Chapter 287

Chapter 287
Noreen didn’t wake up until noon the next day.
Her mind was still foggy when she heard noise outside the bedroom–someone was definitely up to something in the kitchen.
She started to get out of bed to check, but the moment her feet hit the floor and she tried to stand, a sharp ache shot up from her thighs, sending her crashing right back down onto the mattress. Latest content publıshed on.net
Her lower back felt weak and sore too, as if she’d been run over by a truck–every muscle in her body throbbed with pain.
Her head was pounding, and she was still unbelievably groggy.
It took a long moment before she finally felt awake enough to move. Bracing herself with a hand on her back, she slowly made her way out of the bedroom.
In the kitchen, Sophia seemed to be on the phone with someone. “How much orange peel do I add? About a teaspoon? Got it.” She paused, listening. “The beans are soft already… Okay, so turn the heat down now? Will do.”
Hearing movement behind her, Sophia turned and spotted Noreen. “My boss just woke up, I’ll call you later, Mom,” she said, then hung up.
She looked over at Noreen and explained, “I was asking my mom for her recipe for a hangover soup. It’s almost ready–just give me a minute.”
Noreen, feeling like she had no strength left in her body, slid into a chair at the dining table.
Sophia soon brought over a steaming bowl of soup. “Careful, it’s hot. Let it cool a bit before you drink. Seriously, how much did you have last night? I’ve never seen you actually get drunk before.”
Sophia’s surprise was understandable. Since she’d known Noreen, she’d never once seen her drunk–not even that one time Noreen drank herself into a stomach ulcer.
Noreen massaged her temples, exhaustion written all over her face. “I honestly don’t know. I didn’t even drink that much, but I blacked out.”
That almost never happened. Sure, back when she first started going out for drinks, she’d gotten sick or tipsy, but never to the point of losing her memory.
She could only vaguely remember leaving the private booth, getting ready to call Sophia to come pick her up… and then nothing.
“The more I try to remember, the worse my headache gets,” Noreen muttered.
“Come on, drink the soup. It’ll help. Careful, it’s still hot,” Sophia urged.
The hangover soup actually did help–after half a bowl, Noreen felt a bit steadier.
“Where did you learn to make this?” she asked.
“My mom,” Sophia replied, smiling. “That’s who I was just calling.”
Noreen let out a soft “Oh.”
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Chapter 287
Sophia glanced at her. “What’s wrong? Does it taste weird?”
Noreen shook her head. “No, it’s just… the flavor seems really familiar.”
She almost said that it tasted a lot like the hangover soup Seth used to make for her. Back when she drank too much, he’d always be the one to take care of her, brewing up a pot of soup just like this.
Once she built up her tolerance, she hadn’t needed him to do that for her anymore–but she’d never forgotten the taste.
The only real difference was that Sophia’s version had a more pronounced orange peel flavor. Noreen had never been a fan of that, so Seth would always use less when he made it.
“Don’t all hangover soups taste the same?” Sophia said with a shrug.
Noreen’s expression turned a little wistful. “Yeah, I suppose they do. ”
With her headache easing, Noreen got up to wash her face. The splash of cold water chased away the last traces of her hangover.
Suddenly, flashes of memory flickered through her mind.
Take it easy…
Why are you looking for your phone?
To transfer money.
Noreen’s head snapped up as she stared at her own reflection, trying hard to piece together what had happened. But aside from those fleeting fragments, everything else was a blur.
One thing was certain: she’d slept with someone last night.
Was it one of the club’s models?
She couldn’t be sure–just that whoever it was, he’d had a pretty nice body.
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