A heavy silence swallowed the space around the charred gallery. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air, and the flames—now extinguished—had left a trail of devastation behind. Mary, Helen, Nicholas, and Yong stood motionless in front of the half-burnt building. Tears welled in their eyes, and every breath they took felt heavier than the last.
Yong was the first to gather his courage and step inside the gallery. Nicholas followed without hesitation. But Mary and Helen couldn't move—feet seemingly glued to the ground.
Inside, silence reigned. Yong took a hesitant step forward, only to hear the bitter crunch of a burnt canvas frame beneath his foot. He immediately stepped back and looked at Nicholas with tear-filled eyes. Nicholas dropped to his knees, placed both hands on the scorched floor, and whispered under his breath:
— "The gallery's gone… everything's gone…"
Moments later, the art students trickled in, their faces frozen in shock. Each searched for their own painting, only to find nothing but ash and blackened frames.
Shortly after, the painting instructor arrived, panting. At the entrance, he saw Mary and Helen standing frozen, eyes locked on the destruction inside.
— "What happened? As soon as I heard, I rushed here..."
Helen's voice cracked as she replied:
— "I don't know, sir… it all happened so fast. We were inside when suddenly everything was filled with smoke and fire."
— "Is anyone hurt?"
— "No… luckily, everyone made it out safely. But the gallery… it's completely burned."
The instructor sighed in relief.
— "Thank God no one's hurt… come on, let's go inside and see what's left."
Finally, Mary and Helen entered the gallery alongside the instructor. They joined Nicholas and Yong. Mary knelt beside Nicholas.
— "Nicholas… are you okay?"
Nicholas, eyes bloodshot, gestured around him.
— "There's nothing left, Mary… everything's destroyed…"
— "We'll fix it… we'll rebuild… together."
But before she could finish, Nicholas cried out:
— "Fix it?! How?! Everything's gone!"
Mary recoiled in fear. Yong quickly stepped in and helped her up.
— "Are you okay, Mary? Nicholas! That's no way to talk—this isn't her fault. We're all hurting."
Nicholas mumbled:
— "I don't know… I'm just… confused… it all happened so fast…"
The instructor stepped forward.
— "Calm down, everyone. This isn't the time for fighting. A lot of the paintings had been sold—we had contracts. We'll need to explain the situation to the buyers and ask for time."
Helen looked up, distressed:
— "What about our paintings? We had contracts too… what happens now?"
— "First, we contact all the buyers. Maybe some of them will agree to an extension. Yong, gather everyone tonight. We need to talk."
— "Okay, I'll arrange it."
— "By the way… has the fire department confirmed the cause of the fire?"
— "Not yet. They're still investigating."
The instructor raised his voice:
— "Everyone, please step outside! Let the investigators do their job."
The group slowly exited the gallery. At that moment, Diana pulled up and rushed toward them.
— "I was at the office when I got the call… are you all okay? Yong? Nicholas? Helen?"
Yong replied:
— "Yeah, we're okay, Diana. Don't worry."
— "What happened?"
— "Come on, I'll tell you on the way."
The instructor said his goodbyes:
— "I'll see you all at the studio. Hopefully, we'll have some answers about the fire by tonight."
Inside the car, silence was only broken by Nicholas's shallow breathing.
Diana glanced at Nicholas and Mary through the rearview mirror.
— "Nicholas… don't lose hope. We'll fix this—together, I promise."
Nicholas choked on his words:
— "I lost everything in a blink… Oh no! My car… I left it parked outside the gallery!"
Yong reassured him:
— "Don't worry. I'll go check on it later."
Diana smiled gently:
— "We've got your back—all of us. Right, Yong?"
— "Exactly. The important thing is that no one got hurt. If something had happened to Mary, Helen, or any of the kids, we'd never be the same again."
Mary took Nicholas's hand:
— "You're not alone. We'll rebuild the gallery."
For the first time, Nicholas smiled faintly and squeezed her hand. But then Diana broke the silence with a teasing tone:
— "Mary… I think you're bad luck! First the painting, now the gallery! And don't forget the painting damages too..."
Everyone stared at her in disbelief. A moment later, Diana burst into laughter:
— "Come on! I was just kidding. Trying to lighten the mood."
Yong frowned:
— "Not the best timing for jokes."
— "Alright, alright… I'll keep quiet. Just know I'm with you till the end."
Later, after dropping their friends off, Yong and Diana returned home.
— "I'm gonna take a shower. Still smell like smoke."
— "Alright, honey. I'll make us something to eat."
At the bathroom door, Yong paused:
— "Hey Diana… you've been teasing Mary a lot lately. Even in that mess, you didn't stop. Is there something I should know?"
— "What? No! Just teasing. Nothing more."
— "Okay… just don't push it too far. Mary's only human."
Diana nodded with a sweet smile. But the moment Yong disappeared into the bathroom, her expression darkened. She smirked to herself and whispered:
— "Just wait, Mary… this is only the beginning. I won't let anything get in the way of my plans."
That night, all the students gathered at the studio. The instructor had spoken to many buyers, and most agreed to accept refunds and allow a few days' extension.
But Mr. Parker—the buyer of the joint painting by Nicholas, Yong, Helen, and Mary—was nowhere to be found. He hadn't come to the studio, nor answered any calls.
Two days later, Mary was at work when her phone rang. It was Nicholas.
— "Hey Nicholas."
— "Are you at the office?"
— "Yeah, is something wrong?"
— "I'm coming to pick you up. Take some time off and meet me downstairs."
— "You're worrying me… what's going on?"
— "Mr. Parker contacted the instructor. Everything's falling apart. I'll explain on the way."
Mary hung up, clearly shaken. Deniz approached her.
— "Mary, everything okay?"
— "Nicholas just called. Said Mr. Parker finally responded—and things are worse. I'm taking a break and going down to meet him."
— "Alright, just keep me updated, okay?"
After getting time off, Mary waited outside for Nicholas. Once in the car, she asked:
— "You said things were falling apart, but I didn't understand on the phone. What did Parker say? Why are you so upset?"
Nicholas, his voice trembling with suppressed rage, replied:
— "Parker officially filed a damage claim. He says according to the contract, we owe him twice the value of the painting."
Mary froze. Her heart raced as she processed the words.
— "What?! That's impossible. It was an accident! A tragedy. We didn't do it on purpose—we're victims too!"
Nicholas let out a bitter chuckle, the sound soaked with frustration.
— "We told him the same thing… but that bastard must've planned this. He was just waiting for a chance to ruin us."
Mary rubbed her temples, silent for a moment.
— "What do we do now? Look… I haven't spent my share yet. Maybe we can offer it in exchange for a time extension."
Nicholas shook his head in frustration.
— "No use. He said one week, max. I'm putting my car up for sale today. Yong's giving his share too. But it's not enough."
Suddenly, Mary remembered Helen—and dread filled her chest.
— "What about Helen? Did you tell her? She was so excited about buying that house for her mom. She hasn't even paid the second installment yet…"
Nicholas sighed, as if anticipating the question.
— "No. Yong and I agreed not to tell her—for now. We don't want to upset her. But we have to solve this, fast."
Half an hour later, Mary and Nicholas arrived at the studio. In the instructor's office, Yong was staring out the window. At the sound of their footsteps, he turned around.
The instructor, calm as always, motioned for them to sit.
— "Glad you're here. Come in, have a seat."
Yong clenched his fists, voice tight with anger.
— "I never thought Mr. Parker could be such a snake…"
The instructor lowered his head, sighing deeply.
— "Me neither… all the other buyers were understanding. But this man… he filed a legal claim. I can't believe I didn't see his true nature. It's my fault—I shouldn't have introduced him to you."
Nicholas shook his head firmly:
— "Don't say that, sir. You couldn't have known. None of us saw this coming."
Yong spoke up:
— "What matters now is finding a solution. If Mary agrees, the three of us can return our shares from the painting sale. We're not telling Helen yet… but even that won't be enough."
The instructor paused, then nodded.
— "I can pitch in too. You're my students—I won't abandon you."
Mary's voice was quiet but resolute.
— "I have some savings. I can even get a loan from work. It won't cover everything, but maybe it'll buy us time. Enough to negotiate with Parker…"
The instructor gave a faint smile.
— "Yes… that's the best plan. We have to act before our time runs out. That gallery wasn't just a place—it was a dream. And I know strong people can rebuild dreams… even from the ashes."