- 9.
Shailene asked,
“So, you’re hiding from the baby’s father?”
I laughed sadly. “I don’t think he’s coming.”
I switched my phone card and waited for the
baby.
Shailene was nice. He cooked and took care
of me.
Sometimes, I couldn’t sleep. He stayed up
with me.
<
སྤུཕ་ད་
“I can find an apartment and a caretaker.”
Shailene was mad and didn’t talk to me all
day.
I told him I wouldn’t leave.
At three months, Shailene took me to a
doctor’s appointment.
After hearing the doctor, he said,
“You shouldn’t have the baby. You can treat
the illness.”
I said,
“My family is gone. Even if I treat the illness, I
might die.”
“I want to leave something about me in the
world.”
Shailene said, “You have paintings! They’ll
last forever.”
A baby was different.
Shailene didn’t change my mind, but he took
care of me.
He asked what I’d do after the baby was born.
<
I’d give him to a good family.
Then, I’d get a lawyer and tell him the truth
when he was 18.
He got teary and said,
“If you don’t mind, I’ll take care of him.”
I was relieved.
At five months, I showed.
Shailene tried to cheer me up.
“Write a goodbye letter. Your fans will be
sad.”
I agreed.
After the painting was finished, Shailene
posted it online.
It was a painting of me when I first met Liam.
It became popular.
People wanted to buy it.
But I didn’t want to sell.
One person was persistent. He wanted to see
the original.
<
I refused, but Shailene looked at me and said,
“It’s just a painting. You need money for the
baby.”
My name was on the painting, but I never
showed my face.
So, Shailene went.
I waited for him.
I got a call from the police.
Shailene had been arrested.
Someone claimed to have seen the real artist.
They said Shailene stole the painting.
