Chapter 5
Charlotte kept her head down, quietly slipping on her coat to cover up the rolls of fat that her clothes had deliberately squeezed out. She didn't want anyone to notice.
"No, I was just looking around," she replied.
Victor said with a sigh of relief, "See anything you like?"
Charlotte shook her head slightly.
Victor deliberately adjusted the tiny camera, making sure it was aimed right at Charlotte's face.
Shame hit her hard, draining all the color from her face. She quickly turned away, wanting to block out all those eyes watching her.
But Victor pulled her into his arms.
"Wrap up all the clothes she tried on," he said. "All in size M."
The sales assistant paused for a second. "Size M?" she asked, shooting Charlotte a hesitant look.
She could instantly tell that M was way too small for Charlotte.
It would dig into her, showing off every curve and making her look more uncomfortable.
But ever since she'd put on weight, every single piece of clothing Victor bought her was always size M.
He made sure she was always embarrassed, but Charlotte was too caught up in his sweet words to realize how he was making her look.
"Just size M," Victor said, ruffling her hair gently. "How about we grab your favorite fried chicken later, huh?"
"You seem to have lost some weight these past couple of days," he said, frowning, his eyes full of disapproval. "Are you trying to lose weight?"
He gripped Charlotte's shoulders and said softly, "Charlotte, I've told you before. There is no need for you to stress about your body at all.
"To me, you're always the prettiest girl in the world."
As she listened to Victor, Charlotte's heart twisted with bitter self-mockery.
All that was left inside me was this endless ache and a cruel joke on myself.
I did believe he didn't care once.
But he was the one who cared the most, way more than anyone else.
Charlotte forced a smile, barely holding it together. She said, "I don't think so."
"Maybe it's just this outfit making me look slimmer," she added.
Charlotte hurried ahead, not wanting to linger.
After a few days of cutting back on food, Charlotte had already dropped six pounds.
The clothes that used to squeeze her awkwardly didn't stick out so much anymore.
Victor caught on right away.
He rushed after her, looking all concerned. "Charlotte, are you feeling sick or something? Is that why you've lost weight?" he asked.
But before he could finish, Sophie suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway.
She stood there, her eyes red from crying. "Victor, could you come with me to my check-up? I can't find anyone else," she pleaded.
Victor glanced back at Charlotte.
Before he could say anything, Charlotte already nodded lightly.
"Go ahead," she said.
Victor froze for a second and stammered, "Charlotte, I—"
"It's fine," Charlotte replied as she managed a small smile, acting like it was nothing at all. "We're all friends, right? Helping out is no big deal."
But Victor was frozen in place, his thoughts all tangled up.
For a moment, he almost blurted out, "Why don't you come along with us?"
But Sophie cut him off and said, "Never mind. Victor, I shouldn't have troubled you. Sorry for interrupting you two."
Victor placed his hand on her wheelchair and said, "I'll take you there.
"Charlotte, you go ahead and take a cab home. I'll come find you when I'm done."
But Victor didn't think about the fact that it was rush hour.
Getting a cab was next to impossible.
Her knees had always given her trouble because of her weight.
Now, with no other choice, she trudged the whole three kilometers home alone, every step feeling heavier than the last.
By the time she made it home, her feet were already rubbed raw with blisters.
Her knees hurt so much that she couldn't bend them anymore.
Wincing in pain, Charlotte slipped on her slippers.
Out of nowhere, a voice message from Sophie popped up on her phone.
In the darkness, Charlotte hit play, and Sophie's voice came through, extra sweet and clingy.
Sophie cooed, "It's not enough for me.
"Victor, think about it. Because of her bullying, I ended up crippled and lost a kidney. I want to humiliate her a little. How could that ever help me get rid of the demons in my heart?
"Only if she suffers the same punishment can I agree to marry you without anything holding me back..."
Victor's voice was low and tense as he asked, "So what are you asking for?"
"I lost a kidney, so why not let her go through the same thing? Wouldn't that be fair?" Sophie said, her voice sweet but laced with venom.
Victor's breath caught, and he asked again, "What do you mean?"
"Didn't you already tell her you were sick? Why don't you pretend your condition has gotten worse and say you need a kidney transplant? Ask her if she'd be willing to give you one, okay?" Sophie said.
Victor's voice was tense as he added, "She'll never fall for it, and what if we're not compatible?"
"Who said we have to go through with it?" Sophie replied with a little laugh. "I want a bit of payback. I'm not going to take her kidney. You can open her up, stitch her back together, and that's it.
"She won't lose anything, and with anesthesia, she won't feel a thing. That way, I can get over my demons, and it's a win-win. Victor, are you not willing to do this for me?"
The recording fell into a chilling silence.
After what felt like an eternity, Victor exhaled sharply.
He murmured, "Fine."
"Sophie, whatever makes you happy, I'll do it," he added.
Charlotte's phone crashed to the floor with a bang.
In the darkness, Charlotte's breath came in ragged gasps as tears streamed down her face.