The sun cast golden rays across the Silvercity University courtyard as Mariana sat on a bench with her notebook open. Around her were her chosen project teammates—Adam, Bia, Clara, and Peter. The group had just been selected for the prestigious "Urban Revive" challenge, a semester-long competition to design a feasible revitalization plan for a struggling part of the city.
Adam, tall and analytical, quickly bonded with Mariana over their shared passion for urban transformation. Clara, a fashion-forward economics major with a soft heart, was excited about community design and aesthetics. Bia, always with a colorful headband and sharp ideas, brought creativity and strategy. Peter, the quiet coder, was in charge of the tech proposal.
Then there was Sue.
Sue didn't want to be in the same group. She had expected to lead a different team, but Mariana had scored highest in the selection round and was automatically given the leader role. Her smiles were polite, but her eyes betrayed envy. She often made passive comments like, "Well, some of us didn't just get lucky."
Still, Mariana kept her focus on the work. With her experience as Mary and the knowledge from her system, she guided the team effortlessly—suggesting they focus on transforming the Southbank neighborhood using local entrepreneurship, sustainable transport models, and microfinance support for women-owned businesses.
Despite Sue's occasional jabs, the group bonded. Mariana brought lunch to group meetings, laughed with Adam over economic jokes only they found funny, and once helped Peter fix a laptop issue with surprising tech know-how.
During a casual dinner after a long day, Clara leaned over and whispered, "You're kind of amazing, you know that?"
Mariana smiled, not out of pride, but gratitude. For the first time in this life, she was being recognized not as someone's wife or mother—but as herself.