Restoring a Life After Seven Years of Wrong Love novel Chapter 20

Before she could even try to refuse, Sybil hung up the phone.

Staring at the disconnected screen, Yvette let out a helpless sigh.

She walked into her home studio and carefully laid out the fertility charm onto her large, waist-high workstation. The piece was in excellent condition and only required some basic maintenance.

The traditional restoration process consisted of 'cleaning,' 'backing removal,' 'patching,' and 'inpainting.'

She placed a basin of warm water on the table, dipped a wide brush into it, and slowly, methodically dampened the artwork.

Then, she took a damp towel, rolled it into a tight cylinder, and gently rolled it upward from the bottom of the painting, carefully pressing out the dirty water.

By the time she finished the cleaning stage, it was already the early hours of the morning.

...

The next day.

Yvette woke up early and started packing her bags.

Her phone rang. It was Sybil.

"Yvette, are you packed? The driver is waiting downstairs."

Yvette panicked. She completely forgot she had moved out of the marital home! Sybil had no idea she had left!

"I actually woke up super early today. I'm already on the road driving up there," she lied frantically. "I completely forgot to tell you. You can tell the driver to head back."

"Oh, I see." Sybil didn't suspect a thing. "Alright, drive safely."

"I will. I'll see you at the retreat."

Hanging up, she let out a massive sigh of relief.

Thank god she thought fast. Sybil would never agree to the divorce. She absolutely couldn't let Sybil find out.

It was a multi-hour drive to the retreat, and she hadn't gotten to sleep until the early hours of the morning. She physically wouldn't be able to stay awake at the wheel.

Yvette headed downstairs. She tried flagging down several cabs, but none of them were willing to take the fare. It was too far, and heading into the mountains meant they were almost guaranteed to drive back empty.

Just then, a taxi pulled up right in front of her.

The driver was scarfing down a cheap sandwich. His face was sallow, clearly suffering from severe malnutrition.

"Where to?"

Yvette sat in silence for a moment. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

The car fell quiet again.

Yvette looked back at the baby. The little girl tilted her head, watching her with innocent curiosity.

Meeting that pure, crystal-clear gaze, Yvette's chest tightened. She reached out and gently stroked the baby's soft cheek.

For the entire ride, the baby was perfectly behaved, never crying or throwing a tantrum. It only made Yvette's heart break even more.

The taxi finally pulled up to the destination. Standing next to her suitcase, Yvette pulled out her phone, scanned the payment code, and tapped the screen a few times.

A notification chimed from the driver's phone: *Transfer of one hundred thousand received.*

The driver leaped out of the car, tears spilling from his eyes. "No, miss, I absolutely cannot accept this."

"It's for the child." Yvette gently patted the baby's head. "I hope you grow up strong and healthy, sweetheart."

The little girl blinked her massive eyes and, surprisingly, gave a tiny nod.