Nneoma's eyes widened in shock as she stumbled upon Tunde's secret. She had been searching for a book in his bag and instead found a letter from the scholarship committee. Her heart raced as she read the words, her mind reeling with anger and betrayal.
How could Tunde keep this from her? She thought they were friends, that they shared everything. But now, she felt like she had been living a lie.
Nneoma confronted Tunde, her voice trembling with rage. "How could you, Tunde? How could you keep this from me?"
Tunde looked taken aback, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "Nneoma, please understand-"
But Nneoma cut him off, her anger boiling over. "No, Tunde, I won't understand. You lied to me, you deceived me. How can I trust you now?"
Tunde sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I know I made a mistake, Nneoma. But please, you have to help me. If anyone finds out, I'll lose everything."
Nneoma's anger slowly gave way to a sense of responsibility. She knew Tunde was right, that his future was at stake. And despite her hurt and betrayal, she couldn't abandon him.
"Fine," she said finally, her voice firm but resigned. "I'll help you, Tunde. But you have to promise me one thing: never lie to me again."
Tunde's eyes lit up with gratitude. "I promise, Nneoma. I swear it."
And with that, Nneoma agreed to help Tunde cover up his secret, to keep his lie alive. But deep down, she knew that their friendship would never be the same, that their trust had been irrevocably broken.