The Art of the Lie

My Cousin Flamed Me in Class for Buying Fake Art and Insulting a Master Painter

"How can you slander a legend who's contributed so much to the art world? Do you even have a conscience?" she yelled, practically spitting mad.

The whole class chimed in, shouting for me to get lost and leave the prestigious art school.

Are you kidding me? The "legendary painter" they're all defending? That's me!

1

I was in my studio that evening, putting the finishing touches on my new piece, "Yesterday's Echo," when my mom called, interrupting me.

"Honey, it's a disaster! Your dad's deal fell through!" Mom's usually so calm, but this time her voice was shaking, "Without the deal with Evergreen Corp., we’re toast. We won't make it through this financial mess!"

The deal fell through?

I immediately dropped my brush and rushed home.

My dad owns an internet company. The market's been a rollercoaster, and he hasn't been able to keep up with the latest trends. On top of that, with the economy tanking, his company is on the verge of bankruptcy.

This deal was their last hope for turning things around. My dad was determined to make it work and had done tons of prep work.

I burst through the door, yelling, "Dad, I thought you were super confident about this deal? What happened?"

A delicate voice spoke up, "Oh, cuz, it's all my fault. I messed it up. Please don't be mad at Uncle, blame it on me!"

I looked over in surprise at my cousin, Lily White, and her big, teary eyes.

Turns out, my dad and Mr. Lee, the CEO of Evergreen, were getting along great. When Mr. Lee seemed in a good mood, my dad invited him back to the house.

Mr. Lee noticed a painting, "Butterfly Lovers," hanging in our living room, which was supposedly by this famous artist, Wei Qing. He got really excited, ready to sign the deal.

That's when my dear cousin, Lily, stepped in, showing off her vast art knowledge. She declared that the "Butterfly Lovers" wasn't a genuine Wei Qing piece, but a high-quality fake.

Mr. Lee is a huge Wei Qing fan. As soon as he heard the painting was fake, he totally lost interest in the deal. He made some excuses and quickly bailed.

"Blame you? What's blaming you going to do?" I stared at Lily, giving her a sarcastic smile. "Are you going to invest in Dad's company to save it? Or magically come up with another solution?"

Lily stood there, tears welling up, "I'm so sorry, cuz. But that painting was definitely fake."

Lily and I both study art.

About six months ago, she started helping people authenticate paintings.

Whether it's natural talent or just dumb luck, Lily's never been wrong.

She even helped our mayor authenticate a painting in his collection, proving it was the real deal.

That's how Lily became famous in town, the "whiz kid authenticator" everyone was talking about.

2

Everyone in the family knew I was the one who brought the “Butterfly Lovers” home.

My mom, probably worried I’d feel bad, came to my room to comfort me, "Honey, wasn't that “Butterfly Lo...