Ding.
One new notification.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Three new notifications.
Evie groaned as she stirred in bed, her eyes fluttering open at the persistent ping of her phone. She had forgotten what the fuss was about, but as she reached for her phone, the first thing that caught her eye made her blood run cold. A poster featuring her face, marked with red, boldly declared "DIE."
What the hell?
Panic surged through her as memories of Derek's outrageous ultimatum from the previous day flooded back.
He had threatened to release that video unless she complied.
Sitting up abruptly, Evie opened her messages, disbelief coursing through her. Every single one of her clients had turned against her.
"Scam!"
"You're nothing but a worthless sham!"
"You preach boldness and bravery to girls, yet you're living a lie!"
"Thanks to you, you've shattered relationships across Country M and beyond—so many girls look up to you!"
"Who even takes relationship advisers seriously anymore? They're all frauds."
"They're just trying to save their own relationships while sabotaging others!"
"No, no, this can't be happening" Evie shook her head in disbelief as she continued scrolling through the messages in her DMs.
'I swear I'm going to sue Evie. She's a liar and a scammer.'
'You don't deserve to be a girls' girl. You're just a vicious liar and a clout chaser.'
The messages kept piling up. The client she'd met with yesterday had bombarded her with calls, demanding a refund, and suddenly, it felt like everyone had turned their backs on her. Even people who had never met her were launching attacks. Her entire world was unraveling, and her fingers trembled as she watched everything she had worked for slip away.
Her heart raced, tears threatening to spill as the weight of the threatening messages pressed down on her. They claimed they would find her and make her pay for being a liar.
The news spread like wildfire across Country M, and the situation only worsened as people added fuel to the fire.
She hadn't slept a wink last night, despite frantically messaging Derek, pleading with him to reconsider and find a different way to handle the situation. But he was unyielding.
100 million dollars? Where was she supposed to magically find that amount? Even celebrities didn't have that kind of money, yet Derek demanded it outrageously.
Evie had felt trapped, pacing her room as panic set in. She considered selling her jewelry, her clothes—anything she could part with—but none of it would come close to the amount she needed.
She could still recall her mother's words, "I'm sorry Evie, I can't help right now" when she called for help, and with her family only consisting of her struggling trader mother, she had no other options. It was hard for Evie to believe that Derek would actually go through with his threats, that he would ruin her life.
Tears streamed down her face as she pulled her knees to her chest, feeling defeated. Every time she thought she was on the brink of something great, it all crashed down around her, and she was exhausted. With everyone angry at her, she had no idea where to turn.
A sudden knock at her door made her heart leap, fear coursing through her veins. Aggressive banging escalated, and she could feel her pulse quickening.
Were the mob already here to get her?
Evie thought anxiously as she rushed to check her window. She opened it, peering down to find no one there. If a crowd were coming for her, surely she would see them gathering. With a sigh of relief, she closed the window and the curtains before moving cautiously away from the bed.
Her feet padded silently against the tiled floor as she approached the door. Peering through the peephole, she shrank back in alarm, seeing a figure in a black hoodie.
Had they sent an assassin to finish her off? This had spiraled out of control.
"Evie!" The voice on the other side was muffled but urgent.
"Ruby?" Evie gasped, her heart racing as she recognized her best friend. She opened the door, and Ruby hurried inside, slamming it shut behind her and leaning against it, breathless.
Evie's gaze locked onto Ruby, tears welling as memories flooded back. "I'm really sorry, Evie," Ruby began, stepping closer to offer comfort and running her hand through Evie's hair.
"Derek is a total jerk. You shouldn't have met him yesterday. You should have informed me first—why didn't you say anything?" Ruby continued, concern etched on her face. Evie leaned into Ruby's embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks, her body trembling with pain and heartache.
Once Evie had calmed down, she pulled back and looked up, her eyes rimmed with tears, dark circles beneath and her hair a mess. "What's it like outside?" she asked gently.
"People are furious. I had no idea things could get this out of control," Ruby replied, worry lines deepening on her forehead.
Evie bit her lower lip, processing the weight of their situation.
"I advise you not to go out, Evie. We can't predict how people will react. I've been bombarded with calls from angry clients—threats looming over our agency. Your follower count is plummeting…it's a complete disaster," Ruby detailed, her expression serious. Despite the chaos surrounding Evie, it affected Ruby too, as they were in the mess together.
Evie facepalmed in frustration. "This is my fault. I brought this upon us." She felt tears take hold again.
Ruby shook her head, her bob bouncing as she did. "It's not your fault. You're human—"
"But it's unfair, Ruby! I didn't do right by anyone. Maybe everyone's right. I've become the liar—the scam. Everything is ruined for me," Evie laughed bitterly, her heart heavy as she contemplated the road to recovery. Her reputation was tarnished; she felt like she'd painted herself as untrustworthy, and everyone would see her that way.
"You're not alone in this, Evie. I'm standing with you. We'll tackle this together," Ruby insisted, pulling Evie into a tight hug.
Evie nodded, though doubt lingered in her heart. She struggled to believe things could change. Her reputation felt irreparably damaged.
****
A week had passed since the fallout, and Evie remained trapped in her apartment, overwhelmed by fear and anxiety about facing the outside world. She scrolled through her phone, appalled by the relentless, hurtful messages. The vitriol was extreme—they spoke to her as if she weren't even human, wishing her nothing but harm.
Ruby had reassured her to hang in there; in a few days, the frenzy would die down. But a week had gone by, and she still remained the hot gossip in the country.
Evie's confinement was taking a toll—she lay in bed, reading the comments and death threats, while Ruby gracefully took on the responsibilities.
"We're out of groceries again," Ruby said, shutting the fridge with irritation.
Evie lifted her head, "Should we go get some from the store?"
Ruby shot her a disapproving look. "No, you're not going anywhere. I'll handle it."
Evie shook her head. "You've been doing everything for me, Ruby. And I'm sorry to bother you, let me just do this please.
"And then what? You come back with an injury or I get a call from the hospital about you in a coma? No way," Ruby replied, her eyebrow furrowed. Evie fell silent, realizing the truth behind Ruby's words. "Not happening," she stated firmly.
But Evie wouldn't back down. She went to her wardrobe, pulling on jeans and a hoodie, topping it off with a cap. "See? No one will recognize me like this."
Ruby crossed her arms, tilting her head.
"What?" Evie asked, her eyebrows raising. And she continued, "I need to step out into the sun; being cooped up in here isn't good for me at all."
Ruby scrutinized her for a moment before finally relenting. "Fine. But we're going together," she insisted, her protective instincts kicking in. Evie nodded in agreement, and they both left the apartment, dressed in black. Anyone who saw them would likely jump to conclusions.
But they made it to the grocery store without incident, though curious glances followed them. They had no idea they were seeing The Evie—the one they wanted dead.
With a firm grip on their trolley, Evie and Ruby navigated the grocery store, selecting bread, meat, milk, and a few other essentials until they reached the checkout.
"See? Coming outside isn't such a big deal, right?" Evie remarked, leaning toward Ruby with a grin.
Ruby simply shrugged, pushing the trolley forward as they waited in line.
While Evie scanned the store, tugging at the ropes of her hoodie, a baby caught her eye, reaching for a toy on a shelf while her mother was distracted, as she was busy reading something on a product. Evie then noticed that a toy from above was trying to drop on the baby as the baby was hitting the shelve. She couldn't keep watching, knowing that the baby was going to get hurt.
"I'll be right back," Evie whispered to Ruby.
Ruby, still at the trolley, asked, "Where are you going?" but Evie was already on her way.
Evie dashed over just in time to snatch the toy before it could fall. She placed it back on the shelf and knelt down to smile at the baby. "What are you trying to get?" she asked, but the child only beamed. And then wrapped her arms around Evie.
The mother turned and noticed her daughter hugging a stranger. "I'm so sorry," she said, attempting to get her daughter.
But Evie waved her off, reassuring her it was fine.
"Up, up," the baby urged, stretching her arms. Evie chuckled and lifted the child, she smiled at the child in her arms. Unfortunately, the baby had other plans. All of a sudden, the baby reached for her cap and removed it, tossing it to the ground.
It tumbled to the ground.
The mother quickly retrieved the cap. "Don't do that Ava" she chastised her baby.
Then she lifted her gaze to Evie's, suddenly narrowing her eyes with recognition. "Wait... I know you," she declared, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Evie's heart raced. "No you don't. This is our first meeting," she replied briskly, setting the baby down and snatching her cap back. She was acutely aware of the danger; she had to go.
"You are Evie. That Evie. The relationship destroyer," the woman accused, finger jabbing toward her. Evie shook her head, urgency flooding her actions as she adjusted her cap.
Before she could leave, the woman's voice rang out, halting her. "Don't try to lie. I've found you—don't you dare run away!"
The woman began typing furiously on her phone.
Evie glanced around, noting the growing crowd that was watching. Panic surged within her, and she quickened her pace, bolting out of the grocery store. She didn't wait for Ruby, who was still at the counter.
"Everyone, that's Evie! Catch her before she gets away!" the woman shouted, and suddenly every eye in the store was on her.
A surge of people began to chase her.
Ruby turned, confusion knitting her brow, she only realized after seeing Evie running outside the store. She hurriedly grabbed her change and bags before racing outside, her worry for Evie escalating.
Evie ran fiercely as the people chased her down the street. She darted into the road, cars honking and drivers shouting in anger.
Despite the chaos, the crowd didn't relent, surging into the open market after her. She crashed into tomatoes and vegetables, glancing back in desperation. They were relentless, and she could feel fatigue setting in, but stopping was not an option. Her entire life depended on her escape, and these people were determined to catch her at any cost.
Her breath was becoming labored, sweat slicking her body as she rushed into the alleyway, determined to escape the mob of angry people hunting her down.
Her eyes were misty, body protesting against the exertion, yet these pursuers were relentless.
She glanced back, noticing they were gaining ground quickly, and dread washed over her at the thought of what they might do if they caught her.
Inwardly, she cursed herself, and cursed Derek. He was the one responsible for turning her life upside down, and she intended to make him pay for it. If only she hadn't gone to that place that day, he wouldn't have had any dirt to share with the frenzy of media that were now on her tail.
She turned her gaze forward, keeping focused as she navigated through the chaos. It was then that Evie spotted the bar ahead, an idea sparking in her mind. If she could just slip inside and find a place to hide, they wouldn't be able to see her.
With determination, she veered left, heading for the bar. Just as she reached the door, she collided with someone emerging from it.
Not now! Evie thought, rubbing her forehead, urgency fueling her as she tried to step past him, but he caught her hand. "Are you alright?" The deep, velvety voice wrapped around her, and she instinctively looked up, momentarily caught off guard by his intensity.
But there was no time for distractions. "I need to get inside. They're after me!" she urged, panic escalating as her heart raced. The sound of footsteps thundered closer.
"Excuse me, please," she pleaded, glancing fearfully toward the pursuing crowd. Just as the crowd appeared, the man holding her hand suddenly spun her around, pinning her against the wall with an intensity that momentarily stole her breath.
He leaned down to kiss her, and her world screeched to a halt.