Melissa’s In A Coma

Melissa hadn't expected that Leila would return so soon. She couldn't help but feel suspicious that something was amiss.

"Leila, why are you back so early? What happened to you?" Melissa asked with an enquiring look.

As she walked closer to Leila, she noticed that Leila's eyes were swollen. Now she was utterly confused.

Never before had she seen Leila look so upset and distressed. This sight brought a feeling of confusion. She didn't know what to do. While Melissa was still hesitating, Leila threw herself into Melissa's arms. Then she burst into tears.

Greatly shocked, Melissa silently rubbed Leila's back, trying to lighten her mood. Yet she didn't say a word until Leila quieted down. After a few minutes, Melissa blurted, "Leila, what is the matter?" "Aunt Melissa, all this time I have been too naïve to see the truth. As long as Sheryl is around Charles, he will never look at me with love!" As Leila whined, tears started to flow down her cheeks. "Leila, don't cry! Did Sheryl say something to you? That damnable woman!" Melissa's face contorted with disgust as soon as she heard Sheryl's name.

"Auntie, as you know, I go to the ward early every morning to take care of Charles; however, his attitude towards me never changes. But, that's okay, as I am willing to live with hope. I know that someday, my actions will change his emotions. And I am more than happy to stay by his side. However, as long as Sheryl is there, I don't think it does any good to dwell on such hopes. His full attention has shifted to her. He immediately ignores my presence and takes everything I have done for granted. Auntie, I don't know what I can do to change this!" Leila felt pain course through her body. She had difficulty in completing her words.

"Leila, first of all, you should stop crying. Sheryl is really annoying, and we all know that!" Melissa cursed. She felt pissed off; however, she still managed to contain her emotions. At this crucial moment, her duty was to comfort Leila. Melissa gave her a gentle pat, as she racked her mind trying to come up with a good idea.

As Melissa was lost in her thoughts, Leila suddenly spoke in a sad tone, "Aunt Melissa, it seems that my desire to become your daughter-in-law can only happen in my dreams..."

"No way! Absolutely not! I won't permit you to make that conclusion so soon. I will make it a point that only you can be Charles' wife and my daughter-in-law!" Melissa immediately cut in before Leila could finish her words.

"But Sheryl is out there! She won't let us succeed!" Leila grumbled, with an upset face.

"You are right! That's why I suggest we should make another plan! If we allow Sheryl to get her way, all our efforts will go in vain. The last thing I want is for Sheryl to come back. We can't let that happen!" Melissa replied, with her eyes blankly staring into space.

She remembered that Charles had said that Sheryl would be returning to Dream Garden. At the present moment, Melissa and Leila still enjoyed an advantage. But once Sheryl came back, the tables would be turned, and Sheryl would be in control. They couldn't afford to lose the advantage. So Melissa felt obliged to change Charles' mind and make him drop this idea.

Melissa's reply was exactly what Leila had been waiting for. When it came to this issue, they both had the same opinion.

To Charles, Leila was just an outsider who had no right to meddle in any of his family affairs. However, Melissa's standing was different. Her opinions mattered to Charles since she was his mother. Leila thought it was best to let Melissa fight in the trenches, while she smartly pulled the strings from behind the scenes.

"Auntie, how about this..." Leila whispered in Melissa's ear. She thoroughly explained the idea that was brimming in her mind.

Finishing her explanation, Leila waited for Melissa's response. She fixed her gaze on Melissa's serious expression. Her tense nerves wouldn't relax until Melissa responded. "Good idea! Let's do this! I don't think there is any room for mistakes in this plan!" Melissa said with a hopeful face.

"Yes!" Leila couldn't be more delighted to see Melissa's reaction.

Within an hour, Melissa had prepared a soup that she intended to take with her while she visited her son.

To avoid facing Sheryl, Melissa didn't go straight into Charles' ward. Instead, she went into a familiar doctor's office just next to her son's ward.

After Sheryl left, Melissa went to meet Charles.

"Mom, why did you come here?" Charles asked with concern.

He remembered Melissa had felt a little unwell yesterday. And he had asked her to go home and rest for a while. He didn't expect that his mother would recover so soon.

"My son is still in the hospital. How can I be comfortable staying at home?" Melissa said, as she slowly sat down. She couldn't help but cough and her face turned pale at once.

Seeing this, Charles began to tense. With some difficulty, he sat upright to look at Melissa more closely.

To dispel her son's concern, Melissa immediately shook her head and said, "I am fine, son. You don't have to worry about me. It is just that I feel tired these days. I may have caught a cold. Let it go; it is not a big deal!" Melissa shrugged to show her health was the least of her concerns.

Charles' tension wasn't dispelled. In his heart, he blamed himself for not having been attentive enough to his mother's health.

He knew Melissa's physical condition was delicate and feeble. Now that she was showing signs of fatigue, he thought that he should have asked her to stop visiting him.

He softened his voice and suggested, "Mom, you should take care of yourself. You don't have to come and visit me anymore. You know very well that Sheryl is here for me."

"Well, okay!" Though Melissa nodded her head in agreement, her real emotions were completely the opposite.

Charles detected a trace of frustration in her face. But he didn't talk about it; instead, he brought up another topic to change the tense atmosphere.

Just like he had wished, the ward was soon filled with joy and laughter. Knowing her son would soon leave the hospital, Melissa felt elated. She beamed, "Son, let me fetch you a glass of water." Then Melissa was ready to take action.

Before Melissa was able to get to her feet, her body swayed, and she suddenly lost her balance. Putting her hand on her forehead, she started to stumble back and forth. Finally, she fell to the ground. "Mom!" Charles screamed, looking shocked. The sight of his mother falling caught him by surprise. Though he wasn't well enough to move from his bed, he climbed down to help her. Slowly, he used his feeble hands and put her onto his bed. Without any delay, he shouted for help.

Two hours later, Melissa was treated by the doctor. Then she was put in a ward, where she continued to remain in an unconscious state.

Staring at his mother, Charles' eyes were full of concern.

His body hadn't fully recovered, so his physical strength was still very weak. Picking Melissa up from the ground had nearly pushed him to his limits. Feeling exhausted and unable to stand, he now sat in a wheelchair.

Charles felt like a failure since he wasn't able to take care of his mother. Now, because he was still a patient, he seemed as helpless as Melissa. After a second thought, he decided to ask Leila for help. After all, Leila had plenty of experience in taking care of his mother. He felt he could entrust Leila with this duty.

As he picked up the phone, a feeling of hesitance once again crossed his mind. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. Moreover, he had no idea about how he would make this request. So far, he had treated Leila with hostility. Now he was worried that Leila would refuse to help him. What he didn't know was that, in Dream Garden, Leila had been waiting for this call. She was pacing back and forth expectantly.

According to the plan that Melissa and she had made, it appeared that the prearranged time had already passed. Leila couldn't help but grow worried. 'Could it be that our plan isn't working?' she thought anxiously.

When she was about to assume the worst, the phone suddenly rang.

"Leila, my mother has suddenly fainted. The doctors are trying to revive her. Her condition is really bad, and I need someone to take care of her. Can you...come and do me this favor?" Charles managed to speak in an indifferent tone, and after he had finished his statement, he eagerly waited for Leila's response.

"What? Okay! I will be right there!" Leila feigned concern and let out a victorious smile. She had known that if Melissa got ill, she would be the first one Charles would turn to for help.

Within fifteen minutes, Leila managed to reach the hospital. She appeared in front of Charles in a hurry. Her swift arrival took Charles aback. After looking dumbfounded for a second, he immediately led Leila to Melissa's wardroom.

"Aunt Melissa, are you feeling okay?" Leila walked over and crouched down beside the sickbed. Seeing Melissa didn't respond, she turned to look at Charles.

Without a word, Charles wheeled himself to the doorway and then gestured for Leila to follow him. For the time being, Melissa needed silence and rest, so he asked Leila to wheel him back to his ward.

Then he answered, with a gloomy face, "My mother is still unconscious. I think she needs some rest. Over the past few days, she has been tiring herself."