Dear Ex-wife, Marry Me novel Chapter 1985

Shirley stood frozen in place, waiting for the house to quiet down before she slowly squatted, tears streaming down her face. She truly had feelings for Mark; otherwise, she wouldn't have been with him.

After crying for a while, she picked up the card from the floor and placed it in the key box at the entrance. She didn't notice that the guest room door had been slightly ajar the whole time and had now quietly closed.

Abner leaned against the door, not daring to speak. He had wanted to go out and offer some comfort, but considering that he might be the source of her embarrassment, he hesitated, fearing she might suddenly want him to leave. He was uneasy, his palms sweaty with nervousness. He could even hear Shirley's sobs, muffled and light, as if they were right next to his ear.

But after a while, she stopped crying, cleaned up the petals on the floor, and went into her room.

That night, Abner lay in bed, unable to sleep. He feared waking up to find himself back in that dark, damp room, where even a piece of meat was a luxury, his happiness too fragile to rely on. Here, the blankets were warm, unlike his usual thin layer that couldn't cover both his head and feet in winter, always leaving him curled up from the cold.

He didn't dare sleep all night and got up very early the next day. He wanted to cook something, but the fridge was empty. So, he took out his homework and quietly started working on it in the living room.

Shirley got up around nine, ordered some takeout, and after they ate, she took Abner shopping. But Abner felt uneasy hearing the prices. A t-shirt costing over a hundred dollars—was it made of gold? He didn't dare to ask, just quietly tugged at Shirley's arm.

"Shirley, let's shop somewhere else. This place is way too expensive."

Shirley's heart softened, and with a smile, she asked the salesperson to put aside everything they had picked out. She chose twelve outfits for Abner, three for each season from spring to winter.

"Abner, you wear these for now. I've got your size, and I'll order the rest online. There's more variety there, and these are just to get by."

Abner, holding the shopping bags, blushed and said, "Thank you."

Shirley thought how well-behaved the kid was, her smile growing, but then she saw Mark not far away. Mark was shopping with Jessica, who was even holding up a men's jacket to him, looking like they were the couple. Shirley looked away, feeling a pang in her heart. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to look away.

As she led Abner away, she didn't start the car right away but stared blankly at the two inside the mall. Mark had finished shopping and was now being dragged by Jessica towards a women's boutique. Shirley's grip tightened on the steering wheel.

Abner saw it too; the man was Shirley's boyfriend, now with another woman. But as an outsider, he didn't dare say anything, just quietly sat in the passenger seat. Soon, he heard Shirley reaching for tissues; she was crying.

He felt awkward, "Shirley..."

Shirley shook her head, embarrassed, putting the tissues away, "Just reminded of something sad, sorry for making you see this. Let's go buy some bed linens; the set you're using is mine, and I'm worried you might not like the color."

Abner wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but remembering her words, he remained silent. He was in an awkward position, feeling embarrassed by her spending so much on him, yet knowing he had to accept it or risk upsetting her.