Chapter 924 Thanks But No Thanks
“Natalie?” The word flashed across Olivia’s mind, but she didn’t give it much thought. Instead, she nodded with an elegant smile. “Muse, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other. Therefore, I wanted to drop by to catch up and talk about the good old days,” Olivia casually remarked without revealing her true objective.
“As I’ve sprained my ankles, I wonder if it’s convenient for us to talk inside?”
“Sure, please come in, Ms. Jones.”
Olivia limped into Anna’s apartment with the help of her crutches.
Upon entering the apartment and scrutinizing the decor, she noticed that the room was filled with baby products.
Recalling the news that she had previously received, a contemptuous glint flashed in her eye.
Back then, she had lowered herself to invite Anna to design for Farrington Jewelry. Unfortunately, the latter wasn’t appreciative and turned her down with the excuse that she wasn’t interested in working with any jewelry companies. Not long after that, Muse disappeared without a trace.
Initially, Olivia assumed that Muse had retired or was improving herself. It never crossed her mind that Anna ended up marrying a country bumpkin. The man was both egoistic and had low self-esteem. Not only did he ignore his family, but he was also a gambling addict. Moreover, he would give her a beating whenever his temper flared.
If only Anna had worked with Farrington Jewelry back then, she wouldn’t have fallen into such a terrible predicament.
Even though Anna was oblivious to Olivia’s thoughts, she could sense the cold haughtiness the latter emitted from the eye contact they made.
“Ms. Jones, have some coffee.”
“Thank you.”
Both of them took their seats opposite each other.
After taking a sip, Olivia kicked off the conversation with an expressionless tone. “Before I came, I actually did some digging into your past over the last two years.”
“Ms. Jones, what are you…” Even though Anna knew that conducting a background check wasn’t difficult for someone who ran Farrington Jewelry, she still felt unsettled over having her past revealed that way.
“Muse, I’m doing this out of concern for you.” Olivia continued, “I didn’t expect you to have suffered so much over the last few years. It’s my fault for not showing enough concern. If only I had known earlier, I would definitely have helped you no matter what.”
“Help?” Anna asked.
“That man will only drag you down and burden you!” Olivia assumed that Anna, trapped in despair, was waiting to be rescued. Thus, she took the liberty to suggest, “You’re still young at thirty-one this year. Given your fame as the mysterious designer, Muse, you can have any man you fancy.”
She continued, “As a result, I’ll hire the best divorce lawyer in Yaleview to help you secure all your assets in court. As for your child, who will be nothing but a burden, you should give him custody of it. As long as you focus your creative energy on your designs, I’m confident that you can quickly leave the nightmare of the last two years behind.”
Unknown to Olivia, Anna’s expression had gradually darkened.
It was true that she had suffered over the last two years.
Thinking back, she realized it was too simplistic for Olivia to judge it that way.
After all, despite how her marriage with Caleb fell apart in the end, both of them did share many loving memories.
Regardless of all Caleb’s fault, he did have a healthy and adorable baby with her.
To her, the child wasn’t a burden but a blessing from God instead.
Unfortunately, Olivia had painted a grim picture of her experience with a broad brush stroke.
Even though Olivia claimed that her criticism was borne out of concern, all she was trying to do was win Anna over with her sympathy. In truth, she didn’t take Anna’s interest into consideration at all.
“I will go through the divorce, while the lawyer will help me obtain custody of my child. As for designing, I’ll be starting from scratch again.” With a frosty look in her eye, Anna added, “However, there’s no need for you to concern yourself with any of that.”
“Muse, I’m doing this for your own good.”
“I don’t want to repeat myself. Thank you.” Anna kept her distance from Olivia.
Despite feeling awkward from being rebuffed, Olivia refused to give up on her plan to recruit Muse.
“Muse, have you thought about how you’re going to present your new designs? Or will you be retaining your creative concepts of the past? Anyway, I still hope to invite you to work with Farrington Jewelry.”
