Beyond the Divorce

Chapter 8 Unexpected Company

I forced myself out of bed the following day. The dark circles around my eyes were horrible, and Matthew noticed them. He asked in surprise, “

The following day, I forced myself out of bed. My dark circles were horrible.

Matthew saw my haggard face and asked in surprise, “Are you sick, Coco? Why do you look so pale?”

“You kept me up all night,” I retorted, not in the mood for pleasantries.

He was stunned but hugged me with a shy grin. “No more drinking for you. Exercise is better instead since it helps with sleep.”

I heard his words. I rushed to the bathroom,

back. “What’s wrong with

him away and lied, “It’s nothing. I just didn’t sleep well. You should take

“Then get some sleep while I send Ava to school. If you don’t feel well, just call me,

listened to my husband and daughter’s chatter get softer as they left. Finally, they closed the door behind them, and I left the bed to

to how it was before. Afterward, I changed into my jeans and t-shirt and tied my hair into a ponytail before slipping on

strategic spot facing the entrance. I knew it was foolish, but I thought it was the

because I overlooked one crucial detail. He often used the underground parking,

this on

as I thought I was at a loss, I saw Matthew hurrying out of the building with his phone. He seemed to be talking on the phone as he headed toward Crowne Square. My

leave in his car, so I knew he wasn’t going far. He crossed the road at an intersection ahead and entered a cafe with quaint decorations and an elegant

in the surrounding commercial district to hang out and

someone there and glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows,