Chapter 4: The Confession Wall Goes Nuclear

His jaw clenched, hands balled into fists. He looked like he wanted to disappear.

"What did you just call me?"

"Dylan—"

I repeated it, then covered my mouth, acting annoyed with myself.

"Oops, I drank too much. Slip of the tongue."

I let my eyes go wide, feigning embarrassment. Inside, I was grinning.

"Did you just mistake me for Dylan?"

"No, no, babe, how could I have a crush on Dylan..."

I giggled, a little too high, a little too fake. I could feel Carter’s anger simmering under the surface.

Carter stared at me, stunned.

He looked betrayed, confused—like someone had just flipped the board in the middle of his game.

"Maya! Tell me the truth! Did you just spill your real feelings?"

I looked troubled.

I let my lips tremble, eyes darting to the floor. I wanted him to see the doubt, the hesitation.

"Do you really want to know?"

"..."

He nodded, barely breathing.

"Fine, but if I tell you, you can’t get mad."

Carter didn’t have time to turn off the camera before I said, loud and clear:

"Sorry! I only agreed to date you so I could get close to Dylan!"

My voice rang out, sharp and bright. I watched the realization crash over him, watched his ego crumble in real time.

As soon as I finished, I heard a commotion from the next room.

Muffled voices, footsteps pounding down the hall. The whole house seemed to freeze.

Carter bit his lip, staring at me, all the color gone from his face.

He looked like he might cry, or scream, or both. I almost felt bad. Almost.

Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open.

"Maya, I can’t believe you’re so shameless!" Brooke stormed in, fuming. The others crowded in behind her.

Brooke’s cheeks were red, eyes wild. The rest of the group hovered, unsure if they should jump in or just watch the drama.

"I thought you were a good girl—that’s why I introduced you to Carter!"

She pointed at me, voice shaking with fake outrage. I had to fight the urge to laugh.

I looked surprised. "You were eavesdropping?"

I raised an eyebrow, letting my voice go cold. The accusation just hung there, daring her to deny it.

"I wasn’t—"

"Brooke, I can’t believe you’re the type to eavesdrop in a hotel room."

I crossed my arms, waiting for her to dig herself in deeper. The others shifted, suddenly realizing how ridiculous they all looked.

Brooke got flustered and blurted out:

"I wasn’t eavesdropping, everyone saw it! Look, the phone’s right here!"

She snatched the phone from the cabinet, waving it like a smoking gun. Carter lunged for it, but she yanked it out of reach.

Carter tried to stop her, but it was too late.

The screen flashed with the livestream, comments blowing up. The truth was out.

The guys outside all looked uncomfortable. These playboys might mess around in private, but they still cared about their reputations.

No one wanted to get caught in a scandal. I could see the panic in their eyes, the sudden fear of getting dragged down, too.

Brooke’s outburst exposed them all.

The room went dead silent. Everyone was waiting to see what I’d do next. I took a deep breath, ready to finish what I started.

I put on my best shocked face:

"Carter, you secretly filmed me and streamed it to everyone?"

My voice trembled, just enough to sound real. I let my eyes fill with tears, daring anyone to challenge me.

"N-no..."

Carter’s voice was barely there. He looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up.

"Even if I think you’re nothing compared to Dylan, you still shouldn’t have done this."

I turned away, letting my hair fall over my face. The silence was thick as syrup.

Carter: "..."

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"You’re disgusting. We’re done!"

I slapped him, put on my coat, and walked out without looking back.

The sound of my palm hitting his cheek echoed down the hallway. I didn’t slow down, didn’t give anyone a chance to stop me.

Two steps, three steps...

As soon as I turned my back, I lost it. I started laughing.

It just bubbled up—wild, giddy, unstoppable. I pressed a hand to my mouth, shoulders shaking.

Perfect.

Everything went exactly how I wanted. Not only did I crush Carter’s ego in front of everyone, I broke up with him, too.

For the first time in weeks, I felt free. I walked faster, head high.

The more I thought about it, the happier I got.

I practically skipped down the stairs, grinning like an idiot. Let them talk. Let them wonder what I’d do next.

So I didn’t notice someone had been watching me the whole time.

There was a shadow at the end of the hallway, silent and still. I slowed down, suddenly hyper-aware I wasn’t alone.

"What are you laughing at?"

Dylan’s voice came from behind me. My smile froze.

His tone was soft, almost amused. I turned, heart pounding, and saw him leaning against the wall, arms crossed like he’d been there forever.

The guy I just confessed to was right there, watching me. Half his face was in shadow, expression impossible to read.

His eyes glinted in the dim light, giving nothing away. I couldn’t tell if he was mad, impressed, or just entertained.

Tonight’s mess didn’t seem to faze him. Or maybe... he’d seen through my lie from the start.

He looked calm, almost bored, like this kind of drama was just another Tuesday night. Maybe it was.

Liking Dylan was fake. Using him was real.

He was the reason this all started. If it wasn’t him, it would’ve been someone else.

I squared my shoulders, refusing to look away. If he wanted a show, I’d give him one.

"Maya, are you really that happy?"

He squinted, studying me, a half-smile on his lips. I felt exposed, like he could see right through me.

"You’re mistaken. After all this, I don’t even have time to be angry."

I shrugged, trying to sound chill. My voice was steady, but my hands were shaking just a little.

"If you say that, shouldn’t you at least try not to smile?"

He raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching. I bit my lip, fighting the urge to laugh again.

"Oh, maybe it’s just that seeing you makes me happy."

I kept a straight face, lying without blinking.

I watched him, waiting for a reaction. He just chuckled, shaking his head.

Dylan let out a quiet laugh. "You think I’ll buy that?"

His voice was warm, teasing. For a second, the tension broke.

"Why not? After all, you got my photo and didn’t call me out."

I smiled, eyes like crescent moons:

"Come to think of it, that’s our little secret now, isn’t it?"

I winked, letting it hang there. He didn’t answer, but I caught the ghost of a smile.

Dylan said nothing.

He just watched me, eyes thoughtful. I wondered what was going on in his head.

I ignored him and just walked out of the mansion.

The night air was cold, biting against my skin. I took a deep breath, letting it fill my lungs. For the first time in ages, I felt in control.

The next afternoon, Brooke finally came back to the dorm. As soon as she saw me, she said, "Maya, go apologize to Carter."

She slammed the door, face all pinched and dramatic. I didn’t even look up from my homework.

"Why should I?"

I kept my voice flat, refusing to give her the fight she wanted.

"You hurt him too much. We had to comfort him all night."

She flopped onto her bed, sighing like the world was ending. I rolled my eyes.

"What’s that got to do with me?"

I stacked my textbooks, pretending to be busy. Brooke huffed, clearly annoyed.

"Carter was wrong to film you, but he was just messing around—no real harm! But you, two-timing him, isn’t that going too far?"

Her words were sharp, but her eyes darted away. I could tell she didn’t even believe herself.

"Brooke, do you like Carter?"

I asked it quietly, watching her reaction. She stiffened, then shook her head a little too fast.

"No way, we’re just friends! I just can’t stand seeing my buddy get treated like that."

She wouldn’t meet my eyes. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

I thought for a second, then nodded. "Fine, I’ll apologize."

I let the words hang, watching her face light up with relief.

"That’s more like it."

Brooke thought she’d won, looking super satisfied.

She smiled, probably already planning what she’d tell everyone. I let her have it.

That night, I apologized to Carter—on the campus confession wall.

I wrote out the whole story, including Carter’s post and the hidden camera.

My fingers flew over the keyboard, every word a little act of revenge. I attached screenshots, receipts—everything. Let the world see what he’d done.

And, with fake tears, I reflected:

"Even though Carter only chased me because of a bet, I apologize to him.

Even though Carter violated my privacy and secretly filmed me, I apologize to him.

Even though Carter’s always been ambiguous with his female friend Brooke, I apologize to him."

I threw in a crying emoji for good measure, letting the sarcasm drip off every line.

As soon as the post went up, it blew up.

Within minutes, my phone was buzzing nonstop. Likes, comments, shares—everyone wanted in on the drama. I sat back, a grin on my face, and watched Carter’s little empire burn.

That night, everyone at school knew what Carter had done.

By morning, his name was everywhere—on every group chat, every Instagram story, every whispered conversation in the dining hall. For once, the golden boy was exposed—and I was the one who pulled back the curtain.