Chapter 6

The next day, my parents hosted a family reunion party at home and invited a houseful of relatives and friends.

Sharon kept checking her phone, looking distracted.

"Sharon? Hey? When are you and David going to get married and have kids?" Someone nudged her twice before she finally snapped back to reality.

Dad assumed she was just shy and laughed. "David already told us everything. Kyle is a jerk. He forced you into marrying him. I'll give him some money to divorce you. Then, you and David can both move to Ogland with us."

Paula chimed in, "Sharon, you've liked David since you were little. I've always known how you felt about him. Just say yes."

David reached across the table and laced his fingers with hers, gazing at her lovingly. "Sharon, I came back this time just to be with you again. Please marry me!"

The guests immediately rose to their feet, clapping and cheering.

"Say yes! Say yes!"

Everyone in the room was rooting for them.

Sharon always gave David whatever he wanted, so I figured she'd do the same this time and agree to marry him.

Unexpectedly, Sharon suddenly yanked her hand away and snapped, "Are you people out of your minds? Did moving overseas rot your brains?"

As Sharon stormed out of the house, David chased after her and demanded, "Sharon, you used to love me. You got close to Kyle back then just to distract him from his studies. So why won't you be with me now?"

Sharon shook her head. "David, that was so many years ago. Stop bringing it up."

Seeing that she wouldn't budge, David suddenly clutched the left side of his abdomen, his voice filled with anguish.

"Sharon, I'm only asking for one thing. If you say yes, I'll never bother you again," he said.

Sharon stopped in her tracks.

"The doctor said my kidney function is failing, and my body is too weak. It'll be nearly impossible for me to have kids," David whimpered.

"I'll be lucky if I live another ten or 15 years. Please have a baby with me through IVF. Give my parents something to live for. Can you do that for me?"

I couldn't believe anyone could be this shameless.

Sharon forced herself to tear her eyes away from his pale face. "No! Kyle got so mad at me for sending him to that reform center. He won't even come home now.

"I've already paid you back for that kidney. I funded your studies abroad for years! If he found out that I had a child with you, I couldn't deal with the consequences!"

With that, Sharon got into the car and told Adam, "To the Behavioral Reform Center."

Adam's palms were sweating on the steering wheel. He said nervously, "Ms. Griffin, Mr. Walsh said yesterday that he didn't want to see you. Maybe you shouldn't go."

Sharon's brows furrowed. "Since when do you get to tell me what to do?"

Adam went quiet.

Before long, Sharon was standing outside the Behavioral Reform Center. She looked down at her phone. Our chat still contained only the message she'd sent the day before.

She frowned slightly and sent another one. "I'm waiting outside your school right now to pick you up. Come out."

Time passed, and the sun began to sink. Sharon stood there for a long time until her legs began to tremble.

Adam hurried over, trying to persuade her to leave. But Sharon shoved him aside and stormed straight through the gates.

"Hey! Who are you?" The security guard shouted at her.

As they argued, a man who looked like an instructor came over and asked what she was doing there.

When Sharon told him she was looking for Kyle, the man was stunned.

"Kyle died a long time ago. Someone already came and collected his body!" he said.