Chapter 5 Invitation

Anna allowed herself a rare luxury: sleeping in.

This was partly a result of her late night, but more significantly, she was no longer bound by the demanding routine of sourcing the freshest ingredients at dawn or preparing an elaborate, multi-course breakfast for Ethan.

Content with a simple bag of instant noodles, Anna satisfied her hunger. Afterward, she visited the bank and wrote a check for 1,405,537, clearly marking it for medical expenses.

Leaving the bank, Anna headed to Puma Coffee, where she arranged dinner with her close friend, Lucy Goldberg.

Since marrying, Anna had effectively severed ties with her classmates and friends, dedicating herself entirely to her role as a dutiful wife in the Smith household. It had been three years since she last saw Lucy.

Reflecting on those years, Anna felt a pang of regret for the opportunities she'd missed and the time she'd lost.

Anna settled into her reserved seat, awaiting Lucy's arrival.

Lucy currently worked as a vocal coach at a reputable training center in New York City. Anna suspected the dinner invitation was not only to reconnect but also potentially to offer job leads.

As expected, Lucy soon subtly guided the conversation toward the possibility of Anna teaching piano at the school.

"Thank you, Lucy," Anna responded with a lighthearted smile and a dismissive wave. "But I've sworn off the piano. I've already found a different path."

"Really?" Lucy inquired, her curiosity piqued. "Perhaps a jewelry design firm? It would be a natural fit!"

Anna waved her hand again. "No. I didn't even finish college, and those companies have strict requirements."

"But it's hard to find jobs without qualifications these days!" Lucy murmured, before passionately defending Anna. "Ethan Smith is such a rat! He cheated on you, and you left with next to nothing. If I hadn't extracted those millions from him, I'd feel like I let you wasted years for nothing!"

Anna stifled a laugh. Just then, her phone signaled the arrival of a new message.

"It must be from Ethan! Let me have him!"

Anna opened the message. It wasn't from Ethan.

As she replied, she said to Lucy, "I don't have concrete proof that Ethan cheated, really..."

Whether or not Ethan had been physically unfaithful, his heart had clearly betrayed her, even to the point of abandoning his own child.

Thinking of the baby who only survived for two months in her womb, before being killed by his own father, Anna's expression hardened.

"I just want to escape Ethan, and my old life."

"So?" "So?"

"So, I applied here."

Anna sent Lucy a link. Seeing Anna's excited expression, Lucy assumed it was a great job, but upon clicking the link, she found-

"A Juvenile Detention Center?"

Lucy's expression darkened, but Anna's face remained bright.

Lucy's lunch break was limited, and the two women parted ways after their short, rushed visit. Anna returned to her residence, but instead of going inside, she retrieved an envelope from the building's package locker.

At that moment, another message arrived, this time from Ethan.

It contained no text, only a photo: a picture of shredded paper scattered across the floor.

The photo was taken in the Smith Group's CEO's office.

Ethan sank into his chair, gripping the edge of his desk. The torn divorce agreement, which he had ripped apart with his own hands, lay at his feet.

"Mr. Smith, all the stomach medicine I could find is here..." Oscar stammered, only to witness Ethan sweep the medications off the desk.

"It's useless. The more I take, the worse it gets." Ethan clutched his stomach, sweat beading on his forehead.

He hadn't had his traditional medicine in days, and his stomach was rebelling. The sight of the divorce agreement Anna had sent that morning had only intensified the pain.

Oscar watched Ethan with growing concern.

The traditional medicine that Ethan needed was a special recipe from an old doctor. Only Anna knew the exact proportions, heating techniques, and brewing time, and she always prepared it herself.

"Mr. Smith, what if... I call Miss Anna?"

Oscar asked hesitantly, only to be met with a sharp glare from Ethan.

"What did you call her? Anna?"

"Miss Anna!" Oscar was confused.

Everyone around Ethan referred to Anna as "Miss Anna."

It was in that moment that Ethan realized that Anna had been "Miss Anna," and not "Mrs. Smith," for the entire three years of their marriage.

Ethan reached for his phone, curious about Anna's reaction to the shredded divorce agreement. Anna didn't call back, but Becca did.

Late in the evening, Anna arrived alone at the extravagant Violet Hall in New York City.

She had carefully chosen her outfit.

The blue Chanel-style suit was a statement piece from her pre-marriage wardrobe.

The doorman greeted Anna with a polite smile, which she returned. As she reached for her purse, she heard a voice she'd hoped to avoid.

"Miss Anna, what a surprise! What brings you here?"

Anna turned to see Becca approaching with her two closest friends.

Becca was meticulously dressed in a pink, fairytale-like dress, her pink diamond necklace catching the light.

"Becca, who is this? A friend?" Emily Giveon eyed Anna. "Is she here for the FY celebration?"

"Impossible," Priscilla Scott scoffed. "FY is a high-end luxury, international brand. They invite all the elite. Look at what she's wearing... She's probably a delivery person!"

Anna observed Becca and her friends, realizing they had been aware of her identity all along.

"Emily, Priscilla, don't be rude to Miss Anna..." Becca began, feigning generosity, "I heard from Ethan that Miss Anna married right after college and spent years as a housewife. She mostly wore an apron and rarely went anywhere besides the market, so she never had the chance. It's understandable she's unsophisticated and lacks a sense of fashion, unlike designers like us at FY."

"You work at FY?"

Seeing Anna's apparent surprise, Becca proudly presented her business card.

"Becca is a rising star in the jewelry design world. FY's HR department is really optimistic about her."

"You're just a housewife, do you even know what HR means?" Anna glanced at Becca's business card: "FY Jewelry Design Department Intern."

Amidst the taunts of Emily and Priscilla, Becca expected Anna to be humbled by the business card, but Anna simply smiled.

"Well, you're excellent."

Emily immediately rolled her eyes. "Why are you pretending to be so calm? You must be jealous of Becca!"

Seeing Anna turn to enter the building, Priscilla shouted, "Delivery people can't go that way."

Becca covered her mouth and giggled. She and her friends squeezed through, forcing Anna aside.

"See? You need an invitation to get in." Emily showed her invitation, allowing Becca to pass first.

Becca carefully lifted her pink dress and walked in like a princess, holding her head high and puffing her chest.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, your invitation only allows you to go through the employee entrance," the waiter stopped Becca.

Becca flushed with embarrassment, but Emily and Priscilla quickly spoke up, "Becca is an FY employee!"

"That's right, it's better to use the employee entrance than to not be able to get in at all."

Becca and the other two finally made way. Anna again approached the VIP entrance, withdrew an envelope from her purse, and handed it to the waiter.

The waiter's eyes widened, and his smile became even more respectful.

"Miss Anna, this way, please..."

Under the shocked gaze of Becca and her two friends, Anna entered the auditorium through the VIP passage.