Chapter 13
Nora, wearing an exquisite white cashmere coat, looked gentle and elegant, her ears adorned with Australian white pearls.
Just her shawl around her neck was worth tens of thousands. The saleswoman quickly approached her. “Mrs. Sterling, is Mr. Sterling not accompanying you to select jewelry today?”
“Mrs. Sterling, we’ve received the latest arrivals. Each piece is suitable for you.
“Mrs. Sterling, the jade you asked me to hold for you has arrived. You should try it on; it will complement your complexion beautifully.
The saleswomen addressed her as “Mrs. Sterling” one after another, and Nora looked at Aveline with a triumphant smile, declaring her victory.
Everyone knew that Alexander doted on her like a treasure, but they didn’t realize that Aveline was the
one he had married officially
Aveline’s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into fists. Why did she have to meet the person she least
wanted to see at her most miserable moment?
Nora gently asked, “Selling such high–quality rings for cash might lead to a significant loss.”
Aveline reached out and took the ring box. Her face turned ashen. “I’m not selling it.”
“Not selling it? What a pity. I quite like this ring, and considering our previous meeting, I was willing to pay a high price for it. Miss Blackwood, aren’t you short of money?”
The way Nora said this made Aveline realize that Nora had exploited her weakness.
The saleswomen around tried to persuade her, “Miss, this is Mr. Sterling’s fiancee, so Miss Blackwood, you can be sure she will give you a good price. You won’t even have to go through our usual process to get the money.”
The repeated use of “Mrs. Sterling” was truly ironic. She had once sworn to herself that she wouldn’t get a divorce, but a year later, she had become the talk of the town. Aveline felt that her marriage to Alexander
had turned into a calculated farce.
Seeing Aveline hesitate, Nora approached her with a smiling face. “Miss Blackwood, why don’t you name your price?”
Chapter 13
The smug look on Nora’s face was disgusting. Aveline’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not selling it.”
However, Nora wouldn’t give up. “Aveline, you’re already at your wits end. Do you really need to hold onto your dignity? If I were you, I’d let it go. Has no one told you that clinging desperately looks quite pitiful?”
“Nora, your words are truly amusing. If you’re so fond of taking things, why don’t you go rob a bank?”
As the two women argued, the ring flew out of the box, arcing through the air, and landed on the ground with a “ding.”
Aveline quickly moved to retrieve it, but the ring rolled to a pair of exquisitely crafted leather shoes by
the door.
She bent down to pick it up, and a drop of rain fell on her neck, sending a chilling shiver down her spine.
Aveline raised her head slowly, meeting the cold, heartless eyes of Alexander. He still held the black umbrella, with raindrops falling gently from the curved canopy onto her.
His elegant black wool coat accentuated his sharp and impeccable physique.
Aveline was transfixed as she remembered the first time she saw him. He had been twenty years old, standing in a sunlit field wearing a white shirt, as though he were standing at the center of her heart, –forever imprinted in her memory when she was just fourteen.
She, wearing a knitted sweater, her fine texture making her look even slimmer, with a sharp chin that seemed even more pronounced than it had three months ago.
He was unparalleled in his magnificence, while she was insignificant like dust.
Aveline’s hand, about to reach for the ring, froze in place. This ring had been designed by him to her liking–subtle, unique, and the only one of its kind.
After he had placed it on her finger, except for removing it during showers, she had never taken it off in any situation.
If it weren’t for the pressing need for money, she wouldn’t have resorted to this, but the precious. possession she treasured was now considered worthless by others.
He wasn’t stepping on the ring; he was stepping on all her precious memories.
Nora approached Alexander and explained, “Alexander, you arrived just in time. I saw Aveline selling her ring.”
Chapter 13
Alexander’s expression remained icy, and his frigid gaze fell on Aveline’s frustrated face as he asked coldly, “Are you selling this ring?”
Aveline fought back her tears, clenching her lips to prevent herself from crying. “Yes, Mr. Sterling, are you interested in buying it?”
Alexander’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “I remember how important this ring was to you, Aveline. It seems your love for it wasn’t as deep as you claimed. To me, something without a heart is just trash.”
Aveline was about to respond when a sharp pain stabbed through her stomach, triggering her nerves. As the tumor grew, the pain had intensified from a mild discomfort to a piercing agony.
She looked at the elegant couple, looking so perfectly matched under the bright fluorescent lights, characters from a classic story.
like
Suddenly, she had no strength to argue further. Even if she wanted to give him her whole heart, a man who had changed his heart wouldn’t care.
Aveline fought through the pain and picked up the ring. She returned to the counter, retrieving the box. and receipt.
She didn’t want to appear weak in front of Alexander, even though she was on the verge of passing out from pain. She maintained her determined stride even as her steps felt increasingly unsteady.
As she walked past Alexander, she muttered softly, “Just like Mr. Sterling, I once considered it my destiny. Now, it’s merely a stone I can exchange for money.”
Alexander sensed that something was not quite right with her. Sweat was trickling down her pale forehead, and her complexion had turned ghostly white.
His large hand suddenly grabbed her arm. In a low voice, he asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Aveline shook off his hand. “It’s none of your business.”
She didn’t look back at him and did her best to straighten her spine, disappearing from his view.
Alexander stared at her departing figure, perplexed. Even though she was the one he had willingly let go, why did his heart ache?
Aveline found a secluded spot and hastily retrieved some painkillers from her bag.
She knew that all treatments and cancer medications came with side effects, so she had bought only some over–the–counter painkillers and antacids, which could provide minimal relief.
Chapter 11
Looking at the torrential rain outside, was there no other way?
She didn’t want to see that person, but for her father’s sake, she had to give it a try.
Aveline returned home to freshen up, then took a Uber to the Grandview Garden.
More than a year ago, she had made an international call to her. They hadn’t seen each other in over to years, and she had no idea how she was doing now.
Aveline looked at the luxurious villa, a sign that she had been
She c
doing all these tears
explained her visit to the servant, who led her to the living room. A dignified and beautiful woman sat there, just as Aveline remembered her.
“Aveline,” the woman gazed at her.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t call her “Mom“.
(0)
