"Sometimes, the people we trust the most are the ones who teach us the hardest lessons." Kojo and Malik had been best friends since junior high. They did everything together—shared secrets, chased dreams, and even planned to start a business one day. Kojo trusted Malik like a brother, never questioning his loyalty. When Kojo finally saved enough money to start their small sneaker business, he brought Malik in, handling things as a team. Sales started slow, but Kojo believed they would grow. One day, he noticed money missing from their earnings. At first, he thought it was a mistake—maybe he miscalculated. But it kept happening. His gut told him something was off, so he checked their account records and found out Malik had been quietly taking money. When he confronted him, Malik didn’t even deny it. He just shrugged and said, "Bro, it's just small money. Why are you making a big deal out of it?" That broke Kojo. Not just the money, but the fact that Malik had never valued their friendship the way he did. Someone he would have given everything to help had chosen to betray him instead. *Kojo didn’t fight or seek revenge. He simply walked away and rebuilt the business on his own. It took time, but he learned a valuable lesson—trust is earned, not given blindly. And sometimes, losing a friend is the price you pay for peace.*