Reset Your Password

John sat at his desk, staring at the screen in front of him. His heart raced as he tried to make sense of the strange text he had just received from his ex-girlfriend: "I just hacked your computer, you might want to reset your password before I do any real damage... Good luck!".

But John knew that his ex-girlfriend had been out of town for the past week, visiting her family in rural Montana. Even if she had the ability to hack his computer, why go to such an extent? It was certainly out of character for her and besides they’d ended on relatively civil terms, especially with having shared custody of their son. He responded with a simple “???” but only received a red “failed” message in response.

John's mind raced as he realized the implications of the situation. Surely someone had hacked into his ex-girlfriend's phone and was using it to communicate with him. And if they were capable of that, then they were probably capable of much more.

Without additional information, he knew that he had to reset his passwords immediately, before his unconfirmed antagonist could do irreversible damage. He began the process, gritting his teeth as he tried to remember all of the different login information he had used over the years. He clicked on the "forgot your password" link and followed the prompts to reset his password for each account.

As he worked, John couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this whole situation. Why would his ex-girlfriend hack into his computer and then let him know about it? And how had she even been able to do it in the first place? There must be someone else behind all the nonsense.

“Perhaps I’m just the victim of some innocent prank” John tried to tell himself as he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand. But as the hours ticked by, he found himself getting more and more paranoid. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, that someone was out there waiting to strike.

John's hands were shaking as he finished resetting the last of his passwords. He had spent the past few hours frantically trying to secure his accounts, but he knew that it was only a temporary solution. He needed to figure out what was going on and who was behind this.

He decided to call his ex-girlfriend to see if she was okay and to find out if she had really sent the text. He dialed her parents' house phone and waited anxiously as it rang. After what felt like an eternity, she finally answered.

"Hello?" she said, the confusion discernible in her voice.

"It's me, John," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I got a strange text from you earlier saying that you had hacked my computer."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "What are you talking about, John? I'm in Montana visiting my parents. I haven't even touched a computer in days."

John's heart sank as he realized the truth. Someone had indeed hacked into his ex-girlfriend's phone and was using it to communicate with him. There was no reason to believe they hadn’t truly hacked his computer as well and who knows what else they had gained access to before he was able to reset everything. He thanked her for her help and hung up the phone, his mind racing as he tried to figure out his next move.

John spent the next few days working tirelessly, trying to track down the source of the hack and gather evidence to present to the authorities. It was a difficult and frustrating process, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Just as John was beginning to lose hope, he received a text from his brother, Tyler. “Nice Try, John. You might want to reset your password again... Good luck!” the message read. The only thing more concerning than the message itself was the fact Tyler had died in a tragic car accident 4 years prior.

John's hands shook as he reread the message from his brother. It couldn't be real, Tyler was gone. But then how was the message sent? John's mind raced as he tried to understand what was happening. He realized that whoever had hacked his ex-girlfriend's phone and his computer must have also gained access to his brother's social media accounts. They were using his brother's identity to communicate with him and mess with his head.

John was furious. He would not let these hackers get away with this. He redoubled his efforts to track down the source of the hack and gather evidence. He contacted the authorities and explained the situation to them. They took him seriously and promised to help him investigate.

It took weeks of hard work, but John and the authorities were eventually able to trace the hack back to a group of cybercriminals trying to extort John after hacking into his ex-girlfriends phone and later, John’s computer. They arrested the members of the criminal group and brought them to justice.

In the following months, every member of the group agreed to work with authorities and the ringleader was found guilty in the local court of law receiving a sentence of life without parole. On the day of sentencing, John was finally able to meet his foe face to face for the first time. As the mastermind was led out of the courtroom, they locked eyes and John simply mouthed “good luck,” dishing a wink as he passed.