And so, this is how I ended up living like this...

I lost my job because of panic attacks. Now I barely survive in a rented house, paying with what’s left of my savings. My diet consists of junk food since anxiety leaves me with no other choice. I play video games, sleep, and, well, that’s pretty much all I do every day. I don’t even feel like going out anymore, and if I’m honest, I’m not sure I want to keep living.

Suddenly, Ezechiel stopped rambling and fixed his gaze on his room. He was sitting on the bed, his back resting against the wall, lost in thought.

The pain of everything ending this way was so intense that, at times, he struggled to believe it was real. Especially what had happened with that girl.

How could she do that to me? The question haunted him like a ghost, a constant echo that refused to answer.

If anything tormented him more than the memory, it was the betrayal. He had trusted her, completely opened himself up to her. And she… she took advantage of his naïveté.

For Ezechiel, it was the first time he’d ever had a friend. Actually, it was the first time he’d ever truly talked to a girl. He had never given much importance to those things before.

How pathetic... My first friend, and it ended like this.

His lack of experience in relationships and that girl’s ill intentions had been a fatal combination.

“Ah, my life’s a mess…” he murmured with a grim expression, his eyes fixed on the floor.

He was painfully aware that his situation was a dead end. Hope had vanished, and he couldn’t imagine any path to recovery.

“I’m so bored…” he sighed, breaking the silence.

He raised his eyes to the television, which was still on. It had probably been on for hours, but he couldn’t remember when he’d turned it on.

“I don’t want to play video games anymore…” he muttered, almost as if trying to convince himself.

“That popular fantasy game is getting on my nerves,” he added softly, with a tired grimace.

The only thing I’m good at is that game.

At first, he had found it thrilling. It was a typical fantasy RPG where constant progress and battles against other players were the main draw. But now, all that charm had faded.

Maybe because I played it nonstop for days and days?

The answer was obvious. Yeah, that’s definitely it.

As he tried to figure out something to do to fill the void, an unexpected sound interrupted him.

“Huh? What was that?”

The noise came again. At first, he thought it was coming from outside, but he quickly realized the truth: his stomach was demanding food—or maybe just a way to calm his anxiety.

Ezechiel reluctantly got out of bed. As he did, a thought hit him like a bucket of cold water: he couldn’t head to the fridge. He’d eaten the last sandwich he had a few hours ago.

Oh no, no, no… I can’t believe I’m out of food!

He clutched his head in despair.

I just want to die!

Although the idea of going out didn’t worry him as much, he hated the thought of exercising, even if it was just walking to the store. However, what really disgusted him was interacting with other people. Any conversation felt like a monumental task. In short, Ezechiel had become a professional hermit, especially when it came to socializing.

He walked between piles of trash, carefully lifting his feet to avoid the sharp objects scattered across the floor. Every step was a reminder of how chaotic his life had become. But just before reaching the corner where he kept his clothes for going out, a shrill sound stopped him in his tracks.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Riiin! Riiin! Riiin! Riiin!

“Huh? Not again…”

With a resigned sigh, he turned toward the phone, which kept ringing on the table.

Please, let it not be them again… or some idiot from college making fun of me, he thought, feeling anxiety tighten his chest.

Since he had started receiving threats, Ezechiel had developed a phobia of cell phones, and especially of social media. The worst part was that it wasn’t just threats anymore, but mockery from strangers who seemed to take pleasure in his misery.

Ezechiel’s situation had become quite well-known in his college. The first few days had been hell: messages and calls from unknown numbers kept coming nonstop. They called him everything from "rapist" to "stalker," along with other equally cruel words.

What was the reason for all this? That girl had spread his number all over the college, fueling the hatred and mockery directed at him.

Damn it… Why did it have to come to this?

He moved slowly toward the phone, as if walking toward a trap. His heart was pounding, and his hands were trembling when he picked it up. He looked at the screen apprehensively.

This time, it wasn’t “unknown number” or the girl’s name that appeared on the screen.

It’s my sister!

A spark of joy lit up his face for the first time in days. He didn’t waste a second before answering the call.

“Hey! How are you, brother?” a familiar voice greeted from the other side of the line.

The warmth in those words filled his chest. It was a balm for the constant pain that had been weighing on him.

“Are you eating well? How have you been feeling lately?”

In moments like these, only two people could lighten the burden he carried: his sister and his maid. Both were irreplaceable in his life. However, something in his sister’s tone made him wary.

Normally, her voice was warm and confident, but now it sounded hesitant, as if something serious was happening.

“Hello… hi, sister.” Ezechiel’s voice was barely a whisper, as if he were gathering strength just to speak.

“I’m so happy you called. You have no idea how much I miss you.” He tried to sound upbeat, but his tone betrayed just how much he needed this call.

“I was just about to go buy something…” he began, but his sister’s voice cut him off abruptly, shifting from warm to serious and tense.

“Brother, we’ve just received a sexual harassment complaint.”

The news struck like lightning, freezing every part of Ezechiel’s body.

“Thanks to the fact that you told us beforehand, we were able to prepare to defend you, but…”

The silence that followed was unbearable, heavy as lead.

“But…?” he asked timidly, his voice barely audible.

“Things have gotten out of hand. Dad’s furious because keeping the complaint under wraps is no longer an option. The media is getting involved, and he says there’s nothing more to be done. In fact, he asked me to call you and tell you to come home immediately.”

Ezechiel felt something inside him break.

“I’m sorry, brother.” Her voice sounded defeated, laden with a sadness that made his soul tremble.

“Why are you apologizing, sister…?” he asked in a trembling voice. Fear and confusion were overtaking him.

He understood what was happening but didn’t want to accept it. His legs were shaking, his arms felt like jelly. He could barely stand.

“I’m so sorry, brother. Dad gave up. He paid a settlement to make the problem go away quickly and avoid trouble for the company. So… the police have issued an arrest warrant.”

“What…?” It was the only word he could manage.

“If you don’t come now, the police will come looking for you.”

Ezechiel’s legs finally gave out. He fell to his knees with a dull thud, the phone slipping from his hand.

“I’m so sorry, brother! I’m so, so sorry!” his sister repeated on the other end, her voice breaking more with every word.

“I did everything I could to stop this…” she added, her tone drenched in helplessness and pain.

Ezechiel’s world was collapsing. The room felt smaller, oppressive. His head spun, his vision blurred.

He wanted to scream, wanted to curse the world, but no words came out.

He was furious, powerless. Hot tears streamed down his face as the weight of reality crushed him.

“What do you mean you did everything you could!?” Ezechiel shouted, unable to contain his fury.

“You did nothing!”

The pain was transforming into pure rage, burning him from the inside.

“You probably sold me out, just like that damned father!”

“You probably don’t even believe me!”

“Right now, you’re probably thinking I’m some disgusting stalker or rapist!”

The words shot out like poisoned arrows, one after another, laden with desperation.

“Everyone thinks the same!”

"Everyone hates me!"

"No one wants to let me be happy, not even once in my life!"

Finally, his voice broke. The tears started falling uncontrollably.

"Why doesn’t anyone love me…?"

On the other end of the line, his sister kept apologizing. Her words were soft, broken, almost inaudible between Ezechiel’s cries and shouts. But he couldn’t hear her. His mind was consumed by pain and frustration.

After what felt like an eternity, Ezechiel reached out with a trembling hand toward the phone. With a sharp motion, he ended the call.

Ezechiel remained still, still kneeling in the middle of the mountain of trash that littered the floor of his room. His sister’s words echoed in his mind, blending with his own: “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Deep down, he knew she wasn’t lying.

What have I done…? he thought, covering his face with his hands.

Guilt began to seep through the rage, tearing him apart from within. It was true that it wasn’t her fault, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself from unloading all his pain onto her.

-TO BE CONTINUED-