Whispers Turn to Whimpers: Could He Ever Change?

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Sherilyn frowned. Or what? Got someone else hiding in here?”

Cheapskate.” Gilbert chuckled, “I’m breaking my back here for you, and you’re gonna get mad over a sip of water?”

Just as Sherilyn opened her mouth to retort, Gilbert’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, and his expression turned serlous. “Yeah, it’s me, go ahead-”

Seemed like business.

“Alright, I’m on my way.”

He looked at Sherilyn. “Something’s come up, I gotta go.”

“Sure.” Sherilyn nodded, walking him to the door, “Take care, drive safe.”

“Yeah, will do.”

Gilbert nodded slightly and turned to leave.

For a moment, he had this odd feeling–it was as though a wife was seeing her husband off to work…

Reaching the sidewalk, he looked back up, his expression turning solemn again.

How could he convince her to leave this dump?

Gilbert’s visit was but a minor episode for Sherilyn, like a small pebble tossed into a lake, barely causing a ripple.

Right now, her priority was getting money.

After much deliberation, Sherilyn thought of someone. She had told herself, even in death, she would never seek him out….

Yet, she wasn’t dead. For her child, she had to swallow her pride.

So, Sherilyn took a deep breath and called him.

After all these years, she wondered if he’d changed his number.

After a while, a familiar voice answered, “Hello? Who’s this?”

Sherilyn’s mouth opened, hér heart racing, making her words stumble, “It’s me.”

Silence on the other end.

For a couple of seconds, the man seemed excited, yet in disbelief. “Sherilyn? Is that you? Sherilyn?”

With one hand gripping the phone, and the other clenched on her knee, she managed a

weak, “Yeah, it’s me.”

“Ал.”

The man sounded thrilled. “You reached out? Sherilyn, you… you need something?”

After a brief pause, filled with regret, he hurriedly corrected himself, “Not that you can’t call if you don’t need anything. I mean, you can call me anytime, I’m here!”

Listening to his jumbled words, Sherilyn felt a lump in her throat. Her grip tightened, her hand trembling slightly.

Without beating around the bush, she got straight to the point.

“I need to borrow some money. Is that okay? I’ll pay you back. It just might take some time.”

“Money?” The man paused, not rejecting her outright, “Sure, how much do you need?”

“500 grand.” Sherilyn threw out the figure.

“How much?” The man sounded genuinely shocked, blurting out, “Sherilyn, what do you need all that money for? What happened?”

Sherilyn frowned, not wanting to divulge more, “Will you lend it or not? If not, I’m hanging up…”

“Wait!” The man hastily stopped her, “Don’t hang up! Let’s meet up.”

Meet for what? Sherilyn’s brow furrowed, reluctant to agree.

“Sherilyn.” Sensing her hesitation, the man said, “I’ll give you the money. It’s been years, I just want to see you once. Meet me, and I’ll give you the money, okay?” Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

Torn inside, Sherilyn struggled. But in the end, the need for money won.

She agreed, “Okay.”

“I’ll send you the time and place. Don’t stand me up.”

“Okay,”

A few days later, Sherilyn found herself at a private club downtown.

The man had chosen the location for its privacy.

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