Chapter 8: The First Strike
806 Words
Ellie’s small crew gathered in a quiet corner of a Peckham park on a grey Saturday afternoon. Ava had brought cheap sandwiches, Sophie had her contacts list, and Ellie carried her growing folder of evidence.
“We start with Jazz,” Ellie declared. “She’s the weakest link and the loudest mouth. If she falls, the others will get nervous.”
The plan was clever and calculated. Using the recording from their recent meeting, Ellie anonymously leaked selected clips to a popular London gossip i********: page that focused on the city’s elite and influencer scene. Within hours, the audio of Jazz admitting she had betrayed Ellie and leaked photos spread like wildfire.
The backlash was immediate.
Jazz’s followers turned on her. Comments flooded her posts: “Fake friend,” “Snake,” “This is why we can’t trust anyone in these circles.” Several brand collaborations she had been chasing suddenly went quiet.
Jazz called Ellie in a panic. “What the hell did you do?! This is going to ruin me!”
Ellie’s voice was ice. “You ruined me first, Jazz. Consider this payback.”
But the victory was short-lived. Richard Thornton wasn’t stupid. He quickly connected the dots and increased the pressure. Two days later, Ellie received a formal letter from the university stating that new “anonymous complaints” had been filed regarding her past conduct. Professor Lang was clearly behind it.
Ava was furious. “We need to hit harder. These people only understand power.”
That same week, Ellie took a bigger risk. She met one of Richard’s former employees — a disgruntled accountant who had been fired — at a discreet pub in Dalston. Over two pints, the man revealed crucial information about suspicious transfers in Richard’s hedge fund.
“This could be enough to trigger an official investigation,” Ellie told Sophie later that night, her eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction.
However, the closer she got to real danger, the more conflicted she felt. Late one night, after a long cleaning shift, she sat on her bed staring at an old photo of herself and Marcus from freshers’ week. The innocent smile in the picture felt like it belonged to a stranger.
Chapter 6: Lines Blur
Marcus refused to stay on the sidelines.
He cornered Ellie after a lecture one afternoon, his expression a mix of worry and frustration.
“I know what you’re doing,” he said quietly as they walked across campus. “Word travels fast. People are talking about the Jazz situation and those rumours about Richard. This is getting dangerous, Ellie.”
She stopped walking and faced him. “Dangerous? They nearly destroyed my life, Marcus. What would you do if you were me?”
“I’d fight smart,” he replied. “Not become someone who hurts others just to get even.”
His words stung because deep down, Ellie knew there was truth in them. She was changing — becoming colder, more manipulative. The same tactics she hated in Richard and Jazz were now tools in her own hands.
That evening, a new complication arose. Chloe Whitmore ambushed her outside the university gates with two friends.
“You think you’re clever?” Chloe hissed, shoving her phone in Ellie’s face. A new post showed Jazz’s downfall, and Chloe was clearly rattled. “Richard is furious. If you keep this up, you won’t just lose your place at university — you might lose more than that.”
For the first time, Ellie saw real fear behind Chloe’s hostility. She stepped closer.
“You’re scared,” Ellie said calmly. “Good. You should be.”
Before things could escalate physically, Ava appeared from nowhere and pulled Ellie away. “Not worth it here,” her cousin whispered. “We play the long game.”
Later that night, Ellie received a disturbing message from an unknown number:
“Stop digging or we’ll make sure your mother finds out exactly what kind of daughter she raised.”
The threat shook her more than she expected. She called Patricia immediately, but her mother sounded tired and distant.
“Everything alright up there, love?” Patricia asked.
Ellie lied smoothly. “Yes, Mum. Just busy with assignments.”
The lie tasted bitter. She was becoming exactly what she once despised — someone who hid the truth from the people she loved.
Sophie noticed the shift during their next meeting.
“You’re losing yourself again,” Sophie warned. “Revenge is fine, but don’t let it turn you into them.”
Ellie stared out at the London skyline from the rooftop of their shared house.
“Maybe I have to,” she whispered. “Just for a little while longer.”
The lines between justice and vengeance were blurring fast. And Ellie wasn’t sure she could stop anymore.
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