She couldn''t help butpliment him, feeling uplifted as she hummed a tune on her way back to her bedroom to change clothes.
Upon hearing her words, Abner looked down, his lips curling into a smile as he awkwardly continued to adjust his cuffs.
When Shirley arrived at the restaurant and sat down, she immediately noticed Mark at a nearby table.
Mark was having a casual dinner with ssmates from his major, just a small gathering of four.
His face turned red with anger upon seeing Shirley and then Abner.
"Who''s this? Shirley, you got a new boyfriend?! How could you move on so fast, you never really liked me!"
Shirley frowned at his temper tantrum.
Realizing he had overreacted, Mark tried to regain hisposure.
Shirley wanted to move to a different table, but the restaurant was too popr, and there were no spare tables. Plus, the restaurant was known for its fresh seafood.
She sat across from Abner and ordered a must-trybo, then handed the menu to Abner.
"See anything you like?"
Mark red at Abner as if trying to set him aze with his gaze.
Abner, unfazed, made his choices.
"Shirley, let me treat you. I won some money from a chemistry contest," Abner offered.
Mr. James had mentioned this, but Shirley had insisted he save it for pocket money.
Feeling a sense of pride at being treated by someone she had supported, Shirley epted.
"Sure, don''t mind if I do."
Mark then realized it was Abner!
Jealousy shed through his eyes, surprised by how much Abner had changed. The once timid boy had be quite popr at school.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.
His grip on his cutlery tightened, his face sour.
He had spected about Shirley and Abner''s rtionship because of his own fling with Jessica, but now, even though he and Jessica had distanced themselves, Shirley and Abner were still living under the same roof. To him, it seemed suspicious, perhaps even...
His inner turmoil grew, feeling as though he''d been cuckolded by a kid.
Losing his appetite, Mark struggled as two girls approached Abner, asking for his WhatsApp to get to know him better.
Shirley, watching with amusement at Abner''s cold rejections, found the situation amusing.
To Mark, this confirmed his suspicions of impropriety!
He tried to engage Shirley in conversation multiple times, but she ignored him.
"Shirley!"
Raising his voice, he caught the attention of his tablemates and forced himself to calm down.
"It''s been months since west
talked. How have you been? I heard
el.r
you''ve been tranting with a professor. Have you sent out resumes, or are you considering teaching?"
"I haven''t decided yet. I''ll see when school starts."
Mark felt a pang of superiority. Regardless of Abner''s good looks, he was still a minor and couldn''tpete in the job market.
"You could send your resume to my
family''spany. We''re hiring
l.ne
international students,
g a good hourly rate "Content
"No thanks."
Faced with her polite refusal, Mark was visibly frustrated.
Just then, Abner interjected.
"Shirley, I''ve lost my appetite. Let''s go."
He seemed genuinely disinterested, his usually stoic face even colder.
Shirley, always gentle, especially with Abner, quickly showed concern.
"What''s wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
"It''s not that. The atmosphere here isn''t great."
Realizing Abner was subtly mocking Mark, Shirley couldn''t help butugh.
Mark couldn''t take it anymore. "When adults are talking, kids shouldn''t interrupt."
"What kind of adult talks about his family''spany all the time?"
Mark''s face flushed with embarrassment at the retort.
Shirley, hoping to avoid further conflict, smiled apologetically at Mark.
"Sorry, Abner''s not in the best mood tonight, like you said, let''s not argue with a kid."
This was a reversal of roles from
when Mark used to defend Jessica. Now, feeling the tables turned, Mark felt an unbearable sense of indignation, especially since Abner had started it.