I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 61

Nora Newman brushed it off, returning her focus to the data sheets on her desk.

Her phone vibrated.

A message from Bonnie Harrison popped up. Nora's expression instantly softened.

She opened the chat and tapped the voice message. "Nora, Nora, when are you coming to see me?" the little girl's sweet voice rang through her earphones. "I haven't seen you in days!"

Nora smiled. Bonnie had a habit of dragging out her name, making it sound so sweet that it instantly lifted her mood.

"How about the day after tomorrow? I have some errands tomorrow," she replied.

Bonnie replied instantly, as if she had been hugging her phone waiting. "Yay! It's the weekend, so we can go out and play!"

"Yeah, we can hit the WonderWorld Theme Park."

Bonnie sent a flurry of stickers—a bunny spinning in circles before exploding into fireworks.

Nora stared at the screen for a long time before putting her phone down, her lips still curled upward.

She began planning a trip to the mall to buy gifts for Bonnie. The little girl had surprised her with so many things for her birthday a few days ago, and even Xander Harrison had prepared a present.

Regardless of the situation, she needed to return the favor.

Opening her browser to search for gift ideas, her finger instinctively tapped her social media app first. The feed refreshed, bringing a new post to the top.

It was from Sienna Sullivan.

In the photo, Sienna and Seraphina Shaw were pressing their cheeks together, posing in a lavishly decorated restaurant.

They were beaming, Sienna's arm slung casually over Seraphina's shoulder as Seraphina leaned into her. They looked as close as lifelong best friends.

The caption read: "Happy birthday to my dearest Seraphina. Forever eighteen."

Nora's finger hovered over the screen. Her smile froze, and the joyous warmth in her chest plummeted. She exhaled a long breath, unable to untangle the knot of emotions tightening her throat.

She never minded Sienna having other friends. They went to different colleges, ran in different circles, and had their own lives. She understood and accepted all of that.

Nora had desperately wanted to believe her.

But this post laid the truth bare. She couldn't even lie to herself anymore. Sienna had the time, and she wasn't too busy. The harsh reality was that Nora just wasn't the person worth making time for.

She didn't want to drag this friendship out any longer. She was truly exhausted.

That fifty thousand dollars could serve as a parting gift for a bond that was already dead.

Nora stared blankly at the photo on her screen. They looked so happy. The candlelight from the birthday cake cast a warm glow over Seraphina's face.

The way Sienna rested her head on Seraphina's shoulder was exactly how she used to rest on Nora's back in college.

Brushing a stray tear from the corner of her eye, Nora tapped the screen and liked the post.

Sienna saw it almost immediately.

The moment the notification popped up, panic set in. She frantically opened the app and deleted the post, acting as if the phone had physically burned her.