He Said I Was Too Ugly... Now I'm His Fiancée

My name is Liora Bennett. And since that day… I haven't been whole.

I still breathe, still walk, still go to school. But something inside me has gone out. Not like a wild fire—more like a quiet flame someone carelessly blew out. As if I never mattered. As if my feelings were nothing but dust in the wind.

Since Kaelan ignored my letter—since he rejected me in public like I was a joke—I've replayed every second of that moment with painful clarity. His cold eyes. The mocking smirks of his friends. The silence. My heart was pounding so hard that day, I thought it might burst out of my chest. And yet… it didn't explode. It just quietly broke.

I pretend. I pretend everything's fine. In front of my parents, my classmates. But every time I'm alone, when I catch my reflection in a window, it hits me again:

> Am I really that ugly?

Is my voice that annoying?

Are my eyes too small? My skin too dull? My teeth too crooked?

Do I really deserve this much hate?

I used to hold on to this naïve hope that maybe… maybe he'd noticed me. That there was something poetic in my silence. Something invisible, but beautiful. But no. In his world, I'm not even a shadow. I'm just a speck of dust ruining the shine of his perfect life.

The days pass, and I feel more and more like I'm fading. Even the teacher doesn't really look at me anymore. I'm there, but I'm not. I'm the girl no one listens to, no one sees—unless it's to laugh at.

I almost threw away my diary. I almost tore up all the letters I wrote to him but never sent. But I couldn't. Because part of me still refuses to give up. Part of me still believes I have the right to exist.

Then Friday evening came. And everything changed.

My father came home early, wearing the smile he saves for special occasions.

— "We're having dinner with an old friend," he said. "He's done well in business, we haven't seen each other in years! You'll love them, Liora, they're wonderful people."

I just wanted to stay in bed.

But Mom insisted I look "presentable." So I wore a cream-colored dress that clung awkwardly to my waist. I let my hair down. Put on a little lip balm. But when I looked at myself in the mirror… my stomach twisted.

> What's the point?

You can dress up like a princess, but you'll always be the girl no one wants.

We arrived in front of a mansion. Not a house—a mansion. With automatic gates, security cameras, a giant garden and a fountain that made more noise than my voice ever did. I wanted to turn around and leave.

We were greeted by a perfectly dressed woman, dripping with elegance and perfume. She smiled politely and called someone down from upstairs.

— "Kaelan, come greet our guests."

My knees buckled.

Him.

He came down slowly, clearly annoyed, dragging his feet a little. Then he saw me. And his face froze. I think the shock hit him just as hard as it hit me. For me, it was a stab to the heart. For him… it was pure disdain.

He whispered something to his mother. She let out a light laugh.

— "It's such wonderful news, isn't it? Our children will finally seal this alliance. Just like we dreamed, your father and I."

I turned to my parents, confused.

— "Alliance?" I asked.

My dad placed a hand on my shoulder.

— "You're engaged, sweetheart. To Kaelan. We agreed on it when you were babies."

The floor vanished beneath me.

Engaged? To Kaelan?

He looked at me like I was a mistake. Then he said coldly:

— "Her? Seriously? You're kidding, right?"

He turned to his parents.

— "I'm not marrying that girl. This is ridiculous. Find another joke to tell."

I wanted to disappear. To scream. To melt away.

But I only whispered:

— "This isn't a joke… this is my life."

I didn't cry. Not there. I smiled, politely. I locked everything up inside. Like always.

But right then, I made myself a promise.

> If he's forced to be around me… then I'll make him regret ever looking down on me.

I may not be pretty in his eyes… but I'm stronger than he thinks.