CHAPTER 3

The next day, Amarah and I went to the university together. As we walked toward our classroom, I couldn't help shaking my head when I noticed the large bag she was carrying. I knew exactly what was inside it—clothes for later that evening and everything she'd need for the next day.

Every time I thought about her plan, my anxiety only grew stronger. But unlike me, Amarah looked cheerful and excited, as if she hadn't the slightest intention of backing out. "Girl, stop worrying so much," she said with a laugh after noticing the serious look on my face. "I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about you," I replied.

"Oh, come on. Everything will be fine." I simply shook my head. If there was one person you should never lie to, it was her father. He might be strict, but I knew everything he did was because he loved his daughter more than anything. Unfortunately, Amarah had no intention of listening.

As she happily talked about her plans with Jay, I became even more convinced that my best friend had completely lost her mind. Little did her father know that while he was peacefully working, believing his precious daughter would be spending the night at my house, she was secretly planning something entirely different. And, unfortunately, I had been dragged into it.

That evening, our driver picked me up and took me home. Amarah had already left after class because Jay was picking her up. I could only shake my head. She was unbelievable. I had no idea where she got the courage to deceive her father. If he ever found out the truth, both of us would be in serious trouble.

As soon as I got home, I changed into comfortable clothes and rested in my room. Later that night, while lying in bed scrolling through my phone, an unfamiliar number suddenly called. Frowning, I stared at the screen for a moment before answering. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Hello, Athena. This is Amarah's father." It felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over me. I immediately sat upright. "G-Good evening, sir," I stammered. "Is Amarah there?" he asked. My heart instantly began pounding.

The room fell silent as I desperately searched for an answer. "U-Um... she's in the bathroom taking a shower," I lied nervously. I had no idea whether he believed me. "All right," he replied calmly. "Please tell her to call me when she's done."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Athena."

"Y-You're welcome, sir."

He ended the call. I stared at my phone, only then realizing that my hand was pressed tightly against my racing heart. "I'm dead..." I whispered. Without wasting another second, I called Amarah. She answered after only a few rings.

"Hello?" she said cheerfully. "Amarah!" I practically shouted. "Your dad called!" The line immediately fell silent. "What?!"

"Yes! He was looking for you!" I felt my headache getting worse. And somehow, I had the feeling our problems were only just beginning. "He told you to call him," I said before hanging up. I let out a long sigh and collapsed onto my bed. I couldn't understand why I seemed far more nervous than Amarah herself. While she was probably enjoying herself with her boyfriend, I couldn't stop wondering whether our lie would be exposed.

I kept checking my phone over and over, expecting it to ring again at any moment. And every time I remembered the serious expression on Mr. Del Castillo's face, my anxiety only grew worse. "You're really going to be the death of me, Amarah," I muttered. Honestly, none of this had been my idea. I had only gotten involved because she kept begging me. But now that I had lied to her father, I felt just as guilty as she was.

I rubbed my face in frustration. While Amarah was probably having the time of her life at Jay's condo, I couldn't sit still in my own room. What made it even worse was the nagging feeling that her father wasn't someone who could be fooled so easily. Something deep inside me told me he already suspected the truth. And if my instincts were right, it wouldn't be long before he found out everything.

That thought weighed heavily on my chest. Before I knew it, I had sighed countless times while waiting to see what would happen next that night. Still thinking about everything that had happened, I eventually drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I was jolted awake by the relentless ringing of my phone.

Half-asleep, I reached for it on the bedside table. But the moment I saw the caller's name, every trace of drowsiness vanished. Amarah's Dad. I sat bolt upright, staring at the screen as if it were a bomb ready to explode. The phone rang again. And again.

And again.

My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. "What have you gotten me into, Amarah..." I whispered, pressing a hand against my forehead. After several seconds of hesitation, I finally answered. "Hello, sir?" I was greeted cautiously. I didn't know why, but every time I spoke to Amarah's father, my throat instantly went dry. "Good morning, Athena," he said calmly.

"G-Good morning, sir." I swallowed nervously. "Are you and Amarah together right now?" I froze. My mind scrambled for an answer. But with every second of silence, my heartbeat grew faster. I felt that one wrong word would be enough to bring our entire lie crashing down. And from the sound of his voice, I couldn't tell whether he was simply asking...

...or whether he already knew everything. "Athena," he said coldly, though anger was evident in his voice, "don't lie to me." Fear instantly tightened around my chest. "M-Mr. Del Castillo, I..."

"I received a report that Amarah was seen at a bar last night," he interrupted. "Were you two at a bar?" My throat went completely dry. I couldn't answer. My heart pounded violently as I gripped my phone.

"I-I..." But before I could finish, he interrupted me again. "She was with her boyfriend last night, wasn't she?" I slowly closed my eyes. "Isn't that right, Athena?" Panic flooded through me. I didn't know how to answer. From the way he spoke, it sounded as though he already knew the truth and was simply waiting for me to admit it.nI swallowed hard.

The silence that followed felt endless.

All I could hear was my own uneven breathing and the deafening beat of my heart.

"I don't like lies, Athena," he said quietly. "So I want to hear the truth... directly from you." I lowered my head, even though he couldn't see me. The weight of my guilt pressed heavily against my chest. I didn't want to betray Amarah... But I also knew it was wrong to keep lying to her father. And at that moment, I realized there was no longer any way for me to escape the truth.