Chapter 374 The Humiliation of Money
Gia paused for a moment before continuing, "Colin is the only son of the Rivera family. His marriage is crucial to our family's future. And you, while you're a nice girl, you don't match the status of the Rivera family. I hope you understand my intentions."
"Take this money and leave Colin, so we can all maintain our dignity. I gave you a chance before, but you were just putting on a show, deceiving me. Now, I don't like you anymore, and I can't accept a woman who was proposed to in public as my daughter-in-law. Caleb's proposal video is still online."
Gia's words cut Anna deeply, causing her pain. She instinctively clenched her dress, her eyes flashing with defiance.
She looked at Gia and said firmly, "Mrs. Rivera, you don't need to insult me with money. I'm not that greedy. The dessert shop Bella and I run now makes enough money for me. It's not extravagant, but it's sufficient. I don't want your money, and I don't want to solve our issues this way."
Gia's expression changed slightly; she hadn't expected Anna to reject her offer so directly.
Anna took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. She looked at Gia with a hint of sarcasm and said, "Mrs. Rivera, I thought this kind of drama only happened with evil mothers-in-law in TV shows. But I didn't expect you to act this way. However, I still believe that you're not that kind of person in my heart."
With that, Anna stood up and made a graceful gesture, "I hope you enjoy our desserts and welcome you to visit again. If you have anything else to say, you can always come to me. But please understand, I won't leave Colin for any reason."
As Anna took a step forward, Gia's voice rang out behind her, resolute and unwavering, "Don't think that by saying this, I'll compromise. Just consider me the evil mother-in-law from a TV show. If you think the money is too little, I can add more until you're satisfied."
Anna stopped in her tracks and turned around, her eyes revealing a mix of disappointment and helplessness.
She looked at Gia and said calmly and firmly, "Mrs. Rivera, you really misunderstood. I'm not negotiating with you, nor am I asking for money. My feelings for Colin can't be measured by money. I respect you as his mother and understand that you may have concerns about me. But please believe that I will prove myself through my actions."
But Gia was determined to use money to get rid of Anna, "You don't want to leave because the money isn't enough. Just tell me how much, and the Rivera family can afford it."
Anna's temper finally started to flare up. Her eyes burned with anger, and her voice rose, "I'll say it again, I don't want your money. Take it back!"
She had rarely faced such humiliation in her life. Especially from Gia, who had been so kind to her before, suddenly treating her this way made her feel incredibly angry and disappointed.
She couldn't understand why Gia had such a drastic change of heart. Was it just because Caleb had proposed to her?
Gia was taken aback by Anna's sudden outburst. She hadn't expected Anna to push back so directly and forcefully.
She looked at Anna, her eyes filled with shock and confusion, "You're talking to me like this? How can you be so rude? You know Colin is a flirt, right? If he dumps you, you won't get anything. Taking the money and leaving him is a win for you!"
Anna's face turned pale with anger. She couldn't believe Gia would say such things.
She clenched her fists tightly, trying to control her emotions, "Mrs. Rivera, what are you saying? What do you take Colin for? And what do you take me for?"
At this point, others in the shop noticed the argument. Isadora, Anna's friend, worried that Anna might be hurt, quickly stepped forward and stood in front of Anna, smiling at Gia, "Ma'am, what's going on? Let's talk calmly."
Hearing Isadora call her "Ma'am," Gia's lips curled into a pleased smile. She seemed quite satisfied with the title and showed a gentle smile, "I'm not trying to do anything. I'm just reasoning with Anna. You all go about your business."
Anna saw Gia's smile and, though still upset, understood that it was best not to escalate the situation further. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and signaled to the others not to intervene.
She wanted to handle this herself, as it was quite embarrassing, and she didn't want to continue the argument in front of everyone.
Isadora saw the determination in Anna's eyes and knew she had made up her mind. She gently patted Anna's shoulder to show comfort and support, then stepped back.
Isadora sighed and returned to the cash register. She couldn't help but worry about Anna, as the argument seemed quite serious.
"Bella, come out and take a look," Isadora called into the kitchen.
Bella was busy preparing ingredients. Hearing Isadora's call, she untied her apron and walked out, "What's going on? What happened?"
Isadora pointed to Anna and Gia, "It seems to be Colin's mom. Things are getting a bit unpleasant. Anna asked us not to interfere, but I'm still worried."
Bella thought for a moment and then said slowly, "If she asked us not to interfere, we shouldn't. She should be able to handle it. If we step in, Anna might feel awkward. If she really can't handle it, she'll call us."
Isadora nodded, agreeing with Bella's reasoning. They decided to give Anna some space to handle the situation herself.
Meanwhile, Anna and Gia were still at a standstill. Gia was clearly unhappy with Anna's attitude.
She pulled out another check, this time leaving the amount blank, "Fill it in yourself. Is this good enough? I don't want to reason with you anymore. You're really stubborn!"
Anna couldn't hold back any longer. Her words carried a hint of anger and sarcasm, "If I fill in a trillion dollars, can you afford it? Throwing money around to insult people, you're not the world's richest person. Can you be so arrogant just because you have some money? Come back when you've earned enough. By then, Colin and I might have a bunch of kids. What can you do about it?"
Gia's face turned pale with anger. She hadn't expected Anna to rebut her so directly and to humiliate her in such a way.
Gia put her hands on her hips, her tone defiant and challenging, "Fine, if you have the guts, go ahead and marry him."
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