Chapter 4

Vivian Thorne became an overnight sensation.

"Painless body sculpting" was the hottest topic in the city's elite circles.

The gym's classes were completely booked, and Mr. Jenkins was grinning from ear to ear, though he now looked at me as if I were a persistent nuisance.

Vivian's private sessions fetched a six-figure price tag, yet securing a spot was still nearly impossible.

I, meanwhile, had become the sole punchline of this grand celebration.

My weight began to skyrocket at an alarming rate.

In just one week, I gained fifteen pounds.

The reflection in the mirror was grotesquely swollen. My face was round, my beautiful collarbones long gone, replaced by a thick double chin.

Even more terrifying were the desires that had appeared out of nowhere.

I developed a frantic obsession with sweets and fried foods. I'd wake up starving in the middle of the night, my mind consumed by a single thought: *eat*.

I couldn't control myself. I'd open my DoorDash app and order everything at the top of the fried chicken, burger, and milkshake categories.

When the food arrived, I'd ravenously stuff it into my mouth until a sharp, agonizing pain flared in my stomach, only then would I pause slightly.

Afterward, came a deeper wave of self-loathing and panic.

Derek chose that moment to break up with me.

He asked to meet at our usual coffee shop. His gaze was cold, filled with an unsettling blend of unfamiliarity and disdain.

"Cassie, we need to end this."

He just blurted it out.

My fingers tightened around my water glass. My heart felt as if a giant hand had seized it.

"Why?" Despite having already braced myself for it, I couldn't help but ask.

"Just look at you." He didn't bother to hide his contempt.

"I can't even take you out in public. My friends would laugh at me for dating someone who let herself go."

His words sliced through me like knives.

I looked at him, the man I’d loved for three years.

I remembered him taking such meticulous care of me when I was sick. I remembered him swearing he'd love me no matter what I became.

Turns out, vows were cheap.

"Derek, what if I told you someone *did* this to me? Would you believe me?"

I made one last, desperate plea.

He scoffed, his eyes full of the contempt one reserves for a lunatic.

"Cassie, stop making excuses. Just admit it, you can't control yourself."

Just then, a sleek, fiery red Porsche pulled up outside the coffee shop.

The car door opened, and a woman, exquisitely dressed and stunningly beautiful, stepped out.

It was Vivian Thorne.

She strode directly to our table, casually looping her arm through Derek's. She flashed me a triumphant smile.

"Cassie, what a coincidence. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Derek's new girlfriend."

Derek didn't pull away. Instead, he gazed at her with a doting expression.

I understood. Everything became clear. Even after a new life, some things were just destined to repeat.

"Cassie," Vivian pulled a business card from her purse, elegantly sliding it across the table toward me.

"This is my card. For Derek's sake, I can offer you a twenty percent discount. Though, given your current condition, you'll probably need double the sessions."

It was a clear, calculated insult.

I shot to my feet, knocking my coffee cup over, sending a splash of dark liquid cascading down her pristine white dress.

"Ah!" Vivian shrieked. A large, ugly stain bloomed on her expensive gown.

Derek immediately jumped up, frantically dabbing at the stain with a napkin, while glaring at me.

"Cassie, what are you doing! Apologize to Vivian, now!"

Apologize?

I wanted to rip that smug, fake smile off her face.

I snatched the water glass from the table and *splashed* it straight into her face.

Ignoring Derek's furious roar and Vivian's outraged shriek, I turned and stormed out of the coffee shop.

I couldn't wait any longer.

I *had* to uncover her secret, or she'd drain me dry, literally, one way or another.