The Hidden Camera Tattoo - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

The sudden buzz of my phone jolted both me and Sophia apart mid-hug.
As I reached for it, she slid off the bed with a knowing smile.
"Go ahead, Chloe. Handle your stuff. I'll start packing."
I pressed my lips together and nodded, silently grateful for how understanding she was.
Then I saw the message—and my blood ran cold.
A video.
Crisp, high-definition footage of me and Ryan at the tattoo parlor. Every word, every glance, every reckless decision—captured in perfect, damning detail.
Below it, a chilling demand:
"$50,000. Or this goes viral—school-wide, Sophia included. Tell anyone, and your reputation is toast."
My stomach dropped.
Someone had been watching. Recording. Waiting.
And now they had me cornered.
If this got out—my parents' rage, the relentless bullying at school, Sophia's heartbroken betrayal—it would all come crashing down. My life, obliterated in an instant.
My fingers shook as I typed back:
"Please... I won't tell anyone. I'll get the money. Just don't send it."
I scrambled through every account, every hidden stash.
Pathetic.
I collapsed onto the bed, my chest tight with panic. How could I have been so stupid?
Then Sophia's laughter floated in from the hallway, light and effortless.
"Quit it, or I'm canceling tomorrow!"
The contrast was brutal. She was happy. Oblivious.
And I—
I couldn't tell her. Not without watching her face crumple in disgust. Not without my parents' screaming lectures, the humiliation, the fallout.
So I did the only thing I could.
I buried myself under the covers, biting my cheek until I tasted blood, and cried until exhaustion dragged me under.