Chapter 92

As I walked down the long hallway, my thoughts swirled in a storm of anger, hurt, and confusion. Bruce’s sinister words echoed

in my ears, and that vile video played back in my mind. The image of that video tape burned itself in my mind.

How had things come to this point? I had believed in Timothy, had allowed myself to be vulnerable with him, only to have that

trust shattered by his thoughtless actions. The memory of our laughter, our conversations, and the stolen glances. now felt

tainted by the knowledge of that recording.

My fingers clenched into fists at my sides. The anger wasn’t just directed at Timothy or Bruce; it was directed at myself for ever

allowing such a situation to unfold. How had I been so blind?

I reached the mailbox at the end of the hall, my hands trembling as I opened it and mechanically retrieved the contents. Nothing

but bills, advertisements, and junk. The anger within me grew, a wildfire threatening to consume all reason.

As I closed the mailbox, a bitter laugh escaped my lips. How naive I had been to believe that there was anything pure between

us. That I’d been more than just a body to add to his endless supply of desperate women.

I slammed the mailbox shut and started back down the hallway. A large form was approaching from the other end, unmistakably

Timothy's, and I averted my eyes.. He waved regardless, a bright smile emerging on his face.

“Hey, Evie. How are you doing?” Timothy’s voice was warm, genuine, as if nothing had changed. I wonder how many times he

played back that video, or who he showed it to.

I paused just a few steps away from him, my expression carefully neutral. “Are you planning to record my response to that too?”

Confusion flickered across Timothy’s features, his brows furrowing in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”

The bitterness that had been simmering beneath the surface burst forth, my words sharp and cutting. “Oh, come on, Timothy.

You seemed to have a habit of recording things without people’s consent.”

His eyes widened in realization, and it was as if the weight of the world had settled

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upon his shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn’t ready to let him explain himself just yet.

“You know what you did,” I snapped, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt. “You recorded us. Our first time, and

for what? To show off to your buddies?”

Timothy's face paled, and his expression was a mixture of regret and guilt. He stammered, struggling to find the right words

amidst the storm of emotions. “Evie, h-how did you...”

My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise, the pain of his betrayal slicing through me like a blade. “I trusted you, Timothy. I

let my guard down, allowed myself to believe that you were different.”

His voice was filled with desperation. “Evie, please. Let me explain.”

Tears welled in my eyes, my vision blurred as I struggled to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

“Explain? What could possibly justify your actions? What exactly were you trying to prove?” Timothy's gaze was anguished, and

his voice was a plea. “It was a stupid bet, Evie. They wanted proof that we'd done it, but I fucking hated myself for doing it right

after.”

My laughter was bitter, laced with pain. “Congratulations, Timothy. You’ve succeeded in proving that. You've also succeeded in

breaking my heart.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks, my resolve faltering as the reality of the situation crashed over me. “You should have known

better, Timothy. You should have known that what you did was a violation of my trust.” His expression mirrored the torment within

him, his eyes filled with regret. “I’m so sorry, Evie. I never meant to hurt you like this.”

But sorry wasn’t enough. Sorry couldn’t undo the pain that had been inflicted, the trust that had been shattered. “I can’t do this,” I

choked out, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Evie...” Timothy reached out to me, his fingers grazing along my shoulder. I snatched myself away and glared up at him.

“I can’t be with someone who could betray me like this,” I muttered.

Without giving him a chance to protest, I turned and walked away.

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The moment I barged into our apartment, Aria looked up from her book, her eyes. widening at the sight of my disheveled state.

“Evie, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I collapsed onto the couch, my breaths ragged as I struggled to contain the overwhelming emotions swirling within me. “Aria, you

won't believe what’s happened.”

Aria’s concern deepened as she quickly closed her book, leaning forward with a worried expression. “Tell me, Evie. What’s going

on?”

I sat on the edge of the couch, my heart heavy with the weight of the truth I had just revealed. I ran a frustrated hand through my

hair, trying to collect myself.

“Bruce. He has a video of me and Timothy... being intimate.”

Aria’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth falling open as she stared at me in utter disbelief. “What? How is that even possible?”

I shook my head, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. ” He somehow got his hands on a video that Timothy recorded.”

Aria’s jaw dropped, her eyes filled with a mixture of shock and anger. “You...You had sex with Timothy? When?” I sighed. “Back

in High School. He made a bet with his friends saying that he could get me in bed with him.” “No way!” Aria shot up from the

couch, shaking her head. “Timothy wouldn’t do something like that.”

I felt a lump forming in my throat, a toxic mix of betrayal and humiliation welling up within me. “Well, he did, Aria.”

Aria’s voice grew incredulous as she asked, “How...So you’ve known each other this whole time? Is that why you were always

weird about going to his games?”

Tears pricked at my eyes as I struggled to find the right words, the weight of the situation threatening to crush me.

She narrowed her eyes at me, his frown deepening with each second. “Are you two having sex now?” “Obviously not!” I

screamed, slamming my fists on the couch cushion. “I don’t even want to be near him after all this.”

Aria clenched her fists at her sides. “So you had sex with Timothy, and he recorded

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you,” she stated, more so to herself.

Tears streamed down my face as I hung my head, unable to meet Aria’s accusing

“I was blinded by my own feelings, Aria. I wanted so badly to believe that he cared about me.”

0720

Aria’s anger seemed to soften into a mixture of sadness and empathy as she took a step closer to me. “Evie, how could you

keep this from me? We're supposed to be best friends, and yet you hid something like this.” My heart ached at Aria’s words, the

truth of her accusation cutting deep. “I was ashamed, Aria. I didn’t want you to see me as someone who could be so gullible and

weak.”

Aria let out a heavy sigh, her anger wavering. “Evie, it’s not about whether you were fooled or not. It’s about us, about our

friendship. You should have trusted me enough to share something like this, especially if he did something so vile.”

Asob escaped my lips as I looked up at Aria, my vision blurred by tears. “I’m so sorry, Aria. I messed up,

and now everything's falling apart.”

Aria’s eyes bore into mine, her gaze unwavering. “I...I need to go.”

As she stood up and grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter, I wiped my face. “Aria? Aria, where are you going?”

She paused, her hand clutched tightly around the doorknob. She sighed heavily and peered at me over her shoulder, her eyes

red.

“I need to think,” she said, pushing through the door.

“Aria!” I called out.

The door slammed shut, leaving me alone in the confines of the living room.

fii)

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