The Bound Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23 

Anastasia reminisced about her dream last night, saying. Im not exactly sure why just suddenly remembered some stuff from the past” 

Salma looked at Anastasia, worry etched on her face. “Anastasia, have you been under a lot of stress lately? Is that why you’re randomly digging up the past? Don’t overthink it, it’s all water under the bridge How are things between you and my son–in–law?” 

To distract Anastasia and avoid further questions, Salma deliberately threw in that last query 

“We re doing alright. Anastasia sat down, saying, “He’s always swamped with work, up at the crack of dawn and home after dark. Oh, and a distant relative of his dropped by today, claimed to be his aunt. She was super rice and insisted on giving me a diamond bracelet I didn’t dare accept it, it was just too pricey 

“Despite his parents passing away early, his relatives are quite decent,” Salma said. “Anastasia, I think he is a real catch Cherish this marriage. Love can 

be cultivated with time” 

“Mom, I understand Anastasia didn’t want Salma to worry, so she quickly changed the subject. “What are we having for lunch?” 

Salma replied, “We’re going over to your aunt’s place for lunch I heard she sprained her ankle yesterday. We should pay her a visit.” 

Anastasia frowned. “Mom, she always thinks she’s the bee’s knees. When you were sick and in the hospital, she didn’t even bother to visit. Why should we go see her?” 

Salma had two older sisters and a younger brother at home. Being the youngest daughter in the family, Sahma was both pretty and studious. She was the apple of everyone’s eye, and they all hoped she would marry well and lead a successful life 

However, when Salma unexpectedly fell pregnant, her family was mortified. Salma insisted on having the baby and eventually cut ties with her family. 

Ever since Anastasia’s grandparents passed away, Salma had been filled with regret and started reaching out to her siblings in an attempt to mend bridges 

“Anastasia, we’re all family Let’s not nitpick and be more forgiving. Since we’re family, we should stick together and tolerate each other’s mistakes. Come with me,” Salma said earnestly 

Despite not wanting to visit her aunt, Anastasia accompanied her mother out of concern. 

About half an hour later, Anastasia drove Salma to a slightly upscale neighborhood in another area of Riverdale. 

As they exited the car in the parking lot, they bumped into a familiar face. 

“Salma, Anastasia, what brings you here?” 

Anastasia turned around to see Gianna, her cousin, standing next to a BMW 

Gianna, already in her early thirties, married a doctor. Her husband was recently promoted to director. Although she’d been married for eight years, she still didn’t have children despite trying everything 

Glanna was dressed to the nines, holding a Louis Vuitton handbag that cost thousands of dollars. Her gaze towards Anastasia and Salma was rather 

indifferent 

Salma smiled and said, “Glanna, I heard your mom sprained her ankle, so we came to check on her” 

“Oh.” Gianna’s response was just cold. She didn’t invite Anastasia and Salma upstairs. Instead, she locked her car and headed for the elevator alone. 

Gianna always came off as snobbish. Anastasia couldn’t stand her, but Salma didn’t seem to mind and led Anastasia to follow her. 

Shortly after her marriage, Anastasia’s aunt Cynthia owned three houses, which greatly elevated her status in Riverdale. When she saw Anastasia and her mother, her demeanor was cold 

Salma handed the gifts she brought to Cynthia and asked with concern, “Cynthia, is your foot feeling better?” 

Cynthia replied, “It’s alright “Instead of taking the gifts, she said. “You guys aren’t exactly rolling in dough. You shouldn’t be spending so much on gifts. Take these back with you, no need to bring anything next time.” 

Her words weren’t out of concern, but rather a display of her looking down on Salma’s gifts. 

The gifts were items that Salma had spent over 40 dollars on at the supermarket, an amount she wouldn’t usually splurge on herself. 

Salma’s face fell a bit, but she managed to say, “Since I’ve already brought them, why don’t you just accept them?”