Page 5 of What Comes Around

But denial doesn’t survive receipts.

The girl had screenshots. Message threads. Voice notes.

So Apple did what she always did when cornered. She reached for her favorite shield.

Mental health.

“I need to step away from the internet and focus on healing.”

She returned two weeks later.

Comments filtered. Keywords blocked. Image carefully rebuilt.

Before the assistant scandal, there had been another expose.

Apple had been called out for mocking another influencer’s appearance in a private group chat that later leaked. The backlash was immediate. Accusations of bullying. Hypocrisy. Mean girl behavior.

Instead of taking responsibility, Apple shifted narratives.

She posted a tearful apology video.

She talked about her kidnapping trauma. About anxiety. About depression. About how her past made her “react poorly.” She said she was “still healing.” That she was “learning.” That she wanted to use her platform to spread kindness and awareness for survivors like herself.

“You can’t judge me,” the subtext was clear. “I’m a victim.”

The internet split again.

Some forgave her. Some didn’t.

These days, Apple also lived in Chicago. She had relocated here six months earlier after spending nearly four years in New York building her influencer empire and quietly burning bridges.

She had left Riverton because four years earlier Nick had finally confronted her about the baby and the miscarriage.

He asked for proof.

Doctor names. Clinics. Dates. Medical records.

He wanted to speak to the doctors himself.

Apple swore she was telling the truth, but she refused to provide the proof Nick demanded. And when she didn’t, Nick made her life in our hometown unbearable.

His family’s influence was strong. Invitations stopped. Doors closed. Opportunities vanished.

Brandon’s company suffered too.

The scandal stained everything. Investors hesitated. Clients questioned leadership. Reputation cracked.

They survived it.

Barely.

When I spoke to my father during that period, his anger toward Apple was unfiltered. Not because of morality.

Because she had cost him money.

Because she had embarrassed him.

Because she had become a liability instead of an asset.