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 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 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 reaso