The Art of Loving You

Acrylic (Sage)

My hands couldnt stop shaking and I just knew that I had to get out of the house. I could barely hear my own thoughts as my breath got louder and louder.

"Sage? Sage please... You have to understand, I never meant -"

I turned to glare at Sienna and the glare in my eyes must have caught her by surprise as she slowly sank into the chair. My parents, the multi-millionaire Ari and Robert Kim, took their places on my sofa, though the disgusted look on my mother was not overlooked.

"This marriage has been arranged by both parties' parents and I hope you understand, Sage, that although you may have removed yourself from the family, physically, you are still part of the Kim family. There are responsibilities to uphold and people to please. This long-standing relationship with the Duffels has been established since you were a baby!" Mother exasperated with a sigh and crossed her arm at me.

"Sienna has been a lovely girl, supporting you and your 'hobbies' while you figure yourself out. Eventually, we will need you take over the Kim Organisation and handle business affairs with your father. Sienna would be the most compatible partner for you, especially since she already has experience managing several boutiques."

I bit back my words and shot Sienna a glance. Sienna Duffels has been my childhood friend since we were 10 and I've always knew of her feelings towards me. Although we were both born into the golden spoon family, we were brought up differently. While Sienna had the choice of venturing outside her family's tech business into boutique fashion, my passion for the arts has been greatly scorned at.

For the last 2 years, I have been fighting towards establishing my own galleries and I have only managed to open a small gallery with limited fundings from the Kims. Now that I am working to open another gallery at downtown LA, my parents decided to drop the M-bomb on my plate, rendering me numb and helpless. When Sienna came 0ver with the croissants and my parents, breaking the news of our arranged marriage in 5 years, I know it was not a surprise to her. I, however, have never seen her beyond as a sister.

I thought through my next course of action and know deep down that this conversation is not sitting well with me anymore. I took a deep breath and glared at my parents, "Growing up, I've never had the opportunity to stand up for myself. You have always made the decisions for me, thinking that I am incapable of making those myself. But no, not this time. I love the arts and I will not give it up even for the family business. Emerald is way more suitable than me in helming the business and I know you know that too. As for Sienna, I am sorry but I would never marry someone that I have no feelings for. This conversation is over."

I stood up, grabbed my notebook from the coffee table and stepped towards the entrance. "When I come back, I do not want to see any of your faces."

Sienna held back a sob and turned her head away to stifle her tears. I know I havent been kind towards her, but I could not give up my own free will into this arrangement. My father stood up to stop me but my mother held him back, shaking her head. I opened the door to my apartment and slammed it shut as I made my way out onto the streets.

I picked up my pace and didn't stop running until I've reached Abstract Park. The park was quiet with few people, kids were playing at the swing and oddly enough, there was a small but established cafe in the middle of the park. There were a few patrons heading out of the cafe with drinks in their hand, and just a lone girl sitting outside the cafe with a canvas infront of her.

I slowed my pace and entered the park, trying to catch my breath from running. I strolled towards a bench just infront of the cafe, figuring that the noise and distraction from the happenings in the cafe might just silence the thoughts in my head. I took out the notebook that was drenched from the sweat that was pooling in my jacket and flipped it open.