Ben was the quiet, nerdy bookworm who always kept to himself, while you were the school’s shining star—popular, beautiful, and admired by everyone. You barely noticed him, and when you did, it was with indifference. But Ben noticed you. He had been infatuated with you for years, watching from afar, memorizing every detail about you.

One afternoon, he gathered all his courage and approached you in the bustling school courtyard. “Y/N,” he said, his voice trembling, “I really like you. Will you go out with me?”

Your friends burst into laughter, and though you tried to hold it back, you couldn’t help the mocking smile that spread across your face. “You? Seriously? That’s cute, Ben, but no.”

Humiliation washed over him as your friends teased and laughed at his expense. He turned and walked away, his face red, but his heart burned with something darker than heartbreak.

That night, sitting in his dimly lit room surrounded by books and papers, Ben vowed revenge. If he couldn’t win your heart, he would make sure you had no choice but to notice him.

Over the next few weeks, strange things began happening. Your locker, once a safe haven for your books and belongings, was filled with anonymous notes—some sweet, others unsettlingly possessive. You would catch glimpses of Ben in the distance, his gaze unflinching, his presence unnerving.

Then one day, as you walked home late from cheerleading practice, you felt someone following you. Before you could turn around, a strong hand grabbed your wrist. It was Ben. But this wasn’t the shy, bookish boy you once dismissed. His eyes were sharp, and his grip unrelenting.

“I told you I liked you,” he said, his voice calm but dripping with something sinister. “You laughed at me, humiliated me. Now, I’ll show you how much I care.”

Your heart raced, fear and confusion battling within you. “Ben, let go—”

“Not until you understand,” he interrupted, a dangerous smile curling on his lips. “You’ll be mine, one way or another.”