If Shelly could "coincidentally" run into Diane, then Andy could just as easily "run into" Shelly.
Two days later, Diane called me in a panic. "I was out grocery shopping with Shelly and we ran into Andy. He's demanding to take her back. What should we do?"
Ashley and I rushed over to Robert and Diane's house. When we arrived, the three of them were in the living room, with Diane standing between Andy and Shelly, trying to keep them apart.
The moment Shelly saw Ashley, her eyes were glued to him. She begged, "Ashley, please help me. He’ll ruin my life." She ran over, clinging to Ashley's pant leg, crying pitifully.
Ashley, unable to bear it, bent down to help her up.
I held his hand down and pointed at Andy. "We took her in because she had nowhere to go, but now her own father is here to take her back. We have no reason to keep her anymore."
"But her father is going to..." Ashley looked troubled.
Andy, hearing my words, grew more forceful. "She's my daughter. You had no right to take her in the first place. If you try to stop me, we'll take this to the police!"
Diane and Ashley, although kind-hearted, weren't keen on getting into legal trouble.