Nathan stood frozen as he scrolled through Sarah's phone, reading the text messages from an unknown number. His fingers trembled as he scrolled back to the top of the conversation, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.
Unknown Number: I just saw you get out of the shower, and it would be a shame if I sent these beautiful pictures you have to everybody I know.
The text was followed by an image—a blurry photo of the outside of Sarah's apartment building, taken from across the street. A chill ran down Nathan's spine. Whoever this was, they were serious.
Nathan's mind raced as he read the next message.
Sarah: Who are you? You're not even in my contacts. How did you get my number?
Unknown Number: Well, if you've been keeping up with the news, you'd know about someone named Bernard Ng. You know, the guy who went viral for promoting 'flying durians' at the Red Dreams concert. We were so mad that our beloved queen Haruka's lips were soiled by that dirty old man that we did some digging. Which is how we found out who his son is… and who he's dating.
Nathan clenched his fists, anger boiling up inside him. These people had gone from mocking his father online to stalking his girlfriend. How had things escalated so quickly?
However, he tried to power through to read the response Sarah had typed back, her response laced with frustration.
Sarah: Oh, I see how it is. You're just mad that he kissed some celebrity girl who would never date you anyway.
Nathan couldn't help but smirk a little at Sarah's bluntness, but his stomach sank as the reply came in almost instantly.
Unknown Number: I'd watch what you say. I was going to delete these pictures for a certain payment, but I can release them right now if you'd prefer.
Sarah: Alright, fine. How much are we talking?
Unknown Number: 20,000 dollars.
Sarah: What the hell? You can't be serious expecting me to pay that much over some photos!
Unknown Number: Oh, I'm serious. Maybe now your boyfriend's dad will learn to never mess with our precious Haruka!
Sarah: You stalked him—you should've already known about his schizophrenia and dementia.
Unknown Number: Oh, I already know. But that's no excuse. And by the way, Haruka's planning to sue the 'Durian Man' for ruining her career. She's going to make sure he pays for what he did.
Nathan's heart sank as he read the last message. The thought of his father being dragged into court, facing a lawsuit on top of everything else, was almost too much to bear. And Sarah… she was caught up in this mess just because she was connected to him.
The rest of the messages were just insults and threats, all sent from the same unknown number. Sarah had stopped responding, clearly overwhelmed by the situation.
Nathan handed the phone back to her, feeling helpless. He had no idea what to say, no idea how to make any of this right.
"I… I'm so sorry, Sarah," he said quietly. "You shouldn't have to go through this. None of this is your fault. It's because of me, because of my dad…"
Sarah shook her head, her voice filled with a mixture of fear, but her eyes showing a sense of understanding. "Nathan, this isn't your fault. It's not your dad's fault, either. These people… they're just trying to scare us."
Nathan looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "I like you a lot," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "but being with me has caused so many problems for you. I wouldn't blame you if… if you wanted to leave me."
The words were heavy, and Nathan hated himself for even saying them. But he couldn't deny the truth. Sarah deserved better than this—better than the chaos that followed him and his father.
But Sarah's response was immediate. "I'm not leaving you, Nathan," she said firmly. "I don't know how we're going to make things better, but we've got to try. Even if it's one step at a time."
Nathan looked up at her, surprised by her unwavering resolve. "I'm flattered that you still want to be with me," he said, his voice shaky, "but it feels like… a crazy choice."
Sarah smiled softly, a hint of humor breaking through the tension. "Nothing is normal, Nathan. Not you, not me, not anyone. We're all a little crazy in our own way. We're all mixed-up."
Nathan nodded, the weight in his chest lifting just a little. "Yeah, we're all mixed-up," he echoed, feeling a small boost in his spirit.
They stood there in silence for a moment, letting the words sink in. The night was creeping in, and the sky outside was darkening. Nathan glanced at the clock on his phone—it was almost 19:00. The hours had slipped away while they dealt with the latest crisis.
Nathan's mind raced as he considered their options. They couldn't just ignore the blackmail, but they also couldn't let this guy win. An idea began to form, and he turned to Sarah, his expression serious. "We're not paying him," Nathan said. "But here's what I think we should do. Text him back, say you want to meet up in person to hand over the money. Tell him you don't want there to be an error when transferring the money digitally."
Sarah looked at him, confused. "And then what?"
"When you set up the time and place, I'll be the one who shows up," Nathan explained. "And I'll call the police to meet me there. We'll catch this guy in the act. But I'll need your phone as evidence for the police."
Sarah's eyes widened. "You want to confront him?"
"Yeah. I don't see any other way to stop this," Nathan said, his voice steady. "We can't let him get away with this, and I don't want you living in fear because of some coward hiding behind a phone."
Sarah nodded slowly, her fingers tightening around her phone. "Okay. I'll do it. But Nathan… be careful."
"I will," Nathan promised. "I'll be back at the apartment tonight. We'll work out the details, and then we'll take it from there."
Nathan paused for a moment, then gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm just glad it's a Saturday," he said, his tone softening. "So I should be available most of the day tomorrow. And if the meetup is during the week, I can try to talk with my boss to get the time off."