Chapter 2

Jennifer Gray held up one of the photographs, turning it in the light, her lips curling into something between amusement and accusation.

“What is this?” she said.

Her voice laced with mockery as she tilted the picture toward Lisa, just enough for her to see. Her fingers gripped the edges deliberately, like she was handling something fragile. Something dangerous. A grin played at the corners of her mouth as she flicked her gaze from the image back to Lisa, eyes gleaming with unspoken challenge.

“You’ve got some explanation to do.” She taunted.

Jennifer tapped the glossy surface with a slow, deliberate rhythm.

“Unless, of course, you’d rather I figure show this to everyone.” She said

The weight of her words hung in the air, sharp enough to cut. Lisa lunged forward, her pulse hammering in her ears as she reached for the photographs in Jennifer’s grip. Desperation fueled her movements. It was wild and reckless as she grabbed at them. Lisa’s fingers just grazed the glossy edges before Jennifer yanked them away. Jennifer’s expression darkened, her smirk twisting into something cruel. And then with a sharp and sudden slap cracked through the room. Lisa’s head snapped to the side, heat blooming across her cheek.

Before she could recover, Jennifer shoved her back, sending Lisa stumbling. Lisa managed to balance herself to prevent her from falling.

“Pathetic,” Jennifer said.

She clutched the photos tighter. Her gaze burned with satisfaction.

“Did you really think you could take them from me?”

Lisa’s breath came fast and uneven, her skin stinging, her heart pounding. The air between them was thick, charged, volatile and neither was willing to back down. Lisa Little’s rage burned hot, blinding her to reason. She yelled and ignored the burn on her cheeks. Lisa hurled herself at Jennifer once more. But her body was smaller and lighter. She was outmatched before she even made contact. Jennifer anticipated the charge. Her stance was steady, her smirk unwavering. With ruthless precision, she drove a fist into Lisa’s stomach. The impact knocking the air from her lungs in an instant. Pain exploded through her core, stealing her breath, her strength.

Lisa’s body folded. Her legs gave way beneath her as she crumpled to the floor. She gasped and clutched at her stomach. She was desperate to inhale, but her lungs refused to cooperate. The world blurred, spots dancing in her vision as she choked on the absence of air.

Jennifer stood over her, victorious, holding the photographs as if they were a trophy.

“Pathetic,” she said.

She watched Lisa struggle. Lisa wheezed. her fingers pressed into the cold floor as she fought to recover. Lisa barely had time to react before Jennifer’s fingers twisted into her hair, yanking her head back with ruthless force. Pain exploded along her scalp, sharp and unforgiving. It forced a strangled gasp from her lips. Her lungs still burned from the blow to her stomach. Each breath shallow and desperate as she fought to recover, but Jennifer was not giving her the chance.

Lisa Little’s fingers curled against the floor. Her mind raced. She tried to summon some defense, anything, but her body refused to cooperate. She was weak, winded, at Jennifer’s mercy. Jennifer crouched slightly. She tightened her grip and forced Lisa to tilt her head back and meet her eyes. There was triumph there, dark and gleaming, satisfaction curling at the edges of Jennifer’s face. With slow and deliberate motion, Jennifer lifted one of the photographs. She hovered it just inches from Lisa’s face. The glossy surface caught the dim light, the image stark, undeniable. Lisa felt the weight of it, the terrible reality pressing against her chest like a vice.

“I have already made copies,” Jennifer said.

She tilted her head and watched Lisa’s reaction with amusement.

“Sent them to a few people, just in case you get any bright ideas.” Jennifer said.

Lisa sucked in a sharp breath. Panic sliced through her. Her mind scrambled for solutions, for escape routes, but the walls were closing in too fast. She could destroy the photos, claw them from Jennifer’s grip, but it would not matter. The damage had already been done. Jennifer tugged at Lisa’s hair once more. Almost thoughtful, before finally releasing her. Jennifer let Lisa collapse onto the floor. Lisa’s arms shook as she braced herself, her breath ragged, her stomach still aching from the earlier blow. But Jennifer wasn’t finished.

“And that little USB drive?” Jennifer said.

She tossed the photograph onto the bed before straightening to her full height.

“Yeah, I made copies of that too. You can break it, burn it, throw it in the ocean. It won’t change a thing.” Jennifer said.

Lisa Little stared up at Jennifer Gray and her pulse hammering in her ears. Her throat felt tight, strangled by the weight of Jennifer’s words. Her hands pressed against the cold floor as if she could ground herself against the overwhelming wave of fear crashing over her. Jennifer sighed, shaking her head as though disappointed.

Lisa barely had time to brace herself before Jennifer spoke again. Jennifer’s voice was smooth, deliberate, and sliced through the silence.

“I’ve seen everything, Lisa,” Jennifer said.

She held one of the photographs between her fingers, turning it slightly, letting the dim light catch its glossy surface.

“The photos, the videos, every single file on that little USB drive of yours.” Jennifer said.

Lisa swallowed hard, nausea tightening in her stomach. Jennifer tilted her head and watched Lisa.

“If you don’t do exactly what I say,” she said.

She tapped her fingers against her arm.

“I’ll make sure these end up in the hands of the press. And not just them. I’ll spread them everywhere. Online, social media, anywhere people will see.” Jennifer said.

Lisa felt the blood drain from her face. A cold, creeping terror wrapped around her chest, making it hard to breathe. Jennifer let the moment stretch. She watched Lisa struggle beneath the weight of the threat. Then she sighed, shaking her head like she was addressing a foolish child.

“Your family would be ruined,” she said.

She shrugged as if it were the most obvious conclusion.

“Their name, their reputation, everything they’ve worked for. It’d be gone. Just like that.” Jennifer said.

Lisa’s stomach twisted into tight knots, each word carving deeper into her chest. Her parents. The life they had built. It would all be tainted, demolished, dragged through the mud because of her. Jennifer leaned in slightly, lowering her voice, her smile sharpening like a blade.

“So, really, you only have one option,” she said.

Jannifer’s gaze locking onto Lisa’s.

“Obey.” Jennifer said.

Lisa stared at Jennifer. Her heart hammered, her breath shallow and uneven. She could feel the walls pressing in, each escape route blocked, every possible defiance crushed under the weight of Jennifer’s certainty. Jennifer straightened, satisfied, crossing her arms as she watched Lisa absorb the reality of her situation.

“The instructions in the box, should we call that number together?” Jennifer said.

Lisa sat motionless on the floor. Her breath was shallow. Her body ached from Jennifer’s assault and the weight of her words. The fight inside her dimmed, drowning beneath the crushing realization. There was no way out. No escape. Jennifer had already set the trap. She tightened every rope. She ensured there was no door left open for Lisa to slip through. The photographs, the videos, the files. Proof of everything. Even if she managed to grab them now, it would not matter. The damage had already been done.

And then there was the looming threat of the law. Jennifer had hinted at it, toyed with it, dangled it like a guillotine ready to drop. Lisa did not know if it was an empty threat or if Jennifer had enough leverage to make it real, but she couldn’t risk it. She could not risk anything. Slowly, Lisa unclenched her fists. Her arms hung limp at her sides. The fight drained from her like water slipping through her fingers. Jennifer watched and knew that she had won. Lisa swallowed hard.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Go take a shower, then I’ll tell you what to do next.” Jennifer said.

Warm water cascaded over Lisa’s skin. Steam curled around her as she stood motionless beneath the steady stream. The heat should have been soothing, washing away the aches and bruises, but her mind refused to quiet. Jennifer had never been her friend. That much was clear. They had shared a dorm, exchanged pleasantries, lived in the same space. However, there had never been anything deeper between them. And yet, Jennifer had always been friendly, always smiling, always seemed normal.