Chapter 7
The emergency room’s red light stayed on all night.
Meg jabbed her finger at me, her voice cutting through the corridor. “This was attempted murder!
We need to press charges now!”
My face was still swollen, my lip split, bruises forming on my arms where Nate had grabbed me.
My ears were ringing–whether from the slap or the constant barrage of accusations, I couldn’t tell.
People gathered around, pointing at me, some filming with their phones.
“How can a woman be so fucking evil?”
“Someone put this bitch online…”
If my doctoral advisor hadn’t shown up when she did, I’d probably be in a jail cell by now.
Professor Martinez stood firmly in front of me. “I’ll take responsibility for Sienna for now. Let’s wait for a proper investigation before jumping to conclusions.”
“Mr. Martinez…” My voice broke, every ounce of strength I had left threatening to crumble.
Nate said nothing, just stared silently through the window at Paige, still being worked on by the
medical team.
Finally, the doctor emerged: “We’ve stabilized her.”
Everyone exhaled in relief.
But before I could even process what was happening, the story exploded online.
‘ACADEMIC STAR THREATENS RIVAL WITH SUICIDE, POISONS NEWBORN BABY”
Within hours, it was trending #1 nationwide, the comment sections a cesspool of rage.
[Psycho! How is she even considered human?!]
[Cold–blooded bitch… she belongs in prison.]
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[CANCEL HER! She should just DIE!]
I became the internet’s new definition of “venomous woman.”
For weeks, I couldn’t leave my apartment.
Someone leaked my address. People splashed red paint on my door, screaming curses and threats at
all hours.
One extremist even managed to get past building security, knife in hand, determined to “deliver justice.”
I nearly died that day. If the superintendent hadn’t slammed the security gate down in time, I
wouldn’t be here.
Shaking uncontrollably, I made the call, the last shred of my dignity forgotten.
“Nate.”
I choked out his name, my voice raw. “I almost died today.”
Silence hung on the other end for several seconds, but when he finally spoke, his voice was colder
than it had ever been.
“You’re getting exactly what you deserve.”
”
11
He hung up without hesitation.
I sat on the floor, my phone clattering beside me, tears silently hitting my knees.
So this was the truth: in his eyes, I wasn’t worth saving.
I’d wondered if perhaps he no longer loved me, but I never imagined he would actually want me dead.
Two weeks later, my brain finally clicked.
The bathroom–I’d installed a small security camera there.
It was months ago, when Nate was recovering from an injury. I was worried he might slip in the
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shower and hurt himself, so I set it up as a precaution.
He’d called me paranoid, but I was too concerned to remove it.
Now, it might be my only lifeline.
I retrieved the SD card and inserted it into my laptop.
My fingers trembled so badly I had to hit Enter several times before the footage from that night
finally loaded on screen.
Around 2 AM, Paige entered wearing a bathrobe.
She stood in front of the mirror, fiddling with the necklace at her throat, then bent down to retrieve a small bottle from beneath the sink. She poured a red liquid into the bathwater, which quickly diffused throughout.
She even carefully applied fresh lipstick, her expression completely composed.
Then, she lowered herself into the tub and began typing on her phone.
Not long after, footsteps approached outside the door. She quickly made a slashing motion with her hand, then closed her eyes and submerged her face, her fingers gently stirring the water below.
It was like watching a perfectly rehearsed play, even her “despair” performed with convincing
precision.
Chills ran down my spine, my skin breaking out in goosebumps.
[It was fake. She never intended to die at all.]
I frantically copied the video and was about to send it to Professor Martinez when my phone rang.
It was my professor.
“Sienna, how are you holding up?” His voice was tight with concern.
“I’ve got evidence,” I rasped.
“Good.”
He paused, his voice dropping lower. “I’ve uncovered some more disgusting things on my end as
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well!”
