All Chapters of My Best Friend's Weight-Transfer System: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

"You never listen when I tell you to watch your figure. Just look at yourself in the mirror—what a mess. No shape, no curves!"Hurry up and lose the weight. If you can't get down to a hundred pounds with some actual definition, don't even think about marrying me!"The impatient voice cut through the air. I blinked, reality snapping back into focus, and met the disgusted sneer on my boyfriend, Zach Sullivan's, face.Out of reflex, my hand went to my side, a phantom ache from broken bones flaring for a second.When I stayed silent, my best friend, Lauren McConall—standing right beside Zach—jumped in to back him up."Jen, if you don't do something about that waistline, no guy is ever going to want you! Just listen to Zach and put in the work. If he calls off the engagement, even I won't be able to fix it for you."I shifted my gaze to Lauren. The poorly hidden glee and that faint, hungry anticipation in her eyes confirmed it—what I already felt in my bones was true.I had been rebo

The very night I signed up, Zach and Lauren practically threw my bags into the car and drove me straight to the weight-loss bootcamp's campus. They called it "eliminating distractions" so I could "focus on my mission."While I sweated through brutal workouts each day, Zach spent his evenings "unwinding" at sketchy massage parlors. He'd text me graphic details—rating the women's bodies or their "special services"—and claim it was all to "light a fire under me" to get thin.It was repulsive. Looking back, I couldn't fathom how I'd ever been blind enough to love him.Thankfully, a whole lifetime of hindsight had cured me of that delusion. His words rolled off me now like water off wax.Meanwhile, Lauren dedicated her days to curating a private show just for me. She'd post story after story on Instagram—juicy burgers, loaded cheese fries, decadent milkshakes—each one carefully tagged "Close Friends" so only I could see. When mutual friends commented with concern, asking if she'd get si

"Ghost! There's a ghost!"Lauren hobbled into the room in her bridesmaid dress, limping in crooked circles. She was nothing but skin stretched over bones, her eyes bulging like brass bells, her hair fallen out until she looked half-bald. Her clothes hung off her like old rags. At this point, she looked more terrifying than a mummy.Weakly, she reached a skeletal hand toward Zach. "Zach… Zach, I'm here."But Zach collapsed to the floor in fright, eyes wide as saucers. "You—how did you turn into… this thing? You look neither human nor ghost!"He couldn't believe the shriveled scarecrow in front of him was the same seductive Lauren who had flirted with him just two weeks ago.Step by step, Lauren shuffled toward him. From her bony fingers, she pulled out a man's ring and lifted it toward him as if to slip it onto his hand."Zach, I knew you would choose me. We're going to be together forever."But the moment Zach's fingers brushed her wrinkled, papery skin, he recoiled instinctivel

After dealing with that mess, I actually enjoyed a brief period of peace.I heard that Lauren kept clinging to Zach, but he threw her out on the spot. Their scandal spread through the company, and the management promptly fired Zach.I treated it all like a joke.What I didn't expect was for Lauren to come looking for me.She knelt at my door, begging for forgiveness."Jen, we've been best friends for so many years. Can you give me one more chance?"Sisterhood over men! Jen, please forgive me, just this once!"…Day after day, she used every sweet word she could think of, even camping outside my door. Every night, even through the closed door, I could hear her muttering to herself.When I pressed my ear closer, I realized she was talking to her system.She thought I didn't know. She was still scheming, still trying to find a way to exchange weight with me.Then one night, in the middle of the night, she coughed up blood and fainted right outside my door.A neighbor found her