Chapter Two :When the World Turned Its Back
754 Words
Kane hardly slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Liana's face.
Not the confident expression she usually wore.
Not the calm smile she tried to hide.
But the look of disappointment in her eyes as she walked away from him behind the Central Library.
"I just wanted to protect you."
Those words echoed in his mind throughout the night.
At six o'clock the next morning, he gave up trying to sleep.
He got out of bed, knelt beside it, and folded his hands.
"Lord," he prayed softly, "if I've judged someone unfairly, give me the wisdom to make it right. And if my friends are truly innocent, help me trust them completely."
He rose feeling lighter, unaware that before the day ended, his entire world would collapse.
---
Evergreen University was unusually lively that morning.
Students crowded around the digital notice board outside the Faculty of Engineering.
Some were cheering.
Others whispered excitedly.
Kane frowned as he approached.
"What happened?" he asked a classmate.
"The project submissions have been verified."
"Already?"
"Yes."
Kane smiled.
"That's faster than I expected."
He stepped closer to the screen.
At the top of the list appeared the words:
ENGINEERING INNOVATION CHALLENGE
Verified Project Submissions
His eyes moved down the page.
Team Leader: Brandon Cole
Members: Victor James, Kelvin Adams, Desmond Parker
Project Title: Development of a Low-Cost Gas Flaring Reduction System for Marginal Oil Fields
Kane froze.
His smile disappeared.
That...
That was his project.
Word for word.
He searched for his own name.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
It wasn't there.
His heartbeat quickened.
"No..."
He whispered the word so quietly that no one heard him.
"There must be a mistake."
---
"Kane!"
Brandon walked toward him with a broad smile.
"There you are!"
Victor, Kelvin and Desmond followed close behind.
Brandon pretended to look surprised.
"Why do you look so shocked?"
Kane pointed at the screen.
"Our project..."
Brandon's smile faded.
"What about it?"
"My name..."
"It's missing."
For a brief second, Brandon's expression changed.
Then he sighed dramatically.
"Kane..."
"We wanted to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
Victor stepped forward.
"We had to remove you."
Kane stared at him in disbelief.
"What?"
Kelvin folded his arms.
"Professor Okafor said every team member had to contribute equally."
Desmond nodded.
"And honestly..."
"You haven't been around much lately."
Kane couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I wasn't around?"
"I spent every evening working on that project."
Brandon lowered his eyes as if he were deeply hurt.
"We know you helped."
"But the final submission was our responsibility."
Kane's voice trembled.
"So you removed my name..."
"...without even talking to me?"
Brandon remained silent.
That silence was answer enough.
---
Around them, students had begun to notice the argument.
Whispers spread quickly.
"What's happening?"
"Isn't that Kane's team?"
"I heard they removed him."
"Maybe he didn't contribute."
"No, Kane wouldn't do that."
"Then why isn't his name there?"
Each whisper felt like another stone pressing against Kane's chest.
He looked at the four people he had called brothers.
None of them could meet his eyes.
For the first time...
He understood.
Liana had been telling the truth.
Every single word.
---
Without saying another word, Kane turned and walked away.
He didn't know where he was going.
He only knew he couldn't stay there.
His chest felt heavy.
His vision blurred.
The laughter behind him sounded distant, as though it belonged to another world.
He kept walking until he reached the quiet university lake.
The same place where he and Liana had shared their first real conversation.
He sat on the wooden bench and buried his face in his hands.
Not because he had lost the competition.
Not because his work had been stolen.
But because the people he trusted most had looked him in the eye...
...and lied.
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
Then another.
For the first time since he was a child...
Kane Williams cried.
Far across the lake, someone quietly watched him.
Liana.
She had seen everything from a distance.
She wanted to run to him.
To tell him it would be okay.
But she hesitated.
Would he even want to see her after the way he had doubted her?
She tightened her grip on the brown envelope containing the photographs.
"No," she whispered.
"He shouldn't face this alone."
Taking a deep breath, she began walking toward the broken-hearted young man sitting by the water.
Neither of them realized that this moment...
...would change the course of both their lives forever.
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