Chapter 5

Sophia's fingers paused mid-air. "You mean Caleb?" "Yeah!" Olivia Bennett spoke anxiously. "Your boyfriend saw the photos those people posted online. Since he majors in computer science, he managed to track down the culprit's IP address and dorm room right away. So, he's rushed straight over to confront them!" She paused to catch her breath. "You should go check on him! I heard he's practically beating the guy to a pulp!" Sophia didn't bother calling the police anymore. She turned and ran out, heading for the boys' dormitory. By the time she arrived, a crowd had already gathered outside. When they saw her, murmurs ensued. The onlookers parted to make way for her. Sophia beheld the scene before her. Caleb had pinned a chubby young man with glasses to the ground, his eyes blazing with fury. His fists rained down on the man's face, one relentless punch after another. The fatso was crying out for mercy, "I was wrong! I shouldn't have edited those photos of your girlfriend! Please, I'm begging you—let me go!" But Caleb seemed deaf to his pleas. His fists only struck harder. The man's face was covered in blood. Eventually, he passed out, yet Caleb didn't stop. Snapping out of her daze, Sophia threw herself forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "That's enough!" she yelled, her voice trembling. "Caleb Lancaster! That's enough!" Only then did his attacks halt. Thereafter, the incident quickly escalated. The other party's parents were ready to press charges. However, upon learning their son had been the one to post the photos, they decided to let the matter drop. Meanwhile, Caleb sustained some injuries himself. Sophia accompanied him to the infirmary to get bandaged. Her voice wavered slightly as she took in the sight of his battered hands. "Caleb, why go this far?" They were only pretending to be a couple, weren't they? Why take it so seriously? Caleb only smiled nonchalantly. "You're my girlfriend. It's my job to protect you if someone bullies you. Don't you agree?" Sophia's expression grew even more conflicted. That afternoon, she had class, so she left not long after. After her lesson and much hesitation, she bought chicken soup before returning to the infirmary. But just as she reached the door, she heard Caleb's friends laughing inside. "Man, Caleb really knows how to play the game. When the beauty trap doesn't cut it, he pulls out the wounded hero act!"