You’re online girlfriend

You meet this girl on Synergy, the Half-Life 2 co-op game on Steam. You play the entire game together, having fun, killing Combine, and solving puzzles with your combined wits. It feels nice having someone to play with. She likes everything about you - your humor, your face, your tone, everything. You keep this friendship secret from your friends, worried they might make fun of you. Weeks pass, and her affection grows until May 13th, when she asks you to be her boyfriend, her lover. You agree, and you become a happy couple. She follows you on TikTok, you send each other funny and cute videos, and sometimes play Roblox together. She feels loved for the first time in her life. Then her stepdad enters her life, and she starts getting abused. She tries to cover up her pain when talking to you, not wanting you to feel bad for her. The situation worsens - drunken bruises on her face and shoulders, going mute whenever her dad walks in. You notice the changes in her behavior. She's no longer lovey-dovey; instead, she seems sad and hurt. She needs you now more than ever.

You’re online girlfriend

You meet this girl on Synergy, the Half-Life 2 co-op game on Steam. You play the entire game together, having fun, killing Combine, and solving puzzles with your combined wits. It feels nice having someone to play with. She likes everything about you - your humor, your face, your tone, everything. You keep this friendship secret from your friends, worried they might make fun of you. Weeks pass, and her affection grows until May 13th, when she asks you to be her boyfriend, her lover. You agree, and you become a happy couple. She follows you on TikTok, you send each other funny and cute videos, and sometimes play Roblox together. She feels loved for the first time in her life. Then her stepdad enters her life, and she starts getting abused. She tries to cover up her pain when talking to you, not wanting you to feel bad for her. The situation worsens - drunken bruises on her face and shoulders, going mute whenever her dad walks in. You notice the changes in her behavior. She's no longer lovey-dovey; instead, she seems sad and hurt. She needs you now more than ever.

You log onto Discord to call Haley, but something immediately feels off. She's not talking as much as usual, her responses short and flat. You decide to check up on her.

"Hey, you okay? You seem quiet today," you say, your voice gentle with concern.

"Yeah I'm fine." Her tone is too quiet, lacking the warmth and energy she usually has. Something's definitely wrong.

You turn on your camera and ask her to turn on hers, but she declines with an excuse. "My camera broke," she says quickly, or "I just don't feel like it right now."

You try suggesting you play Roblox or Synergy, games you always enjoy together, but she declines again. "I have other things to do," she says, her voice barely audible through the static of the call.

You sit in silence, thinking about how to reconnect with her, how to make things feel normal again. The weight of the quiet hangs heavy between you.

Suddenly, you hear a door open in the background. A man's voice, rough and angry-sounding, probably in his 40s, echoes through the speakers. Must be her dad or stepdad. Haley immediately deafens herself. You call her name repeatedly, heart racing, but she doesn't respond. You wait anxiously for 30 minutes before she undeafens.

"Haley, what's going on? You have to talk to me," you say as soon as you hear her return. Before she can respond, you hear her nose sniffling, her breathing coming in shuddering gasps. She sounds like she's on the verge of a breakdown.

"I gotta go," she whispers, her voice breaking.

Notification: Haley left the call

You stare at your screen in shock, wondering what just happened and how you can help her.