Chapter 2037
Shirley was growing increasingly uneasy until their car came to a halt on the quiet streets of the small town. The relentless pursuit by the Albright clan left them with almost no way out. Abner stepped out of the car and, grabbing her hand, led her into an alley. "Shirley, this way."
Wearing a wedding dress, Shirley found it cumbersome and could only manage a few steps before she started feeling tired. She took off her veil and tossed it aside.
"Abner, cut it out."
Seeing her face, Abner felt a sharp pang in his heart and quickly averted his gaze.
"Did you strike a deal with Mark so I could go back to school? I don't want to take the SAT anymore, Shirley. Let's just get out of here."Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
Shirley wanted to hurl more hurtful words at him, but looking into his eyes, she found herself speechless. Abner continued to pull her along.
"They'll give up after a bit more chasing. This town is pretty remote with lots of alleys; I checked beforehand."
Shirley remained silent until they were cornered in a dead-end by a group of people. She sighed and patted his back.
"Go back to your studies. Let's pretend tonight never happened."
The ruckus surely angered the Albrights. But what she didn't expect was for Abner to start fighting. In her eyes, Abner had always been a pure and ambitious young man, but in less than ten minutes, he had floored the group of thugs. His fists were bloody, and despite being outnumbered, he took a hit to his back.
"Shirley, let's go."
Shirley wanted to ask him if he was in pain, but he pulled her along, choosing a different path to continue their escape. The Albrights had sent a lot of men, and seeing these pursuers, Shirley knew they couldn't escape. Mark wouldn't let this go easily. Seeing the people surrounding Abner, each armed with a baseball bat, she tried to step forward but was held back by two men. No matter how strong Abner was, he was up against a group.
After taking a hit to the head, Abner fell to the ground. Shirley's pupils dilated in shock. "Abner!"
All Abner saw was his vision blurring with blood. He wiped his face, grabbed a weapon from one of the men, and fought back desperately. Shirley was stunned; she had never seen this side of Abner.
So, when Abner had taken down everyone and came to her, she didn't know what to say. It was still raining, and the alley was filled with the smell of blood. Shirley's wedding dress was drenched and in disarray.
She wanted to find a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his forehead, but she had nothing on her.
"Abner, that's enough. If you continue, there's no going back."
These were Albright's men. How would Mark retaliate? She couldn't bear to think about it, suspecting it wasn't something that could be resolved by marrying him.
Abner remained silent. Hearing footsteps again, he gathered his courage, perhaps seeing Shirley for the last time.
"Shirley, take the left road, keep going until the end, then walk another 500 yards, and hide behind the door there. I'll handle these guys."
"Abner!"
Shirley didn't want to run anymore, especially seeing him fight like a lone wolf, feeling as if her heart was bleeding.
"Abner, enough. Let's go back."
Abner didn't respond, just stared at her face. Shirley was about to say something when he suddenly pressed his lips against hers in a quick kiss, then turned and ran.
Shirley froze, as if struck, unable to snap out of it for a long time. Ten minutes later, she finally blinked, her mind racing with thoughts. Abner...
For the first time, Shirley felt utterly lost, unsure of where to go. The path was dark, but she followed Abner's direction and found a hiding place, sitting down slowly. The room was dry seemingly prepped in advance.
She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling damp all over. Her nerves were on edge until she noticed the fever on her forehead. She didn't know how long she had been feverish, but when she opened her eyes, all she could see was white.
Panicked, she tried to get up. "Abner?"
But there was no Abner in the hospital room. Her face turned pale instantly. Abner had hurt so many people; what would the Albrights do, what about the police? She had
made a deal with Mark before,
allowing Abner to return to his
studies, but would Mark let Abner off
now?
Desperate, she was about to get out of bed when she heard footsteps outside the door, followed by someone walking in. It was a stranger, a face she had never seen before. "Ms. Dorothy, I've heard a lot about you."