Chapter 40: Disappointing Family. 

“What did you say?” his father asked, the look in his eyes the sternest he had ever seen him. 

Daniel could not understand their reaction. They also hated Anya. They treated her badly, yet they were acting as though he was evil. 

“We got divorced almost a week ago,” he declared, and his mother shook her head as she slowly sat back down. It was as though her action was a call to battle, as the storm descended upon him furiously. 

“Who said you could do this without telling the family?” His uncle frowned. 

“You did not think to discuss this with us first?” his father asked. On the side, his cousins muttered words he could not quite catch. His head hurt, and his anger rose sharply. 

“Are you all going to pretend you do not know the circumstances of our marriage?” he asked, and they all paused. Of course they knew. They were not sure of the actual situation between Daniel and Anya. And even a child could tell he did not like Anya, but an alien could tell Anya 

loved him. 

“So, you bring her in as you like and take her out as you like. You take marriage for granted.” His grandfather’s eyes were heavy with disappointment as he said this. He slowly got up and 

left the table. 

“Anya was always somewhat distant from us; was it because she saw it coming? I suddenly pity her,” Mindy muttered. Her words were what everyone was thinking. 

“You will regret this,” his mother said softly and got up to leave. The dinner was destroyed, but the words his mother left behind resonated through his being. 

Chapter 40. Disappointing Family. 

Anya sat in her cozy studio. It had been more than a month since her divorce and two days since her renovation ended. She had still not finished unpacking, boxes of new housewares scattered around her new art room as the sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over her worktable. 

Even though Anya had not finished unpacking, she was not in a hurry. She took some time off to sit and draw. She was an artist. This was a craft Anya had picked up in school and developed when she worked for a company as a marketing assistant. When Anya was married to Daniel, she would draw when she was free. What started as a hobby gained her quite the reputation in the industry. Her fingers danced across the canvas as she drew. It did not take long for her to 

lose herself in her craft. 

As she worked, her phone chimed with a message, interrupting her concentration. Anya set down her brush and picked up her phone. She raised her brow as she read the invitation that flashed across the screen. It was from an old friend, James. She and Daniel had met each other at university. They had both taken the same major, finance. Unlike her, who had married early and tilted towards the arts, James had gone on to start his own company. Anya did not even 

realize she still had his number. 

Looking at the message, it was an invitation to join a project. Before she could read through, her phone rang in her hand. It was Daniel calling. 

“Is this Anya Jones?” A deep voice sauntered into Anya’s ears the moment she answered the 

call. 

“Yes, James,” she answered. 

, 

“It’s been long, Anya. I didn’t believe it before, but I recently heard that you were in my city,” his voice filtered into Anya’s ear. 

“I did not know that I knew anyone in Lincoln City,” she said. 

“I am shocked by that. You are the one this message went to,” he said, and she frowned in confusion. 

Chapter 40 Disappointing Family. 

“The message you just sent?” she asked. 

“Yes, we were trying to meet the artist, Anya. We sent several emails but received no response, so we pulled some strings to get Anya’s number and sent an invitation to talk more, but when the message sent, I saw that I already had the number. Who would have thought that you were Anya?” he explained. 

“I see. I am sorry. I just moved here, so I have been too busy to check my email,” Anya apologized. 

“Then, can we meet one of these days for coffee?” he asked, and she paused and looked 

around her at the clutter of boxes. 

“What about this Saturday?” she asked. 

“Saturday is fine,” he answered. 

Anya went ahead and continued unpacking now; her creative flow had been disrupted by that phone call. She soon finished and stepped back to see her handwork. She looked at the trimmed trees outside her window with satisfaction. She was home. 

The days passed as though pursued by a ghost. It felt like Saturday came in a blink of an eye. Anya made her way to the coffee shop where James had agreed to meet and took a seat. 

James arrived shortly after she sat down. When Anya looked up, she saw him walk into the coffee shop and search for her with his eyes. James had always been unconventionally handsome, but having not seen him in years, she had to admit. He was even more attractive than before. He was dressed in a button–down shirt and pants. His low–cut brown hair lit up 

under the sun. 

“Did I take too long?” he asked, and Anya shook her head. 

Chapter 40 Disappointing Family. 

“No, I just got here myself,” she answered, and he chuckled. 

“That’s good,” he said, then called to the waiter. 

“What would you like?” she asked. 

“Ice coffee, and it’s my treat. You?” he asked. 

“I have a sweet tooth; milk tea,” she ordered, and the waiter left. 

“How long have you been in Lincoln City?” he asked. 

“A bit over a month now,” Anya said. “You have been working here?” 

“Yes, my company is based here,” he said, his eyes lingering on her face. For a second, she met his eyes and felt a little uncomfortable, so she looked away. 

her 

Anya had to admit, he was quite the specimen. She rarely met men like him. The only person that Anya had seen who stole her breath away was Daniel. But when she thought of Daniel, mood dipped. Anya adjusted in her seat and tried to find a topic. 

“What project were you trying to invite me to join?” she asked. 

“We are a game company. We just launched a new game and are partnering with another company for a feature film. We were hoping to invite you to join our marketing project. 

The source material of the game and animation is a famous book; we were hoping to bring you in to create some art for the feature film and get your touch on the game. I am not sure if you’ve heard of the book Autumn’s Snow,” he asked, and her eyes shone, Seeing her interest, 

Chapter 40. Disappointing Family. 

he continued. 

“Your art style comes up a lot when Autumn’s snow is mentioned among literary critics. It is said that when they think of the descriptions of the painting by the character Evelyn in the book, your art comes to mind. We were wondering if you would like to join in on the project.” Anya took in everything he had said. To tell the truth, she was quite curious, too. She had not yet read this book but knew what character he was referring to, as her fans had talked endlessly about this book. Anya was interested, and better yet, she had no new projects at hand. 

“I hope I am not going to interrupt your time spent with your boyfriend or husband,” he said, and she chuckled lightly at his words. 

“I am not married,” she answered. “I am very interested, but I would like to see what my role is first before I agree to anything.”