Page 49

WILLOW

I t’s almost eleven P.M. and my dorm room looks like a complete and unmitigated disaster.

Clothes are everywhere, including my bed, my desk chair, and the floor where I threw them after changing outfits three times this morning.

Textbooks are scattered across my desk like I actually had the motivation to study tonight, which is a complete lie.

I can't focus on anything. Can't sit still. Can't stop replaying the conversation with Lilly and Leo’s manager from several days ago. My mind won’t stop. I try reading, then doomscrolling, then rearranging the chaos into some other formation of chaos, but nothing sticks for more than a minute. I’m so deep into the next round of self-loathing that I don’t hear my phone vibrate until it does it twice in rapid fire.

I freeze. I count to three. I flip the phone.

Ari: Hey. You up?

Ari: I know you are.

I don’t answer. I don’t even open the notification. Instead, I try to guess what she’s going to say before the next text arrives.

Ari: Just watch this. Sorry.

My phone buzzes again and this time it’s a link. Now I know Ari wouldn’t send me a link that would lead to some bad shit, but I don’t want to click it.

My gut is screaming at me to open it while my heart is telling me to delete it and pretend Ari never sent it. That way I can crawl under my covers and disappear until morning. Because there’s a good chance that wherever this link leads me to, I won’t be getting a wink of sleep tonight.

In situations like this, I’ve learned that I need to listen to my gut because she will never lead me wrong. I tap the link.

The video loads instantly. Leo's face fills my screen, that same cocky grin I remember from when we were together.

He's in his usual streaming setup: gaming chair, neon lights, energy drink strategically placed for sponsorship visibility.

His chat is moving too fast to read, but I can see the hearts and fire emoji flooding the sidebar.

"—I mean, look," he's saying, gesturing broadly at his camera, "some people will literally do anything for attention these days.

Anything." He shakes his head. "It's honestly kind of sad when you think about it.

Like, imagine being so desperate to stay relevant that you have to.

.." he trails off with a knowing smirk, letting his audience fill in the blanks.

My stomach drops through the floor because I know exactly what he’s talking about.

He doesn't say my name. He doesn’t have to.

That's Leo's specialty. Say just enough and then let his fanbase connect the dots.

That way, they can draw their own conclusions while he maintains plausible deniability.

But we both know exactly who he's talking about.

The timing isn't coincidental. Nothing with Leo ever is.

And that’s when it hits me: he fucking knows.

Not just generally, not through gossip. He knows because someone told him.

Dorian said the review would be confidential.

Talia looked me in the eye and said she’d make sure we got the justice we deserved.

But here he is, mocking us live to thousands of people.

Somehow, it’s her betrayal that stings more. Because I thought she saw us. Because for a second, I believed she meant it.

It’s clear they both lied straight to our faces and now Leo is getting rewarded because of it. New sponsors. More engagement. Because the only thing that matters is protecting their golden goose and burying anything that could force the money train to stop.

“But hey," he continues, taking a sip from his energy drink, label pointed toward the camera so we can all read it clearly, "I'm not here to throw shade at anyone.

I'm just saying, some people need to learn when to let go, you know? Like, move on already.” He laughs, and the sound makes my skin crawl.

"Anyway, enough about that drama. Let's get back to the game. "

The video ends. I stare at my phone screen until it goes black, then stare at my own reflection in the dark glass.

My hands are shaking.

This is retaliation and a betrayal rolled into one. And now he's doing what Leo does best: weaponizing his platform against anyone who threatens him.

I set my phone down on my nightstand like it might explode. Then I pick it up again. Put it down. Pick it up.

Ari's follow-up text appears before I can decide what to do with my hands or my phone.

Ari: I'm so sorry. Someone shared it on socials and after you told me about how the call went…I thought you should know.

Ari: Want me to come over? We can talk shit and figure out what to do about this. I’ve been ready to kick his ass ever since you told me about him.

I don't respond to Ari. Instead, I open every social media platform I can think of, searching for Leo's name and any mention of what just happened.

The posts start appearing immediately.

A Twitter (I refuse to call it X) thread with fifteen retweets: "Anyone else catch Leo's stream tonight? Sounds like someone's still pressed that he’s doing fine without them. "

An Instagram story screenshot from his stream, reposted with the caption: "Tea When your ex can't let you level up in peace."

A Reddit post in r/streamerdrama: "Leo Kent calls out desperate exes on stream. Alludes to this being connected to the Red Wolves deal drama."

My thumb keeps scrolling. The comments get worse.

"They’re just mad he's successful without them."

"Imagine being so thirsty over your ex moving on that you try to sabotage his career."

"Some girls really can't handle rejection lmaooo."

Each comment hits me like I’m being jumped in a fight, but I can't stop scrolling. Can't close the app. Can't put the phone down.

"Probably just wants attention."

"Classic crazy ex behavior."

"Leo deserves better than dealing with psycho exes."

The room starts spinning. I'm hyperventilating now, gasping for air that won't come. My vision tunnels until all I can see is the screen, comment after comment tearing me apart while strangers who don't know my name decide who I am.

And I know it’s only a matter of time before my name leaks.

My phone buzzes again. A notification from an account I don't recognize. It’s then I realize I spoke too soon.

"You ruined a good man's career because you couldn't handle being dumped. Pathetic."

Then another.

"Stay in your lane and leave Leo alone."

And another.

"Nobody wants to hear from bitter exes. Take the L and move on."

They're finding me. Somehow, without Leo ever saying my name, they're connecting the dots and coming for me directly. My hands shake so violently I nearly drop my phone, but I can't stop reading. Can't look away from the digital mob forming in real time.

Then it clicks in my mind that I’m probably not the only one experiencing this. Lilly is probably getting hit even worse than I am. She is a streamer and has a public platform herself. If they found me this quickly, they've definitely found her.

I slam my phone face down on my bed and lunge for my laptop, nearly tripping over the pile of clothes I discarded earlier. My fingers fumble with the power button, then drum impatiently against my thighs while it boots up. The seconds feel like hours.

Discord loads and immediately I see the little notification bubble next to Lilly's name. Three unread messages, all timestamped within the last hour.

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly) : Willow are you seeing this?

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly) : They're in my DMs. Like actually in my fucking DMs saying the most vile things.

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly) : I can't breathe right now.

My heart shatters. I type back as fast as my shaking fingers will allow.

WillsNet56 : I'm here. I just saw the stream. Are you okay?

The response is immediate.

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly) : No I'm not fucking okay. They're calling me a lying whore who's jealous of his success. Someone found my Instagram and they're commenting on photos from when I was 16.

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly) : How did this happen so fast? Him and his management team are assholes.

WillsNet56 : I don't know. I wouldn’t be surprised if they leaked our names on their end to keep Leo’s name clean. We came forward when so many women won’t have for various reasons.

I guess I knew why many women don’t come forward in these types of situations, but it didn’t completely click for me about why until just now. I hate that it took me having to experience it before I realized the gravity of what just happened.

I stare at my cursor blinking after those words, and something cold settles in my chest. We did everything right. We went through proper channels. We documented everything. We trusted the system that was supposed to protect us, and instead it fed us directly to the wolves.

The betrayal cuts deeper than Leo's retaliation. Dorian and Talia who we assumed would maintain confidentiality, told him everything. Our names, our statements, probably every detail we shared on that call where we thought we were safe. That’s worse than not doing the investigation.

What makes it worse is I’m sure he’s not the only one who okayed Leo being told.

Whoever sat back silent or gave final approval is just as guilty.

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly): This is so fucked up. What are we supposed to do now?

I don't have an answer. For the first time in my life, I'm completely out of moves. Every strategy I might have used feels useless against this machine Leo's built around himself.

WillsNet56: I don't know. I'm so sorry, Lilly. This is my fault. I convinced you to come forward with me.

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly) : Stop. This isn't your fault. This is exactly what they want. They want us to blame ourselves instead of them.

She's right but knowing that doesn't make the guilt any lighter. I convinced her we were doing the right thing. I told her the system would protect us. I was so fucking wrong.

My phone buzzes again and I assume it’s more notifications. More strangers dissecting my life, my choices, my worth as a human being. Instead I focus on the message Lilly just sent.

CozyCraft4Eva (Lilly): I think I need to step away from the internet for a while. This is too much.

WillsNet56 : I understand. Take care of yourself. I'll figure something out.

But I won't figure anything out. As soon as I send that message, the weight of my own lie hits me hard. I close the laptop and sit in the silence of my destroyed room, surrounded by the evidence of my inability to function like a normal human being. Then again, what is normal anyway?

I walk over to my bed, and I see my phone screen lighting up with another notification.

Then another. The harassment is accelerating, spreading like wildfire across platforms I didn't even know existed.

Each time my phone vibrates it makes me flinch.

I do my best to quickly deactivate my social media accounts for the time being and then flip over to my text messages.

There are seventeen unread messages from various people, but my eyes go straight to Blaise's name. Nothing from him, but I assume it's because he's asleep.

I stare at his messages with my thumb over the keyboard, I start typing.

Me: Can we talk?

I read it back and immediately delete it. Too needy. Too desperate. He'll ask questions I don't have answers to, he’ll want to fix things I can't let him fix.

I try again.

Me: Hey, rough night. Could use some company.

Delete. That sounds like I'm using him as a distraction, which maybe I am, but I don't want him to know that.

Me: Hey, what are you doing? Just wanted to let you know I'm okay, just dealing with some stuff.

Delete. He'll see right through that lie. Blaise knows me too well now, can read the spaces between my words.

I set the phone down and press the heels of my palms against my eyes until I see flashing lights behind my lids.

The truth is, I want him here. I want his arms around me, want him to tell me everything will be okay even if we both know it won't be.

I want to bury my face in his chest and pretend the outside world doesn't exist.

But I can't let him see me like this. Can't let him witness how completely I'm falling apart.

This raw, exposed version of myself feels too vulnerable, too broken.

What if he looks at me and sees what Leo's followers see?

What if the girl who can barely hold herself together isn't the same one who confidently took control in the front seat of her car?

Instead of listening to my gut this time, I turn my phone off, crawl into bed and pray for sleep that never comes.