I suddenly felt ashamed as memories I had tried to ignore stirred up in my mind.
I lowered my head, trying to focus on the repair.
Megan Ellis, Sophie's friend, said harshly, "Be careful. This is an antique painting. You can't afford to mess it up."
As I worked on the restoration, Megan continued to criticize, "How many genuine antiques have you seen in your life? Probably only fakes. Don't get used to repairing second-rate stuff. You might end up ruining real antiques."
I stayed silent.
Thankfully, the issue wasn't hard to fix. When I finished, I handed the painting over.
Megan grabbed it roughly and, with one yank, tore the antique painting in half.
I stood there stunned.
Sophie's eyes filled with tears. "This is a gift from my grandfather."
Megan yelled, "You must have been jealous and did this on purpose." She then tried to come over the counter to hit me.
I stepped back. The tools on the counter were scattered.
My colleagues rushed out to mediate. "So sorry. She definitely didn't do it on purpose."