Dear Ex-wife, Marry Me novel Chapter 2016

The young man had grown quite tall, standing at about six feet one, but when he leaned on her, he seemed like a child seeking comfort.

Shirley gently patted his back. "You haven't had dinner yet, right? There's some food warming on the stove. Go eat something first."

In the end, Abner did receive the two hundred thousand dollars. But he didn't ask for cash, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. He opted for a check instead, but he couldn't just hand it over to Shirley. If Shirley knew about those people, she’d constantly worry about his safety. So, he passed the check to Mrs. Davis, who should have received it by now.

Mrs. Davis did indeed find the check in her mail, initially dismissing it as some sort of prank. But there was also a letter accompanying it, claiming it was from a former student of theirs. Both Mrs. Davis and Mr. Davis had been educators, teaching countless students over the years, making it impossible to immediately recall who it could be. Skeptically, she cashed the check at the bank and was astounded to find it was indeed worth two hundred thousand dollars. She was now only short of three hundred thousand dollars. The excitement was palpable, yet she dared not share the news with Shirley, for the letter explicitly requested secrecy from Shirley.

Lately, Shirley was buried in work, having come to terms with their family home being sold. With no savings left, she had to work diligently to avert a crisis for herself and Abner. As for her father, they were still half a million short. Even in the worst-case scenario of a sentencing, there was a chance for leniency.

Over the next week, Abner began coming home increasingly late, until Shirley received a call about Mr. Davis' attempted suicide. Her heart clenched at the news. "Are you sure?"

“Ms. Dorothy, he’s been rushed to the hospital and is still in critical condition. Your mother has already gone there.”

Shirley hurried to the hospital, only to find her mother waiting outside, visibly aged with worry. Mrs. Davis stood up, her expression fraught with uncertainty. "Shirley, I’m sorry, I didn’t consult you about the house."

But seeing her mother like this, Shirley couldn’t bring herself to lay blame. She opened her mouth to speak but ended up remaining silent, simply standing there in the corridor.

Mr. Davis' rescue went on until one in the morning before he was finally wheeled out. Exhausted, Shirley listened as Mrs. Davis sobbed, "He didn’t want to go to jail and ruin your future. He thought if he died, the debt would be erased. If only he hadn’t been found in time..."

Shirley's heart sank. Death wouldn’t erase their problems; those debt collectors were relentless. Even if her father passed away, they wouldn’t spare her and her mother. Feeling a wave of despair, she shivered with coldness until Mark arrived at the hospital. He upgraded Mr. Davis' room and stayed by Mrs. Davis' side throughout the night.

It seemed to Shirley that her mother found a new pillar of strength in Mark. Despite her independence, Mrs. Davis harbored traditional beliefs, thinking a man must be the foundation of a family. Thus, letting go of Mr. Davis was unthinkable for her. Now, with Mark stepping in, Mrs. Davis leaned on him even more.

But Shirley and Mark weren’t in any formal relationship. Mark covered the medical expenses and stayed by their side, leading the nurses to assume he was Shirley’s boyfriend. They even commended Mrs. Davis for gaining a fine son-in-law. Caught in a dilemma, Shirley felt like she was being roasted alive. Sending Mark away now would only worsen her situation.

At four in the morning, too exhausted to say anything, Shirley quietly sat in the passenger seat as Mark drove her home. Once they arrived, Mark followed her out of the car and pulled her into a hug. "Shirley, I’m serious about you. I’ve even talked to my parents. Let’s get married. I know they’d care about you too."

His last sentence carried an implicit threat, veiled as an offer of care.