Arabella's mind was in turmoil, not knowing how to handle this.
She slowly turned to face Reginald.
He seldom smiled, but when he did, he was truly handsome, with a clear sparkle in his dark eyes.
She figured he must be very happy to soon be with the one he loved.
Arabella forced a cheerful smile, the kind that comes after heartbreak.
"I wish you happiness too," she said, then turned and got into the car.
As soon as the door closed, the tears flowed uncontrollably, and the pain made her curl up.
The driver put the suitcase in the trunk, sat down, and the car sped away swiftly.
Watching the car disappear into the distance, the smile on Reginald's face froze, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
Back at the Silsbury residence.
Arabella dragged her suitcase through the front door.
Seeing Arabella's swollen eyes and luggage, Margaret Silsbury was shocked. "Dear, what happened?"
Arabella lowered her head to change shoes, feigning composure. "Mum, I've come back to stay."
"You're separating from Reginald?" Margaret asked.
"Yes, Chloe came back."
Upon hearing this, Margaret was furious. "Reginald was in an accident, the doctor said he would be wheelchair-bound for life, and Chloe abandoned him and fled! It was you who accompanied him to countless doctor visits, massaged and cared for him.
You were like a nurse helping him recover! And now that he's better the shameless woman returns! Reginald is no different, abandoning you for that ungrateful, immoral woman! Is he blind?"
Arabella took a cheque out of her suitcase and placed it in Margaret's hand. "This is his compensation."
Margaret stared wide-eyed at the long string of zeroes.
Seeing this, her expression softened slightly. "It's not about the money. Is it right to treat someone like this just because you have money?"
Arabella lowered her gaze and said softly, "In many divorce cases, the husband pays nothing. Compared to them, Reginald has been decent enough."
"But can you tolerate such humiliation?"
Arabella gave a bitter laugh. "What else can I do, cry, scream? It's useless, forcing him is meaningless and won't make me feel better."
Margaret looked at her daughter with concern and sighed sadly.
This child is too accommodating, it pained Margaret.
Arabella went into the bedroom.
She slept for two full days and nights.
Margaret kept anxiously checking her breathing.
In fact, Arabella did not sleep much. She just didn't want to move. Her whole body ached, weak and feeble, as if a large part of her heart was missing.
It was a terrifying feeling.
On the third day, Arabella forced herself to get up.
After washing up, she called Reginald, "Is the divorce agreement ready? When can we process it?"
Reginald was silent for a moment, "I'm away on a business trip, let's talk when I'm back."
"Call me when you're back."
"Where are you working?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"At an antique shop. They've been calling me for some time."
"Let me know if you need money," his voice was low and gentle.
Arabella's heart ached slightly. She maintained a detached tone, "I don't need any, thanks."
After breakfast, Arabella took a taxi to The Antiquarium antique shop.
She was greeted by the owner, Cosmo Harrington.
After introducing Arabella to the staff downstairs, Cosmo brought her upstairs to meet the shop's senior appraiser, Lutherford Ellington.
"Ellington, this is Margaret, the protégé of the master restorer Percy. She specializes in restoring antique books and paintings. From now on, she will be our art restorer. Consult her if you have any questions," said Cosmo.
Lutherford Ellington, nearing seventy, peered at Margaret through his glasses.
A girl in her twenties, an art restorer?
At her age, he was still an apprentice.
Yet the young master had praised her so highly, telling him to consult her if needed!
He agreed politely on the surface, but was quite disgruntled inside!
After Cosmo left, he asked Arabella, "Arabella, how many years have you been in the trade?"
Arabella gave a faint smile, "Over ten years."
Ellington was incredulous, "And how old are you now?"
"25."
Ellington thought, this young lass is quite the braggart despite her youth, I'll be waiting to deflate her ego!
In this profession, one relies on true skills, not just blather.
Just then, a clerk came upstairs to fetch them.
Arabella and Ellington went downstairs.
There was a man in his thirties, holding a dirty and tattered antique painting, asking if it could be restored?
Ellington gave it a glance.
It could hardly be called a painting anymore, all blackened, fragmented and crumpled, full of wormholes.
With such extensive damage, only the finest restorers in the country would have a chance.
He looked gleefully at Arabella, "All eyes are on you now, don't disappoint them!"
Arabella went over and examined the painting repeatedly, then told the customer, "It can be restored."
The man was overjoyed to hear that, "Who will do it? How long will it take?"
"I will. Three days."
"You?" The man looked doubtfully at the youthful and bright-eyed Arabella.
"This is an authentic work of John Constable, one of the finest Romantic landscape painters! Auction prices start at tens of thousands, don't ruin it for me!"
The others also looked at Arabella skeptically. Three days? That's too audacious!
Ellington clicked his tongue and stroked his moustache. "Arabella, it's good that you young folks are bold as a newborn calf, but you must also know your limitations. If you damage the customer's piece, it would ruin our reputation at The Antiquarium. Top restorers take months or even years to restore paintings of such damage. How can you claim to do it in three days?"
The implication was clear: don't overestimate yourself!
Arabella stated firmly, "It will be done in three days. If damaged, I will compensate the market price twofold."
The customer had intended to restore it for auction anyway, and jumped at this offer, "Let's draw up a contract."
After appraising the price, they signed a contract. Arabella took the antique painting upstairs to the restoration studio.
Pushing open the door, there were two large mahogany tables half a man's height inside.
All the tools for restoration – brush pens, engraving knives, lambswool towels, sable brushes, rice paper – everything was available.
Restoring antique artwork involved four main steps of "washing, peeling, repairing, and completeness."
Arabella had someone boil a pot of hot water, then started rinsing the painting with a wet brush pen, carefully and gingerly.
She had to wash away all the grime without letting the large water flow damage the fragile paper fibers.
Easier said than done.
Fortunately she had been following her grandfather's side learning to restore paintings since childhood, and was well-versed in it.
Reginald's grandparents were also avid antique collectors. She had undertaken almost all the artwork restoration these past two years.
Not to mention paintings of this level of damage, she had dealt with even older and more tattered ones.
With the tight deadline, Arabella worked tirelessly the next few days.
It felt good to be busy. When busy, she could temporarily forget about Reginald.
Even her sorrow was diluted.
On the third day, the customer came for the painting.
Arabella brought the restored antique painting downstairs.
Seeing how different it was from before, the customer was dumbfounded, "Is this the painting I brought in? You didn't switch it out, did you?"
Ellington, the manager and clerks also came over, equally shocked.
On the painting were rolling hills, with steep and craggy peaks, and lush trees brimming with vitality.
Was this really that tattered rag of a painting from before, with an indistinguishable image?
Arabella said lightly, "We can test it for authenticity."
After the examination, the customer gave Arabella a thumbs up, paid, and left satisfied with the painting.
Word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred.
The whole antique street now knew of the new young and beautiful painting restorer at The Antiquarium.
Only in her early twenties, yet her skills rivaled national master restorers!
At dusk, Reginald called, "My car is parked outside your shop, come out."
Hearing the familiar voice, Arabella's heart ached and thumped rapidly.
She glanced at her watch and said softly, "It's almost dark, we can't make it to the registry office now. Let's go tomorrow morning okay?"
Reginald was silent for a moment, "It's grandmother requesting to see us, she said it's very important."