The Ex Effect — The Failed Meeting transcript

The Ex Effect

A man humiliates his former partner by posting old photos of them online, expecting the shame to keep them hidden away. Instead, they arrive at his party transformed into someone he doesn't recognize, ready to face the crowd on their own terms.

The Ex Effect — The Failed Meeting transcript

English

A day before the first day of college, Derek, my online boyfriend, tells me he played a game of Dice Heist with his friends and lost me to Nathan. I think it's just another stupid joke of his, but in the next moment, my phone buzzes repeatedly. I am added to a gaming group chat with over a hundred fresh... Before I have a chance to leave the group, Derek sends an old Heist photo of me.

In the photo, I am wearing a t-shirt that's tightly stretched around me, my neck practically disappearing into my shoulders. It is the absolute last version of myself I ever want anyone to see. Yet, Derek is parading the photo to all our future classmates like it's a trophy. How is that someone's girlfriend?

I reckon Nathan's going to have to drive a pickup truck to get her tomorrow. I heard one of the challenges is to hold her in a bridal carry for 10 seconds. Are you trying to send Nathan straight to the ER? Easy, guys. Let's not actually make her cry.

It may look like he's defending me, but he knows better than anyone else what my greatest fear is. We've been dating online for 11 months. Whenever he couldn't sleep, I stayed up all night gaming with him. Whenever he lost a game, I reviewed it with him and coaxed him into getting back online.

When college applications made him too angst to fall asleep, I sent him voice notes every day to encourage him. I even made Redwood College my first choice because of a passing remark he I want to get into Redwood University.

I promise I'll come see you with a bouquet of flowers when school starts. But the day before our first in-person meeting, he failed to show up with

Episodes

  1. The Failed Meeting
  2. Charlotte's Five Hundred Dollar Bet
  3. Derek's Three Challenges
  4. The Evening Gown
  5. Nathan's First Message
  6. The Dice Game Betrayal
  7. The Group Chat Mockery
  8. Nathan's Arrival at the Hotel
  9. The Party Suite Entrance
  10. The Unrecognized Face
  11. Brianna's Cold Introduction
  12. The High School Photo Comparison
  13. Derek's Darkening Expression
  14. The First Cake Challenge
  15. The Group Chat Photo
  16. The Bridal Carry Challenge
  17. Nathan's Steadying Hand
  18. Deleting the Couple Badge
  19. The Wrist Grab Confrontation
  20. The Pharmacy Walk
  21. Nathan's Late Night Message
  22. The College Registration Confrontation
  23. The Strategy Analyst Tryout
  24. The Anonymous System ID
  25. Episode 25
  26. Episode 26
  27. Episode 27
  28. Brianna's Raw Footage
  29. The Shared Review Notes
  30. Derek's Shared Folder Theft
  31. The Data 7 Error
  32. The Notebook Evidence
  33. The Random Footage Challenge
  34. The Blue Team Retreat
  35. The Counter-Attack Analysis
  36. Charlotte's Original Blueprint
  37. The Random Team Challenge
  38. Brianna's Edited Footage
  39. The Weight Loss Clause
  40. Nathan's Contract Review
  41. Episode 41
  42. Nathan's Untouched Sandwich
  43. The Live Weigh-In Event
  44. The Terminated Livestream
  45. The Doctor's Medical Warning
  46. The Torn Contract Clause
  47. The Interception Tactic
  48. The Media Server Trace
  49. Brianna's Stolen Footage
  50. The Semifinal Sabotage
  51. The Preempted Semifinal Moves
  52. Brianna's Camera Seven Evidence
  53. The Outdated Route Trap
  54. The Blank Tactical Board
  55. The Standardized Judgment Trigger
  56. Derek's Live Broadcast Claim
  57. The Plagiarism Accusation
  58. The Tournament Arena Entrance
  59. The Championship Trophy Countdown
  60. The Redwood College Breach
  61. Nathan's Old Photograph