After I Became Pretty Chapter 07
Seren cackled like she’d found my fatal flaw.
“See? I told you I wasn’t lying!”
“She’s the one who’s been deceiving you this whole time.”
She still carried herself like she was above it all.
But the look in her eyes had changed.
What used to be contempt was now pure jealousy.
“Elara, don’t think you can erase your past just because you got skinny and pretty.”
“Those 200-pound photos are your history — and you’ll never escape them!”
I ignored her screeching as best I could, turning to Dorian.
“You remember what I told you?”
“My parents died three years ago. I almost fell into depression.”
“That’s when I started eating. Food was the only thing that made me feel better.”
“Plus exam pressure — I ate nonstop, ballooned to 200 pounds, broke out, messed up my hormones.”
I showed him the photos from that time.
“The photo I sent you the other day was from three years ago, before I gained the weight.”
—
“I didn’t lie to you. I just worked hard to become healthy again.”
“Do you blame me?”
I didn’t want to hide my past.
That 200-pound version of me was still me.
And I didn’t need to be ashamed of it.
Everyone has low moments.
Not keeping up with your appearance isn’t something to beat yourself up over.
I looked at Dorian, giving him space to process.
But after a few seconds of silence, his eyes shifted.
He pulled me into a tight hug.
“Baby, I’m so sorry you went through that…”
“Three years of people mocking you, and losing your parents on top of it — that must’ve been hell.”
His voice cracked.
“And you lost all that weight in just a few months — you must’ve suffered so much.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I should’ve been there.”
He sniffled.
Then, unexpectedly, he started laughing.
—
“But knowing you did it for me… I’m so moved. I’m so happy.”
He nuzzled into me. “Baby, you smell amazing.”
“Can I hold you a little longer?”
“And honestly, you’re too skinny now.”
“It worries me. Let me take you out for good food and fatten you up a little, okay?”
Seren and I both froze.
Even the comments were speechless.
[I thought Dorian was about to flip. Forgot he’s a full-on hopeless romantic.]
[Seren’s whole scheme just backfired. Is she really out of the game?]
Before my ears burned off, I pushed him away, blushing.
By then, classmates had started arriving in droves.
They couldn’t stop asking, “Wait — you’re Elara?”
“The Elara from our class?”
They were still in shock.
I just held out my hand.
“Remember the bets you made? Pay up.”