The entire day had been a nightmare for Beauty and the tears she had tried to hold back in the office flowed freely as soon as she stepped into the back seat of the taxi.
She cried silently, her body trembling as Kathy’s mocking words and the laughter of her coworkers replayed in her mind.
The taxi driver noticed her distress but wisely kept quiet, focusing on the road as Beauty quietly sobbed, wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her blouse.
Beauty couldn’t understand why Kathy hated her so much or why everyone else seemed to enjoy her humiliation.
Is it a crime to be a plus size?
How is her weight offensive to them?
She had always been nice to everyone around her.
What did she do to deserve such treatment since kindergarten?
By the time the taxi pulled up to her place, Beauty’s eyes were swollen, and her face was streaked with tears.
She paid the driver, murmuring a thank you as she stepped out of the car, clutching her bag tightly to her chest.
She walked towards her building, glad she finally had a place of isolation, where she would be left alone with her thoughts, tears and insecurities.
As she unlocked the door to her apartment, Beauty felt her knees weaken, and the moment she closed the door behind her, she slid down to the floor, burying her face in her hands.
She so much wanted to scream, to lash out at the world for being so cruel, but all she could do was cry.
She spent what felt like hours sitting there on the floor, her tears soaking into the floor. She felt trapped in her own mind, unable to get rid of the cruel statements Kathy had made from her mind.
Every word replayed like a broken record: *fat whale, ugly, pathetic, you will be beautiful no matter how hard you try*
All words she had secretly feared were true.
It was as if Kathy had looked into her soul and dragged out every insecurity she had buried deep within herself.
Eventually, she had no tears to cry anymore, leaving her feeling hollow and exhausted.
She slowly stood up, her legs unsteady, and made her way to her bedroom.
The apartment was dark, and she didn’t bother turning on any other lights or opening the windows as the darkness suited her mood.
She dropped and sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor, her mind numb.
She wanted to forget the day, to erase the memory of Kathy’s mocking voice and the cruel laughter of her coworkers. But no matter how hard she tried, the pain was there, gnawing at her heart.
She thought about calling Jessie, but she didn’t want to bother her with her own misery.
She is old enough to take the pain all by herself without sharing it with anyone.
She went ahead and lay down on her bed, curling up into a ball then pulled the blankets up to her chin, crying. The pillow under her head quickly became damp with the heavy tears that spilled from her eyes.
“I am so pathetic.”
She sobbed and closed her eyes, hoping for sleep to take her away from her thoughts, she whispered to herself,
“Why can’t I just be happy?
Why can’t I just be enough?”
******
Bruno drove into his family's mansion and stopped his car.
He didn't get out of the car immediately but decided to take a rest there.
He groaned softly, running a hand through his dark, tousled hair as he thought back on the disappointing encounter with Beauty earlier in the day.
Her nervousness and discomfort because of his unexpected move, and it bothered him.
He wondered if other workers teased her because of it.
Taking his phone out of his pocket, Bruno’s demeanor softened as a notification popped up.
The message confirmed that his order was on its way for delivery.
He smiled, a small but genuine curve of those lips that rarely showed emotion so openly.
Throwing his head back against the headrest of his car seat.
He exhaled deeply, and his eyes, framed by thick, dark lashes.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, a subtle movement that only added to his rugged charm.
That feature, coupled with his chiseled jawline and broad shoulders, made him almost intimidating in his attractiveness.
Yet, there was a softness in his expression now, a rare vulnerability that always surfaced whenever he thought of her.
He hoped this plan of his would bring a bit of happiness to Beauty, to show her that someone cared, even if he wasn’t yet sure how to express it in person.
****
After spending what felt like an eternity curled up on her bed, Beauty finally forced herself to get up.
Her tummy was crying out for food earlier, and she had to feed it.
With a heavy heart, she made her way to the kitchen. The fridge door opened with a quiet hum, inside was filled with the vegetables she had bought in her latest attempt to diet.
She stared at the leafy greens, carrots, and cucumbers in sadness.
The idea of eating them filled her with dread, but she grabbed them anyway, telling herself that she needed to do this.
Maybe eating these would make everything better.
Maybe if she lost weight quickly, people would stop mocking her for her weight then she can handle being called ugly only.
She took the vegetables to the counter and chopped them. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she prepared a salad, her mind a swirl of self-hate and frustration.
She placed the bowl on the table and sat down, staring at the leafy green meal in front of her.
“I had to try… I know I don't like it, but I can do this for your own good Beauty don't think about chocolates!”
With trembling hands, Beauty picked up her fork and began to eat, each bite feeling like a punishment.
As she ate, her tears began to fall again, dripping onto the salad.
She cried quietly, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably with the force of her sobs.
She felt trapped in a cycle of self-hatred, believing that if she could just lose weight, if she could just be thinner, maybe she wouldn’t feel so worthless.
She pushed through the meal, despite her stomach twisting in knots and finished it up.
She set the empty bowl in exhaustion, unfortunately her stomach was still begging for something else apart from vegetables.
“You have to try Beauty, the world standard comes with a price to pay.”
She said to herself and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling as she cleaned up the kitchen.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
The sound jolted her from her thoughts and her heart skipped a beat in surprise.
She wiped her tear-streaked face again with the back of her hand, quickly trying to compose herself.
Who could be at her door at this hour?