Chapter 7
A boy eagerly approached me as soon as I stepped out.
“Why couldn’t I reach you by phone? Thankfully, your flight wasn’t delayed, or I wouldn’t have known how to find you!”
I shook my phone and explained that I had removed the SIM card back in Washington.
“Disconnected from Washington?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yep,” I replied.
“So determined, huh? Did you just break up with a boyfriend back there?” He chuckled, taking my bags and teasing me as he guided me out of the airport.
“I guess you could say that.”
He laughed heartily and gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed
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Chapter 7
here! I’ll arrange a party for you tonight!” he said cheerfully.
“Let’s go to the studio first,” I suggested.
Archer nodded and ushered me into the car, heading straight for the studio. Along the way, he filled me in on the studio‘ s current situation.
“My parents love to travel and collect artworks,” he explained. “And, you know, sometimes gifts are part of the social scene. At first, they just bought pieces when needed, but then they thought it‘ d be better to have a studio. Plus, with the lower taxes here in Chicago, it made sense to open one here.”
“They told me you originally studied art?” he asked.
“Yes, but I haven’t been involved with it for a long time,” I admitted. After all, I‘ d spent so many years focused on Daniel and his career.
As I flipped through the studio‘ s
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collection album, my interest deepened. My parents had always hoped I’d find something I was passionate about after graduation. Art appreciation was always something I loved, so I could see why they had sent me here first.
“Can I borrow your phone for a second?” I asked.
Without hesitation, Archer handed me his phone. I called my parents to let them know I had arrived safely. They were relieved and told me to enjoy my time here as long as I liked. They‘ d take care of everything after the wedding.
“Lily, Daniel didn‘ t know you left suddenly, did he?” they asked..
“He kept calling me, even reaching out to the administrative number at your father’s company,” my mother said with a sneer.
“He even flew over to see us,
us, but
your
father and I made sure to block him.”
Her tone was laced with contempt, as it
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Chapter 7
always had been when it came to Daniel.
“Now he’s acting like he can’t live without you. What have you been doing all this time?” she continued. “Lucky you went to Chicago, or you’d have had to deal with him again. How unlucky that would have been!”
I didn’t defend Daniel in front of my parents, not this time. My mother had always said that if he truly cared about me, he would have married me long ago. Back then, I was stubborn and didn’t want to accept it. But now, looking back, I see she was right.
Changing my environment has had a profound effect on me. Though I still think about Daniel often, my new life here has
een overwhelming in the best way possible.
The studio’s situation was more complex than I initially realized. What was
supposed to be a simple clearing of
accounts turned out to be a full re-
evaluation of the artworks. Many pieces.
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Chapter 7
had been acquired years ago, and it was necessary to track the original transaction prices to determine if they had appreciated in value. There were also numerous
artworks that required re–identification and further discussion.
Not only did we need to compare the art market‘ s circulation capacity, but we also had to decide whether to participate in upcoming exhibitions to increase
exposure.
Since I hadn’t been involved in art transactions for some time, I had to quickly catch up on the relevant knowledge. I threw myself into exhibitions, attended various gatherings, and engaged in conversations to get back up to speed.
At first, I felt drained and overwhelmed, but as I became more proficient, I began to find it exciting–especially when
negotiating prices with buyers and battling for better profit margins with sellers.
