Bumpkin’s Rich Handsome Husband novel Chapter 1382

That scared me. She feared that something bad had happened to her father.

"It's me, Dad. I'm back." Perched next to the bed, Shirley scanned the worn-out bedroom. It was a neat bedroom despite the dated furniture.

"Shir, please stop trying to wake him up." Her mother walked toward her, wiping tears from her face. "Your father just fell asleep."

"He can't be so deeply asleep that he can't be awakened."

"He... He... His leg was broken by those debt collectors," her mother explained, sobbing harder. "We took him to the hospital, but they sent us home as we couldn't afford the medical bills. I had to bring him back here. Your father is in so much pain that he can't sleep, so I had to give him half a sleeping pill."

"Why are you only telling me this now?" Shirley was clearly frustrated as she questioned in a voice that quivered with emotion.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Her mother shrugged as she patted her left hand with the back of her right hand. "You used your own money to bail your older brother out of his gambling debts. How could I bring myself to ask you for more?"

Non-conforming to traditional roles, the last thing Shirley's parents wanted was to trouble their children any further. Their oldest child's gambling issues had already caused chaos in the family. Furthermore, with the house sold, the older couple had no remaining funds. Mrs. Wilson had no choice but to seek help from Shirley in desperation. Yet, she kept the fracture a secret from Shirley so as not to worry her further until her return.

Shirley's heart ached with guilt as she listened to Mrs. Wilson. She blamed herself for being the root cause of the family's downfall. Not only did she regret not heeding Veronica's advice, but she also regretted not staying away from Skyler. If I had kept my distance and not fallen in love with him, would I be having a merry and happy family?