The fall semester of our junior year kicked off with the Student Government Association elections. My best friend, Betty, and I both made it to the final ballot for Vice President. Right before the votes were tallied, Betty proposed a playful bet: whoever lost had to dress up in a clown costume and run eight laps around the track field in front of the entire campus. I won by a narrow margin of ten votes. The applause hadn’t even died down when the screen behind the podium flickered. My boyfriend, Todd, stepped up to the AV system and projected a series of photos across the massive display in the auditorium. They were pictures from a nightmare I thought I’d put behind me—a night at a local lounge where a stranger had tried to corner me—spliced together with intimate, explicit photos of me asleep in bed. Todd grabbed the microphone, his voice cutting through the stunned silence like an ice pick. “I don’t believe someone who sells her body for money and lives a disgusting double life deserves to represent this university,” he announced calmly. In an instant, hundreds of eyes shifted toward me, heavy with disgust and malice, treating me like toxic waste. I was immediately disqualified and stripped of my SGA title. Staring at the familiar hotel headboard in those intimate photos, my chest heaved. I cornered Todd in the hallway behind the stage, my hands shaking uncontrollably. “Why are you lying?” I choked out, tears burning my eyes. “Those private photos… you took them when I was asleep. Why would you do this?” Todd stepped closer, leaning in with a faint, chilling smile. He lowered his voice so only I could hear. “Coral, baby, it doesn’t matter who took them.” “You know how sensitive Betty is,” he whispered, his breath warm against my cheek. “She cries if her hair gets slightly messy. If I forced her to wear a hideous clown suit in front of everyone, she’d be broken for a month.” “Besides, you “were” touched at that bar, and you “did” sleep with me. I just merged the two truths. Be a good girl. Once you finish running your laps, I’ll take you out to a nice dinner.” I stood frozen as he walked away, high-fiving Betty as they laughed and debated where to host her victory celebration. Wiping the cold tears from my cheeks, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I had kept hidden for months. “Mom,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m moving to London with you.” … Someone dragged a battered clown suit out of the SGA storage closet and dumped it at my feet. It was stained with a lukewarm, greasy liquid. The guy who threw it smirked at me. “Sorry about that, Coral. I spilled my cup noodles on it earlier. Don’t be picky.” “Then again,” he added, his eyes scanning me up and down with sleazy curiosity, “I hear rich guys in VIP suites like pouring champagne all over girls like you anyway. You’re probably used to it, right? Though if you want to run naked, we wouldn’t complain. Let’s see what the design department’s golden girl—or should I say, campus escort—is really packing under there.” The foul smell of stale noodle broth mixed with the crude laughter of the guys around me, suffocating me. The night at the lounge had been a terrifying near-miss. Todd had arrived just in time, pulled me out, and called the campus police before anything actual happened. I had been terrified of becoming the subject of vicious campus gossip, and Todd had kissed my forehead, promising on his life that he would guard my secret forever. Now, he was the executioner nailing me to the cross of public shame. When I stepped out of the restroom wearing the damp, ridiculous costume, Todd was leaning against the wall outside. “Don’t worry, I kept guard so those boys didn’t peek,” he said gently. “I told them to keep their mouths shut, too.” It sounded so considerate, so protective. Yet it sent a sharp, agonizing chill straight through my spine. I looked up into his handsome, familiar face. “You lied to me a few nights ago, didn’t you? You didn’t get your drink spiked at that networking event. You just wanted to get me to your room, wait until I fell asleep, and take those photos so Betty wouldn’t lose.” We had been secretly dating for five years, ever since high school, keeping our relationship hidden on campus. We had never crossed the line into intimacy—until a few nights ago. He had called me in a panic, crying that someone had slipped something into his drink at a fraternity mixer and begging me to come over. I had rushed to his side out of pure, unadulterated love, unaware that I was walking into a carefully laid trap. Before Todd could answer, Betty stepped out from behind him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Coral, please don’t be mad at Todd,” she sobbed softly. “He was just worried I’d lose face. Why don’t you give me the suit? I’ll run for you. It’s fine if everyone laughs at me…” Todd immediately pulled her into his chest, frowning. “What are you talking about? You have delicate skin—you couldn’t handle wearing that filthy thing for a second.” He turned back to me, his brow furrowed in disapproval. “Coral, don’t be so bitter. They’re just a few photos. As long as I know you’re clean, isn’t that enough? You grew up in an orphanage, so you don’t care about social standing. But Betty’s family and relatives all know she was running for VP. If she loses, how is she supposed to face them?” A sharp pain constricted my heart, cutting off my air supply. I had never realized that growing up in foster care made me disposable in his eyes. The September humidity hung heavy over the campus track field. By the sixth lap, black spots danced across my vision, and my knees buckled, sending me crashing onto the rough dirt lane. “Are you okay?” Todd’s voice sounded behind me, sharp with worry. I instinctively turned my head, only to freeze. He wasn’t looking at me. He was standing near the bleachers, holding an iced latte in one hand while his other hand gently stroked Betty’s back as she patted her chest. His gaze was filled with helpless adoration. “Drink slowly, no one’s rushing you. See? You choked. Only two more sips—your stomach is sensitive, you know cold drinks mess you up.” He didn’t cast a single glance in my direction. A few freshmen coming off ROTC training walked past, recognizing Todd, and waved enthusiastically. “Senior Todd! Is she your girlfriend? You guys look amazing together! Wishing you two forever!” Other SGA members joined in the teasing. “Seriously, you two have been feeding us couple goals for three years now. When are you making it official? You’re buying us drinks tonight!” I watched Todd and Betty exchange a soft, knowing smile. Neither of them denied it. A scorching burn rose from my dry throat, spreading through my lungs and limbs. After the night at the hotel, I had asked Todd if we could finally make our relationship public. He had frowned and brushed me off: “Coral, we’re both in student government. We have to avoid conflict of interest. Otherwise, people will think I’m using my presidency to give my girlfriend special treatment. Let’s wait until graduation.” It was never about ethics. He just wanted to save the public spotlight for someone else. Trembling, I pulled my phone from my pocket and tapped the familiar contact. [Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I’m moving to London with you.] My biological mother had tracked me down two months ago. She was now a successful corporate executive based in the UK and had been desperate to bring me over to finish my design degree. I had repeatedly turned her down because I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Todd. I hadn’t even found the right moment to tell him about her. Now, I realized there was no need. I forced myself up and dragged my aching body through the final lap. I wanted nothing more than to retreat to my dorm and collapse, but Todd insisted that the team was heading to an upscale restaurant to celebrate Betty’s win, and that I had to come along. My head was spinning, and a dull, freezing ache had settled deep in my lower abdomen. I tried to refuse—after all, I was no longer part of SGA. Todd grabbed my wrist, his expression darkening. “Betty considers you her best friend, which is why she invited you. Do you really have to ruin her night by pretending to be sick? If you don’t go, she’s going to cry.” “Besides, everyone was just joking around earlier. Don’t take it so personally. A deal’s a deal, Coral. Don’t be a sore loser. Go change your clothes and don’t keep everyone waiting.” In the end, I was dragged along to the private dining room. Once the food arrived, an officer from SGA gave Todd a knowing wink. “Todd, didn’t you prepare a special congratulations gift for Betty? Bring it out!” Todd smirked and pulled a velvet box from his inner coat pocket. Inside lay an exquisite, glittering diamond bracelet. Betty gasped, covering her mouth in shock, while the rest of the table burst into screams. “Holy crap! Isn’t that from the luxury jewelry exhibition last week? That costs at least forty grand!” “No wonder Todd sold his brand-new luxury watch and emptied his personal savings! Betty really has you wrapped around her finger, huh?” My breath hitched. I instinctively looked at Todd’s wrist. It was bare. Last year, Todd had fallen in love with a limited-edition watch. His family was comfortable, but they weren’t the type to drop ten thousand dollars on a timepiece for a college student. To buy it for him, I had spent a year and a half working three part-time jobs, taking freelance design commissions late into the night, and dipping into the allowance my mother had sent me. I had finally surprised him with it on his birthday a few weeks ago. He had swept me into his arms, spinning me around in tears, swearing he would treasure it until he was eighty years old. And now, he had sold it to buy a bracelet for Betty. A wave of nausea hit me so hard my vision blurred. I scrambled out of my chair, the metal legs scraping loudly against the floor. Everyone turned to stare at me in surprise. Without a word of explanation, I sprinted to the restroom and threw up until my ribs ached. When I wiped my mouth and stepped out, Todd was waiting by the sinks, his face thunderous. “Coral, how long are you going to keep throwing this pathetic tantrum?” he demanded. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was when you stormed out like that? Betty thinks you’re still mad at her—she’s practically in tears in there! You’re going back in and apologizing to her.” A bitter, hysterical laugh bubbled up in my chest. “You sold the watch I bled to buy you just to get a gift for another woman, and I’m not allowed to be angry?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Todd… do you even remember what today is? It’s our five-year anniversary.” Todd flinched slightly, his brows knitting closer together. “Stop making a scene! Who said I forgot?” He shoved a heavy manila envelope into my hands. “You want to be a jewelry designer after graduation, right? I took high-res photos of the pieces at the exhibition for you. They’re great study material.” I looked at the thick stack of printed photos, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. “So Betty gets a forty-thousand-dollar diamond bracelet, and I get a stack of cheap flyers you took on your phone?” I stared straight into his eyes. “Todd, who is actually your girlfriend?” Irritation flashed across his face. “Why do you always have to ruin things?” “We can celebrate our anniversary any day, but today is important to Betty. She’s wanted that bracelet forever. You’re her best friend and you didn’t get her anything, so I had to step up on your behalf!” “It’s just a piece of jewelry—do you really have to compete with her over everything? Once I start working, I’ll buy you something better. All you talk about is money, Coral. You haven’t even entered the real world yet—don’t become so damn materialistic!” I stared at him in utter disbelief as he spun on his heel and walked away. It was never about the bracelet. When I reached the dining room, the door was cracked open. They were playing Spin the Bottle. The bottle landed on Betty, and the dare was to kiss a member of the opposite sex for three minutes, or take a shot of whiskey. Betty caught my reflection in the glass door, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face. “Oh… my stomach isn’t feeling great tonight, but… I guess I’ll drink.” As her hand reached for the shot glass, Todd snatched it from her fingers. “Your stomach hurts and you’re drinking liquor? Are you trying to kill yourself?” Before she could respond, Todd cupped the back of Betty’s head, pulled her in, and pressed his lips firmly onto hers. Betty’s eyes drifted toward the door. The helpless, innocent act was completely gone, replaced by the cruel, triumphant smirk of a victor. I couldn’t watch another second. I turned and stumbled out of the restaurant into the thick night air. The moment I crossed the street, a sharp, excruciating pain ripped through my lower abdomen. Dizziness swept over me, and the world went pitch black. … When I woke up, the sterile smell of antiseptic filled my lungs. I was lying in a hospital bed. A nurse was adjusting my IV line, giving me a stern look. “What is wrong with you young girls? Running intense track laps while suffering from severe dysmenorrhea?” “It’s scorching outside—do you know how close you were to severe heatstroke and dehydration?” She sighed, her tone softening slightly. “Since you didn’t have any personal supplies, I placed a medical pad under you on the bed. You need to call your family or boyfriend to bring you a pack of pads and a clean pair of pants. Yours are ruined.” I hadn’t realized my period was coming early. My lower body felt heavy and chilled, and the IV fluids were making my bladder ache. I couldn’t even stand up to walk to the bathroom without bleeding through. Desperate, I pulled out my phone and dialed Todd. He declined the first four calls. On the tenth try, he finally picked up. “Todd,” I whispered, my voice trembling with embarrassment. “I passed out from cramps… I’m at the hospital. Can you please buy me a pack of pads and bring them over? And maybe a cheap pair of sweatpants…” “Coral, aren’t you tired of acting?” Todd interrupted, his tone laced with disgust. “Betty is having a great time right now. Why do you always have to ruin her happiness? I don’t have the time or energy to deal with your drama.” “Click.” The line went dead, replaced by the cold, rhythmic beep of the dial tone. In the end, it was my academic advisor, Professor Lawson, who saw my desperate text, brought a pair of her own workout pants, and stayed by my bed the entire night. The next morning, as I was being discharged, Professor Lawson looked at me with deep concern. “Coral, are you absolutely sure you want to process a complete withdrawal from the university?” I unlocked my phone. There were no missed calls or texts from Todd. Instead, a post from one of the SGA members popped up on my feed from late last night. [Congrats to the newlyweds! Heading into the honeymoon suite tonight~] The attached photo showed Todd supporting a tipsy Betty as they walked into a luxury hotel lobby. Betty had left a comment with blushing and laughing emojis. Todd had replied: [Cut it out. Delete this before Betty gets embarrassed.] He hadn’t denied it. Not even once. I stared at the screen for a long time, then locked my phone and looked up at Professor Lawson, offering a faint, hollow smile. “Yes, Professor. I’m completely sure.” I followed her to the administration office and signed the withdrawal papers. When I returned to my dorm room to pack my belongings, I found all my clothes, books, and design sketches piled outside in the dusty hallway. My mattress had been dragged into the corridor, drenched in bleach, reeking of harsh chemicals. I stared at my three roommates, my knuckles turning white. “What is the meaning of this?” Kendra, the head of the room, kicked a chair aside and pointed a finger at my face. “You still have the nerve to ask? Your ‘best friend’ Betty told us everything! You’ve been living a dirty double life, and you got hospitalized this morning because of some disgusting infection! How dare you live in our dorm? You’re a hazard to public health!” “We’re not sharing a space with trash like you. Grab your stuff and get the hell out, or I’m reporting you to the dean!” I stood paralyzed, my mind struggling to process her words. Becca, a roommate who had always been quiet and kind to me, pulled me away from the door and whispered nervously, “Coral… Betty accidentally posted some… explicit photos of you in the department group chat this morning.” “She deleted them right away, but hundreds of people saw them. Everyone’s freaking out. You should check the chat.” I opened the department chatroom—a group of over a thousand students that I had muted months ago. Scrolling up, my heart plummeted into a dark abyss. [Woah, didn’t know Coral had a body like that! Must have a ton of wealthy clients, huh?] [I heard someone saw her being escorted out of the hospital by an advisor this morning. She wasn’t even wearing the pants she wore yesterday. Did she get caught in a police bust? That wild, huh?] [Gross, that’s disgusting. What if she’s contagious? Feeling so bad for her roommates right now.] Below the messages, Betty had sent a shushing emoji. [Guys, please, it was an accident! I slipped and clicked the wrong file. Please pretend you didn’t see anything!] [Coral grew up without parents, so it hasn’t been easy for her to make money. As for whether she has an illness… I shouldn’t betray her privacy. Just please don’t discriminate against her, and make sure you sanitize your living spaces!] I didn’t need to guess. The photos Betty had “accidentally” posted and deleted were the exact intimate images Todd had projected on the screen during the election. The text blurred before my eyes. My hands shook so violently I could barely hold the phone. Todd had forwarded those photos to Betty. “This” was his definition of “guarding my secret”? I marched straight to the SGA office. Through the cracked door, I heard Betty chatting animatedly with another student. “Is the stuff about Coral really true?” the girl asked. “How can you still be friends with her? Aren’t you disgusted?” Betty sighed dramatically. “The pictures speak for themselves, and I’m terrible at lying. But I feel sorry for her. I heard her mother was a street worker who died of diseases, which is why her father abandoned her at an orphanage. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Rage surged through my veins, hot and blinding. I kicked the door open with a loud “BANG”. “You’re lying! My mother is nothing like that! Don’t you dare insult her!” I rushed toward Betty, my hand raised to slap the fake smile off her face. Before my hand could land, a powerful force shoved me backward. I stumbled and crashed onto the floor, the sharp edge of a metal desk catching the side of my forehead. A searing burst of pain radiated through my skull, followed by a warm trickle of blood pouring down my face. Todd stood over me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Coral, what the hell is wrong with you?!” Seeing the blood dripping down my cheek, Todd’s expression flickered with panic. He reached out to pull me up. “Co… Coral, are you okay? I didn’t mean to—” Betty immediately wrapped her arms around his arm, sobbing hysterically. “Todd, I was scared Coral was still mad at me, so I went to her dorm this morning to apologize! I was worried people were spreading rumors, so I tried to clear her name in the group chat, but she wouldn’t listen!” “She even stole the diamond bracelet you gave me! I tried to handle it quietly by calling her here so she could just give it back, but she tried to attack me!” The girl next to her quickly chimed in. “Yes! I saw it with my own eyes! Coral stole Betty’s bracelet!” Without asking, the girl grabbed my canvas bag off the floor and dumped its contents onto the desk. Among my notebooks and pencils, the sparkling diamond bracelet tumbled out. My breath hitched. I looked at Todd frantically. “I didn’t! She lied, she was the one who—” “Enough!” Todd shattered my explanation, his eyes filled with cold disappointment. “Coral, Betty has been trying to protect you at every turn, and you repay her by stealing her things? Are you really that jealous of her?” “You really are an uneducated brat raised without parents. Apologize to Betty right now!” I stared at him, my heart turning to ash. Years ago, when kids at school called me an orphan, I had been consumed by insecurity, desperately wishing for a family to love me. Back then, Todd had held me tightly, kissing my forehead. “Coral, you are the most incredible girl I’ve ever met. To me, you are stronger than anyone with parents. From now on, I am your family. I will love you twice as much to make up for everything.” It turned out that the person who knows where your wounds are is always the one who knows exactly where to plunge the knife. I looked at him, my voice completely devoid of emotion. “What if I refuse?” Todd looked at me deeply, then turned to the gathered crowd. “Call the police.” “And turn on the campus broadcast system. Announce to the entire university that Coral from the Design Department is a thief.” Someone hesitated. “Todd, are you sure? If we do that, she’ll get a permanent disciplinary record, and police involvement will ruin her future career. Since we found the bracelet, maybe—” “No,” Todd cut in coldly. “She stole from Betty today—who knows what she’ll do to hurt her tomorrow? She needs to learn her lesson the hard way.” It didn’t take long for the entire campus to brand me a thief. Amid the harsh jeers and disgusted glares of onlookers, the police escorted me toward the cruiser outside. Todd ran up to the car before the door closed, lowering his voice. “Coral… Betty is kind-hearted. She’s willing to settle, but because the bracelet is so expensive, you’ll have to stay in custody for a month before bail can be posted.” “Use this time to reflect on what you did. I’m doing this for your own good. Don’t worry about the criminal record—if you can’t find a job in the future, I’ll support you.” Looking at the man who had chosen to believe a lie without a second thought, without a single shred of concern for my dignity or future, a faint smile touched my lips. “Todd,” I said softly. “We’re over.” Todd froze, a sudden flicker of confusion passing over his eyes. Before he could say anything, the police officer shut the door. As the cruiser pulled away, I turned to the young female officer sitting beside me. “Officer,” I said quietly, “I have full video evidence proving my innocence.” … An hour later, I walked out of the police station a free woman. I called Professor Lawson to confirm that my university withdrawal documents had cleared, and asked her to mail the final transcripts to my mother’s address in London. Then, I boarded a one-way flight across the Atlantic. I didn’t want to spend another second in this place. Three days later, Todd had a free morning and decided to head to the station to visit me, only to run into Professor Lawson in the administrative hallway. When he mentioned his plan, Professor Lawson frowned. “You don’t need to go. The police cleared Coral days ago. She was completely innocent.” “In fact, she left the country three days ago to study abroad.”
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