Anna stood in front of the long, gold-framed mirror in the corner of the gallery, adjusting the strap of her black dress. The event was buzzing, filled with people who floated through life effortlessly—those whose presence commanded rooms, whose smiles dazzled crowds. People like him.

She spotted him across the room, deep in conversation with a small group of high-profile collectors. He wore his success easily, like the perfectly tailored suit that clung to his tall frame. Her fingers nervously brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She didn’t belong here.

The gallery walls were draped with the work of new artists, and everyone in attendance seemed to radiate a certain confidence she could never quite touch. She had never felt like she fit into these circles, like someone who had fallen through the cracks and now found herself in the wrong place, with the wrong people.

What am I doing here? she thought.

She had asked herself that question a thousand times since the night she first met Robert, six months ago. He had swept into her life as if fate had a wild sense of humor. He could have chosen anyone, and yet, somehow, he had chosen her.

Anna had always been last. Last to be picked in school, last to leave the office when everyone else had moved on to better things. She was the quiet one in the back of every photograph, barely noticed in the blur of someone else’s story.

So, when Robert had walked into that tiny café where she worked, flashing a smile that could light up a room, she didn’t believe it when he stayed to talk. Not to her. She assumed he was just being kind, maybe waiting for someone else. But as the weeks turned into dates and the casual conversations turned into deeper confessions, Anna found herself drawn into a world she never thought she’d see. A world where people like him thrived.

And yet, she never stopped feeling like the outsider. The imposter.

“Anna.” His voice pulled her from her thoughts, gentle but commanding, like everything else about him. She hadn’t even noticed him crossing the room toward her. “You okay?”

She nodded quickly, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… taking it all in.”

He reached out and lightly touched her arm, his eyes searching her face. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend like you’re not enough.”

Her heart caught in her chest. He had a way of seeing through her, as if every doubt, every insecurity she tried to hide was written on her skin in ink only he could read.

“I don’t understand why you’re with me,” she blurted, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. She swallowed hard, the embarrassment burning in her throat. “I mean, look at you… and look at me.”

Robert tilted his head, considering her. Then, in that calm, self-assured way he always had, he said, “Look at you.”

She crossed her arms, defensive. “I have looked. And I don’t see what you see.”

He glanced around at the people mingling in the gallery, the polished world he lived in. “Anna, you think these people are any different from you?”

She couldn’t help but laugh, though it came out bitter and sharp. “Yes. Very.”

Robert stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Let me tell you something about all of this—about success, confidence, whatever you want to call it. It doesn’t make a person better. It just means they’ve learned how to hide their fears behind shiny things.”

She looked up at him, her disbelief plain on her face.

He smiled softly and reached for her hand, taking it in his. “You see yourself as this blank slate, someone who’s been overlooked or left behind. But that’s just where the story starts. Anna, every masterpiece begins with the right canvas. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about the potential to create something extraordinary.”

She stared at him, searching his eyes for any hint of pretense. But there was none. He was serious.

He squeezed her hand gently. “You’re not broken. You’re not less than anyone here. You’re the foundation. And with the right foundation, the right person, you can create something unforgettable.”

Anna wanted to believe him, but years of being told she wasn’t enough were hard to shake off in an instant. “But why me?” she whispered, barely trusting her own voice.

“Because I see you,” Robert said, his voice warm and steady. “Not just the version of you you’ve been told to believe in. I see the woman who has more strength, more depth, than you give yourself credit for. And I choose you because I know what we can create together.”

Her heart ached at the sincerity in his words, at the way he made her feel seen in a way no one else ever had. She had spent so long shrinking herself down, trying to avoid the spotlight, that she didn’t know how to stand tall anymore.

But maybe, just maybe, he was right. Maybe she wasn’t meant to be in the shadows, after all.

She took a deep breath and let herself lean into the moment. Into him.

Robert smiled again, his eyes lighting up with a quiet confidence that was now just as much hers as his. “Let’s go home,” he said softly. “The night doesn’t need to impress anyone.”

And for the first time in a long time, Anna felt like she could breathe. Like the weight of her own self-doubt was lifting, if only a little. As they left the gallery, she realized that she didn’t need to compare herself to the people around her. She wasn’t perfect, but maybe that didn’t matter.

Every masterpiece begins with the right canvas. And for once, she started to believe she could be one too.