Macabéa buys a red lipstick for herself the day after Olímpico breaks up with her. She takes it into the bathroom at work and paints it on her mouth, hoping she’ll look like Marilyn Monroe. Glória makes fun of her when she returns to the office, insisting that Macabéa will never look like Marilyn. They start arguing about who is more attractive and who is uglier. Then Glória asks why Macabéa always takes so much aspirin. Macabéa admits that she lives with a pain that she can’t explain. Rodrigo thinks her pain is a sign that she’s alive, yet no one but him notices her. Glória dismisses what Macabéa says and insists that someday she’ll choke on one of the pills.

Soon after this, Macabéa encounters a giant tree while out walking. She’s thrilled by the tree, as it’s so big she can’t even “wrap her arms around its trunk” (54).

Olímpico starts regularly visiting Glória at the office. He hugs and kisses her in front of everyone. Whenever he shows up, Macabéa dismisses herself to the bathroom. She stares at herself in the mirror and realizes that Glória isn’t really her friend.