The Fifth Pillar

Chapter 2: The Fallout

The rain sent a shiver though her body with its coldness, but it was nothing compared to how cold her soul felt. Cecil ran, not knowing where she was going. The world was a blurry grey. The cold didn't bother them. She did not care about the people staring at her. Getting away from the pain of betrayal was all that mattered at that moment.

She finally got back to her flat, but her clothes were soaked and her hair was stuck to her face.

It was so quiet inside that it hurt. She was safe from the rain, but not from the storm of feelings that were going on inside her.

She took out her phone, and the screen lit up with a lot of notifications. Clara had a new post. A video of Cecil crying in the cafe, perfectly captured, with a nasty message blaming him for the whole thing. There were a lot of comments, and they were all full of hate, insults, and accusations. People who knew her, her friends, former coworkers, and even family members, were liking the post and leaving comments. Everyone called her a liar, a schemer, and a fool.

Her landlord, a social media addict sent her a screenshot of the post with a final eviction notice, and a note that said, “I do not want to be associated with someone like you”. She tried to call him to explain, but realised that he had blocked her line.

She was going to lose her house. There was no way for her to get away from it. The public shame was like a raw, open wound, and she felt like a thousand eyes were watching her on the internet.

In just a few minutes, her whole life was ruined. She was alone and drowning in betrayal and sadness that never ended. One last message came through on her phone. It was a group chat with her best college friends, and now it's full of screenshots and mean jokes. She was all by herself. There was no way to get away. She slid to the floor with her back against the door and hugged her knees to her chest. The weight of her shame was heavy on her shoulders.