At the auction where many famous people of North Carolina had gathered, my private photos became one of the main auction items. My childhood friend, Marcel Dougherty, made his friends fight with me during the auction until the very end just to make his female companion laugh.

I had no choice but to call another childhood friend, Adrian Friel, for help.

But during the break in the auction, I accidentally heard their conversation.

"You did better. You got Hannah’s private photos while she was drinking with you. Now that we have this leverage, let’s see if she dares to bully Nancy again."

"The photos weren’t taken by me. I asked someone else to do it."

I froze. Two months ago, I was kidnapped by some bad people. They tortured me for three days and nights and I went through horrible things. It was then I finally understood everything.

All of it was nothing but te part of a plan. They wanted something to control me, just for Nancy Wilkins.

"It’s just a few pictures. It doesn’t matter. When Hannah calls you later for help, you need to act well and not tell her the truth."

I smiled bitterly. I quietly put my phone back into my bag and returned to the auction hall.

When the auctioneer asked me if I would fight to keep my private photos in my hands, I glanced at Marcel and said, “I give up.”

I gave up on everything.

I didn’t want anything anymore.

——

As soon as I said that, Marcel’s face changed. He didn’t expect me to give up.

"Hannah, are you really willing to be this low? Do you just want to let others see your private photos?"

I looked at him with pain in my eyes.

Then, I couldn’t help but ask, "Weren’t you the one who brought out these private photos and let people buy them?"

Marcel couldn’t say anything and became angry.

"What are you talking about? You’re the one who doesn’t respect yourself, going around like a whore and now you blame me for everything?"

Nancy, who stood beside him, also looked upset.

"Hannah, Marcel is so kind to you. How can you say something like that about him?"

Her tearful face made Marcel feel sorry for her. I didn’t want to see their fake faces anymore, so I turned and walked away. My phone kept ringing inside my bag. It was Adrian.

‘Adrian, are you really so eager to work with Marcel just to step on me and insult me?’ I thought to myself.

After that, I walked outside the auction hall and finally answered the call.

"Hannah, I heard everything. Why didn’t you ask me for help? I would’ve helped you."

Adrian didn’t know what I had just heard. He was still pretending.

I answered calmly by asking in return, "Help me how?"

He didn’t notice the coldness in my voice.

"I’ll get the photos back for you, don’t worry. But you know, Marcel and I owe a lot to Nancy’s mother. She saved us when we were young, so now we want to repay her."

I already knew that. They always talked about how they were kidnapped when they were kids and how Nancy’s mother gave her life to protect them. Since then, they had always treated Nancy better than anyone else.

Even when it came to choosing between me and Nancy, I was always the one who had to step back. They kept saying they were repaying a favor. Again and again.

And because of that, I had no power or voice.

I had worked so hard to finally get a chance to prove myself and build my future. But Nancy came to them again and made me give up the only recruitment spot at the research institute this year. But I said no. So, they came up with this plan.

It seemed that it might be time for me to leave them for good.

Adrian was still speaking.

"You should give the spot to Nancy. Don’t worry … I'll be here for you. Whatever you want, I’ll help you get it."

I touched the necklace my mother gave me before she passed away. I remembered her words clearly. She told me not to blame Marcel and Adrian.

My mother once told me she didn’t regret being shot or dying to save them, because she believed they would treat me well for the rest of their lives.

Right now, I was trying my best to stop my voice from shaking.

“Okay, I promise you,” I said quietly.

After that, Adrian hung up the phone, sounding very happy. I wiped my tears away and sent a message.

[Hannah Jameson: Professor Adkins, I’ll go on the mission assigned by the institute. I’ll join you on Saturday.]

While I was packing my things in the room, Marcel and Nancy came back.

When Marcel saw me packing, he laughed coldly.

He then said, “I really thought you had the courage to leave our house. But it looks like you’re just shameless enough to turn down the job at the institute and stay here.”

It seemed that Marcel thought I was putting the clothes back into the drawers instead of preparing to leave. Nancy smiled and wrapped her arm around his.

“Oh, Marcel, don’t say that. Hannah has always admired you since we were kids. She just wants to stay close to you.”

Marcel looked at her with a sneer as he said mockingly, “Being admired by a desperate girl in heat, what’s there to be proud of?”

I couldn’t understand why Marcel had become so cruel.

“Did I do something to hurt you?” I asked.

Marcel was stunned for a moment. He didn’t know how to answer. He knew it was just a plan he made with Adrian, a game they were playing. But the fact that I had asked Adrian for help made him feel irritated.

“Did I say anything wrong? You’ve been eating my dishes and wearing my old clothes since you were little. Now that you’ve grown up, you want to leave my house just to go fool around? Isn’t that what you’re doing?”

He got angrier and angrier as he talked. After that, he kicked over the box I had placed at the end of the bed. Everything inside spilled to the floor. Dolls, ornaments and small things I had kept. Most were gifts from Marcel and Adrian.

“Fuck, I thought you were tough. But look at you, trying to take these with you when you leave.”

He only wanted to humiliate me. He didn’t notice the sign I had already placed on the box. It said ‘trash’.

Nancy gave me a long look, then leaned into Marcel and acted cute.

“Anyway, Adrian already booked us a table. Let’s change clothes and go. Don’t let him wait too long.”

Marcel smiled at her and gently touched her head.

It caused Nancy to blush, but she then turned to me.

“Hannah, please don’t take it the wrong way. They just want to celebrate with me because I got the job at the institute. There’s nothing more to it.”

When Marcel heard that, he looked at me and saw that I was being silent.

He said, sounding annoyed, “Why are you even talking to her? She’s jobless and useless. She’ll have to rely on my family to survive anyway.”

After that, they ignored me, changed their clothes and left the house together.

The next day, when I went out to finish the paperwork, I ran into Kenneth Jackson, a colleague from the institute. He looked a little surprised when he saw the things I was carrying.

“I thought you weren’t going to join,” he said.

Not long after that, he continued, “I didn’t expect you to agree.”

The mission from the institute was hard. Before, I had refused to go because I still cared too much about my childhood friendships. But now, I knew I had to put myself first.

Since I wished to discuss some of the research plans with Professor Priscilla Adkins ahead of time, I went to the institute with Kenneth after we finished the paperwork. When we reached the entrance, I saw Nancy and the others there. Adrian looked shocked when he saw me.

“Hannah, didn’t you promise me that you wouldn’t come here?”

I didn’t want to start a fight, so I answered calmly, “Professor Adkins has always been kind to me. I just want to apologize to her in person.”

But Nancy didn’t want to back down.

“The institute is only recruiting one person this year. Not just anyone can get in. I’ve already talked to Professor Adkins myself.”

Nancy arrogantly waved the papers in her hand. However, Kenneth, who was standing next to me, looked a little uncomfortable because of her attitude.

"The institute chooses people not only based on their ability but also their character," he said.

His words made Nancy’s face red with embarrassment right away. Meanwhile, Adrian looked annoyed.

"Hannah, when did you start spending time with this kind of person? He and Nancy should apologize," he said.

I answered with no emotion, "This is Kenneth Jackson from the institute. He is one of the leaders of several big projects for the research."

Nancy smiled as soon as she heard that.

"Oh, so you're Kenneth! Hello, my name is Nancy. I guess I’ll be your junior from now on."

But Kenneth didn’t even look at her. He just took me away without saying anything. Nancy stomped her foot in frustration behind me.

Adrian watched me leave and seemed to think of something. Then, he slowly pulled out his phone and made a call.

"The last thing I asked you to do is still the same, but now it has to be done faster. I want it all over the internet in thirty minutes."

I stayed at the institute until the evening. Just as I was about to check my phone to see what time it was, I noticed a news alert that caught my attention. Without further ado, I opened it.

What I saw were private photos of me in all kinds of poses, exposed and embarrassing, the kind that made it hard to even look at the screen. I felt like my blood turned cold. In an instant, I collapsed into my chair in shock.

How could this be happening? I had already promised them, so why wouldn't they leave me alone? The painful memories from those nights came rushing back, like a horrible nightmare I couldn’t escape.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I grabbed the knife next to me and, without thinking, I cut my wrist. At that moment, Professor Adkins and Kenneth came rushing in. When she saw me like that, Professor Adkins immediately understood how much I had suffered.

Professor Adkins had worked with my parents and watched me grow up. She knew I was not someone who would do such things. She held me tightly while I cried in her arms and told her everything.

For quite a while, she comforted me gently and told me she wouldn’t give up on me and that we would leave this painful place soon. After that, I returned to the Dougherty house feeling completely hopeless. When I finally arrived, it was Nancy who opened the door and looked at me.

She pretended to be worried, but her face showed pride.

"Hannah, your private photos are all over the internet now. It’s really a shame. I do feel so bad for you, Hannah. I really do," she said in a fake sympathetic voice.

As Nancy spoke, she showed off the ruby necklace and ring she was wearing. That necklace and ring were keepsakes my mother gave me before she died. I had kept them safe all these years. How did she get them?

Marcel walked over.

"Who told you to let your private photos spread all over the internet? Nancy was worried about you all afternoon, so I gave those things to her to help her feel better," he said, like it was no big deal.

I didn’t want to argue with his nonsense. I just reached out my hand and said, "Give them back to me."

Marcel looked surprised that I was standing up for myself.

He said in a mocking tone, "Your mother is already dead. There's no point in holding on to her things. The institute will have a welcome party tomorrow and Nancy can wear them to show off."

I couldn’t take it anymore. I jumped at Nancy and grabbed her neck tightly.

"Give them back to me!" I shouted.

It seemed that my behavior shocked Marcel, because he just stood there, frozen. Adrian walked in right at that moment and reacted fast. He kicked me hard in the side and sent me flying.

Nancy, who had almost passed out from being choked, fell into Adrian's arms and cried like a child. Her crying seemed to wake Marcel up and he rushed over to check on her. They both held Nancy like she was the only person that mattered, gently patting her and trying to calm her down.

On the other hand, I was lying on the ground and coughed up blood. The cut on my wrist had opened again, so blood was spreading across the floor.

Yet, the image of the three of them hugging each other was burned into my eyes that hurt me the most.