Kenny was a somewhat timid young man who always avoided trouble. But he never expected that merely looking at a few explicit photos and engaging in some private activities in front of his computer would turn his life upside down.
After his laptop got infected with a virus, Kenny downloaded what he thought was anti-malware software. In reality, that software was the biggest virus of all—every move he made in front of his laptop was being watched. One night, overcome by loneliness, he visited a porn site. Soon after, he received an anonymous email with an attachment showing his shameful behavior moments earlier. The sender demanded his phone number; otherwise, the video would be sent to everyone he knew. Terrified, Kenny complied.
The next day, as soon as he arrived at work, Kenny received an anonymous text ordering him to go to a specific location immediately. He made up an excuse to his boss and rushed there on his bike. Out of breath, he arrived to find another coerced person delivering a cardboard box. In the taxi, Kenny couldn’t resist peeking inside—it was just a cake, which somewhat eased his mind.
He was instructed to deliver the cake to a hotel room occupied by Hawkett, a moderately successful middle-aged man. Hawkett had carelessly exchanged explicit photos with someone he met online and was now being blackmailed. Following text instructions, the two found a car in the parking lot and drove to a designated spot. Only then did they discover that hidden inside the cake were a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a handgun. Their next order was to rob a nearby bank. If they refused, their lives would be ruined; if they complied, they might just escape unscathed. So Hawkett stayed in the car as the getaway driver, while Kenny, wearing the cap and sunglasses, carried out the robbery.
Kenny was so nervous that the bank teller had to remind him to hand over his bag. Urine trickled down his leg, forming a puddle on the floor. After leaving the bank, Hawkett drove them to the next location. As police cars sped past, both were on edge.
When they finally reached the designated spot in the suburbs, another text arrived. Hawkett was ordered to dispose of the car and leave, while Kenny was to continue alone with the money. Deep in the woods, Kenny encountered a tall, thin man waiting for him. This man wasn’t there to collect the money—he had also been blackmailed and was forced to fight Kenny. The winner would take the cash.
In despair, Kenny pointed the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger. But there were no bullets. Seeing this, the thin man lunged at him. Survival instincts took over, and Kenny emerged from the woods, face bloodied, still carrying the bag. Then his phone rang—it was his mother, sobbing. His video had been leaked, and now both she and his sister were humiliated. In the distance, police lights flickered closer. Kenny had no strength left to run. On his phone screen, a final message appeared: a sinister smiling emoji.
Hawkett didn’t escape unscathed either—his wife found out about the online affair. The person who delivered the cake was berated by his family for his indecent actions. The company executive who left the car in the parking lot was forced to resign over racist emails. Without exception, they all received the same smiling emoji—each punished for their private indiscretions.