Chapter 89
This piece was inspired by a conversation she once had with Louisa the other day. It showed a lone tree standing in the snow, rendered in cool tones, yet something about it felt kind of heavy and depressing.
Emily’s earlier works had never taken this direction, but now she just couldn’t get back to that style.
“Did you paint this?” Austin exclaimed with excitement, which startled Emily.
He took the painting from Emily’s hand and studied it carefully. “It’s dark, raw, and full of conflict. Come on, you’re a real talent. I wish I could see this at your art exhibition.”
Emily never expected such a blunt compliment from him. She used to dream about having her own art exhibition, but after all that happened, now all she wanted was just to stay alive.
Emily pursed her lips and said, “Even famous artists don’t always get to have their own exhibitions. I’m just doing this for fun.”
Emily tried to take back the painting, but Austin dodged playfully and said, “Seriously? This totally looks like something a pro would make.”
That genuine praise hit Emily right in the chest. She had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be recognized, to be told she had done something well.
Austin noticed that brief dip in her mood. After thinking for a second, he said, “If having your own exhibition is what you want, then let’s start by getting you noticed.”
Austin unfolded the painting before Emily and said, “Starting with this one, you’ll post each of your works online. Over time, it’ll draw in the kind of people who truly understand your art.”
Emily looked puzzled. “Online? Are you talking about getting media coverage?” She thought, ‘I couldn’t even afford a decent apartment, let alone pay for this.’
Austin was taken aback. “I’m talking about TikTok. Have you never heard about it?”
Emily just stared at him, completely lost. She knew what TikTok was but didn’t really use it. Besides, during those two years at St. Gabriel Reform Academy, she was completely cut off from the outside world.
Austin was also stunned into silence. He thought, ‘Anyone who knows how to use a phone would be aware of TikTok. How did she not know?’
Austin looked at Emily with puzzled eyes for a moment, then took the initiative to explain, “Lots of people now share their daily lives on TikTok. Some even do live streams.”
Since all his things were lost during the kidnapping, Austin downloaded the app on Emily’s phone. He registered an account named Tato, and for the profile picture, casually snapped a photo showing his shoulder and part of his neck.
While explaining, he filmed Emily’s painting of the lone tree in the snow and quickly edited a simple video to upload.
Emily was new to all this and thought it was pretty interesting. Before she knew it, she had spent over two hours on
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- Then she realized it was already dark and needed to get back home.
Bob had been staying at the Bennett villa recently to take care of her, so she still had to get back. Before leaving, she helped Austin change his bandages.
With injuries that severe, most people would be stuck in bed. However, Austin still went out shopping, cooked a meal, and even cleaned up the whole place.
Emily wondered how many times he had been through this for pain to feel like just another part of his routine.
While Emily was changing his bandage, Austin was busy with the account they had just created. Just then, a notification suddenly popped up at the top of the screen, and he tapped it instinctively.
