Lies, Greed, Lost

Lies, greed, lost

‘Congratulations, your facelift surgery is very successful and your face is still swelling

but…’the words slipped through my ears as I am focusing myself on scheduling my next

appointment of the latest wrinkle treatment over the phone.

Suddenly, the name ‘Fred’ appeared on the screen of my mobile phone, along with ringtone and buzzing sounds. ‘Hey honey, how are you? Are you still feeling good?’ Fred’s annoying noise buzzing through my head, why can’t he just stop for a second for God’s sake! I am not a kid, surely I can take care of myself!

‘I’m alright, no worries, I’m busy right now, find you later!’ I end my phonecall with Fred as I walk out of the clinic. Where should I go next… Hm… I must drop by the salon and have the popular Korean see-through bangs.

On the way to the salon, I hear someone calling my name, ‘Alice? Is that you?’ I turn aroundv in surprise and find Lydia. a friend in university, ‘Hi, Lydia,what a coincidence.’ I reply and try not to let her see my face by coughing. ‘Wow, Alice, you has changed so much since university… You look gorgeous, I barely recognized you just now…Is that the plastic surgery clinic you just walked out from?’Lydia says doubtfuly while scanning my whole body as if it is the first time she meets me.

‘Yes… But I just went there to borrow the bathroom, ha...ha… I don’t even know it is a clinic for plastic surgery.’  I try not to look into her eyes and pretend to look at my watch, how can I admit that I have plastic surgery…

Lydia answers, ‘Oh I see… By the way, are you interested into the alumni volunteer program to visit poor children in the northern part of China? I know you were a big fan of voluntary service backed in university!’I ain’t got time for that, I am busy with all the appointments with my surgeons and I have work to do. So I tell Lydia, ‘That sounds like a good idea but I am quite busy with all the work stuff, I am in a rush now, bye!’ Although it feels so bad to lie, I rush away while throwing this behind my mind.

On the next week at work, I wear a mask on my face to prevent any questions asked for my swelling and pretend that I am sick. I can’t let anyone at work to know about my plastic surgeries, or else that bunch of male colleagues who fall for my beauty and do whatever I say will stop doing so. I even refuse to go out with Fred to watch his favorite movie because the pollution outside will block my pores and affect the swelling.  

After a week, the swelling has finally gone down. I look at the reflection into the mirror and almost cannot withhold the excitement in my heart. It is already my seventh surgery since I removed the scar on my face and they have used up almost all of my savings since I graduated three years ago. But the result is priceless, I have gotten rid of the thing that I’ve always been ashsamed of and transformed into someone new.