Abner furrowed his brow, not particrly fond of Mr. and Mrs. Davis.


    In Mrs. Davis''s world, Mr. Davis was her everything.


    And for Mr. Davis, it was all about maintaining his authority as the patriarch.


    Neither had Shirley at the center of their universe. When Shirley finally realized this, it would break her heart.


    "They didn''t really invite me, did they?" Abner asked.


    A sh of embarrassment crossed Shirley''s face. The kid was too sharp for his own good sometimes.


    Indeed, her parents were not keen on Abner and had specifically asked her toe alone tomorrow, emphasizing the point.


    It was probably because they hadn''t reached an agreement, thinking she was too stubborn, so they wanted a face-to-face discussion at home, just the three of them.


    But Shirley, harboring a secret wish, had hoped to bring Abner along. Now, caught in the act, she could only offer a tight-lipped smile.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "I just wanted you to see where I grew up."


    "I''ll be there. I''ll skip ss tomorrow and try toe over early," Abner replied, earning a gentle ruffle of his hair from Shirley.


    She had another reason for her insistence, rooted in unease.


    This time, her mother''s clear stance felt like a solo battle, and only with Abner by her side did she feel a semnce of peace.


    The next day, after a busy morning, Shirley finally drove to her parents'' house.


    She arrived early but deliberately lingered outside for an hour, as if killing time.


    Returning home used to be the highlight of her day, but now it felt daunting.


    Only at 6:30 PM did she muster the courage to enter.


    Opening the door, a familiar scent of her favorite meals greeted her. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were already seated at the table, Mrs. Davis even stood to take the grocery bag from Shirley''s hands.


    Instant regret washed over Shirley,


    realizing the dinner had been ready


    for a while, but she had made t


    With her excuses of workin


    "Shirley, sit down," her father said, as she noticed a drink already poured for her at the table.


    She had braced herself for another conversation about Mark, but after finishing her drink, his name hadn''te up once.


    Her guard slowly lowered, the tension easing away with each sip.


    After dinner, Mrs. Davis stood up do the dishes, and though Shirley offered to help, her mother insisted, "Go rest in your room, your father and I will handle this."


    Without further objection, Shirley retreated to her room, hearing the door lock behind her. A sense of unease quickly returned.


    Soon after, she heard the front door close-her parents had left. Feeling a sudden feverish heat, she realized something was off.


    As she started to remove her coat, the bathroom door swung open, revealing Mark.


    Shirley''s heart skipped a beat, thinking it was a hallucination.


    But no, it was indeed Mark.


    Feeling both feverish and weak, she copsed onto the bed.


    Mark approached with determination, pinning her down.


    "Get off!"


    Despite the difort, Shirley realized her return had been a setup.


    by her parents, who had now conveniently left the house, anticipating her screams


    The drink must have been


    wor help.


    Pushing Mark away, Shirley rushed to the door, only to feel him press against her again.


    "Shirley, don''t you see? They orchestrated this whole scenario, hoping we''d end up together."


    "Get out!"