Chapter 197 Diamond Necklace
Bella saw the tears in Anna's eyes and timely said, "Mr. Hayes, we'll be leaving now."
But Caleb gently grabbed Anna's arm and said softly, "Anna."
Anna shook her head at Bella, who immediately understood and stepped away to give them some privacy.
"Mr. Hayes, do you have any other business? I apologize on behalf of my mom, and I hope you won't take it to heart," Anna said with dignity.
Caleb sighed lightly, "Anna, do we really need to talk like this?"
Anna looked at him calmly, "Yes, otherwise what else would Mr. Hayes like to say? It seems there's nothing left to discuss between us."
Suddenly, Caleb handed Anna a gift box, "This is a gift for you."
Anna looked at the exquisitely wrapped gift box and found it laughable.
She used to buy gifts for Caleb without a second thought, and now he was using the same method to humiliate her?
"My family may be bankrupt and unable to afford jewelry, but I won't accept your charity. You don't owe me anything; after all, you returned everything when we broke up," Anna said, finding the gift box glaring.
Caleb said helplessly, "Anna, just take it. It's just a necklace."
"I just thought this necklace would suit you, that's all," Caleb said gently and calmly. After speaking, he stuffed the necklace into Anna's hands.
Anna looked at the gift box in her hands, a bit stunned, then forcefully threw it to the ground.
"Caleb, are you here to show off? You dumped me as soon as my family went bankrupt, used me as a tool, and now you're with someone rich? Or do you no longer need me as a tool and came back to flaunt it?" Anna said, her emotions running high.
Caleb looked at the agitated Anna, utterly helpless.
"I never saw you as a tool. Don't misunderstand. I just thought this necklace would suit you, that's all," Caleb's words deflated Anna again.
She didn't understand what Caleb meant, but she knew she didn't want to see him, reject him, or accept anything from him.
Anna tried to calm herself down, "Caleb, whatever your intentions are now, don't appear in front of me again."
After saying that, Anna turned and walked towards Bella, while Caleb watched her with a complex expression, unsure of what he was thinking.
Not long after, Anna received a package. When she opened it, it was the same necklace gift box Caleb had given her at the mall.
Anna almost threw it out, but Bella stopped her, "What does Caleb mean by this? Is he just trying to give you a gift, or does he have other intentions? Does he want to get back together?"
Anna sneered, "Get back together? Do you think he deserves to get back together with me? I've never been a forgiving person."
Bella smiled, "Really? Then why do you act so unlike yourself every time you see Caleb?"
Bella's words made Anna sigh. She didn't know why, but every time she faced Caleb, she became irritable and angry.
It was as if she had a defense mechanism that automatically activated whenever she saw Caleb, and her aggressive behavior was her way of protecting herself.
Anna didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Caleb or let him see her current life, but that was the unchangeable reality she faced.
Anna looked at the gift box in her hands. When she opened it, she saw a beautiful diamond necklace with a starry sky theme.
Anna's family used to be in the jewelry business, so she could tell at a glance that the diamond was valuable.
But now, looking at the troublesome necklace, she didn't know what to do.
Suddenly, Qiana came over and snatched the necklace from her hands, her eyes shining, "This necklace is beautiful. Did Caleb give it to you? If you don't like it, you can give it to me."
Anna immediately tried to grab it back, but Qiana protected it fiercely, "You don't like wearing these anyway, so why not give it to me?"
Anna exploded, "No, I need to return it to him. Give me the necklace."
Qiana, holding the necklace in front of her chest, said dismissively, "Are you stupid? He gave it to you, and you still want to return it?"
Anna, exasperated, tried to reason with Qiana, "Do you really want something he gave out of charity? He'll look down on you, don't you know that?"
Qiana, unconcerned, said, "Who cares? He dumped you, so he should compensate you. Stop clinging to your ridiculous pride. What's in your hand is what matters."
Anna felt like exploding, but Qiana quickly put the necklace around her neck.
"Mom, I really need to return this to Caleb. I can't accept his things. Give it back to me," Anna raised her voice, urging Qiana.
But Qiana, unfazed, said impatiently, "I know, I know. Let me wear it for a couple of days first. It's not urgent to return it right away."
With that, Qiana ignored Anna's protests, grabbed her bag, and left.
Anna, feeling helpless, paced around in frustration, wondering why she had a mom like Qiana.
Bella, watching from the side, was also speechless.
"What do I do now? My mom took the necklace. How can I return it to Caleb?" Anna was nearly in tears.
Bella thought for a moment and said, "Forget it for now. We don't know what Caleb wants. When your mom gets tired of it, you can sneak it out and return it to him."
Anna, feeling a headache, realized this was the only option. But having the necklace made her feel inferior, and she couldn't shake the discomfort.
This feeling persisted into the next day at work. She spent the entire morning in her office, listless and dejected, sighing countless times.
Colin's secretary had already reported Anna's state to him, and he immediately picked up the phone and called her to his office.
Already frustrated, Anna received Colin's call and had to adjust her mood before heading upstairs.
Seeing Anna's pale face, Colin put down his documents and asked gently, "What's wrong? Trouble at work?"
Facing Colin's question, Anna couldn't vent her anger and just said dejectedly, "No."
Colin pointed to a chair, "Sit."
Anna slumped into the chair, still thinking about returning the necklace to Caleb.
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