The next evening, Stacey agreed to meet Sophie. Not because she was ready to forgive—but because she needed answers.
They met at their usual spot—an old, hidden greenhouse on the edge of campus, where they used to sneak off during exam weeks to study in peace. The glass walls, once overrun with ivy and warm sunlight, now seemed colder, the colors dimmer.
Sophie was already there, seated on a bench, hugging herself. She looked like a ghost of the girl Stacey used to know—pale, nervous, wracked with guilt.
Stacey didn't sit. "Talk."
Sophie looked up, swallowing hard. "Daniel and I… we didn't plan it. It wasn't something we wanted to happen. It just—"
"Don't," Stacey cut her off sharply. "Don't give me the cliché. You 'didn't mean to.' You 'couldn't help it.' You're not a victim here."
"I'm not saying I am," Sophie whispered. "I just… I wasn't thinking straight. Things were getting complicated with my family, and Daniel was just… there. We talked, and it got too personal. Too emotional."
"Did you fall for him?" Stacey asked, the words tasting bitter in her mouth.
Sophie hesitated. "I don't know. I thought I did. But now? Now I'm not so sure."
"What does that even mean?"
Sophie stood, her eyes brimming. "It means I was a mess, Stacey. My parents are splitting up. I've been keeping that from everyone. I thought if I could have something that felt stable—even if it was a lie—it would keep me from falling apart."
Stacey felt a flicker of sympathy, but she shoved it aside. "So you decided to steal what was mine?"
Sophie looked genuinely pained. "It wasn't about stealing. It was… about escaping. But it doesn't excuse anything."
Stacey turned away, her chest tightening. "You were supposed to be my best friend."
"I know," Sophie whispered, stepping closer. "And I don't expect things to go back to how they were. But you deserve to know… there's more."
Stacey turned back slowly. "More?"
Sophie nodded. "Daniel told me he was going to break up with you. That he didn't want to lie anymore. But then something changed. He started acting strange, paranoid almost. He told me someone was following him. He thought someone knew about us."
Stacey frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"I didn't believe him at first either," Sophie said quickly. "But a few weeks ago, someone sent me an anonymous message. A photo. Of me and Daniel, kissing. From a distance."
Stacey's heart skipped. "Someone's been watching you?"
Sophie nodded. "It freaked me out. And now I don't think this was just about us betraying you. I think someone wanted you to find out."
For a moment, silence fell between them.
"You think someone set you up?" Stacey asked finally, trying to piece it together.
"I don't know. But I can't shake the feeling that this was orchestrated."
Stacey's mind was racing. Who would want to expose them? And why?
Suddenly, the betrayal took on a new shade—no longer just personal, but calculated. And if someone had been watching, had orchestrated this entire fall from grace... then the real danger might not have been Sophie or Daniel at all.
It might be someone else.
Someone hiding in the shadows.
Watching them all.