Chapter 3 - The Million-View Humiliation and the Morning After the Nightmare
The rain was pouring in sheets by the time the black Maybach pulled up to Delaney’s modest apartment building.
The ride had been silent, but not uncomfortable.
Salvatore hadn't interrogated her.
He hadn't offered fake platitudes or told her that "words don't hurt."
He had simply handed her a silk handkerchief from his breast pocket and ordered the driver to keep the heat on high.
“Thank you, Mr. Vance,” Delaney said quietly as the car idled by the curb.
Salvatore looked at her in the dim interior light.
“Get some rest tonight, Delaney.”
“I’ll try.”
“Do not check your phone.”
She offered a weak, bittersweet smile.
“You know I will.”
“Then remember one thing,” Salvatore said, his gray eyes locking onto hers with unwavering certainty. “Cruelty is the weapon of the insecure. Do not let small people make you feel small.”
Those words echoed in her mind as she climbed the stairs to her third-floor apartment.
When she locked the door behind her, the silence of her living room hit her like a physical blow.
She stripped off the emerald dress, threw it into the back of her closet, and put on an oversized flannel shirt.
She sat on her bed.
Her phone was vibrating endlessly.
Notifications flooded the screen.
Texts from old high school acquaintances.
Instagram DMs.
Missed calls.
Delaney took a deep breath and opened the app.
The video was everywhere.
Someone had screen-recorded Daphne’s live stream before it was cut off.
It had gone completely viral on TikTok, Instagram, and X.
Ten million views in four hours.
The comments were a brutal battleground.
Some mocked Delaney’s weight.
Others defended her and attacked Jared.
But the real firestorm was Daphne.
Daphne had already posted an "apology" video on her main story.
She was sitting in her lavish white living room, wearing a cream sweater, her hair perfectly tousled, wiping away an imaginary tear.
“Guys, I am so heartbroken right now,” Daphne sniffled in the video. “It was supposed to be a lighthearted prank between sisters. Delaney has always had trouble putting herself out there, and Jared was just supposed to tease her into having some fun. I never meant for anyone to get upset. Delaney, if you’re seeing this, I love you so much. Please call me.”
Delaney stared at the screen.
The absolute audacity.
The calculated, manipulative victimhood.
Daphne hadn't just thrown her to the wolves; she was now using the backlash to gain another million followers.
A message popped up on Delaney’s screen.
It was from Daphne.
Daphne: Delaney, pick up the phone! You’re ruining my brand. Why the hell was Salvatore Vance at your table? Tell me what happened right now!
Delaney’s hands trembled.
For ten years, she had swallowed every insult.
She had stayed quiet at Thanksgiving dinners when Daphne commented on her portion sizes.
She had smiled through every backhanded compliment.
She had made herself invisible so Daphne could shine.
And this was her reward.
Delaney typed a single reply:
Delaney: Never contact me again.
May you like
She blocked the number.
Then, she turned off her phone, pulled the blanket over her head, and let the tears fall until sleep finally took her.
Related Stories
