Chapter 7
Elijah dipped her brush into the paint, her hand steady as she traced the outline from memory.
She remembered the slightly bent curve of the back. The carefully pinned bun streaked with silver strands. The pair of calloused, hardworking hands.
This was a portrait of a woman. Stubborn, tender, diligent, flawed, and deeply, achingly human.
It was her mother.
Years ago, Mrs. Watchmaker had fled from her abusive husband, clutching three–year–old Elijah in
her arms.
It was Ethan Morgan’s grandmother, the late Mrs. Morgan Sr., who had taken them in. If not for
her, the mother and daughter might have starved on the streets.
From then on, Mrs. Watchmaker began working as a housekeeper in the Morgan estate, faithfully
serving the family until Mrs. Morgan Sr. passed away and Mrs. Morgan herself took over the
household.
Mrs. Watchmaker was a simple, humble woman. Grateful, hardworking, and endlessly tolerant.
She had no advanced parenting philosophies; the only lesson life had taught her was submission.
But one thing was undeniable. She loved Elijah deeply.
F
Painting wasn’t the most expensive pursuit among the arts, but it was far from cheap for a modest
household like theirs.
And yet, from childhood, Elijah had been enrolled in elite one–on–one art lessons, always using the
best brushes, the finest paints, the most expensive canvases.
She had often disagreed with her mother, resented her quiet compliance to the Morgans, and yet… she loved her, fiercely, profoundly.
With the final stroke of her brush, she breathed out softly.
“Mother’s Back.”
The portrait, as well as her gift to her mother, was finally complete.
Her technique was a little rusty after ten years of neglecting her craft, but that only made the lines
more raw, more honest, more alive.
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Tomorrow was the submission deadline for the school’s joint art exhibition, and the show itself would open on her mother’s birthday.
This painting was more than an entry into the competition. It was her ticket into Eternal Light Corporation’s future, and the most heartfelt birthday present she could give her mother.
This time, she swore, she would make her proud.
After submitting the painting, finals came and went smoothly.
For the first time in weeks, Elijah finally felt as though she could breathe, until a casual
conversation nearby caught her attention.
Two students were whispering excitedly:
“Have you noticed? Ethan and Hannah haven’t been around lately. They were so high–profile before–where’d they go?”
“You don’t know?” the other girl lowered her voice. “Hannah Lopez just blew up!”
Elijah’s pen stilled on the page.
The girl continued, her tone dripping with awe.
“Apparently, she’s not just beautiful, she’s a painting prodigy. Her exhibition piece was so stunning that the judges were literally moved to tears!”
“No way. You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not! Didn’t you check the trending searches? She’s everywhere! A ton of media outlets are lining up to interview her. She’s so busy she hasn’t even shown up for finals, and Ethan Morgan even took leave to stay by her side.”
The other student leaned in, curious.
“What did she paint that’s so amazing?”
“Not sure of the details,” came the reply. “I just know it’s a portrait.”
Elijah suddenly remembered something. She hadn’t checked the exhibition shortlist yet.
Her heart tightened as she pulled out her phone, tapping through the list hurriedly. Once. Twice.
Three times.
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Her name wasn’t there. “Mother’s Back” wasn’t there either.
At first, it wasn’t disappointment she felt, it was unease.
A creeping, sharp–edged kind of unease that clawed at the pit of her stomach.
Her classmates‘ words echoed in her ears.
With trembling fingers, Elijah switched to Weibo and opened the trending search list.
There it was. A bold headline pinned at the top: #TalentedBeautyArtist#
She clicked in, and the pinned post hit her like a brick to the chest.
A high–definition photo of Hannah filled her screen, dressed in a simple white dress beneath a
blooming cherry blossom tree, smiling serenely, elegant and ethereal.
Someone had already dug up her identity:
[Who would’ve thought this talented, stunning beauty is not only the heiress of the Lopez
Corporation, but also the girlfriend of Ethan Morgan, heir to the Morgans–a perfect match in
every way!]
A modern–day fairy tale brought to life. A gorgeous, golden couple from two powerful families.
And now, the internet worshipped them.
[Goddess Hannah! Genius, beauty, elegance–she has it all!]
[Look at Ethan! A devoted boyfriend supporting his talented girlfriend–I’m crying!]
[What kind of DNA lottery do I need to win for this kind of life?!]
The trending post climbed higher and higher by the minute.
The Lopez Corporation soon reposted the story, followed quickly by the Morgan Group, adding
their public congratulations, and even attaching a picture of Hannah’s “masterpiece” that had moved the judges to tears.
Elijah’s vision blurred.
Her pupils constricted violently.
Her trembling hand hovered over the photo… Then she tapped to expand it.
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And in that instant, the last trace of fragile hope shattered into pieces.
