CHAPTER 22

The Makeover

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my fingers touching the tired and broken version of myself. The woman looking back at me was a shadow—pale skin, sad eyes, lips that had forgotten how to smile.

No more.

I grabbed the scissors tightly, took a deep breath, and made the first cut. Golden strands of my hair fell to the floor like autumn leaves. One cut wasn't enough. Then another. And another. I kept cutting as if I were removing every piece of the girl who had been ignored, hurt, and broken. When I was done, my hair framed my face in messy, uneven waves.

The weak, heartbroken Celeste was gone.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts. "Celeste? What are you doing there?"

It was Rachel, my best friend. I opened the door, and her eyes widened as she took in my freshly cut hair and the determined look in my eyes.

"Wow," she whispered. "Are you okay?"

I smirked. "Better than ever."

Rachel raised an eyebrow but smiled. "Alright. If we're doing a transformation, we're doing it properly."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my apartment, straight to her car. "First stop: shopping. Then, makeup. We're rebuilding you."

The mall felt like a battleground, and I was getting ready for war. Rachel handed me outfit after outfit, and I tried them on, shedding my old self piece by piece. No more soft pastels and flowy dresses. Now, I wore sleek black, bold red, and strong outfits that made me feel powerful.

I stepped out of the dressing room in a red dress that hugged me perfectly. Rachel let out a low whistle. "Damn, girl. If heartbreak looks this good on you, maybe we should thank the idiot who let you go."

My heart clenched. Him.

The man who broke me. The one who made me feel like I was never enough. He told me he loved me, then destroyed me with his actions. But I wasn't his victim anymore. I was someone new.

That night, I stood in front of the mirror again. A different woman stared back. My hair is styled in soft waves. My lips painted a fierce red. My eyes were dark and full of strength. The dress fit me like it was made just for me.

A slow smile spread across my face. He wouldn't recognize me now.

Rachel sat on my bed, grinning. "So, what's the plan? Make him regret it, or make him beg?"

I turned to her, my smile sharp. "Both."

The chance came sooner than expected.

A party. The kind of event I used to avoid. But now? Now, I walked in like a storm ready to shake things up.

As soon as I stepped inside, I felt the shift. The stares. The whispers. I wasn't the forgotten, heartbroken girl anymore. I was someone new.

And then—I saw him.

Elliot.

His blue eyes locked onto me, widening in shock. He looked like he had seen a ghost. Or maybe, he had seen what he lost, and it terrified him.

I walked toward him slowly, letting him feel the weight of his mistakes.

"Celeste," he finally said, like my name was something precious. "You—You look—"

"Like someone you never valued?" I asked, tilting my head. "Like someone who doesn't care about your opinion anymore?"

His jaw tightened. "That's not fair. You know I—"

I raised a hand, cutting him off. "I don't care what you think, Elliot."

The words felt strange, but they set me free.

Before he could say more, another voice interrupted.

"Celeste."

I turned and met a familiar gaze—intense, steady, and filled with something undeniable.

Norah.

The one who had always been there. The one who never tried to fix me because he knew I had to do it myself.

I had never truly looked at him before. Until now.

He smirked slightly. "You coming, or are you wasting time here?"

His challenge sparked something inside me. A reminder that new stories were waiting—ones that didn't include Elliot.

I smiled. Not a hesitant, unsure smile. A real one. "I'm coming."

I walked past Elliot without a second glance, my heels clicking against the floor. Let him watch. Let him realize what he lost.

The night was young, and I had a new story to create.

One where I was in control.

And this? This was just the beginning.