I Took My Beauty Back

I have a long, jagged scar running down my face.

Adrian says I'm disgusting.

He doesn't know. That scar is the price I paid to save his life.

But when he wrapped his arm around the campus queen and humiliated me in front of everyone, I finally regretted it.

Chapter 1

Freshman orientation.

Adrian stood on the podium, delivering his speech. He was radiant, confident, commanding the attention of the entire auditorium.

I clapped until my palms stung, cheering louder than anyone else.

But then, the whispers started. Cold, sharp, venomous.

"Who is that? That scar on her face it's a nightmare."

"Does she have some kind of disease? Gross."

"Is she seriously crushing on the speaker? That's hilarious. She's delusional."

I was used to it. The stares. The comments. The way people recoiled.

I bit my lip and tugged a lock of hair forward, trying to hide the jagged line that marred my face.

Last night, Adrian had panicked. He needed help with his speech. I stayed up all night writing it, handing it to him only this morning.

Watching him now, speaking so fluently, so charismatically I was genuinely happy for him.

He finished to thunderous applause and walked down the steps, basking in the adoration.

"Oh my god, he's so hot!" Girls around me were practically swooning.

I saw Adrian walking toward me and uncapped the water bottle I'd brought. Hed been talking for ages; he had to be parched. His health was a glass house, always ready to shatter.

I took a step forward.

He didn't stop at me. He walked right past me.

In front of Harper.

I recognized her. Another freshman. The girl everyone was already calling the campus queen.

Gasps of "I ship it!" and "They're perfect!" erupted around us.

Adrian smiledthat easy, charming smileand extended his hand to Harper. "Ready? Let's grab lunch."

My hand, holding the water bottle, froze in mid-air.

He didn't even look at me. Not a glance. He looked right through me.

As they walked past me, hand in hand, I heard Harper's voice, sweet and curious.

"Do you know her? The one with the nightmare face? She was screaming for you."

Adrian's reply was casual. Indifferent. A knife to the gut. "Just someone from high school. She's been obsessed with me for years. Honestly? Looking at her face makes me sick."

Looking at her face makes me sick.

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

I stood there like a clown, the water bottle heavy in my hand, replaying those words in my head. He had been cool toward me lately, distant. But this was the first time I'd heard him say it out loud. The disgust. The revulsion.

The crowd dispersed. The quad emptied. And then, the pain hit me. A physical, jagged ache in my chest.

I didn't know when Adrian and Harper got together.

I pulled out my phone and checked his social media.

Blocked.

I checked his bio. It had changed.

Finally caught the girl who took my breath away.

He forgot.

He forgot about the five-year-old boy who once cupped my face in his small hands, offering me a daisy.

"You're so pretty," he had said, his eyes wide and sincere. "You're the prettiest person I've ever seen. Can we be besties forever?"

I could still hear the tone of his voice.

Clear. Sweet.

And completely gone.

Chapter 2

After that day, he became my shadow.

He skipped lunch for weeks to buy me rhinestone hair clips. When bullies cornered me, he threw the first punch, not caring if he got beat up in the process.

We went to high schools on opposite sides of the city, but that didn't stop him. Every Friday night, hed bike ten miles across the city just to see me.

Id walk out the school gates and there hed be. Leaning against the old oak tree, sweating, panting, but his eyes crinkling into that smile that made my knees weak.

Young love is a wildfire. Bright. Consuming. Impossible to hide.

He wore his adoration for me like a crown.

Now? He wore his disgust the same way.

But here is the punchline he doesn't know.

This scar? The one he can't stand to look at?

I bought it for him.

Senior year. Adrian got sick.

Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer.

It was aggressive. The doctors gave him a death sentencehe wouldn't make it to Christmas. Even his parents had started making funeral arrangements, their hope crushed under the weight of clinical reality.

But I refused to accept it.

My family guards a secret. An ancient, dark trade passed down through generations of women.

We can trade our beauty for the life of the one we love.

I sealed the pact.

Overnight, Adrians cancer vanished. His charts cleared. The doctors called it a medical miracle.

And overnight, my face split open.

A jagged, angry scar carved itself across my skin. My features dulled, my glow extinguished. I went from the girl everyone wanted to be, to the "monster" everyone avoided.

I torched my modeling portfolio. I gave up my dreams, my futureeverythingjust to keep him alive. Just to protect the bond we had since we were five.

But from the moment my face changed, he pulled away. He couldn't even look me in the eye.

He kept takingmy time, my effort, my devotionbut he stopped seeing me. He felt entitled to my sacrifice without ever knowing the cost.

For years, I'd warmed myself on the cold ashes of our memories.

But today?

I finally regretted saving him.

My phone buzzed in my hand. The three dots of a typing indicator bubbled on the screen.

Adrian.

Patrick says my speech was solid. He wants to push me for the State Championship. I need another draft. Have it on my desk in three days.

The tone was familiar. Entitled. Demanding. The same tone he used when he ordered me to fetch his coffee.

I let out a cold, sharp laugh.

I typed back, my thumbs hitting the glass hard.

Are your hands broken? If you can't write your own speech, don't enter the competition. You're pathetic.

Block.

It was the first time since his diagnosis that I had said "no."

A rush of adrenaline spiked through my veins, hot and electric. It felt like oxygen.

My phone rang instantly.

I answered.

"Evangeline! Did you seriously just block me?" Adrians voice was shaking with rage. "What is your problem? Stop acting crazy and write the speech!"

In the past, I would have folded. I would have worried about his stress levels, his health.

Not today.

I screamed into the receiver, louder than he ever dared.

"Who says I can't block you? And who gave you the right to scream at me?!" I fired back, my voice trembling with suppressed rage.

Silence on the other end.

He was stunned. He had never heard me raise my voice. The doormat had grown teeth.

"Listen closely, Adrian. Im formally telling you: We are done. Don't call me. Don't text me. You're dead to me."

I ended the call.

I blocked his number. I blocked his socials. I erased him from my digital life.

I took a deep breath, chest heaving.

Then, I felt it.

A strange sensation pricked at my cheek.

The scar.

It was itching.

Chapter 3

I fished out my pocket mirror.

The scar tissue, usually a dead, pale white, was flushed pink.

It was pulsating.

I frowned, touching it gingerly. It felt warm.

But my stomach growled, interrupting my analysis. It was lunchtime. I shoved the mirror back into my bag and headed to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was a war zone.

It was the first week of classes, so the upperclassmen were out in full force, aggressively recruiting for clubs and Greek life.

Flyers were being shoved into hands, banners were waving, but one table had a crowd that was practically rioting.

Trevor, a junior with a reputation for being extra, was standing on top of a table, veins popping in his neck as he shouted.

"Listen up, ladies! The annual Campus Queen Pageant is officially open! Come get your registration forms right here! The winner takes home a massive cash prize AND signs a modeling contract with the Augustus Group!"

The crowd went feral. Hands snatched at the flyers like they were gold bars.

"Oh my god! The Pageant! I've been waiting for this my whole life!"

"Wait, it says everyone who enters gets a gift bag? I'm doing it just for the free stuff."

"What if the judges are blind and pick me? I'm in!"

"I'm literally shaking! Hand it over!"

But then, the buzzkill started.

"You guys know about that freshman, Harper, right? The journalism major? She's insane. Paparazzi were literally snapping pics of her on move-in day."

"I saw her viral TikTok. She's stunning. The seniors are calling her the hottest girl to hit this campus in a decade. No cap."

"I saw her in person. She's dating Adrian, the guy who gave the speech. Honestly? With her in the running, why bother? We're all fighting for runner-up."

The energy in the room deflated instantly. Girls who were eager a second ago dropped their flyers on the floor and walked away, defeated before they even started.

One of those discarded flyers drifted through the air and landed right at my feet.

I bent down and picked it up.

Campus Queen Pageant. Winner becomes the Brand Ambassador for the Augustus Group.

Augustus Group. My father's company.

A reckless idea sparked.

I pulled out my phone, scanned the QR code, and filled out the form.

Submit.

That afternoon, I was in the lecture hall, working through a calculus problem set.

Tyler burst into the room, smelling like sweat and gym mats. Hed clearly just come from basketball practice.

He collapsed into the seat behind me, chugged his water bottle like hed been stranded in a desert, and then

He gasped. A sharp, audible intake of breath.

"Holy sht."

I jumped, spinning around in my seat. "What? What is it?"

Tyler swallowed hard, blinking rapidly. He waved his hands in front of his face, looking flustered.

"Uh, sorry. My bad. I just from the side? You looked really good. Like, celebrity good. For a second, I thought you were Zendaya."

He leaned in closer, squinting at my face. His expression shifted from confusion to genuine curiosity.

"Evangeline, are you wearing makeup today? You look different. Better. That scar it looks faded."

My hand flew to my cheek.

I reached for my mirror, desperate to see what he was seeing.

But then the double doors swung open, and a group of students poured in.

I shoved the mirror back into my pocket.

Years of mockery had conditioned me. I was terrified of being caught looking at my own reflection. I could already hear the whispers in my head.

Look at the monster trying to be human. Ugly people try so hard.

And then, as if summoned by my anxiety, they walked in.

Adrian and Harper.

Chapter 4

It was weird. Harper wasn't even in our major, but there she was, clinging to Adrian like a second skin as they walked into the lecture hall.

I ducked my head immediately, staring intently at my notebook. Don't look up. Don't engage.

But the footsteps didn't pass me.

They stopped. Right in front of my desk.

"Evangeline. Are you actually serious about the Outstanding Student Award?"

Adrian. His voice dripped with disdain.

I looked up. He was staring down at me, his eyes cold, his lip curled in a sneer.

"Why not?" I shot back, voice steady. "I had the highest admission stats in the entire university. If I hadn't let you take the speech slot, that would have been me on that podium this morning."

A muscle in Adrians jaw jumped. Harper looked like shed swallowed a lemon.

"I know your game. You're just greedy for the twenty grand," Adrian scoffed. "Listen to me. Harper signed up too. It's down to you and her. You need to drop out. Give the spot to her."

I stared at him, blinking. "Excuse me?"

He let out a short, arrogant laugh. "Oh, I get it. You're hurt because I didn't take your water this morning. You're blocking me to get my attention. Fine. Here's the deal: You drop out of the competition, and I'll take you to dinner. One time. As a trade."

He said it with such magnanimity, like he was offering a starving dog a steak. Like sacrificing one evening with me was an act of supreme charity.

Before I could respond, he shoved my books aside to make room for Harper.

Crash.

My textbook, notebook, and pencil case hit the floor. My fountain pen cracked open, ink splattering across the tile like black blood.

He didn't even look down. He just pulled out a packet of tissues and meticulously wiped the desk for Harper, treating her like royalty while my property lay ruined at his feet.

Whispers rippled through the classroom.

Rage, hot and liquid, poured into my skull. My hands started to shake.

"Adrian. Where do you get the confidence to order me around?"

I looked at his facethe face I once worshippedand felt like I was suffocating.

My scar throbbed. A phantom pain.

Memories flashed like a strobe light.

Him abandoning me. Him humiliating me. Him using me.

And now, him robbing me to feed his new girlfriend's ego.

I gripped the edge of the desk, my knuckles turning white.

"What makes you think I'm still your doormat? You think because I loved you once, you can just trample all over me?!"

My voice cracked. Tears, unbidden and furious, welled in my eyes.

Adrian froze. The arrogance faltered. He saw the tears, saw the raw, unadulterated anger, and for the first time, he looked shocked.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Harper saw him wavering. She tugged on his sleeve, her voice dropping to a pitiful, sugary whine.

"It's okay, babe. Look at her. She clearly needs the money more than I do. I'll just I'll let her have it."

"I don't need your charity," I snapped, cutting her off. "It belongs to me. I earned it."

That snapped Adrian out of his stupor.

He looked at me with a mix of pity and condescension. "Evangeline, look. I'm trying to help you here, for old times' sake. Harper is the only daughter of the Augustus Group's CEO. Her father is sponsoring this scholarship. He decides who gets the money."

He leaned in, his voice low and cruel. "Don't humiliate yourself. There are other ways to hustle. Don't beg for scraps from people who are leagues ahead of you."

Chapter 5

Augustus Group. Again.

I shot a look at Harper.

For a split second, her mask slipped. Panic flickered in her eyes.

But just as quickly, she smoothed it over, plastering on a serene, benevolent smile. She didn't deny it. She let Adrian's lie hang in the air, claiming it as truth.

The crowd lost their minds.

"Holy sht! The CEO's daughter is literally sitting right here? I pledge my allegiance, your highness!"

"Dude, Augustus is legendary. He's super private but obsessed with his daughter. Remember her 18th birthday? He shut down the entire city for a fireworks show."

"I was there! That was for Harper? That's insane."

"Rich, hot, and humble? She's basically a main character. We're all just NPCs."

"Well, RIP to anyone else entering the pageant. She's obviously going to win. Why even bother?"

I stared at them, a weird expression twisting my face.

Augustus Group's CEO is my dad.

That fireworks show? He flew in a pyrotechnic team from Italy just for me.

Since when did Augustus have a daughter named Harper?

A voice piped up from the back, eyes glued to a phone screen.

"Wait a sec. Google says the CEO is Augustus Song. But Harper's last name is Lin."

The room went quiet.

Harper's face turned a deep, splotchy red. Her eyes bulged. "I took my mother's maiden name! Is that a crime?" she snapped, her voice shrill.

"Whoa, okay, chill! Rich people act weird, I get it." The guy raised his hands in surrender.

The vibe was awkward. Thick.

Someone tried to salvage the mood with a joke.

"Yeah, lots of people take their mom's name. Just because the CEO is named Song doesn't mean anything. I mean, what are the odds"

She paused for dramatic effect, grinning.

"that he's Evangeline Song's dad?"

The class erupted.

"Hahaha! Good one! Imagine that monster being a heiress!"

"Yeah, right! Keep dreaming, freak!"

Adrian laughed, too. A loud, mocking bark.

I felt a cold, bitter irony wash over me.

My face. My scars. They were punchlines to them. Entertainment.

In the past, I would have shrunk into my hoodie and disappeared. I would have let the shame eat me alive.

Not today.

I stood up.

I grabbed the edge of my desk.

SLAM.

I flipped it.

Books, papers, and pens crashed to the floor with a deafening clatter.

The laughter died instantly. The room went dead silent.

I stood amidst the wreckage, my voice cutting through the air like a whip.

"The only thing disgusting in this room is your attitude. You're all toxic."

I turned on my heel and walked out, leaving them stunned in my wake.

For the next few days, I was a pariah.

Harper was practically living in our classroom, holding court. Everyone fawned over her, bringing her coffee, complimenting her outfits, desperate for a crumb of her attention.

And whenever there was a lull in conversation, theyd roast me.

"Princess attitude on a pauper's budget."

"Ugly on the inside and outside."

"She's just salty because Adrian dumped her ass."

They called me "Adrian's simp." And Adrian? He never corrected them. He basked in it.

I ignored them. I put on my noise-canceling headphones and focused on my work. I was done with him. Done with all of them.

But something else was happening. Something strange.

Without the constant drain of chasing Adrian, without the stress of his demands

My face was changing.

Chapter 6

My eyes seemed brighter, wider. My lashes grew thicker. Even the angry red ridge of the scar was softening, fading into a pale line.

I kept it hidden. Mask on. Cap pulled low. I moved through campus like a ghostclass, cafeteria, library, repeat.

Until Harper cornered me.

She sauntered up to my desk, twirling in a brand-new designer dress. Silk. Expensive.

"Hey, Evangeline! Look what Adrian bought me." She preened, smoothing the fabric over her hips. "He blew his semester stipend on it. He said you begged him for this exact dress once. He told you no."

She leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper.

"He said your face well, it would just taint the dress."

Scholarship.

The word triggered a memory.

I had almost forgotten. Adrian was set to receive the "Resilience Grant."

I stood up abruptly, grabbing my bag.

"Leaving so soon?" Harper called after me, her voice dripping with triumph. "Don't worry! I'll wear it for the pageant. You can live vicariously through me!"

I stormed into the hallway and pulled out my phone.

Years ago, Adrian's cancer treatment had bankrupt his family. They had nothing.

When we started college, I asked my dad to create a special grant just for him. Fifty thousand dollars.

It was double the amount of any other scholarship on campus.

I had been blind. So incredibly blind.

I dialed my dad.

"Dad. The grant for Adrian? Cancel it. Let's follow standard protocol from now on."

Augustuss voice sharpened instantly. "Did that little punk hurt you again?"

I forced a laugh, keeping my tone light.

"No, Dad. I just I'm pulling the plug. It's a 'Resilience Grant,' right? It's for students who are grinding to survive. Not for guys who blow fifty grand on designer dresses for their girlfriends."

Silence on the line. Heavy. Dangerous.

"Understood," Augustus said, his voice cold as steel. "I'll redirect the funds to students who actually need it."

"Thanks, Dad. You're the best."

Before I hung up, a thought struck me.

"Hey, Dad? The Campus Queen Pageant your company is sponsoring you're coming to the finals, right?"

"Of course. Why? Did my little princess sign up?"

"That's a secret! Bye!"

I hung up, a grin spreading across my face.

That afternoon, the bomb dropped.

Adrian got the email notification: Grant Eligibility Revoked.

He exploded.

He stormed into the classroom, marching straight up to my desk, his face purple with rage. "Evangeline! Did you do this? Did you sabotage me