By Monday, Michelle thought it was over.
She had told Steve everything. Ryan was gone. Their relationship had survived. For the first time in days, she walked into class with her head held high.
But peace, as she was learning, rarely lasted long.
It began with whispers again — not loud this time, but sharp, slithering.
"...Did you hear what her ex said?""Apparently she was still talking to him before that photo dropped.""Poor Steve. Dude has no idea."
Michelle paused in the hallway, her heart skipping.
Someone was talking. Spreading lies.
By the time lunch rolled around, Lila slid into the cafeteria seat across from her, looking grim.
"Okay," she said. "Whoever Ryan is, he's not done messing with your life."
Michelle froze. "What do you mean?"
Lila turned her phone toward her.
A screenshot.
A supposed "chat" — edited, fake — between Michelle and Ryan, with lines like "I miss you too" and "I wish things were different."
The caption?
When girls say they've moved on, but their messages say otherwise. #FakeLove
Michelle's blood ran cold.
"No. No, I never said any of this."
"I believe you," Lila said quickly. "But Steve—he's going to see this. If he hasn't already."
Panic clawed at her throat.
She grabbed her phone and ran.
Steve was sitting on the quad lawn with Jordan and a few teammates. Laughing. Relaxed.
Until he looked up and saw her face.
He stood instantly. "Michelle?"
She held the phone out with shaking hands.
"This isn't real," she breathed. "I didn't write any of that. I don't know how he got screenshots. It's fake. You have to believe me."
Steve took the phone. His eyes scanned the image, brows tightening.
For a moment, her world held its breath.
And then—he exhaled.
"I know," he said softly.
Michelle blinked. "You… believe me?"
"I know what kind of person you are," he said, gently wrapping his arms around her. "And I also know what kind of guy your ex is. This is desperate."
Tears stung her eyes. "I thought maybe this would ruin everything."
"Not a chance."
But the storm wasn't over.
Because that night, someone slipped a printed version of the fake messages under Steve's dorm door — with one line written across the bottom:
She'll break you too.