The Daily Sign-in Rewards System

CHAPTER 13 - BROADCAST OF LIES

Dylan's relaxed expression disappeared instantly.

The livestream thumbnail showed Amber seated beside one of StreamHub's most influential female hosts, while the viewer count displayed beneath the broadcast had already surpassed two hundred thousand people. A bold promotional title stretched across the thumbnail in bright lettering.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CAMPUS INCIDENT EXPOSED

A deep frown settled across Dylan's face.

Curiosity, disbelief, and uneasiness surfaced almost simultaneously.

Although every instinct warned him that opening the stream would only ruin what little peace he had managed to recover, his finger moved almost on its own before pressing the screen.

The broadcast immediately expanded to full display.

The host greeted viewers with her signature professional smile, radiating warmth and sympathy that had undoubtedly contributed to the millions of followers she had accumulated over the years. She possessed a reputation for transforming university scandals into viral nationwide discussions, and tonight's topic had clearly become her latest source of explosive content.

Sitting elegantly beside her was Amber.

She looked absolutely flawless.

Her makeup had been applied professionally, concealing every possible imperfection, while her long hair had been carefully styled to frame her face in the most flattering way imaginable. She wore an elegant white dress that projected innocence and refinement, making her appear less like someone involved in a scandal and more like the victim of one. There wasn't the slightest trace of stress, guilt, or anxiety visible anywhere on her face.

Had Dylan not lived through everything personally, he might have believed the carefully constructed image himself.

The host turned toward Amber with a gentle, reassuring smile.

"So, Amber," she began softly, "everyone has been talking about the incident that occurred on campus. Would you like to share your side of the story with everyone watching tonight?"

Amber lowered her gaze modestly, allowing several strands of hair to fall across her face before releasing a delicate sigh.

Dylan almost laughed.

He knew that expression.

He had seen it countless times throughout the three years they had spent together, and every single time she wore that particular look, it meant she was preparing to manipulate someone.

"Honestly," Amber began quietly, her voice carrying just enough emotion to sound convincing, "I never wanted any of this to become public."

The livestream chat exploded almost immediately.

"She's so sweet."

"Protect Amber at all costs!"

"Poor girl. She doesn't deserve this."

Thousands of comments flooded the screen so rapidly that individual messages disappeared almost the moment they appeared.

Encouraged by both the audience and the host's sympathetic expression, Amber continued her performance.

"What exactly happened?" the host asked gently.

Amber hesitated for a carefully measured moment before speaking again. "Dylan and I... weren't actually dating."

The sentence struck Dylan harder than any punch Brandon's men had landed earlier that afternoon. He nearly choked on the bottle of water resting beside him and sat upright so abruptly that a sharp pain shot through his bruised ribs.

"What?"

His voice echoed throughout the empty dorm room.

On the livestream, Amber continued speaking with remarkable composure.

"I know many people assumed we were together because we spent a lot of time with each other," she explained calmly, "but that misunderstanding was never corrected."

The host blinked in apparent surprise.

"So... you were never in a relationship?"

Amber slowly shook her head. "No."

Dylan stared blankly at the screen. The sheer audacity of the lie left him momentarily speechless. Amber continued as though she were recounting a simple everyday misunderstanding.

"After Dylan lost his parents, he was in an emotionally fragile place. He had nobody to rely on, and I genuinely felt sorry for him." Her voice softened with practiced compassion. "I didn't want him to feel completely alone."

The livestream chat erupted once more.

"She's literally an angel."

"The world needs more people like Amber."

"She's too kind for someone like him."

A wave of anger surged violently through Dylan's chest.

An angel?

Was this really the same woman who had secretly cheated on him for months?

The same woman who stood silently while Brandon's men beat him without mercy?

The same woman who deliberately lied to campus security and watched his scholarship disappear without showing the slightest remorse?

Amber lowered her eyes again before continuing. "So... I spent time with him. I encouraged him whenever he felt depressed because I thought everyone deserved someone to lean on."

The host nodded sympathetically.

"And then?"

Amber inhaled quietly before delivering the next carefully rehearsed line. "I think... Dylan misunderstood my kindness."

Dylan's fingers tightened around his phone until his knuckles turned completely white.

Misunderstood?

Three years.

Three entire years together.

They had celebrated birthdays, gone on dates, exchanged gifts during anniversaries, held hands while walking across campus, kissed beneath the stars, comforted one another through difficult moments, and spoken countless times about the future they wanted to build together.

Now she was calmly telling hundreds of thousands of viewers that none of it had ever existed.

The host looked visibly shocked.

"So you're saying there was never any romantic relationship between the two of you?"

Amber nodded sadly.

"Unfortunately... yes."

The chat instantly became even more hostile.

"What a disgusting creep."

"He imagined an entire relationship."

"Someone should report that psycho."

The hatred spread through the livestream with frightening speed.

Amber allowed the comments to build momentum before continuing.

"Eventually, I met Brandon."

The instant Brandon's name left her lips, an almost imperceptible smile flashed across her face before she quickly suppressed it again. The change lasted only a fraction of a second, far too subtle for most viewers to notice.

Dylan noticed.

"We fell in love," Amber said softly.

The host smiled warmly.

"That's wonderful."

Amber nodded before sighing dramatically.

"But when I finally told Dylan that I couldn't continue pretending anymore..."

She paused deliberately, allowing anticipation to build throughout the broadcast.

"...he became obsessed with me."

The livestream chat erupted into complete outrage.

"Oh my God!"

"That's terrifying!"

"Someone needs to put that guy in jail before he hurts her!"

Dylan remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the livestream as though he had forgotten how to blink. Every word Amber spoke flowed from her lips with effortless confidence, each sentence carefully measured and emotionally charged to produce exactly the reaction she wanted. 

Her voice trembled at precisely the right moments, her expression shifted seamlessly between sorrow and vulnerability, and even the pauses she inserted into her story felt meticulously rehearsed. It wasn't merely a lie—it was a performance worthy of an award. 

If he hadn't lived through every moment of their relationship himself, if he hadn't been the person standing beside her throughout those three years, even he might have believed the heartbreaking narrative she was weaving before hundreds of thousands of viewers.

Amber lowered her eyes once again before continuing, allowing another carefully timed silence to build anticipation.

"He became aggressive," she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound believable. "After I tried to create some distance between us, he started threatening me."

Almost immediately, tears welled in her eyes.

They arrived so naturally that anyone unfamiliar with her would have assumed they were genuine.

Dylan, however, knew better.

Those tears had appeared at exactly the right moment to maximize sympathy, just as they always had whenever Amber wanted someone to overlook her mistakes. 

During the years they had spent together, he had watched her cry her way out of countless arguments, convince lecturers to grant deadline extensions, and manipulate classmates into taking her side during minor disputes. Back then, he had mistaken those tears for sincerity. 

Looking at them now, he realized they had always been nothing more than another tool she knew how to wield flawlessly.

"Thankfully," Amber continued while gently wiping away a tear, "Brandon arrived before anything terrible happened. If he hadn't been there... I honestly don't know what Dylan might have done."

The livestream host's expression softened immediately. Leaning forward, she reached across the table and gently squeezed Amber's hand, her voice filled with sympathy.

"You've been incredibly brave to come here and share your story," the host said sincerely. "I'm sure it wasn't easy."

Amber forced a fragile smile before lowering her head modestly, as though embarrassed by the praise.

The audience responded exactly as expected.

Virtual gifts began flooding the livestream at an astonishing rate.

Animated luxury sports cars raced across the screen one after another. Glittering diamonds exploded in showers of light while private jets, exclusive yachts, castles, and every expensive digital gift StreamHub offered appeared almost continuously. The donation counter climbed so rapidly that Dylan could barely keep track of the numbers. 

Thousands of dollars were pouring into Amber's account every few seconds, transforming her fabricated victimhood into an extraordinarily profitable business.

Meanwhile, the comment section had become a battlefield.

Except there was only one side fighting.

Thousands upon thousands of viewers showered Amber with praise, encouragement, and admiration while directing an endless torrent of abuse toward Dylan.

"What a psycho."

"No wonder she left him."

"Obsessive loser."

"Someone should report him to the police."

"Disgusting creep."

"Abusers belong in prison."