The Great Artist // NINE PERCENT Chen Linong

15

○ Let go and give up your maternal proliferations ○

"How did you come to love him?" he asked. The artist was baffled by the sudden question. No one ever asked about how the artist and the CEO came to be, how they built their relationship. Everyone only saw the perfect relationship they seem to have, emphasis on seem.

No one ever cared about how they met, how they loved, how they keep it going, what happened, they only cared about what they see not curious or wanting to see from a different perspective, not wanting to see beneath it. But here the writer was, asking on how she came to love him.

"It was a few years ago, maybe 2 or 3 years when he found me. I loved to paint and draw but I did that in secret. My parents always had high hopes for me in the future, a good job that pays well, a loving family, so I thought that they wouldn't accept me painting. After all, languages were my gig during high school" she said.

"I always painted at Jocelyn or Jane's places, that was how I got to know them. I sometimes paint at Sophia's as well but her parents knew mine so I couldn't take the bigger risk. He found me one day painting in school. We had an assignment to paint and sell paintings and of course, I had to paint and draw those paintings myself. He offered help and in merely a week, all my paintings were sold" she smiled.

"I felt in debt and was really thankful for him, maybe caught some feelings for him on the way as well. I continued painting because I knew that it was my passion, along with the man who helped me. My parents found out when I graduated high school. I thought that they would stop me but they didn't, they supported me" the artist continued.

"When they kicked me out of the house for some unknown reason, he let me stay in his apartment until I could find a place to stay or just forever in his case but I didn't want to burden him than I already have so I moved out when I had the money to rent an apartment. I became famous sooner or later and bought this mansion. That was when I broke my wrist" she chuckled at the memory.

"I was devastated and stressed because I couldn't paint for quite a few months and it was my passion. He was the one who comforted me and that was the start of our relationship" she said. "But then we drifted apart due to our schedules and you know the rest" she said lowering her gaze to the comforter of the bed they are sitting on.

"What did he say that calmed you down?" he asked again. She looked up and tried to remember, she looked like she did but she gasped. Her eyes stared at his, wide with pure realization of something he has yet to know of. Her lips were parted and her face was contorted with shock.

"I think what you said is true" she said. He was confused at her statement. What did she mean by that? What had he said that made her so shocked? What did she remember that made her give out this sort of reaction the artist rarely shows?

"He told me 'Giving up some things aren't easy, especially when it's basically your life. But you have to learn to move on and if you're truly meant to do something or be with someone, you will once more and not lose interest in them'" she said.

"Okay and?" he asked. "We never made up for the times we drifted apart, I... I'm starting to lose interest in him. Does that mean that we're not meant to be?" she asked shakily. It all seemed to click for the writer and he sighed and nodded.

"There is a possibility, but we still don't know for sure yet" he said. "Then how are we supposed to be sure?" she asked, desperate of knowing the truth behind their awfully mysterious and abnormally unclear relationship.

"Well for once you would have to ask him about it but... I'm afraid that he wouldn't answer you or at least lie to you since you've drifted apart. You mentioned his past obsessions, I have a theory that he might be back but we don't know. He could've had cancer and doesn't want you to know so he distances himself. We don't know anything" he said.

"Please, take me out of this misery. I can't take it anymore. My curiousity is eating me alive, the guilt is skinning me alive and all the theories and possibilities are splitting my mind apart. Help me... please" she was begging to him. "Well, I might know something that can help. But it starts from you" he said.

"I beg your pardon? It starts from me?" she asked. "Well technically, yes, it starts with you. We have to brace for the worst outcome so let me tell you this" the writer said, the artist's eyes trained at his. "You said that he said that if something or someone is meant to be done or with you, you'll come back and not lose interest. You're starting to lose interest in his mystique demeanour" he said.

"So just tell me this one thing, last year or when you were still in a healthy relationship with him, what did you imagine your future would be like?" the writer asked. "I imagined something any girl would imagine their love life to be, marriage, a family even" she said.

"Now I'm going to tell you to leave all those suggestions and idead behind. You're starting tonlose interest innhim which means that you're falling out of love. Let go of the thought of getting married or having a family with him. Let go of your maternal proliferations and your affection sightings. Let go of them all" he said. She couldn't believe what she just heard from the writer.

Let go? Maybe he is right, it's supposed to make it less painful if ever the CEO was cheating on her or going back to his old obsessions of playing with girls as if they were toys. But she didn't know how to deal with all of this at once. She couldn't promise him that she would let go of all those thoughts about him.

After all, she is just starting to fall out of love. It takes time to get over someone or something you so dearly love, and that implies on her and the CEO. She sighed in frustration as countless thoughts were running through her head, tearing her mind apart.

"I know it's going to be a long way and it's going to be hard but I must say that this is the best way" he said. She couldn't promise him anything so she just gave him a simple response which was nowhere near reassuring but it was better than nothing.

"I'll try"