Not in Our Stars

This was the last time Shirley would talk about her marriage in front of the heads of the four major families.

Everyone held their breath, watching her.

Across from her, Oscar sat with a dark expression. "Ms. Shirley, please think about what I just told you. Make sure you're sure before you decide."

Shirley's chest tightened when she looked at his anxious face, and a sharp pain hit her heart.

It seemed that he really didn't want to marry her. He'd rather let his family lose the Bishops as their big support.

George Tucker, seeing Oscar like that, got flustered. "Oscar, you already knew Shirley was gonna choose you. What did you tell her in private?"

Meanwhile, Theo Foster yawned. "Exactly. We never had a chance anyway. Right, Jamie?"

Shirley glanced at Jamie Watson. Out of the four, he was the only one she never considered as a match.

He had been the first to bully her as a kid—tearing her books, even putting a snake in her backpack. Shirley had always hated him and secretly wished Daniel would remove him from the selection.

But whenever something happened to her, he was the first one there.

Even though he was sharp-tongued and cunning, he was the most capable of the four. In her last life, he became the richest man in the world in less than ten years.

Since she had been given a second chance at life, she was going to pick the best.

"I choose—"

Her words were cut off by a sharp scream from the yard.

"What have you done? Can't you watch where you're going? Do you know how expensive this dress is?"

Through the glass windows, everyone saw Myra shrinking back, apologizing to Rachel Dunn.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to run into you. I didn't see you just now."

"You didn't see me? Are you blind? Who do you think you are, wearing that shabby outfit and showing up at Ms. Bishop's birthday party? You're just asking for trouble!"

Rachel raised her hand to slap Myra, but Oscar shot out from the couch faster than anyone could blink.

George and Theo didn't see themselves as real contenders anyway, so they grabbed Jamie and went outside to watch the commotion.

Before leaving, Jamie glanced at Shirley. There was something unreadable in his mischievous eyes, a feeling that made her heart skip a beat.

The slap never landed. When Rachel saw Oscar and the others, her face flushed bright red.

"H-hi, Mr. Miller," Rachel stammered.

"How dare you try to hit her! Do you know who she is? She's also Ms. Bishop—she's the Bishops' daughter and Shirley's sister. Are you blind?"

Too scared to speak, Rachel quickly apologized and ran away.

Oscar held Myra protectively in his arms while she looked back at Shirley, who was still inside.

"I'm sorry. Did I disturb you? I didn't mean to. It was too dark, and I didn't see her…"

Oscar gently squeezed her hand. "It's okay. It's not your fault. Remember, you're a Ms. Bishop, too. Next time someone tries to bully you, you should stand up for yourself."

Shirley let out a cold laugh.

Ms. Bishop? Shirley was the Bishops' only daughter. Daniel simply adopted Myra when Shirley was little so she wouldn't be lonely.

Shirley had given Myra everything that she could. And now, Shirley had decided to let Myra have Oscar, too.

Outside, the lights dimmed and flickered. Shirley pulled her gaze back, her chest tightening.

Daniel scanned the faces around him and cleared his throat softly. "Ahem. Shirley, make your choice."

"Okay. I choose Jamie."

The room froze. The parents from all four families were stunned.

Oscar's parents looked grim, while Jamie's parents were ecstatic.

Daniel frowned. "Jamie? Haven't you always disliked him? You said he used to bully you."

"I'm not worried. Mr. and Mrs. Watson, he won't bully me again, right?"

"We promise, he won't!" They nodded eagerly. "We'll make sure he treats you like a princess."

"Good." Shirley lowered her head. "I don't want to talk about what happened today. Please don't tell the guys for now. The wedding's next month. Just make sure the groom shows up on time."

Everyone nodded. No one dared to argue with Shirley.

"Understood."