Chapter 10

• Bella
• "I can't believe that you've done this to me, Mary. You said you liked me, and we're not just teacher and student, but friends too. I feel so deceived!" I exclaimed, angry at myself for getting tricked.
• Earlier today, Mary had called me out of the blue, insisting that I meet with an important person who had taken an interest in my artwork. I was skeptical at first, as it seemed unlikely that someone would invest in my work without ever having met me before. But despite my reservations, I decided to trust her and go along with it.
• To my surprise and shock, Mary had only lured me out just to take me to meet the unpleasant man I had encountered at the exhibition two nights prior. She had failed to disclose this information beforehand, and I was left feeling blindsided and frustrated.
• "I assure you, Bella, that if I didn't value our friendship as much as I do, I wouldn't have even attempted to bring you two together. The reason I'm doing this is because I genuinely believe that Daniel can be a great asset to you, and I don't want you to miss out on such a significant opportunity over a minor misunderstanding," she explained, but I couldn't help rolling my eyes.
• "I understand that you mean well, Mary, and I appreciate your efforts. But let's face it, he doesn't appreciate the meaning and value of art. It doesn't make sense for me to waste my time trying to convince him of something he doesn't understand. Why don't we search for someone who not only appreciates but also understands the true significance of art?" I responded, hoping she would comprehend my viewpoint.
• "I understand that your previous encounter with Daniel didn't go well, and you may not like him, but I can assure you that he's an excellent businessman. He invests in anything that has the potential to be profitable, regardless of whether he likes the product. It all depends on how you both handle the situation today," she explained.
• "You're a talented artist, Bella, and I want to see your work go far beyond Los Angeles and New York. Daniel Russo has the connections and resources to make that happen. You need to set aside your personal feelings and focus on the bigger picture. Being a successful artist also means being a smart businesswoman," she said firmly, and I sighed in resignation.
• "Alright, Mary. I'll do my best to deal with him and keep my emotions in check. But please, try to keep him in line so things don't get out of hand. I can't stand people who act foolishly," I said, and she chuckled before leading the way into the restaurant, with me following closely behind.
• To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to meeting with Daniel again. I had a gut feeling that he would get on my nerves once more, and I didn't want to risk losing my cool in public. However, Mary had a point. I needed to set aside my personal feelings and be a professional businesswoman. I had big plans for my career, and if working with Daniel Russo would help me achieve them, then I had to try.
• "Good afternoon, Daniel," Mary greeted in her usual high-pitched voice as we arrived at his table. Daniel had a smug look on his face that annoyed me, but I kept my composure and greeted him politely.
• "Good afternoon, Mary. Thank you for inviting me to lunch. I'm curious, what brings us together today?" he asked, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
• Mary and I sat side by side, across from Daniel. I, unfortunately, had to face him directly, but I tried to keep my composure.
• "Good afternoon, Mr. Russo," I greeted him, trying not to show my annoyance. I didn't bother with a smile either, as I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking that I was happy to see him.
• Daniel turned to me. "I'm sorry, but could you remind me of your name? I tend to forget the names of people who jump to conclusions about me, misunderstand me, and then go crying to their teachers just because I offered to buy one of their paintings," he replied and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was making it sound like I was the one in the wrong and not him.
• I was taken aback by his childish behavior, and I didn't know how to respond without insulting him. Reluctant to stoop to his level, I nudged Mary to reply on my behalf.
• Mary attempted to diffuse the tension by saying, "Daniel, please don't be so petty. There's no need for it," she said but he scoffed in response to her comment.
• "Sorry, Mary, but I feel like I have the right to be petty in this particular situation. I'm not usually like this, but I can't just let her disrespect me like that. She completely misunderstood my intentions, and then went so far as to report me to you, claiming that I disrespected her just because I offered to buy her artwork," he explained, his annoyance clear and I couldn't help but scoff at his explanation.
• "Mary, did you see that? I don't understand why you set this up. From the look on her face, it's obvious that she has a lot to say to me, and I'm guessing that she probably wants nothing to do with me. So if you're here to scold me or disrespect me even further, let's drop the pretense and just get to it," he hissed, turning to Mary with frustration.
• Feeling the need to speak up, I retorted, "You're implying that I lied about the way you disrespected me, which is not true, Mr. I understand that my talking to Mary about it might have made you uncomfortable, but let's not forget that she introduced us. Naturally, she asked about how things went between us, and I had to tell her that you kept insisting on buying a painting that wasn't for sale. You even tried to bribe me with money to sell it, which was incredibly disrespectful," I retorted and he rolled his eyes in response to my words, displaying his unenthusiastic response to my statement.
• "I realize that my persistence may have been annoying, and for that, I apologize. However, I don't think it justifies you walking out on me or reporting me to Mary like I did something terribly wrong. To be clear, I may not have loved your work per se, but I was genuinely interested in buying it and learning more about it. That's why I was persistent," he explained, leaving me feeling backed into a corner.
• His apology for being persistent meant that I couldn't use it as an excuse for why I walked away from him, and it also implied that I had to apologize to him, which I had no intention of doing.
• As if sensing my thoughts, Mary placed a reassuring hand on my thigh, urging me to remain silent.
• "I can appreciate why you might be feeling upset, Daniel, but I also understand Bella's perspective. It seems like there's been a huge misunderstanding, and that's why I arranged this meeting - so we can sort everything out and move forward," she interjected, attempting to diffuse the tension.
• "I don't want to escalate things, but you know me well enough, Mary. If you want me to forgive her for disrespecting me, then there's something I'll need in return," he informed her, leaving me bewildered.
• I couldn't understand how he could try to turn the situation around to make me the one in the wrong. How did he go from being the person who disrespected me to me suddenly being the offensive one? I had no idea how he dared to demand something from me as if he had some kind of entitlement over me. Was he trying to manipulate the situation? I wondered, feeling completely stunned by what had transpired.
• "I do appreciate your respect, Daniel, and I'm willing to hear you out. However, if your request is unreasonable or could pose a problem for my artist, then we may have to end this meeting and go our separate ways," Mary responded, making me grateful that she seemed to be supportive of me and wasn't attempting to curry favor with him.
• "I would never make an unreasonable request of you, Mary. You and I have been friends for a long time, and I respect you immensely. What I'm asking for isn't too much to ask. All I want is the painting that I was interested in buying to be sold to me. That's my only condition for forgiving her," he declared, leaving me utterly shocked at his absurdity.