After I hung up the call, he didn't call back or tried to make up with me. Instead, he didn't return home.

He planned a trip with Sophie and his friends without inviting me or informing me about it. I was notified only when Sophie sent me a picture.

She was boarding the flight while wrapping her hands around Nolan's arm whereas he was carrying her side bag.

“Brother Nolan and I are going on a trip to the beach, sister-in-law. Don't wait for us. We will enjoy ourselves. Take care of the home.”

It was the last text she left for me before sending several pictures of their trip. In all of those pictures, she was lying on her bikini while Nolan was giving her body massage.

Those pictures looked too intimate for a couple, let alone for siblings.

Those pictures were driving me crazy, making me lose my sanity. So, in the end, I blocked Sophie’s social media accounts to stop her from sending me those gross pictures and making me throw up.

During these days, Nolan didn't bother texting me. Days later he called me.

“Hello…” I said, my voice distant.

"Van…" Nolan said over the phone. “I was on a trip with my friends. It was decided on a very short notice. Sorry, I couldn't inform you on time.”

“It's okay, I don't mind.” I replied, my voice cold.

"I knew you wouldn’t mind. Vanessa, you are the best girlfriend in the whole world.” He said excitedly, not realizing the coldness of my tone.

“Sophie is hosting a party the same night we arrive in the city, Vanessa. She insisted that I bring you along. Are you free to come over now?”

I was going to refuse him. But before I could say anything, he added,

“Get ready, Vanessa. I’m coming to pick you up."

With that, he hung up the phone. He arrived quickly, and despite seeing that I hadn't changed clothes and was reading harsh comments circulating on the internet over my viral pictures, he merely sighed.

"I saw the photos online. Don't think too much about it, I believe you," he said, trying to reassure me. He took out a revealing dress from my closet. "Come on, get changed. We don't want to keep them waiting."

As he helped me out of the couch, I grabbed his hand. "What do you believe about me?"

I remembered the conversation I had overheard in the hotel room. "Nolan, how do you plan to play this out with Vanessa?" one of his friends had asked.

Nolan didn't respond to that question, but his so-called sister stood up and said, "Of course, we'll make everyone, including herself, doubt whether she has slept with someone.”

“As for Brother, he'll just be her savior when she's at her lowest. This way, it won't affect their relationship, and it'll give me satisfaction."

Nolan had agreed, and soon after, my private photos had been spread online with the label "promiscuous."

I laughed bitterly. "What do you believe about me?"

I pushed the dress away, feeling exhausted. "I don't want to go to the party. You go ahead without me."

Nolan frowned. He seemed displeased with my decision.

"Vanessa, don't be stubborn!"

“Sophie is feeling guilty for you. She blames herself for asking you to toast her a wine which provoked you to drink a whole bottle of wine. Don't decline her, okay?” He said coldly.

He paused for a moment, his expression softened as he continued, “Sophie has arranged the party to help you relax, Vanessa. Don't be so arrogant to refuse her, alright? You should consider her feelings as well.”

I was still reluctant, but Nolan dragged me out of the house anyway. When we arrived at the party, he stopped me from putting on a mask.

"We don't need that," he said, his eyes warm and reassuring. "You're innocent, and I believe you. Just be yourself."

He threw the mask out the window and pulled me out of the car. As we entered the crowded bar, all eyes turned to me.

The room was filled with malicious gazes and snickers. I felt like I was going to suffocate.

Nolan led me to a private room, where his friends were waiting. The atmosphere was even more oppressive, with lecherous eyes and vile comments.

One of Nolan's friends, who had been particularly loud in the hotel room, grasped my wrist, his touch making my skin crawl.

"Hey, baby, why are you leaving so soon? We've just started having fun."

I tried to pull away, but he held tight. "Let's play a game. We'll make it worth your while."

His words were laced with sinister intent, making my blood run cold.

Suddenly Sophie popped out from behind me. She feigned an innocent smile on her face as she said, "Hey, what's going on? You're scaring my brother's sweetheart!"

“Vanessa, I’m extremely sorry for their behaviour. They are just drunk, and no one can understand better than you how people behave after being drunk.”

She added, her voice laced with sarcasm, only to humiliate me even more as the crowd erupted with the laughter.

“Yeah, no one can understand it better than Nolan's wife. She is the clear example of why one should not drink in public if you can't take it.” I heard someone yelling this from behind.

“Don't mind them, Vanessa.” Sophie said before she dragged me to the center of the room, the light from above making me feel even more exposed.

I glanced at Nolan, who was sitting in the corner, shaking his wine glass lazily and watching the scene unfold without intervening.

Our eyes met, and he smiled warmly, just like he used to. It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had ruined my reputation.

A glass of wine was thrust in front of me, blocking my view of Nolan. Sophie's smile was starting to unnerve me.

"Vanessa, I'm really sorry about what happened last week. Had I not requested you to drink wine, you might not ended up drinking so much alcohol and causing a scene in the party that ruined your as well as my brother's reputation.”

She handed me her phone, showing me the photos that had been circulating online. "And about these photos...?"

She looked at me with feigned concern. "Is this really you? If it is, who took these photos? You wouldn't...be cheating on my brother, would you?"

“Everyone, please don't believe Vanessa's pictures you have downloaded from the internet. It must be edited. You know the kind of pictures in which they edit the face of someone with another's body?” Sophie announced, looking at the crowd.

“The girl laying naked in that picture had a mole on her right thigh. How about you remove Vanessa’s skirt and let us see?” One of them shouted from the crowd.

“Vanessa, it's a good idea! This way we can prove the woman in that picture is not you, and you have not cheated on my brother.” Sophie said excitedly, “How about you take your clothes off and let us see?”

I felt a shiver run down my spine with their humiliating words. I turned to Nolan, hoping he would stop everything. But, he remained calm on his seat, grinning as his friends continued insulting me.

“Nolan…” I whispered, my voice hoarse, “Aren't you going to do anything?”

Nolan got up from his seat and walked up to me. I took a sigh of relief, hoping he would at least not let me be humiliated in front of his eyes.

However, all my hope shattered with his remarks when he said in a calm voice, “Sophie is only trying to help you, Vanessa. If you let them see your thighs, they won't talk bad about you.”

My legs trembled as I watched Nolan in terror.

My boyfriend, whom I had entrusted my life to, was asking me to undress myself in front of his friends.

Just how embarrassing it could be for me?

I remained still at my place, staring at Nolan in a daze. Meanwhile, Sophie glanced at Nolan and then at the crowd as she continued,

“It seems like Vanessa is afraid of something, or maybe I’m wrong. She is just shy, right Vanessa?”

“Or else why would you refuse to clear your image?” She added, her voice sarcastic.

“It's because she is guilty!” Someone yelled, “She got laid with someone else. She cheated on Nolan, and is now afraid of being called out. That's why she is not undressing herself.”

“It's okay if Vanessa doesn't want to show her thighs to us. My brother definitely believes her. Please, don’t force her.” Sophie remarked.

I did not feel like I could stay a little longer on my legs. So, I turned to Nolan and said, my voice indifferent, “I want to go home. I’m tired, Nolan.”

Before Nolan could respond, Sophie jumped in our conversation and said, “How can you leave Vanessa? The party has just started and you haven't taken anything yet.”

As if I cared!

I scanned the hall through my eyes and realized there wasn't anything available other than several kinds of drinks.

“Come on, have a drink, Vanessa, and let's forget about it!" Sophie pouted before she pushed the wine glass towards me again. "We can't let you leave hungry or thirsty."

Nolan intervened, his voice smooth. "You drink it, Vanessa. With this drink, let's forget everything that happened in the past."

I felt a surge of anger at his words. It was laughable that he thought I would believe everything he says.

I took the wine glass, my eyes locked on Nolan's. "If I drink this, can I leave?"

Nolan hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you can leave after you drink it."

The wine burned my throat as I downed it in one gulp. I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me as I stood up to leave.

This time, no one stopped me.

As I reached for the door handle, my body suddenly gave out, and I slumped to the ground. The room erupted in cheers and laughter, and I was surrounded by the jeering crowd.

My vision blurred, and I couldn't breathe. I looked up at Nolan, who was calmly serving wine to Sophie.

"Did you...did you drug me?" I stuttered.

The man who had grabbed my wrist earlier sneered at me, blowing smoke in my face. "This is called water of shame, sweetheart.”

“You'll do whatever we say after drinking it. We are going to make you kneel before Nolan and accept that you are a b*tch who slept with another guy, cheating over our friend, Nolan."

Before I could turn to leave, someone hit me on my knees and made me fall in front of Nolan.

“Where are you running, bitch? Now you have to accept it with your own mouth that you cheated on Nolan but he is kind enough to forget the past for the sake of his love for you.”

The sharp whistling pierced my eardrums, making me tremble all over. "Come on, slut, kneel down and lick Nolan's feet!"

“After you are done apologizing, come serve us on our bed. Don't worry, Nolan would not mind, it's your punishment.”

“You have already laid with another man before, what's wrong in laying with one more?”

“Don't worry, Nolan wouldn't mind if you serve his friends. Come on baby, undress yourself to let us have a close look at your slutty body.”

I bit my tongue, trying to appeal to Nolan for help. "Nolan, take me home, please..." Don't humiliate me like this.

But his indifferent gaze and Sophie's mocking smile made me realize I was completely at their mercy.

Suddenly, the sight before my eyesight became blank. I lost my consciousness.

When I came back to my senses, I was lying in a masterbed of a strange room, my body aching all over.

Shivers ran down my spine as I peeped through my blanket.

I was completely naked!

Within a few seconds, I scanned the whole room through my eyes. The room didn't have any particular item that could belong to someone which meant it was a hotel room.

Only the wrappers of the condom were lying on the side table. Hesitantly, I reached out to them as I picked up the package, my hands trembling in fear.

My eyes popped out in terror as I found four out of five packets were opened. The used condoms were lying in the trash lying just next to the side table.

I clenched the bedsheet in my hands in disgust as Nolan’s friends’ words echoed in my head.

“Only five of us are present today, Nolan. How about you give us each a round. You have your sweetheart by your side anyway. Let us take care of your toy tonight. Don't worry, we will not exhaust her too much.”

“We have recorded the video of her accepting all the crimes she has never committed. Don't you think you should reward us with a round with her?”

These were the last words I heard before I lost my consciousness.

I felt dizzy just thinking about what had happened to me last night.

I barely managed to stand on my feet as I quickly grabbed my clothes that were scattered all around the floor.

Before I could muster up all my emotions and burst into tears I heard the sound of water drops falling from the shower.

My legs trembled as I watched the fifth condom lying on the table unused.

There was a man in the washroom, getting ready to humiliate me in the bed once again.

I rushed up.

I wiped the corner of my eyes and put my clothes on as fast as I could. There was no way that I would let them harm me anymore.

I had had enough of Nolan and his friends. There was a limit to everything.

Just as the sound stopped coming from the washroom, I pulled open the door of the room and walked out.

With each step I walked forward, I didn't even turn to look back. I was walking in so much haste that I almost fell on the entrance after reaching home.

Just then a man in his boots stopped by me.

It was Nolan, his expression warm and gentle, just like before.

"Feeling better?" he asked. "You passed out after drinking two sips of wine yesterday. You scared me to death."

Sophie popped out from behind and pouted. While touching my forehead she said, "Don't worry, brother, Vanessa is fine."

I stared blankly at both of them, fragments of memories from the previous night flashing through my mind.

The dress I had worn was now torn and dirty. I remembered it being torn apart when I was forced to kneel and lick his boots like a dog.

Nolan was telling me something, but I could not hear him properly. I was too drunk. After a while, he left with Sophie, leaving me on the mercy of his drunk friends.

"You rest well. I'll come back to see you later. Let Sophie know if you want anything to eat."

Nolan's words pulled me back from the horror of the last night.

I did not respond to his words and quietly walked into my room.

I lay in bed for a long time, the memories of the previous night's humiliation still haunting me.

Finally, I got up and found my phone and opened the social media account. Someone had taken pictures of me kneeling and licking boots of all the men in the party like a dog and posted them online.

Although the post was quickly deleted, many people had already saved the photos. The original poster even offered to share videos via private messages.

My personal information had also been leaked, and I received a barrage of obscene messages and calls.

"How much for a night?"

"What's your address?"

"Is it free?"

“Your licking skills are good, can you lick something else other than boots?”

"Can you handle multiple guys?"

I stared blankly at the vile comments before I took off the sim card from my phone and threw it in the trash.

I put a spare sim card on my phone that I had kept with me for years, and called my parents. They had been going frantic with worry.

I felt a lump in my throat, but I couldn't cry.

"Mom, Dad, Do you recognise my voice? Can I come find you now?"

I didn't want to wait any longer.

My parents were silent, probably in shock after hearing from me years later or they were speechless, seeing the news about me online.

I felt like I was being skinned alive, standing naked in front of everyone's mocking gaze.

"Vanessa, come find Mom and Dad. We'll take care of everything."

I burst into tears after listening to my Mom's voice.

“Thanks, Mom and Dad!” I barely managed to whisper before I hung up.

I didn't waste a second as I packed my luggage and left Nolan's apartment.

Before boarding the plane, a sharp ringing sound caught me off-guard.

I saw Nolan's name on the screen. I immediately blocked his number, and turned off my phone.