Chapter 265
Anna’s POV
For the past month, I’d been buried in work, flying to project sites all over the world.
During those rare quiet moments, my thoughts would drift to Blake and our pending divorce. Ieguldn’t understand why he was dragging this cut. We had på future together we were completely disconnected.
Sleep had become a luxury I could no longer afford. I’d jolt awake at midnight, staring at hotel ceilings, unable to fall back asleep.
My appetite had vanished, and my weight loss was becoming noticeable to colleagues. What started as acceptance had morphed into something uglier growing impatience that gnawed at me constantly.
I’d called Blake multiple times over the past weeks – dawn, midnight, it didn’t matter, Claire always answered with the same excuse. “Blake doesn’t want to talk to you.” At first, I pretended not to care, but my patience was wearing dangerously thin.
This morning at the EcoMarine Group office, I’d finally had enough. I was in an agitated state when I called again, this time aiming my frustration dedy at Claire.
“You and I need to be honest with each other. Don’t you want to be with Blake?” I asked, my voice unnaturally calm despite the storm inside me.
The melodic giggle that came through the speaker made my jaw clench. Claire’s voice was sickeningly sweet when she replied, “What kind of being together are you talking about? From where I stand, Blakey and I have never really been apart.”
That’s when it hit me – no matter when I called, Claire and Blake were always together. Was he deliberately putting her on the phone to torment me? Were they in this together, playing some sick game?
“You know what?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Fine. You can stay as his dirty little secret forever because I’m not divorcing him anymore.”
“Anna!” Claire’s voice rose sharply. “You can’t just decide not to divorce! On what grounds?”
“On the grounds that I’m his legally recognized wife,” I shot back. “Blake might as well be dead to me now. It makes no difference. The divorce isn’t so important anymore.”
‘It’s just a divorce agreement!” Claire’s voice was frantic now. “Come to Blake’s office tomorrow! We’ll have it ready for you!”
I suppressed a laugh. “What’s this? Are you that eager to get me divorced?”
‘Anna, don’t play dumb. You’re taking advantage of the situation!“/
“Sorry to disappoint, but I really don’t have time tomorrow.” I ended the call and tossed my phone onto my desk, my hands still trembling with anger.
I’d won the verbal sparring match, but the victory felt hollow. When had my marriage fallen so completely under Claire’s control? Was the divorce agreement already prepared and Claire was keeping it from me? Or was she lying altogether?
My phone buzzed again. The screen simply displayed “Wright.” I’d changed his contact name a while back, unsure what to call him anymore.
“Anna!” Claire started the moment I answered.
“Claire,” I cut her off, my fingertips drumming against the desk. I could hear the urgency in her voice–she was more desperate than I was. Good.
“Blake and I aren’t divorced yet because you’re not trying hard enough,” I said coolly. “From now on, call me every day to schedule a meeting. If I have time, I might see you.”
A knock at my office door interrupted us. “Anna, preparations are complete. We can head to the project site now,” my colleague called through the door
I nodded, ending the call without saying goodbye. As I stood, darkness suddenly clouded my vision. Someone caught my arm as I swayed.
‘I’m fine, I insisted, blinking hard. Just got up too quickly.”
1/3
Chapter 265
In the car heading to the site, I called Monica Jones. She’d been pestering me to get a medical check up for weeks. I’d been putting it off, but my sending increasingly alarming signals that I couldn’t ignores anymore.
“Monica? Yes, it’s Anna,” I said when she answered. “About that check–up you’ve been nagging me about… I think Em ready to schedule it–
Two days earlier, I’d been forced to rest in my Back Bay apartment due to my deteriorating health. The constant travel and stress had finally caught up with
That’s when Daniel called with news that Caroline had been looking for me. Apparently, she’d visited the company twice, seemingly urgent to find me.
By the next sunny afternoon, I decided to end BlueWave Technologies.
and deal with whatever Caroline wanted. I headed to my rarely–used office at the top floor of
Despite my infrequent presence, the office was immaculate. When I pushed open the door, a subtle fragrance greeted me.
Ms. Anderson, I thought you might enjoy this scent. I had it specially prepared. Is it to your liking?” Daniel asked eagerly.
“Daniel, thank you, but please have someone change the fragrance later,” I said. Taking a deep breath left me oddly uncomfortable–the scent was too similar to Blake’s cologne.
Daniel looked surprised, clearly not expecting my response. I suspected he might have noticed this scent on me before. Without another word, he left to get Caroline from the waiting room.
When Caroline entered, I noticed immediately how her demeanor toward me had changed. She carried herself differently, with more deference than before.
I pulled a file folder from my drawer and slid it across the desk to her.
“Daniel tells me you’ve been attending environmental summit meetings lately,” I said casually. “Finding them interesting?*
Caroline picked up the folder, her hands never pausing. “Very interesting. Young people sharing the latest trends in ocean conservation. I heard you’ll be working with the Price family soon? This summit involved several major environmental organizations. I’ve gained some insights.”
I smiled inwardly. Caroline wasn’t satisfied with her current project; she was already eyeing other opportunities.
‘Is that so?” I smiled gently. “From what I understand, those summits rotate the same presentations every year. The speakers just take turns, and most of their content is probably available online. Didn’t I once take you to a BlueWave project department meeting? Lost interest already?”
“No, of course not!” Caroline stammered. “It’s just that Rebecca, the project manager-”
She stopped mid–sentence as a check slipped out of the folder she’d opened. Her eyes widened.
“Anna… this… is this five hundred thousand for me?” she asked, disbelief etched across her face as she held the check.
I maintained my smile until my face felt stiff. “Let’s not waste time. Daniel says you’ve been looking for me, and I imagine it’s about money. This half million is from me personally. Use it for living expenses or tell Rebecca you want to be a sponsor. Though I rarely involve myself in company matters, I do care about your situation. I want to help you hold your head high among employees because you represent me. If you’re broke, people will disrespect both you and me. Use this money to invest; there’ll be more from the project completion in a month. Your profit is yours to keep. This way, they’ll understand that the one who provides the money is the boss.”
Caroline forced a smile. “Anna, what are you saying? I… I just missed you.”
The check disappeared into her purse in the blink of an eye.
“Blake and I are about to divorce,” I said with a cold smile. “You don’t need to pretend we’re family anymore.”