Chapter 3: Marked

Lexie stood in front of the mirror, her hand shaking slightly as she touched the hem of her skirt. She had spent days agonizing over the tattoo. It felt like a small thing, a gesture for Wildcard4U—a way to keep him satisfied, a way to make the demands stop. He had promised that after this, the blackmail would end. He’d stop threatening her, stop making her feel so powerless.

The tattoo was small, delicate even, but it was placed in such a way that it could never be hidden by her cheer uniform. The design—a tiny, scripted ‘W’—was now permanently inked just above her vulva, a secret that only she and the man who’d coerced her into it would ever know.

Her heart raced as she looked down at the black, fresh ink beneath her fingers. She felt both a sense of shame and excitement coursing through her veins. It wasn’t just a tattoo; it was a mark of ownership. Wildcard4U had claimed her. She had thought she could control the situation, thought that if she just followed his requests, the blackmail would end. But the tattoo—an intimate place for something so public—made it clear she was trapped. There would be no going back from this.

She swallowed hard, looking at her reflection one last time. The skirt she wore for practice hid the ink, just barely. No one would ever know, she told herself. No one would notice the ‘W’ unless they knew where to look.

Lexie exhaled slowly. She thought about how easy it had been to give in, how quickly she had folded under pressure. The worst part was how Wildcard4U made it all feel normal, all too natural. He wasn’t a stranger; he was an older man, someone who seemed to have so much life experience. He made her feel important, special. And now she had this secret that bound them together.

But what did it mean now?

Her phone buzzed on the counter beside her, and her stomach flipped when she saw Wildcard4U’s name. Her heart quickened as she picked up the phone.

“You did it, huh?” his message read. “Good girl. That’s a big step. Now, there’s one more thing to do.”

She stared at the text, her pulse pounding. One more thing? The tattoo was the final step, wasn’t it? But before she could even respond, another message followed.

“You know, those photos you sent me—they’re too good to just sit around. I’m thinking it’s time to make some money off them. They’re a real hit on the site. I bet you’re going to make me a lot of money, sweetheart.”

Lexie froze. Her throat went dry as the full weight of what he meant hit her. He wasn’t just blackmailing her for control anymore—he was profiting off her. He was using her photos on an adult site, exposing her to anyone who cared to look. He was turning her vulnerability into cash, enriching himself at the cost of her dignity.

“What?” Lexie typed, her hands trembling. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’m dead serious,” Wildcard4U replied. “They’re already up. The site’s been pretty active today. You’ve made me a nice little profit.”

The words blurred in front of her as a sick feeling twisted in her gut. Her photos. Her most intimate images, the ones she thought were private, were now out there for anyone to see. Worse yet, Wildcard4U was profiting from her humiliation. He was making money off her pain, off her trust. The idea that this man, someone who had made her feel special, was now using her for his own gain twisted something deep inside her.

Lexie was numb. She couldn’t breathe. She wanted to scream, to do anything to make it stop, but she knew she was stuck. He had the power. He had the leverage. She had no control.

Her mind raced as she thought of what to do next. She had to make him stop. But how? She had already given in. He had already made his threats. There was no going back.

Her phone buzzed again, snapping her from her spiraling thoughts.

“Don’t worry, Lexie,” the message read. “I’m not going to leak them all at once. But we both know what happens if you try to back out now. You’ve made your choice.”

A cold wave of fear washed over her. She had been warned, hadn’t she? But she didn’t think it would go this far. She didn’t think he would actually upload the photos. And now, they were out there—on a site where anyone could find them, anyone could see them.

She felt sick, disgusted by herself. How had it come to this? How had she let herself be used so completely?

But there was no escape. There was no taking it back.

She could feel the eyes of everyone around her now—her teammates, her friends, Jake—all of them were going to find out. She had no idea how they would react. But she knew it wouldn’t be good. She could already hear the whispers, the judgment.

And then, like an echo in her mind, Wildcard4U’s words repeated: “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Just keep doing what I say.”

He had total control now. Lexie couldn’t see a way out.