Chapter 4

For the next two months, I completely ghosted the group chats.

They occasionally made jokes at my expense, but I never gave them the satisfaction of a reaction.

Every morning at 6:00 AM, I was out the door for my walk.

I graduated from fifteen minutes to thirty, then to a full hour.

Afternoons were for strength training, and evenings were for skincare and fixing my posture.

As the weight melted off, I realized Chloe wasn't ugly at all.

She was just severely bloated, and her face was covered in acne from stress and a terrible diet, which buried her features.

Underneath, her eyes were round and bright, her nose was cute and perky, and her lips were naturally full.

Best of all, when she smiled, a sweet little dimple appeared on her left cheek.

A month in, I had lost twenty-five pounds.

My insulin levels were stabilizing, and my knees no longer ached.

In the second month, I focused on body sculpting and posture.

I pulled my shoulders back and elongated my neck.

The muscle memory from over a decade of ballet training began to wake up in this new body.

I stood against the wall for hours, correcting my alignment.

When Emma saw me, she thought I was in pain.

"Chloe, why are you standing against the wall like a statue?"

"I'm practicing my posture, Mom."

She walked around me twice, covering her mouth as a huge grin broke out.

"Well, I'll be. My baby girl stands up so straight now, you look just like those models on TV."

I laughed.

That kind of pure, unconditioned praise was something I had never experienced before.

In my past life, even when I won gold at international ballet competitions, my mother would only look at me with a cold, critical eye.

"Your skirt flew up too high during that spin. It looked vulgar."

But here, I simply stood up straight, and someone was genuinely proud of me.

A week before orientation, I went back to the clinic.

154 pounds.

In two months, I had lost a total of forty-six pounds.

It was fast, but my vitals were perfectly healthy.

The doctor reviewed my lab results and nodded with satisfaction.

"Incredible progress. Just keep doing what you're doing."

Leaving the clinic, I stood in front of the full-length mirror for a long time.

I still wasn't skinny.

My waist still had a soft curve, and my arms weren't bone-thin like they used to be.

But the girl in the mirror had glowing skin and bright, lively eyes.

She looked healthy, radiant, and free.

This was what true beauty felt like.

That evening, a poll suddenly popped up in the freshman Snapchat group.

"VOTE: Huxley University Freshman Class Ambassador."

There were only two nominees.

Audrey Miller.

Chloe Bennett.

The group chat went absolutely wild with laughter.

"Who nominated Chloe? That is foul!"

"Are we voting for an ambassador or a heavy-duty forklift?"

"I'm voting for Chloe. Let's make her the official school mascot."

In less than ten minutes, my vote count skyrocketed to the top.

They wanted to see me humiliated on a grand stage.

According to the rules, the winner of the poll had to deliver a speech on behalf of the freshman class at the opening ceremony.

Chloe, using my old account, sent me a DM:

"Surprised?"

"I had my friends put your name on the ballot."

"The opening ceremony is going to be live-streamed on YouTube. I can't wait for the entire Ivy League to see a 200-pound pig waddle onto the stage."

"You wanted to compete with me? Here's your stage."

Right after, she sent a picture of a dress.

It was a stunning white Haute Couture gown my mother had custom-ordered for the ceremony.

But in the photo, Chloe's face looked incredibly drained.

She was much thinner than she had been two months ago.

Her cheeks were hollow, her lips were pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes that makeup couldn't hide.

It seemed her new life of luxury wasn't as easy as she thought.

Before I could close the app, another message popped up.

"Ethan is going to be on stage presenting the academic awards."

"How do you think he'll react when he sees you? Do you think he'll throw up?"

I stared at the screen, and a slow smile crept onto my face.

I tapped the screen and cast a vote for myself, "Chloe Bennett."

"Thanks for giving me the stage," I typed back.

A question mark popped up from her end immediately.

I didn't bother explaining.

On the morning of the ceremony, Emma pulled out her secret savings card, insisting on taking me shopping.

I didn't choose a baggy black dress to hide my body.

Instead, I chose a vibrant, fire-engine red dress.

It had a fitted waist, a square neckline, and a flowing skirt that hit just mid-calf.

When I stepped out of the fitting room, Emma stared at me, speechless.

"Mom? Is it bad?"

She shook her head rapidly, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"No. It's beautiful. You look absolutely stunning."

At 9:00 AM, the opening ceremony commenced.

The grand hall was packed with thousands of students, and the YouTube livestream view count was rising rapidly.

The class Snapchat group was still buzzing.

"Where is Chloe?"

"Did she chickened out?"

"Get your screenshots ready, guys."

On stage, the dean spoke into the microphone.

"Now, please welcome our freshman representative, Chloe Bennett."

Quiet giggles and hushed whispers instantly rippled through the crowd.

At that exact moment, I stood outside the heavy double doors of the auditorium, took a deep breath, and pushed them open.