As they settled into their seats at the restaurant, Granger got Charlene a glass of water and asked, “Did you gain anything from the exchange activities this time?” “Sort of.”

She had joined the exchange program seeking inspiration to delve into the materials Kenton had handed over to her and Stewart a while back.

After attending several sessions, she felt she finally had some new directions to explore.

Charlene then asked, “How’s Daisy doing lately?”

“Daisy’s been doing much better since the second half of last year. She started school again this year, and she’s made some new friends. She’s been quite happy both at home and at school.” Granger paused and added, “She often mentions you. Next time, maybe we can all get together for dinner?”

Charlene nodded, replying, “Sure.”

With personal matters out of the way, they switched to discussing business topics.

Granger also brought up his collaboration with Vernon Ross, and they found plenty to talk about. The meal turned out to be quite pleasant.

Previously, when he used Daisy as an excuse to meet Charlene, she mostly engaged with Daisy and barely acknowledged him. But now, even without Daisy around, they could have a proper conversation.

Granger could see that Charlene was beginning to let go of past grievances and was slowly accepting him. Although this acceptance wasn’t in the romantic sense, and they weren’t even quite friends yet, it was a significant improvement from before. After finishing their meal, Charlene and Granger parted ways.

Since moving out to live on her own, Charlene had been so busy with work that she hadn’t had time to shop for clothes in the past few months. With the change of seasons approaching, her wardrobe was looking sparse.

On Saturday, Charlene decided to go shopping.

After trying on clothes for over an hour and picking out some items for the Ross family, she took a seat on the couch to rest and wait for the cashier.

Just then, a voice called out from the entrance, “Cousin?”

Charlene turned her head and saw Janetta standing there.

Janetta was the daughter of Laverne Hawkins, only a few months younger than Charlene.

They used to play together all the time as kids and were very close. But after Charlene’s mother divorced Henley Hawkins, they rarely saw each other.

Their last meeting was three or four years ago. Back then, Thorne hadn’t met Vesta yet. Janetta, having heard about her uncle’s serious business troubles and imminent bankruptcy, had come all the way from her city to secretly give Charlene her savings to help out. Charlene smiled, greeting her, “It’s been a while.”

“It really has,” Janetta said, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Then, remembering something, she turned to Charlene with concern and asked, “Cousin, are you okay?”

с

Janetta knew about the complicated history between Charlene, Vesta, and Thorne.

She had heard that Charlene had loved Thorne for years, but he never reciprocated her feelings. Then, he was instantly captivated by Vesta upon meeting her.

Janetta knew firsthand how irresistibly attractive Vesta was to men. Over the years, she had seen countless men become infatuated with her.

Even Janetta’s high school crush had dated her just to get closer to Vesta.

But Vesta was undeniably talented and charming.

Losing the man you love to someone so exceptional, being unable to win him back, compounded by the issues between Maureen and Sybil, it was no wonder Charlene’s heart must be aching deeply.