Deceit

Mara Chen stared at her reflection in the elevator’s mirrored walls, smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her crisp white blouse. As the numbers ticked upward, so did her heart rate. By the time the doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing the sleek reception area of Nexus Technologies, her palms were damp. “Morning, Ms. Chen,” chirped the receptionist. “Mr. Wells is waiting for you in the Prism Room.” Mara nodded, striding purposefully down the hallway. The glass-walled conference rooms lining either side pulsed with activity - engineers hunched over laptops, marketers gesticulating at whiteboards covered in flowcharts and sticky notes. This was her world now, a far cry from the dingy art galleries where she’d spent countless evenings supporting her brother’s fledgling career. ...

The lavender-scented breeze caressed Olivia’s face as she stepped off the train in Aix-en-Provence. Squinting in the bright Mediterranean sunlight, she took a deep breath, savoring the intoxicating blend of herbs and flowers that perfumed the air. After months of planning and anticipation, she had finally arrived for her summer art residency in the South of France. Olivia hitched her canvas tote higher on her shoulder and grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase. As she made her way through the quaint station, a flutter of excitement mixed with apprehension in her chest. At 32, she was taking a huge risk by leaving behind her stable but unfulfilling graphic design job in Chicago to pursue her true passion for painting. This residency was her chance to prove to herself - and her skeptical parents - that she could make it as a real artist. ...