Jake’s misfortunate events

(PROLOGUE)

Jake tossed and turned in his bed, the restless heat of summer pressing against his skin, making it nearly impossible to sleep. His mind churned with anxiety, replaying the same worries over and over. The source of his unease? Aidan, his stepbrother—Jake’s personal tormentor, the kind of snobby, rich teenager who delighted in making Jake’s life miserable. Aidan was more than just a bully; he was a master manipulator, controlling everyone around him with ease. He had his father, his stepmother, even the entire school wrapped around his finger.

For Jake, it was like living under a constant storm cloud—one that only Aidan could summon at will. The boys at school despised Jake, branding him as a “manipulative creep” with “stalker” tendencies, a label that stuck despite Jake's protests. And as for the girls? They avoided him like the plague, having been convinced by Aidan’s lies that he was a pervert who preyed on them.

No matter where Jake turned, he was the target of humiliation, and Aidan seemed to have an unholy joy in seeing him suffer. Worse still, Aidan had everyone—his father, his stepmother, and even the school—under his control. Any attempt Jake made to reach out for help was met with scorn or indifference, leaving him isolated and abandoned, often the victim of cruelty that was hard to fight back against.

Jake’s only solace lay in the small group of friends he had—Yuna, Daniel, Angela, Niko, and Frank. But even they were only casual acquaintances, people who sat next to him in class for a bit of small talk, their connection with him thin and superficial. It was hard to be more than just a face in the crowd when everyone already saw you as a bully, a stalker, a pervert.

As Jake shifted beneath the thin sheets, the heat of summer felt unbearable. He was wearing just a simple grey t-shirt and underwear, the weight of clothing too much to handle in the sweltering night air. Summer for Jake meant being as bare as possible, stripped of layers, a silent rebellion against the oppressive heat. He’d never been one to sleep with clothes on—he found it unbearable, a feeling of suffocation in the stifling warmth.

Finally, after what felt like hours of restlessness, Jake’s body gave in to exhaustion, and he drifted off to sleep, his breath slow and steady. In that moment of calm, he let go of his worries, unaware of the twisted events waiting for him in the dark hours of the night.

Little did Jake know the misadventures he’d endure…