The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 500

Anastasia's heart sank as she stared at the screen on her phone, the words "Message Not Delivered" staring back at her. It was a harsh reminder that they were no longer friends online, and she felt the sting of tears welling up.

She had always suspected he had removed her from his contacts. If he hadn't, she never would have had the guts to send those messages. Keeping his number was like holding onto a sliver of hope, pretending he was still there to talk to.

Her chat history was a graveyard of unsent messages, a silent testament to all the times she missed him and tried to reach out.

Wiping her tears, she made sure not to wake Pattie or alert Salma, her roommate, to her sorrow. Anastasia knew she had to stay strong. She was the pillar of the household now; there was no room for her to fall apart.

She snuggled up with her daughter, finding comfort in their shared warmth. It was these moments that brought her the purest joy.

The next morning, the smell of Salma's homemade pancakes filled the air. Despite Salma's encouragement to get some extra rest, Anastasia couldn't shake the heaviness in her heart. She mumbled, “I’ll just sleep a little longer, Mom.”

Anastasia’s comeback was sharp. “I admire you too, Julie, for being so open-hearted, carrying the child of a man whose actions are, let’s say, questionable. I often see your fiancé in the tabloids, wrapped around models and starlets. I must say, I envy how carefree you must be, not having to take care of your fiancé’s needs when he’s got a whole line of women to do it for you. Oh, and by the way, have you been dreaming of Grannie Anita lately?”

The tense exchange left the air thick with hostility. Anastasia, having made her point, left the bakery feeling a mix of sadness and a small sense of victory. She had once been Herman’s wife and had known love, even if it had slipped away. And that, she thought bitterly, was more than Julie could ever claim.