Hang Up on the Douchebag
You might have started something dangerous.
This is a collaborative choose your own adventure story. Click here for the chapter guide. Go back to chapter 1 by Linden Schneider here. Return to the previous chapter here.
You hang up on the asshole.
Clearly they’re a scammer, or at least a sexual harasser, what the heck.
The BEEP that sounds when you click the red button, should be reassuring, but you feel as though you’ve started something dangerous.
Your partner comes over from the bedroom, and examines your face. “What’s wrong?” Their voice is soft. “Who was that?”
You grit your teeth. “It was some scammer called Valli. They told me some weird story, claiming that I had an affair with them back when my ex cheated on me. Apparently I had been to Vegas and was drunk and crying. Then Valli took me to a hotel, and…” You wrinkle your nose with disgust.
Your partner frowns. They look thoughtful.
You say, “That was a stressful time in my life, back when my ex did that shit. So maybe I’ve forgotten that I had such an episode. Do you remember this ever happening?”
Your partner blinks. “If you did, you never told me.”
You nod, but something about your partner’s attitude gives you pause. “Don’t tell me you believe this story,” you growl.
But your partner shakes their head. “We have many enemies from the past. Maybe Valli was one they hired to mess with our minds.”
And mess with your relationship, you add silently. But you don’t want to say this. Instead, you mop your brow with a sigh. “Regardless, I don’t want to talk about this loser anymore. Our time is too precious to waste on them.”
Your partner nods but you notice a flicker of uncertainty in their gaze.
That day, you and your partner go through your usual day, doing computer and other work. But at around 6 pm, you get a text message from an unknown number.
It reads:
Honey, if you don’t believe me, here’s some evidence that what I said was true.”
In the message, they attached a video clip. You plug in your headphones, and hastily press play.
In the clip, two people have passionate sex in a hotel room. One of them is you, and the other is a man who looks vaguely familiar.
What embarrasses you further, is how arousing this scene is, especially as it’s the kind of sex you want to have that your partner is not into.
You hope your partner won’t notice anything as you text back with anger:
How dare you send me a deep fake video. Anyone can create clips with someone’s face on it these days.
Valli’s response is almost instant.
Hehe, I knew you would say that, you sweet denier. But do you not recognize something in the video? Other than our faces?
You frown as you rewatch the vile video. Even if you secretly enjoy it. You just wish it didn’t involve you.
After some moments, you see it. On the bed beside your bodies, there is a familiar, deep blue shawl. You curse. Then you text:
Just because the video has my old shawl in it, doesn’t mean you didn’t doctor it into the video.
Valli volleys back another message:
Ha! More denials. You know, I can heap up as much evidence as I can, but you won’t believe a shred of them. Yet, you know the truth in your heart.
You grip your forehead and shut your eyes.
Then you get a tap on your shoulder. You startle with a jerk. Your partner stands behind you, peering down at your face. “What’s the matter?” They glance at your phone and smirk. “Are you sexting someone without telling me?”
Before you can holler, your partner snatches your phone away, unplugs the headphones, and presses play.
Shame fills you as your partner watches everything, jaw dropping.
When they finish playing the video, they blink slowly. “What on earth was that?”
“As you can see in the text messages, I told them that this must be a deep fake video,” you protest. “They even managed to put in my old blue shawl, ugh.”
But your partner presses their lips together in thought. “Are you sure this is deepfaked?”
You bristle at their words. “What? Do you think I’m lying?”
Your partner raises their hands placatingly. “No, I’m not implying anything. But — ” They pause as if considering their wording. “I wonder if it is deepfaked. Um, you know, it’s okay for you to have lovers before you met me.”
You grab your scalp. “You’re going to give me a headache. Deepfakes are disgusting. That can’t be me in the video. I don’t even know this person. They must have gotten some X-rated clip and pasted a photo of my face on it.”
Your partner is silent for a while. “I suppose so. But something tells me that this isn’t a deepfake.” They scrunch up their brows. “Are you sure you don’t at least recognize the guy’s face?”
You snarl at this, and you’re also unnerved by your partner’s calm tone of voice. “I don’t recognize this asshole’s face at all.” Something niggles at you, since you are sort of lying. The man in the clip looks a bit familiar, but that doesn’t mean you met him before. Maybe he was a minor actor you saw from a show.
You harrumph and say, “Whatever. I need some fresh air. I’m taking a walk.”
Your partner has a strained expression but doesn’t object.
The park that you head to near your home, is ordinary.
As it’s already 6:40 pm, not as many people are out and about. Which suits you just fine, since you appreciate the peace. Even the long, heavy shadows of the trees are comforting.
At length, you flop down on a bench and gaze off at a pond in the distance.
Then, your phone rings again. You groan as you recognize Valli’s number. But since your partner isn’t around, you pick up. “What do you want?” you bark out.
Valli tittered. “Oh, you poor darling. Claiming that video was deepfaked, seriously. I’m guessing even your partner doesn’t believe you.”
It’s interesting that Valli assumes that your partner must have gotten to peek at the video too.
They continue, “Spouses can be jealous, even if the affair happened before they met you.” A chuckle. “But I want to see you again. Maybe then you’ll remember me.”
“Why should I?” you snap. “I don’t know who you are and you’re probably a fraudster.”
“If you genuinely believed I was a fraudster, you wouldn’t have kept replying to my messages and even picked up the phone the second time.” You can sense their dark smile as they say, “Come on, babe. You know you’re curious. And if you don’t come, well, I might do something I regret.”
You pause. “What on earth does that mean?”
Valli laughs, a creepy sound. “What do you think I mean? I’m sure you will pick the wiser choice.” They pause. “I’ll give you some time. You can text or call me to give me your answer within 24 hours.”
“And if I ignore you?” you demand.
“Then I will do something unthinkable.”
The line goes dead.
What do you do?
- Agree to their request. You don’t want to risk anything bad happening to you or your partner.
- Tell this asshole no. They’re probably just bluffing, like any other scammer.
- Just don’t respond, maybe block their number.
