The next morning, Mary returns to the studio, but once again, her friends are nowhere to be found. Still, she immerses herself in her new painting without pause. She's focused, taking every opportunity to benefit from the instructor's guidance. The start of the week feels filled with optimism; she senses that this challenging piece may be the spark to ignite the path to her dream.
On Tuesday, the office is quieter than ever. Most employees have taken time off under the pretext of finishing previous projects or waiting for new ones to begin. Even Deniz has gone with Ava to a big festival. The atmosphere is neutral and still; a few coworkers sit chatting while Mary stares blankly at her screen, her mind full of colors and brushes. She thinks about her unfinished painting—what colors to use, which brush to bring out which texture.
Suddenly, her phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Hi Mary, it's Yong."
"Hey Yong! How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. A few days ago, the teacher mentioned I might be able to help with your new painting..."
"Yes, thank you so much for agreeing."
"Well, that's why I'm calling. I didn't have anything scheduled back then, but something urgent has come up... I'm really sorry—I won't be able to help you after all."
Mary pauses. Her faint smile fades.
"No worries... I should be the one apologizing for bothering you. I'll try to manage on my own."
"If you'd like, I can ask one of my friends to..."
But suddenly, Yong's voice breaks up.
"Hello? Yong? I can't hear you."
"Sorry, my phone's acting up... I didn't say anything important."
"Oh... okay."
"Well, I have to go now. Take care."
"Take care."
Mary stares at her phone screen, disappointed. She thinks to herself:
"It's normal—he's probably busy... He didn't even come to the studio. I shouldn't expect anything from anyone."
Elsewhere in the city, Yong stands still, phone in hand.
"There. Are you satisfied now? I don't understand why you've become so suspicious of Mary after meeting her."
Diana stands facing him, her tone cold:
"I'm sure that girl is just using painting as an excuse to get close to you."
"Why would she do that? She knows we're engaged."
"She's shady. You said your first encounter started with her commenting on your painting—at an exhibition that was so important to us! I was humiliated in front of my parents that day. Then she got all friendly with Nicholas... She clearly enrolled in that studio with a plan."
"Diana... I've told you before—that incident was just a coincidence. And as for Nicholas... it's him who's getting close to Mary, not the other way around."
"Whatever it is, I don't want her around you. Be careful and set boundaries."
"Are you jealous?"
"Please, don't flatter yourself..." (pauses, thinking) "I haven't spoken to Helen in a while. I should meet her soon."
She grabs her bag and heads toward the door.
"Well, I have to get to the office."
"It hasn't even been an hour since I saw you. These days, we only talk on the phone..."
"Sweetheart, please understand—there's a lot going on at work. I'm also trying to register our company in another country. Once everything's settled, we'll have more time together."
Yong nods, uncertain. Diana opens the door and forces a smile:
"Bye, darling."
"Bye."
The door closes. Yong sits on the couch, hands clasped, eyes fixed on the floor.
"Why has she become so sensitive about this girl? She wasn't like this before... Oh Diana... If I didn't truly love you, I would've helped Mary. You don't know the passion in her eyes—just like mine, back in the day."
The days pass. Mary throws herself into her work, breathing life into her painting. By the weekend, she returns to the studio with a smile—and this time, she sees Helen and Nicholas. After a brief hello, she quietly returns to her canvas. A few hours later, the door opens—Yong and Diana walk in. They greet the instructor.
The instructor, surprised:
"Diana! What brings you here? It's been nearly a year since you came to the studio."
"I know... I've been so busy, but I missed you."
"I used to ask Yong about you. I hope everything's going well."
"Thank you."
Diana walks over to Helen. Yong begins painting. Mary, surprised to see Diana, stands up to greet her.
"Hi Diana. How have you been?"
"Hi... You're here too?"
Mary feels the chill in her tone. Helen looks at Diana, puzzled.
"Diana, you know Mary?"
"I saw her once at a restaurant."
"I thought you didn't know her."
"It was just once. You don't expect us to be close, do you?"
Mary, flustered:
"No, no... I just wanted to say hi. Sorry. I'll get back to my painting."
Helen:
"Mary, don't apologize for something that's not your fault. You're right—we should get back to painting."
Diana throws a quick glance at Nicholas, then suddenly changes her tone and takes Mary's hand:
"I was joking! We had such a fun time at the restaurant that day. Don't take it seriously."
Mary, gently smiling:
"To be honest, I thought you were serious."
Helen laughs:
"Diana, you still have those weird jokes?"
"I don't have any silly habits. What about you? It's been so long since we talked... I've missed you. We should sit down sometime and catch up—like the good old university days."
"I knew you were busy, didn't want to bother you."
"You're right…"
Diana gets up and walks toward Nicholas.
Mary whispers to Helen:
"Nicholas seems... off today. Kind of moody."
"He's always like that."
"They seem close."
"Hard to say—one day they're close, the next, they're sworn enemies."
"Good thing Yong's busy, or this place would turn into a war zone."
"Oh please, don't even say that. I'm so tired of their arguments."
They both laugh.
Helen quietly adds:
"Better not get too close to Diana."
"Why? She seems nice."
"She is—until competition gets involved... In art, it's just like the workplace. Sometimes people will do anything to stand out."
Mary nods:
"I'm not competing with anyone right now. I just want to finish my painting well. And be a pro like you."
"The teacher said you're working on something new. Seems like Yong didn't have time to help. If you need anything, I'm here."
"Really? The teacher said that? Thank you. I'm glad we met."
"Me too. Since you've been here, this place feels warmer to me."
Mary returns to her canvas and gets back to work, but from the corner of her eye, she can't help glancing curiously at Diana and Nicholas...