The next morning, both Charlene and Thorne arrived at city hall right on schedule. The paperwork was processed without a hitch.


    Once the formalities werepleted, Charlene simply got into her car and drove straight to the office.


    News of their morning trip to city hall quickly reached Moran and Granger.


    "It''s about time," Moran remarked. "I never saw the point of them putting the divorce on hold anyway. They both clearly have other people in their lives now. It was always going to happen; dragging it out was pointless. As for Jasmine, I honestly think Charlene is the problem. If she really loved her daughter, she''d put the past behind her—especially since she''s found her own happiness—and let Jasmine have a peaceful rtionship with Vesta. Wouldn''t that be best for the kid?"


    Of course, Charlene and Stewart Ferguson weren''t actually dating, but Granger didn''t voice that detail.


    Hearing Moran me Charlene, Granger frowned. "Jasmine is her flesh and blood. Even if she... has moved on from Thorne and found her own happiness, watching her own child bond with the woman who destroyed her life is a tough pill to swallow. Put yourself in her shoes. I doubt you''d be that magnanimous either."


    Back when Granger couldn''t stand Charlene, he used to think Jasmine''s affection for Vesta was perfectly natural. Vesta was elegant, generous, and adored the kid. Why wouldn''t Jasmine be drawn to her?


    It was only after he forced himself to look at it from Charlene''s perspective that he realized Jasmine''s love for Vesta was the most brutal, agonizing betrayal a mother could experience.


    Anyone else in the world could be close to Vesta, but Jasmine shouldn''t be.


    But Jasmine wasn''t his child, and Thorne clearly permitted the bond. Furthermore, Vesta truly was wonderful to the girl. Since Thorne and Vesta were inevitably going to get married, Vesta would be a permanent fixture in Jasmine''s life-likely spending more time with her than Charlene ever would. Would it really be right for Granger to advise Thorne to keep them apart?


    Moran blinked, clearly taken aback by Granger''s defense.


    Thinking it over, if his own daughter started cozying up to the man his wife had cheated on him with, he''d probably lose his mind. Finding the grace to just ''let it go'' would be near impossible.


    Still...


    Moran couldn''t fully shake his bias. He scoffed, "If Jasmine doesn''t want to be close to Charlene, isn''t that Charlene''s own fault for being so insufferable?"


    "Enough, Moran." There were things about Charlene that Granger wasn''t at liberty to disclose, so he kept it brief. "She raised Jasmine


    single-handedly for the first


    years of her life objective


    speaking, as a mother, her


    conscience is perfectly clear."


    Moran choked on his words.


    He had obviously noticed Granger taking Charlene''s side. But ever since the PrimeStar partnership began, Granger''s opinion of her


    seemed to have drastically


    improved. Moran didn''t read too deeply into it.


    Besides, he had to admit Granger made a fair point.


    Naturally, the Hawkins and Spencer families also received the news that the divorce proceedings were officially back on track.


    They were ecstatic, though hardly surprised. They had all predicted Thorne would make this move.


    "Let''s hope it actually goes through this time," Rhoda prayed.


    "Amen to that."


    ...


    That afternoon, Charlene and Gaylord went to meet Andie for their scheduled project update.


    When they walked into the conference room, they found Thorne already sitting there.


    During their brief encounter at city hall that morning, they had exchanged curt nods and barely spoken a word.


    Now, sitting across from each other


    discussing the logistics of the


    coboration, theirmon


    was wless. Looking at them,. bystander would never guess they had just filed for divorce mere hours. ago.