Daniel had informed Maisie, in a somber tone, that his first wife, Laura, had died. But on what was supposed to be just another uneventful evening, Maisie discovered something shocking. Not only was Laura’s Facebook profile operational, but it also showed that she was online at the moment. The fabric of Maisie’s world was going to be torn apart by this digital ghost, forcing her to face a confrontation that would cost Daniel everything he valued most.
Maisie and Daniel had met for the first time in the colorful world of art galleries and shows. As a young artist just starting out, Maisie was lost in the intricate web of networking and creative exhibition. Daniel, the proprietor of a well-known gallery featuring up-and-coming artists, greeted Maisie with a charm that captivated her right away. “Hello, I’m Daniel,” he introduced himself, reaching out a hand that Maisie accepted, sensing the beginnings of a relationship that would have a significant impact on her life.
Daniel was a prospective curator as well as the owner of a gallery. He thought Maisie’s work had something that had the potential to be quite good. Under the pretense of talking about art, Daniel had asked Maisie out to dinner after their first encounter, during which she had discussed her creative ideas and dreams. He had said, “Just so that we can talk more,” but by the end of the night, it was obvious that something more than just business was simmering between them. But with a conviction that made her flush, he told her, “I think your art will find a home here, at my gallery.”
They went from being business acquaintances to love partners quite quickly. Maisie made her formal art world debut on the opening night that Daniel arranged. With his hand still warm in hers, he had whispered, “It’s your debut into this world, Maisie.” Maisie had wondered what he saw in her, as she looked down at her sneakers smeared with paint. She felt seen, though—her art, her soul, her essence—when he stared at her.
Daniel proposed to her in the back room of his gallery, surrounded by paintbrushes and canvases, a year after their first encounter. He knelt and said, “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.” “Maisie, this is it.” Maisie had consented, overwhelmed and completely enamored, envisioning a future full of love and art, touring museums all over the world and being fully immersed in the international art scene.
On a peaceful evening as their wedding drew near, Daniel opened up about a traumatic chapter in his background. “Maisie,” he said with a tone of seriousness that drew her in right away. “I was married before, but it wasn’t for long.” He sighing heavily, he added, “She died,” his gaze falling to the ground when asked. Touched by his seeming sorrow, Maisie extended her hand and lightly touched his arm. She said, “I’m so sorry,” seeing his pain as her own.
Daniel began handling Maisie’s finances after they were married, claiming his experience with investments in the art market, thus his control over her grew from a personal to a professional one. Their life together appeared flawless and well-balanced, like to a finely staged museum.
One evening, this delusion came to an end. Maisie was spending her alone time with a bottle of wine and aimlessly looking through Facebook while Daniel was out visiting an exhibition. She noticed it then—a recommendation to her friend Laura that said, “Online Now.” She felt a chilling sense of bewilderment and terror after the jolt. How is it possible for a deceased person to use social media?
Motivated by a mixture of inquisitiveness and fear, Maisie wrote Laura, anticipating a response of either denial or silence. Rather, she got a quick but uncomfortable response. I have been observing you, Maisie. Daniel, you have to go. Run, save your possessions. The purportedly dead woman had left a disturbing and confusing note.
Laura continued by saying that she was still very much alive and that she had been forced to flee Daniel after learning of his dishonest behavior. Laura said that the gallery served as more than simply a place to view art; rather, it served as a front for Daniel’s financial and manipulative activities. He had betrayed her with falsehoods and treachery after promising her the world.
Maisie came to understand the full scope of Daniel’s deceit as Laura revealed more. He had seduced her and several others by offering them fame and prosperity, charging top dollar for their artwork, selling it to affluent customers, then fabricating far lower sales numbers and keeping the difference for himself. Daniel calmed the artists when they raised issues by providing them with cryptic financial statements and ambiguous assurances of future earnings.
After learning of the disclosure, Maisie acted quickly to protect her assets. She opened a new, safe account, moved all her funds into it, and got ready to face Daniel. Her history was a well manufactured deception, and the guy she had loved and trusted was no longer the same.
When Daniel was getting ready to head out to the gallery the following morning, he asked Maisie what she had planned. “I intend to paint,” she said, maintaining a calm tone despite her internal anguish. Unaware of her existence, Daniel departed with an informal peck of encouragement to paint masterpieces.
After he left, Maisie wrote one last letter to Daniel and placed it on the table among her colorful unsold paintings. “I told him that I had spoken to Laura and that I knew everything,” was the plain and conclusive remark. Daniel, the delusion of our marriage is ended.
With a resolve to start again, Maisie packed her belongings and headed for her parents’ house. She contacted Laura in the days that followed, and the two of them worked to put together the proof of Daniel’s deception. In order to safeguard future victims of his predatory practices, they formed a coalition with other artists he had fooled and went after legal action on their own behalf.
Although Maisie was saddened by the breakup of her marriage, she was happy to be rid of a guy who had treated her more like a target than a companion. Maisie was excited to rebuild her life on a basis of honesty and integrity, free from the misleading shadows of Daniel’s influence, and to devote all of her attention to her work.
Thinking back on this terrifying event, Maisie pondered: if you were in her shoes, what actions would you have taken?