I busied myself by walking through the entire hall with awe and admiration swirling in my eyes for the beauty of every painting. 

Atlas had excused himself when the event organizers were called backstage for some discussion regarding the auction. A small smile was dancing on my lips from when Atlas had commented that 'I'm cute when I blush.' 

I was about to turn a corner when I bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry-" I apologized and glanced up to see it was Luke who collided into me. I beamed instantly. "Oh, hey, Luke," I chirped.

"Aria!" He exclaimed with a huge smile. "I actually believed that you wouldn't show up."

"What gave you the idea that I won't?" I laughed and he gave me a noncommittal shrug.

"I mean, I just thought? Because I've been searching for you for so long but couldn't find you. It's just so crowded in here. I didn't know that so many people are into art," Luke commented, looking around.

I was about to say something when suddenly Kristen came from behind me. "Aria, what are you doing here?" Kris huffed out because of the short sprint she just had.

"What do you mean?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows. "I mean do I have any obligations to not be here?" I joked but she looked dead serious. 

"Seriously Aria, you never told me you'd put up your favorite painting for the auction," she spoke with a frown etched on her forehead. I could see the hurt in her eyes. Wrinkling my nose in confusion, I looked at Luke to find him staring at Kris like he couldn't believe she even existed. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"What are you talking about? Like are you certain you're talking about me?" I asked her, pointing at my chest to confirm the specifics.

"Aria, do you think I am messing around?" She almost shouted but controlled herself in the now packed hall. Her face softened when she took in my expression. "I'm sorry. It's just that a lot is going on right now and you didn't even tell me that you'd given your painting for this auction. I don't mind you not telling me, I mean it can be a secret too, right? But it just kinda sorta almost angered me." She sighed after finishing her rant.

"First of all, Kris, before you start assuming, let me tell you this one thing. I never put up any of my painting for the auction." She was taken aback and looked at me like I'd grown two heads.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am, Kris. Why do you think I'd be lying?"

She didn't say anything and grabbed my arm leading me towards the section seperate for the paintings to be sold during the auction. The table was huge and every painting was mesmerizing in its own way. But what made my eyes widen was that amongst all those paintings, mine was there too. It was there standing all tall and proud.

"What the-" I whispered and cupped my mouth in disbelief. "Kris, believe me, I did not put this here for the auction." At the bottom of the painting, to the right, there was a signature. My signature.

"I believe you, Ari," Kris mumbled, giving me a sideways hug.

"Then who would have done this? Did anybody steal your painting? But why would anyone do that?" Luke asked. "I mean your signature is clearly visible for anybody to claim it as their own." I glanced at him to see him looking at my painting with concentration as if the answer to his questions would just pop out of it. I didn't even realize that he had followed Kris and I here.

"Who are you?" Kris frowned at him.

"Oh, my apologies. I just always forget to introduce myself." He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. A tinge of pink covered his cheeks. "I'm Luke. Aria's friend." Kris looked at me with a raised brow but I didn't pay attention to them.

"I know who did this," I whispered to myself, feeling my heart break into pieces. I felt betrayed. It was the same painting Atlas had purchased from me in my art gallery. 

"Why'd you paint something like that? I mean it's so deep and dark." Those words echoed in my head and I felt like punching someone.

"Who?" They both asked in unison and stopped in their mid-rant.

"But before that I need to make sure if I am right," I mumbled to myself again, ignoring their questioning glances. I bit my lip and scurried towards the reception desk. I could hear Kris and Luke following closely behind me.

I was livid at that moment. 'If Atlas doesn't like my painting, then why buy it in the first place? Or if he got bored looking at it, then why didn't he return it back to me instead of putting it off for the auction? Or if he didn't find my painting alluring enough then why didn't he go to some huge artist who is known all over the world instead of me?' 

Maybe he just wanted to humiliate me. I could feel my cheeks and ears getting hot out of anger. It was like my entire face stuck on a hot pan. 'Not a good thing,' I thought.

Sighing in agitation, I stood in front of the reception desk. The lady looked at me expectantly with a small smile. "Aria, I don't think-" Kris began but I cut her off by pointing a finger at her.

Clearing my throat, I tried to smile at the receptionist. "Can you provide me with the name of the person who's put up that painting for the auction?" I asked her, gesturing towards my painting.

She squinted her eyes to where I was pointing. After a second or two, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Name of the artist?" She questioned.

"Aria Clarke," I mumbled, feeling almost embarrassed to be called as an artist. I've not been on that stage yet but I think it didn't sound half as bad.

"Just a second," she told me, furiously typing on the computer. She skimmed through something on the screen before looking up at me apologetically. "I am sorry but the person who's put up this painting for the auction hasn't given us any of their details. It's written 'anonymous' over here," she explained to me. I bit my lip to stop myself from shrieking in annoyance.

"So do you happen to remember that person's face?" I pressed with an ounce of hope that was still left in me.

She shook her head with a light chuckle. "No, I am not the one to collect them for the auction. I just do the desk job. All I have here in my computer is the administration record. These paintings were collected by the organizing team of this exhibition."

The embarrassment I was feeling right now couldn't be expressed into words. I felt so stupid. I had come to this event thinking I would feel at home, I would enjoy it. Quite on the contrary though, none of that happened. Atlas humiliated me just enough to last me for weeks. He could have just told me if he despised my hardwork instead of putting it here as if discarding it.

I pursed my lips and turned around to see Luke and Kris looking at me with concern. "I am fine," I assured them both before they thought I was going to have a breakdown in the middle of a crowded hall. Although, it would be unstoppable once I would be left alone. "I just need some air," I said, almost choking in the end.

"Aria, wait." Kris stopped me by blocking my way. "Who's it?"

"Atlas," I whispered, not looking her in the eyes. "He'd bought this painting from me."

"I am sure there must be some explanation, Ari. Don't worry, I don't think he'd ever do anything to hurt y-"

"Please, Kristen. I-uh-I just - I don't feel so well." With that said, I rushed towards entrance of the hall. I was about to reach the door when I saw Atlas walking in my direction from the right with a huge grin plastered on his face.

I was well aware of the fact that this event was held for the charity towards the starving people all over the world. And that all this money would be invested into feeding their empty stomachs. 

However, no matter what, Atlas crossed the line because he didn't even ask for my consent of whether I wanted my work to be put up for the auction. I might be overreacting but I had my reasons. 

Art has always been my escape and when people treat my creation like they own the world then it's something I couldn't bear. I wouldn't even know the owner of my painting but I wasn't interested anyway.

What hurt me the most was that Atlas didn't like my painting or respected it enough to keep it with himself. Even better, he could have just sold it off somewhere more privately.

He must have seen my expression because at the very next instant, his smile dropped. It was replaced by worry. I glared at him with so much hatred before exiting the hall without giving so much as a second glance to him.

"Aria!" he shouted and I could feel him approaching me but I didn't dare to look at him. I ran towards the parking lot and inside my car. Revving the engine, I let my tears fall freely. Soon enough, I was out on the road. From the rearview mirror, I could see Atlas running behind my car but stopped short when he realized that it was futile. 

I cried silently and drove to my favorite hangout spot. Paradise.