Unknown Divorce Revelation Beyond Time (Charlene and Thorne)

Gaylord Hearst frowned. "You mean you couldn't find out anything at all?"

"About her ex-husband? Not a single thing," his friend replied. "But I did pick up a few other bits and pieces. Apparently, she got married pretty young, but it seems things weren't great between her and her husband. None of the Ross family's neighbors ever saw him, and from what I gathered, the Ross family didn't like her ex at all. They don't even mention him if they can help it."

His friend paused for a moment before adding, "Also, they already have a child." Gaylord's head snapped up in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"It's true. I was shocked, too, when I heard there's just no way you'd guess it, right?"

He was right.

Gaylord had worked at PrimeStar Technologies for years, and not once had he ever heard Charlene Ross mention a child.

So, the fact that not only had she been married, but that she already had a kid- he really hadn't seen that coming.

Seeing the look on Gaylord's face, his friend hesitated. "You want me to keep going?"

He was really asking if Gaylord still cared-now that he knew Charlene had been married and had a child, did it matter to him? If it did, and Gaylord was planning to move on, there was no point digging deeper.

Gaylord stood there, silent.

He was the whole package, no doubt about it, but his love life always seemed to be one long, bumpy road. The first girl he liked fell for someone else halfway through his pursuit, and now, just as he was finally starting to care deeply for someone new, he discovered she'd already been married—and even had a child. Anyone would have a hard time swallowing that.

His friend let out a sigh, and when Gaylord didn't answer, he gave his shoulder an encouraging pat and turned to leave. Meanwhile, Charlene was still chatting with Turner, her laughter drifting over. Gaylord glanced in her direction, unable to look away from the way she carried herself in conversation.

A few seconds later, he squared his shoulders and said, firmly, “Whatever else you've got, go on-tell me."

His friend, who was already eyeing the crowd for someone else to chat up, was caught off guard. "Huh?"

When he realized what Gaylord meant, he stared at him, stunned. "No way. Seriously?"

Gaylord met his gaze, saying nothing.

His friend was silent for a long moment, about to respond, when Vesta Hawkins walked over and began chatting with the group in front of them.

Gaylord hesitated when he saw her.

His friend recognized Vesta, too. When she glanced his way, he gave a sheepish smile and greeted her, "Ms. Hawkins."

Vesta nodded, then looked over at Gaylord.

He gave her a brief nod in return, then turned away, putting his back to her.

Seeing this, his friend didn't try to make small talk, and asked instead, "Should I keep asking around? Honestly, there's not much left to tell, but I could get someone to dig a little deeper if you want."noveldrama

Gaylord shook his head. "That won't be necessary."

He was curious about Charlene's ex, but not obsessed. They were divorced now, and digging too much into the past didn't seem worth it. The only reason he'd asked was to get to know her a bit better, not to stage some kind of investigation.

His friend shrugged. "Alright then."

Vesta, seeing Gaylord's attitude, turned her attention elsewhere.

As soon as she arrived, Gaylord had looked over. To Leah Spencer, it seemed as

if Gaylord was watching Vesta's every move. She couldn't help but tease, "You know, sis, Mr. Hearst really has his eye on you."

Vesta said nothing.

The truth was, once she realized Charlene was actually quite capable, Vesta immediately thought of Gaylord. Given Charlene's looks and the poise she showed chatting with Turner, it wouldn't surprise her if Gaylord were drawn to her. Charlene was beautiful, and the confidence she radiated only made her more attractive. Someone like her definitely had her own brand of charm.

But when Vesta glanced over at Gaylord, she found him talking idly with his friend, not even paying attention to Charlene. Now, hearing Leah's comment, Vesta smiled and felt oddly reassured.

Just then, Granger Harden and Moran Albright finally arrived, apologizing to the host, "Sorry, something came up on the way. We're late."

"No worries, we're all friends here," the host replied warmly.

The moment Vesta saw Granger, her smile faded.

After greeting the host, Granger glanced around, his eyes landing on Charlene. He strode over to her without hesitation, as if she were the only person in the room. He didn't even seem to notice Vesta was there.

It was only when Moran nudged him that Granger looked over at Vesta and gave her a perfunctory nod.

Vesta caught every bit of this.

Leah, unaware of any of the tension, lit up when she saw Granger. "There's Granger! Let's go say hi-"

Her excitement died mid-sentence when she saw Granger heading straight for Charlene and Stewart Ferguson. She huffed, "Why is Granger always hanging out with them? So annoying."

It was true-Granger hadn't been around for a while.

As soon as he walked in, Gaylord's expression darkened. Seeing Granger make a beeline for Charlene, Gaylord turned and quietly made his way back to her side.