Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

Shirley had barely stepped off the plane when her phone buzzed with a call from James, informing her that Abner had been assaulted.

She thought she'd misheard. Abner, always so mild-mannered and non-confrontational, getting into a fight?

Rushing to the hospital, she spotted James in the hallway.

"Mr. James."

"Shirley!"

James, visibly shaken and with a trembling voice, blurted out, "He was rushed into the ER last night. He's stable now, just a minor concussion, but he's lost quite a bit of weight. Go see him." Shirley, heart pounding, hurried into Abner's room.

Abner, awake with bandages wrapped around his head and looking pale, barely whispered, "Shirley?"

"Abner!" Shirley's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"What happened? How did you end up fighting?"

Abner hung his head in silence, but James couldn't hold back and spilled everything about how Abner's background had been exposed.

Shirley was taken aback. The ordeal had been ongoing for two months, with Abner facing isolation at school, yet he hadn't breathed a word of it to her.

"Shirley, don't get mad. It wasn't Abner who sought trouble. It was a few boys from another class who cornered him."

grasped Abner's hand.

didn't want to

Shirley felt an acute pain

he

deep breath. "Rest up. Mr. James

face was stern, signaling her intent to get to the bottom of

at her sleeve, reluctant to

thought he was scared and gently patted his head, careful

I'll be right

a slight nod and a weak smile, Abner

a flurry, Shirley was confronted with a shocking sight on the sports

out of

Shirley trembled with rage.

James, the school

massaged his temples,

months ago, a group of parents petitioned

wrong. Why should he

I

you

very mature. He kept up his grades and didn't tell about this, even

and that's why he's been