1. School

School had become a relentless nightmare for 18-year-old Jake. Ever since his stepbrother Aidan had spread vicious lies about him, Jake’s life had taken a sharp turn into hellish territory. The rumors, fabricated stories of him being a "manipulative creep" and a "stalker," had not only destroyed his reputation but had also turned the entire school against him. Where once he had a few friends, now he was nothing more than a target for the collective scorn of his peers.

At first, the bullying had been subtle. The boys in his class would nudge him, knock into him when he wasn’t looking, sending him stumbling to the floor. Someone would always "accidentally" knock his books out of his hands, only to laugh as he bent down to pick them up. But it wasn’t just physical. Someone had slipped **** lip plumper into his chapstick when his lips were chapped, making him endure hours of swelling and discomfort in the sweltering heat. The insults from the girls, too, were relentless—murmurs behind his back, eye rolls, and whispered comments as he walked by.

But this year, after the summer break, Jake was in for a rude awakening. Things had escalated. What had started as petty pranks had quickly spiraled into something far more sinister. Aidan had kept the fire stoked, spreading more and more damaging lies, making sure no one would offer Jake a hand of kindness.

And now, on this particular day, Jake felt the tension mounting again. The school year had just begun, but he already knew it wouldn’t be any better than the last. He could feel eyes on him wherever he went—snickers and whispers followed him like a dark cloud. Jake had become a living joke.