Night had fallen, and the soft glow of the ceiling light spilled across the dinner table. But Mary barely noticed the smell of the food. She held her spoon loosely, not taking a single bite. Her mind kept drifting to Mr. Parker and the money they owed him. A gentle voice broke her train of thought.
"Mary, are you okay? You haven't eaten a single spoonful since we sat down."
Mary straightened up, forcing a faint smile. "No, I'm fine… It's nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes… just caught up with work at the company."
The next morning, Mary went to the academy with Nicholas and Young. After a brief greeting, the teacher called Mr. Parker and arranged a meeting for later that day. Mary and Young pooled their money together. Nicholas spoke with a firm tone:
"I talked to my friend. The money for my car will be in my account tonight—you can count on me too."
The teacher rubbed his forehead. "I managed to get some together as well."
Yong nodded. "Thank you, Teacher. For now, we'll give him this and try to buy some time."
The teacher hesitated. "By the way… what about Helen?"
Nicholas: "We won't tell her for now."
When the teacher left, Mary's phone rang—Helen's name flashed on the screen. She looked at Nicholas and Yong. Yong gestured with his eyes: Answer it, but don't say anything.
Mary picked up. "Hi Helen, how are you?"
"I'm fine… where are you? You didn't come to the academy today."
"No, I had work at the company."
"Didn't Yong and Nicholas say anything? Any news from Parker?"
"No… don't worry. Everyone's given us more time, he'll do the same."
"I'm afraid he'll terminate the contract and demand double… I was thinking of telling my mom today."
Mary (quickly): "No! Don't tell her yet."
Yong signaled: Tell her it's fine, we'll explain after we talk to him.
Mary repeated the message and ended the call, letting out a heavy sigh. "She's really worried… even wants to give back the house money."
Nicholas: "She mustn't know."
That night, Nicholas picked Mary up to meet at the restaurant where they'd arranged to see Parker. The teacher and Young were already there. Hours passed—no sign of Parker. The teacher's calls went unanswered.
Nicholas slammed his fist on the table. "Damn it! He's turned off his phone on purpose."
Yong: "He just wants to mess with us."
Teacher: "Don't worry… he'll want his money eventually."
By the weekend, Mary stayed home under the pretense of painting. Around noon, Nicholas called: "Parker says to meet at three. I'll pick you up in an hour."
When they arrived, Parker was already sitting with the teacher and Yong. Mary stepped forward—her surprise deepened when she saw Diana there as well.
Parker got straight to the point: "I want all my money at once. You have only one more day."
Yong: "We brought what we have now. Please accept it."
Parker: "The contract says you pay in full."
Teacher: "That's not fair—it was an accident, not on purpose."
Parker: "I follow the law."
Diana stepped in: "I'll add more. Please, compromise."
Parker sneered. "How do I know it wasn't intentional?"
Nicholas jumped up. "Maybe you started the fire! You've been ignoring our calls for days, and now you tell us we have one day left?"
Yong pulled him back. "Calm down!"
Parker, fuming: "My lawyer will come tomorrow. Have the money ready." Then he stormed out.
Diana and the teacher rushed after him. Nicholas sank into his chair. "I sold my car, the gallery's gone… and all for a damn painting."
Yong muttered, "If we can't pay by tomorrow, it'll get ugly."
Mary took a deep breath, as if bracing for a big decision.
Mary: "I'll talk to my boss and get an urgent loan. We'll figure out the rest. I've got some savings and jewelry—I can sell those."
Nicholas looked into her eyes for a moment, then placed a warm hand on her shoulder. His tone was serious, though his touch was gentle.
Nicholas: "You're really kind… but Young and I can't accept that. We'll think of another way."
Mary frowned slightly but her gaze stayed firm.
Mary: "What other way? We can't take Helen's money. The teacher's already helped enough. This is the only option I see. I'll talk to my boss—please don't argue."
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall—Diana and the teacher returned, looking drained.
Teacher: "He's stubborn… wouldn't budge. Let's go, we'll figure something out tomorrow."
The next day, Mary walked into Mr. Connor's office with nerves buzzing in her veins. She requested the urgent loan, her resolve unshaken. When it was approved, a faint smile broke through her mask of worry. The money was in her hands—finally, she could fix this.
She rushed to the meeting place with Parker's lawyer, arriving a bit late. To her shock, the lawyer was signing the termination papers. She quietly approached Nicholas.
Mary (whispering): "What happened? Did Mr. Parker back down? He's not asking for double anymore?"
Nicholas (with a bitter chuckle): "You think that bastard would back down? Diana paid the rest."
Mary blinked, confused. "Really? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Nicholas: "We only found out half an hour ago. We were talking with Yong and the teacher when Diana suddenly showed up with the money."
Mary: "But… I already got the loan."
Nicholas (loudly): "What? Already?"
Mary glanced at the others. "We'll talk later."
After the lawyer left, Diana smiled in triumph. "Well, that's that. You can relax now."
Yong replied coldly, "Thanks for your help… We'd better go."
Diana: "Alright, sweetheart. See you again soon."
Yong and Diana left, the teacher said goodbye, and then it was just Nicholas and Mary.
Nicholas: "So, you said you got the loan?"
Mary: "Yeah… I didn't think Diana would cover the rest."
Mary smiled warmly, taking Nicholas's hand. "It's fine—we can use it for your gallery."
Nicholas (wide-eyed): "What? Seriously? You're joking, right?"
Mary: "Why would I joke? We're friends, aren't we? I want to help you rebuild your gallery."
Nicholas's eyes lit up. Without thinking, he pulled Mary into a tight hug.
Nicholas: "God, Mary… I love you so much. So much."
Mary froze, her heart pounding wildly, words stuck in her throat. Realizing what he'd done, Nicholas let go quickly.
Nicholas: "I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me."
Mary smiled softly. "It's okay…"