From Shadows, I Rise

ng out from under headlines that called her "the new curator of a legend's vision." She posted constantly on social media, sharing professionally shot p

canvas, a close-up of a brushstroke, with captions like, `A glimpse of my father's secret pa

'like' and 'share' her posts received felt like a small, sharp jab. It was a cons

sn't prestigious, but it was a chance to show my new work, to prove that I was still an artist in my own right. The centerpiece was a large sculpture I had spent

sday night. Two days before, Olivia

t saw the invitation for your little

u talking ab

night. The auction house insisted. All the major critics will

ve, designed to make my show completely irrelevant. She was using

pose," I said, my vo

he art world doesn't revolve around you. Some of us have real

e click

rations for the show. If no critics came, so be it. I would have the show

eautiful. My paintings lined the walls, and in the center of the room stood my sculpture, illuminate

was brutal: `Is Sarah Pearce Trading on Her Father's Name?` The article was a character assassination. It painted me as a talentless, jealous nobody try

dn't just scheduled a competing event. They had launched a preempt

the gallery burst open. Two l

grunted, holding a clipboard. "For the s

I said, hurrying toward them. "Th

lipboard at me. It had my gallery's address and a descr

y weren't listening. They pushed past

hat!" I yelled, tryin

aside, not hard, but enough to make me stumble backward. The other grabbed the sculptu

t slide from his grasp. It fell to the concrete floor wit

red my entire being into for months, lay on the floor in a broken, mangled

our insurance will cover that," the first one mumbled, bef

pture. It was a message from Olivia and David. It was a physical manifestation of w

Olivia. I numbly pre

ix-up with the movers he hired to help you. He feels just awful about it. But listen, the party here is amazing! The

n the wound she had just inflicted. The buzz of her party, the praise for her stolen glory, was all th

nd, it left no room for tears. It was a cold, hard certainty. They would stop at nothi