BEAUY STANDARD

I looked up and found her assistant brushing off her designer outfit like I was a bag of dirt, but Kathy shoved the poor girl aside, fuming.

"I-I'm so sorry," I stammered, ashamed. Everyone was watching now-and worse, Mr. Bruno had just walked into the department.

He stopped right there. He was watching the scene too.

I cursed in my mind and squeezed my hands nervously. Please, let the earth open and swallow me.

"Do you know how much this designer outfit cost me, you fat imbecile?!"

Kathy thundered again.

"Enough with the name-calling, Kathy! She said she's sorry. And her name is Beauty, not 'fatty.' If her body type is what you call fat, then I'd say you're just jealous."

Jessie jumped in, standing right beside me.

Kathy turned to Jessie with a look of disdain.

"Easy for you to say. She's too fat to fit into this building-bumping into people like that. Who does that? Very irritating. And don't even start about jealousy-please, don't make me puke. Who envies a bag of fat?"

She sneered.

I tried to walk away to my post, holding back tears, but Kathy clearly wasn't done.

"Don't you dare walk away from me, you big bag of pudding!"

My fingers curled into a fist.

I was so angry and annoyed, unable to hold it in anymore-I snapped out loud.

"I'm fat! Yeah, I know. And ugly too. That I am very aware of!

Find something else to hurt me with, Kathy, because I'm not hurt by those words anymore. Go on, try something else!

Kathy, you are so perfect, and I am not. That's outdated-torture me with something else!"

I said that boldly, but my emotional expressions told a different story. My legs were visibly trembling, and my face was flooded with tears, my hands shaking nervously.

Kathy noticed.

She sighed deeply, with a soft chuckle.

"You're crying like a baby again? Thought you would grow up. Well, I'm satisfied with the result. Fatty, next time look before stepping on my toes."

She snapped with a warning finger.

"You're irritating, Kathy. You think bullying is so fun? What a childish bitch you are! She is healthy, not fat. Maybe you should eat more, bitch!"

Jessie snapped angrily.

Kathy didn't give a damn-she chuckled out loud.

"Well, I am the beauty standard, honey. It's a hard pill to swallow."

She turned to her crew.

"Let's go, everyone. Next time, avoid me, Fatty."

She warned and left with an elegant walk, as though she were on a runway.

The press crew and journalists who had been waiting for her interview followed her like puppies.

I stood there not knowing what else to do. I couldn't even raise my face to look anyone in the eyes-

Not even Bruno. He heard everything, quite clearly.

"I am such a... mess,"

I murmured and walked slowly toward the restroom. Jessie followed me immediately.

As soon as I got to the restroom, I slammed the door, crying my heart out.

"Open the door, Beauty,"

Jessie said, knocking on the door.

"You should stop calling me that!"

I snapped through tears.

"But it's your name..."

Jessie said softly.

"I hate it... It's just the opposite of who I am!"

I yelled back.

Jessie felt that hard.

"Stop being such a baby. Do you know how you sound? You sound like a heartbroken toddler! You are beautiful, and your name suits you. Now, can you at least let me in, please?"

Jessie replied.

I hesitated, but she was right.

What am I crying for? I'm used to this. Crying isn't the answer. It won't make the bullying stop either.

I eventually opened the door slowly.

"Don't start with your sermons. I'm not crying because of what she said. I was just... crying because..."

Jessie hugged me before I could finish.