Finished

The day before the modeling contest, I was locked inside my house when a sudden fire broke out.

By the time they pulled me out, my face was a mess of burns and lacerations, my body scorched over a wide area.

Outside the operating room, Mom cried like her heart was being torn apart, blaming herself again and again for accidentally locking the door.

My fiancé, Kenneth Thornton, called in every dermatologist in the city, vowing to restore my looks.

But then I heard Mom’s shaky voice outside.

“Kenneth, even if it’s to help Carrie win the competition, wasn’t it going too far to set the fire and lock the door–burning Linda’s face like this?”

Kenneth scoffed. “If Linda weren’t so vain and selfish, I wouldn’t have had to take such drastic measures. She knew Carrie was battling depression, but still flaunted her figure in front of her. All she lost was her face and some skin. Carrie lost her happiness. This is what Linda owes her.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll marry Linda. As my wife, no one will dare whisper behind her back. Even if she’s hideous, I’ll treat her well. She should be grateful.”

Destroying my health and career was treating me well?

I clenched my teeth until my jaw ached, the cold and pain raging in my chest.

The man I loved. The mother who claimed to love me. I was done with everyone.