Divorce Time

Chapter 9

Stewart and Charlene had become strangers to each other over the years, their meetings few and far between. Yet, even with these brief encounters, Stewart could tell the vibrant spirit that once defined Charlene seemed to have dimmed considerably.

He remembered Charlene in her prime, a force to be reckoned with, and could hardly believe she could ever be associated with the word

‘insecure.‘

Stewart wasn’t privy to the intricacies of Charlene’s marriage to Thorne, but he had heard enough to form his suspicions. Without delving into details, he earnestly advised Charlene, “Falling behind for a bit doesn’t really matter, Charlene. You’ve got skills and talents that aren’t just run–of–the–mill. It’s never too late to start over if you’re still passionate about this path. Don’t forget you were the student the professor was most proud of in his teaching career.”

Charlene chuckled at that. “If our professor heard that, he’d probably scoff, saying he was picking the tallest dwarf.”

When recalling their refined yet sarcastically sharp professor, Charlene’s smile faded slightly. “I saw in the news that he’s back for the celebration. How is he doing?”

“Pretty well, just constantly annoyed by us, his students, always embarrassing him,” Stewart replied.

Charlene laughed, her heart swelling with nostalgia for the days spent learning from their professor and tirelessly working on research

papers.

Charlene,” Stewart urged.

mug tightly, Charlene took a deep breath

at a young age, and she loved the field. But her love for Thorne had led her to abandon her dreams for

Charlene believed that with effort, it was still possible. “When

over my current

fine. There’s no rush.” Waiting a bit longer

watch and mentioned, “A friend introduced me to a genius in algorithms who just returned to town. We’ve scheduled a meet–up soon.

her head. “I’m not familiar with your

Stewart

Charlene saw Thorne’s sister,

but hadn’t expected to run into her there.

“Greetings, Tiffany.”

furrowed as she asked, “What are you

came for the Starlight University anniversary celebration,”