When a "Free Latte" Turned Into a Nightmare

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My roommate was a scholarship student, a bit slow on the uptake when it came to people.

One afternoon, as we were passing the campus gates, her eyes fixed on a couple of drinks sitting on the hood of a car parked by the curb.

Look, free drinks, she said, already starting to walk over. They must be giving them away. Im gonna grab one.

I quickly grabbed her arm, my voice a low hiss. "You can't just take those. Around here, a drink on a car like that its a signal, it means something else..."

The warning went straight through her. She shook my hand off. "You're overthinking it. Why else would they leave them out if not for people to drink?"

"Don't be so cynical, always assuming the worst in people." She picked up a bottle, a premium iced latte, and took a long swig right in front of me.

Then she turned to me, a smirk on her face. "You know, you're one of those people from the internet. The ones with a one-track mind. You twist everything into something about sex. Are you that desperate for a guy?"

"Just because a man exists doesn't mean he's thinking about you," she added dismissively.

But what she didn't see, what she couldn't see, was the man behind the tinted window of that car, his predatory gaze fixed on her as she drank.

"I'm a little thirsty. There are some drinks on that car, I'm just going to grab one."

As we walked by the main gate, my roommate, Jenna, suddenly stopped, pointing a finger at a black sedan parked on the street.

I followed her gaze and my stomach tightened. I knew that car. It was parked here almost every day.

"You can't just take a drink off a car like that!" I whispered urgently, pulling her back. "It's a code. 'Having a drink with him' is a twisted way of saying 'sleep with him'..."

Jenna yanked her arm away, her expression a mask of pure innocence. "What code? They're obviously just free for anyone passing by."

I held onto her sleeve, my tone firm. "Let's not drink something from a stranger. There's a convenience store right there"

Jenna cut me off, her voice taking on a lecturing tone. "Sarah, you're just too sensitive. You always think people have some dirty ulterior motive. You should learn to be less uptight, you know? Stop being so suspicious of everything. Doesn't it get exhausting?"

I frowned, trying to explain the grim reality of it. "Haven't you heard about this? Different drinks mean different prices. Bottled water is like, twenty bucks. Iced tea is eighty. A premium iced latte"

But Jenna cut me off again, her face a canvas of impatience. "Enough! You know what you are? You're exactly what they talk about online. Someone who sees sex in everything! Are you just so single and lonely that all you can think about is men?"

Her voice was loud. A few students walking past shot me strange looks.

Before I could respond, she gave me a disdainful glance. "I'm just thirsty. Don't project your own desperate, filthy thoughts onto me!"

With that, she practically skipped over to the black sedan.

She stood before the car, making a show of choosing her beverage before finally settling on the iced latte.

My blood ran cold. The latte was the highest tier. It meant anything goes.

Suddenly, the car's window slid down with a soft whir.

A middle-aged man's face appeared, a greasy smile plastered on it. "Well, how's it taste, little lady?"

Jenna, far from being alarmed, bent down slightly, flashing the man a brilliant smile. "Oh, are these yours, mister? Thank you so much! I was so thirsty."

I watched in horror as the mans eyes, unabashed and predatory, fixated on the neckline of Jenna's shirt. Alarm bells screamed in my head. She was my roommate. I couldn't just stand by and watch her walk into a trap.

I rushed forward and grabbed her arm with force. "Jenna, we're going back to the dorm. Now!"

She reacted with disgust, flinging my hand off with such strength that I stumbled and fell to the pavement. The rough concrete scraped my skin, sending a sharp, stinging pain up my arm.

The man in the car feigned concern. "Whoa, what's all this about?"

Jenna immediately turned on me. "Don't mind her. She's my roommate, the one with the one-track mind. Everything is about sex to her. A bottle of water makes her think of sleeping with someone, a man makes her think of getting paid for it."

The man let out a booming, patronizing laugh. "I didn't realize college girls these days were so dirty-minded. Getting all hot and bothered over a bottle of water, ha!"

Jenna, as if shed found a kindred spirit, eagerly agreed. "Exactly! I don't know where she gets the confidence, acting like every man in the world wants to sleep with her!"

The man nodded along, his words stroking Jenna's ego until she was beaming. He pushed his door open. "Well now, little lady, seeing as we've had such a fateful meeting, how about we go grab a bite to eat?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Jenna chirped, "I'd love to!"

The black sedan peeled away from the curb, leaving me in a cloud of exhaust.

I pushed myself up from the ground, the raw scrapes on my hand burning. I didn't bother with her anymore. I just walked back to the dorm alone.

I had tried to help. Im not a saint. If she was so convinced he was a good guy, then let her find out for herself what kind of "good thing" her determined obliviousness had attracted.

That night, Jenna returned to the dorm draped in designer labels, her arms loaded with shopping bags. "Girls, come look! It's all designer!"

Our other two roommates immediately swarmed her. "Oh my God, Jenna, is that the new C&V handbag? Did you win the lottery?"

"That thing must be worth thousands! Where did you get the money?"

Jenna was the only student in our major on a full scholarship, scraping by each month on aid and a part-time job. A single one of those bags was a luxury for a normal person, let alone for her.

She smugly flicked her newly permed hair. "Rick gave them to me. I told him not to, but he just insisted"

I sat on my bed, headphones on, not even glancing up from my phone.

My indifference clearly annoyed her. She raised her voice, letting a mocking tone drip from her words. "Sarah, weren't you the one trying to stop me today? Going on about how taking his drink meant I had to sleep with him?"

"Rick is just a genuinely nice guy! Unlike some people, who only think about whats in a guys pants. Always seeing the worst in men!"

I finally looked at her, my expression flat. "A guy you met today is dropping thousands of dollars on you. You think that's normal?"

"Rick's rich! He can do what he wants!" she shot back, completely unfazed.

The other two roommates started to look uneasy. "Jenna, you only met him today" one said quietly.

"Yeah," the other added, "he's a total stranger. Giving you such expensive gifts it just feels a little"

Jennas patience snapped. "Rick's a big-shot businessman! He makes tens of thousands a day. This is nothing to him!"

One of the roommates hesitated, then asked, "But did he do anything to you? Or ask for anything weird?"

Jennas face twisted in disgust. "You're asking if we slept together, aren't you? God, is that all you people can think about?"

She raised her voice again, her eyes darting in my direction. "Do you all really think every man on the planet is dying to sleep with you? Get over yourselves! Rick said he could tell the moment he saw me that I was pure. Not like other scheming, entitled girls!"

That shut the other roommates up.

I expected this. I just never imagined she'd twist my warning into an act of jealousy.

Fine.

Whatever sweetness she was tasting now would have to be paid for later. And it wouldn't be me footing the bill.

I had no interest in arguing. I just grabbed my towel and headed for the shower.

I had just stepped out, wrapped in a towel, when there was a sharp knock on our dorm room door.

I froze. "Who could that be? It's so late."

But Jenna seemed to know exactly who it was. With a triumphant little hum, she sauntered over to open it.

Standing in the hallway was the middle-aged man from the campus gate. Rick.

He hadn't just come onto campus. He was inside the women's dorm.

Jennas voice was sickly sweet. "Rick, I told you to go home. You didn't have to come all the way here to see me. Look, is the new dress you bought me a good fit?"

My mind went blank for a second, then filled with a roaring anger. "Jenna, you brought a man into the women's dorm!"

She stared at me as if I were the crazy one. "What's the big deal? Don't be so dramatic."

I was trembling with rage. "This is a women's dorm! Men aren't allowed in here, don't you know that?"

She shrugged, completely unconcerned. "He's not a stranger, he's my friend. Besides, I had him come up the back stairs. No one saw anything."

I was so furious I could barely breathe. "You"

Her eyes suddenly narrowed as they swept over me, her expression turning strange. "Why are you dressed like that?"

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Are you serious? I just got out of the shower!"

Jenna just pouted and turned to Rick to complain. "See, Rick? She's just standing there in a towel, not even trying to cover up. Do you think she's doing it on purpose? Trying to put on a show for you?"

Rick didnt say a word, but his eyes slid over to me. They lingered on the edge of my towel with a predatory gleam that made my skin crawl. I instinctively took a step back.

Rick smirked, a greasy, knowing look on his face. He played dumb. "So this is that roommate you were telling me about?"

Jenna nodded eagerly. "That's her. The one who tried to stop me from drinking your water this afternoon. She even had a price tag for every single drink" She burst out laughing. "Isn't that ridiculous?"

Rick's gaze landed on me again, heavier and slimier than before.

I had no time to waste on these two lunatics. I turned to grab my phone from my desk. I was calling the dorm supervisor. A man in the women's dorm? The school had to do something!

Jenna's face fell. She lunged forward and snatched my phone.

Then, she tossed a designer bag at me, her voice dripping with condescension. "If you keep your mouth shut, you can have this one. It's way more expensive than the ones I gave them. Don't be an idiot."

I glanced at our other two roommates. They were hiding behind their bed curtains, silent. It was clear they had already accepted Jenna's terms.

Rage burned through me. There was no way I was backing down. So what if she took my phone? I'd just go find the dorm supervisor myself.

I had barely reached the door when a fat, sweaty hand clamped down on my arm.

I tried to pull away, my voice sharp. "Let go!"

Rick didn't let go. He tightened his grip, his thumb rubbing against my skin as he grinned. "Not so fast, little beauty. You must be the thirsty roommate Jenna was telling me about?"

I froze. "What?"

His grin widened. "She said your mind is always in the gutter. That you look at every man like he's a potential conquest. I didn't believe her at first."

His eyes dropped down, and he gave me a look that said, I get it now.

"But seeing you all dressed up like this maybe she wasn't wrong. Fresh out of the shower, parading around in a towel? You must have known I was coming. Got yourself all ready for me, didn't you?"

Beside him, Jenna covered her mouth, giggling. "Rick, this afternoon, the first thing she thought when she saw the drinks on your car was that drinking one meant sleeping with you. See? Isn't that all she ever thinks about?"

I summoned all my strength and finally ripped my arm from his grasp.

Just then, Rick pulled out his phone and aimed the camera at me. "Don't cover up. What's wrong with one little picture? Isn't this what you wanted?"

My first instinct was to grab the phone, but if I moved my hands, my towel would slip. I was trapped, forced to hold it in place.

Rick's laughter grew louder. "Oh, don't play shy now."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to be calm.

Then I lifted my chin, my voice ringing out clear and strong. "Go ahead. Take your pictures. I dare you."

"The dorm supervisor's office is right downstairs. All I have to do is scream, and this entire building will hear me. Where do you think you are? This is a university! A man illegally entering a women's dorm, taking indecent photos of a student that's enough to land you in a cell for a few months!"

With every word I spoke, the color drained from Rick's face.

He probably never expected me to fight back so fiercely. Most girls in this situation would be too scared or ashamed to make a scene, let alone scream for help. But my expression was absolute. He finally lost his nerve.

Muttering a curse, he stuffed his phone back in his pocket and stormed out. "What a waste of time!"

The moment Rick was gone, Jenna turned all her fury on me. "Sarah! You scared him off! Are you happy now? He was just here to visit me! He wasn't going to do anything to you! Did you have to be so dramatic? Calling the cops? Are you insane?"

I just looked at her, genuinely wondering if her head was filled with anything but air. This wasn't just being oblivious. This was being an idiot.

She stomped over to my desk, snatched back the designer bag, and shot me a venomous glare. "You can forget about this!"

Then she flounced back to her bed, picked up her phone, and started sending voice messages to Rick. "Rick, baby, don't be mad. My roommate's just a psycho. She's jealous of me"

As the adrenaline faded, a cold clarity washed over me. Reporting this now wouldn't give them the punishment they deserved. Rick was an outsider. Since no actual harm was done, the university couldn't do much, especially if Jenna lied and said he was a visiting relative. The most theyd get was a slap on the wrist.

Besides, I had no proof. The only witnesses, my other two roommates, had been bought off and wouldn't back me up.

I didn't want a slap on the wrist. I wanted them to get what was coming to them.

But I never imagined Jenna would be the one to strike first, running to our academic advisor to report me.

When I was called into the office, Jenna was already there, tears streaming down her face. "Professor, my family is poor. Rick just felt sorry for me and wanted to sponsor my education. But Sarah she's been spreading vicious rumors, telling everyone I have a sugar daddy, that I'm selling my body for money"

Her voice cracked. "The things she's saying are so horrible. I just don't know what to do"

The advisor frowned at me, her face a mask of disappointment. "Sarah, how could you spread such rumors about your roommate? Jenna's financial situation is not something for you to gossip about!"

I tried to explain. "Professor, it's not what she's saying. That man"

The advisor cut me off sharply. "What man? As a young woman, why is your mind so filthy? Someone offers a kind gesture to a student in need, and you twist it into something sordid. I think you're just jealous!"

A few students had gathered by the office door, whispering and pointing at me.

"So that's her. The one who's always saying her roommate has a sugar daddy."

"Tsk, what a nasty piece of work."

Finally, the advisor made her decision. "For maliciously slandering a fellow student and demonstrating poor moral character, your scholarship for this semester is hereby revoked."

Jenna stood to the side, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. She thought she had won.

In the weeks that followed, Jenna was out almost every night, returning with armfuls of luxury shopping bags. She would flaunt her new possessions while taunting me. "Remember when you told me not to drink the water? Bet you regret that now, huh?"

I ignored her, treating her voice like the buzzing of a fly.

Then, one night, she got all dressed up to go out on another one of her dates.

But it wasn't long before she burst back into the dorm, frantic and disheveled. Her hair was a mess, her makeup was smeared, and her expensive designer dress was ripped in several places, revealing the lace edge of her bra.

Her voice was a choked sob, laced with terror. "Sarah please, you have to help me!"