"Eliza, I'm going to Germany for liposuction and I won't be coming back."
Eliza frowned: "Then... what about Liam ? And what about Lila ? I heard that surgery is very risky. Are you really sure?"
Clara turned her head, her gaze passing through the café's floor-to-ceiling windows to fall on her own reflection in the window .
Even a loose sweatshirt couldn't hide her protruding belly and thick arms; her waistline had long since disappeared into her bulky silhouette.
She raised her hand to stroke the blurry reflection on the glass, and gave a self-deprecating smile: "I'm divorced . I 've lived these past seven years without ever truly being myself. I want to start over and live a different life."
Eliza opened her mouth, but in the end, it only turned into a sigh.
Clara seven years ago , the most dazzling ballet fairy on the stage. On the day she won the international gold medal, Liam knelt on one knee with 99 white roses in his hands, and the purple diamond ring shone brightly under the spotlight. He vowed to protect her for the rest of his life.
But who could have imagined that in just seven years, the moonlight of yesteryear would have fallen into dust and become something even it despised?
Clara returned home, there was a pair of unfamiliar stiletto sandals in the entryway. The delicate, off-white heels clashed with the uniform flat shoes in her shoe cabinet.
She tiptoed upstairs. The door to the master bedroom was ajar, and an embarrassing sound leaked out from a narrow crack.
Liam stood by the window with his back to the door, his expensive custom-made suit casually tossed on the carpet, his shirt mostly unbuttoned, revealing his well-defined back.
Heavy, panting breaths mixed with suppressed groans came through the phone screen, his voice, thick with lust, pierced Clara 's ears with each word: "This waist... if only I could pinch it and do it again..."
Clara turned away expressionlessly, her fingertips icy cold.
Since giving birth to Lila three years ago , she has suffered from hormonal imbalance syndrome, gaining weight from 90 pounds to 150 pounds in two months. She can no longer wear the ballet dresses she used to wear with ease, and even marital relations have become a luxury. Liam would rather relieve himself than touch her at all, as if her fat was some kind of monster.
The sound of footsteps coming downstairs startled the people in the living room. Lila , carrying a strawberry cake, ran to the top of the stairs. The moment she saw Clara , she didn't hesitate to throw the cake at her. Cream and strawberry jam smeared onto her off-white skirt, sticky and glaring.
"Why are you back, you fat woman!" Lila frowned, her tone full of disgust. "You're so fat and ugly, just looking at you ruins my mood for practicing! Where's Teacher Vanessa ? I want Teacher Vanessa with me, I don't want you, you fat mom!"
Clara felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart with an ice pick, a sharp, persistent pain.
daughter, whom she gave birth to after a night of struggling on the operating table at the risk of severe bleeding .
To save Lila's career , she gave up her rising ballet career, underwent hormone therapy, and was forever separated from her slender figure.
But now, this child, whom she risked half her life for, is using the most vicious words to express her disgust at her appearance.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the sob in her throat, and said in a calm, even voice, "This is the house I bought. If you don't want to see me, you can leave."
"How dare you talk to a child like that?" Liam 's voice came from upstairs. He had straightened his clothes, his face still showing lingering lust, but his eyes were full of displeasure as he looked at Clara . "Didn't we agree that you wouldn't come back before Lila finished her piano lesson?"
Clara was stunned.
She bought the house with the prize money from a ballet competition years ago , personally oversaw the renovation, and even raised the initial capital for Liam's business by selling the jewelry left by her mother.
She carried the child for ten months, risking her life to give birth, and she single-handedly took care of all the household chores and meals. But now, she even needs the permission of this father and daughter to go back to her own home.
“Now that you’re back, go make dinner.” Liam ’s gaze swept over her plump figure, his disdain undisguised. “ Vanessa must be tired taking Lila to class, so we need to make something nourishing. You don’t know anything else, so all you can do is run around in the kitchen.”
Clara looked at him and suddenly smiled, her eyes stinging with tears. Seven years ago, she casually mentioned wanting to eat pineapple buns from the south of the city. He drove three hours through the night, braving the heavy rain to buy them, carefully tucking them into his arms, afraid they would get cold or soft. Seven years ago, she twisted her ankle while practicing dance. He stayed by her bedside without leaving her side, feeding her water and food, massaging her to reduce the swelling, and saying, "From now on, I will be your legs."
But now, he feels it's superfluous to even glance at her, treating her only as a nanny who can cook.
The door clicked open, and Vanessa entered, holding her key. Today she wore a white knitted dress with a perfectly low neckline, revealing her delicate collarbones. The hemline barely covered mid-thighs, swaying as she moved, outlining her slender waist and shapely hips. With each breath, the soft rise and fall of her chest swayed in the warm yellow light, like a silent allure.
Lila immediately threw herself into her arms, nuzzling her neck with her nose: " Vanessa smells so good! Lila loves Vanessa the most! Daddy loves Vanessa too , right? Would you like Vanessa to be Lila 's mom? She's much better than this fat woman!"
Vanessa smiled gently, looked up at Liam with a hint of shyness in her eyes, then squatted down and gently pinched Lila 's cheek: " Lila, don't talk nonsense,Clara is still here. We should go practice the piano, or we'll fall behind."
As she crouched down, her neckline slipped slightly, revealing a glimpse of her skin. Liam 's gaze lingered on her, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily, and his breathing becoming heavier.
Clara stood there, staring at the jarring scene before her, feeling a chill run through her body. Ever since Vanessa came to teach Lila to play the piano, this family had completely changed.
Lila kept insisting on changing her mother, and Liam 's attitude towards Vanessa became increasingly ambiguous. He gave her expensive jewelry, drove her to and from work, and even, at her urging, actually got a divorce certificate with her.
He said he was just trying to appease Lila , and once the child calmed down, he would withdraw the divorce application.
Vanessa led Lila toward the piano room. As she passed Clara , she deliberately slowed her pace and said softly, "Clara, don't be too sad. Women should pay attention to their figure. Mr. Huo actually likes slender girls. I've been practicing yoga recently. If you don't mind, I can teach you a few shaping poses."
Her voice was gentle, but her tone carried a condescending sense of superiority, like a fine needle piercing Clara's most painful spot.
Liam was about to follow when Clara grabbed his sleeve.
"What is it?" He turned around impatiently, his gaze still lingering on Vanessa 's retreating figure.
Clara 's fingertips trembled slightly, her voice carrying a final glimmer of hope: "Are you free on the 10th?"
The 10th was the last day of the cooling-off period for divorce. If he went to the Civil Affairs Bureau that day to withdraw his application, they could go back to the way things were. A faint flame still lingered in her heart, hoping he would remember their past affection and turn back to her.
Liam frowned and replied dismissively, "I don't know, I've been very busy lately. Vanessa said there's an art exhibition downtown, and I have to go with her that day. What's up?"
Clara abruptly released her grip, and the flames were completely extinguished.
It turned out he wasn't busy; he was just too busy to pay attention to her, too busy to remember this day that was so important to their marriage. Watching his hurried departure, a bitter feeling welled up in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Back in her room, Clara locked the door and pulled a dusty box from the bottom of the wardrobe.
She opened the box, and inside was her old ballet dress. The pristine white tulle was still brand new, though she could no longer wear it. Beside it lay her international ballet gold medal trophy and a pair of ballet shoes with worn-out toes. She picked up the shoes, her fingertips tracing the patterns on them, remembering herself spinning and leaping on stage back then, and tears finally streamed down her face.
She took out her phone and dialed a number she hadn't heard from in a long time.
"Hello, it's me, Clara ."
A burst of ecstatic cheers came from the other end of the phone: " Clara ! You finally contacted me! I thought you were going to be stuck in that house for the rest of your life! You should have done this a long time ago. You're a natural ballerina, a top star who should have risen again long ago! When are you coming back to Paris? The company still has a place for you!"
Clara sniffed, her voice soft but with unprecedented determination: "We'll be leaving in seven days. But I need to go to Germany first for surgery, and then I'll rejoin the team."
"Okay! We'll wait for your news!"
