trending damage

Kyrie woke to the sound of a phone she did not own. For a moment, she thought it was part of the dream again, that strange city-life nightmare where voices bled into walls and strangers became storms. But the ringing didn’t stop. It insisted. It lived. Mandy’s apartment was already awake without her permission. Mandy was pacing near the couch, phone pressed to her ear, hair half-tied, voice sharp. “No, I said I don’t care what your page says, take it down…no, I’m not threatening you, I’m correcting you!” Jules stood by the kitchen counter scrolling his phone, expression darker than usual. The glow from the screen made his jaw look carved.

Kyrie sat up slowly. “What’s happening?”

No one answered immediately.That silence was worse than noise. Mandy finally dropped the call and turned. Her eyes softened the moment she saw Kyrie fully awake. “Hey,” she said carefully. “Don’t panic.” That was exactly what made Kyrie panic.

Jules didn’t look up. “Too late. You’re trending.”

Kyrie blinked. “Trending… like fashion?”

Mandy laughed once, but it broke halfway. “No, baby girl. Like… internet disaster trending.”

Jules turned the phone toward her.

Her name was there. Not just her name. Her face. Paused mid-motion from the video. Lucian’s face beside her. The slap frozen in time like a crime scene photograph. Kyrie’s stomach dropped.

“No,” she whispered.

“Yes,” Mandy said softly. “Someone leaked the full clip. Not just the end.”

Jules scrolled. “It’s everywhere. T*****r, I***a reels, gossip blogs, even news aggregators picked it up.” Kyrie’s mouth went dry. “But… it wasn’t like that. They didn’t show…”

“I know,” Jules cut in. “That’s the problem.”

Mandy sat beside her quickly, grabbing her hand. “Listen to me. People are stupid online. They only see what fits their story.”

Kyrie stared at the screen again.

Comments flooded like a storm with no sky.

> “Hostess slapped a billionaire?? She’s crazy.”

> “Lucian Reynolds would never touch trash like that first.”

> “She’s clearly unstable.”

> “Victim acting innocent after starting it.”

Then another section.

> “She looks scared actually…”

> “Why did he get close to her like that?”

> “Something doesn’t add up.”

Two worlds arguing over her body like it belonged to neither. Kyrie felt her throat tighten. “I didn’t… I didn’t start it,” she said quietly.

Jules finally looked at her. “We know.”

Mandy squeezed her hand. “We know.”

But the internet didn’t.

Jules exhaled. “And it’s not just comments. The club is getting dragged. People are tagging Vellum, saying they won’t come anymore if you’re employed there.” Kyrie’s voice went small. “So I’m going to lose this job too?” No one answered fast enough. That was an answer.

Mandy stood suddenly. “No. Absolutely not. We’re not doing that again. I just got you stable. I’m not letting rich-boy drama ruin this.”

Jules snorted. “It already did.” The room went quiet again. Kyrie looked down at her hands.

They were shaking slightly. Not from pain. From being seen too loudly.

“I just wanted a job,” she whispered. “That’s all I wanted.” Mandy softened. “I know.” Jules rubbed his face. “There’s more.” Kyrie looked up. He hesitated. “Lucian’s side is also pushing a narrative. Saying you provoked him. That you’re unstable. The family PR machine is already working.” Kyrie’s chest tightened.

“So now I’m… a story.”

Mandy stood again, pacing. “No. No, no, no. This is why rich people are exhausting. They turn humans into headlines.” Kyrie swallowed hard. Her phone buzzed. Once. Unknown number. No name. Just a message.

> “Are you fine?”

She froze.

Another message came.

> “I thought you didn’t have a phone.”

Her breath caught.

Then: “You owe me a favor. I intend to collect it one day.” Kyrie stared at the screen.

“Who is this?” she whispered.

Jules leaned over immediately. “What?”

She turned the phone slightly.

Mandy peered at it. “That’s creepy.”

Jules frowned. “Car profile picture?”

Kyrie nodded slowly. “And… scenery.”

Her mind flickered. A car. A night ride. A voice that didn’t ask for anything.

Sebastián.

But this felt different. Before she could speak, another notification popped up. Sebastián Martinez is defending Kyrie online.

Jules pointed. “Wait. That guy from last night?”

Kyrie quickly opened it. And there he was. His account. Clean, verified-looking, photos of cars, roads, distant cities, sunsets over highways.

His comments were everywhere under her viral clip.

> “This video is incomplete. Stop harassing her.”

“You are all reacting without context.”

“She is not the aggressor. Mandy blinked. “Oh wow. He’s loud online.”

Jules smirked. “Protective type.”

Kyrie stared.Her chest felt strange.Warm and uneasy at the same time.

She typed slowly.

Who is this?

Before she could send it, Jules gently took the phone from her. “Hey,” he said, softer now. “Maybe don’t spiral into mystery man territory while your life is on fire.” Mandy pointed at the screen. “Also, he’s clearly watching you. That’s already enough weird for one morning.”Kyrie leaned back.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” she said quietly.

Jules sighed. “No one does.” Her phone buzzed again.

This time, another message from Sebastián’s account. “Don’t read comments too much. People are loud when they are wrong.”

Kyrie stared at it. Then Mandy leaned over her shoulder.

“Oh,” she said slowly. “He’s in your corner corner.” Kyrie felt her ears warm.

“I don’t even know him,” she said quickly.

Mandy smiled. “Sure.” Jules stood. “Okay. We need a plan. First, you’re not going outside. There are reporters already sniffing around the area.” Kyrie blinked. “Reporters?“ Mandy groaned. “Of course there are reporters. This is juicy for them. Poor hostess slapped billionaire heir? That’s breakfast content.” Kyrie whispered, “They want to interview me?”

Jules nodded. “Or ambush you.” Kyrie sank deeper into the couch.

“I didn’t even apply for fame,” she muttered.

Mandy sat beside her again, gentler now. “You didn’t apply for any of this, babe.” Her phone buzzed again. Unknown number.

“Still alive?”

Kyrie stared at it. She didn’t reply. Instead, she looked up at Jules.

“What do I do?”

Jules hesitated, then said, “You tell your story before they turn it into theirs.”

Mandy nodded quickly. “Yes. Go live. On your new phone. You control the narrative.” Kyrie’s eyes widened. “Live? Like… people watching me?” “Yes,” Mandy said firmly. “Because right now they’re watching a version of you that isn’t real.” Kyrie shook her head immediately. “I can’t. I’ll freeze. I’ll mess it up.”

Jules crossed his arms. “Or you stay silent and they destroy you slowly.”

That hit harder than anything else. Silence settled. Kyrie looked at the phone again. Her reflection faintly stared back in the black screen. She exhaled. “…Okay,” she whispered. Mandy smiled. “Good girl.”

Jules handed her the phone back. “We’re right here.” Kyrie swallowed. Her thumb hovered. Then she pressed LIVE. The camera opened. Her face filled the screen. For a second, she almost ended it.

But comments started pouring instantly.

Fast. Too fast. She inhaled shakily. “Hi,” she said. Her voice trembled.

“I… I don’t know how this works.”

Mandy whispered off-screen, “Just talk.”

Kyrie nodded slightly.

“I saw the video,” she said. “And I need to say what actually happened.”

Comments exploded. She kept going anyway. Her voice broke once. Then steadied. She explained. The drunk moment. The cornering. The kiss attempt. The slap. The fear. The humiliation. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just honest. And for the first time, the internet didn’t feel like a monster. It felt like silence listening. Then she ended it.Her hands dropped.She didn’t realize she was crying until Jules gently said, “Hey… you did it.”

The live ended. Her phone immediately lit up with messages.

She barely noticed. One stood out. Unknown number again.

Profile: cars. roads. sky.

“You did well.”

Kyrie stared at it.

“What…?” she whispered.

Jules leaned over. “What is it now?”

But she didn’t answer. She just stared. And somewhere in the flood of comments, Sebastián was still defending her. And she still didn’t know who was really standing on her side. Mandy leaned back. “Okay… now we wait.”

Kyrie frowned. “Wait for what?”

Jules checked his phone. His expression changed. “…for consequences,” he said quietly.

Kyrie’s phone buzzed again. But this time, it wasn’t a message. It was a headline notification. VELLUM MANAGEMENT SUMMONS HOSTESS KYRIE OVER VIRAL INCIDENT.

Kyrie stared at it. Her stomach dropped again. “Or,” Mandy said slowly, “for damage control.”

Kyrie whispered, “I just… I just wanted to work.”

Jules stood. “Yeah.” He looked at her. “But now the world wants your side again.”