Elena walked onto the university campus, clutching her bag tightly. She tried to hold her head high, but something felt off. A low murmur of voices surrounded her, followed by snickers and glances that made her stomach twist.
Her steps faltered as she noticed groups of students gathered near the fountain, the cafeteria, and even the library steps. They weren’t just talking-they were laughing. Laughing and glancing at their phones before shooting her pointed looks.
“Is that her?” someone whispered, not-so-quietly.
“I can’t believe it,” another voice chimed in. “I never thought Elena of all people would stoop that low.”
Elena’s heart sank. She kept walking, her grip on the straps of her bag tightening as she tried to ignore the stares and whispers.
“Guess that scholarship isn’t enough for her,” a girl said with a mocking laugh.
“Did you see the picture? So desperate. I can’t believe Gabriel even bothered to talk to her,” another added.
The words felt like daggers. Elena’s pulse quickened, her face flushing with heat. She wanted to turn around, to yell at them, to demand they stop, but her feet kept moving forward.
As she passed a group of girls leaning against the wall, one of them smirked. “Hey, Elena! Want to teach us the same tricks you used on Gabriel?”
The others burst out laughing, and Elena’s vision blurred with unshed tears. She clenched her jaw, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
When she reached the main hallway, she could hear her name being whispered again. “Elena this, Elena that.” It felt like her every step was under a spotlight.
“Did you see the way she was clinging to him?”
“She’s not even that pretty. Why would Gabriel waste his time on her?”
“Maybe she blackmailed him or something. You know how these scholarship girls are.”
Elena’s knees felt weak. It was one thing to endure the bullying from Mia, but hearing the entire campus echo the same sentiments was unbearable. She reached her locker and fumbled with the combination, her hands trembling.
“Hey, Elena,” a girl called out from down the hall. It was one of Mia’s friends, Chelsea. Her voice was sickly sweet, her words laced with venom. “Nice pose in that picture. Very… artistic.”
Elena’s stomach dropped. She turned slowly, her face pale.
Chelsea held up her phone, the screen displaying the post from the university forum. The picture of Elena and Gabriel at the beach was front and center, surrounded by mocking comments and laughing emojis.
“Did you really think you could keep this quiet?” Chelsea smirked, her friends giggling behind her. “You’re all over campus now. Congrats on your big debut!”
Elena’s voice caught in her throat. She wanted to defend herself, to say it wasn’t what they thought, but the words wouldn’t come.
“I honestly thought you were boring,” another girl said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Turns out, you’re more entertaining than we gave you credit for.”
“Yeah,” a boy chimed in from the crowd. “Who knew the quiet scholarship girl had it in her to go after someone like Gabriel?”
“Too bad it’s pathetic,” Chelsea sneered. “You should stick to your books, Elena. Leave the real world to people like us.”
The hall erupted into laughter again, and Elena felt like the walls were closing in. She grabbed her books and rushed out of the building, her vision blurred with tears.
She didn’t stop running until she reached the empty courtyard behind the campus. The chatter and laughter were replaced by the sound of her own ragged breaths and the pounding of her heart.
Elena leaned against a tree, her legs trembling. She slid down until she was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest.
How had things spiraled so far out of control? She thought back to the weekend at the beach, the one moment of peace she’d had in weeks. It was innocent-just a conversation with Gabriel. But now it was plastered everywhere, twisted into something ugly.
She buried her face in her arms, the tears she’d been holding back finally spilling over. The humiliation was suffocating, but the betrayal cut deeper. How had Mia gotten those photos? And why was she so determined to destroy her?
Elena wiped her face with her sleeve, her breathing shaky. As much as she wanted to hide, she knew she couldn’t avoid this forever. The whispers, the stares, the cruel comments they weren’t going away.
One thought burned in her mind as she sat there in the quiet courtyard. She had to find a way to fight back. Somehow, she had to prove to everyone-and to herself that she was more than the lies they believed.
Elena stayed in the courtyard for what felt like hours, the afternoon sun dipping lower in the sky. Her tears had dried, but the sting of humiliation remained. Every word, every laugh, every cruel comment echoed in her mind like a relentless drumbeat. She tried to block it out, but the image of those photos kept flashing in her thoughts.
Gabriel wasn’t even there to defend her. Not that she expected him to. He wasn’t her friend-he wasn’t anything to her but a part of her still wished he’d step in, if only to stop the lies from spreading.
Taking a deep breath, Elena forced herself to her feet. She couldn’t hide here forever. She had to face it, no matter how much it hurt. As she brushed off her skirt and adjusted her bag, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
With shaky hands, she pulled it out. Another notification from the university forum. She almost didn’t want to look, but her curiosity got the better of her.
The thread about her and Gabriel had exploded with comments more laughing emojis, cruel jokes, and even photoshopped images. Her hands trembled as she scrolled through the endless mockery. One comment, in particular, made her stop cold.
“Looks like Elena wants to climb the social ladder. Gabriel’s just the first step.”
Her stomach turned. They didn’t just think she was desperate they thought she was manipulative. A gold-digger. A user.
Suddenly, another notification popped up on her screen. This one wasn’t from the forum, but a private message. The sender was anonymous, their profile picture a blank avatar.
“Meet me at the fountain. We need to talk.”
Elena frowned, her pulse quickening. Who would want to talk to her now? It could easily be another cruel joke, another trap set by Mia or her gang. But something about the message felt… different.
She stared at the words, debating whether to go. Her instincts screamed at her to stay away, but curiosity tugged at her thoughts. What if it was someone offering help? Or maybe, someone with answers about how Mia got the photos?
Elena took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She was done feeling powerless. If this was another attempt to humiliate her, she’d deal with it. But if it wasn’t…
The walk to the fountain felt like an eternity. The campus was quieter now, most students having gone home for the day. But as she approached the meeting spot, her nerves returned in full force.
The fountain’s water sparkled under the setting sun, casting dancing reflections on the surrounding pavement. Elena looked around, searching for the sender of the message.
“Hello?” she called out, her voice steady despite the lump in her throat.
No one answered. She glanced around again, but the area seemed deserted.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, making her jump. Another message.
“Behind you.”
She froze, her heart hammering in her chest. Slowly, she turned around.
A shadowy figure stood at the edge of the fountain, their face obscured by the dim light. They didn’t move, didn’t speak just stood there, watching her.
“Who are you?” Elena demanded, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
The figure stepped closer, the faint glow of their phone screen illuminating their features for a brief moment. Elena’s breath hitched.
It wasn’t a stranger.
“You have no idea what you’ve started,” the person said, their voice low and filled with a dangerous edge.
Elena’s blood ran cold. She didn’t know what was worse the fact that they weren’t Mia, or the realization that this was only the beginning.