"Friendship is a white flower that grows in the heart and blossoms in the soul."
— Gibran Khalil Gibran
Days pass by in the blink of an eye.
Our friends live in a state of mixed joy—laughter, play, and relentless effort—to achieve the highest possible results in their final academic year.
Excitement intertwines with tension.
For just as life grants moments of happiness, it follows them with times of suffering and defeat.
Yet life was never fair to Serene.
Since childhood, she had endured pain silently, in secrecy.
And now, that pain only deepened—
for what happened altered the course of everything.
One single phone call was enough to shatter dreams built on hope and the illusion of forgetting life's wounds.
We smile while our depths drown in sorrow,
We say we're fine while our lives are in ruins,
Our eyes never rest from shedding tears,
For what befalls us while we stand powerless.
We never know when or how our circumstances will change.
In a single second, joy turns into sorrow, smiles into tears.
Innocence vanishes, replaced by malice.
Love transforms into hatred in the blink of an eye.
"Hello… Dad…"
John answered his phone, surprised by his father's call.
Before he could say anything more, his father interrupted him.
Father: "Where are you? Come immediately… something—something terrible has happened."
Fear and anguish filled his voice.
"Alright, I'm coming. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
John tried to reassure him, though fear had already seized his heart. His father's broken tone hinted that the problem was far worse than he imagined.
John apologized to his friends and rushed away.
Soon after, similar calls reached Dina, Linda, Jane, and Sean, each summoned home for the same reason. Panic spread among them all.
"Dad… Mom… w-what's happening? Who are these men? Why are you silent?"
John spoke hesitantly, fear devouring his soul as he saw the state they were in—nothing about it promised good news.
"We lost everything, my son. It's over. That bastard deceived us. We're bankrupt. These men are taking our belongings to auction them off so we can pay the workers. Everything is finished."
"What? How—this is impossible… I—I can't believe it. How did this happen?"
John forced a smile, fake and trembling.
"Don't worry. We'll fix this. There must be a solution. We'll be strong and patient."
"Dad… Dad, where are you? What's happening? Why are these people here?"
Sean stood frozen, watching strangers take everything from their home while his father did nothing. His mind raced desperately for a solution until his father finally spoke, exhausted.
"Calm down, Sean. Everything is gone. We're bankrupt. This house is no longer ours. Pack your things—we're leaving."
Sean saw his father's complete collapse and responded gently:
"It's okay. We've lived through worse before and survived. We can do it again. I'm here—I'll help you recover everything we lost."
Jane's family faced the same fate.
"Dad… are you okay? What's going on?"
"I'm sorry, my son. All the effort we put in together vanished because of my recklessness. We lost everything."
Jane replied calmly, though his heart was breaking:
"This is the world of business, Dad. There's always profit and loss. We can recover—we just need time. Stay strong."
His optimism, however, was nothing but an illusion as he watched his family crumble.
"Mom… why are you crying? Please stop, it's not good for your health. Dad, what's happening?"
Dina's voice trembled.
"We're poor again, my daughter. Everything is gone… I'm so sorry."
"What are you doing? Why are they taking our things? Dad—Mom—someone tell me what's happening!"
"I'm sorry… we're bankrupt. Even this house no longer belongs to us."
He turned away so she wouldn't see his weakness.
Each family left their home broken and shattered, wondering where they would spend the night.
How had everything fallen apart so completely?
Later, John encountered his friends with their families in a park, where his own family had gone.
To everyone's shock, their parents greeted one another.
"What are you all doing here?"
John asked, stunned.
"The same question applies to us,"
everyone replied.
Sean's father began to explain.
"Sit down. I know you have countless questions."
He continued:
"We received a business offer and were contacted to meet in one place. We got to know each other, then met the man behind the project. The idea impressed us—it seemed perfect. He was one of the most successful businessmen in Feljesrania. We accepted and signed the contracts."
Linda's father added:
"We read the contracts carefully. Everything seemed clear and reasonable."
John's father said:
"I reviewed every detail. The land was strategic, the plan solid."
"What?! How did this happen if you read everything carefully?!"
Jane shouted in disbelief.
Jane's father sighed bitterly:
"We asked for time, but he pressured us—either sign now or forget it. He claimed he wanted partners who trusted him. Everything seemed legal… so we signed."
Dina's father continued:
"We trusted him completely. There was no loophole—no reason to doubt."
Sean snapped angrily:
"Are you serious?! How could you fall for this?"
John turned to his father, furious:
"You never miss details! How could this happen?!"
His father replied, defeated:
"We checked everything. Everything was legal. The project ran smoothly—until the next day. Then those men came and took everything. Later, we received a video… and discovered he didn't act alone."
He hesitated.
"His daughter… helped him. She's intelligent. And unfortunately… you all know her very well."
"The hardest betrayal is the betrayal of those closest to you,
for it steals your trust in everyone."
— William Shakespeare
Dina whispered:
"Uncle… who do you mean?"
Sean's father answered softly:
"Her name is… Serene."
"What?! Impossible… no… this can't be true!"
Everyone froze in disbelief.
How could this happen?
Could Serene betray those who gave her happiness—especially the one who truly loved her?
Can friendship truly be destroyed for money?
In moments like these, reason disappears.
Anger takes control.
Love vanishes, replaced by hatred.
Bonds shatter in a single second.
So where will our friends and their families go?
Did Serene truly have a hand in what happened?
And how will they face her after this?