They Played With Me First, but I Played Smarter Last

Trista's POV

It was the May Day holiday, and my boyfriend said he was taking me on a road trip. A surprise getaway, he called it.

We drove the whole day, winding through remote roads until we finally arrived in the middle of nowhere. That was when I realized what his "surprise" actually was: the “Partner-Swapping Game.”

The rules? Break up with your partner for the night, randomly pair up with someone else, and go wild all night.

And me? I was handed over to one of his buddies like some party favor.

Shaun Dawson, the boyfriend I once trusted, tossed me a lace dress and barked, “Trista, change into this. Just relax and play along. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it too. Don’t even think about running. We’re in a place I picked for a reason. No one’s around for miles. You won’t make it far. You’re like a rat in a trap now.”

What he didn’t know was that this mountain belonged to me. And the ones trapped like helpless rats would be them.

——

“Damn, Shaun, your girlfriend is smoking hot!”

“Bro, you're seriously generous. Sharing a rich, gorgeous girl like her? Respect!”

“Tonight’s gonna be one hell of a ride!”

His disgusting friends, the fat one and the jock, were eyeing me like vultures, their words sleazy and crude. But his best friend, Dr. Toby Andrus, was silently setting up a tent. He didn’t say a word, just moved with this eerie calm, his presence darker than anyone else there.

I felt the danger sinking in and turned to run. But Shaun grabbed my wrist before I could get two steps away. The charming boyfriend I once knew was gone. In his place stood a monster, eyes sharp and full of menace.

“You’ve heard of partner-swapping game, haven’t you, baby?” he whispered. “We’re playing it for real. Trust me, it’ll feel good.”

He pulled some lace scraps from his pocket and tried to force them into my hands. I was stunned. The same man who always acted like a straight-A gentleman, polite, responsible, even a little shy, was now this twisted stranger with no shame.

“I’m not playing,” I snapped, pulling back. “I want to go home!”

But no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t shake his grip.

“You came here behind your parents’ backs, remember? And your phone's with me. Like it or not, you’ll be the star of the show tonight, and you can't get away with it.”

Before the trip, he vaguely mentioned something about an “extreme adventure” and told me to keep it secret from my parents so they wouldn’t worry. I thought we were going skiing or hiking. Not this.

Done being toyed with, my hand flew across his face.

“I gave you everything!” I shouted. “Bought you name-brand clothes and shoes, took you on trips overseas, sent you money every single week! Why are you doing this to me?!”

His face twisted with rage, veins bulging as he screamed, “Because I heard your parents! They said you’re still young, and dating a broke college student like me was just for fun! That once you were done playing, they’d make you break up with me and even demand all the money back!”

I shook my head, heart pounding. “I never said I’d leave you. I loved you! My parents have always cared about me. If I told them I wanted to marry you, they wouldn’t stop me!”

But as I said it, I realized something. The love I’d held for him was now gone.

A cruel smile curled on his lips. “No, baby. I don’t believe anyone but myself. I’ll just film you tonight, show your parents what a dirty little girl you really are. Then surely, they’ll beg me to marry you.”

He pointed to a backpack lying on the ground and called out to his friends. “Set up the camera. Tonight, I want to capture Trista at her most beautiful.”

Then he turned back to me, brushing his hand against my cheek. “Don’t worry, baby. It’s the same camera you bought me. The one that cost over fifty grand. It'll definitely make you look amazing.”

I felt sick.

The fat one and the jock rushed over, practically fighting over the camera like kids with a new toy. “Damn, Shaun! This thing’s crazy expensive. Your girlfriend’s loaded! I want a turn filming too!”

Just then, a girl in a tight red mini-dress strolled out of a tent, and she asked with a pout, “Did someone say fifty-grand camera? Come take my picture. I need something for my feed.”