Ruin Me, I Dare You

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911? I need to report a sexual assault. My academic advisor drugged me. I dug my nails into the guy's arm next to me. And he is my eyewitness.

The whole classroom went pin-drop quiet, every single stare pinning me down like a spotlight.

Just sixty seconds ago, Hunter was waving his hands around, bragging to the rest of the guys. "I saw her walking out of Preston's place with my own eyes! Shirt unbuttoned, face flushed!" He was shouting it at the top of his lungs, spreading these slut-shaming rumors like wildfireall because I rejected him when he asked me out.

I had practically begged Preston to step up and clear my name. He just scoffed, looking dismissive. "People have mouths. Let them talk."

So when Hunter started spreading that garbage again today, I leaned right into it. "I was only in my academic advisor's office for less than ten minutes to drop off a paper," I told the dispatcher, keeping my eyes locked on Hunters dead-pale face. "But Hunter has been actively gaslighting me.

He's acting as a witness, telling everyone I was in there for two hours. I suspect I was drugged. I have zero memory of that lost time."

Hunters voice gave out, shaking with pure panic. "Wait, no, I didn't! I was just making it up"

Too late. The piercing wail of police sirens was already echoing from the street below.

Chapter 1

Our academic advisor, Preston, had just snagged his master's degree. He was desperate to fit in with the frat guys on campus, constantly putting on this try-hard "cool older brother" act.

When I walked into the classroom, Hunter was waving his hands around, eagerly broadcasting a fabricated sex scandal about me and Preston. "Preston is the man! Harlow always acts like this innocent little saint, but who knew she's such a freak behind closed doors! She'll do anything!"

Gasps echoed through the room.

"No way. Harlow is super quiet. She doesn't seem like the type."

"Hunter, where did you even hear this? You can't just spread shit like that."

Hunter shot out of his seat, arms flailing, practically spitting as he talked. "I saw it with my own two eyes! A few days ago, they were hooking up in the back row of the multimedia lecture hall.

They almost got caught by the night patrol guard, and I'm the one who covered for them! And last night, Ezra and I had to go to the staff dorms to find Preston. We saw Harlow walking right out of his room, looking flushed."

"Her shirt wasn't even buttoned right, and her face was beet redEzra, back me up here," Hunter continued pressing. "Tell them I'm not making a single word of this up."

Ezra was Hunter's roommate and our class president. People actually trusted his word. Hearing Hunter drag him into it, Ezra pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"I didn't notice anything about her buttons. But we did see Harlow coming out of Preston's room last night, and her face was pretty red. That doesn't really prove anything, though. Hunter, you should probably stop talking."

Ezras weak defense was drowned out by the rising wave of gossip.

"Holy shit, so it's true? I didn't see that coming. I can't believe Harlow is like that."

"Are you guys blind? Look at those tight clothes she wears. A body like that is practically built for hooking up, and you idiots actually treated her like some untouchable angel?"

A few guys eagerly joined in, pressing Hunter for more dirty details. Hunter looked incredibly smug.

"I'm not spilling all my secrets for free. Come on, let's head to the frat party and grab some drinks to celebrate. Who's paying?"

They turned around. I was standing dead center in the classroom doorway, my face stony.

It was like someone hit a mute button. The chatter flatlined.

Every single stare pinned me down like a spotlight. My hands clamped into tight fists, nails biting into my palms.

Hunter flashed an awkward look, scratching the back of his neck before throwing an arm around the guy next to him. "Let's go. Time to eat."

"Stop right there." I stepped right in his path, blocking the door. "What kind of garbage were you just spouting? Say it again to my face."

Hunter stiffened his neck. "What? If you have the guts to do it, why can't people talk about it?"

Hunter took a provocative step forward. His towering frame overshadowed me, his eyes dripping with pure, concentrated malice.

"What exactly did I do? Which one of your eyes saw anything?" I asked, holding his gaze.

"Preston and I have nothing going on. Why are you spreading these baseless lies?"

Chapter 2

My jaw clamped shut, my pulse hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I demanded Hunter show some proof.

Hunter shoved Ezra forward. "The witness is right here. What else do you need?"

Ezra frantically waved his hands in the air. "No, I'm not! I just saw Harlow walking out. I have no idea what they did in that room."

Hunter let out a dark, sleazy chuckle. "You saw how red her face was, didn't you? And her neckline was practically wide open"

He narrowed his eyes, tracking a slow gaze down my face, parking it right on my chest. He bent two fingers, pointing them at his own eyes. "My eyes are a built-in radar. I don't miss a thing."

The guys erupted into a chorus of raucous, filthy laughter. A wave of predatory stares washed over me, accompanied by a sick hum of whispers. The heavy weight of their predatory stares pressed the air out of my lungs. I swallowed hard against the rising bile.

"You're full of shit! Let's go. We're going straight to Preston right now!" I lunged forward and grabbed his arm.

Hunter dramatically jerked back, putting on a gross, exaggerated show. "Whoa, hands off! Preston wouldn't like you touching another guy."

The laughter spiked, bouncing off the walls. I wanted to rip his face off. "Bullshit!" I pointed a shaking finger at him.

"University policy strictly bans academic advisors from hooking up with students. Spreading this kind of trash isn't just dragging me, it's going to get Preston fired! If he loses his job, thats on you!"

The reality check hit the room.

"Oh right, that is a rule."

"Yeah, Preston wouldn't risk that, would he?"

"Hunter, seriously, shut up. What if someone from another class hears you and reports Preston to the board?"

Hunter scoffed, crossing his arms. "I never said they were dating. It's just a hookup. How does a little fun break the rules?"

"Fun your ass!" My patience shattered.

I grabbed the piping hot Americano off the nearest desk and splashed the scalding coffee right onto Hunter's smug face, before hurling the heavy-duty thermos directly into his chest.

Hunter howled in pain, forcefully shoving me back. "Are you psycho?!" he spat, wiping his dripping face.

"I don't give a damn if you're a girl, I'll still knock you out!" He balled up his fists, lunging at me, but a few guys scrambled to grab his shoulders and hold him back.

Realizing things were spiraling out of control, someone bolted out the door to get Preston. By the time he arrived, Ezra had already briefed Preston on the chaos.

Preston stepped into the room, his face dark. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded. "Harlow came to me yesterday to discuss her scholarship. What kind of garbage are you spinning?"

Hunter dropped his head, looking like a beaten dog after the reprimand.

Preston turned to the crowd, raising a hand. "I don't want to hear another word of this from anyone. If this gets out, it's a PR nightmare for the university.

I have a girlfriend. You're acting like a bunch of kids spreading high school drama. Do not put my job on the line for your stupid rumors."

Preston escorted me and Hunter straight to his office. The second the door clicked shut, his tone flipped. He shot me a hard glare.

"What exactly did you do to tick Hunter off?" he pressed. "I know him. He wouldn't pull a stunt like this out of nowhere."

The air was sucked out of my lungs. "What do you mean 'out of nowhere'? He's spreading disgusting sexual rumors about me! Are you saying this is my fault?"

Preston crossed his arms, his expression dead serious. "Why is he only talking about you and not the other girls?

Sometimes you need to look in the mirror and reflect on your own actions. Why are you the victim here, and not someone else?"

I knew Preston hung out with Hunter and the other guys. But seeing him abandon logic? It made my stomach churn. With the office doors shut and no other students around to witness it, he was blatantly handing out a free pass to my abuser right in front of my face.

Chapter 3

Why was Hunter dragging my name through the mud with these filthy rumors? He had asked me out before, and I shut him down hard.

He ordered me boba a few times. I never touched a single drop. I texted him straight up, telling him to back off.

"I have zero interest in you."

He played the "nice guy" routine back then. "It's cool. If we can't date, we can still be friends. It's just a couple of drinks, no need to keep score."

Throwing those drinks away felt like a waste, so my roommates finished them.

Later, when Hunter realized I was a brick wall and he wasn't getting anywhere with me, his fragile ego snapped. First, he demanded I pay him back for the drinks. "You say you didn't drink them, but how do I know? Got any proof?"

I didn't have the energy to entertain his toxic bullshit, so I Venmoed him thirty bucks. "Leave me the hell alone."

He accepted the payment, then immediately fired back: "Stop acting like you're so untouchable. Who actually wants you anyway? With a rack like that, God knows how many guys have already ran through you."

A barrage of disgusting texts followed. I blocked his number and never acknowledged his existence again. Even when we bumped into each other in lectures, I looked right through him. I never expected him to escalate to full-blown slut-shaming.

To cover his own tracks, Hunter flipped the script. He started playing the victim, claiming I led him on, strung him along without committing, and bled his wallet dry. He acted like he was just pushed past his breaking point.

"Preston, I screwed up. I just wanted to teach her a lesson, but I ended up dragging you into it. I'm sorry, man."

Preston gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "It's fine. Guys your age run a little hot, it's totally normal."

Then he whipped his head around and glared at me. "But you, Harlow! A guy's genuine feelings are valuable.

If you don't like him, you should have rejected him with some basic decency. Look at the mess you caused. Are you happy now?"

"I didn't do any of that!" I fought back, clarifying that Hunter and I had zero financial ties. He just bought a few bobas, and I even paid him back.

Before I could finish, Preston slammed his hand on the desk, his eyes dripping with an arrogant, looking-down-his-nose contempt. "Just a few bobas? You talk a big game.

What's your monthly allowance? Those artisanal drinks run seven, eight bucks a pop now. You think that's pocket change?"

Preston ripped into me with a harsh, lecturing tone. Finally, he waved a dismissive hand. "Alright, enough.

You're both at fault here. Apologize to each other and let it go. You're classmates. There's no need to make this so hostile."

Hunter literally fabricated a sex scandal about me, and I was supposed to apologize? My blood boiled, and I refused to swallow this slut-shaming. I pushed back hard, telling him straight to his face that if he was going to blatantly cover for Hunter, I was taking this straight to the university's Title IX office and filing an official report.

Preston's face darkened. "I guess you don't want that scholarship anymore? I already submitted the candidate list.

You think blowing this out of proportion is going to help you? Where there's smoke, there's fire. Don't you think the university board will review your character and reputation?

Go ahead. Report it. Make a scene. Let's see if the administration takes the word of one hysterical girl over mine!"

The weight of his threat hit me like a cinderblock, freezing my next move. He was the academic advisor. He had the whole frat house and most of the student body eating out of the palm of his hand. They would cover for him.

With him shielding Hunter, I was isolated. Even if I dragged this into the light, the most I'd get out of it was a half-assed apology from Hunter. But if I crossed Preston? My full-ride scholarship, the recommendation letters I needed to pledge a top-tier sororityall of it would go up in flames.

Chapter 4

Seeing my hesitation, Preston softened his tone, tossing out a few pacifying lines. "Look, even if you drop this, I'm still making Hunter sign a formal statement to clear my name.

Once that's filed, everyone will obviously know it was all a rumor. You get what you want, so what's the point of blowing it up?" He shot Hunter a pointed look.

Hunter shrugged, offering a highly reluctant half-apology. "Fine. For Preston's sake, I'll drop the apology from you. Are we good now?"

A sour taste lingered in my mouth. But honestly? I knew this was the best outcome I was going to squeeze out of this rigged system.

Preston cracked open his laptop and drafted a formal report. It basically stated that Hunter and I had some minor personal friction, leading Hunter to spread false rumors, and confirming there was zero inappropriate contact between me and Preston.

The printer whirred. Hunter and I both scribbled our signatures at the bottom.

Preston gave a satisfied nod. "With this on file, no one's going to say another word."

I actually thought that was the end of it. I had no idea that very document would become Hunter's get-out-of-jail-free card. Behind my back, he weaponized it. The rumors didn't stopthey multiplied.

His twisted logic? He already apologized. He "paid the price" and admitted his mistake on the record.

What were they going to do, make him sign another paper? He didn't care. Signing his name meant nothing.

He cranked the dial up to ten, spitting out increasingly graphic lies. This time, it wasn't just our lecture hall. The entire campus was whispering that Preston and I were leaving a trail of hookups in the multimedia auditorium, under the bleachers, and down by the lake gazebos.

When a lie gets repeated enough, it starts to sound like the truth. Even the roommates who usually had my back started giving me sideways glances.

One afternoon, Morgan was pacing our dorm room, stressing out. She mentioned that the final shortlist for this semester's full-ride scholarship had supposedly been finalized, and she was terrified her name didn't make the cut.

Bianca rolled her eyes while carefully painting her nails, letting out a sharp, grating laugh. "What's the big deal? Just have Harlow go whisper in Preston's ear while she's in his bed, and you'll find out."

I was lying on my bed scrolling through my phone. I didn't even look up. "Why are you asking me? Morgan, just email him yourself."

Bianca scoffed. "She's not you. She isn't exactly intimate with Preston.

He's not going to spill those secrets to just anyone. We're all sisters here in this dorm, Harlow. Hook us up." Her tone was drenched in passive-aggressive venom.

I locked my phone screen and sat straight up, burning a hole right through Bianca's face. "What exactly does that mean?"

Bianca gave a careless shrug. "Whatever you want it to mean."

"Say it plainly."

Seeing my expression go ice-cold, Bianca dropped the fake smile. She snapped back. "Why are you biting my head off?

If you're bold enough to do it, own it. Don't act like a cheap slut and then try to play the pure, innocent saint!"

The sheer toxicity of her words hit me like a slap. We weren't best friends, but we had coexisted perfectly fine in this dorm. We grabbed each other coffee, shared notes, and never had a single blowout.

When Hunter first started spinning his garbage, the whole dorm had my back. Bianca had literally wrapped an arm around my shoulder, calling him a pathetic loser and telling me to ignore him.

A hot prickle of betrayal burned behind my eyes. "You're actually buying into Hunter's trash?"

"We signed an official report with the advisor. Hunter fully admitted that he"

"Save it!" Bianca cut me off with a sharp sneer.

Chapter 5

"Who even knows if that report is real? None of us have actually seen it!" Bianca snapped.

Morgan chimed in, her voice hesitant but probing. "Yeah, I mean, if Hunter really admitted he was wrong, why is he still out there running his mouth?"

I glared at her, my eyes burning.

Morgan shrank back, hastily waving her hands. "I'm not saying I don't believe you, Harlow! It's just Hunter's getting more and more graphic. Everyone's sayingwell, the other students are saying, not methey're saying that since Hunter is making such a massive scene and Preston hasn't publicly denied anything, then you two you two must actually be hooking up."

That was when the reality hit me. This was far from over. While I thought I was safe, Hunter had been busy spinning a new web of lies right behind my back.

My blood ran cold.

I tossed and turned all night, my stomach tied in a tight, nauseating knot, only managing to close my eyes when the sky started turning gray.

Naturally, I missed the first half of my morning lecture. By the time I rushed to the building, it was already the mid-class break.

Before I even pushed the door open, Hunter's obnoxious, sleazy voice bled through the crack. "Why isn't Harlow here? Isn't it obvious?

She's probably recovering from getting railed all night. Haven't you guys noticed Preston looking a little drained lately? He can't keep up with her!"

The guys erupted into roaring laughter.

Someone asked him what actually happened when Preston dragged us into his office that day. "Didn't Harlow say you guys signed some report proving nothing happened between her and Preston?"

Hunter let out a loud, mocking sigh. "Come on, Preston's our guy. I'm not gonna be the one to get him fired.

As for what really happened if you know, you know!"

The whispers grew even filthier, feeding off his implications.

I stood paralyzed outside the door. My skin felt like it was coated in ice, but a hot, furious pounding echoed in my temples.

I kicked the classroom door open, grabbed the heavy eraser off the podium, and hurled it directly at Hunter's smug face, then lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar, and delivered a solid, ringing slap across his cheek.

Hunter, who had been leaning against a desk, lost his balance and crashed to the floor.

"You're full of shit!" I screamed, my voice raw and breaking.

Tears were streaming down my face. The professor, just walking back from the restroom, froze in shock at the chaos. He immediately suspended the lecture and marched both of us straight to Preston's office.

Between sobs, I practically choked out the words, explaining that Hunter hadn't stopped at all. He was still spreading rumors, and they were more vile and unhinged than before. It had gotten so bad that even my own roommates were making snide remarks.

Preston just leaned back in his chair, his expression indifferent. "People have mouths. You can't control what they say. As long as we know the truth, that's all that matters."

I froze, staring up at him in stunned disbelief. "How can I just ignore it? I'm a girl, and they're talking about me like"

"If you're innocent, you have nothing to worry about!" Preston snapped, his patience clearly gone. "Your roommates live with you. They know your schedule, when you go out, when you come back.

If even they don't believe you, it just proves you're not conducting yourself well enough. So what if people talk? Look, I already handled this for you once.

Stop bothering me with this petty high school drama! If you stir up trouble again, I'm giving you both a disciplinary warning!"

Hunter threw his hands up, playing the victim loud and clear. "Preston, it wasn't me! She's the one making a scene!"

"Watch your mouth too, Hunter. Alright, both of you, get out!"

As we were leaving, Preston had the nerve to add that with all these rumors flying around, he was a victim too, but you didn't see him whining about it, did you? He basically called me narrow-minded and obsessed, suggesting I focus on my academics instead of getting worked up over trivial nonsense. How the hell could he compare our situations?

Chapter 6

When it comes to slut-shaming rumors, the girl always takes the brunt of the hit. Behind my back, everyone was calling me a cheap slut, a whore. But when they brought up Preston? He was "the man," a total legend swimming in women.

With that signed report sitting in his drawer, he had his perfect alibi for the university administration. This whole mess wouldn't leave a single scratch on his career. At the end of the day, I was the only one bleeding.

The realization hit me like a splash of ice water.

The fog cleared.

If I wanted to bury these rumors, I had to dig the grave myself.

I bought a covert voice recorder. The next time Hunter was holding court, painting graphic pictures of my sex life with vivid, fabricated details, I let it roll.

Once I had everything on tape, I marched straight up to him and clamped my hand down hard on his arm.

"You're right!" I announced, my voice cutting through the room. "I slept with Preston last night!"

The entire class gasped. Jaws dropped. Eyes went wide. A collective wave of shock crashed through the room.

"Holy shit, Harlow actually admitted it?"

I gave a firm, unblinking nod. "Yeah. I mean, Hunter wouldn't just pull this stuff out of thin air, right? Preston must have told him all the dirty details behind my back.

Last night, I did go to Preston's dorm to drop off some paperwork. I remember leaving after just a few minutes. But Hunter is swearing up and down that I was in there for two full hours!

There is a massive chunk of missing time. I suspect I was drugged and raped by Preston without my knowledge!"

Right on cue, two uniformed police officers pushed through the classroom door. "Who called in the 911 dispatch?"

I forced my eyes wide, letting the tears spill over. "Officer, it was me!" I dug my fingers deeper into Hunter's arm, gripping him like a lifeline.

"I have a witness right here! Last night, my academic advisor drugged and assaulted me!"

The smug grin slid right off Hunter's face. "What the fuck, Harlow?! Why did you call the cops over a little hookup? Are you a psycho