1: Avery’s POV

“Out of the way, you moron”

Dalia, my colleague and number one bully shoved me as she and her friend, Millie walked past like they owned the building.

I murmured a quick “Sorry”, kept my head down and quickly shuffled out of sight.

As I walked away I heard Millie say in a voice loud enough for me to hear;

“Ugh isn’t that same ugly sweater she wore last week? It’s like she’s begging to stay ugly”

“I don’t know why they keep people that look like her around people like us. What if her ugliness is contagious?”

“OMG I know right and her kind of ugly has to be contagious. Plus I think she touched me”

“Ewww. We’re so getting you soaked in sanitizer”

I exhaled and kept walking while they laughed.

I have always been the ugly duckling for as long as I could remember and I suppose pretty people get to do what they want to me and I have to stay put and shut up.

It’s not like I was expecting anything better.

There was really nothing amazing about me.

I wasn’t the smartest in class and I was not the prettiest. Not by a long shot.

It didn’t help that I have always had crippling low self esteem.

That made me an easy target.

For my step mother Claudia and her daughter, Emilia who both treated me like a slave, my mean colleagues like Dalia and her friends and even random people I didn’t know.

I would always teased for being ugly, having no dress sense, shapeless and worse, being a door mat.

The sad part was that they weren’t wrong.

The only thing I had going for me was my dad and my boyfriend.

My father loves me but he never saw just how badly his wife and her child treated me. In his mind, I was great and loved at home.

I, also trying to avoid any drama didn’t even tell him that his wife and her daughter humiliate me for fun.

But my life isn’t all that bad.

I have my boyfriend, Elias.

He’s the second best thing in my life after my dad.

We had been dating since middle school but suddenly he lost a lot of weight and got really attractive.

He got modeling gigs, became a popular influencer, and even got a partnership with the company I work for, Greyhound incorporated.

Of course I was happy for Elias.

He finally got to live the life of his dreams.

I did hate that he barely had any time for me.

But what was worse was that he said he couldn’t make our relationship public because his fans wouldn’t understand.

He says it’s because his career is just taking off and not because he’s ashamed of me and I believe him.

Elias loves me.

I dial his number to tell him that I am headed home from work and I would like to drop by.

He picks on the fourth ring. I can already tell that he’s excited to speak to me as well.

“Hey baby. How are……”

“I told you not call me without asking for permission first!”

He snaps at me before I could even say a word.

“I…..I’m sorry. I just wanted to…..”

“Avery, look I’m busy okay.”

“It’s our anniversary today”

“Good for you. I have to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later”

“Okay. I love yo…..”

He hangs up before I can finish.

I stare at the phone and fight the urge to call back. Elias has been losing his temper with me these days and I blame it on the work stress.

All he needs is some good old affection and he’ll be back to his old self.

I decided to go pay him a surprise visit and take him out on a dinner date at a restaurant I made reservations at.

I clocked out of work and got in my car. My step mother’s call came in just then and I pick up immediately.

“Where the hell do you think you are?!” Claudia yells over the phone.

“I just got off work” I reply quietly.

“Get back to this house and get these dishes done and dinner started” she demanded.

“But I have to go see Elias. Today is our…..”

She burst out laughing on the other end.

“Forget about that boy. He is way above your level. Besides you already know that he’s attracted to your step sister”

“You shouldn’t say that” I say under my breath but she hears it and pokes harder.

“Why not? Because you’ll cry? Elias is a celebrity at this point and you’re an unattractive and underpaid low level desk worker. Get over your delusions”

“Stop”

“You can’t even fit Into a dress without looking like a mismatched whale”

“I just want to go celebrate my anniversary with my boyfriend”

She told me to do whatever I wanted but to remember that I was only good for house work and to start taking it seriously then she hung up.

I wiped my tears with my sleeves and gathered my bearings.

I wasn’t going to let Claudia or Dalia or Missy ruin my anniversary for me. I started the car engine and began to head for Elias’ house.

I couldn’t wait to see the happy surprise on his face when he sees me.

It took me twenty minutes to get to his house. I didn’t have to ring the door bell because I had my own key.

That’s how I could come in and help him cook and clean and do his laundry when he’s on tour.

I call out his name as soon as I step in but hear nothing.

There is a woman’s red high heels on the floor and just a few steps away, lingerie that I did not recognize.

I quietly approach his bedroom door and push it open.

My heart drops as I see him naked in bed with another woman.

“Elias?”