Uber Eats and the Hotel Slut-Shaming

I was checking out of the hotel when the receptionist slammed my key card back onto the desk.

The sheets are ruined. Your three-hundred-dollar deposit is non-refundable, she snapped.

I froze for a second, trying to explain that it was just some water I had spilled the night before.

Lily Vance, the girl behind the counter, let out a mocking snort. Her eyes were filled with pure disdain.

"Water? Do you think I'm an idiot? I was on duty last night. I saw everything," she sneered.

"Five or six men were going in and out of your room all night long. The door never stopped swinging!"

"You look so innocent, but you're a total mess behind closed doors. Water? Please. It's probably whatever those guys left behind after a wild night!"

I felt a surge of fury. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Lily rolled her eyes at me. "What? Did I hit a nerve because I'm right?"

"Listen, either you wash those sheets yourself, or that deposit belongs to us as a cleaning fee!"

I was so angry I started laughing. I noted down her employee ID and asked to speak to the manager.

While I waited, I started scrolling through a local community forum. A post from ten minutes ago caught my eye.

"Young girls these days have no shame. This one had five or six guys over in one night, ruined the bed, and tried to claim it was just water."

"Watch out for this local player. She wants to sell her body but still act like a saint."

There was a blurry photo attached to the post. It was a shot of me taken from behind.

I froze as I realized it was me. Then I swiped to the next photo.

It was a security footage screenshot showing the "men" entering my room. I nearly lost it.

Those weren't lovers. Those were five different Uber Eats drivers!

The comments on the post were disgusting.

"She's a real pro. Five guys in one night? She must be a total trash bag," one user wrote.

"She looks so sweet, but she's probably a freak in the sheets. Definitely a local escort," another added.

"Five or six? How does her body even handle that? Someone drop her number, I want a turn!"

I was shaking with rage, my fingers digging into my phone case. This was pure defamation.

I looked up at the counter. Lily was hunched over her phone, a smirk plastered on her face.

Her thumbs were flying across the screen, and she let out a little giggle every few seconds.

I couldn't understand why she was doing this. We had no history, no beef. Why ruin my reputation?

The fire in my chest made me want to jump over that desk and slap the phone out of her hand.

But as I stood up, the sting of my nails in my palms forced me to stay calm.

If I confronted her now, she would just deny it. She would twist my anger into "guilt" and make it look like I was throwing a tantrum because I got caught.

I took a deep breath. I needed to be smart.

I quickly took screenshots of the post, the security footage, and the vile comments.

Then, I replied to the post using my real name.

"I am the person in this photo. Those men are delivery drivers," I wrote.

"The stain on the bed is water. There is full security footage of the hallway. Delete this now or I'm calling the cops."

I hit send. Within seconds, a notification popped up.

The original posterDLilyDhad replied and pinned my comment to the top.

"Oh look, the main character showed up! At least try to make your lies believable," she wrote.

"Six delivery guys in one night? Who eats that much? Do you think we're stupid?"

"Late night deliveries? More like she ran out of protection and needed someone to bring more!"

The comment section exploded. People started dog-piling on me with even more toxic remarks.

"LOL, protection delivery? That's gold! OP is a genius," one guy laughed.

"She's still lying. Some people just won't admit they're selling it until they're in handcuffs."

"Get this trash out of our city!"

Then, Lily took it a step further. She posted my Instagram handle.

"Go take a look, everyone. This is our local player. Plenty of thirsty photos on her page!"

In minutes, my phone was blowing up. My notifications were a blur of hate and harassment.

I opened my latest Instagram postDa professional shot from a catalog shootDand saw the comments flooding in.

"Wearing that, it's no wonder you need six guys a night."

"How much for an hour? If a delivery guy can afford you, I definitely can."

"Are you good at what you do? I'll Venmo you right now. Let's talk."

The sheer level of hatred was unbearable. I marched back to the front desk and slammed my hand down.

"Delete that post right now!" I shouted.

"You're violating my privacy and committing libel. I have the evidence. Delete it or the police are coming!"

Lily just gave me another massive roll of her eyes.

"Why are you screaming? Who's lying? I can post whatever I want. It's a free country."

She tapped something on her phone right in front of me.

"Call the cops. See if they care about a girl who spends her nights like a street-walker!"

I was about to dial 911 when a notification for a local livestream popped up.

It was Lily's account. She held her phone up, a greasy smile on her face.

"Hey guys! The local player is currently throwing a fit in the lobby," she told her viewers.

"The manager isn't here yet, so I'm going to use the master key to do a room tour!"

"Let's see what she left behind. Don't forget to follow for more!"

The livestream hit a thousand viewers instantly. The chat was moving too fast to read.

"Go! Go! Show us the crime scene!"

"Careful, don't catch anything from touching her stuff!"

"Find the wrappers! Give us a close-up!"

I looked up. Lily had grabbed a master key from the drawer and was heading for the elevator with her phone held high.

She marched straight to my room and swiped the card. The door clicked open.

I couldn't stop her in time. She burst inside like she owned the place.

The room was empty except for some leftover takeout boxes and my expensive photography gear.

But then, Lily let out an exaggerated gasp.

"Oh my god! Look what I found, guys!"

She giggled as she pointed the camera at the trash can by the bed.

I looked over her shoulder and felt my heart drop into my stomach.

A used piece of protection was sitting right on top of the trash.

That was impossible. I had been editing photos all night. I hadn't even left the room except to grab my food.

I was about to scream at her, but then I noticed something. Lily was rubbing her hand against her leg nervously.

It clicked. To get more views, this woman had planted it herself.

I crossed my arms and looked at her with a cold smile.

"Are you sure that was in my room?" I asked.

Lily didn't even flinch. "Stop acting. The evidence is right here. Who else would it belong to?"

"Look at the size of this thing, guys! She really likes the rough stuff, doesn't she?"

"She plays so hard, I'm surprised she can even walk today!"

The chat was a cesspool of filth. Everyone was convinced I was a liar.

"Caught red-handed! She's still trying to deny it!"

"Oscar-winning performance from the local player!"

Lily looked at the view count and her eyes lit up with greed. She shoved the phone in my face.

"Cat got your tongue? You were so loud in the lobby."

"The physical evidence is right here. What's your excuse now?"

I looked at her smug face and smiled even wider.

"Since you're so sure that's mine, and I'm positive I was alone, something is clearly wrong."

"How do you explain that?"

The livestream kept mocking me, calling me a pathetic liar.

Lily scoffed. "You probably just blacked out because you were having too much fun with those six guys!"

"Fine," I said. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

"Hello? I need the police at the Grandview Hotel immediately."

I stared directly into Lily's eyes. Her expression shifted to confusion.

"I'm checking out of my hotel, and the receptionist just found evidence of a sexual encounter in my room."

"But I was alone all night. I have no memory of anyone being in my room."

"I believe I was drugged and assaulted by multiple men without my consent!"

I hung up and waved my phone at Lily.

"The police are on their way. Don't go anywhere."

"Since you found the evidence, you're my star witness for the investigation."