Chapter 7

The messages didn't stop. Same nasty accusations—homewrecker, gold digger. Some took it even further, twisting the truth, claiming she was selling herself. A few straight-up asked how much she charged.

Her face burned. Her hands shook. It felt like every ounce of blood had rushed to her head.

Breathe. Stay calm.

She pulled up a search engine. The top trending topic hit her like a punch to the gut.

A blog post.

From Sofia.

In her carefully spun story, she and Marco were childhood sweethearts. Marco had once helped Aurora out of kindness, but instead of being grateful, Aurora had set her sights on him.

She knew he had a girlfriend but still clung to him, hoping to climb the social ladder. But Marco never wanted her. When she failed to seduce him, she turned on Sofia.

Desperate to drive her away, Aurora spread lies to a professor, sabotaging Sofia's chances in the competition. The betrayal crushed Sofia—so much that she spiraled into despair and slit her wrist.

Attached was a photo of Sofia's wounded wrist—a deep, bloody gash against pale skin. The image, paired with her words, sent the internet into a frenzy.

The comment section exploded with outrage. Hate poured in fast.

Sofia had included just enough details for people to track down Aurora's social media. Within minutes, someone dug up old performance photos, zoomed in on her face, and plastered it everywhere.

Her profile was overrun. A few harmless posts about her daily life were now drowning in vile insults.

Then, it got worse.

Netizens flooded her school's official accounts, demanding her expulsion for being "morally corrupt."

Then came the real nightmare.

Someone dug up her phone number and ID, unleashing a new wave of harassment. Her private info spread like wildfire. Rumors morphed into something uglier. Her photos were edited into explicit images, plastered across shady sites.

Aurora's hands shook as she scrolled through the filth.

She fired off a statement, denying everything and vowing to prove the truth.

Big mistake.

The mob only got nastier.

Then, a new post surfaced—her supposed location. Someone claimed she was at a hospital. Not for an injury. For an STD. And the internet ate it up.

A chill shot down Aurora's spine.

Suddenly, the hospital felt like a trap.

She had to get out. Now.

She rushed to leave, yanking open the door—

And was slammed to the ground.

"You filthy woman! If you hadn't seduced me, my family wouldn't have fallen apart!"

The furious voice cut through the hallway, drawing gasps from onlookers.

Then—a sharp slap. Pain exploded across her cheek.

Aurora staggered, heart pounding. She looked up—

And froze.

Diego.

The man who had once tried to assault her.

The nightmare she thought she'd buried had just come back to life.