After a few months, they finally completed their first year in college. In the middle of the campus, a small awarding event was held for the student council members—an evening dedicated to recognizing the dedication and hard work of each one.
Alonzo was honored as a Student Council Member of the Law Department. He never failed to accomplish every task assigned to him, and because of the excellence of his contributions, he was immediately promoted as Project Head.
Janice was beyond happy for him. She saw the smile on Alonzo's face—filled with pride and joy, yet quiet in a way that made his hard work and dedication to his studies even more evident. And of course, their friend Maverick was just as proud. Even though he wasn't awarded, he was genuinely happy for his best friend.
But in one corner stood Lexus.
He forced himself to look happy for Alonzo—smiling, applauding—while deep inside his chest… envy slowly burned.
"Your new Project Head for the Law College Department and the upcoming inter-campus summit… Mr. Alonzo Santiago!"
The applause grew louder.
Alonzo closed his eyes for a brief second before stepping toward the microphone. He hadn't expected this.
"Thank you, guys!" he began. "I couldn't have done this alone. Thank you to the team, to the council, and to the people who believed in me."
For a moment, his gaze shifted to Janice. It was obvious—she was one of the people who believed in him the most.
Lexus noticed. He felt the exchange of glances between them.
Lexus' POV:
"You're just getting started, Alonzo. You still have a lot of challenges ahead of you. Let's see how far you can really go."
He tried to control the emotions threatening to surface.
Meanwhile, Alonzo happily accepted the promotion. He stood there smiling, humble, and ready to take on the new responsibilities that came with being Project Head.
He knew more tasks were coming—planning department events, assigning responsibilities to Law Department members, coordinating major campus activities.
Lexus watched as Alonzo stepped down from the stage. Before he could even approach—
Janice was already there.
"Congrats, Alonzo! I'm so happy for you," she greeted enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. "I'm so proud of you."
"Hey, bro! So… burgers on you now? We have to celebrate this!" Maverick chimed in as he rushed over.
Alonzo paused for a second.
"I didn't expect this. I honestly didn't think I could handle it from the start," he admitted softly.
"You deserve it," Janice said firmly, without hesitation.
"Yes! You totally deserve it, bro! See? I told you it was worth it when I kept convincing you to join the student council," Maverick said with a wide grin.
"Yeah, bro. Good thing you pushed me back then."
The three of them laughed together.
Then Lexus approached, holding two glasses of juice—one intended for Alonzo.
"Incredible speech," he said, handing him a glass. "You earned it."
Alonzo smiled. "Thanks."
His tone was light. There was no suspicion in his eyes.
But just as Alonzo was about to take the glass of lemon juice—
"Oops! Wait—" Maverick suddenly grabbed it and examined the drink.
"Why did you take it, Maverick?" Janice asked, startled.
"I'm just checking. What if there's poison in here?" he replied, still inspecting the juice.
"Give that back!" Lexus snapped, snatching the glass and throwing its contents away.
"See, bro? It really had poison! That's why he threw it away—guilty much?" Maverick accused angrily.
"Hey, hey, guys, calm down. Not here. Don't ruin the event tonight, please," Janice intervened as Lexus and Maverick glared at each other.
"Ma'am Janice, the advisers are calling you for a moment," a student interrupted.
"Oh, guys! Just chill, okay? I'll be right back."
"It's fine," Alonzo assured her with a smile. "Nothing's going to happen. Don't worry."
Janice nodded before walking away.
"You're Project Head now, Alonzo," Lexus suddenly said. "That means heavier responsibilities. Bigger events. Bigger pressure."
Alonzo chuckled lightly. "I can handle it."
"Oh, I'm sure you can."
The tone sounded like praise— but it felt like a challenge.
"Of course he can. One day, he might even become president… or vice president," Maverick added pointedly, throwing Lexus a meaningful look. "Right, bro?"
Alonzo simply smiled, choosing not to let the tension between the two escalate any further.
Lexus' POV:
"You'll find what you're looking for soon enough, Alonzo."
Narrator's Note:
The campus was filled with laughter, applause, and music. But between the smiles and congratulations, hidden intentions lingered. Jealousy and quiet competition circled in the air.
Janice was sincerely happy for Alonzo.
Lexus wore a smile for everyone to see—but behind it, a plan was slowly forming. A plan that could shake or even destroy Alonzo's image in the future.
What lengths would Lexus go to just to bring Alonzo down? And would Alonzo be strong enough to face what's coming?
Ring… ring… ring…
"Who could that be? It's already past midnight. The store's closed,
" Amira muttered sleepily as she walked toward the telephone to answer the call.
To be continued…