My childhood sweetheart, Finnian Croft, coaxed me into taking naked photos. He promised they were for his eyes only. I was scared, but a part of me felt triumphant for finally winning him over. Until the day I was competing with Chloe, a scholarship student, for the top prize in the university's music competition. Finnian’s voice was casual, almost bored. "Sia, let her have it." "You wouldn't want those pictures getting out, would you?" I froze, then nodded like a fool. A week later, Chloe won, just as he'd planned. Finnian deleted all the photos. A wave of relief washed over me as I boarded a flight out of the country. All those years of devotion… I might as well have been feeding a dog. 1 Finnian said it so casually, his words were short and sharp. "You agree, and I delete the photos." The summer heat was suffocating, but I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice bath. It was a blow to the head, stunning me into silence. I opened my mouth, but my voice trembled. "You promised me..." "I did," he cut in. "I promised I'd be the only one to see them." His gaze was heavy, pinning me in place. "And I won't break my promise." "As long as you give the first-place prize to Chloe." I tried to argue, the words tumbling out in broken fragments. "It's a singing competition... it's supposed to be about talent." "I... I won't." He seemed to have expected this. He pulled my chair closer, trapping me in the circle of his arms, and took out his phone. He guided my hand to unlock his private album. The explicit images filled the screen. A low chuckle vibrated in his chest. "Sia, you really do have an incredible body." His lips brushed against my ear. "This one's my favorite. You're all flushed, your mouth open for the camera..." "Like you've been completely wrecked..." My fingers trembled. "Don't look," I whispered, my voice thick with tears. Finnian stopped, turning the screen off. The pads of his fingers were warm as he wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. "Hey, don't be scared. Just say yes, okay?" My fingers twisted in my lap, my mind a blank. "Okay." A satisfied smile curved Finnian's lips as he stood up. He smoothed my messy hair, his voice a gentle murmur. "I'm going to the class party tonight, so I won't be walking you home." "I'll have the driver take you." … The air conditioning in the music room was blasting. I pulled my jacket tighter, curling into a ball on the chair. So cold. So, so cold. I pressed my hands to my mouth, trying to stifle the sobs that wracked my body. Finnian was the person I trusted most in the world. When I was seven, my parents brought me to the city from the countryside. Our small, cement house was replaced by a sparkling villa. But I never fit in. I was small, skinny, and dark from the sun. The other kids always picked on me. I learned to hide and cry in silence, thinking that if I just didn't fight back, they'd eventually leave me alone. Until the day a group of boys tried to pull my pants down. I cried out, grabbing a dead branch from the ground. "D-don't come any closer!" They didn't stop. They laughed. That's when Finnian appeared. He had a brick in his hand, and he chased them off. Then he held his hand out to me. "Hey, little stutterer. I'll walk you home." But my legs were jelly. I couldn't stand. Finnian frowned, looking annoyed. But he still crouched down. "Get on." I hesitated for a second before climbing onto his back. He carried me home, his steps slow and steady. After that, I followed him everywhere, a timid shadow for eleven years. Until the end of freshman orientation, when I finally worked up the courage to confess my feelings. Perhaps he'd finally softened. He smiled down at me and gave a regal nod. So when he asked me to take the photos, I swallowed my fear. "Will... will anyone else see?" I'd asked in a small voice. Finnian, holding the camera, had reassured me with a gentle smile. "Never. They're my private collection." I hesitated for a moment, then pulled off my nightgown, posing for him again and again. Now, that intimacy had become the knife twisting in my gut. My trust in him shattered into a million tiny shards. I finally broke, the sobs tearing from my throat in ragged waves. I don't know how long I cried, but eventually, the tears ran dry. A message from Finnian popped up on my phone. He was as meticulous as ever. "You cried today. Your throat will be sore. Remember to drink honey water when you get home." I clutched my phone, walking home in a daze. I almost stumbled into the path of a truck. My body was numb as I fumbled with the keypad to my apartment. The living room was pitch black. I didn't turn on the lights, just sank onto the sofa and hugged my knees to my chest. The clock on the wall ticked, its hands circling again and again. My phone chimed. I opened it mechanically. It was my best friend, Jenna. Her message was blunt. "Sia, be honest with me. Did Finnian... did he take naked photos of you?" 2 A wave of suffocating shame washed over me. I frantically turned off the screen. I promised I would… The screen lit up again. Jenna had sent a video. My hand trembled as I pressed play. It was a dimly lit private room at a bar. Finnian was holding a cigarette, his voice lazy. "Don't worry, the first prize in the singing competition is yours." Chloe, the scholarship student, was sitting right next to him. They were impossibly close. She forced a smile. "Don't joke around. Sia is beautiful and rich. I could never compete with her." Finnian stared at her, lost for a moment, as if completely captivated. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft. "She won't dare." Chloe grabbed his hand, her eyes wide and innocent. "Why not?" Finnian fell silent. Chloe didn't push. She just reached for a glass of wine on the table. The neon lights flickered over them. Finnian sighed, catching her hand. "You're on your period. Be good, no drinking." Chloe just blinked at him, her gaze steady. Finnian seemed to crumble under her stare. He cupped her face, a helpless smile on his lips. "I have naked photos of her." "Happy now, you little troublemaker?" The video ended. It felt like a gaping hole had been torn in my chest, and Finnian had poured acid into it, burning me from the inside out. Jenna's voice messages continued. "Sia, did you and Finnian have a fight?" "How could he..." "And who is that girl with him?" "Did he take... those kinds of photos of you?" My throat felt like it was sealed with cement. I wanted to tell Jenna not to worry, but when I opened my mouth, no sound came out. I typed back a reply. "No, he was just joking." "Are you still at your part-time job? Go home soon." My head throbbed. I collapsed onto the sofa. Chloe... Chloe... I closed my eyes, letting the silent tears fall. During freshman orientation, Chloe was the student representative. She stood on the stage, her hair in a neat ponytail, delivering a speech that was powerful and confident. At that moment, I was suffering from heatstroke, leaning weakly against Finnian. He fanned me, chuckling. "Look at her, full of life. And you're like a sick kitten." "How will you ever survive without me?" My head was spinning. "Finn, I want a popsicle," I mumbled. He poked my forehead. "Nope. You'll get a stomachache." I buried my head in his neck, forgetting all about Chloe. But it turned out Chloe was a music major too. She was bright and cheerful, a ball of endless energy who got along with everyone. When Finnian came to pick me up from class one day, he teased, "I wish you had half her energy." At first, I didn't think anything of it. But then he started mentioning her more and more. The honey water he brought specifically for me? He started bringing an extra one for her. I got angry. "Why are you being so nice to her?" I demanded. Finnian crossed his long legs, rubbing his temples. "Sia, it's hard for a scholarship student to major in music. Her life is tough; she just pretends to be happy. It's just honey water." But soon, it wasn't just honey water. It was desserts, snacks, afternoon tea... Our fights became more frequent. He always said Chloe had it hard, that I should be more understanding. Until today. Today, for her, he had thrown everything away. My dignity, my privacy—it was all just currency for him to win Chloe's favor. I stared at the single, lonely star outside my window, wondering what I had done so wrong. Why didn't Finnian want me anymore? I bit down on my wrist, the salty taste of tears mixing with the metallic tang of blood. I didn't let go until the pain was sharp enough to distract me. I didn't want to feel this way ever again. Finnian was right. I was a coward. My first instinct was always to hide in my shell. But I couldn't bear this pain anymore. I opened my phone and booked a one-way ticket out of the country, for seven days from now. … I lay in bed, a throbbing pain in my temples. But I couldn't sleep. I pulled out my phone, searching again and again. "What to do if boyfriend takes naked photos?" "Will my boyfriend leak my private photos?" "Intimate photos leaked by ex-boyfriend." ... Reading stories similar to mine, my chest ached until I couldn't breathe. I pulled the covers tighter around me, my finger hovering over a link: "How to survive revenge porn." The advice was all so simple. Tell your family, your friends. Seek help... It sounded so easy, written there in black and white. I played it out in my head, over and over. But none of it would work on Finnian. He wasn't afraid of anything. He could make any problem disappear. Tears soaked my pillow until I finally passed out from exhaustion. My sleep was restless. In a haze, I heard the distinct click of a camera shutter. 3 I woke with a start, clutching the blanket to my chest. The room was dark, the only light a small, blinking red dot from a camera. Finnian was a shadow in the corner. His lips were curved in a smile, his eyes flushed from drinking. "Beautiful," he murmured. I scrambled out of bed, trying to snatch the camera away, but he easily caught me, pulling me into his arms. The cloying scent of cologne and stale smoke filled my lungs, and I coughed, my body shaking. Finnian's arms tightened around me. "Don't move," he whispered, his voice thick. "I missed you." My nerves were stretched taut, like a string being endlessly plucked. I grabbed his sleeve, my voice a raw rasp. "Delete... it." He pressed me down onto his lap. "What's wrong with your voice? Didn't you drink the honey water last night? Are you still mad the driver couldn't find you?" A wave of nausea rose in my throat. I dug my nails into my palms, struggling to get away from him. He sighed, a sound of weary resignation. "I saw your phone." The fog in my mind cleared for a brief, terrifying second. I started to tremble. My plane ticket... "Your friend told on me, didn't she?" he said, stroking my back soothingly. "I did take Chloe to the class party last night. It was her birthday, and she had no one to celebrate with. It was just a small thing, Sia. Don't overthink it." All the fight went out of me. My voice was barely a whisper. "Finnian, please, delete the picture you just took. I don't like it. I don't want to do this anymore." He froze. His voice turned cold, laced with ice. "Still throwing a tantrum?" "I knew I shouldn't have told you. How many times do I have to say it? I just feel sorry for her. Sienna, my patience has its limits." His accusations rained down on me, blow after heavy blow, leaving no room for escape. I shoved him away and ran to the bathroom, my stomach churning. I heaved over the toilet, but I hadn't eaten all day. Only bitter acid came up. I heard hurried footsteps behind me. Finnian swept me up into his arms. His lips were a thin, tight line. "You haven't been eating again? I'm taking you to the hospital." I clung to his shirt, my voice choked with sobs. "No, please, no. Finnian, just delete the photos, please?" He looked down at me, at my swollen, red-rimmed eyes. A flicker of conflict crossed his face. But just then, his phone, lying on the table, began to ring. He glanced at the screen, and his expression hardened. He placed me gently on the bed and handed me the camera. "I'll call the family doctor to come over. You get some rest." "You can delete whatever you want from the camera." "As for the other photos..." He paused, tucking the blanket around me. "After the competition is over in seven days, I'll delete them for you." He stood up and answered the phone, his voice instantly melting into a gentle murmur. "What's wrong?" "Stay right where you are. I'm coming to find you." The door slammed shut. Faintly, through the wood, I could hear Chloe's muffled sobs. … The camera was heavy in my hands. The screen showed the photo he had just taken of me sleeping. My brow was furrowed, tear tracks still visible on my cheeks. My nightgown had slipped off one shoulder, revealing a hint of skin. I slowly pressed the delete button. Then, I went through the rest of the camera's memory. Nothing... nothing... My fingers flew across the screen, but in the end, all I found were pictures of Chloe. She was fully dressed, smiling brightly at the lens. I kept scrolling. There was Chloe, reading quietly in the library. Chloe, from behind, carrying her books to class. A side profile of her in music class, her head bowed as she took notes. ... Countless photos. So many. A chronicle of her life, moment by moment. It looked so... happy. I started laughing, and the laughter turned into tears. So this was what he meant by "just feeling sorry for her." When Finnian had first bought the camera, we went to the beach. Someone asked him to take a picture for them. He had smiled, a distant, polite smile, and said, "I only take pictures of Sienna." The sun was so bright that day. I remember blushing. I had believed, with all my heart, that I was the only one. Now, I saw that I was just another one. Like a madwoman, I tore through the apartment, pulling out every photo frame, smashing them one by one with the heavy camera until I was completely exhausted. Shards of glass littered the floor. Amid the wreckage, I sat, suddenly realizing how tired I was of this one-sided devotion. I couldn't chase him anymore. Night fell, and my empty stomach protested. I picked my way through the glass, my feet bare, and made myself a bowl of noodles. The calm surface of the water reflected my own devastated face. While I waited for the water to boil, my phone buzzed. A screenshot from Jenna. It was Chloe's latest social media post. "Got harassed during my gig at the bar tonight, but thankfully, he was there." The accompanying photo was of Finnian. He was sitting casually on a sofa, his head bowed as if giving orders to someone out of frame. Jenna was furious. "What is this, a hard launch? Doesn't Chloe know you're his girlfriend and fiancée? And he just lets her post this? Where are the boundaries?!" The water boiled over. I dropped the noodles in. "He's not my boyfriend anymore," I typed back. "And I'm not going to marry him." After I'd confessed my feelings, Finnian had arranged for our families to meet. They'd agreed on our engagement. We were supposed to get married after graduation. Jenna was silent for three seconds. Then my phone started vibrating nonstop with her calls. "Hahahaha, you finally saw the light! But wait, how are you going to explain this to your family? Is it going to be a huge mess?" A warmth spread through my chest. I cleared my throat. "It won't be." My parents had always thought I was too submissive with Finnian. It had taken months of pleading for them to agree to the engagement in the first place. I carved a smiley face into a slice of carrot and dropped it into my bowl, then stood at the counter and ate the whole thing. Outside, lightning split the sky. The wind whipped the white curtains into a frenzy. I shivered. My phone rang. It was Finnian. His voice was warm, apologetic. "Sia, a friend of mine got into some trouble. I won't be back tonight. If you can't sleep, there are sleeping pills in the cabinet." A flash of lightning illuminated my pale face. I have insomnia. And I'm terrified of thunderstorms. When I was little, in the countryside, my grandmother would hold me. After I met Finnian, he took her place. The first time he found out, he'd scoffed. "Why are you such a coward?" Then, he'd opened his arms. "There's an empty spot right here. Come on." For eleven years, he had never missed a storm. Until tonight. I didn't reply. I didn't know how. Should I pretend I didn't know? Should I scream at him? It felt like neither option was worth the effort anymore. None of it mattered. I called my parents. "A broken engagement? Did you and Finnian have a fight, honey?" my mother asked, her voice filled with concern. "Nothing like that," I said vaguely. "I just don't think we're a good fit." My mother sighed. "Alright. Finnian is a wild spirit. This might be for the best. Don't worry, your father will handle things with the Crofts." I choked back a sob, my voice steady. "Mom, can we... can we not tell the Crofts just yet?" "Okay, sweetie. Whatever you want," she said with another sigh. "If you're unhappy, just come home. Mom's here." I hung up quickly, my eyes burning. But I couldn't cry anymore. I curled up in bed and fell into a heavy sleep. Six more days. In six days, the photos would be gone. And Finnian and I would go our separate ways, never to meet again.
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