NovelEnglishShirley quietly sorted through the vegetables, her mind occupied with the errands she had been running for Mr. Davis. She had given away all of her savings, not keeping a single dfor herself, yet she had never received a word of thanks from anyone.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIt had always been like this, fixing her father's messes as if it was her duty as a daughter. She had firmly stated her unwillingness to get entangled with Mark again. Her mother had supported her decision at first, but soon changed her tune, singing praises of Mark at every opportunity.
Mrs. Davis was about to start cooking, but Shirley felt like she had lost her appetite. She could already imagine her father arriving and both of her parents persuading her to marry Mark. She slowly put down the vegetables she was holding. Was it tto send her mother away? She couldn't bring herself to do that.
Sure enough, when Mr. Davis arrived, the couple started discussing Mark. Shirley remained silent, not engaging in the conversation at all. The situation was awkward for her parents, and they eventually left.
Shirley was left alone to wash the dishes before she sat down on the couch, lost in thought. It wasn't until midnight that the front door was pushed open. It was Abner, returning hwith a slight stoop and new bruises covering his body.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSeeing Shirley still awake, he quickly asked, "Shirley? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Shirley had always known, deep down, that the love from her parents wasn't as plentiful as she had wished. Facing this reality was painful. Seeing Abner, her tears started flowing.
Abner, ignoring his own pain, threw his backpack aside and asked, “What's wrong? Did your parents cause trouble again?" He was still unaware that the money he had sent to Mrs. Davis had been intercepted by Mark.
Shirley shook her head, hastily wiping her tears, not wanting to burden him. He was in his senior year of high school, with studies being his top priority. "It's nothing. The family issue has been resolved." "Then why are you crying?" Abner hugged her, patting her back gently.
Shirley was surprised. When she first met Abner, he was quite frail, but now he had grown stronger. Resting Ker cheek against his chest, she could even feel the muscles beneath his shirt. Abner had grown up. They should maintain sdistance. She quickly sat up straight, "Just got a bit overwhelmed by something trivial." Abner sensed her withdrawal, his fingers curling slightly before he dropped his gaze. "If there's anything you can't handle, you can tell me." He was willing to make any deal to protect her. Shirley smiled, ruffling his hair. "Telling you would only distract you. Why are you back so late tonight?" "I was at a tutoring session. My desk mate found a private tutor, and I joined them." Shirley breathed a sigh of relief, her sorrow lessened by hismitment to his studies. In the end, it was the young man she had brought from the countryside who brought herfort. She forced a smile, "I'm going to have dinner at my mom's tomorrow. They mentioned it before leaving tonight. You'll be off tomorrow over It'll be nice for evel afternoon, so you can take a meet." to Given the evening's events, she wasn't keen on going. But her father had used Abner's future as leverage before leaving, suggesting that to avoid affecting Abner's studies, she should make the visit.
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