CHAPTER 6: Hidden Truths

Nathan stepped into the room, his eyes locking on his daughter.

Samantha stood frozen beside the hospital bed, trembling as she stared at the black-shrouded figure.

“Samantha… what are you doing here?” Nathan’s voice was firm but worried.

She didn’t answer. Moments earlier, she had collapsed, convinced she had lost everything.

Nathan stepped closer, his tone softer. “This is not your mother.”

Samantha’s breath caught.

The nurse stepped forward. “Dear, you entered the wrong room.”

Her body went rigid. Wrong room?

Her mother wasn’t dead?

Relief rushed through her, the crushing weight on her chest lifting. Nathan helped her to her feet, but her eyes lingered on the lifeless figure. It wasn’t her mother — but it was someone’s.

They guided her to the correct room. Her mother, Lillian, was awake, stirred by the earlier commotion. A few nurses hurried over, their faces etched with concern.

“What happened?” one of them asked, her voice low but urgent, reading the distress in Samantha’s pale, trembling face—and recalling the piercing scream they’d heard moments earlier.

The nurse spoke quietly, almost apologetically.

“She… she went into the wrong room,” she explained. “There was a body inside. She thought it was her mother.”

The words seemed to thicken the air. All eyes turned toward Samantha.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, dear,” one murmured.

Samantha barely heard them—her mind was still spinning, her body cold from fear.

When she saw her mother alive, warmth returned to her chest. She moved forward, whispering, “Mum…” and rested her head against her. The steady rise and fall of her mother’s breathing was all she needed.

After a few minutes, she asked her father about Aunty Gloria. Nathan explained, “Your aunt had traveled. We came together, but as soon as we arrived, she received an emergency call to come home. Her long-time friend visited, so she had to leave earlier than planned.. Then he added gently, “Samantha, don’t you think you should get back to school?”

Samantha realized she had forgotten why she came to the clinic. "Take this," Nathan said. "For transport and anything else you might need."

Samantha nodded. She turned and exited the room.

At the reception, she saw Jake asleep in a chair. She touched his shoulder. “Jake, wake up.”

He stirred, blinking. She apologized for keeping him waiting.

“It’s fine,” Jake said, still tired. “How’s your mother?”

“She’s fine,” Samantha replied.

“Let’s go back to school,” she added.

They walked side by side back to campus.

Then it hit Jake — just how much he loved Samantha. His eyes drifted over her from head to toe, taking in every detail.

He listened closely to her voice, soft yet captivating.

Wow… this voice sounds like that of a goddess, he thought. If she were my girlfriend, I’d make sure this voice called my name over and over on my bed.

The thought lingered in his mind, stirring feelings he hadn’t expected.

By the time they reached campus, Samantha thanked him for waiting.

“I didn’t mind,” Jake said, though in truth, she was now taking up space in his mind he hadn’t planned for.

But doubt crept in. If she knew who he really was on campus — the whispers, the reputation — would she still want to be his friend?

He wasn’t sure. And that uncertainty stayed with him.

Over time, Samantha and Jake's connection deepened in ways neither of them had anticipated. What had started as cautious interactions had blossomed into something genuine—effortless conversations, laughter that came easily, and an unspoken trust that settled between them.

Their study sessions weren’t just about academics anymore. They had become moments filled with inside jokes, stolen glances, and a quiet understanding that neither of them could quite put into words.

Samantha had started to notice the way Jake listened—really listened—whenever she spoke. And Jake found himself drawn to the warmth in her presence, the way she made him feel seen.

Now, they sat under a wide oak tree on campus, the afternoon breeze rustling through the leaves above them. Samantha leaned back against the trunk, her fingers idly twisting a loose thread on her sleeve. Jake sat beside her, his posture relaxed but his mind elsewhere, specifically on her. He had gone too deep, his feelings stronger than he'd anticipated. Now, he was waiting for the right moment to tell her his intention.

He felt them pressing against his chest, desperate to escape. But his lips never moved.

Instead, he glanced at her, watching the golden sunlight catch in her hair, the gentle curve of her face, her two sensitive flesh hidden from sight beneath the fabric of her blouse.. She was here, right beside him, close enough to touch, close enough to hear him if he spoke…

"I love you, Samantha." That is the moment he is waiting for.

But that moment never came. Instead, Samantha suddenly shifted, her voice cutting through the comfortable silence.

"Jake," she said, looking at him with curiosity. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

Her tone was calm, but Jake felt the air change. He turned slightly, meeting her gaze, wary of where this was going.

"What led you to stab that boy? What did he do to you?"

His heart skipped.

The question hit harder than he expected. His fingers stiffened on the grass. His mind scrambled for the right words—something convincing, something that wouldn't change the way she saw him.

He hesitated. "The boy—the boy—i—I..."

Samantha raised an eyebrow, laughing at his stammering. "Jake, I only asked a question. I’m not here to kill you."

He exhaled, forcing a chuckle. "Right. Sorry."

Jake swallowed hard, the truth clawing at his throat, begging to be set free.

For a fleeting second, he considered it—telling Samantha everything.

The anger, the heat of the moment, the chaos that had consumed him before realizing what he had done. The weight of his actions, the choice he had made, and the reasons he did it.

But then, he looked at her.

The way she listened so intently, the way her presence made him feel like maybe—just maybe—he wasn’t completely lost. She had a way of making things seem lighter, easier—like the world wasn’t as dark as it had always felt to him.

And suddenly, the truth became something he couldn’t risk.

Not now.

Not when her kindness was the only thing keeping him afloat. Not when losing her would mean losing the only person who made him believe he could be more than the mistakes that haunted him.

He had fallen too deep, cared too much, and dreamt so much about her.

And if she knew—if she saw him for what he was— she wouldn't stay, she would turn away, disgusted, disappointed, convinced that he is not someone to be friends with.

No. He couldn’t afford to let that happen.

So, he lied, keeping his eyes down.

The words came easily — calm, steady, believable. They were carefully chosen, meant to protect him from a truth he wasn’t ready to face.

But inside, his thoughts tumbled. Guilt pressed on his chest. Doubt pulled at him like a heavy tide. The lie settled deep, weighing on him until it felt part of his very bones.

Lies have a way of coming apart, he thought. They slip into the smallest cracks… until they break everything. But he had no other choice.

"He was bullying another student. I stopped him, but he stabbed me with a biro. I had a pair of scissors in my hand, and... well, I lost my temper."

Samantha leaned back, processing his words. "So that boy must be stubborn, huh?"

Jake nodded quickly, eager for her to believe him. "Yeah. He has done the same thing to several students before now. That’s why I didn’t let him get away with it this time."

A slow smile stretched across Samantha’s lips. "That served him right. I bet that taught him the lesson of his life."

Jake forced a laugh, relieved at her reaction.

"But Jake, you have to be careful next time," she warned. "You know, there are a lot of cult issues on campus. You never know who’s connected to whom… You could get caught in their fury."

The mention of cults made his pulse spike. Jake masked his emotions quickly, giving her a reassuring nod. "Yeah, I know. But don’t worry, Samantha. Trust me, I’ll be careful."

Jake spoke easily, but inside, he felt overwhelmed with worry, because Samantha was right.

Things were happening on campus that no one discussed openly—dark alliances, unspoken rules, people who held power in the shadows. Crossing the wrong person could mean more than just trouble—it could mean danger.

But then the only question still haunting Jake was the uncertainty that gnawed at his thoughts, refusing to let go.

Would Samantha still be with him when she learned everything?

His involvement in the cult wasn’t just a side story. It was a reality that clashed with everything Samantha believed in—her values, her trust, her unwavering stance against lies and secrecy.

And when the truth finally surfaced, would everything between them crumble?

Would she still be his friend, support him in his academics?

Or would she walk away, leaving him to face the consequences of his wrong choice on campus?

Maybe she might start to avoid him, step by step, until she was gone completely.

Jake wasn’t sure if he was ready for the answer. But one way or another, it was coming. He didn’t know if he could handle losing her. But more than that, he didn’t know if he deserved to keep her.

The cult presence on campus wasn’t just a rumor. It was real. And he had been a part of it. Whether he wanted to admit it, whether he tried to distance himself from them now, the truth remained. She will know it sooner or later.