Dear Ex-wife Marry Me

"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.

Even she had to admit there was no way out. The Albright family wasn't going to let Abner walk away from this.

"Mark."

James called out, his voice echoing slightly in the bustling hallway.

As Mark's eyes met James's, a shadow of realization crossed his face, and his expression fell.

James's gaze then shifted to Mrs. Davis, and he let out a slight sigh of relief.

"I'm Mark and Shirley's homeroom teacher. I'm not sure if you remember me," James stated, trying to bridge the distance with familiarity.

Mrs. Davis nodded, her tone laced with regret. "Shirley, that child, is just too stubborn. We just wanted to have a chat with her, but she reacted hysterically, like a madwoman."

James was taken aback. "Shirley was supposed to be on a business trip, wasn't she?"

"No, she's right here in this room, Mr. James. If you could perhaps talk some sense into her, I'd be grateful. Abner has been nothing but trouble for our family. If it hadn't been for him, Shirley and Mark would've been married by now."

Lost for words, James quickly made his way into Shirley's room.

Shirley was sitting on the floor, not on a chair, just on the cold, hard ground.

"Shirley!"

James was startled and rushed to her side, helping her up.

"What happened? Abner told me you were away on a business trip and wouldn't be back for a while."

Hearing his voice, Shirley's stiff gaze finally shifted slightly.

"Mr. James?"

Seeing how gaunt and worn-out Shirley looked, James felt a pang of heartache.

"It's me, Shirley. What's happened to you? Now that Abner has been expelled and can't take his final exams, and you're in this state, what am I supposed to do?" Slowly processing James's words, Shirley looked up, her eyes red and swollen.

"Abner, expelled?"

It was then James realized Shirley hadn't heard the news yet.

"Yes, Mark's parents went straight to the principal's office and made it

gel

happen. The backlash from the other parents was intense, and under the pressure, the principal had no choice but to expel Abner. They've even ordered him to read a public apology on Monday. Didn't you hear about it? The day the police came to the school to take Abner away, it was during class. The whole school was buzzing with rumors. After all, he's just a kid." All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Shirley tried to stand up but collapsed after only a step.

"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.