The Girl They Ignored Returned as the Woman Seven Men Would Die For novel Chapter 5

Since childhood, Mika's physical appearance had always been a target.

Growing up, she endured endless cold stares, mockery, and severe bullying. She had no friends, and even her own parents looked at her with thinly veiled disgust.

In all nineteen years of her life, she could count the number of kind faces she had seen on one hand.

That was exactly why, when Seraphina linked arms with her and warmly asked if they could be friends, Mika had agreed without a second thought.

And it was why, when Jude had offered her that rare, manufactured respect and gentleness, she had mustered the courage to truly fall for someone for the very first time.

Faced with Jude's cruel accusations in her past life, she had gaslit herself into submission.

On one side was the boy she loved; on the other, her absolute best friend. Wasn't it a good thing that they all got along?

She convinced herself she was overthinking it, that she shouldn't be so petty.

But then, on Mika's birthday, Jude had gotten drunk. He sat pressed intimately against Seraphina on the KTV sofa, singing a romantic duet with her.

Believing the time was right, he couldn't hold back anymore and confessed to Seraphina, laying out his entire twisted scheme of using Mika to get close to her.

Seraphina had responded by slapping him hard across the face.

"Mika is my best friend! How could you hurt her like this? I never want to see you again!"

With one move, Seraphina perfectly maintained her flawless, righteous image while simultaneously discarding a useless suitor who offered nothing but good looks.

Meanwhile, a shattered, heartbroken Mika, reeling from the betrayal, had tearfully thanked Seraphina for taking her side.

From that day on, she swore off romance and dedicated her entire existence to being Seraphina's perfect best friend.

Just like a devoted handmaid vowing to serve her lady for the rest of her life.

...

[Host Mika Miller: Level *Ugly*. Charm: Four Stars. Would you like to use your balance to upgrade?]

Mika had zoned out for too long, prompting the System to issue a second reminder.

She snapped back to reality, a terrifying, unshakeable resolve settling in her eyes.

[Current Stats: Age: 19. Height: 5'6". Weight: 190 lbs. Skin Tone: Warm undertone with a luminous radiance. Skin Type: Combination/Dry, perfectly smooth and flawless.]

Mika let out a long breath and immediately grabbed the mirror to check her face.

She was over two hundred pounds, so losing ten pounds didn't radically alter her silhouette, but her jawline definitely looked a little sharper.

Thankfully, the skin tone upgrade didn't just fade the dark, muddy tan from freshman year. It elevated her original complexion to a brilliant, warm radiance. She finally looked healthy and glowing.

The best part was that the peak of this warm-toned path was a flawless, rosy glow.

Unlike pale, ghostly undertones or sallow hues.

A rosy radiance was the stuff of legends—skin that looked naturally flushed and vibrant.

Furthermore, every single pimple on her face had vanished. The deep scarring was completely erased, resulting in a shocking overall upgrade to her facial harmony.

Her once-grimy, tragically indistinct face now featured smooth, flawless skin, which suddenly made her natural features look striking and clean.

She had transitioned from a messy, unkempt disaster to someone who looked remarkably fresh and poised.