All Chapters of Dared to love: Chapter 131 - Chapter 140

After the Art Benefit, Lorraine quickly hailed a cab and returned home. Mrs Hughes and her husband were attending to some of their college alumni.Spending more time talking to some old men who occasionally breached the line between showing work interest and being flirtatious was not something she wished to spend more time of her evening doing.She quickly bade goodnight to Mrs Hughes and left.When she got home, Caterina was sitting in the living room watching TV. Wasting no time, Lorraine marched towards Caterina. Immediately, Caterina saw her, she pointed upstairs on seeing the determined look on Lorraine's face."How did it go?" Caterina asked"Actually not so bad. It wasn't what I quite expected and was very insightful" Lorraine said with a smile on her face"Really?" Caterina replied in shock"Is that why you asked me to get you your canvas and paintbrushes?" She added"Yes," Lorraine replied."It's upstairs in your room" Caterina replied. Lorraine was about to walk up the stai

It was the 24th of August, and the morning sun felt different this time. Not too hot or bright, it felt just as mellow as the feels that Lorraine felt that morning.By 6:45 a.m., she kicked off her blankets, silenced her alarm, rolled over to the side of the bed and stood up, placing her feet in her loafers.She had tossed and turned, disturbed by the anxious thoughts that flooded her mind about today, but now that it was here, she felt anew.Excitedly, Lorraine strolled into her bathroom, picked up her toothbrush and began brushing.Finally, it was here, the day she had waited, dreaded, dreamt, prepared and wished for - The Art Convention day. And she was feeling all kinds of good, or maybe it was just the weather, she couldn't tell, didn't care for it.In the days leading to the competition, Lorraine and DeAngelo had spent time going over the conducts expected of the students at the Convention, going over the names of important figures and judges and Mrs Hughes's special, how to swa

Lorraine's plane landed about three hours later. When she stepped out of the airport, the enchanting look of the city engulfed all her nervousness. She felt anew, more determined to seize this opportunity. As they drove through the bustling traffic, Lorraine brought out her camera and started taking some pictures.The city was everything she had dreamed it would be. Still, she couldn't believe how far she had come in her career, from being a no-name artist whose heart got broken by her douche of her ex-fiance and losing her job the same week, to being at the forefront of ancient art and artists, about to win the biggest art award and make a name for herself.She was slowly starting to feel fulfilled in her career."It's beautiful isn't it?" DeAngelo interrupted her train of thought, gazing at her bewildered face"I'm glad you got to see it" He addedLorraine shifted her gaze to him and smiled with no response and then back on all the stunning views she had so little time to soak in.

After several schools had competed, there was finally a selection - Dalvio Art Schools emerged victorious and on to the next stage of the competition. Watching the other schools get eliminated, Lorraine could not help but feel bad for them. She could imagine being in their shoes, all the time wasted on painting, pouring their deepest emotions into expressing something personal and authentic only to be rejected. It was frighteningThe judges tried to be nice. They found a way to let them down easy without fracturing their passion, and as she observed she started to notice the patterns in the words they chose, almost as if they were recited from a playbook; "your work is inspirational, but doesn't just meet our mark", "We appreciate the efforts you put into making this piece, but we're afraid it's not what we're looking for", "We have no doubts that your works will someday get featured in a gallery somewhere".Lorraine heard them all that night and shook her head in disbelief, it was

The day was bright and sunny. However, Lorraine woke up feeling clouded in her head. She had made a bold decision yesterday night to forfeit the award and the certificates that came with it, but now she wasn't so sure anymore.Her career's future and everything she ever wanted and worked hard for hung on that decision. She sat up and shook her head, dismissing the thoughts then walked into her kitchen and made herself something to eat.She needed a clear headspace to think, but just then she was interrupted by a knock on her door. Groaning in frustration, she marched towards it and opened it aggressively "What?!" And immediately regretted gee outburst"Mrs Hughes..." she blurted in shock"Good morning Lorraine," the lady said and brushed past her, entering her room. Lorraine remained frozen at the door for a few moments, then closed it and turned to Mrs Hughes. "Sorry ma'am, but what are you doing here so early?" She asked Mrs Hughes turned to her with a proud smile and said, "I c