Dear Ex-wife Marry Me

"Abner?"

"Yeah, you haven't come back yet, and I was getting a bit worried."

Shirley rubbed her temples, squinting her eyes to look at her screen. It was indeed Abner calling.

"Sorry, I'm downstairs..."

Her words became slurred as she continued.

Worried, Abner hurried downstairs, searching from their building all the way to the grocery store at the entrance of their neighborhood before he finally exhaled in relief.

Shirley was asleep with her head on the table, surrounded by several bottles of wine and an open box of Teddy Grahams.

His heart softened, and he almost laughed, but still, he bent down to help her up.

"Shirley?"

She seemed to wake up, yet not quite fully, leaning into his embrace as they staggered forward.

She knew it was Abner, the kid she had taken in, and though not sure if it was just her imagination, it seemed like Abner had grown taller.

When he first arrived, he was around 5'10", but now he seemed to have reached 6'.

As they entered the elevator, she stumbled slightly, supported by his embrace.

Shirley, being only 5'5", could only prevent falling by holding onto his hand.

The elevator took them directly to their apartment, where Abner helped her sit on the couch.

Her body reeked of alcohol, and her face still bore traces of light makeup.

Abner covered her with a blanket and, after a moment's thought, took out his phone to look up how to remove makeup.

"Shirley, I'll help you remove your makeup."

Shirley shifted slightly on the couch but then became still.

Abner wasn't familiar with makeup and skincare products, but he recognized the words "makeup remover."

Following the steps he found, he bent over her, meticulously performing each one.

Not until he had wiped her face clean with a washcloth did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He helped her to her bedroom and, after tucking her into bed, he knelt to take off her shoes.

However, he didn't dare touch her clothes, simply making sure she was under the covers before turning off the room's light. Back in the living room, he looked at the makeup-stained cotton pads on the coffee table and swept them all into the trash. After tidying up, he returned to his own bedroom to continue his homework.

Yet, as he looked at his papers, the image of her long eyelashes while he removed her makeup occasionally crossed his mind. This was Shirley's first time getting drunk, and upon waking, she barely remembered what had happened the night before.

She braced herself for her father's scolding, but surprisingly, Mark didn't tell on her this time.

Her relationship with Abner had become more natural. The kid was just so well-behaved, and his grades kept improving, making James sigh in admiration.

"Shirley, you have good judgment.

Seeing this kid's handwriting and et

grades, I think what a waste it would have been if you hadn't take him in. Such intelligence."

Now, at the end of their sophomore year, Abner had shot up in height, barely noticing until he reached 6'0".

His diet had improved, and so had his overall demeanor, making him quite popular at school.

Still, he wasn't much for socializing, which Shirley only realized when she accidentally found a dozen love letters in his bag.

Her eyes widened in surprise, hearing him cooking in the kitchen, she couldn't help asking.

"Abner, are you dating someone at school?"

Abner stiffened, quickly coming over to take the letters from her hand, "No."

"All these letters are from others?"

"I don't know who put them there."Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

He spoke differently with Shirley than he did with others.

"You know, I wouldn't mind if you

dated someone, as long as it doesn't affect your studies. Mr. James mentioned you're now among the top five in your class. Push a little harder, and you might just be the top student."

Pride laced her voice as she spoke, and she couldn't help but ruffle his hair.

"My goodness, how did you improve so quickly? Let's not cook tonight. How about I treat you to a feast?"

Abner pressed his lips together, clearly pleased but pretending to protest, "No need to go to all that trouble; dinner's almost ready."

Shirley had been living with him for almost half a year; she knew him well. Usually, he'd wave his grade reports in her face, simply seeking her praise.

"Yeah."

She laughed, "It can wait until tomorrow. You have school tomorrow, it's the last term of sophomore year. Work hard, okay?"

Shirley had been busy too, barely having time to communicate with Abner.

Fortunately, he never gave her any trouble.

She quickly made a reservation at a restaurant.

Abner changed into a new outfit she bought for him. Shirley circled him,

admiring how good he looked. No

wonder so many girls wrote him love letters; in school, he must be what they call a heartthrob.

"You look amazing!"