Chapter 4

In middle school, I was the heaviest girl in my grade. I was quiet, too, which made me an easy target.

My mother raised me alone and worked herself to the bone.

I didn’t want to burden her, so I endured it in silence.

I endured names like “Anaconda,” “Cow,” and “Pig Girl.”

I endured stolen homework and torn textbooks… They even sent Ethan a fake love letter in my name.

Ethan had been handsome since childhood. Strong brows, bright eyes, a straight nose, tall and lean. Countless girls had crushes on him.

The bullies shoved me toward his desk.

They opened that ridiculous letter and read it aloud in mocking voices, occasionally pretending to gag.

“Dream on, fatty. Have you ever looked in a mirror?”

“Ugh, that’s disgusting. How can anyone be that fat? She’s so gross.”

…

They ground my dignity beneath their feet. When I lowered my head and cried, they burst out laughing.

“Shut the hell up! Who said you could wake me?”

Ethan shot up from his desk and hurled a book into the ringleader’s face.

“Try bullying her again. I dare you.”

“Every single one of you is failing your classes, and you have the nerve to make fun of her weight?”

“She can lose weight. You can’t fix stupid.”

I looked up at him, and he seemed to glow.

Back then, he was my hero.

He was also the one who exercised with me until I lost the weight.

That was why I’d always believed heaven had sent him to save me.

From that moment on, my love for him had grown beyond my control.

He said he didn’t want a relationship yet.

I could wait.

He said I would be his first choice when he was ready.

I never doubted him.

But now he had chosen Rachel over me.

In the end, I picked myself up off the ground, went to the hospital to get bandaged, and went home alone.

That night, Ethan’s friends all posted on Instagram.

Some congratulated him on landing such a beauty.

Some marveled that Rachel had managed to tame a notorious player like him.

Others called them a perfect match.

They used to call me “our girl.” Now Rachel was “our girl.”

A bunch of spineless suck-ups.

I sighed heavily and blocked and deleted everyone I’d met through Ethan.

Mom and I kept busy deep-cleaning the apartment, making holiday food, and shopping for decorations…

I tried not to think about him.

But we were neighbors. Running into each other was inevitable.

One day, I went out to take out the trash just as Rachel stepped outside.

She folded her arms and followed me downstairs.

I rolled my eyes impatiently.

“Hey, Chloe!”

“How many times have you slept with Ethan?”

She watched me with an amused expression.

“None of your damn business.”

I turned to leave, but she stepped in front of me, chin raised and face smug.

“We got drunk yesterday. Things got pretty heated, but he still refused to touch me.”

“Do you know what he said?”

“He said he loves me, so he wants to save our first time for our wedding night.”

She covered her mouth and giggled. “You know what else? He said you’re cheap and easy.”

“What?”

The question slipped out. Surely I’d misheard.

“He said you’re cheap and easy!”

Rachel repeated it loudly, planted her hands on her hips, and savored the changing expression on my face.

I dug my nails into my palms, fighting the sting in my eyes.

But the moment I turned away, tears soaked the front of my coat.

Being degraded and trampled on by someone you loved hurt more than I could explain.