On Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend Adam gave me a box of cheap artificial grass and tried to coax me into a hotel room. I turned around and got into a Mercedes G-Wagon instead. He called me a gold digger. The rich guy in the G-Wagon said, “Is your family’s massive ranch not big enough for you? Why are you settling for this loser?” 1 “Baby, happy Valentine’s Day!” Adam said, his voice muffled by the cigarette smoke seeping through the crack in the door of the cheap motel room near campus. Despite the unpleasant smell, I felt touched when I saw Adam proudly presenting a gift box to me. I knew he had been working part-time jobs for the past two months, and all his efforts were contained in this small box. I was about to open it eagerly when he gently stopped my hand. “Be patient, sweetheart. Let’s wait a bit before opening it.” “Okay,” I replied with a sweet smile. While Adam was in the shower, I nervously scrolled through my phone, secretly searching for tips about a girl’s first time. After reading through some heart-racing content, I became even more anxious and wanted to find something to distract myself. I glanced at the unopened gift box. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to take a quick peek while Adam was showering? I could always wrap it back up. Carefully, I untied the ribbon and opened the layers of wrapping. But when I saw what was inside, I froze. After two months of hard work, Adam had given me a box of cheap artificial grass? Disbelieving, I felt around in the grass and finally found a small hard object. I pulled it out to find a tacky plastic keychain. In that moment, all my joy and anticipation vanished. I felt like a fool staring at the $19.99 price tag on the back of the keychain. It seemed to mockingly tell me: “See, Lily? This is all you’re worth to Adam – twenty bucks.” “Ding!” The sound of Adam’s phone receiving a text message snapped me out of my thoughts. I absent-mindedly picked up his phone from the bed. Messages from Adam’s mother started popping up one after another: “Son, how are you doing at school? I transferred $500 to you. Let me know if you need more.” “Make sure to eat well and don’t spend all your money on dating!” “The Wang family’s son just got married yesterday. They didn’t even have a wedding banquet or buy a house before moving in together.” “You need to hurry up too! Get her pregnant!” “If necessary, poke some holes in the condoms. She’ll never notice.” Reading these messages that kept appearing, my heart sank like a stone. Even though it was summer, I couldn’t help but shiver. Disappointment, anger, panic, shame – these emotions churned inside me. The cigarette smoke from outside continued to drift in. I could no longer control my physical nausea and emotional disgust. I flung open the door and ran out. 2 I practically sprinted back to my dorm room. My roommates Emma and Chloe were startled by my disheveled appearance. “Lily, did you see a ghost? Weren’t you out celebrating Valentine’s Day with your boyfriend? Why are you back so soon?” Just as I was about to answer, my phone started buzzing in my pocket. It was Adam calling. I took a deep breath to calm myself before answering. His angry voice came through the speaker: “Lily, where are you? You promised to spend the night out with me. I already paid over $100 for the room and the front desk won’t give refunds!” I listened to Adam’s furious shouting. He even resorted to threats: “Either you come back right now, or we’re breaking up.” Break up? In the past, whenever Adam said those words, I would immediately become as docile as a rabbit and apologize. This time, I swallowed my hurt and anger. Without thinking, I transferred $1000 to him. “Adam, take this $1000 as compensation. Don’t contact me again. We’re over.” My two roommates were shocked to hear me say those words myself. Emma gave me a thumbs up, as if to say “you finally came to your senses”. “What? Lily, have you gone crazy? What nonsense are you talking about?” Adam panicked. He didn’t expect that this time I wouldn’t meekly surrender, and that I would turn his ultimatum back on him. I hung up without another word. Adam called back several times, but I didn’t answer. Finally, he lost patience and accepted the $1000 I sent him. “Fine, let’s break up then. Don’t come crying back to me later.” “With your face now, who else would marry you besides me?” “You’ll regret this sooner or later!” Looking at the three messages Adam sent, I glanced at the mirror by my bed. My reflection showed my fair and delicate face, but when I turned slightly…the other side revealed a large patch of bluish-black marks, like an ugly birthmark that instantly ruined my looks. My insecurity was palpable. However, this time, I steeled my heart. No matter what, I wouldn’t beg Adam to take me back. Even though he once loved me so much. 3 Adam and I met in our freshman year of college, when my face was still smooth and fair. With his backstory of losing his father at a young age, Adam quickly became known as the poor but noble prince of our department. He had a steady personality and excellent grades, and was gentle and polite to everyone. As someone born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I was quickly attracted to his unique charm. Although he was poor, he had pride. When I pursued him, I bought him many expensive gifts, but he refused to accept them. Even after we got together, he often warned me not to waste money. To please him, I stopped buying thousand-dollar clothes and accessories, and even changed my usual restaurants to the fast food places near campus. My roommates saw how I changed after dating Adam and were very worried about me. Especially Emma. She often said Adam was manipulating me, but I always scoffed at her concerns. I believed Adam truly loved me. He would get jealous if other guys looked at me for too long, bring me hot milk during my period, and remembered all my favorite foods and dietary restrictions. There was no boyfriend more caring than him. More importantly, even after my face was disfigured, he remained by my side just like before. I still remember those darkest days. In the second semester of sophomore year, some grayish-blue spots suddenly appeared on the left side of my face. At first, I didn’t pay much attention and just bought a lot of expensive spot-removing products. But not only did they have no effect, the blue spots grew more numerous and darker, eventually merging into a large patch. I started to become unwilling to go out or see people, and even developed some depressive tendencies. It was Adam who accompanied me to the hospital. The next day, he came back with the test results and told me that my blue spots were likely caused by a hidden genetic disease in my family, and there was no treatment. Just when I was about to give up all hope, Adam became the light that illuminated my darkness. “Lily, don’t be afraid. No matter what you look like, I’ll always be by your side. No one will love you more than I do.” He comforted me tirelessly until he helped me overcome this psychological shadow. Adam really did as he said. He didn’t abandon me because of my face, but became even more caring towards me. He even promised that as soon as he graduated and found a job, we would get married. He took me to various gatherings with his friends. In front of all his buddies’ beautiful girlfriends, I felt out of place. “Adam, why don’t I try cosmetic surgery?” I nervously suggested to him. But Adam immediately refused. He frowned and looked me in the eye. “Lily, do you think I got together with you just because you were pretty?” “What kind of person do you take me for? I already said I’ll love you no matter what you look like.” “Those fake faces from cosmetic surgery are disgusting. I hate those Instagram model faces the most!” I gave up on the idea of cosmetic surgery. Later, I comforted myself that I already had Adam. If even he didn’t mind, why should I care so much about this flaw on my face? 4 And now, Adam would no longer be part of my life. I looked in the mirror and re-examined myself, thinking about cosmetic surgery again. Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of getting rid of this blue patch on my face, I wanted to try. Adam kept sending me messages, changing from threats to apologies, his tone softening from harsh to gentle. Before I could reply, a voice message suddenly played from Chloe’s phone. The voice was all too familiar – it was Adam. “Chloe, don’t you think Lily is being ungrateful? If only she was as understanding of my difficulties as you are.” I suddenly looked up and met Chloe’s panicked, innocent gaze. “Lily, don’t overthink it! Adam was just venting to me because he had a fight with you. I was trying to help persuade him for you.” Looking at the affectionate messages popping up on Adam’s phone, I felt an inexplicable wave of nausea. Ungrateful? Understanding of his difficulties? What difficulties should I be understanding about? His scheme to get me pregnant before marriage? Or the fact that he went to my roommate for comfort right after breaking up with me? “Chloe, you don’t need to pretend. I’ve known about your little games behind my back for a long time. I just couldn’t be bothered to confront you. That doesn’t mean I’m stupid.” I had known Chloe disliked me since the first day of school. She was a small-town girl, a nobody when she first arrived. Many classmates even mocked her for being poor. Because we were roommates, I got along well with her and often lent her clothes and bags. She was quite pretty, and once she wore decent clothes and shoes and lost her country bumpkin air, she could actually be considered a beauty. More and more people said she looked a bit like me, but more often, they mocked her for being my personal maid and follower. Chloe changed. She started secretly diluting my cosmetics, staining my new clothes, and even stealing my money. I turned a blind eye to those things, not bothering to confront her. And now she wanted to steal Adam from me. Who knows how long the two of them had been hooking up behind my back. 5 “Lily, how can you say that about me? I only had good intentions!” Chloe panicked, putting on a pitiful act with teary eyes. Even Emma thought I was being too harsh. Emma tried to mediate: “Lily, just forget about that jerk Adam. Don’t let him affect our dorm relationships.” I pulled out several photos from my phone and placed them on the table, swiping through them one by one in front of them. The first showed Chloe “adding ingredients” to my makeup oil. The second showed Chloe reaching into my drawer and taking out my wallet. The third was a love letter Chloe had written to Adam. With each photo I swiped through, Emma and Chloe’s expressions changed. Chloe turned and glared at me viciously. “You knew all along! You were just laughing at me, weren’t you?!” I remained silent. Emma was completely stunned by Chloe’s sudden change in demeanor. Chloe spread her phone out in front of me with a twisted expression, speaking through gritted teeth: “Lily, so what if you’re rich? Now you’ve lost that perfect face and Adam, your loyal dog. You’re nothing now. You can’t step on me anymore to show off how noble you are!” I looked at the WeChat messages on Chloe’s screen, which apparently started last August. So she had her sights set on Adam long ago. “Adam, did you buy that 700 n e w d r e s s f o r L i l y ?
′ s s o p r e t t y . I w i s h I w a s t h a t l u c k y . B u t I ′ m h a p p y w i t h m y 700newdressforLily?It ′ ssopretty.IwishIwasthatlucky.ButI ′ mhappywithmy10 T-shirt!” Adam replied: “Lily is just vain. I think it’s better to be frugal.” “Adam, which of these two photos do you think looks better?” The attached images were two selfies with her cleavage half-exposed. Adam replied: “Both look good. It would be even better if they were a bit more revealing (winking face)” “Adam, I heard you had another fight with Lily. She’s from a rich family so it’s normal for her to be spoiled. Unlike us poor kids. You should be more understanding of her.” Adam replied: “If only Lily was half as sensible as you.” I knew the wealth gap between Adam and me had always been a thorn in his heart. I tried my best to cater to him, carefully protecting his fragile self-esteem. In the end, I was still the bad guy who wasn’t sensible enough. Meanwhile Chloe, who was even more vain and materialistic than me, became his kindred spirit and confidante just because her background was similarly poor. “Lily, you and Adam aren’t from the same world. Only I truly understand him.” Yes, you two are a perfect match, I thought bitterly. You’re both so self-pitying and insecure about your backgrounds. I looked at Chloe’s smug face and laughed sarcastically. “Since you like my leftovers so much, you can have him. After all, unlike me, apart from Adam – this ‘potential stock’ that may or may not rise -” “You have nothing.” The color drained from Chloe’s face at my words. She grabbed her phone and stormed out. I didn’t need to guess where she was going – she was off to seek comfort from Adam. Looks like Adam’s $100 room fee wouldn’t go to waste after all. I wished them happiness. 6 The next day, I went to a famous cosmetic surgery clinic in the city based on an online search and made an appointment with the dermatology department. A nurse led me in. The young male doctor who examined me had apparently just returned from getting his master’s degree abroad. “Lily?” he called my name hesitantly, looking up at me with a shocked expression. “When did you get back? Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack was my childhood friend. His parents and mine were not only business partners but also close friends for many years, so I spent almost every day with Jack before we became adults. He was the stereotypical rich playboy, always surrounded by girls, while I was the well-behaved good girl who never caused trouble. Later he went abroad for school, while I chose to attend a prestigious local university. Due to the time difference, we gradually lost touch. Hearing my words, Jack suddenly looked a bit hurt. “Didn’t you delete me on SnapChat?” Surprised, I took out my phone in front of him and indeed couldn’t find him in my contacts. It must have been Adam’s doing again. Every so often, some male contacts would mysteriously disappear from my SnapChat. I used to think it was cute that he got jealous, but now I just found it pathetic. I didn’t know how to explain to Jack, so I just added him back. He looked at the blue patch covering half my face with concern and asked, “What happened?” “I went to the hospital to check. They said it might be a hidden genetic disease in the family with no treatment. I wanted to see if cosmetic surgery could remove these blue spots.” He looked shocked when he heard my explanation. “That’s impossible!” “Lily, which quack doctor did you see? This kind of blue patch is caused by pigment deposition. If it were genetic, you would have had symptoms since childhood!” “If it appeared later in life, there are only two possibilities – either you applied something to your face, or it was caused by hormonal drugs.” Jack’s words hit me like a bolt of lightning. I had never considered this possibility. The doctor who examined me wasn’t some quack – I had gone to the most famous hospital in the city. It was impossible for the hospital to misdiagnose. There was only one possibility left. Adam had lied to me and forged my test results! All this time, I had become fragile and insecure because of my imperfect face. Adam saw it all, yet he still deceived me. Why on earth would he do that?! Jack noticed my expression change and thought I was worried about the spots on my face. “Lily, don’t worry. I learned about relevant treatments abroad. Apart from the high cost, this type of blue patch is not difficult to treat at all.” His words comforted me. With my family background, any problem that could be solved with money was no longer a problem for me. While I was delighted that my face could be restored, I was also furious and confused about Adam’s long-standing deception. I had to get to the bottom of this! 7 Jack specially ordered a spot removal device from the UK for me, specifically to treat my condition. I didn’t understand how he, as a newly hired doctor, had so much influence. He gave me a playful look with his insufferable expression. “You dare disobey the young master’s orders?” Oh, so this cosmetic surgery clinic was also one of the Song family’s businesses. Their reach was truly extensive. I underwent treatment with Jack for nearly half a month. During this time, I took leave from school. Every day after treatment, Jack would drive me home and stay for dinner. He had always loved my mom’s cooking since we were kids. Even when his own mother called to ask him to come home for dinner, it was useless. Over time, both our families got used to it. Whenever they saw Jack, my family would just set an extra place at the table. “Look in the mirror. Don’t eat anything weird again, especially those diet pills online. They’re unreliable. That’s how you messed up your face in the first place.” I ignored Jack’s nagging and happily examined myself in the mirror. My fair, flawless face was finally back! “Let’s go, Miss Lily. I’ll drive you back to school.” “Don’t you have to work?” “Have you ever seen a young master who needs to clock in on time?” Jack opened the door of his Mercedes G-Wagon for me, putting on his flashy gold-rimmed sunglasses. He drove me ostentatiously through the university gates. Along the way, he chattered on about many interesting stories from his time in the UK, but I wasn’t really listening. I turned my head to look at the familiar campus, feeling like my lost confidence was slowly being restored. As we passed by the teaching building, I saw Adam and Chloe. Jack asked, “Isn’t that your boyfriend? I saw photos of you two on your Ins. Why is he holding hands with another girl?” I coldly replied: “We broke up long ago.” Jack sensed my displeasure, but his expression remained cheerful. He teasingly said: “Someone really had such bad taste? Does that mean I have a chance now? Goddess, may I have the honor of being your devoted admirer? I’ll even settle for being your backup.” I smacked the back of his head in annoyance. He had always been so frivolous since we were young. As we drove past Adam, Jack deliberately slowed down. Adam saw me in the passenger seat and his face instantly turned pale. Disregarding the danger, he rushed over and blocked the car. I rolled down the window and saw his disgusting face. “Lily?! Why are you in this playboy’s car? He clearly has bad intentions!” “This type of guy has slept with countless women. He probably has some STD. How can you be so careless?” “Your…your face?” Adam was about to say more but choked on his words when he saw my perfectly restored face. Chloe came over to pull him away and was also startled by my flawless complexion. Especially when she saw Jack sitting beside me, her eyes were practically shooting fire with jealousy. 8 “Chloe, control your gaze. The guy next to me is way out of your league,” I said deliberately to irritate her. “Besides, his family background doesn’t match yours. You’re better suited for a poor nobody like Adam.”
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