Chapter 2

Hayden's impatient urging echoed in my ears, his voice sharp and relentless.

I quickly shook off my memories and rushed to the hospital.

Just like in my previous life, Mandy stood there, all high and mighty, ordering me not to leave any scars.

I secretly started recording on my phone and had Mandy sign a liability waiver.

I asked her deliberately, "As long as there's no scar, that's all you care about, isn't it?"

Mandy hesitated for a moment, and then nodded hard.

"If you leave a scar, Hayden will never let you get away with it," she warned.

I smiled. "Relax. I promise you'll look as good as new."

Once I took out the implants and fillers, the surgery would be a breeze. There wouldn't be a single scar left behind.

But Mandy's face was definitely going to be ruined.

When her nose caved in, her chin got wider, and her face turned square, she'd go from the innocent celebrity to just another plain Jane with a big face and a flat nose.

I wondered if Hayden would still defend her then, and if her fans would still be so loyal.

I was really looking forward to finding out.

I walked into the operating room and got everything ready for the surgery.

Taking a deep breath, I started removing the implants and fillers from Mandy's face, including her chin, nose bridge, forehead, brow bone, cheeks, even her temples, too.

After that, I finally got started on the real surgery.

Once I'd set the fractures and treated everything with care, I thoughtfully placed the stitches right along her hairline.

That way, there wouldn't be a single scar left on Mandy's face.

When the surgery was done, I bandaged her head and tied it off with a pretty bow, leaving only her eyes and mouth peeking out.

Mandy had to stay in the hospital for a month to recover.

So, during that month, I actually saw Hayden more times than I had in the entire past year.

During my morning rounds, I'd hear Mandy calling Hayden, her voice all soft and cutesy.

"Hayden, I really want that internet-famous chowder from Colstrax. Will you bring it for me, pretty please?" she'd coo.

And just like that, Hayden, despite always being busy, drove all the way to Colstrax just for the chowder, and then raced to the hospital on the other side of the city.

He'd even sit there, holding the bowl and feeding Mandy the chowder, spoonful by spoonful.

News about Hayden waiting in line for an hour just to buy soup for his girl was trending all over the internet again.

When I came in for my usual evening rounds to change Mandy's bandages, Hayden was there once more.

He'd crouch, gently slip off Mandy's high heels, cradle her feet in his hands, and put on the cute, fluffy slippers he'd bought just for her.

The photographer following them around would always catch the perfect shot.

And those photos blew up online.

Everyone was saying Mandy looked like some precious princess, and Hayden was her loyal knight.

The two of them looked like a match made in heaven.

I stood by the door, quietly watching it all.

Back when we were in school, Hayden and I were in the same major.

Every time I said I wanted to try one of those internet-famous restaurants, he'd always claim he had experiments to run, reports to write, classes to attend, or papers to finish.

He'd scoff that those places were just a tax on the gullible, and his precious time shouldn't be wasted on such pointless stuff.

Moreover, he was obsessed with cleanliness. He never even let me set foot on his clothes.

But now, here he was, holding Mandy's feet in his hands like they were the most precious thing in the world.

Back then, I thought he was just someone with strong principles.

Now, I finally realized that he never loved me, not even a little.

The line between love and not loving was obvious.

During the photoshoot, Mandy gave me a provocative look.

Then she tugged down her collar, showing off her cleavage, just enough to tease.

She hooked her arms around Hayden's neck, snuggled into his arms, and pressed her lips to his.

Hayden froze for a second, but he didn't push her away.

His ears turned red. He was clearly enjoying it.

After the photoshoot, Hayden slipped away from the crowd and tried to reach for my hand.

Before he could say anything, I beat him to it.

"I get it. Mandy's our company's spokesperson, and marketing you two as a couple is good for sales," I said.

Hayden paused for a second, clearly not expecting me to be this chill about it.

Then, he gave an awkward grin.

"As long as you understand," he said.

I understood all too well.

It wasn't until I got this second shot at life that I finally saw the truth. He never loved me, not even a little.

That was fine by me.

Because when I gained my revenge, I wouldn't have to hold back at all.

Finally, a month went by.

It was time for Mandy to get her stitches out.

That day, I got up super early.

I even set up a huge mirror for Mandy.

Mandy had invited a whole crowd of reporters, all ready to snap photos as she took off her bandages and showed off her new "fragile beauty starlet" image.

After the nurse removed Mandy's stitches, she looked at herself in the mirror and let out a sharp, ear-piercing scream.

The media was stunned at first, their jaws dropping, but then their faces lit up with excitement.

The juiciest scoop just dropped.