Betrayal Beneath The Surface

Babe, Zenith has been giving me serious attitude lately. Have you noticed he has really changed? I said, with frustration dripping from my voice. “Did he tell you what’s going on with him?” I turned towards Gracie, waiting for a response.

Gracie paused for a moment as if she was shocked by my question, then spoke to me in a casual and calm tone. No, I don’t know. I don’t think I even noticed any change in his attitude. He seems okay to me.

Are you serious? With a confused frown on my face, he doesn’t talk to me anymore. Even when I call him, he doesn’t pick up nor return my calls. Even yesterday after our lecture, I tried to speak to him, and he completely ignored me in front of everyone! James, our coursemate, even noticed it and asked me if we were having one of our usual quarrels. But I told him no. I don’t really understand what’s going on. Zenith is behaving strangely, and that is really unlike him. I paused, looking at Gracie with every determination in my tone and expression. I am going to confront him and I will make sure he talks, whether he likes it or not.

Gracie was quiet for a moment before she replied to me. Babe, just calm down and give him time. Maybe he’s just stressed out about something; you know guys can be weird and dramatic sometimes.

I was irritated by her nonchalant response, but I let it slide.

There must be a reason Zenith is ghosting me without explanation. I would get to the bottom of this. "I need some answers," I said to myself.

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Let me backtrack a little. Zenith and I had been close friends since our remedial studies days. When we both gained admission into the university, we were so excited when we found out that we had been offered the same course. During our registration process while standing in the queue, we met Gracie, a jovial and interesting lady. Gracie seemed genuinely nice; we clicked instantly with her, and the three of us became friends.

Everything took a different turn in our two hundred level when Zenith asked me out to be his girlfriend. I can still remember how nervous he was that day; his hands were fidgeting as he was struggling to find the right words to say, but I turned him down gently.

Guy, I value our friendship too much, and I don't want anything to come between us. Please, let's keep relationships aside and continue with our friendship, I said to him. He nodded his head, even though I could tell he was really disappointed and probably ashamed.

On different occasions Gracie would ask me, Are you sure you don't want to give Zenith a chance?

Nope. I shook my head firmly. I am not interested in a love relationship with Zenith. I love him as a friend and wouldn't want to complicate things. Please, let's just leave it this way.

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On this fateful evening I sent Zenith a text message asking him to meet with me in front of my hostel. And he shouldn't decline or ignore me because I would keep pestering him until he meets with me.

When he arrived, his expression was cold. “Is everything okay with you? I can sense a distance between us. Are you okay?

He looked at me and chuckled. “Are you serious? I thought you said you didn’t want anything to do with me,” he said.

Those words stung, and I looked at him in confusion. “What? I don't understand. Where is this coming from?

That’s what Gracie told me,” he said, his gaze was steady but hurt. She said you mocked, laughed at, and insulted me. That you looked down on me and said you couldn’t imagine being with someone like me.”My heart sank. I felt my blood rush to my face in anger and disbelief. “Why would Gracie say that?” I thought to myself. Zenith, I never said that, I would never say something like that about you; you know that, right? At least you should know what I am capable of saying and doing.

After a lot of back and forth, we eventually settled our misunderstanding. While I was walking back to my room, I couldn't bring myself to understand why Gracie would say such things about me; the betrayal hit me so hard.

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