"Fiona, could you help me carry this? My hands hurt, and I have no strength left." Asked Izabella.
The two of them stood at the door, pushing back and forth, until Fiona finally heard Izabella cry out in pain and reluctantly took the fruit from her.
Fiona invited Izabella in and poured her a glass of lemon honey water, placing it on the tea table. She asked, "How have you been these past two days? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Just a bit nauseous and no appetite, otherwise, I'm fine." Answered Izabella.
Fiona said, "That's normal, but if you're really uncomfortable, go see a doctor. I had no appetite when I was pregnant with my son either. My husband would always cook up all kinds of food for me and take me out to relax. That helped a lot. Oh, when I didn't have an appetite, I liked sour things, like lemon slices. See if you like it and give it a try."
Hearing Fiona's words, Izabella felt both touched and envious that she had such a caring husband who showered her and their child with love and concern.
Izabella took a sip of the lemon water - it tasted pleasantly sour and sweet. "It's good," she nodded.
Fiona insisted, "As long as you like it, that's what matters. I enjoyed drinking this when I was pregnant too, but don't drink too much - it's high in sugar. I'll give you a bottle to take home, and you can dilute it with water for an afternoon tea."
Izabella didn't decline Fiona's kindness and agreed.
Fiona was very hospitable and went to wash more fruit, like peaches, grapes, and cherries, putting a large plate in front of Izabella. Seeing her somewhat pale face, Fiona encouraged her to eat more.
She had many questions towards Izabella, like why she came to this unfamiliar place all alone while pregnant and what happened to her fingernail-less hands. But curious as she was, Fiona never asked too much out of respect for Izabella's privacy.
Everyone had curiosity, and although Fiona was puzzled, she had never asked too much. Firstly, she had a distant relationship with Izabella, and secondly, it was her private matter, so out of respect, she should not inquire further.
However, thinking about Izabella was being alone, she wanted to take good care of her and hoped that she could quickly integrate into this place.
Fiona asked, "Is there something you wanted to ask me about?"
"Do you know any place around here where I can sell jewelry?" Said Izabella.
"Not in this town, but you should find some places in the city. If you want a better price, though, you'll have to head there." Said Fiona.
Izabella dared not go to the city. Brett was searching for her, and the city would have a wider search range - who knew if he was waiting for her there?
"The city is too far. I was thinking more of the nearby county town, or maybe you know someone who wants to buy jewelry." Said Izabella.
Fiona thought for a moment and hesitated before asking, "If you don't mind, could you show me the jewelry?"
Izabella took out a beautiful jewelry box from her bag. Fiona knew the jewelry inside must be valuable just from the box alone. As Izabella opened it, Fiona's eyes widened in amazement - she had never seen such a gorgeous necklace before. The gemstones and gold complemented each other perfectly.
"This is so beautiful!" Fiona exclaimed, resisting the urge to touch it. "How much are you thinking of selling it for?"
Izabella shook her head and said, "Of course, the higher the price, the better. This necklace cost 3 million dollars when I bought it, but I'd be happy with a 1 million now."
"3 million dollars?!" Fiona gasped, her astonishment only growing. That amount of money could buy an entire block in their town! She couldn't help but thought about distancing herself from Izabella, afraid she might accidentally knock over the jewelry box.
"I'm afraid the county town won't give you the price you want, considering..."
Izabella knew that, so she kept lowering her expectations - even fifty grand would be fine.
In reality, finding a black-market dealer would be best. They'd have various channels to sell the piece eventually, and by then, not only would it fetch 3 million dollars, but even 5 million wouldn't be out of the question.
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