Thread of Destiny
Chapter 1
Laurel POV
Traffic on 109th Street crawled forward inch by inch, a long line of headlights stretching toward the university like a tired snake from work to school. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and glanced at the clock on the dashboard.
2:43 p.m.
Flow Assurance and Production Operations lecture started at 3:00 p.m.
Being late was something I didn't tolerate, not from myself, and definitely not from anyone else.
The moment the light turned green, I slipped my car into the next lane with calm precision. No panic. No unnecessary movement. Just calculated decisions, the same way I approached everything in my life.
By the time I pulled into the university parking lot, there were only seven minutes left.
Perfect.
I grabbed my bag, stepped out into the cold Alberta afternoon, and walked across campus with quick, purposeful strides. Students passed by in clusters, laughing, talking, complaining about assignments.
I ignored them all.
Social distractions had never interested me.
Inside the lecture hall, I slid into my usual seat just as the professor walked in.
Right on time.
I opened my notebook, prepared for another ordinary lecture, unaware that within the next ten minutes, the professor would announce an eight-month industry project, a project that would quietly begin to unravel the carefully controlled life I had built.
The professor placed his notes on the desk and adjusted his glasses before looking across the lecture hall.
"Before we begin today's lecture," he said, his voice calm but firm, "there's something important the department has decided to introduce this semester."
The room immediately filled with quiet murmurs.
I didn't look up from my notebook.
Announcements usually meant extra work, and extra work meant inefficient scheduling.
"The university has partnered with several oil and gas companies," he continued, "to run an eight-month industry project for final-year petroleum engineering students which will also include students from other departments who will be joining this class from today.
You all will work together as a group and there will only be twenty groups, which means twenty group leaders.
That got my attention.
Students around me began whispering louder now, excitement spreading through the room like wildfire.
"Each group will be assigned to a company," the professor continued, "where you will work on real operational problems while still attending your lectures here."
Real operations.
Real companies.
Real consequences.
"Every team must elect a leader," he added. "Team leaders will meet with me after this lecture to receive further instructions."
For the first time that morning, I lifted my eyes from the notebook, because this might be one of the most inconvenient responsibilities in my life cuz handling two groups both work and school especially when it deals with company work could be exhausting.
Soon after Professor Bernard finished speaking, several students entered the lecture hall. They were clearly from different departments.
A few minutes later, someone beside me spoke.
"Hey, I'm Lee Seo-hee," a girl said brightly. "Wow, you have a really big class here."
I kept writing in my notebook.
"Laurel," I replied shortly without looking up.
She continued talking anyway.
"How do you cope here? I heard Professor Bernard is very strict. Has he taught you before? You look familiar. Maybe since we're sitting together we should form a group".
I finally stopped writing.
"I don't know you," I said calmly. "And I'm not interested in getting to know you. Please keep quiet."
The silence that followed was painfully awkward.
I didn't care.
My mind was already calculating something far more important.
Balancing work, school, and now an eight-month industry project would be exhausting.
Working as a project supervisor at Fairing Oil and Gas was already demanding enough.
But I needed the degree.
One day I planned to own my own oil and gas company.
Professor Bernard suddenly spoke again.
"I have prepared a list of students I believe are capable of leading some groups."
The room went quiet.
"If you hear your name," he continued, "please meet me in my office within ten minutes. Your leadership will determine whether your group successfully graduates."
Then he began reading.
"Wills Kendrick."
"Natasha Smith."
A pause.
"Davis Laurel."
My pen stopped moving.
Did he just say my name?
Not only was I now part of the project…
I was the group leader.
A voice suddenly whispered beside me.
"Congratulations! You must be so happy. Can I join your group?"
I glanced at her and said "how do you know my surname?"
she replied, smiling.
"The textbook besides has Davis written on it boldly and you told me laurel was your so i could tell you were the one".
I replied in a sharp tone "okay, but it doesn't work that way."
Then I packed my things and walked toward Professor Bernard's office.
As I walked toward Professor Bernard's office, my mind was already calculating schedules.
Work. Classes. Now this project.
If he expected weekly meetings, this could become a problem.
About 15 group leaders were already there when I got there, so he started by choosing a company for us and I was giving fairing oil and gas.
I smiled to myself saying thank God, assuming he mentioned another company I might finally have that long mental break down from stress.
Then a lady from another department saying she wants all her friends together in a group which another person disagrees with.
Soon after prof. Bernard heard of it and said, the purpose of this project is to check your skills and see what you learned in the school while getting a real life experience.
Do you think you will get to choose who you will work with when you've graduated and start working? For you to get far In life you shouldn't be bothered with your surroundings but what the future could give you.
Now I want the president to write each student's name on a small piece of paper and fold.
After all that was done he called each group leader one by one to pick just 8 names and when it got to my turn I picked and left immediately, due to the meeting I had.
At about 5:25 pm, I rushed out and slipped into the car, took out my phone and saw 39 missed calls from Jason.
I knew something was wrong so I called him back and he said "laurel you need to get here as soon as you can."
"Mr Charles kept on insisting that doing it your way will cost money and the CEO isn't listening to me right now', I replied "I will be there in a few minutes".
Luck was on my side, the traffic had been cleared so I sped up.
I spent months trying to get Mr Rogers to partner with us on this project and now that we are operating it, I will be one supervising it.
No one is taking away what belongs to me.
Immediately I got out of the car, I saw Jason and Madison rushing out saying.
Madison was the first to speak laurel. She called out, "you need to see what son of a bitch is doing that room". "The motherfucker wasn't even there when we fucking stood in rain for over 3 hours just because Mr Rogers was in his car", she continued.
Jason replied, "I am really worried laurel, what do you think will happen now?"
I smiled and said, "Get a hold of yourself Jason, nobody is taking my job from me".
I walked with them back to the meeting room, the CEO Mr Morgan stopped talking and said, "Where have you been"?
I replied," I am sorry for being late sir, I got caught up with some projects at school" and he said "okay sit".
He continued talking, " Charles , why do you say doing it in the Laurel way costs more or do you have a better idea"?
Charles replied with a smile on his face. "Well sir I think extended reach drilling is the best here because it is less expensive because we don't even have to deploy expensive ships".
Mr Morgan looked at me and said, "What do you have to say"? I replied "though extended reach could be cheap but what we're doing here is worth trillion of dollars".
" It is over 49000 feet deep,and I think deepwater and ultra deepwater offshore drilling water works the best considering the factors like the geological complexity depth."
"If we should go for E.R drilling just because we don't want to deploy ships and we get save more, there is a high chance there could be blowout if pressure is miscalculated, losses of expensive drill bits or even pipes and a higher chance of the reservoir damaging reducing production".
"Sir I spent months on this project and am telling you the more the money will be used, the better and safer it will be for us".
Mr Morgan looked at me with a smile and said "very good laurel, besides this is the first time of working together with Mr Rogers, if anything happens I don't think he will want anything to do with us again".
"It has been decided laurel," he said. "Go for it and when are you meeting him to sign the paperwork"?, i replied "monday sir".
He nodded his head and walked out of the room while Charles faced me and said "well who won the project, if not our black student supervisor, life is so easy for you getting projects easily just because your uncle is friends with Mr Morgan", he said with a teasingly.
I said sharply, tone a little high.
"What do you know about my life"?
"What do you know about me to say I get things easily"?
"You don't get to describe in a way you think is the best for you".
I said and stormed out of the room, Jason and Madison followed trying to ease my tension, "oh I think I can finally get some rest tonight" Jason said.
Madison replied "we got to do a big contract like this and I think we should go out and celebrate" Jason replied happily "yes finally".
"Laurel, what about you"?
I looked back and smiled. "I rather go home, am very tired" and they said "okay" and left.
I got into my car and all I could think of was Charles saying my life was easy,
I fear I don't even know what living an easy life feels like.
I stopped to get something to eat at home. I entered the restaurant and got two burgers, paid and went out.
While trying to get my keys I saw a girl in the streets with some guys more like they were trying to get something from her.
On looking closely I realized it was the babbler mouth from earlier so I went back to the car.
I entered and started driving but there was a feeling I couldn't shake off and it was just like my hand took control of itself and turned the wheel back .
On getting there, I acted like I told her to wait for me before, fearing the guys could be having weapons.
I called out her name from afar carrying the burger I got from the restaurant.
So hee I called out, "I got the burgers already, sorry for keeping you waiting" and signaling for her to act along.
She replied "oh it 's fine" and walked towards me as I was also walking towards her.
As soon as we were close enough,
She held my clothes and moved to my back saying we should hurry back to the car, it is very cold tonight.
She would bother me with questions like "do you live around here"?
"What do you think about Canada"?
"Isn't it a nice place"?
So i said "if you can't keep quiet maybe you should get down and stop blabbering so i could concentrate on driving".
A few minutes later after some silence I realize that I really shouldn't have turned back, when she said "laurel, I… I lost my key," she said, biting her lip.
"My brother has the spare key, but he's not around. He is on a business trip here and we had plans to meet tomorrow anyway".
She looked up at me, eyes wide. "Can… Can I please stay at your place tonight?"