Chapter 2

The next morning, Ethan woke up feeling anxious. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Before heading to his meeting with Professor Davies, he sat on the edge of his bed and scrolled through his phone, hoping to distract himself. A notification from a campus social media group popped up. The title of the post was "Warning to all female students at Northwood University."

Curiosity got the better of him. He tapped on it.

His blood ran cold.

The post was by Brittany. It included a picture she must have secretly taken of him in the cafeteria yesterday, his head bent over his phone. He looked completely absorbed, but the angle was unflattering, making him look withdrawn and strange.

The caption was long and dramatic.

"I need to share this for my own safety and for the safety of every other girl on this campus," it began. "Yesterday, this man, Ethan, was staring at me in the cafeteria. It wasn't just a glance, he was fixated on me for a long time, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable and scared. I felt like a piece of meat. I tried to ignore it, but he kept doing it. Finally, I got the courage to confront him. I went over to his table to ask him to please stop, and he became incredibly aggressive and hostile. He started yelling at me, making a huge scene, and I had to leave because I was so shaken up. This kind of predatory behavior is not okay. We need to feel safe on our own campus. Please be careful if you see this guy around."

Ethan' s jaw dropped. He read it again, then a third time. It was a complete fabrication, a twisted fantasy built around a simple, five-minute interaction. Staring? He was reading a scientific paper. Aggressive? He had spoken in a calm, quiet voice. She had been the one to yell and make a scene.

He felt a wave of nausea. This was insane. It was a lie, a total and complete lie. Why would she do this? Because he wouldn't buy her a twenty-dollar lunch? It made no sense.

His mind replayed her final words from the cafeteria. "You'll regret this." He had dismissed it as an empty threat from someone who was used to getting her way. He never imagined it would turn into this.

He scrolled down to the comments, his heart pounding in his chest. They were a torrent of condemnation.

"OMG, Brittany, I'm so sorry this happened to you! So brave of you to speak out!"

"What a total creep. I think I've seen him in the library. Always by himself. Gives off weird vibes."

"Someone needs to report him to the university. This is unacceptable."

"Disgusting. Men like this think they own the world. He should be expelled."

Each comment felt like a physical blow. These people, his fellow students, didn't know him. They didn't know the truth. They had read her story, seen his picture, and pronounced him guilty without a second thought. The "serious matter" Professor Davies wanted to discuss suddenly became terrifyingly clear. This was it. This was what she was talking about.

Panic started to set in, cold and sharp. His reputation, his future, the scholarship-it was all being threatened by a lie posted on the internet. He felt a surge of anger mixed with a profound sense of helplessness. He couldn't let this stand. He couldn't let her destroy his life over nothing.

He took a deep breath, his hands shaking slightly. He couldn't go into that meeting with Professor Davies without trying to defend himself. He had to say something. He had to fight back.

He tapped on the comment box below Brittany's post. His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He had to be careful, he had to be rational. He couldn't sink to her level. He had to stick to the facts.

He began to type.