CHAPTER FORTY FOUR – A NEW ROOMMATE

The next few days blurred together in a dizzying haze of online listings, frantic phone calls to friends, and an endless merry-go-round of apartment viewings. After repeated dead-ends and let-downs, each place seemed to come with a catches - out of her price range, or months-long waiting lists, or located in sketchy areas. Not to mention the impact this was all having on her art career. Important exhibitions and gallery openings loomed on the horizon - she needed to find a new home base, a private sanctuary to nurture her creativity and build her next collection. Claire's place was comfortable, but it simply couldn't serve as the sort of focused, inspirational environment Jasmine craved. She tried not to be ungrateful, reminding herself of how far she'd already come after hitting rock bottom last year. With relentless determination, Jasmine rebuilt herself from the ashes of her failed marriage into a self-assured, blossoming artist carving her niche. But now, with her home and