In Chapter 243 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 243 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 elaborate too much, she just gently caressed Pattie's forehead with a smile and let her go play at the next table, even ordering a juice for her.
As they sat down, Anastasia cheerfully asked, "How have you been these past years?"
"Me? Ever since I started this line of work, it's been nothing but tough." Melinda looked decidedly nonchalant, then added, "Give me a couple more years to make some money, then I'm heading back to my hometown. My mom's getting on in years, she isn't well, and has to go to the hospital often. I need to earn more for her treatment."
"Do you have a younger brother?" Anastasia couldn't quite remember. She only had a vague recollection of something like that.
"Yeah, I have a younger brother. He graduated from college last year and found a girlfriend. They're already discussing about getting married." Melinda's face seemed to cloud over with bitterness and helplessness as she spoke of her brother.
Anastasia got back to the point, asking, "Melinda, you remember the club we joined together, right? You must remember what I did there then. Was I also… doing that?"
Anastasia found it difficult to talk about and even harder to accept.
Melinda understood what she meant and shook her head with a smile, "No, you only agreed to work as a waitress outside the private rooms, cleaning up after guests left. You didn't do the work inside the rooms. The manager saw you were pretty and tried to get you to accompany clients a few times, saying you could make more money, but you always refused."
Hearing this, Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good then." She'd been worried for days, scared that she might have had sex with clients in the past, which made her feel even more uncomfortable facing Herman.
Melinda said, "If it wasn't for you helping me back then, you wouldn't have ended up in the private rooms. After that incident, I never saw you again. I have no idea how you've been these years."
Melinda back then was just a naive young girl stepping into society. She always remembered Anastasia's kindness. If it weren't for her family's financial difficulties, Melinda wouldn't have chosen this line of work.
Anastasia glanced at Pattie who was playing with Barbie dolls at the next table, her lips curling into a slight smile, "I'm very happy now."
"I can see that," Melinda joked, "You came in all glowing. Only a woman happily married can look like that. You're so lucky to have found a good husband."
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