"Do you really think she'd go that far?" Claudia asked.

Aurora countered, "I'm not sure, but it feels like Kayla is hell-bent on making your life miserable."

Claudia had no words. She was lost in thought.

Just as she pondered on her reply, Bennett entered the room.

“I'm going to take a shower," he said while glancing at her.

Claudia nodded and watched him head into the cloakroom. She looked back at her phone and realized she couldn't focus on her chat with Aurora anymore.

She then touched her cheek, only to find that it was warm. She quickly texted Aurora.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"It's barely past nine," Aurora retorted.

"I just got off work and you're going to bed already?"

She added, "The lives of married and single women are so different.

Good night!"

Claudia's cheeks reddened even more after she saw Aurora's message.

She picked an emoji to reply with and put her phone on the nightstand.

She decided she needed sleep and lay down in bed.

After lying in bed for a while, Claudia reached for her phone and opened Google.

She typed two words, but a wave of embarrassment made her erase them immediately.

Switching to Twitter, she planned to distract herself by indulging in gossip.

However, the trending topics left her underwhelmed. She logged out and, on a whim, opened a novel Aurora had sent her.

Though classified as a romance novel, the book had its fair share of tantalizing moments.

The characters captivated her. The hero, a rugged construction worker, and the heroine, a sweet girl, created an irresistible dynamic.

While the storyline wasn't groundbreaking, Claudia found herself engrossed.

At first, she had only wanted to pass the time, but she soon lost herself in the narrative. She didn't even notice when Bennett emerged from the bathroom.

The book was surprisingly compelling.