In Chapter 17 of The Bond Between Us novel, the narrative takes a riveting turn, plunging readers deeper into the intricacies of Anastasia and Herman's evolving relationship. As the couple grapples with the shocking revelation of their shared past, the town of Riverdale becomes a backdrop for both confrontations and moments of quiet introspection.
Chapter 17 opens with Anastasia attempting to piece together the fragments of her forgotten memories, haunted by the striking resemblance of their daughter to a past she never knew she had. The quaint charm of Riverdale transforms into a landscape of uncertainty as Herman, determined to unearth the truth, confronts Anastasia with questions that demand answers.
Anastasia didn't beat around the bush. She understood Demi's intentions, went along with it, and also used it as a chance to nip Cason's ideas in the bud. Her frankness left Monica with no room to salvage the situation.
Cason shot Monica a look, his eyes asking what was going on. Monica hadn't spilled the beans about Anastasia's marriage before.
Monica was at her wits' end. Anastasia's wedding was news to her too. As an onlooker, it wasn't her place to comment.
The folks at the table shared awkward glances, waiting for Cason's reaction. Cason held onto his drink tightly, feeling quite bummed, and took a big gulp.
A classmate joked, trying to break the ice, "Anastasia, how come you didn't tell us all about your wedding? That's pretty low, don't you think? You think we're beneath you or something? We're all friends here, you just had to say the word and we would have been there."
It was all just small talk.
The old classmates that hadn't kept in touch since high school. If they suddenly received a wedding invitation, it would likely stir up some gossip.
That was life. It was all human relations.
Anastasia pretended and said, "We've already got our marriage license, but we haven't had time to hold the wedding yet. Once we've picked a date, we'll definitely invite you all to the ceremony."
Anastasia wasn't planning on throwing a party in the first place; she just wanted to shut everyone up. And just like she expected, the classmate's smile froze onto his face, he awkwardly laughed it off and promised to come, before keeping quiet.
Monica silently laughed to herself. This was the Anastasia she knew, using words to silence others.
Another female classmate piped up with a sour tone, "Anastasia, why didn't you bring your husband along? We'd love to meet him, see what kind of man managed to sweep you off her feet."
Demi hadn't expected Anastasia to be married, hearing the news, her defensive attitude towards Anastasia melted away, and she looked at Anastasia with a friendlier gaze.
"Yeah, Anastasia, give him a call, let's all get together, we're all here anyway." Demi egged her on, "Don't you all want to see what Anastasia's husband looks like?"
"Of course, we do."
"Anastasia, what does your husband do? My husband owns a fireworks factory. We could hang out more often."
Anastasia originally thought that bringing up her marriage would shut everyone up, but it only led to more questions. Anastasia politely said, "He works at Elysian Technologies, he's really busy recently, I'll bring him along next time we meet."
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