The Apple of My Eye novel Chapter 168

Isla stood up and grabbed Mandy by the throat: "Mandy, my father sacrificed everything he had to support your education. But what an ingrate you turn out to be."

"Let go!" With all her strength, Mandy removed Isla's hands from her, "Let me tell you, it was his business to support me, not yours. You can't do anything about it"

Isla did not show any weakness and faced Mandy. "I will, by no means admit doing anything dishonorable. Your pathetic attempts to defame me will take you nowhere. Get the hell out for you are not welcome here!"

"Fine! I will leave. But this is not over!" Mandy quickly left Isla's home with much resentment. Not long after, Isla felt weak and collapsed to the floor.

No matter how tough Isla pretended to be in front of Mandy, Isla was just a helpless girl who easily succumbed to sadness and disappointment.

She drew the curtains and curled up in the darkness, feeling secured from a cruel world.

At that time, the phone rang. It was Isla's Mom. "My sweet daughter, are you Ok?"

"Nothing serious." Isla murmured: "Mom, why are you calling?"

"I just want to ask if you are coming home. Your father and I have received Becky's wedding invitation. I know that this is hard for you to bear. We will not be attending the wedding. We will only send a cash gift as a token of our presence at the ceremony. We are planning to take a family trip to avoid this unpleasant scene." Isla's Mom, though in a high voice, did express her concern towards her daughter, every word and phrase filled with love.

Isla could no longer contain her grief, giving in to a flood of tears. Her mother impatiently asked, "My dear daughter, what is the matter? Just tell me. I will take care of this!"

Isla's Dad, on hearing his daughter break into tears, grabbed the phone and said, "My daughter, stay there. Your Mom and I are on our way."

A daughter is the apple of her father's eyes and Isla's Dad could not stand his sister insulting and belittling her daughter. He had always showered Isla with love but he contained his anger at the scandal that happened four years ago.

But not this time.

After the call, he and his wife packed some clothes and left for Y City. They arrived at around 3:00 pm. That time, Isla hadn't eaten anything. Upon entering the door and seeing their daughter, they were aghast at the sight of their daughter utterly wasted. "My dear, what happened? How could you have lost so much weight?"

"Mum...." Isla threw herself into her Mom's arms and broke into tears. After a while, she regained her composure. Her Dad helped the two of them into the room and prepared a bowl of egg noodles with what remained in the kitchen. He said: "Here my daughter, have a bowl of egg noodles. We have enough time to discuss matters."

Isla was not better than when she and Aron split up fours years ago. During that period, Isla lost four kilograms within a week. She had lost all appetite for any drink or food and confined herself to her room. Isla's Dad was also heart-broken seeing his daughter like that. Little did he know that such torment would turn up again four years later.

"Thanks, Dad." Isla could hardly control her emotions but managed to take the bowl of egg noodles. She quietly ate with tears still in her face.

"My silly daughter, there is no point of your tears!" Isla's Mom offered a cup of water: "You should take good care of yourself at this age."

As Isla consumed the bowl of egg noodles in silence, her Dad inquired, "My dear daughter, tell me the truth. Do you still love Aron?"

"Absolutely not, Dad..." Even if she did love Aron deep in her heart, Isla wouldn't admit it. Aron, after all, would become Becky's husband when they got married next month. Another problem for Isla would be the incident with Joanna, Aron's grandmother.

Isla's Mom knitted her eyebrows at the sight of another wedding invitation card lying around. Her daughter had not yet married so there was no reason to have another card there.

"My daughter, have Becky been here? What did she say to you?" Isla's Mom frowned. Becky had been a nice girl since childhood. It was only until the scandal that she created four years ago that Isla's mom lost her good opinion of her. She hated Becky from then on. Isla's Mom knew that it was none other than Becky who sent the card.

"It was not Becky..." Isla shook her head gently, "It was her mother."

"Mandy?" Isla's Mom frowned again, "She is going too far with this! Did she come here to gloat? And rub salt on your wound?"

"You and your Mom stay here. I'm gonna argue with her." Isla's Dad was going to express his displeasure with her sister. Anyone trying to hurt his daughter would be dealt with. His own sister was no exception.

He was about to leave when Isla stopped him and told him what happened to Joanna. "Dad, it would be self-defeating to argue with Mandy."

"What are you talking about?" Isla's Dad collapsed into the sofa, feeling guilty of his absence to care for his daughter.

Shortly after their marriage, Isla's Mom suffered a miscarriage because Isla's Dad wasn't around to care for her. It was probably because he was too busy supporting Mandy's schooling. Isla was born after that. She became the center of her Mom's attention and she lavished Isla with such care. But their daughter was now wronged beyond measure.

"Dad, I'm awfully sorry. It is all my fault." Isla took all the blame. Everything would have been all right had she not kept loving Aron.

"My silly daughter. None of this is your fault." Isla's Mom held her daughter in arms and said, "I know my own daughter and she is an open book to me. She would never commit anything horrible like this. John, we had better talk with Mandy."

John was the given name of Isla's Dad. He decided to take her wife's advice after some careful thought. "It is best that we talk to her tomorrow morning. It is none of our business whom Becky chooses to marry, but slandering my dear daughter for her own selfish delusions of marriage is unacceptable and I won't have it."

With her parents around, Isla slept a sound sleep. Aron on the other hand was not so lucky. He was forced by Mike to attend the birthday of Rachel, the famous actress. He had to go with Becky and pretended to the media that he was in love with her.