Slap being viral

I blinked, my cheek throbbing as my vision cleared. Standing in front of me, his face twisted with rage, was Alex. He looked like a stranger, nothing like the man I’d once thought I loved. Beside him stood Lily, eyes wide and hands covering her mouth in a theatrical display of innocence.

“Alex?” I managed, voice low but steady despite the burning pain. I refused to show weakness—not in front of him, and certainly not in front of her.

“Who do you think you are, Mila?” he spat, his eyes blazing with anger. “Harassing Lily like that—have you lost all decency?”

Lily stepped closer to him, clutching his arm as if she were afraid, her voice soft and trembling. “Alex, please… don’t be too harsh on her,” she murmured, her eyes flicking over to me with a barely concealed smirk. “I’m sure she just… misunderstands the situation.”

Misunderstands. That word echoed in my mind, thick with irony and the memories of a thousand twisted lies. I clenched my fists, feeling the fire building in my chest.

“Misunderstand?” I shot back, letting my voice rise. “You’re both the ones who twisted everything! You lied to him, Lily, manipulated him, and now you have the nerve to act innocent?”

But Alex's face hardened even further. “Enough, Mila,” he said, his tone cold as steel. “I didn’t expect this from you. Jealousy? Harassment? It’s pathetic.”

My chest tightened at his words, but I forced myself to stay calm. I knew that if I reacted now, it would only feed into their little game. So I took a deep breath, letting the fire inside simmer without erupting.

“You’re right, Alex,” I said slowly, my voice calm yet sharp. “This situation is pathetic—but not for the reasons you think.” I met Lily’s gaze, catching the satisfaction glinting in her eyes. “Enjoy it while it lasts, Lily. I’m done with both of you, and one day, all this pretending? It’ll backfire.”

I brushed past them, ignoring the throbbing in my cheek, knowing that today was just the beginning. They might think they’ve won, but this time, I wasn’t leaving quietly.

My hand still tingled from where the slap had landed, but the emotional burn of humiliation was worse than the physical sting. I stormed out of the mall, my steps quick and heavy, filled with an anger that could no longer be contained. How dare he? How dare Alex and Lily think they could put me in my place like that?

I had originally planned to go to another mall, away from all the memories that Alex and Lily had tainted. But after that slap—public, humiliating, and unprovoked—my mood was ruined, and my face was burning with the sting of both the slap and my shattered pride. I could feel the weight of everything crashing down on me, like a storm was raging inside my mind. My thoughts spiraled in a thousand directions, each one darker than the last. How dare they? My hands clenched around the steering wheel as I imagined all the ways I could make them pay for what they’d done.

The drive home felt endless, the streets blurring around me as I focused solely on the chaos inside my head. They will regret this, I thought. I’ll make them regret it.

Just as I pulled into the parking spot outside my apartment building, my phone buzzed in my hand. It was Sally. I sighed, needing some distraction, and picked up the call.

“Mila!” Sally’s voice burst through the line, frantic, full of concern. “Where are you? What happened? Are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you! I was just checking in and—oh my god, Mila, your video’s everywhere!”

I felt a cold knot form in my stomach. “What video?” I muttered, still disoriented, but already fearing the worst.