Falling for the Goddess

Targeted Online

Sara Hart clicked on the post, the title glaring back at her with sensational, eye-catching boldness:

"A Female University Student Known for Breaking Up Relationships: A Socialite in Disguise with a Chaotic Personal Life."

The post began with a narrative from the perspective of an alleged victim:

"She and I were high school classmates. Back then, she would pretend to be innocent while secretly seducing wealthy boys. My boyfriend at the time was lured away by her shamelessness, and we broke up because of her."

"I had moved on and forgotten about this until I recently saw her again. She hasn't changed. She still latches onto wealthy men, even sleeping with them to get what she wants."

The post included photos as evidence.

One showed Sara stepping out of a blue Koenigsegg. Another was a surveillance image from a pharmacy, highlighting a box of contraceptives in her hand.

The post continued with several more images: Sara stepping out of a Maybach, standing beside a black Bentley, or speaking with different men whose faces were intentionally obscured.

The text insinuated that Sara frequently associated with wealthy second-generation elites, switching from one luxury car to another.

Adding fuel to the fire, the post accused her academic achievements of being fraudulent:
"She supposedly published a paper during her undergraduate studies and is still in school. But how much of her success was earned legitimately? I heard she comes from a modest background in South City. Her parents are divorced, and she grew up with her grandmother. She has nothing to her name but her appearance."

The post concluded with a moral warning:
"I'm sharing this to prevent other women from experiencing what I did. Ladies, beware of her, and gentlemen, don't be deceived."

The original post was published on her university's forum, ensuring that many who knew Sara would see it.

Comments quickly flooded in:

"Wait, I know her! She's really good at research—our professor even praised her. But yeah, lots of guys seem to like her."

"I was her high school classmate. She always acted aloof, rarely talked to anyone, but the boys were all over her."

"Wow, those cars are insane. I've never even seen one in real life."

"She's not even that pretty. Why are so many guys into her?"

"You don't get it. The purer and more innocent they look, the wilder they are behind the scenes. Guys love that contrast."

"I don't know her well, but she doesn't seem like that kind of person. A few pictures don't prove anything."

"You can never truly know someone. Facing temptation like money, morals are hard to keep."

The discussion quickly devolved, with an increasing number of people piling on accusations, assumptions, and outright insults about her character.

Sara pressed the phone's side button, darkening the screen. With the display gone, so too disappeared the barrage of malicious comments and baseless accusations.

"Are you... okay?" Frank Cooper asked hesitantly.

Sara glanced at him. "Do you think I'm the type of person they're saying I am?"

"Of course not!" Frank Cooper immediately replied. "You're always buried in the lab. Where would you find time for any of this nonsense?"

Sara smiled faintly. "That's good to hear. I'll get started on my experiment."

Frank Cooper watched her leave, her calm demeanor leaving him uneasy. He turned to the others. "Did I say something wrong? Her reaction seemed... off."

The others shook their heads.

Those who worked with Sara every day knew her well. While most of her lab mates were male, she never crossed boundaries with anyone. She rarely even asked for help unless absolutely necessary. Her quiet, polite nature made her someone they trusted implicitly.

Sara carried on with her experiments, moving methodically through her tasks as though nothing had happened.

She had a good idea of who was behind the smear campaign and was determined to see how far they intended to take it. She was no stranger to this kind of malice, having endured enough in the past to render her nearly immune.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

At lunch, a senior colleague waited for her, accompanying her to the cafeteria.

As they walked, Sara could feel the weight of stares and whispers around her. The murmurs followed her even after she sat down, fingers pointing discreetly in her direction.

The senior gently reassured her, "They don't know the truth and are just jumping on the bandwagon. Don't let it get to you."

Sara nodded, then changed the subject. "When are you leaving for Germany?"

Her colleague smiled. "Next month. You remembered! In a couple of years, you'll have the chance to apply too."

"Looking forward to it," Sara replied with a small smile.

By afternoon, Sara had returned to her usual routine, analyzing data and reading research papers.

But the situation had escalated. Her senior approached her workstation with visible concern.

"Your personal information has been leaked," she said quietly. "Until this blows over, you should be cautious about your safety."

Sara's heart sank.

Online, her high school photos, academic records, and even her achievements listed on the university's official website had been dug up and disseminated. Even her scholarship announcements were weaponized against her, as trolls flooded forums with accusations:

"How can someone like her represent a prestigious university? She's a disgrace!"

"She probably slept her way to those awards."

"What a shameless gold digger. I hope someone confronts her in person!"

Meanwhile, at 4 AM, Adrian Blake was woken by a furious phone call from his father, Thomas Blake.

"This is the woman you married?" his father roared. "I don't know what your grandmother sees in her, but let me be clear: our family won't tolerate such disgrace!"

Adrian Blake's face darkened, his tone icy. "Father—"

"If you don't divorce her, don't bother coming back to the Blake family!"

With that, the call ended.

Adrian Blake sat in the darkened room, his jaw clenched as his father's angry words echoed in his mind. His mother, Karen Carter, had tried to calm her husband down, but Thomas Blake's fury had not abated.

Tossing his phone aside, Thomas Blake fumed. "What a humiliation!"

Adrian Blake, however, had already turned on his phone to investigate the situation.

When he saw the news about Sara, he read through the post in its entirety, his grip on the phone tightening.

His gaze turned cold and sharp, as though frost had settled in his eyes. Whoever was behind this would pay.