The Daily Sign-in Rewards System

CHAPTER 5- PUBLIC ENEMY

The cold metal door slammed shut behind Dylan with a deafening bang that echoed throughout the small security holding room. For several seconds, he remained standing in place as his chest rose and fell unevenly while he struggled to steady his breathing. His thoughts were in complete disarray, and the events of the day felt so surreal that part of him still couldn't believe any of it had actually happened.

Only a few hours earlier, he had been standing beneath bright stage lights while holding the greatest achievement of his life in his hands. After years of hardship, sacrifice, and relentless determination, he had finally accomplished something that made every sleepless night feel worthwhile. Now, however, he found himself sitting inside the university security office like a criminal.

A security officer standing nearby glanced at him with obvious disapproval before gesturing toward a chair.

"Sit down."

Without arguing, Dylan lowered himself into the chair opposite the interrogation desk.

The atmosphere inside the office felt cold and oppressive. The room carried the stale smell of old paperwork, dust, and burnt coffee, while a flickering fluorescent light overhead cast harsh shadows across the walls, making the environment feel even more uncomfortable. Dylan sat quietly in front of the metal desk while two middle-aged security officers observed him from the opposite side. One of them was reviewing reports related to the incident, while the other leaned back lazily in his chair and scrolled through his phone. Neither man appeared particularly interested in hearing his side of the story.

Dylan's fists tightened unconsciously.

His knuckles were still swollen and red from hitting Brandon, and every time he blinked, memories from Amber's hostel room replayed vividly inside his mind. He saw Amber standing beside Brandon, Brandon's mocking smile, and the cruel words they had thrown at him before everything spiraled out of control.

Eventually, one of the officers broke the silence.

"So you're Dylan Kingston?"

Dylan nodded tiredly. "Yes."

The officer leaned back slightly in his chair. "You caused quite the commotion today."

Dylan immediately clenched his fists.v"I didn't start anything."

The officer raised an eyebrow before turning his computer monitor toward him.

"Oh really? Then I guess you have a better explanation for this." A paused video filled the screen.

The footage had clearly been recorded by students outside Amber's hostel building. The moment Dylan saw himself being restrained by security while Amber cried nearby, a painful knot formed in his stomach.

The officer folded his arms. "Witnesses reported that you assaulted another student and physically shoved a female student to the ground."

Dylan immediately shook his head. "That's not what happened."

The second officer finally looked up from his phone. "Then explain."

Dylan inhaled deeply before forcing himself to speak. "My girlfriend was cheating on me with my friend." Even saying the words aloud felt like tearing open a fresh wound. "They provoked me and insulted my parents. Brandon said—"

The officer immediately interrupted him. "But did you hit Brandon Parker or not?"

Dylan hesitated briefly. "...Yes."

"And did you push Miss Hart?" The officer asked again.

Dylan lowered his gaze. "It was accidental."

The first officer scoffed. "So you admit to physically assaulting two students."

A surge of frustration rushed through Dylan. "It wasn't like that." Leaning forward urgently, he tried again. "They kept provoking me. Brandon intentionally—"

"Enough." The officer's voice cut through the room like a blade.

Dylan immediately fell silent.

The man removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before speaking again.

"Listen carefully, Mr. Kingston. We are not interested in your relationship drama."

Dylan stared at him in disbelief.

The officer continued as though the matter were already settled.

"Do you know how many students witnessed the incident? Multiple residents from the female hostel reported hearing shouting, screaming, and sounds of violence. When security arrived, Miss Hart was crying on the floor while Brandon Parker was covered in blood."

The officer tapped the desk lightly.

At that moment, Dylan felt his chest tighten as a horrifying realization finally settled over him.

Everything looked bad for him.

Very bad.

The older officer leaned forward slightly.

"Mr. Kingston, regardless of whatever personal issues you have with Miss Hart, violence is unacceptable."

A bitter laugh escaped Dylan.

Personal issues?

His girlfriend had cheated on him with his best friend. The two people he trusted most had betrayed him, humiliated him, and then turned the entire situation against him.

Yet somehow he was the problem.

"I was provoked," Dylan said through clenched teeth.

"But you still assaulted them."

Dylan opened his mouth to argue before stopping himself.

A painful realization had already begun taking shape.

Nobody in this room cared about the truth.

Amber was beautiful, popular, and admired throughout the university. Brandon came from a wealthy and influential family whose donations carried significant weight within the institution.

Compared to them, Dylan was nobody.

Just another struggling student trying to survive.

The second officer suddenly chuckled while staring at his phone.

"Damn. The video's already spreading online."

Dylan's expression immediately stiffened.

"What?"

The officer turned the screen toward him.

A campus social media page filled the display.

Several blurry videos showed security dragging Dylan away while students gathered around watching the scene unfold. The caption above the post read:

[Engineering Student Assaults Girlfriend After Breakup]

Beneath it were hundreds of comments.

"What a psycho."

"I knew something was wrong with that guy."

"Amber deserves better."

"That guy always looked unstable."

"No wonder she dumped him."

"Poor Brandon got beaten protecting her."

Dylan felt as though someone had poured ice water directly into his veins.

His breathing became uneven as he stared at the screen.

None of those people knew what had actually happened.

None of them had been inside that room.

Yet they had already decided who the villain was.

The first officer stood up.

"Due to your violent behavior, you'll remain here for the rest of the evening while we complete the report."

Dylan immediately looked up.

"What?!"

The officer remained completely unmoved.

"Frankly, you should be grateful Miss Hart chose not to escalate this matter further."

A bitter smile appeared on Dylan's face.

Grateful?

Amber had destroyed his life within a single afternoon. She had cheated on him, lied about him, manipulated the narrative, and turned everyone against him.

And he was supposed to feel grateful?

The officer continued speaking.

"Otherwise your situation would've been much worse."

Dylan could only laugh bitterly.

The irony was almost unbearable.

Amber was the one lying, yet somehow he had become the villain.

The officer pointed toward the holding room.

"You can stay there until further notice."

Another guard opened the nearby door.

"In."

Dylan slowly rose to his feet.

At that moment, he finally understood how powerless he truly was. Amber was one of the most popular girls in the university, Brandon came from a wealthy and influential family, and he was merely a broke student struggling to survive. No matter what he said, nobody would choose to believe him over them.

The metal door slammed shut behind him once again.

The small holding room felt unbearably silent.

Hours passed slowly as the only sound came from the faint buzzing of the fluorescent light overhead. His entire body felt exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically, while every attempt to rest only resulted in painful memories replaying inside his head.

Each time he closed his eyes, he saw Amber standing beside Brandon.

He remembered their faces, their words, and their expressions with painful clarity.

"I only dated you out of pity."

"You lost everything."

"You couldn't keep up with someone like Amber."

Dylan clenched his jaw.

For the first time in years, he genuinely felt broken.

The anger that had consumed him earlier had already burned itself out, leaving nothing behind except emptiness. It had gotten him thrown into this room and transformed him into the villain of a story he never started. Even sadness felt distant now because sadness required energy, and he had none left.

The betrayal, humiliation, and exhaustion had drained him so thoroughly that all he felt was a hollow void where his emotions should have been.

Sometime later that night, the door finally opened.

One of the guards stood outside.

"You can go now."

Dylan slowly rose from his seat.

His muscles felt stiff from sitting in the same position for so many hours, and his body felt heavier than it ever had before. Without saying a single word, he quietly walked out of the security office, carrying with him the crushing weight of everything he had lost in a single day.