I Lost 100 Pounds, Now My Ex Wants Me Back

The day before college started, my online boyfriend told me he had lost a bet. I was the prize.

Before I could even process what was happening, he dragged me into a Snapchat group chat with over a hundred people.

The group announcement had just been updated: Congrats to Ethan on winning his brand-new, 220-pound girlfriend!

Right after that, my sophomore year photo was dumped into the chat. In the photo, I was wearing an oversized, baggy hoodie, so heavy you couldn't even see my neck.

The group chat instantly exploded. "Holy shit, that's not a girlfriend. That's a straight-up whale."

"A bet's a bet. Ethan has to complete the couple's challenge with her tomorrow."

Soon, someone set up a betting pool. They were wagering on whether I'd actually dare to show up tomorrow night.

My online boyfriend put down a thousand dollars, betting that I wouldn't show.

The guy named Ethan didn't say a single word. Instead, the campus queen suddenly tagged me: "Chloe, you'll definitely be there tomorrow night, right?"

I stared at the endless stream of mocking messages in the chat and laughed.

None of them knew. For this long-awaited first meeting, I had worked my ass off to go from 220 pounds down to 130.

And none of them knew that over the past two months, I had been asked for my Snapchat in public more times than in the first eighteen years of my life combined.

I quietly put down five hundred dollars on the bet, betting that I would show up right on time.

Then, amidst everyone's wild cheering, I sent a single text.

"A bet's a bet. See you there."

I stared at the group announcement for a solid ten seconds.

"Congrats to Ethan on winning his brand-new, 220-pound girlfriend!"

With over a hundred people in the chat, the messages were flying by fast.

"Zach took a massive loss on this one."

"A loss? He got rid of a fat girl. That's a massive win, bro."

"@Ethan, Ethan, come out and give us your victory speech!"

Then, a photo was dropped into the chat.

It was taken during my sophomore year sports day.

Back then, I weighed nearly 220 pounds. My clothes were bursting at the seams as I sat on the last row of the bleachers, keeping my head down while eating a bagel.

The person who took it was clearly far away.

But no matter how blurry it was, there was no hiding how shockingly heavy I used to be.

The person who posted it was none other than my online boyfriend.

Zach.

Just a minute ago, he was still sweet-talking me in our private Snapchat DMs.

"Babe, it's just a joke among friends."

"I just lost a game and sent your Snapchat to Ethan. It's just for a silly couple's challenge. Don't take it seriously."

I didn't reply.

The group chat was laughing its head off.

"Damn, with that size, Ethan's going to need to rent a U-Haul to pick her up tomorrow, right?"

"What's the couple's challenge again? A bridal carry? Is Ethan trying to end up in the ER with a broken spine?"

"Maybe they should change it to 'heavy lifting.' Might be easier."

Zach sent a facepalm emoji.

"Go easy on her, guys. Don't make her cry."

He pretended to defend me, but in reality, he was just trampling my dignity even harder.

My fingers turned cold.

We had been dating online for eleven months.

When he had insomnia, I stayed up all night playing Valorant with him.

When he lost his games, I comforted him from midnight until dawn.

When he was stressed before the final exams, I recorded voice notes every day to cheer him on.

I even put Coastal State University as my first choice on my college application.

Because he had told me.

"Chloe, let's go to the same college."

"When the semester starts, I'll bring a huge bouquet of flowers to meet you."

And now, the day before college started, he had treated me like a cheap poker chip and lost me to someone else.

Soon, someone set up a betting link in the group.

"Will Chloe show up at the freshman mixer tomorrow night?"

The pot kept growing.

The amount of money betting that I wouldn't dare to show had already passed three thousand dollars.

Zach immediately put down a thousand.

"She won't show."

"She's super shy. She cries if you even raise your voice at her."

I finally laughed out loud.

So, he knew I would cry.

Yet, he still brought over a hundred people to watch me break down.

Just then, a new message popped up in the chat.

Serena: "Guys, don't talk about Chloe like that. Being a bit chubby is totally fine, as long as she has a good heart."

She was the undisputed campus queen of our freshman class.

Just two days ago, she had posted a set of beach photos on her Instagram.?

She tagged me.

"Chloe, you'll be there tomorrow night, right?"

It looked like she was trying to help me out.

But then she immediately added another line.

"Everyone really doesn't mean any harm. Don't feel insecure about your looks."

The group chat instantly filled with praises of "Our campus queen is so kind-hearted."

I didn't rush to reply. Instead, I clicked the betting link.

Five hundred dollars.

Betting that I would show up on time.

The group went dead silent for two seconds, followed by a screen full of question marks.

Zach privately messaged me.

"Are you crazy?"

"They have brutal mouths. Why are you coming?"

I looked at myself in the mirror.

My long hair fell over my shoulders, and my waist was so tiny it looked like it could be held with one hand.

The features that had been buried under baby fat in high school were now sharp, striking, and almost intimidatingly beautiful.

Over the past two months, whether I was at the mall, the subway, or the gym, I had been asked for my Snapchat twenty-seven times.

A talent scout had even cornered me for half an hour, begging me to shoot a commercial.

Zach knew absolutely none of this.

Because I had wanted to save the best version of myself for the day we finally met in person.

But now?

He didn't deserve this surprise.

I wiped away the single tear that hadn't even had the chance to fall, and replied to the group with four words.

"A bet's a bet."

The next second, Zach called me.

I ignored it.

He called three more times before finally sending a barrage of voice notes.

"Chloe, can you please stop throwing a tantrum?"

"That's just how the game works. I lost, so you temporarily become Ethan's partner. It's over after three simple challenges tomorrow night."

"We're all classmates here. Don't make me look bad."

I was so angry I laughed.

He gave me away like a piece of property, and now he was blaming me for making him look bad.

I opened the shared group file.

The so-called "couple's challenges" consisted of three things:

First, feeding each other cake in public.

Second, holding hands for a photo and posting it to the main freshman group.

Third, the guy had to carry the girl in a bridal carry for ten seconds.

Some people in the chat were already mocking Ethan.

"Who came up with the third one? That's straight-up attempted murder!"

"Even Ethan at 6'2" can't lift 220 pounds, right?"

"It's fine. He only lost a game, at worst he'll just lose a spine."

The guy named Ethan hadn't said a single word from beginning to end.

His profile picture was just a black screen, and his Instagram was completely empty.

But everyone in the chat seemed to respect him, or fear him.

They were vicious when mocking me, but when they tagged him, they only joked around lightly. No one actually dared to push him.

Just as I was about to close the app, my best friend Maddie FaceTimed me.

The moment she picked up, she went off.

"Chloe! Is Zach's brain in his ass?!"

"Losing his girlfriend in a game? What is he playing, hot potato?"

I was startled. "How do you know?"

"Screenshots of that group chat have already spread to our high school alumni group!"

Maddie was pacing back and forth on the screen, practically fuming.

"I've already memorized that guy's name. When school starts, I'm putting a trash bag over his head, and you can keep watch."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Seeing that I could still laugh, she felt even worse for me.

"What are you going to do? Just post a picture of yourself right now and slap them all in the face?"

"No."

"Why not?"

I opened my closet, my eyes scanning the dresses hanging inside.

"Pictures are boring."

They could say it was photoshopped, stolen, or fake.

As long as they didn't want to admit it, they'd find a hundred excuses.

I wanted them to see me in person.

With their own eyes. And regret it.

Maddie caught on instantly, her eyes lighting up.

"You're actually going?"

"Of course. I already put five hundred dollars down."

"Hell yes, you're going!" She slammed her desk. "Not only are you going, you're going to look so gorgeous they'll collectively lose their minds."

"Zach bet a thousand dollars that you wouldn't dare, right? Let's take his money first, then watch him get humiliated."

Just as she finished speaking, there was a knock on my door.

My mom came in with a plate of sliced fruit.

She paused when she saw the dress laid out on my bed.

"A party tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

She hesitated for a few seconds before asking gently, "Are you meeting that boy you met online?"

I went silent.

For Zach, I had spent a whole year losing weight.

At my worst, I ate only a few lettuce leaves a day. I was so hungry at night that my stomach cramped, and I had to sleep clutching a hot water bottle.

Later, when my medical check-up showed issues, a nutritionist forced me to stop the extreme dieting.

Only then did I start proper carb control and strength training.

220 pounds.

180 pounds.

140 pounds.

And finally, 110 pounds.

My mom had helped me exchange clothes through seven different sizes.

She had also seen me stand on the scale countless times, my eyes red but too afraid to cry.

She knew how much I had been looking forward to tomorrow.

But she didn't know that my anticipation had already turned to ashes.

My mom set the fruit plate down.

Before leaving, she gently stroked my hair.

"Chloe, no matter what anyone else says, and whether you are thin or not, you are always my beautiful baby girl."

The moment the door closed, my nose stung with tears.

But then, my phone buzzed.

In the group chat, Ethan had finally appeared.

He didn't acknowledge any of the teasing. He only sent one short sentence.

"She is not a prize."

The group chat instantly went quiet.

A few seconds later, he tagged me.

"If you don't want to come tomorrow, you don't have to."

Zach immediately popped up.

"Ethan, it's just a game. Don't be a buzzkill."

Ethan didn't reply to him.

I stared at that sentence, "She is not a prize," and for the first time, I clicked on his profile.

For some reason, this guy felt a little familiar.

Zach and I had met on Valorant.

Back then, I was a high school senior and weighed 220 pounds.

The guys in my class nicknamed me "the linebacker."

The girls didn't join in on the name-calling, but they would lower their voices and giggle whenever I walked past.

Once, during gym class, we had to run the 800 meters.

I finished last, panting so hard I almost fainted.

The boy I had a crush on stood at the finish line, taking two steps back in disgust.

"Don't fall on me."

"It'll feel like an earthquake. Who's gonna catch you?"

The whole class burst into laughter.

That night, I hid in the game, not wanting to say a word.

Zach was the one who added me.

After hearing my voice, he kept asking.

"Your voice is so sweet. Are you sure you're not a voice actress?"

After that, we became regular gaming partners.

He would turn on his mic and defend me when random teammates flamed me.

"It's just a game. Why are you screaming at a girl?"

He would also talk to me when I was feeling down.

"Who says being chubby isn't cute? I think it's adorable."

"Chloe, I don't care what you look like. I like you."

I believed him.

Because of his words, for the very first time, I felt like I was worthy of being loved.

Until six months ago, when he accidentally found my old Instagram account linked to my gaming profile.

It had my high school name and my real face.

From that day on, he became visibly cold.

We went from dozens of texts a day to just a dry "good morning" and "good night."

I asked him what was wrong.

He said he was stressed about college applications.

Looking back, it wasn't stress at all.

He had just seen my photos.

But he didn't break up with me right away.

Because I could carry him in games, help him with notes, and comfort him whenever he had an emotional breakdown.

He just didn't want to lose a convenient emotional trash can.

So he dragged it out until the day before college started, using a stupid drinking game to casually throw me to someone else.

My phone rang again.

This time, I picked up.

Zach's voice was filled with annoyance.

"What are you doing, playing good cop with Ethan in the group chat?"

"He stood up for me. How is that playing good cop?"

"Would a guy like Ethan stand up for a girl for no reason?" Zach sneered. "Don't think just because you have a cute voice, you can actually hook him. Ethan's standards are way higher than mine. You'll just humiliate yourself if you go."

I stayed quiet for two seconds.

"So, you think I'm not good enough for you?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then why did you bet a thousand dollars that I wouldn't dare to show up?"

He choked on his words.

After a brief pause, he spoke in a frustrated tone.

"Fine, you want the truth? Here it is."

"Chloe, I already know what you look like."

"We were fine online, but we're not a match in real life."

"And don't blame me. It's just human nature for guys to like pretty girls."

"I haven't blocked you yet, which is already me being nice."

I gripped my phone, the lingering pain in my chest finally turning entirely cold.

"Well, thank you then. You're so polite."

Zach didn't catch the sarcasm in my voice, and his tone softened slightly.

"Just don't come tomorrow. I'll Venmo you the five hundred dollars back."

"Serena is going to be there. Standing next to her will only make you look more pathetic."

I asked slowly, "Are you guys close?"

The other end of the line went dead silent.

"Don't overthink it. We're just friends."

I smiled.

It looked like tomorrow's party was going to be even more interesting than I thought.

On the day of the mixer, I slept in until noon.

My phone already had over 99 unread messages.

The group chat was busy discussing the seating arrangements for tonight.

Someone had intentionally posted a photo of a heavy-duty, reinforced chair.

"We should save this one for Chloe. Normal chairs might not hold up."

"So thoughtful. You deserve an award for being the MVP."

Zach was also in the chat.

"She's not coming, guys. Don't bother."

Serena: "Guys, don't talk about Chloe like that. What if she actually shows up? Promise me we won't laugh at her."

The more she tried to "defend" me, the harder they laughed.

I didn't say anything and just went to get ready.

Maddie showed up at my house at 2:00 PM, carrying two massive makeup cases.

"Today, I'm giving you a makeup look that will absolutely destroy men's souls!"

After curling my hair, she pulled a black slip dress from my closet.

The cut of the dress was extremely simple, hugging my waist tightly and showing off my delicate collarbones and shoulders.

When I walked out in it, Maddie literally stared at me for half a minute.

Then, she clutched her heart.

"Oh my god."

"What?"

"If I were a guy, I'd gladly go to jail for you today."

I laughed at her antics.

But she grabbed me and spun me around, looking more and more excited.

"Serena's sweet, innocent girl look works when she's alone."

"But standing next to you? She'll look like she's just a background extra."

"Be nice."

"I'm just being objective."

At 5:00 PM, someone suddenly posted a video of the party venue.

In the center of the table sat a large white cake.

Written on it in red frosting was: Welcome, 220-lbs Girlfriend!

Harsh laughter echoed in the background of the video.

A guy with a buzzcut yelled at the camera: "Chloe! If you don't show up soon, we're going to do the couple's challenges for you!"

Zach was sitting on the couch. He glanced at the camera and smirked.

"I told you, she doesn't have the guts."

"She didn't even dare to FaceTime me before. You really expect her to show up in person?"

Serena gave him a playful shove. "Don't talk about Chloe like that."

I closed the video.

Maddie snatched her car keys, furious.

"Let's go. If I don't slap their faces raw today, my name isn't Maddie."

Just as we headed out, my phone buzzed with a friend request.

The message read: Ethan.

I accepted, and Ethan messaged me almost immediately.

"I'm sorry. This whole thing started because of a game I was in. I'll handle it."

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

Staring at his apology, I felt a sudden warmth toward him.

"No need, I'm already on my way."

"Also, I'll cooperate with the challenges tonight."

The screen showed Typing... for a long time.

Finally, he sent.

"Don't force yourself."

Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of the hotel.

Maddie wanted to come up with me, but her mom called with an urgent emergency.

Before leaving, she grabbed my hand.

"Call me the second anything goes wrong. If anyone tries to mess with you, I'll drag them on the university forums tonight."

I nodded and got out of the car.

As I walked through the lobby, the guy at the front desk stared at me.

Even as I stepped into the elevator, I could still feel his eyes on me through the glass doors.

The private room was at the very end of the third floor.

I walked down the hallway in my heels. Even through the heavy doors, I could hear the laughter inside.

"It's six o'clock. She really didn't show."

"Zach, that's an easy grand in your pocket."

"I told you, with her size, she'd probably need an oxygen tank just to walk to the lobby."

"Ethan isn't here either. Did he run away too?"

Then came Zach's casual, mocking voice.

"I told her not to come."

"People like her can only live in fantasy land online. Showing up in person is just a public execution."

Serena chimed in with a sweet laugh.

"Chloe probably didn't mean to lie."

"Maybe she just really wanted to feel loved."

Another burst of laughter erupted in the room.

I stood outside the door and slowly raised my hand.

Just then, a deep voice sounded behind me.

"Chloe?"

I turned around.

Under the dim hallway lights stood a tall guy in a black button-down shirt. His features were sharp, cold, and incredibly handsome.

When he saw me, his face filled with visible shock.

"Are you..."

I smiled at him.

"Ethan?"

Inside the room, someone had started a countdown.

"Last ten seconds. If she's not here, the bet is closed."

"Ten."

"Nine."

"Eight."

Ethan was still staring at me.

I turned back around, gripped the doorknob, and just as the countdown was about to hit zero, I gently pushed the door open.