All Chapters of The Don for Rent: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

'How did Steven find this place? Why is he here?' I thought.Holding Nora close, I stared at him warily.When I noticed his eyes fixed on my daughter, I immediately took her back inside."I need to handle something. Stay inside and play for a little while. I'll take you to school after I'm done."After repeating the instructions several times, I finally stepped outside to face him.Seeing Steven again, I almost didn't recognize him in his downtrodden state.The stubble and under-eye circles made him look very frail.He seemed overwhelmed when he saw me. "Kelly, Nora isn't dead, is she?"He grabbed my arm and kept trying to look past me."Please let me see Nora. I just want to see that she's okay."I stepped in front of him and blocked his view. "We have nothing to do with you. We're divorced. At this point, you're harassing us. If you don't leave, I'll call the police.""No. Please, Kelly. I was wrong."He sounded desperate and was nearly begging. "I miss you both. I've bee

After the neighbors warned him off, Steven never showed up outside my house again.To thank the couple, I prepared a huge feast and invited them over. When they left, I packed bags full of vegetables from my garden and practically forced them into their hands before letting them go.Just before stepping out of the yard, the woman hesitated and turned back. "Kelly, from my experience with men like him, he won't give up that easily. If he can't get through to you, I'm worried he'll go straight to Nora instead. Keep your guard up for a while."My heart skipped a beat.After tossing and turning all night, I requested an extended leave of absence from work the next day and decided to personally take Nora to and from school every day. I wasn't going to let her out of my sight.One evening, while I was drying her hair, she suddenly tilted her head back and asked, "Mom, why does Sunny's owner keep hanging around near my school? Does he not want Sunny anymore?"Alarmed by what she said, I

Scott had bought the house right next to ours.Nora squealed and ran inside. The moment she pushed open the door, she found every corner of the house filled with flowers. Layer upon layer of roses, lisianthus, and baby's breath made it look as though he had moved an entire floral boutique into the house.Scott walked up to me. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down slightly as he spoke in a firm yet gentle voice. "Kelly, will you be mine? I'll do everything in my power to make you and Nora happy."Tears filled my eyes without warning. They weren't tears of sadness, but the kind born from pure happiness. It was the kind that made my heart feel warm. Watching Nora dance around the house in excitement, I lifted a hand and wiped away my tears. I then nodded firmly.Six months later, we held a simple wedding in the church of our little town in Northeros. Nora served as the flower girl. She scattered petals behind my wedding dress the entire way down the aisle. She smiled more brightly than