Chapter 33 Breakup
Nancy's spine stiffened, and she froze right where she stood.
She'd known Rachel for what, seven, eight years? And in all that time, Rachel had always been the epitome of grace, gentleness, and elegance.
Rachel was always patient and kind to everyone and everything.
Nancy had never seen Rachel angry before, and she definitely didn't know that Rachel's gaze could be so cold and terrifying.
Everyone else in the room looked just as shocked as Nancy.
Nancy's heart raced, guilt and panic gripping her. She glanced instinctively at the acrylic panel nearby.
She licked her dry lips, her face showing a mix of sadness and vulnerability, her eyes pleading.
"Rachel, what...?"
Rachel quickly yanked her arm away, her face indifferent. Without even looking at Nancy, she walked to the third row.
This row had a big acrylic panel connected to several smaller ones.
Nancy tampered with a screw that wasn't easy to spot, but once it loosened, the rest of the acrylic panels gave way, leading to a total collapse.
Rachel frowned deeply, her eyes scanning the area meticulously.
It didn't take long before her pupils contracted as she spotted the loose screw.
The screw was already more than halfway out. Even though there was no external force on it, the weight of so many acrylic panels was significant.
It was only a matter of time before that panel fell.
She pressed her lips together, her expression serious. She raised her slender finger to point at the screw, her sharp gaze sweeping over the surrounding staff, lingering on Nancy's face for a few seconds.
"This is what you call an inspection?"
Everyone followed her finger's direction and was shocked.
"How did that screw get loose?"
"If that falls, it's a big deal! What are you standing around for? Get the ladder and tighten the screw! Do you all want to lose your jobs?"
Wayne was the first to react, shouting urgently at the stunned crowd.
The staff snapped out of it and hurried to get the ladder.
Everyone held their breath as they watched the staff tighten the screw bit by bit.
Wayne let out a small sigh of relief, then angrily turned to the leader of Curatorial Team B, "Taylor, thank goodness Ms. Davis noticed. If that panel had fallen after the exhibition opened, do you have any idea how serious the consequences would be, even if no one got hurt? With all the media coming today, if this made the headlines, Stargaze Gallery would be ruined! And this is Autumn's first solo exhibition in the country. If it got messed up, could you take responsibility?"
Taylor's face had turned pale when he saw the loose screw. Now, hearing Wayne's reprimand, he didn't dare to breathe.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "I'm sorry, Ms. Davis, Wayne. This was my oversight. I didn't expect this. We thoroughly checked everything last night, down to the smallest detail. How could this happen?"
Rachel had already withdrawn her gaze from Nancy, speaking calmly, "There are forty-three minutes until the opening. Check all four exhibition areas and the public areas again immediately. I don't want to see any more safety hazards."
"Yes!"
Everyone responded in unison.
Nancy was beside herself with tension, her heart pounding faster and faster, as if it might leap out of her throat.
Her mind kept replaying the scene of her sabotage.
It should have been foolproof.
She shouldn't have left any clues.
But how did Rachel know?
Rachel's gaze had been suffocating, like a sharp blade cutting into her heart.
The plan that had seemed flawless now felt like a complete failure, and worry and fear mingled with a sense of unwillingness, weighing heavily on her.
It was like a mountain pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.
Rachel turned and caught the unease in Nancy's eyes.
Nancy noticed her gaze and forced a pitiful smile. "Rachel, don't be mad. They know they messed up and will be more careful from now on."
Rachel cut her off coldly, "Didn't you say there was a lighting issue in Area B? Why haven't you called the tech team yet? Didn't you hear what I just said? Check all four exhibition areas thoroughly! Another mistake like this, and it's a management issue. Think about the consequences before you act—can you handle them?"
Rachel didn't have concrete proof that Nancy had loosened the screw, so she couldn't call her out directly.
But she couldn't treat Nancy with the same calm demeanor anymore.
She couldn't be cordial to someone who wanted to destroy the gallery her mother had founded.
This wasn't just a minor annoyance.
It was pure hatred.
Nancy's heart trembled, her panic and tension intensifying.
"Rachel, don't be like this. I'm scared."
"I'm only asking you, as the gallery director, to go back to Area B and check everything carefully. Is there a problem with that?" Rachel's tone grew sharper. "And from now on, I expect you and everyone else to address me as 'Ms. Davis' at Stargaze Gallery. Thank you for your cooperation."
With that, she ignored Nancy's shocked and pale expression and turned to her assistant. "Carol, keep an eye on things here. Don't let anything go wrong."
Carol nodded. "I will, Rachel. Don't worry."
Nancy had never been humiliated like this, especially by Rachel.
The suspicious and scrutinizing glances from those around her made her feel even more embarrassed and furious.
Rachel had gone too far!
She bit her lip and lowered her eyes, the long-harbored hatred spilling out like a raging fire, ready to burn everything around her.
She sniffled lightly and ran back to Area B, feeling wronged.
In the elevator, Rachel leaned tiredly against the wall, feeling drained. She gave Autumn an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Autumn. You trusted me so much, and I almost ruined your solo exhibition."
Autumn looked at her seriously and spoke when the elevator stopped. "But you didn't ruin it. You were amazing just now, very authoritative."
"Don't tease me. I was scared to death. Thank goodness I caught it in time. If something had gone wrong..."
She stepped out of the elevator, her voice trailing off, unable to finish the thought.
The consequences were too much to bear.
With all the recent bad news, she might have already been on the verge of breaking down.
In the office, Autumn's smile faded as she asked, "What happened with Nancy?"
Rachel turned to meet her eyes, then finally smiled bitterly. "Why do people flip so fast, Autumn?"
Autumn frowned and grabbed her arm. "Did Nancy do this? Doesn't she know how important Stargaze Gallery is to you? How could she target the gallery? Is she crazy? Why would she do this?"
Rachel let out a mocking laugh. "Yeah, why? I don't know either."
How did it come to this between them?
What kind of hatred could drive her to not only steal her husband but also try to destroy the only memory her mother left her?
She didn't understand.
Autumn's anger flared, and she rolled up her sleeves, ready to storm out. "No, I need to ask her! How could she be so shameless and ungrateful?"
Rachel quickly pulled her back. "Autumn, don't! I don't have any evidence right now to convict her, so why waste the effort?"
Autumn heeded her words and calmed down. "People can never really stand the test, you know? Maybe Nancy was shady from the start. Don't be too sad. It's not worth it to be upset over someone like her."
Yeah.
Not worth it.
It wasn't worth it to be upset over a pair of horrible people.
She wiped away the tears in her eyes and smiled bitterly.