Chapter 3: "Whisper's in the Mirror"

Lily scrolled through the search results, her fingers trembling slightly. "Lose 10 pounds in a week!" "The secret to a model's body—no exercise needed!" "Only eat this one thing and watch the weight disappear!"

The words felt promising, like a lifeline. But deep down, she knew better. If it were that easy, she wouldn't feel the way she did right now.

She clicked on one of the links anyway.

Her eyes scanned the page, absorbing every extreme tip—skip meals, drink only water, eat cotton balls soaked in juice to trick your stomach. She swallowed hard, don't eat late. Was this what it took? Was this the price of beauty?

A sudden knock on her door made her nearly drop her phone.

"Lily?" It was her mother's voice.

Lily quickly exited the page, locking her phone before responding. "Yeah?"

Her mother opened the door slightly, poking her head in. "You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Lily asked, forcing a small laugh.

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Because you barely said a word at dinner. And because you always get like this when you start thinking too much."

Lily felt a flare of annoyance. When you start thinking too much. Was it that obvious?

"I'm fine," she said, a little too quickly.

Her mother sighed, stepping fully into the room. She wasn't the type to be overly affectionate, but she had a way of noticing things no one else did. "You know, you don't have to change anything about yourself, right?"

Lily's throat tightened.

But I do. I really, really do.

She forced a smile. "Of course."

Her mother stared at her for a moment longer, as if debating whether to push further. Then she just shook her head. "Alright. Just… don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"I won't," Lily lied.

Her mother nodded, then walked out, leaving Lily alone again.

She exhaled shakily, glancing down at her phone. Her fingers hovered over the screen, debating.

Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she reopened the search page.

And this time, she didn't hesitate to keep reading.

Lily scrolled deeper, her eyes darting across the screen, soaking in every word.

"Skip breakfast. It trains your body to burn fat faster."

"Chew gum when you're hungry—it tricks your brain into thinking you've eaten."

"The less you eat, the smaller your stomach becomes. Stay strong."

"Do intermittent fasting, eat within 8 hrs and skip 16 hrs

Stay strong.

Lily clenched her jaw. Was this strength? It didn't feel like it. But if it got her closer to the body she wanted—the body that deserved to wear pretty clothes, that deserved attention—then maybe it didn't matter.

Her stomach still felt uncomfortably full from dinner. That heaviness only fueled her frustration.

She turned off her phone and stood up, pacing her room. Every step felt sluggish, like her body was weighed down by all the things she hated about it. Then, almost without thinking, she walked into the bathroom.

She locked the door behind her.

The mirror was there, waiting for her. She hesitated before lifting her hoodie, revealing the stomach she despised.

Too big. Too soft. Too wrong.

She gritted her teeth, gripping the sink. Maybe she had eaten too much. Maybe she needed to do something about it.

Her gaze flickered to the toilet.

Her heartbeat quickened.

She had heard about this before—girls who ate and then got rid of it. The idea made her stomach twist, but wasn't this what models did? Didn't celebrities have tricks to stay perfect?

Slowly, she stepped forward. Her hands trembled as she lifted the lid.

And then—

A knock.

"Lily?" It was her father this time.

Lily jerked away from the toilet like it had burned her. Her breath came in short, uneven gasps.

"Y-yeah?" she called back, trying to steady her voice.

"Are you okay? You've been in there a while."

Lily swallowed hard, her throat dry. "I'm fine. Just washing my face."

A pause. Then, "Alright. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"Okay."

She listened as her father's footsteps faded down the hall. Then she turned back to the mirror, staring at her reflection again.

What was she doing?

For a brief second, something inside her screamed at her to stop—to throw away these thoughts before they took over.

But another part, the part that had been with her for years, whispered: You're not enough yet. Keep going.

Lily sighed and turned off the light, leaving the bathroom behind. But as she climbed into bed, the thoughts didn't leave her.

They never did.

Lily lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing.

Her phone was still in her hand, the screen dim, but the words she had read burned in her brain. Skip meals. Chew gum. Stay strong.

Her stomach churned—not from hunger, but from the weight of a decision she wasn't sure she had already made.

Then, a thought struck her. A challenge.

Tomorrow, I won't eat.

Just to see if she could do it. Just to prove she had control.

Her heart pounded at the idea, fear and excitement twisting together.

She turned off her phone, closed her eyes, and let the darkness swallow her.

Tomorrow, everything would change.