Chapter 3 Cheer Up Baby

• She fringed the pillow and sat up, crying loudly again. “I hate my existence, I hate everything about me”.
• She screamed out bitterly. “If…only … I was as beautiful as everyone else…".
• Minutes lapse.
• It's past 8pm, 4 hours after her mother had ceaselessly called her to have her dinner, but she ignored her.
• A knock sounded on the door again and her mother opened the door slowly. “Honey, you are going to starve to death, you are still young to worry about him, you will still have plenty of male interests in the future” she said softly.
• “Why? Why am I fat and ugly! I have been bullied from my junior high until date”.
• “Beauty…”. Her mother sadly called for her daughter.
• “Mom, you are ageless, a visual bomb and a nice body shape, why am I not like you?”
• Beauty's mom was an ex beauty queen, people said she was the fat version of her mother. “Sweetie, having your father's body isn't a curse, you are beautiful the way you are, look at those flesh most of them bullies envy them, you don't even have belly fat, you're thick…and chubby but definitely not fat, you have a healthy body mass index, who cares what people think, they are just jealous”.
• Beauty knew she was only trying to cheer her up, no one will ever envy a fat lady, Men want the slender and tiny waists. So she just went mute, her lips shivering, holding back from crying in her presence.
• “You know, I am going to tell you a secret”. Her mother said, trying to change the topic.
• Beauty gazes at her with interest. “What secret?” She asked curiously, wiping her face with my palm.
• “Promise you won't tell your dad”.
• Beauty hesitated, then nodded impatiently. “Okay, yes, I promise”.
• Her mother started. “Well I….” She pressed her lips together like she was about to say something really heavy.
• “I…kissed my cousin”.
• “What…EW”. Beauty snapped.
• “We almost made out!”
• This time her jaw dropped. “Mom! You did what?”
• "Don't act so innocent to me," her mother laughed.
• Beauty never imagined her mom to be that type, incest? That's so gross! She covered her ears. “I don't want to hear about it”.
• “We got all smoochy smoochy…and almost had sex,”
• “What the…, he is your cousin, mom! That's rough, and so grossing me out now”.
• She chuckled at the irritated Beauty and continued.
• “I was a wild teenager and got drunk at my sixteen birthday, you know my cousin, Edward?”
• “The one with a weird mustache?” Beauty replied.
• She nodded with a satisfactory smile. “Yep, that was him”.
• “How could you!” Beauty snapped loudly with a triggered anger.
• “Calm down, like I said, we didn't actually get into it completely. I was drunk and asked him to kiss me, we both tight, and you know, we kissed and ended up in the bedroom. Don't ever taste alcohol, I took a little and went crazy, not sure if you can keep up with it too”.
• “Ewww! Mom!” Beauty yelled.
• “I remembered he was a bad kisser and his baby mustache was there, remembering it now, it disgusts me”.
• Beauty slapped her forehead. “Mom, you are really …”.
• “Oh, did I mention, before we get all naked and stuff, your dad found us?”
• Beauty's eyes rose, almost reaching to her forehead. “Whaaaaaat! You knew dad then?”
• “He was my first and only love”. She said it like a voice actor in one of those fairy tale movies.
• “Dad's gonna kill him.”
• “No, he was like…” What the heck is going on here, Vanessa, you are fucking your cousin?"
• "I was dead drunk to even get those words right". Mrs. Vanessa laughed.
• “Wait, he did not kill Edward?”
• “Of course not, I mean he is still alive right, he wouldn't be living now, if your dad had killed him years ago. Nevertheless, he landed in the hospital, almost a week, they are yet to discharge him from the hospital. Your dad visited him at the hospital out of pity,he said, but only to dislocate more bones the nurses saved him, poor Edward”.
• Beauty cracked up and laughed out loud.
• “Just look in a mirror reflection and tell me how could anyone who isn't bitter call this angel ugly”? Her mother's voice came calmly.
• Beauty's smile faded slowly, her face clouded, as she stared at her reflection, eyes slowly getting wet with tears.
• “I hope one day you will realize how beautiful and precious you are and flaunt your charms without giving an f**k what they say”. Her mother whispered.
• “Mom…”
• “Yes sweet”. She replied and detangled her daughter's hair with her fingers.
• “Can you let me be alone for now, Mom?” Mrs. Vanessa sighed out loudly.
• “Alright, take care, okay, please don't take anything harmful. You may not be so lucky like last time, and please know that I and your dad love you more than anything in our existence, please, see yourself the way I see you”.
• As soon as Vanessa shut the door, Beauty cried loudly and vowed to herself to save money for surgery, that the only way to fit into the world beauty standard, and escape from their hatred, bullying, shaming and judgmental nature.