Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

Abner had already made the call; his ride would be swinging by to pick him up shortly.

He had just finished a cigarette, a furrow creasing his brow. He didn't mind the cheap nicotine kick, but it always left a bitter

aftertaste in his mouth.

The sound of panicked voices drifted over to him, followed by the thudding footsteps of someone running in a frenzy.

"Queena, you gotta check this out, Phoebe just keeled over. She's in a bad way."

Pretending she was just hearing the news, Queena immediately dropped the axe she was holding.

Without giving Abner another glance, she bolted towards the commotion.

Abner kept his spot, puffing away. In his other hand, he fumbled with a match he'd nicked from the stove.

He sauntered toward the scene of the incident, only to find the cook who had given him the cigarette sobbing over a woman's

lifeless body.

The faces of the onlookers were grim; Queena had delivered the bleak news with a blunt, "She's a goner."

In just a short span, another life had slipped away—the gossipy Phoebe, of all people.

Murder wasn't a thought that crossed their minds; they simply couldn't fathom it. They chalked it up to a sudden, inexplicable

death.

sigh, urging the crowd to "grieve

fringes, studying the pallor of the deceased woman. Her robust frame, borne of years of farm work, didn't

type to just drop

could only cast a suspicious glance towards Queena, who continued to console

look after

Fabian, and now this family was struck by another

and in three days' time, he'd

back, he'd investigate who had betrayed

swept the area,

crave excitement,

decided to head

there, he spotted Tobias, huddled

obviously scared out of

"Tobias?"

to the ground like a startled

moment for Tobias

handsome, are we heading

his face; the boy's lips were bitten

did the dead body spook

"No, no, I just..."

a moment of mischief, he'd

argument, followed

nothing like her usual gentle demeanor when speaking to

stayed hidden,

was too young to grasp the concept of murder and thought