During a severe rainstorm with flash flood warnings, I went out to bring an umbrella to my boyfriend, Ethan. But as I walked down the street, someone grabbed me from behind, covered my mouth, and dragged me into a pitch-black alley. Just as my shirt was ripped open, Ethan's childhood bestie, Hailey, stepped out from behind a trash can. She was holding a professional video camera. She and the thugs burst into laughter. "Ethan, your plan worked perfectly!" Hailey giggled. "Look at her face! She looks absolutely terrified. This is exactly the raw emotion I needed for my indie web series!" "Right? She actually thought she was getting assaulted!" one of the thugs complained, rubbing his cheek. "She scratched my face, man. Ethan, you owe me medical bills!" I froze. I sat in the muddy puddle, my clothes torn and my face covered in rain and tears. "Hailey's web series was stuck on a scene," Ethan explained casually, walking over to Hailey's side. He had promised me he was working overtime tonight. "You've always been easily scared, Chloe. We figured you'd be perfect for this scene. It's just a friendly cameo." He stood next to Hailey, and together, they looked down at me, enjoying my humiliation. I clutched the positive pregnancy test in my pocket, my entire body turning ice-cold. This was supposed to be a surprise for our third anniversary. But now, I realized he didn't deserve it.
"Why are you still on the ground? It's dirty." Ethan reached down and pulled me up. Hailey chimed in with a fake, sweet smile. "Thanks, Chloe! When the show drops on TikTok, I'll make sure to put your name in the credits." Ethan smirked, nudging her shoulder. "What about me?" "You?" Hailey playfully tapped his chin. "Since you came up with this brilliant plan, I'll make you my assistant director." I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. I forced out two words. "Delete it." Hailey's smile stiffened. "Chloe, this scene is the climax of my entire series. If I delete it, the story falls apart." "I never agreed to be filmed. You are violating my privacy." Everyone's smiles faded instantly. "Come on, Chloe, we're all friends here. Why bring up legal stuff? It's not that serious," one of the thugs muttered. "Yeah, Hailey wanted you to join her project for so long. You're breaking her heart," another added. My wet clothes stuck to my skin. I couldn't stop shivering. "If you don't delete it, I will call the police." Ethan frowned immediately. "Chloe, stop throwing a tantrum." "I'm not." Seeing my cold expression, he sighed and put an arm around my shoulder. "Okay, I'm sorry. This was my fault." "I know you love drama shows, so I thought you'd be excited to act in one. We didn't tell you beforehand because we wanted a realistic reaction. I promise I won't do it again." The heavy scent of floral perfume on his shirt drifted into my nose. It was Hailey's favorite perfume. A wave of nausea hit me, and I pushed him away with all my strength. "Make her delete it, or we are over. Choose." Ethan froze. He grabbed my hand and gently shook it. This was our little signal. Whenever we had a fight, shaking hands meant we made up. "Alright, don't say things you don't mean." He looked at Hailey. "She really doesn't want to be in it. Hailey, delete Chloe's part." "Are you crazy?" Hailey clutched her camera, looking extremely upset. "I went out in this terrible storm for this shot! My new designer sneakers got completely ruined!" Those sneakers were supposed to be my birthday gift. Ethan bought them in Hailey's size. At the time, I thought it was just an honest mistake. But the next day, I saw Hailey's Instagram post. She posted a picture of the shoes with the caption: Hailey wants, Hailey gets! Thanks to my favorite childhood bestie, Ethan. When I showed Ethan the post, his first reaction was a fond, indulgent smile. "Those shoes are expensive. It's better to give them to Hailey than let them sit in our closet collecting dust. At least they're not wasted." What about me? The words choked in my throat, and I couldn't bring myself to ask. The sound of Ethan and Hailey arguing brought me back to reality. "Ethan, I can't believe you're doing this to me!" Hailey's eyes turned red. She slammed the camera onto the ground and ran off into the rain. Ethan panicked. He instinctively started to chase her, but I held his arm. "Ethan, come home with me." I needed to tell him about the baby. But in the next second, he violently shook off my hand. His face was cold and filled with disgust. "I already took your side. What more do you want?" "Chloe, don't be so selfish."
The rain poured harder. His push made a sharp pain shoot through my lower abdomen. I couldn't get an Uber, so I had to walk home alone in the freezing rain. I have a congenital blood-clotting disorder. Even a small scratch can make me bleed for a long time. The scratches the thugs left on my arms were bleeding constantly. Ethan saw it, but he still chose to chase after Hailey, leaving me behind. By the time I got home, it was 2:00 AM. The romantic candlelight dinner I had prepared for our anniversary looked like a pathetic joke. Before I could even change out of my wet clothes, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Ethan. Hailey has been crying non-stop. I stared at it for a few seconds and didn't reply. Two minutes later, another text came. Do you have nothing to say? If you had just compromised, everyone would be happy. Why do you have to be so stubborn? This web series is Hailey's hard work for a whole year. Now it's ruined because of you. I'm not blaming you, Chloe. But you need to remember, you owe Hailey for this. I stared at the screen, silent. In this terrible storm, his terrified girlfriend and our third anniversary meant nothing to him. He hadn't asked if I was okay once. All he cared about was getting justice for his crying childhood bestie. As compensation, I'm staying over at her place to keep her company for a few days. I let out a bitter laugh. All those texts were just an excuse to justify spending the night with her. Fortunately, I didn't care anymore. I replied with a single word: Okay. Right after, my best friend, Maya, sent me a video on Snapchat. It was in a VIP booth at a club. Ethan and Hailey were grinding against each other, dancing intimately. I remembered the first time Hailey sat directly on Ethan's lap right in front of me. I had been so angry that I grabbed my purse and left. Ethan had begged for my forgiveness for a whole week. "Hailey and I grew up together. I've never even seen her as a woman. I swear it won't happen again," he had said, holding up three fingers. I believed him. But after that, they only got worse. They hugged, snuggled, and even rubbed sunscreen on each other at the beach in a way that looked like foreplay. If I got angry, they called me insecure and accused me of being toxic. Maya had wanted to confront them many times, but I always stopped her, holding onto a tiny sliver of hope. Looking at the video, my throat felt tight. Maya texted: Chloe, they are acting like they're the ones dating. Are you seriously going to let this slide? I tossed the pregnancy test into the trash can. What they do has nothing to do with me anymore. Because Ethan and I were completely over. The next day, I woke up with a high fever. Maya took me to the hospital. The moment we walked into the clinic, I saw two familiar figures. Hailey was sitting in a chair with an IV drip in her arm. Ethan was kneeling in front of her, feeding her soup spoon by spoon. A patient nearby said admiringly, "You're so lucky, sweetie. Your boyfriend is so sweet, begging you to eat!" Hailey smirked triumphantly and swallowed the soup. "Fine, since everyone is watching, I'll give you some face." Ethan wasn't angry at all. He laughed. "Yes, thank you, Princess Hailey, for gracing me with your appetite." Maya was furious and about to storm over, but I stopped her. I dialed Ethan's number. When his phone rang, his face instantly twisted with annoyance. "What now?" he snapped. I curled my lips. "Where are you?" "At the office." "Really?" "Of course really. Aren't you tired of being so paranoid all the time?" "Yes, I am." I was exhausted. For the first time in three years, the thought of being with Ethan filled me with nothing but disgust and exhaustion. "Ethan, let's break up." As I spoke, I walked up to them. My voice was clear and loud.
Ethan froze. He turned around, staring at me in disbelief. Hailey reacted first. "Chloe, don't get the wrong idea! Ethan is only here because I'm sick and he felt bad for me." With Hailey's defense, Ethan quickly found his confidence again. "You saw me here, and you still called to test me? Why are you so manipulative, Chloe?" "Every time I hang out with Hailey, I have to explain myself over and over again. I only lied because I didn't want the drama." I smiled. "So, this is my fault again?" He blinked, taken aback. "I didn't say that. But breaking up over this? Aren't you being extremely dramatic?" "I'm serious." Ethan's bottled-up anger finally exploded. "Just because of one lie? Just because I fed Hailey some soup? Are you seriously doing this?" "It's not about one lie, Ethan. It's about three years." I met his harsh glare and said, word for word: "For three years, your heart has belonged to her. When you buy clothes or shoes, you always memorize her sizes. You buy her favorite snacks when she's on her period. Whenever she's hungry, tired, or crying, you drop everything to be by her side." "And me? I'm always secondary. I'm like an idiot waiting for you to look back at me." "Ethan, I am done." "Chloe, you are being incredibly unfair to Ethan," Hailey said, standing up and inserting herself between us. "He's just a sweet, loyal guy. You can't use your relationship to guilt-trip him! Besides, who he chooses to be nice to is his own business!" Maya laughed dryly. "Wow. I've never heard someone defend being a homewrecker so shamelessly." Ethan immediately pulled Hailey behind him, protecting her. "You're breaking up with me because of Maya, aren't you? Hailey and I told you a hundred times to stay away from toxic people like her." The contempt in his eyes was all too familiar. Two years ago, I brought my parents to visit my apartment. They were simple folks from a small farming town. They weren't used to the high-tech, touchless features in my upscale apartment, and they accidentally scratched the expensive kitchen island and stained the carpet. Ethan had looked at them with that exact same look of disgust, accepting their trembling apologies as if he were a king. The next day, Hailey came over with bottles of Lysol and sprayed down every inch of the apartment right in front of them. My parents didn't understand. They just thought they had done something dirty and stood in the corner, too ashamed to even sit on the couch. When I found out, I had a massive fight with Ethan. But Ethan said, "Hailey was just looking out for our health. Your parents live on a farm with dirt and animals. They aren't clean. Hailey was just sanitizing the place." The fight ended with Ethan slamming the door and leaving. Exhausted, I went to the guest room to comfort my parents. But the room was already empty. The bedsheets were folded perfectly, and a small note was left on the nightstand: Chloe, we don't want to be a burden to you. We're sorry. I ran out of the building and saw my parents carrying their heavy bags, slowly boarding a cheap bus back home. Their bent backs under the weight of the homemade bread they had brought for me made me sob hysterically. I should have woken up back then. He looked down on my parents and my friends. At the end of the day, he looked down on me. I lowered my head and laughed, a bitter tear rolling down my lip. Seeing me cry, Ethan's expression softened slightly. "Look at you. I say a few words and you cry. Who else could put up with you besides me?" "Alright, I'll act like I didn't hear the breakup joke. Go home first." I wiped my tears. "No, I'm serious." "Ethan, from this moment on, we are completely over." "Completely over? What are you, a middle schooler?" Ethan scoffed. "Can you really throw away three years of history with one sentence? What do you think our relationship was? What do you think I am?" "I think I was blind, and my heart was stupid." I stared at him, ignoring the stabbing pain in my stomach. "But now, I am finally awake." Ethan was red-faced with anger. Hailey stepped forward and grabbed my arm tightly. "Chloe, stop being childish. Guys as good as Ethan don't grow on trees. It's all my fault..." She dug her nails into my arm. It hurt so much that I violently shoved her hand off me. But Hailey took that opportunity to throw herself backward, crashing heavily onto the floor. "Hailey!" Ethan gasped in shock. Without a second thought, his hand swung out and slapped me across the face. He used all his strength. When I hit the ground, my ears were ringing so loudly I could barely hear Maya screaming my name. Through my blurry vision, I saw Ethan pick Hailey up in his arms and walk away without once looking back. And as darkness rushed to claim me, I felt a warm, thick liquid flowing down my thighs. I knew my baby was gone. But maybe, it was for the best. Now, we owed each other nothing.
When I was discharged from the hospital, only Maya was there to take me home. When I opened the door to my apartment, a thin layer of dust had already gathered on the shoe rack. Ethan hadn't been back for days. I pulled out my suitcase and started packing. Three years of my youth, and my belongings couldn't even fill one suitcase. How pathetic. Right then, my phone rang. It was Ethan. "So, Chloe, have you cooled down yet?" His voice was smug, oozing confidence. "Have you realized how miserable these past few days are without me?" "Hailey wants that homemade soup you make. Prepare some and bring it over to her place as an apology, and we can go back to how things were." "Ethan," I said quietly. "We broke up." He paused. "Are you still throwing a fit?" I laughed. "Is every time I don't do what you want considered a fit?" Ethan's breathing grew heavy, his voice rising. "You didn't want to do the shoot, so I made Hailey delete it. You didn't want to apologize, and I didn't force you. What more do you want? Do you seriously want me to cut Hailey off before you're satisfied?" "There's no need to be dramatic," I said calmly. "You can't even keep a basic, respectful distance from her. Why force yourself?" He went quiet. I dragged my suitcase to the door. While waiting for the elevator, I said: "I hate strangers in my apartment, but every time Hailey got drunk, you brought her to our bed. I hate how you two have zero boundaries. You haven't changed in three years." "And most of all, I hate that you used my safety and my dignity as a toy to make her happy." "I did not!" he defended fiercely. "You did, and I felt every bit of it." I gripped my phone. "Besides, there is a life between us now." "So, Ethan, let's break up. Don't make me say it a fourth time." Ethan stayed silent for a moment before letting out a dry, angry laugh. "A life? What are you even talking about? I told you, it was just a prank! You're reaching too far to play the victim!" "Fine! We're broken up! Let's see how great your life is once you leave me!" He slammed the phone down. The elevator doors opened. Maya, who hated Ethan with a passion, drove out of the parking lot like a lightning bolt. I blocked and deleted Ethan, Hailey, and all their mutual friends. I thought I would never have to deal with them again. But the next morning, my phone was bombarded. Before I could even check the 999+ missed calls and texts, another call came through. I picked up, and a disgusting, raspy male voice spoke: "Hey babe, how much for a night? Do you do discounts for a monthly rate?" I froze, completely horrified, and slammed the phone shut. Maya immediately hugged me. "Who did this? Ethan or Hailey? I swear I'm going to kill them!" "Don't," I held her back. "Let's call the cops. We are going to the police station right now." The police were highly efficient. Within an hour, they found that my personal information, phone number, and address had been posted on an adult forum. The post featured the video of me being dragged into the alley, followed by a highly realistic, deepfake AI video of my face on an adult actress's body. When they tracked the IP address of the account that uploaded it, the registered name popped up. My blood ran cold. It was Ethan's IP address.
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