Looking for : After I Became Pretty
Chapter 1
My online boyfriend asked for my photo again.
Before I could answer, Seren—the school's reigning beauty—
snatched my phone.
"You're a walking blimp—200 pounds of it."
"If he sees what you really look like, he'll dump you on the spot."
She held up her own photo. "Send this instead."
"That way you won't scare him off."
The others joined in.
"You're carrying that much weight and still dare to have an online boyfriend?"
"Isn't that basically fraud?"
I pinched the rolls on my stomach, hesitating.
Then the comments appeared.
[This fat girl's online boyfriend? A generous billionaire heir.]
[Seren knows. She set this up so she could send her own photo and later take her place.]
[Dorian will spoil her rotten. Ten thousand dollar transfers like it's nothing.]
I snapped the phone back and pulled up a photo from three years ago.
"No thanks. When I'm thin again, I'll look better than you."
---
The laughter hit from all sides.
"Elara, take a look at yourself in the mirror—you look like a pig."
"You'd blend right in with the pigs in a pen."
Seren leaned in, laughing harder.
"Are you so fat that your brain's gone soft? You can't even tell reality from a filter?"
"Send a filtered photo and he'll only be more disappointed when he meets the real you."
Everyone crowded around my phone and decided instantly it was photoshopped.
"The face doesn't even look like you. Have some self-awareness."
"If you send that and he sees the real you, he might actually want to kill you."
What they didn't know:
Three years ago, I'd been the girl everyone stared at.
Then my parents died.
Back-to-back accidents. I fell apart.
Eating became the only thing that made me feel better.
Add exam pressure on top of that—I let myself go.
And I let myself enjoy it.
Now, I was out of that dark place.
I'd made it into university.
Maybe it was time to find the girl I used to be.
Not for them—for myself.
I ignored the noise and scrolled through my gallery, looking for the right photo.
Before I could pick one, Seren grabbed my phone again—and sent one of her own.
"You're fat and ugly. I'm helping you."
"If you keep stalling, your boyfriend's going to get annoyed."
[Dorian will fall for Seren at first sight.]
[He's rich, obsessed, and six feet of pure good looks.]
[Pairing him with a pig like her is a waste.]
[Yes, Seren—go after him. A top-tier guy deserves a top-tier girl.]
My stomach dropped.
I grabbed the phone back, ready to unsend.
But Dorian had already replied.
"Baby, you're gorgeous... I can't take my eyes off you."
"I can't believe I got this lucky."
Seren's eyes sparkled with triumph.
"He's already seen the photo."
"Might as well roll with it. If you're worried about the meet-up—"
"I'll go instead of you."
Chapter 2
Everyone was praising Seren.
"Seren's being so kind. Elara, don't be ungrateful."
My hands were shaking.
Through her relentless taunting, I forced myself to stay calm and typed carefully:
That's actually our school beauty, Seren.
Sorry, I sent the wrong photo — but it works out, because I wanted you to know I'm even prettier than her.
I stopped hesitating and sent my best old photos.
This time, Dorian didn't reply right away.
I waited, nerves twisting in my stomach.
Then he called.
"Baby, you're so slim — so beautiful — so elegant..."
"you're exactly my type. I can barely breathe."
"You're even prettier than that school beauty. I wish I could see you right now."
His voice was full of excitement.
My face went warm.
I took a breath and said carefully:
"After Summer Break. The first day of school."
"That's when we'll meet."
That gave me three months.
Enough time to push myself.
Dorian was thrilled. "You finally agreed to see me."
"Don't worry — I'll have so many gifts ready for you."
The moment the call ended, he transferred fifty thousand dollars.
My pretty baby deserves pretty clothes and pretty bags.
Buy whatever you want. Tell me when you run out.
I stared at the screen, a smile sneaking onto my face.
The comments were right.
Dorian really was a walking ATM.
Seren saw the transfer, jealousy burning in her eyes.
"You don't actually think a filtered photo will fool him, do you?" she sneered.
"When he sees what you really look like, you're going to regret this."
[Doesn't matter. When Dorian is disappointed in Elara, Seren will step in.]
[This fat pig will make Seren look like an angel.]
[Dorian will fall for her in seconds, unless he's blind.]
[Let this pig enjoy it while she can. The harder she falls, the better it'll be.]
Their contempt lit a fire under me.
I used Dorian's money to join the best gym and hired the best trainer.
One goal:
In three months, I'd get back to my prime — strong, healthy, unstoppable.
The coach laid it out:
"From today, every bite you eat, every sip you drink — I decide it."
"Three hours a day. Can you do it?"
I nodded hard.
Dorian had shown me real sincerity.
I couldn't let him down.
And I couldn't let down the girl who'd spent years being mocked and excluded.
Day one, the coach pushed me until I cried.
Dragging my aching body home, I opened WhatsApp.
New messages.
It was Seren.
She'd taken a photo of me crying at the gym.
Breaking news — Elara's started dieting for her meet-up!
How long do you think she'll last?
Chapter 3
The comments kept coming.
Elara's jumping around like that—won't she crack the gym floor?
Thought I felt an earthquake today.
Turns out it was just the pig jumping rope.
Someone turned my worst photos into stickers and flooded the group chat.
Seren tagged me.
"Elara, you look ridiculous flapping around at the gym."
I swallowed the humiliation and looked at myself in the mirror for the first time in a while.
My face was covered in acne from hormone imbalance.
Stretch marks lined my body.
But my trainer had promised things would turn around quickly if I stuck to it.
From that day on, my life changed completely.
Morning routine:
No more three donuts.
Instead, I ran for forty minutes on an empty stomach.
After meals: no more collapsing on the couch.
I helped with chores, then took walks with my grandparents.
Dorian felt neglected and sent me a lot of money.
"Baby, you've been ignoring me lately. Did I do something wrong?"
I told him I wasn't ignoring him—I was preparing a surprise.
"So when we meet, you'll see the best version of me."
He sent a Cartier bracelet—engraved with our initials.
"Wear this when we meet."
I tried it on.
It didn't fit.
I told myself it would look perfect once I was back to my old weight.
---
After finals, I went all in with my trainer.
The comments got nervous.
[She's this determined? She might actually pull it off.]
[No way. Even if she loses weight, she'll still be plain.]
[She's a side character. She'll never get a glow-up.]
My grandparents worried.
"We love you however you look. Don't push yourself too hard."
But I showed them my old photos.
"I want Mom and Dad in heaven to see me at my best."
"I want to be healthy. I want to stand up for myself."
They finally supported me—and started making healthy, home-cooked meals to help.
Once my hormones stabilized and the water weight dropped, I'd already lost thirty pounds by the end of finals.
I saw a doctor to make sure I was doing it safely, then planned the next phase.
Still wearing baggy clothes, no one noticed.
Before break, Seren mocked me again.
"All that gym time and you still haven't lost an inch."
"Are you really going to meet him looking like that?"
The group jumped in.
"I bet five hundred she won't show at all."
"A thousand says she chickens out."
I looked Seren straight in the eye.
"Hope you're all ready to pay up."
Chapter 4
As the break began, my weight loss hit a plateau.
My body was fighting back.
The numbers on the scale barely moved.
But I had my trainer adjusting my plan, and my grandparents cheering me on.
No time to panic—just kept pushing.
When I dropped another ten pounds, everything shifted.
The bracelet slid on easily.
My skin cleared. My jawline sharpened.
I started taking photos again—even sent Dorian a few shadowy, artsy side shots.
My trainer said at my height—5'6"—143 pounds was the sweet spot.
Healthy. Toned. Stunning.
In the final month, I fell in love with clean eating.
No cravings. No temptation.
I mastered every workout, added yoga and Pilates for tone.
The weight came off slowly, steadily.
My curves emerged. My confidence grew.
Neighbors did double takes. "Elara, you look like a completely different person."
"You could pass for a celebrity."
I started wearing the clothes Dorian had sent me—sneaking him photos of my progress.
He responded by sending more money.
"Baby, I already visited your campus."
"On the first day, I'm going to give you a huge surprise."
I stepped on the scale.
149 pounds. Final stretch.
The day before we met, it hit 143.
Not just thin—toned.
Sun-kissed skin. No acne. Strong.
My grandparents cried. My trainer cried.
"Elara, with this kind of willpower, you can do anything."
For our first meeting, I bought a dress that made me feel like the best version of myself.
Curled my hair.
I was late—traffic.
Stepping out of the car, I spotted a flashy Porsche in the distance.
Dorian was already there.
I started toward him—
Then I saw Seren walk up to him first.
"Dorian, hi. I'm Seren. You've seen my photo."
She was dressed to kill, every move calculated.
Dorian stared at her, something flickering in his eyes.
I froze.
The comments lit up.
[Seren's going for it. Dorian's speechless—I knew he'd fall for her.]
[Did the fat girl even lose weight?]
[Who cares. The side character's done. Even if she shows up, she'll just be background noise.]
Seren pulled out a photo—the one from when I was 200 pounds.
"This is the real Elara. Fat. Ugly. A slob."
"The photos she sent you were all filtered."
"I felt sorry for you, so I came to tell you the truth."
Dorian took the photo, hesitant.
I almost turned around.
Then I caught myself.
I wasn't that person anymore.
People were already staring at me—some even looked like they wanted my number.
I could do this.
I took a breath, circled behind Dorian, and stepped closer.
Would he still fall for Seren's act?
Or would he see me?
And when Seren finally recognized me—what would her face look like?
Dorian was staring at the photo, confused.
"Elara really lied to me? I don't want to believe that."
Seren's eyes gleamed with triumph.
"She's ashamed. That's why she didn't show."
"Block her—she's not worth your time."
[One last step. Add Seren. Their story starts now.]
Seren was about to ask for his contact—
When she looked up and saw me standing behind him.
She didn't recognize me.
Annoyed by my presence, she forced a polite smile.
"Who are you looking for?"
I didn't answer.
I just reached out and tapped Dorian on the back.
He turned—confused.
I held up the bracelet he'd given me and smiled.
📖 After I Became Pretty