Beneath the Flawless Skin

I woke up in Bianca's messy bedroom. The tempting smell of crispy bacon drifted in from under the door.

I rushed downstairs following the scent and found Bianca's mom, Sarah, busy in the kitchen.

My mouth started watering.

Hearing me, Sarah turned around and gave me a gentle smile.

"Morning, sweetie. Why are you up so early today?"

"Come try these fresh buttermilk pancakes and sunny-side-up eggs."

I pulled out a chair and sat down, grabbing a piece of syrup-soaked pancake with my fingers and stuffing it into my mouth.

The moment I chewed, tears welled up without warning.

I couldn't remember the last time I had a breakfast that actually tasted like something.

My old diet was always just a few plain greens and a glass of iced celery juice.

I remembered once before a shoot, I snuck a sip of soda because my blood sugar crashed.

My mother locked me in a dark storage closet for a whole day right in front of my management team.

Seeing me cry, Sarah dropped what she was doing and hurried over.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Are you feeling sick? Do you want me to take you to the clinic?"

Her genuine worry made me cry even harder.

My mother, who only cared about my brand image, had never looked at me like that.

I reached out and held Sarah's hands, which were slightly rough from years of housework. My voice was hoarse as I spoke. "Mom, everything is fine."

Her eyes teared up at my words.

"Are you still thinking about that jerk on the team?"

"Having feelings for someone is nothing to be ashamed of, baby. The people laughing at you are the ones who should feel ashamed. You'll always be the prettiest girl to me."

A warmth I had never felt before flooded my chest, filling an emptiness I had carried for years.

Bianca had this amazing, selfless mother, yet she was too foolish to cherish her.

My phone buzzed on the table with an Instagram DM notification.

It was a beautiful selfie sent by Bianca.

In the photo, she was in my old body, wearing my new limited-edition designer earrings, and making a kissy face against Hudson's cheek.

The message read, "Look at this VIP treatment. I'm going to hook up with Hudson later. Just looking at his body, I know tonight is going to be amazing."

"Harper, are you too jealous to sleep right now?"

Staring at the slender waist squeezed into a corset in the photo, I only felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

She had no idea what that body actually cost.

To keep that flawless skinny look on camera, I was forced into extreme fat-freezing procedures.

The side effects left me with constant acid reflux and severe nerve pain that kept me awake every single night.

I didn't reply. I picked up the syrup and poured even more over my pancakes.

For the first time in eighteen years, I finally knew what sugar tasted like.