Deferred Freedom

Exposed and Rejected

Ulyssa’s point of view,

I could barely sit the whole day leading up to Fresher’s night. my hands kept shaking everytime i checked the fake i********: account i created. by 8pm the grand hall was packed with students dressed in their finest outfits, music blasting, colorful lights flashing across the ceiling. Everyone was laughing and taking pictures like this was the best night of their lives.

I wore a sleek black dress that snatched my body in all the right places.

Gemma showed up in her ruined dress, she had tried to cover the burn marks with a shawl but it was obvious something was wrong with it. She kept pulling at the fabric, looking uncomfortable. i walked up to her with my sweetest smile and hugged her tight.

“wow babe, you still look stunning”, i said softly, “don’t mind the dress, the lights will hide everything”

she gave me a weak smile. “Thanks Ulyssa. i don’t know what happened to it, it looked perfect when it arrived.”

I rubbed her back like a good friend would, inside i was screaming with excitement.

The night went on. dancing, awards, more laughter. Then it happened.

Right when the best dressed category was about to be announced, my phone vibrated, I had already scheduled the messages.

Hundreds of students in our department suddenly started checking their phones at the same time. surprises spread through the hall like a wildfire;

Phones were being passed around,

People were whispering, then laughing, then pointing.

Gemma’s nudes were everywhere.

Clear pictures of her naked body, her face fully visible, sent to almost every single person on campus. The fake account had done its job perfectly, within minutes then whole hall was buzzing with her name, Someone even projected one of the pictures on the big screen for a few seconds before the teachers shut it down in panic.

Gemma froze, her face went pale , she looked like she wanted the ground to open and swallow her. Talia and Aria rushed to her side but the damage was already done. Boys were laughing. Girls were whispering “slut” loud enough for her to hear. I stood there pretending to be shocked, covering my mouth with my hand.“Oh my God, Gemma…” I whispered, pulling her into a hug while she started crying. “Who would do something like this?”She was shaking so hard she couldn’t even speak. I held her tighter, rubbing her back in slow circles, playing the perfect supportive friend while my heart raced with dark satisfaction.Later that night back in the dorm, the mood was heavy. Gemma stayed in her room crying. I went around comforting everyone, especially her.“I can’t believe this,” I said to the girls, shaking my head. “I suspect one of the jealous girls in our department did it, you know how some of them hate Gemma because she’s too fine, it has to be internal and i’ll try to find out who.”

Aria nodded, looking teary.

Talia was pacing angrily. Lila just looked confused.

I kept my face straight the whole time, feeding them lies until they started believing someone else was behind it.

The next morning the whole campus was still talking about it. Kael became the biggest joke. People were mocking him openly in the cafeteria.“Bro you date a nude model?” someone shouted as he walked past.

Kael looked completely broken. His shoulders were slumped, eyes red like he hadn’t slept.

He avoided Gemma completely.

Anytime she tried to approach him he would turn and walk the other way, he stopped replying to her messages; the sweet boy who used to smile at her now couldn’t even look at her.

I watched it all from a distance, sipping my drink slowly.

Two days later, I finally caught him alone in the library during evening study hours. The place was almost empty. I walked up quietly and sat beside him at the corner table.“Kael… hey,” I said gently. “How are you holding up?”He looked exhausted. “This is messed up Ulyssa. Everybody is laughing at me. I liked her but now… I can’t even walk around without people pointing. I had to delete all my social media.”

I placed my hand on his arm softly. “I know. It’s so unfair. Gemma didn’t deserve this but you don’t deserve the mockery either. You’re a good guy. Don’t let this break you”, he sighed and stared at the table.

I moved closer, letting my leg brush against his under the table , my voice dropped lower, “You know… you deserve someone who truly sees you, someone who would never embarrass you like this.”

I leaned in, my lips close to his ear. “Someone like me. I’ve always been here Kael. I still care about you so much.”My hand slid up his thigh slowly. I could feel my heart beating fast.

This was my moment. I pressed my chest against his arm, whispering, “Let me make you feel better. Nobody has to know.”For a second he looked tempted. His eyes dropped to my lips.

Then suddenly his face changed. He stood up so violently that the chair fell backward with a loud crash.“What the hell Ulyssa!” he shouted, pushing me away hard. I stumbled back and hit the edge of the table.

“Are you crazy? My life is already messed up and you want to do this? Stay away from me!”The few students left in the library turned to stare. My face burned with humiliation. Tears stung my eyes immediately but I forced them back.“Kael, I was just…”“Don’t,” he cut me off coldly. “Just stay the f**k away from me. From both of us.”He grabbed his bag and stormed out, leaving me standing there alone with everyone whispering.

My chest felt tight, the same boy who once whispered that my black ink was cute had just pushed me away like I was nothing like i was disgusting, i sat back down slowly, clenching my fists under the table.

The humiliation tasted bitter, but it only made the fire inside me burn hotter.If Kael thought this was over, he was wrong.

If Gemma thought people would forget, she was wrong too.I was just getting started.