Chapter 13: Confession Exposed

Back on campus after tutoring, I felt eyes burning into me. Before I could piece it together, Jess called, breathless.

“Ava, you’re trending on the confession page!”

I clicked the link. The top post read:

“Freshman Ava from finance used AI-generated fake photos to catfish people for money and love.”

The post claimed I was ugly, used AI photos to lure guys, dated several at once, and got free tutoring. Even claimed I cheated on the SATs. My worst high school photo—hair greasy, pimples everywhere—sat next to the flawless AI beauty I’d used.

Some girls doubted it, but the comments section was a feeding frenzy:

“Such an ugly catfish.”

“The guys who got tricked will have nightmares.”

“Heard she cheated on the SATs and got caught.”

I scrolled through the hate, reassured Jess, and walked on, face numb, fingers gripping my phone until my knuckles ached.

Downstairs, I ran into Chloe. This year’s scores were so brutal, even her 1510 didn’t get her into MIT—but thanks to Ryan, she landed at a Bay Area school.

“Ava,” Chloe greeted, all fake-sweet. “Where you coming from?”

I shot her a look colder than the moon. “What’s it to you?”

She dropped the act, eyes flashing. “You went to see Ryan, didn’t you? You used a fake photo to trick him for a year. He’s disgusted by you. What makes you think he’d ever want you?”

It was evening, students pouring in and out, most eyes already on me. With Chloe’s voice rising, the crowd swelled, phones out, whispers crackling in the night air.

I grabbed her collar, voice low. “How do you know I used a fake photo?”

She sneered, “Ryan told me—”

Before she could finish, Ryan appeared, weaving through the crowd, his eyes sharp with worry.

He stopped right in front of me. “Ava…”

I cut him off, voice slicing through the tension. “Since you know everything, and you’re already with Chloe, why do you still bother me?”

The crowd pressed closer, phones up. Ryan’s eyes locked on mine, and for a second, it felt like the whole campus was holding its breath.