Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 2031

"Mark."

James called out, his voice steady.

Mark saw her, his face falling instantly, knowing full well the purpose of her visit. James noticed Mrs. Davis as well and let out a small sigh of relief.

"I'm Mark and Shirley's homeroom teacher. Not sure if you still remember me."

Mrs. Davis nodded, her tone full of regret. "Shirley is so disobedient. We just tried talking to her, but she lashed out like a lunatic."

James froze. "Isn't Shirley on a business trip?"

"No, she's right here in this ward. Mr. James, if you can, please talk some sense into that girl. Abner has been nothing but a curse for us. If it weren’t for him, Shirley and Mark would already be married."

James suddenly didn't know what to say. He rushed into Shirley's room.

Shirley was still sitting, but not on a chair—she was on the cold floor.

"Shirley!"

James was startled, quickly rushing over to help her up.

"What’s going on? Didn’t Abner say you were on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for a while?"

Shirley barely moved at the sound of his voice, her stiff gaze finally shifting slightly.

"Mr. James?"

James’s heart ached. Shirley had grown so thin, her whole demeanor worn and exhausted.

"It's me, Shirley. What happened to you? Abner’s been expelled, he can’t take the college entrance exam, and now you’re like this. What am I supposed to do?"

Shirley’s eyes shifted, her brain sluggish but slowly piecing together the news James had brought. She lifted her head, her eyes bloodshot.

"Abner got expelled?"

James realized she hadn't heard yet.

"Yeah, Mark's parents went straight to the principal’s office and personally demanded it. The other parents were outraged too, and the principal couldn’t take the pressure. He expelled Abner and ordered him to publicly read a letter of repentance on Monday. Didn’t you know? The police came to school during class to take him away. Rumors spread like wildfire. He’s just a kid, after all."

Shirley immediately stood up but stumbled after just one step.

"Shirley!"

James's heart leaped into his throat, and he rushed to catch her.

"What’s wrong with you? Why are you so weak?"

Shirley was already shell-shocked from hearing about Abner’s expulsion. She had worked so hard to bring him out of the mountains, and he had been fighting so hard. How could they destroy everything for him now?

There were only two months left until the college entrance exam. How could this happen?

She grabbed James, her fingers trembling slightly.

"Mr. James, is there any way out of this? Abner did nothing wrong—it was Mark."

"Mark? What happened?"

The memory of that night flooded back into Shirley’s mind, and it was as if countless voices were screaming and pulling at her from within. She almost doubled over, struggling against the weight of the memory.

"Shirley, don’t scare me."

"Mark tried to assault me. That’s why Abner hit him."

James froze completely, then pulled her into a tight embrace.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Finally, James’s voice came out thick with emotion. "Shirley, I hate to say this, but the truth doesn’t matter anymore. You and Abner have both suffered terribly, but the Albright family is powerful, and they’re not going to let this go. The only option left is to apologize. But Abner... he’d rather die than apologize."

Shirley’s lips trembled, and tears began to pour down her face. She had cried so much in the past few days that her tears had almost dried up, but now her eyes ached as if they were about to burst.

"Mr. James, is there really no other way?"

Still holding her, James realized just how dire the situation was.

"Mark’s parents have connections with higher-ups. There’s nothing you can do alone. Even if you blow this up, they’ll find a way to suppress it. Shirley, you’ve been in the workforce for a few years now. You must know how the world works."

Survival of the fittest.

Those words she had learned in middle school now took on a new, bitter meaning in the real world.

Shirley buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. "But what about Abner? He’s worked so hard. How can they strip him of his chance to turn his life around?"

It wasn’t fair—none of this was fair.

James gently patted her back.

"Shirley!"

James, heart racing, quickly helped her back up.

"What's wrong? Why have you become so weak?"

The news of Abner's expulsion had left Shirley in shock. After all the effort to bring Abner back from the brink, his hard work, how could they just erase his future like this?

With the final exams only two months away, how could this happen?

She grasped James's hand, her fingertips trembling.

"Mr. James, is there any chance to turn this around? Abner did nothing wrong. It was Mark."

"What about Mark?"

Recalling that night's events, Shirley felt an onslaught of voices screaming in her mind, almost bending under the weight of her body's memory.

"Shirley, you're scaring me."

"It was Mark. He tried to force himself on me, and that's why Abner hit him."

James stiffened, then wrapped his arms around her.

For a long while, neither spoke until James finally managed to say, his voice choked with emotion, "Shirley, I hate to be blunt, but the truth doesn't matter anymore. Both you and Abner have been wronged, but the Albright family's influence is vast, and they've made it clear they won't let this go. Other than apologizing, there's no other way out. But Abner would rather die than apologize."

Tears streamed down Shirley's cheeks, her eyes stinging with pain.

"Mr. James, is there really no other option?"

Holding her close, James realized the gravity of the situation.

"Mark's parents have connections at the highest levels. Alone, you can't fight them. Even if you bring this issue to light, they have ways to suppress it. Shirley, you've been working for a few years now; you should understand how society operates."

The survival of the fittest, a concept learned in middle school, but its true meaning only becomes clear in the harsh light of reality.

Shirley buried her head, sobbing uncontrollably. "What about Abner? He's worked so hard. How can they deny him a chance to turn his life around?"

It was unfair, so deeply unfair.

James gently patted her back, resigned to the harsh truth that there was likely no turning back for Abner. The Albright family wouldn't let go.