Isabelle strutted out of the penthouse with a solemn expression on her face. Rachael had given her a place for their meeting after much consideration. She drove the car that Liam had gifted her with much reluctance and discomfort.
As she steadily down the road, ignoring the constant horning of the car behind her, she felt compelled to look sideways. There, an art gallery with artworks displayed in front of it caught her eye. She instantly pulled over and walked straight to the shop, oblivious to the gasps and whispers from the crowd.
“Hello,” she greeted the young man at the entrance, who she assumed to be the shop attendant.
“Hi ma’am, how can I be of help to you?” the young man questioned politely and professionally
“I would like to look around, that is if you don’t mind,” Isabelle said with a flushed expression on her face, a result of nervousness.
“Of course, ma’am” the young man affirmed to her request with a smile on his lips. “It’s a gallery, everybody is welcomed to explore every corner”
“Thank you,” Isabelle said with a tone filled with gratitude as she strolled into the shop with unrestrained eagerness. Her fingertips couldn’t resist grazing the face of every painting it came in contact with. A familiar blissful feeling filled her heart. Painting was her life before her selfish mother sold her to a billionaire for money and power. She missed her normal life so much that she wished she could go back to it. But, she was already entangled in the webs of deceit which was a life of the rich. Her heart was already longing for another.
After long minutes of sightseeing, she caught sight of the section where painting materials were sold. She was about to touch it when another hand flung hers away, causing a sharp pain in her hand. As she turned to see who it was, a plump woman stood in front of her, trying to appear intimidating. She was dressed in the same uniform as the young man at the entrance.
“Why did you do that?” Isabelle queried as she rubbed her arms to soothe the pain.
“Well, a woman of your lowly and dirty status isn’t permitted to touch anything in this shop” the plump lady fired at her with a disdainful tone in her voice before turning to another woman dressed in the same uniform. “Get us a neat napkin, we need to clean up all the paintings her filthy finger has come in contact with”
Isabelle was stunned, but not for long as she noticed the crowd gathered around her while flashing the camera lights of their phones on her face. The realization dawned on her as she remembered the shameful event of the previous night.
“Oh! Shit” she cursed in her head. She was never involved in a scandal like this before and didn’t know that she wasn’t supposed to come out to the public with her face all over the place. A cold sweat ran through their spine as she dreaded what the next action of the people would be.
“Don’t you think we need to search her?… She might have stolen something” a stranger shouted to the people in uniforms.
“That’s right” another person agreed. “People like her can’t be trusted since she wasn’t satisfied with her rich fiancee and had gone ahead to sleep with his cousin”
“You hear that?” The plump woman said with a mocking tone. “We are going to search you”
“No, you won’t” Isabelle refuted with a flushed face, from embarrassment. “That’s an interference to my privacy”. She tried to maintain a bold stance but her hands were shaking in fear.
“Why are you scared or do you have something to hide?” Another lady dressed in a uniform accused her with a suspicious tone.
“Yeah, that’s right. If you don’t have anything on you, then you should allow the search” a person among the crowd chipped in.
Isabelle was torn between letting the people have their way or protecting her pride. She was trying so hard not to break down at that moment. As the plump woman made to grab her bag, a woman’s voice came through attracting everyone’s attention. Isabelle on the other hand, was shocked as she recognized the woman who was walking towards her direction. The stylist that had prepared her for last night’s gala. A sense of relief washed over her as she anticipated the next words of the woman.
“What rights do you have to harass a customer in such a manner” the woman rebuked the workers with a tone filled with repulsion.
“Um… Madam Laura… We.. we “the plump woman stuttered as words failed her. She knew she was in trouble.
“All of those who were involved in this and those who stood by to watch, get ready to start another job hunting” Laura, the fashion stylist declared with anger in her voice as she held Isabelle’s hands in hers.
“What a coincidence. I wasn’t expecting you to see me again anytime soon” Laura exclaimed with a bright smile on her face.
“I’m sorry for the trouble I have caused you” Isabelle apologized as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
“It’s fine dear” Laura assured her. “This is the studio I told you about. My brother runs it so it’s not really much of a stress”
Isabelle’s heart was filled with intense gratitude as she gazed happily at the woman who had saved her from going through a traumatic experience that she wouldn’t be able to forget in a lifetime.
“Come, my dear. Let me show you around” Laura offered with a tone of enthusiasm in her voice before turning to glare at the others. “You shouldn’t be here by the time I’m back”
“And as for you” she averted her gaze to the young man who stood at the entrance, “place a vacancy board on the outside”
Laura and Isabelle took a tour around the gallery, regardless of the disapproving look from the onlookers in the shop. After much pleading with Isabelle to accept some materials as gifts, she released her to go while advising her to thread cautiously as she left.
Isabelle quickly called Rachael to prevent her from leaving their meeting place.