It wasn't until the building's security guard arrived and called the police that they scattered.
I knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
The guard stood over me, looking down with contempt.
"You had it coming. Who told you to be cruel enough to bully an innocent kid?"
My head snapped up, my voice shaking.
"What did you just say?"
The guard scoffed and walked away.
My head exploded with a deafening ring.
I scrambled for my phone and started scrolling.
Sure enough, I found a public statement Sabina had posted.
"I'm sorry to take up everyone's attention with this, but regarding the accusations that I coerced a male student, it was all a misunderstanding. My ex, Stephen Fox, hired thugs to attack my student out of jealousy, destroying his reputation so badly that his family is forcing him to drop out and go back to his hometown to marry a widow!"
"I took the blame and stepped forward to shield my ex because I was too soft-hearted, trying to protect both him and my student. But I never expected his attitude to be so vile. Not only did he refuse to show remorse, he escalated things further. So I've decided to reveal the truth."
"And I will take responsibility for my student. I will marry him and care for him for the rest of his life!"
Eustace left a comment beneath her post:
"With you by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."
Blood rushed to my head. My entire body felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer.
Below that exchange, the comments section was flooded with congratulations and well-wishes, interspersed with horrifying abuse directed at me.
My photos had been photoshopped into degrading images. People were threatening to dox my home address and "teach me a lesson."
My phone was drowning in a torrent of filth and curses.
I tried to explain, over and over. I hadn't done any of it. Sabina was lying.
No one believed me.
"Your own girlfriend came out and exposed you! You obviously did it!"
"You got any proof you're innocent? No? Then drop dead, you piece of trash!"
With trembling hands, I forwarded Sabina's post to her directly.
"Why would you slander me like this?"
Sabina replied almost instantly:
"Didn't I tell you yesterday to smooth things over with the university administrators for me? You walked out without a care in the world. I've already been held accountable, and this was the only way I could think of to clear things up."