Chapter 230 Where are you staying now?

Chapter 230: Chapter 230 Where are you staying now?

By the time lunch arrived, Daisy had become a little more comfortable at the laboratory.

The morning had passed more quickly than she expected. Between checking the test results, discussing the product formula with her coworkers and helping Ace organize some of the reports, she had barely found time to think about anything outside work.

Perhaps that was a good thing.

When the staff finally gathered in the dining area for lunch, Daisy sat with Ace, Mona and a few of their other coworkers.

The conversation initially revolved around the upcoming product tests, with Ace explaining his concerns about one of the results while Mona listened with an expression that suggested she had already heard him complain about the same thing twice that morning.

"Ace, you’re thinking about the formula again, aren’t you?" Mona asked, putting a spoonful of food into her mouth.

"I’m thinking about the possibility of another failed test," he said.

"Which means you’re thinking about the formula again," Mona said with a knowing smile.

"That’s literally what I just said," Ace said, looking at her with a neutral smile.

Mona rolled her eyes, and Daisy covered her mouth to hide her silent laugh.

Ace noticed.

"Don’t encourage her, Daisy. She’ll become unbearable."

Mona immediately turned toward Daisy with an offended expression. "Did you hear that? This is how he treats the people who care about him."

Daisy shook her head, smiling as she returned to her lunch.

For a little while, everything felt ordinary. They joked about work, exchanged opinions about the food and complained about how quickly the lunch break seemed to disappear whenever they were enjoying themselves.

Then, while everyone was talking, Mona noticed that Daisy had become unusually thoughtful.

She had been smiling a moment earlier but now she was looking down at her plate, moving a piece of food around with her spoon without seeming particularly interested in eating it.

Mona tilted her head.

"Daisy, is everything okay? You’ve been a little distracted today."

Daisy looked up.

The question caught her off guard and she paused with her spoon in her hand.

For a moment, she considered simply smiling and pretending nothing was wrong.

She had become accustomed to keeping her personal troubles to herself, especially around people who weren’t directly involved in her life.

It was easier that way. The fewer people who knew about her problems, the fewer explanations she had to give.

But Mona and Ace weren’t strangers anymore.

Over the past few weeks, she had grown comfortable around them.

They included her in their conversations, helped her when she was unfamiliar with something at work, and never made her feel awkward about communicating through her phone. Even when she couldn’t participate in a conversation as quickly as everyone else, they made an effort to include her.

Daisy didn’t want to keep such a significant change in her life hidden from them.

She set down her spoon, reached for her phone and opened their chat.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds before she finally typed.

Daisy: Cedric and I got divorced yesterday.

She turned the screen toward them.

Mona leaned closer to read the message. The moment she understood it, her eyes widened.

"Wait. You’re divorced?"

Ace stopped halfway through a bite of food.

"Hold on. You mean it’s official now?"

Daisy nodded.

Both of them stared at her for a moment, their surprise evident. It wasn’t that they didn’t understand why someone might get divorced but the news had come so suddenly that neither knew what to say first.

Mona was the first to recover.

"Oh, Daisy..."

Her expression softened as she reached across the table and gently touched Daisy’s hand.

"Honestly, I think this might be for the best."

She didn’t say it with excitement or treat the divorce as something to celebrate. Her voice was warm and sincere, without a trace of pity.

"You deserve to be happy, Daisy. And you deserve to feel comfortable in your own life. If that marriage was making you unhappy, then I think you made the right decision."

Daisy looked at her quietly.

Those words touched a part of her that she hadn’t realized was still waiting for reassurance.

Even after everything that had happened, a small part of her had continued wondering whether she had acted too quickly, whether she should have tried harder or whether leaving her marriage meant she had somehow failed.

She knew why she had made her decision. She knew she couldn’t keep living the way she had been living.

But knowing something was right and feeling completely at peace with it were two different things.

Ace put down his fork and nodded.

"Mona’s right. It’s probably going to take some time to adjust, especially after such a big change. But that doesn’t mean you made the wrong decision."

He paused, searching for the right words.

"You have a chance to figure out what you want now. You can focus on yourself, your work, your future... all those things. You don’t have to make every decision around another person anymore."

Daisy’s fingers curled slightly around her phone.

She looked from Ace to Mona, taking in their earnest expressions.

Neither of them demanded to know what had happened between her and Cedric. Neither asked who had initiated the divorce or whether there had been someone else involved. They didn’t try to satisfy their curiosity by asking questions she might not be ready to answer.

They simply offered her their support.

For that, Daisy was grateful.

A small smile appeared on her face. She nodded and typed a short message.

Daisy: Thank you. It means a lot to me.

Mona read it and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"Of course. You don’t have to explain everything to us, okay? Just know that we’re here."

Ace nodded. "And if anyone at work bothers you about it, let me know."

Mona looked at him. "What exactly are you planning to do?"

"Nothing," Ace said casually.

"Your face says otherwise," Mona said, looking at his face with a knowing expression.

"My face says I would like to finish my lunch in peace," Ace said with an innocent expression.

Daisy’s shoulders shook with silent laughter.

"See?" Mona said, pointing toward her. "At least someone appreciates my company."

Ace sighed loudly, and Daisy smiled even more.

After a moment, Mona’s expression turned thoughtful.

"By the way, where are you staying now? Are you living with someone?"