Chapter 2

Freya, who was struggling financially, sat next to Andrew.

The two of them were shoulder to shoulder.

Freya forced a smile. "Come on, don't joke around. Harper's gorgeous and loaded. There's no way I could compete with her."

Andrew stared at her, zoning out for a while, like he was mesmerized by her.

He finally said casually, "She wouldn't dare win."

Freya grabbed his hand and blinked up at him. "Why not?"

Andrew kept silent.

Freya was in no rush.

She reached out and ran her fingers over the wine glass on the table.

The soft, intimate lights flickered around them.

Andrew sighed and caught her hand. "You are on your period. Be a good girl and skip the drinks, okay?"

Freya blinked, staring at him.

Andrew caved instantly.

He pinched Freya's cheek, smiling helplessly. "I've got her nude photos. Happy now, princess?"

The video ended.

It felt like my heart had a gaping hole in it.

Andrew had rubbed it in himself.

It stung like hell.

Lilian's voice message kept playing. "Harper, did you and Andrew fight?

"How could he do that?

"And who's that girl with him?

"Did he take any nude photos of you?"

I felt a lump in my throat.

I wanted to tell Lilian not to worry.

But when I opened my mouth, not a sound came out.

So I could only text her back, [No, he was messing around.

[Are you still at your part-time job? Head home early, okay?]

My head was pounding, and I collapsed onto the couch.

It was all about Freya.

I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall.

Freshman orientation kicked off with Freya as the student representative.

She stood at the podium, her ponytail crisp and neat, delivering her speech.

Her words rang out, clear and powerful. She was poised and self-assured.

Meanwhile, I was suffering from heatstroke.

I was so out of it that I had to lean against Andrew.

He fanned me, trying not to laugh. "Look at Freya. She's bursting with energy.

"And you? You look like a sick kitten.

"How would you make it without me?"

My head was spinning, and I glanced at Freya before turning to Andrew. "Andrew, I want an ice pop."

Andrew tapped my forehead, unfazed. "Nope, you'll end up with a stomachache."

I mumbled, "Okay," and buried my face in his neck.

I put Freya out of my mind.

But it turned out Freya was also a music student.

She was outgoing and passionate, her energy burning bright.

She never seemed to run out of steam.

She fit in with everyone in the class.

When Andrew came to pick me up after class, he teased, "If only you had that kind of energy."

At first, I didn't think much of it.

But later, Andrew started mentioning her more and more often.

He used to bring honey water for me.

But now he'd casually hand her a cup, too.

I got mad and asked, "Why are you being so nice to her?"

Andrew crossed his legs and rubbed his temples. "Harper, it's not easy for someone broke to chase music dreams.

"She's got it rough and pretends everything's fine.

"It's nothing but honey water."

But little by little, it wasn't just honey water anymore.

He started bringing her desserts, snacks, and all kinds of afternoon treats.

Andrew and I started fighting more and more.

He kept saying Freya had it rough.

He kept telling me to cut her some slack.

Until today, Andrew would risk it all for her.

My embarrassment and my secrets had become his ammo to please Freya.

I stared at the lone star outside the window.

I couldn't figure out what I'd done wrong.

I couldn't get why Andrew didn't want me anymore.

I bit down hard on my wrist, my mouth tasting salty and bitter, until I tasted blood.

Worn out, I let go of my wrist.

It hurt like hell.

I never wanted to go through that again.

Andrew was right.

I was such a wimp.

Whenever things got tough, I wanted to hide in my shell.

But I didn't want to feel miserable anymore.

I grabbed my phone and booked a flight to leave the country in seven days.

I lay down on my bed.

My temples were throbbing.

But I couldn't fall asleep.

I grabbed my phone and kept searching, again and again.

[What should I do if my boyfriend took nudes of me?]

[Will my boyfriend send out the nudes he took of me?]

[What happens if my boyfriend leaks our sex photos?]

I scrolled through stories of people who'd been through the same thing.

My heart hurt so much that I could barely breathe.

I pulled the blanket tighter around myself and, with trembling fingers, typed: [How to save yourself if your sex photos get leaked?]

The guides made it all seem so simple.

Tell your family, your friends, reach out for help

It all sounded so easy, like it was nothing.

I kept running through it in my head, over and over.

But none of that would faze Andrew.

He was fearless.

He always found a way to fix things.

My tears soaked through the pillow.

When I finally couldn't take it anymore, I passed out.

I slept fitfully.

In a daze, I heard the shutter snap.

I jolted awake, clutching the blanket.

The room was dim.

The camera's red light blinked in the darkness.

Andrew lingered in the shadows.

His eyes were smiling, a tipsy flush coloring the corners. He said, "You're gorgeous."

I jumped out of bed, reaching out to dodge him.

But Andrew effortlessly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.