All Chapters of Just a Friend, Just a Lie: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

I had known Leon for as long as I had been putting up with Allison.Not long after I agreed to date him, I walked into his place and found her there, fresh out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her. When I asked what was going on, Leon didn't even pause."Allison's one of my closest friends. She just used my place to shower. Don't make it into something dirty."The rumors I had been trying to forget rushed back all at once, and whatever I wanted to say died in my throat. I forced a smile, trying to smooth things over, but Allison just stared at me, eyes wide."You look familiar…" she said. "I swear I've seen your nudes online!"Then she glanced at Leon and laughed. "Seriously? You're going for someone like that?"I broke down right there.Leon didn't even look up from his game. "Come on, Allison doesn't filter herself. She saw them, so what? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"Back then, I convinced myself I was the problem, that I was too sensitive and rea

The wedding was called off, and my mom was rushed to the hospital after collapsing. I sat outside the operating room, staring at the red light that never seemed to turn off, my heart pounding as I kept praying she would make it.Leon showed up with Allison, her eyes red. The moment he saw me, his expression hardened. "Allison's getting dragged online because of you."Someone had taken photos from the wedding, the moment Allison started taking off her clothes, edited them, and posted them online. The comments were filthy, calling her a mistress, a tramp, tearing her apart.Before I could even process it, Leon grabbed my arm and yanked me up from the chair. I was already weak from early pregnancy, and my legs gave out. I hit the cold floor hard, pain shooting through me, but he didn't even glance down."Apologize to Allison," he said. "If you hadn't made a scene at the wedding, none of this would've happened."Tears burned in my eyes as I pointed toward the operating room. "Sh

I woke up three days later with a hollow ache low in my abdomen, like something important had been taken from me. The nurse told me I had miscarried, and then, almost as an afterthought, that my mom was gone, too. I lay there, staring at the ceiling while tears slid quietly into my hair.The door opened, a little too loud for the stillness in the room. Leon stepped in, careful, carrying a thermos. His eyes were swollen, his face drawn with exhaustion."You're awake," he said. "I made some soup. Try to eat a little."I turned my head away.He set the thermos down and sat beside my bed, tears falling. I stared at him, stunned. Leon had always carried himself like someone untouchable. I had never seen him look so defeated.For a moment, all I could see was myself apologizing through tears, begging him to save my mom while he looked at me without a shred of compassion."I'm sorry," he said, his voice hoarse. "I didn't know you were pregnant. If I had, I never would've…"I cut

I sued Leon and Allison for invasion of privacy, defamation, and the emotional and financial harm they had caused me. The authorities also opened a criminal investigation into the role they played in my mother's death. Any one of those charges would have been serious on its own.On the day of the hearing, they were escorted into the courtroom and seated at the defense table. The moment Allison saw me, she lunged forward, completely out of control. "Gemma, you tramp! You ruined me!" The bailiff forced her back into her seat.Leon didn't move. He sat there watching me the entire time without saying a word, regret and something close to pleading written plainly in his eyes.After the judge read the charges, I presented my evidence one piece at a time.Leon's affair. Allison's distribution of my private photos.Every photo, every text message, every document showed how the two of them had worked together to destroy my life.Each exhibit felt like another knife twisting in Leon'