Whispers Turn to Whimpers: Could He Ever Change?

As the car pulled away, Gilbert couldn’t help but steal glances at Sherilyn.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” Sherilyn hugged her backpack, nodding slightly.

Gilbert noticed her action, his brow furrowing–her clutching that backpack was a sign of feeling insecure.

Looks like she really got scared back there.

Thinking about that middle–aged man earlier, Gilbert was seriously ticked off. “Who was that guy, anyway? What did he want with you?”

No matter the reason, anyone who messes with someone from the Johnson family is asking for trouble!

“I don’t know him.” Sherilyn paused, then shook her head. “He mistook me for someone else.”

“Mistook you?” Gilbert was momentarily puzzled. Really? That guy didn’t seem to be making a simple mistake.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Sherilyn affirmed with a nod. “I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. and just… grabbed me…”

“Well, okay.” Gilbert believed her. “So, he’s lost his marbles!”

But since Sherilyn didn’t know him, there wasn’t much Gilbert could do. He regretted not asking more questions earlier.

“Listen…”

Thinking back on the incident, Gilbert was still a bit shaken. “What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”

Sherilyn looked surprised, not quite getting his point. This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.

“Dummy.” Gilbert let out an exasperated laugh. “You shout for help, you know? In a public place, with all those people around, couldn’t you have screamed?”

Such a basic self–defense tactic, and she didn’t use it?

“Oh.” Sherilyn caught on, nodding. “Got it. I’ll remember that next time.”

After that, the conversation died down, and the car ride became quiet.

Gilbert wanted to ask her why she shied away from a man’s touch, but he just couldn’t find the words.

Eventually, they arrived at Serenity Street, right at the entrance to the alley.

The car stopped, and Sherilyn thanked him. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Sure.”

As Sherilyn opened the car door to get out, something fell from her backpack onto the

seat.

“Sherilyn.”

Gilbert picked it up, intending to hand it to her.

It was a hamburger.

“Sorry.” Sherilyn quickly took it, apologetically saying, “It’s still in its wrapper, hasn’t been opened. It shouldn’t smell at all.”

What?

Gilbert frowned. “You think I’d mind a hamburger making my car smell?”

“Yeah.” Sherilyn nodded.

The day she came back to Golden Oak Manor and made some pasta, he complained about it nonstop.

Gilbert remembered that too. It was his own doing, so he couldn’t argue.

“Of course not!”

His reasoning might have been off, but his outrage was definitely genuine. “Things change, okay? Don’t pin things on me I didn’t do.”

“Okay, got it.” Sherilyn nodded.

No fuss, so why the anger?

She stuffed the hamburger back into her bag, and Gilbert felt uneasy again. “Don’t tell me that’s your lunch?”

It was way past lunchtime. Was that all she was going to eat?

“No.” Sherilyn shook her head quickly. “I had lunch. Just felt a bit hungry.”

Gilbert loosened up a bit, but his eyes drifted back to her backpack–it looked cheap, probably didn’t cost much.

Then he noticed her clothes, a simple T–shirt and cargo jeans, all very basic.

To put it nicely, she was frugal; to put it bluntly–she looked poor!

Gilbert’s frown deepened. He hadn’t paid much attention to her before, hardly looking at her directly.

10.24

Now that he thought about it, from the moment she returned, she had always dressed like

this.

She said she didn’t want to be a leech anymore, wanted to stand on her own, live her own life…

Looks like she meant it.

Sherilyn had no idea what he was thinking.

She zipped up her backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and waved at Gilbert. “Bye.”