My childhood sweetheart, Julian, coaxed me into letting him take intimate photos of me. He promised they were for his eyes only. I was scared, but I was also glad that I finally had him. Until Summer, a scholarship student, and I were competing for first place in the university's Annual Vocal Showcase. Julian looked at me indifferently. "Sera, let her win. You wouldn't want those photos of yours circulating around campus, would you?" I froze on the spot, nodding like a fool. Seven days later, Summer won the championship as she wished. Julian deleted all the photos. A huge weight lifted off my chest, and I boarded a plane out of the country. All these years of loving him, I'll just consider them wasted on someone like him. Julian spoke very casually. His words were short and sharp. "Agree to this, and I'll delete all of them." It was the peak of summer, and the heat was suffocating. Yet, I felt like I had been plunged into an ice cellar. It felt like a hard blow to the head. I opened my mouth, my voice trembling. "But you promised me..." Julian cut me off. "Yes, I promised they were for my eyes only." His gaze locked onto mine, his voice dropping. "And I will keep my word." "As long as you give up the first-place spot to Summer." I stubbornly tried to argue, though my voice kept cracking. "The vocal showcase... it's supposed to be based on actual talent." "I... I won't step down." Julian seemed to have expected this. He pulled my chair closer, trapping me in his arms. Then, he pulled out his phone. He grabbed my hand and forced my finger to unlock his private photo vault. Extremely intimate, high-exposure pictures instantly filled the screen. Julian let out a soft laugh. "Sera, you really have a gorgeous body." His lips brushed against my ear. "I like this one the best. Your skin is flushed, and you're looking right at the camera with your mouth slightly open." "You look so beautifully ruined..." My fingertips shook, and my voice broke into a sob. "Don't look at it." Julian paused and turned off the screen. His warm fingers gently wiped away the tears from the corner of my eye. "Good girl. Don't be scared. Do we have a deal?" My fingers subconsciously clenched together, my mind completely blank. "Okay." A satisfied smile spread across Julian's face as he stood up. He gently smoothed down my messy hair and cooed softly, "There's a fraternity party tonight, so I won't be going home with you." "I'll have my driver take you back." The air conditioning in the vocal practice room was blasting. I wrapped my coat tightly around myself and curled up on the chair. It was so cold. So cold. I covered my mouth, letting out muffled, suppressed sobs. Julian was the person I trusted most in the world. When I was seven, my parents brought me from our small hometown to the city and moved into a massive villa. But I couldn't fit in. I was sunburned, scrawny, and small. I was always bullied. All I knew how to do was hide and cry. I thought that as long as I didn't fight back, they would eventually leave me alone. Until one day, a group of boys tried to pull down my pants. I screamed through my tears, "No... get away from me!" But they didn't stop. They only got meaner. That was when Julian showed up. He held a rock in his hand and chased them off. Then, he reached his hand out to me. "Hey, stutterer. I'm taking you home." But my legs were too weak to stand. Julian frowned, looking highly annoyed. Yet, he still bent down and turned his back to me. "Get on." After a moment of hesitation, I climbed onto his back. He carried me, walking slowly but steadily all the way home. After that, I became Julian's shadow, timidly following him everywhere. I followed him for eleven years. It wasn't until our freshman year of college that I finally gathered the courage to confess my feelings. Maybe Julian's heart had softened. He looked at me with a charming smile and nodded. So, when Julian first suggested taking those photos. I suppressed my fear and whispered, "Will... will anyone else see them?" Julian held up the camera, his voice incredibly tender. "Never. They're just for my private collection." I hesitated for a moment, then pulled down the straps of my nightgown. I posed for him, one shot after another. But now, that intimate, passionate memory had turned into a sharp dagger aimed straight at my chest. I had trusted Julian so much. I finally couldn't hold it in anymore and wailed out loud. I didn't know how much time had passed, but my eyes had run completely dry. A Snapchat notification popped up from Julian. He was as attentive as always, typing: "You cried today, so your throat is going to be sore." "Make sure to drink some warm honey water when you get home." I gripped my phone, heading home in a complete daze. On the way, I almost got hit by a semi-truck. My whole body went numb as I shook violently while typing in my apartment passcode. The living room was pitch black. I didn't turn on the lights. I just sat on the couch with my knees pulled up to my chest. The clock ticked away, round after round. My phone buzzed again with a text. I clicked it mechanically. It was from my best friend, Chloe. Her tone was dead serious. "Sera, tell me the truth." "Did Julian... did he take nude photos of you?"
Shame and suffocating panic washed over me all at once. I frantically locked my phone screen. But I had already agreed to his terms... The screen lit up again. It was a video from Chloe. With trembling hands, I tapped play. Inside a dimly lit VIP lounge at a club. Julian was holding a cigarette, his voice lazy and careless. "Don't worry. The first-place trophy for the vocal showcase is definitely yours." Summer, the scholarship student, was sitting right next to him. They were sitting incredibly close, their shoulders brushing. Summer forced a small smile. "Stop teasing me. Sera is beautiful and rich. I could never beat her." Julian stared at her, dazed for a long moment. It was as if he was completely intoxicated by her presence. After a while, he spoke softly. "She won't dare to compete with you." Summer grabbed his hand, blinking her big eyes. "Why?" Julian fell silent. Summer didn't press him. She just reached out to grab a wine glass from the table. Under the flashing, moody lights. Julian sighed and grabbed her wrist. "It's that time of the month for you. Be good. No drinking." Summer blinked, staring straight into his eyes. In that instant, Julian's defenses crumbled completely. He pinched Summer's cheek, smiling helplessly. "I have her nude photos in my hands. Is that enough?" The video cut off. It felt like a massive hole had been ripped into my chest. And Julian had personally poured burning sulfur right into it. It burned so badly. Chloe's voice messages kept coming. "Sera, did you and Julian get into a fight?" "How could he say something like that?!" "And who is that girl next to him?" "Sera... did he really take those photos of you?" My throat felt like it had been sealed shut with wet concrete. I wanted to tell Chloe not to worry. But when I opened my mouth, no sound came out. So, I could only type back: "No, he was just joking." "Are you still at your shift? Get home safe." My head was pounding. I collapsed onto the couch. Summer... Summer... I closed my eyes, letting the tears stream down my face. At the beginning of the school year, Summer was the freshman representative. She had her hair tied up in a neat ponytail, speaking confidently on the stage. She was powerful, elegant, and radiant. At the time, I had heatstroke. I was leaning weakly against Julian's chest in the audience. He was fanning me, laughing softly. "Look at her. She's bursting with energy." "And look at you, like a sick little kitten." "How are you going to survive without me?" My head was spinning, and I looked at Summer for a second before turning to him. "Julian, I want a popsicle." Julian tapped my forehead playfully. "No way. Do you want another stomachache?" I mumbled an okay and buried my face into his neck. I completely forgot about Summer. But as it turned out, Summer was also a music major. She was outgoing, warm, and passionate. It seemed like she had endless energy. She got along with everyone in class. Whenever Julian came to pick me up after class, he would tease me, "I wish you had half her energy." At first, I didn't think much of it. But later, Julian started bringing her up more and more. The honey water he specially prepared for me. He would always bring an extra bottle for her. I got angry and confronted him. "Why are you being so nice to her?" Julian crossed his long legs, rubbing the space between his eyebrows. "Sera, it's hard for a scholarship student to study music." "She has a tough life, she just pretends to be happy." "It's just honey water." But gradually, it wasn't just honey water anymore. It became desserts, snacks, afternoon tea... My arguments with Julian grew more frequent. He kept saying Summer was pitiful. He kept telling me to make allowances for her. Until today. For her sake, Julian had thrown everything away. My dignity, my privacy. It had all become his bargaining chips to please Summer. I stared at the single lonely star outside the window. I couldn't understand what I had done wrong. Why did Julian stop wanting me... I bit down hard on my wrist, the salty taste of tears filling my mouth. Until the metallic taste of blood broke through. I exhausted pressed my mouth shut. It hurt. It hurt so much. I didn't want to go through this ever again. Julian was right about one thing. I was a coward. Whenever things got tough, all I wanted to do was pull back into my shell. But I didn't want to hurt anymore. I opened my phone and booked a one-way flight out of the country for seven days from now.
I lay in bed with a sharp, throbbing pain in my temples. But I couldn't sleep. I pulled out my phone, typing the same search queries over and over again. "What to do if your boyfriend takes intimate photos of you?" "Will a boyfriend actually leak your photos?" "My boyfriend took intimate photos and shared them." ... As I read through the stories of girls who had gone through the same thing, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, my fingers stiffly clicking on another link: How to save yourself when intimate photos are leaked. The guides were all well-written. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Seek help... It all sounded so effortless. It looked so simple. I ran the scenarios over and over in my head. But none of those would work against Julian. He wasn't afraid of anything. And he had the power to make anything disappear. Tears soaked my pillow. Until I couldn't hold on anymore and finally blacked out. My sleep was restless. In my hazy state, I thought I heard the clicking of a camera shutter. I snapped awake, gripping the blanket tight. The room was dark. Only the red blinking light of a camera was visible. Julian was standing in the shadows. A smirk played on his lips, his eyes slightly bloodshot from alcohol. "Beautiful." I jumped out of bed, reaching out to grab the camera. But Julian easily wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him. The heavy scent of his cologne mixed with tobacco rushed into my nose. I started coughing uncontrollably. Julian tightened his grip, his voice deep. "Don't move." "I missed you." My nerves felt like a tight violin string. And someone was violently plucking at it. I grabbed his sleeve, my voice hoarse. "Delete... delete it." Julian forced me to sit on his lap. "What's wrong with your voice?" "Did you not drink the honey water last night?" "The driver said he didn't pick you up. Are you still throwing a tantrum?" My stomach churned, and a wave of nausea hit me. I clenched my fists in silence. I struggled to get off his lap. Julian let out a sigh, sounding incredibly helpless. "I saw your phone." My chaotic thoughts suddenly cleared up. My entire body began to shake. My plane ticket... Julian patted my back soothingly. "Your little friend told you what I said, didn't she?" "I did bring Summer to the party last night." "It was her birthday and she had no one to celebrate with. It was just a casual thing." "Sera, don't overthink it." All the strength drained from my body, and my voice was barely a whisper. "Julian, the photo you just took... delete it, please?" "I don't like it. I don't want you taking them." Julian froze. His voice turned icy cold, dripping with annoyance. "Are you still acting up?" "I knew I shouldn't have told you." "How many times do I have to say it? I just feel bad for Summer." "Sera, I'm not going to tolerate your attitude every single time." Julian's lips kept moving. His accusations came throwing at me one after another. Like heavy blows landing on my chest. Leaving me no room to breathe. I shoved him away and ran straight to the bathroom. A sour taste rose in my throat. I bent over the toilet in pain. But because I hadn't eaten all day. I could only throw up bitter stomach acid. Behind me, hurried footsteps approached. Julian picked me up in his arms. His lips were pressed into a thin line, panic written all over his face. "Have you not been eating again?" "I'm taking you to the hospital." I clutched his collar, sobbing, "No, I'm not going." "Julian, please, just delete the photos." He looked down, staring at my swollen, red eyes. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. But in the next second. Julian's phone on the desk started buzzing. He glanced at the screen, and his face instantly cleared of any emotion. He placed me back on the bed and shoved the camera into my hands. "I'll call the family doctor to come over." "Get some rest." "You can delete whatever is on the camera." "As for the intimate photos..." Julian paused, tucking the blanket around me. "I'll delete them for you in seven days, after the showcase is over." He stood up and answered the phone. His voice instantly became incredibly gentle. "What's wrong?" "Stay right there. Don't move. I'm coming to get you." The bedroom door slammed shut. Faintly, I thought I heard Summer crying on the other end of the line.
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