Divorce Time

Chapter 28

Since Jasmine got a phone, Charlene had made it a point to respect her privacy and never sneaked a peek at her messages. But when she glimpsed a message from Vesta, curiosity got the better of her, and she took a closer look.

And that was when she finally understood why Jasmine had been so irritable.

Charlene quickly scrolled through their chat history and saw that Jasmine had been sending Vesta good morning texts. They chatted every day, and their conversations went on for hours.

Hearing the elevator ding, Charlene acted like she hadn’t seen anything and placed the phone back where it belonged.

Picking up her phone, Jasmine saw a message from Vesta apologizing, saying she couldn’t bear to be mad at her and that she hadn’t replied earlier because she was still half asleep.

Reading Vesta’s message brought an immediate smile to Jasmine’s face.

Walking ahead, Charlene glanced back and instantly knew the reason behind Jasmine’s sudden happiness, though Jasmine was too absorbed in her joy to notice.

occasionally peeked to see if Charlene was watching, but noticing

was quite far away, their conversation

a much better mood and

you free this afternoon?”

Charlene responded, “What’s

prodded, “Just asking.”

Why

beaming, Jasmine said,

mom couldn’t pick her up after school meant she could meet Vesta without worrying about her mom finding out. Perfect!

classroom, a sweet, childlike

prevent a fall. Recognizing the child, she exclaimed, “Sally?” It was the neighbor’s daughter, whom

Sally looked incredibly adorable. Charlene couldn’t help but soften her tone. “Oh, Sally, you study here, too.”