Charlotte wasn't about to tell anyone about the system.It was too bizarre,too unreal—if she spoke about it,even she might start questioning her own sanity.
So,when Olivia sat across from her at the tiny kitchen table,sipping on cheap coffee with an expectant look,Charlotte simply said,"I'm serious about losing weight.I want my life back."
"And the videos?"Olivia arched a brow,stirring her coffee.
"Just a way to keep myself accountable,"Charlotte shrugged."If people are watching,I can't quit."
To her surprise,Olivia didn't laugh.Instead,she leaned forward,eyes alight with excitement."Okay,if we're doing this,we're doing it right.Have you seen the top weight-loss influencers lately?Some of them are amazing,but most are just...gimmicky."
Charlotte blinked.She hadn't expected Olivia to take this so seriously.
"You actually researched this?"
"Honey,you know me,"Olivia smirked,flipping through her phone."If we're making you a brand,we're going to make you a damn good one.Now,let's talk about aesthetics."
Charlotte snorted."I'm two hundred pounds.What aesthetics?"
"Exactly!We use that.You're not some perfect fitness model pretending to struggle—you're real.People will root for you if you do this right."
For the first time,Charlotte felt something stir inside her—excitement.The system might have forced her to start,but maybe this wasn't just about unlocking rewards anymore.Maybe this could beher thing.
"Alright,"she said,nodding."Let's do it."
Olivia beamed.
---
Ghosts From the Past
"Okay,first step—wardrobe.If you're going to be on camera,you need a look."
Olivia stood before Charlotte's tiny closet,ready to work her magic.But as soon as she swung the doors open,her expression froze.
Charlotte frowned."What?"
Olivia didn't answer.Her fingers reached forward,pulling out a faded navy-blue jacket.A high school varsity jacket.A veryspecifichigh school varsity jacket.
Charlotte's stomach dropped.
"Is this…Alexander's?"Olivia asked slowly,her voice laced with disbelief.
Damn it.
Charlotte forced a laugh,snatching the jacket from her hands."I must've packed it by accident."
Olivia crossed her arms,giving her the kind of look that saw straight through the bullshit."Charlotte.Be honest.Did you come back to New York for him?"
"No!"The denial was too quick,too defensive.
"Oh,really?Because last I checked,you applied for a job at Hastings Group.And I find it really hard to believe that was just a coincidence."
Charlotte pressed her lips together,heart hammering.She hadn't come back for Alexander.Not exactly.But maybe—just maybe—she had wanted to prove something to him.To herself.
Olivia sighed."Look,I love you,but this?This is sad.You deserve more than chasing after some guy who never wanted you in the first place."
Charlotte swallowed hard.
Did she?
---
The Revelation
Across town,in an upscale indoor tennis court,Alexander Hastingswiped the sweat from his forehead,tossing his racket onto the bench.
"You're losing your edge,man,"his best friend,Damien Carter,teased as he scrolled through his phone.
"I let you win,"Alexander shot back,reaching for his water bottle.
Damien didn't respond.Instead,his eyes widened,and he let out an exaggerated gasp."No fucking way."
Alexander sighed."What now?"
"Dude."Damien turned his phone around,showing him the screen."Look at this."
A video was playing.The setting was a tiny,dimly lit apartment.In the center of the frame wasa woman—a large woman—doing a painfully awkward but enthusiastic attempt at a fat-burning workout.The caption read:
"New me,new life.Let's do this!"
Alexander raised a brow."Why do I care?"
Damien smirked."Because,my guy...that's Charlotte Evans."
The water bottle nearly slipped from Alexander's hand.
"What?"
He snatched the phone,staring at the screen.
The woman in the video looked nothing like the Charlotte he remembered.
Charlotte had always been radiant,slender,with an effortless kind of beauty that turned heads in any room.This woman…she was round-faced,with flushed cheeks and sweat-drenched hair.Her movements were clumsy,and yet—her expression burned with fierce determination.
It couldn't be.
And yet,it was.
Alexander sat back,stunned.
---
The Ghost of Charlotte Evans
Alexander stared at the phone screen,his grip tightening.The woman in the video was undeniably Charlotte,but at the same time…she wasn't.
A sharp laugh cut through his thoughts.
"Man,remember when she used to follow you around like a lost puppy?"Damien leaned back against the bench,smirking."God,she was relentless.Every damn party,every damn gala—there she was.Right on your heels."
Alexander exhaled,jaw tightening.Yeah,he remembered.
Charlotte Evans had beeneverywhere.The moment she set her sights on him,she had been impossible to shake off.The expensive gifts,the over-the-top gestures,the way she'd practicallythrown herself at himin front of everyone.She had been infatuated,and she had beenloudabout it.
At first,it had been mildly amusing.Then,it had gottenannoying.
She had been like a shadow—no,adamn parasite—clinging to his world no matter how many times he pushed her away.
And yet…
That felt likea lifetime ago.
The woman in the video,panting and struggling through a simple workout,barely resembled the spoiled socialite who used to chase after him in designer heels.
Damien let out a low whistle,shaking his head."Damn.What the hell happened to her?She used to be hot—like,too hot for her own good.Now?Jesus,she looks like she got stuck in an all-you-can-eat buffet for five years."
Alexander's frown deepened.
He wasn't sure why,but something about Damien's words rubbed him the wrong way.
He had never liked Charlotte's obsession with him.That clingy,desperate need for his attention had been suffocating.He had hated the way she inserted herself into his life,forcing his name into every conversation,makinghimthe center of her world.
But hearing someone else mock her—especially likethis—felt…
Uncomfortable.
Irritating.
Damien snickered."Man,can you imagine?Going from being one of the hottest girls in New York to…that?"He shook his head,amused."No wonder she tried applying to Hastings Group.Bet she was hoping you'd take pity on her or something."
Alexander's grip on the phone tightened.He knew Charlotte's job application had come through his desk earlier that day.He had skimmed through it,barely giving it a second thought before rejecting it outright.
If he had known it was her,would he have done the same?
He didn't like that question.
And hedefinitelydidn't like that Damien was still laughing.