Gemotions

The newspaper headline screamed at Charles. “Local Artist Wins Prestigious Painting Award.” The painting. His painting. He’d signed it with a fake name to protect his anonymity. Now, it was being hailed as the work of someone else. He felt a throbbing ache in his temples, a pressure that intensified with each passing second.

He remembered the early mornings, the late nights, the sacrifices. The struggle to afford the canvas, the paint. The hours spent perfecting the lines, the colors, the composition. All for nothing. He stared at his trembling hands, clenching them into fists.

He thought of the gallery owner, the smug smile, the promises of future exhibitions. He could visit him, and demand some kind of payment. He could expose the fraud, destroy the other artist's reputation. Or he could… leverage this.