Dear Ex-wife Marry Me (Maja and Ian) novel Chapter 2011

Shirley poured him a glass of water, her eyes tracing the neat handwriting on his test paper with a mix of heartache and pride.

“Mr. James mentioned you’ve still been topping all the exams these past couple of months?”

“Yeah, didn’t want to let you down, Shirley.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Shirley sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped him in a hug.

“Next time something like this happens, you have to tell me, okay?”

Abner wasn’t used to being hugged like this; her subtle scent filled his senses. Shirley’s choice was a niche brand of body wash she preferred over perfume, which Abner had started using too. Though it was the same fragrance, he always thought it smelled better on her.

“Okay.”

“The doctor said you can be discharged tomorrow. I’ll stay with you tonight.”

“Shirley, you’ve just got back; you should go home and rest.”

“No need, I’ll sleep on the cot next to you.”

Abner’s cheeks flushed red, avoiding her gaze as he forced himself to continue reviewing his test paper. The hospital cot was cramped, and Shirley, still jet-lagged, fell asleep quickly while Abner tossed and turned. He drew back the curtain and watched her sleep peacefully for ten minutes before gently covering her with a blanket.

In her half-sleep, Shirley felt a warm presence on her cheek for a moment—brief, but heart-fluttering. When she woke, daylight filled the room. Rubbing her stiff neck, she saw Abner already awake and working on another test paper. She quickly handled the discharge paperwork and, once in the car, she broached the subject.

“If you don’t like this school, I can arrange a transfer. With your grades, finding a new school will be easy.”

“No need, the semester is almost over anyway.”

“I worry about you being affected by all this.”

“I’m not, really. I don’t care much about what others think.”

Hearing him say this so earnestly softened Shirley’s heart. How could he be so sweet, so compliant?

“Good, I won’t have to travel abroad anymore. I’ll be getting paid for a few projects soon, and after another six months with my advisor, I’ll stay on as a teacher. My schedule will be more flexible then, so I’ll have lots of time for you.”

A slow smile spread across Abner’s face, filled with contentment.

Shirley was too frustrated for words. “Where’s Dad?”

“He went with them to pick a date, talking about booking a hotel.”

Shirley nearly laughed in disbelief. Mrs. Davis could tell from her daughter’s reaction that Mark had likely jumped the gun.

“Shirley, I’ll talk to your dad.”

“Will he listen? In this family, he’s always believed his decisions are the right ones.”

Mrs. Davis looked awkward, glancing towards Abner’s room. “That boy seems quite well-behaved.”

“Abner’s always been good. Mom, I won’t agree to this. I’ve told Dad many times, but he keeps making decisions under the guise of what’s best for me that just end up hurting me. If he thinks he can arrange my marriage like this, let’s see if I even show up to the wedding.”

After several minutes of hesitation, Mrs. Davis revealed a harsh truth.

“Your dad... he lost all his savings in the stock market. He and a friend had invested in a rental office business that’s just been exposed for fraud. I found out just last night when debt collectors showed up. Your dad’s in debt for two million dollars. The dowry from Mark’s family happens to cover that amount, so...”