Chapter_51
The next day, Olivia took the subway to school, her mind still heavy with thoughts from the previous night. As she was on her way, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from Sophie.
“Olivia! Check the school forum right now!” Sophie’s voice was filled with urgency, her panic evident even through the phone. Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. Something had clearly gone wrong.
Before she could log into the campus network, a text message came through, freezing her in place: “So shameless!”
Olivia stared at the message, a sinking feeling clawing at her chest. She opened the forum, and a headline immediately caught her eye, sending a chill down her spine:
“Tide University Student Allegedly a Sugar Baby! Check Out the Pictures!”
Her hands shook as she clicked on the link to the photo album.
The photos were taken with startling clarity, showing Tyler dropping her off at school. Her face was unmistakable in each shot, but Tyler was nowhere to be seen. The only visible trace of him was a close-up of a hand—his hand—clad in a watch, gripping her wrist. It was enough to suggest it was a man’s hand, not a student’s.
Sophie’s voice came through again, frantic. “Olivia, what’s going on?! Who was the man in the car?!”
Olivia couldn’t even gather her thoughts. Her fingers hovered over the screen as she stared at the headline, feeling as though the ground beneath her was slipping away. She couldn’t breathe.
“Olivia? Are you still there?” Sophie’s voice snapped her back to reality. She blinked and tried to focus.
“I’m… I’m here,” she managed to say.
Sophie didn’t relent. “Who was that guy? How did you get photographed? I thought you were staying at home! Why did a man drop you off at school?”
The barrage of questions was overwhelming, and Olivia didn’t know where to start. Her mind raced, struggling to make sense of what was happening.
Sophie’s voice dropped with concern. “Olivia, if this blows up, your reputation is going to be destroyed.”
Olivia closed her eyes, the weight of Sophie’s words sinking in. She wasn’t wrong. With a heavy sigh, she whispered, “I know, Sophie.” Then, she hung up.
The whispers of her classmates around her were impossible to ignore.
“She’s the sugar baby. I can’t believe it.”
Olivia’s grip on her phone tightened as she fought back the anxiety bubbling inside her. She walked faster, her destination clear—class. She hoped to escape the scrutiny, but the eyes on her never wavered. The whispers continued to follow her, each step echoing louder in her mind.
After a few moments, Sophie caught up, blocking her path. “Olivia, tell me what happened. Please.”
Olivia didn’t answer. She wasn’t sure how to explain, how to make sense of any of this.
Sophie’s concern deepened, and she grabbed Olivia’s arms, shaking her lightly. “Is he really your sugar daddy?” she asked, her voice cracking.
Olivia shook her head, her words coming out almost in a whisper. “N-No.”
Sophie’s eyes searched her face, desperate for answers. “Then who was the man in the picture?”
Olivia hesitated, her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely audible. “It’s Tyler.”