Anathea lowered her gaze . Of course she remembered Evangeline dream When Evangeline had first approached her with the grand idea , she'd insisted that Anathea jump on the bandwagon , claiming the idea wouldn't work without a bona fide genius like her . It had been five years since they'd had that conversation , and Anathea had forgotten the details . Even her passion for floral designing had been overtaken by her love for Gregory and Xander in the end , she'd been left dreamless and scarred . There were times when she desperately wanted to break off her shackles and be free to do what she wanted . " Am I really qualified ? " Unfortunately , she spiraled into self - doubt . She took out her résumé and scanned past the awards she'd won five years ago , her gaze landing on the blank space that should have been filled with leer working experiences . She confessed , " There's a five - year gap in my working experience Anathea had to admit that she'd been stuck in the same place for five years while Evangeline had gone on to build a career . Evangeline asked , " May I know why ? " Five years ago , a person with Anathea's background and skills would have easily landed a job . And yet , she had no working experience and hadn't produced any artistic work of note for half a decade . It was strange , to say the least . Evangeline's question shot through Anathea's heart like a poisoned arrow . Bitterness overwhelmed her , but she kept a blank face as she admitted , " I got married five years ago . " " You're married? " Evangeline was surprised . She remembered Anathea being a well - rounded young lady from a good family , Sure , Anathea had had plenty of admirers back . in the day , but she'd turned them all down . That had led Evangeline to believe she didn't want to settle down so soon . Recovering from her initial shock , Evangeline asked with concern , ' So .. How have you been the last five years ? Are you and your husband " She'd noticed how downcast Anathea had looked the moment she'd laid eyes on the latter . Anathea was no longer the bright and cheerful young lady she'd known . " It is what it is , " Anathea said vaguely with a polite smile . " We're In the midst of a divorce " Evangeline went still . " I'm sorry for bringing it up . " " Don't worry about it . " Anathea shook her head and continued , " So my life's been centered on my family for the last five years . It's been that long since I've handled any floral designing or learned about it . " " Five whole years … " Evangeline stared at Anathea evenly , shock and sympathy coloring her expression She was stunned that Anathea had wasted five years not honing her skills . After all , had a genius like Anathea mastered floral design , she would've matched Aspen's level by now , if not surpassed it altogether . Anathea could have become the next big name in floral design . Aspen had only won the silver award in the International Floristry Competition at the age of 40 and gone on to become a floristry sensation Anathes , however , had won the gold award at the same competition at 20 , and her future would've been bright if she'd continued with the art . Evangeline felt sorry for Anathea - she'd chosen family over her career , only to return to the floristry scene years later . She reckoned there was a heartbreaking reason for Anathea's sudden change of mind . " I should've reached out to you sooner , Nat . I might have saved you from such a shump before you spiraled further , " Evangeline said , her voice laden with guilt . She reached for Anathea's hand and said somberly , " But it's not too late now . Join us , Nat . " Chapter 30 +25 BONUS Anathea saw the sincerity in Evangeline's gaze , and tears sting her eyes . She took a deep breath and nodded . " Okay . " Her grandmother had introduced her to the wonderful world of al designing , and Anathea had always had a special love for the art. It was a shame she'd wasted her love on Gregory and Xander for the last five years . But she would no longer mistreat herself . Anathea had made up her mind , and she was determined to see this through . " When can you come over to the studio ? " Evangeline asked . After some consideration , Anathea answered , " Anytime . " 2