Tormented

The video

Chapter 2

The second day at Westbridge High started almost like the first.

Jane arrived early.

She walked through the school gates with her backpack over one shoulder and her hair tied neatly behind her. She had barely reached the main building when someone called her name.

"Jane!"

She turned and saw Alex walking toward her.

He was holding two cups of coffee.

Jane stared at them.

"What's that?"

"I brought you one."

She took the cup.

"You remembered."

"Of course I remembered."

She smiled.

Alex looked at her for a moment.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're staring."

"I'm not."

"You are."

He laughed.

"You always do that when you're lying."

Jane shook her head.

"You're becoming too observant."

"I've known you for years."

They continued walking toward their classroom.

For the next few hours, everything was normal.

They attended their classes, joked with their classmates, and complained about the amount of homework their teachers had already given them.

By lunchtime, Jane had almost forgotten how nervous she had been on the first day.

She was beginning to feel comfortable.

She had made a few friends, and Alex was always nearby.

But shortly after lunch, something changed.

Jane was sitting in the library with two classmates when one of them suddenly stopped talking.

"What?"

Jane looked up.

The girl was staring at her phone.

"What's wrong?"

The girl didn't answer.

Another student walked past their table.

Then another.

Within minutes, people throughout the library seemed to be looking at their phones.

Jane frowned.

"What's happening?"

Her classmate finally looked at her.

"I don't know."

"Then why is everyone staring at their phones?"

The girl hesitated.

"I think something was posted in the school community."

Jane reached for her own phone.

There were dozens of new messages.

She opened the school community chat.

At first, she didn't understand what she was seeing.

Then she saw the message at the top.

Have you seen this?

Underneath it was a video.

Jane's stomach tightened.

She didn't know why.

She clicked the chat again.

More messages were appearing.

Is that Mrs. Harrington?

That's Alex's mother.

Who posted this?

This can't be real.

Jane stared at the screen.

She knew Alex's mother.

She had known her for years.

The woman had always treated Jane kindly, even though Jane's mother worked in their house.

Jane's fingers became cold.

She didn't open the video.

She didn't want to.

She looked around the library.

Everyone was whispering.

Then someone said her name.

"Jane."

She looked up.

A boy standing several tables away was staring at her.

"What?"

He held up his phone.

"You posted this?"

Jane's eyes widened.

"What?"

"You posted the video."

"I didn't."

The boy frowned.

"It's from your account."

Jane immediately shook her head.

"No. I didn't post anything."

Someone else spoke.

"It's literally your username."

Jane grabbed her phone.

Her heart began beating faster.

She opened her social media account.

Her profile was still there.

But there was something strange.

A video had been uploaded from her account.

Jane stared at the screen.

"I didn't do this."

Nobody answered.

Her friend looked uncomfortable.

"Jane..."

"I didn't."

"You have to believe me."

The girl looked at the phone again.

"I don't know."

Jane stood up.

"Where is Alex?"

No one answered.

She rushed out of the library.

She searched the hallway.

Then she saw him.

Alex was standing near the lockers.

Several students were around him.

His face looked completely different.

The warmth she had seen that morning was gone.

He looked furious.

Jane walked toward him.

"Alex."

He looked at her.

For a second, she expected him to come toward her.

Instead, he remained where he was.

"Did you do it?"

Jane stopped.

"What?"

"The video."

Her mouth opened.

"No."

"Your account posted it."

"I know, but I didn't post it."

He laughed bitterly.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Alex, please."

"Don't."

She stepped closer.

"I swear I didn't do anything."

His jaw tightened.

"My mother is all over the internet because of you."

Jane's eyes filled with tears.

"I would never do that to her."

"You were the one with the video."

"I didn't have it."

"Then how was it posted from your account?"

"I don't know."

Alex stared at her.

The students around them were watching.

Jane felt exposed.

She had never seen Alex look at her that way.

Not once.

"Alex..."

"Stay away from me."

Her heart dropped.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"But we're friends."

"Not anymore."

He walked past her.

Jane turned.

"Alex!"

He didn't stop.

She followed him.

"Please listen to me."

He suddenly turned around.

"Why should I?"

She froze.

He was angry.

Not ordinary anger.

This was something deeper.

"My parents are already fighting because of this," he said. "My father won't even speak to my mother."

Jane shook her head.

"I didn't do it."

"My mother is being humiliated because of you."

"I didn't."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's true."

He stared at her.

For a moment, something in his expression softened.

Then his phone rang.

He looked at the screen.

His face changed again.

He answered.

"Hello?"

Jane couldn't hear the person on the other end.

Alex listened silently.

Then his hand tightened around the phone.

"Okay."

He ended the call.

Jane waited.

"What happened?"

He looked at her.

"My father wants me home."

"Can I come with you?"

"No."

"Alex—"

"I said no."

He walked away.

Jane remained in the hallway.

She could hear people whispering behind her.

Someone laughed.

Another person said something about her.

She didn't listen.

She simply stood there, staring at the direction Alex had disappeared.

She wanted to run after him.

She wanted to prove herself.

But she didn't know how.

That evening, Jane's mother noticed immediately that something was wrong.

"Jane?"

Jane didn't answer.

Her mother put down what she was holding.

"What happened?"

Jane looked at her.

"Mom..."

Her voice broke.

"What?"

"Alex hates me."

Her mother stared at her.

"Why?"

Jane handed her the phone.

Her mother looked at the messages.

Her expression changed.

"Oh my goodness."

"I didn't post it."

"I know."

"You believe me?"

"Of course I believe you."

Jane wiped her tears.

"But nobody else does."

Her mother pulled her into a hug.

"You know the truth. That's what matters."

Jane closed her eyes.

But deep inside, she already knew that things would not be that simple.

The following morning, Alex didn't speak to her.

The day after that, he ignored her.

Then the whispers became louder.

Some students called her a liar.

Others accused her of trying to destroy Alex's family.

Jane kept insisting that she had nothing to do with the video.

But nobody seemed interested in hearing her.

And somewhere inside the Harrington family home, Alex was beginning to believe the worst about the girl who had once been his closest friend.

Jane didn't know it yet.

But the accusation would follow her far beyond high school.

And before the truth finally came out, she would lose almost everything she had.