- ss.
Chapter 7
The internet shitstorm kept growing like wildfire, completely torching Mason and Bree’s lives.]
They were like paranoid fugitives now, wearing hoodies and sunglasses everywhere, terrified someone might recognize them from the viral videos.]
When Mason hit rock bottom, he came crawling back to me.
On a gloomy afternoon, he ambushed me outside my office building. The confident guy I used to know was gone, replaced by this broken shell of a man with desperate eyes
“Hazel, please. I need your help.“]
His voice was rough and defeated.]
“I get it now – you’re the only one who ever really cared about me. For the sake of our three years together, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?“]
Looking at this pathetic version of the man I used to love stirred up complicated feelings.
My mind drifted back to that sweltering summer day when we first met.[]
was playing soccer during PE when a ball came flying out of nowhere and nailed me in the head. Everything went black.
When I came to, I heard this panicked voice: “Hazel, are you okay?“]
There was this clean, fresh scent–like laundry detergent and something uniquely him.
I opened my eyes to find Mason sitting beside me, looking worried sick and apologizing nonstop.
That’s how our three–year love story began.]
Back then, he was sunshine personified. Thoughtful, caring – he’d make me soup when I was sick, show up whenever I needed him.
I looked at Mason calmly. “I forgive you. But we’re never getting back together.“]
“Okay, but… could you maybe post something online? Say you made everything up?“]
“I never did anything wrong, you know that. I can’t lose my job. You understand, right?“]
His tone was begging, pathetic, but there was still that gross manipulative undertone.]
Seeing him grovel like this killed whatever tiny spark of nostalgia I had left.
The bright, sunny boy I’d fallen for was gone forever, replaced by this selfish, spineless excuse for a man.]
I walked away while he screamed desperately behind me, not looking back once.]
The online mob didn’t calm down just because I stayed quiet–if anything, they got more vicious.[]
Under all that public pressure, both Mason and Bree got fired from their jobs.]
Mason became a social pariah, universally hated.]
For a long time after that, I didn’t hear anything about either of them.]
When news finally reached me, Mason had gotten both his legs broken.]
Apparently, some friend had introduced him to underground gambling. At first he won big and lived it up for a while.
But Mason was never cut out to be a gambler. He lost everything pretty quickly and racked up massive debts.
When he couldn’t pay up, they broke his legs and left him homeless. Last I heard, he was begging on the streets. Bree managed to hook up with some rich old dude and lived the high life for a bit.
But she couldn’t just enjoy what she had–she kept flaunting and spending like crazy until the guy’s wife found out.]
The wife hired some people to teach Bree a lesson. They messed up her face real bad, then tossed her out on the street. Without her sugar daddy’s protection or her looks, Bree lost everything too.
