The Bound Between Us

Chapter 38
Anastasia’s business tonight was quite good, she managed to sell several pieces of jewelry in a short amount of time.
Seeing her designs being so popular, she was pumped for her interview tomorrow.
Anastasia took a break to video chat with her mom, Salma. In the middle of their chit–chat, Salma dropped a bomb, “Ana, it
seems like your cousin’s husband has another woman.”
“Gianna’s husband?” Anastasia was gobsmacked, it was totally out of the blue. “Mom, who told you this?”
1 saw it with my own two eyes, Salma added from the other side of the video call, I can’t be 100% sure though. A man and a
woman walked into the hotel today. The guy looked a lot like your cousin’s husband. I went over to say hi. He was arm in arm
with this woman. They looked awkward when they
saw me.”
Seeing a man and woman walk into a hotel together could get tongues wagging.
Anastasia quickly asked, ‘Mom, did you let Auntie know?”
“I haven’t yet. I mean, if I got the wrong guy, it could mess up Gianna’s marriage, and that’d be a total chaos, Salma said,
worried, “Gianna’s been married for eight years without a kid and I’m worried he’s getting cold feet. Your auntie always brags
about her son–in–law. If anything happens, she’d be devastated”
“Mom, don’t spill the beans unless you’re sure, Anastasia suggested, “Whether it’s true or not, it will not end well if you tell her.”
In today’s world, it seems like every guy has a side chick and the wife is usually the last to know.
Even if people around them know, it’s not their place to spill the beans.
Once certain things are made public, they can become awkward. The person giving the reminder might even be blamed for it.
Anastasia’s Aunt Cynthia has been bragging about how her daughter married into a good family. If Salma told her about this, she
could be seen as she was jealous and try to stir the pot.

Salma said, “I get your drift. I hope I’m just overthinking. Ana, don’t stay out too late. The weather forecast says it might rain
tonight.”
Anastasia glanced at the night sky and said, “Mom, it doesn’t look like it’s gonna rain. My business is booming today, I’ll pack up
a bit late.”
“Then get your husband to pick you up. It’s not safe for a girl to be out there alone.”
Salma was always worried about Anastasia setting up shop. Whenever Anastasia was out selling, Salma would tag along if she
was free. Even if she couldn’t, she wouldn’t rest easy until Anastasia returned home.
Salma was scared the past would repeat itself, with Anastasia getting hurt again.
To put Salma’s mind at ease, Anastasia fibbed, “Alright, he said he’d come pick me up later. Mom, you need to rest early since
you’re not feeling well. I have customers now, gotta go”
“Alright, you go ahead, Salma hung up the video call. The house was empty and she felt lonely.
As Salma was about to go to bed, she heard a child being scolded in the neighborhood.
The child’s cries echoed in the neighborhood. Salma couldn’t help but look out the window.
It was someone from the building across giving their kid a hard time again.
Hearing this, Salma felt a pang in her heart and was reminded of the child she lost years ago.
She didn’t want her daughter to walk down the same path she did, because she knew how tough it was.
At Night Market.
Anastasia was busy until 10 PM and finally packed up and went home. It didn’t rain.
She tidied up her stall and drove home. On her way, she passed a milk coffee shop and remembered Herman liked latte, so she
bought two cups before the shop closed.
When Anastasia got home, Herman wasn’t back yet. The house was silent.
She turned on the light, put the lattes on the table, and went to the bedroom to take a bath.

After her bath, Anastasia wrapped herself in a towel. Before she could change into her clothes, she heard her phone ringing in
the living room. Since Herman wasn’t home, she went to the living room in her towel to answer the phone.
It was Monica calling. She put the phone on speaker and sat on the sofa toweling her hair.
While they were chatting, there was noise at the door. Herman was back.
Herman walked in and saw Anastasia sitting on the sofa in a towel, legs crossed, looking quite alluring.
Anastasia turned around to look at him. Before she could say anything, Monica’s voice came from the phone, “Ana, put on the
thong I gave you. I bet Herman will fall head over heels for you”
Anastasia’s face turned beet red.