Rehomed Me for Being Fat, Now He Begs

To meet my online boyfriend for the first time, I starved myself and worked out like crazy to lose 100 pounds.

But the day before our big meet-up, I stumbled across a post on a local forum.

Rehoming my online girlfriend.

Been together for over a year. She has a sweet voice, a great personality, and is amazing at emotional support. DM me if you're interested.

Someone asked in the comments why he was giving up such a great girlfriend.

He replied: "I found her real-life info online. She's super fat. I only date hot girls."

The comment section immediately filled with mockery.

"I was actually interested, but if she's fat, never mind."

"Who wants a fat girl? Keep her to yourself, man. Haha."

Only one person replied, "Check your DMs."

I stared at the poster's profile picture. It was the exact same profile picture as my online boyfriend.

And the post had been active for three months already.

I froze, my mind going completely blank.

Suddenly, things from three months ago started to make sense. Carter had changed a lot back then.

He had suddenly become cold and distant, even breaking up with me once, saying he was just bored.

I thought he was just going through a phase, so I practically begged him to stay.

He reluctantly agreed to keep trying.

Right after that, he insisted on changing his Snapchat account. His excuse was that his old one was too cluttered with spam, and since he was starting college, he wanted a fresh start.

So, I added his new account.

Even after that, he remained a bit distant for a while, and his personality seemed totally different.

It took some time before we got back to our usual sweet, lovey-dovey state.

I thought he had just had a change of heart after getting bored. I never imagined...

I looked down at my phone.

A message popped up from him.

"Babe, I looked at the calendar and saw your period is coming up. I ordered you some hot chocolate. Make sure to drink it while it's warm."

"I can't wait to see you next month. I'm a little nervous. Are you excited, babe?"

My eyelashes fluttered, my finger hovering over the screen.

So... who exactly was this person about to meet me?

When Maya came to find me, she was hesitating, biting her lip.

"Chloe, did you and Carter break up?"

"Why do you ask?" I asked calmly.

She didn't answer but handed me her phone instead. "See for yourself."

When we used to play games online together, Maya got pretty close with one of Carter's gaming buddies.

That guy had sent her a screenshot of Carter's private Instagram story.

In their group chat, someone had asked Carter:

"Yo, why haven't you brought your girl to play games with us lately?"

Carter replied:

"We broke up."

Everyone was shocked.

"Wait, weren't you guys doing great? Why the sudden breakup?"

"I used to love her voice and always assumed she was a babe. But last time she posted a screenshot, her delivery receipt showed her real name. I knew which high school she went to, so I had someone dig up her info."

"Turns out she's a massive whale, nearly two hundred pounds! I swear I almost threw up on the spot. I'm a visual guy, you know? I dumped her immediately."

Someone joked, "Maybe her voice sounds good because her fat is choking her vocal cords. The sweeter the voice, the bigger the whale!"

"But I remember that girl was head over heels for you. She always protected you in-game. Did she really agree to the breakup?"

Carter replied, "She didn't want to. So I basically rehomed her. I posted a listing to transfer her to someone else. It's not like she knows my real name anyway."

Then, he shared a link to the "Rehoming my online girlfriend" post.

The replies below were wild.

"Holy shit, that's insane. You can actually transfer a girlfriend?"

"Carter, you're a genius! Now she definitely won't harass you anymore. She must have hidden her face on purpose. If it wasn't online, you would never have dated someone like her for a year. She deserved it."

"Being catfished by a wild hog for a whole year must have scarred you, man. Not planning on dating for a while?"

Carter replied, "Actually, I've got my eyes on a new target. There's a super cute, innocent girl in the incoming freshman Snapchat group."

Carter came from a wealthy family and often bought coffee or drinks for the group.

Naturally, everyone loved to stroke his ego.

They quickly replied, "Damn, Carter's fast! Already snagged a baddie."

"Only a top-tier girl is worthy of you, bro."

"Any pics? Let us see!"

Carter sent a photo.

In the picture, the girl wore a white sundress and a light cardigan. Her natural ash-brown hair was tied in a loose side ponytail resting on her shoulder. She was pale, skinny, with eyes that crinkled beautifully when she smiled.

She was indeed very pretty.

I recognized her instantly. It was Haley Vance from our freshman Snapchat group.

She had shared her photo in the group earlier, and the guys immediately started hyping her up as the new campus belle.

Maya was fuming.

"Carter dated you for over a year, and he just tossed you aside like garbage. He even 'rehomed' you? What an absolute scumbag."

"And honestly, this Haley girl isn't even prettier than you. She's just pale and skinny."

"Chloe, you should post your photo in the group right now. Make him regret it."

I stared down at the screen.

In that chat, only one person had tried to stand up for me.

"But that girl really loved you. I remember every time you got ambushed in the game, she was always the first to rush in and die for you. Isn't this a bit too cruel?"

A moment later, Carter replied casually: "I only care about looks. What can I do? Just thinking about being with that fat pig for a year makes me want to vomit."

"If she wants to blame someone, she should blame her own ugly face."

On my way home that evening, another guy stopped me to ask for my Snapchat.

After politely declining, I walked slowly down the street by myself.

The summer evening was chilly under the overcast sky, and it looked like it was about to pour.

I caught my reflection in the glass window of a boutique shop.

My face was small and delicate, with sharp, naturally alluring features.

I remembered what Maya always said to me with envy, "Even girls who spend six figures on plastic surgery don't have a nose as perfect as yours! Every time we go out, everyone's staring at you. It's insane!"

I knew I was pretty now.

When I went out, guys would often pay for my drinks, ask for my contact info, and I had even been approached by talent scouts.

But before dating Carter, my life was completely different.

I had been overweight since I was a kid. In high school, I weighed nearly two hundred pounds. My eyes were almost swallowed up by the fat on my cheeks.

"Fatty."

"Ugly girl."

I had heard every insult in the book.

Because of that, I was incredibly insecure. The bigger I got, the more I hid in baggy clothes, which only made me look worse. I had crushes, too, but whenever those boys found out I liked them, they reacted as if they'd been deeply insulted, yelling slurs at me.

But whenever I tried to lose weight, my parents always told me I didn't need to. They said I was cute just the way I was.

They were both on the heavier side themselves, so they didn't see obesity as a problem.

My teenage years were spent entirely in the shadow of other people's mockery.

Until I met Carter in an online game.

He was captivated by my voice and insisted on adding me. After playing together a few more times, we became close.

After some time, Carter confessed his feelings to me.

I stayed up all night agonizing over it.

I knew Carter was well-off. While we played together, he gifted me countless in-game skins and tried to send me real-life gifts, which I always refused.

And even though he didn't have clear photos of his face on his feed, there were plenty of pictures of him vacationing all over the world, showing his back.

He had a great build, and the hotels he stayed at were incredibly expensive.

I knew he only liked my voice. If he saw the real me, he would never love me.

But I really, truly liked him.

Carter was so cheerful. Back then, whenever I was sad, he would always comfort me.

He would even send out gift cards in the game's public chat lobby, paying strangers to leave nice messages to cheer me up.

In the end, I said yes.

I hid my weight and all my personal details, terrified that he might look me up.

I even tried to test him once.

"What if I'm not pretty?"

He replied instantly, "With a voice as beautiful as yours, how could you not be pretty? Babe, stop teasing me."

"Babe, when can we finally meet? I miss you so much."

"Babe, let's go to the same college so we can see each other every day."

I stared at the screen for a long time, and finally made up my mind to lose weight.

From that day on, I went on a brutal fitness regime.

It didn't matter if I was too hungry to sleep, if my stomach burned with acid reflux, or if I collapsed from exhaustion after working out.

No matter how much my parents begged me to take just one bite of their high-calorie food, I refused.

I just wanted to be skinny.

I lived like that for nearly a year. I didn't touch a single high-calorie meal. Countless times, I cried myself to sleep from hunger, but the thought of him kept me going.

Finally, I did it.

From 180 pounds to 160, then 120, and finally, 110 pounds.

I started learning how to take care of my skin, do my makeup, style my hair, and dress up.

During this time, Carter suggested visiting me several times, but I always made up excuses to dodge him.

I always felt like I wasn't pretty enough yet.

Until the boys in my class started looking at me differently. I started receiving love letters.

Walking down the street, guys would blush, ask for my number, and tell me how gorgeous I was.

Only then did it hit me: I had actually become beautiful.

I finally gathered the courage to meet Carter. I applied to the same college as him, and we agreed to meet up during freshman orientation week.

But...

It turned out I was just a game to him.

I thought all those sweet words were real.

But now that I thought about it, he had never even told me his real name.

Even the name "Carter Bennett" was something I found out through Maya's gaming crush.

From beginning to end, he had never truly loved me.

In the freshman group chat, Haley posted another photo.

She was at Disneyland, wearing Mickey Mouse ears and a pleated skirt, looking youthful and radiant.

The boy next to her was cropped out.

But at a single glance, I recognized the watch on his wrist. It was the exact same luxury watch Carter had flexed on his Instagram before.

The chat was buzzing.

"The queen has blessed us with a pic!"

"So gorgeous! Who's the guy next to you?"

"Looks like Carter. Lucky bastard!"

I had just found out from Maya that Carter started pursuing Haley the moment she posted her first picture in the chat.

Word was he had flown directly to her city, bought her tons of expensive gifts, and even rented out a private fireworks show for her.

Now, they were officially together.

Carter spammed the chat: "Haley is my girl now."

"Carter's the man! You guys look so good together!"

"Oh my god, this is so sweet. I believe in love again!"

"Only a girl like her is worthy of Carter."

...

Then, someone brought me up.

"You guys have no idea. Before this, Carter was catfished by some fat chick for over a year. He was scarred for life. Thank god he finally found a beautiful girl. Congrats, man!"

Haley asked, "Who?"

The guy quickly filled everyone in on the story.

The chat immediately erupted with mockery.

"Holy shit, a fat girl actually thought she had a chance with Carter? Disgusting."

"Ugly girls are always losers in real life, so they resort to catfishing online."

"I heard she's coming to our college too. Maybe she's in this incoming class. Can't wait to see how hideous she actually is."

Haley chimed in with a soft laugh, "She must have been really insecure. Being ugly isn't her fault, but catfishing people is just wrong."

Carter replied, "Let's not talk about the past. Just thinking about it makes me sick. I'm just glad I have you now."

Carter had no idea that I had joined the freshman Snapchat group using a burner account.

I had witnessed his entire new love story from start to finish.

Someone asked Carter in the chat:

"Carter, what was that catfish's name? Maybe we'll run into her when campus opens."

Carter replied: "Chloe Sterling."

"Sounds super basic. No wonder she's ugly."

In the next second, I switched to my main account and entered the group.

I set my display name to:

Chloe Sterling.

The group chat went dead silent.

But I knew everyone was staring at their screens, waiting for the drama to unfold.

A few minutes later, Haley sent two messages.

"Welcome to the group, Chloe!"

"Hey Chloe, we're having a freshman pre-party tonight. Want to join us?"

I knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted to make me a laughingstock.

I smirked and typed a single word:

"Sure."

Just as I was getting ready for bed, my online boyfriend, "Not-A-Nugget," sent me another photo.

"Babe, look at this bag. I bought it in Italy. I knew it would look perfect on you the moment I saw it. I'll give it to you when we meet!"

"Babe, why are you ignoring me? Are you asleep?"

"Babe!"

I frowned.

This guy had bought Carter's old account, and he was really playing the part of the doting boyfriend.

He was incredibly generous, though. Last month, he sent me a designer necklace and a luxury skincare set. For Valentine's Day, he got me a designer purse.

He even sent me flowers on random weekdays.

But he already knew I was fat. What was he playing at?

I decided to test him. I sent him a photo of me from a year ago.

180 pounds, my eyes squeezed into tiny slits by my cheeks.

"This is what I look like. If you can't handle it, let's just break up. I don't want to waste your time."

I refused to believe he'd stay after seeing that.

He replied almost instantly. "Babe, you look so cute."

I'm speechless.

Was this guy out of his mind?

I typed back frantically, "Look closely! I'm 180 pounds! I'm fat!"

"I know. I think you look adorable. But please make sure to stay healthy, babe."

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Was this guy also overweight, or did he just have some weird fat fetish?

"What do you look like?" I asked. "I haven't seen a photo of you yet."

Not-A-Nugget sent a barrage of photos.

There were pictures from different angles, full-body shots, and even a close-up of his abs.

I let out a cynical laugh.

The guy in the photos had broad shoulders, a snatched waist, and visible obliques. He looked at least 6'2".

But what was even more ridiculous was his face. He looked like a literal K-pop idol or a high-fashion model. He had warm, hazel eyes that seemed to hold a gentle smile, and messy black hair pushed back to reveal a perfect forehead.

He looked incredibly youthful and charming.

Right. Catfishing me with Pinterest photos, are we? I thought.

"Babe, I just took these randomly without dressing up. Do you like how I look?"

Fine. We were going to meet up anyway. Let's see how he handles getting caught in his own lie.

I scoffed in real life, but typed back sweetly:

"Oh my god, babe, you're gorgeous! Is this really you? I can't wait to meet you!"

"Awesome! By the way, I have something to tell you when we meet."

I smirked.

Probably that you used fake photos, I thought.

I replied, "Okay."

The moment my flight landed, my phone started buzzing like crazy.

"Babe, where are you? I'm waiting at the arrivals gate. I'm holding a huge bouquet of flowers!"

Photo attached.

"Babe, I'm so nervous. What if you don't like me when you see me?"

...

The photo only showed a massive bouquet of red roses, hiding the person behind it.

For a catfish, he was surprisingly romantic.

My heart softened a little, and I thought, Whatever. Even if he doesn't look like his photos, we can just clear the air and start as friends.

After all, he had been incredibly sweet to me over the past three months.

He was there for me day and night. When I couldn't sleep, he'd stay on the phone with me even when he was half-asleep and mumbling nonsense.

He found excuses to buy me gifts and send me cash on every holiday, or even just random weekdays.

He remembered every single thing I liked and even tracked my period cycle.

He was a genuinely good guy.

So what if he was a little plain-looking? I could handle that.

Suddenly, a guy walking next to me nudged me gently.

I turned around, and he blushed furiously.

"Hey, sorry to bother you. But I've noticed you since we boarded. Can I get your Snapchat?"

I waved my hand politely. "Sorry, I have a boyfriend."

His face flushed red. "Oh, sorry! My bad."

I dragged my suitcase toward the exit. From a distance, I spotted the giant bouquet of roses blocking the face of the person holding them.

But I could see his silhouette. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a lean waist.

Was he one of those guys with a great body but a face you wouldn't look twice at?

I didn't believe for a second that "Not-A-Nugget" actually looked like those model photos.

If he did, why would he date me?

The person holding the flowers seemed to grow anxious, peeking out from behind the roses, his eyes searching the crowd frantically.

My jaw literally dropped.

Holy crap.

He looked exactly like his photos. In fact, he was even more handsome in person!

"Not-A-Nugget" wasn't a catfish?

A few girls nearby were already whispering and pointing at him, blushing.

I walked up to him, my emotions in chaos. "Are you..."

I expected him to look surprised when he saw my face, but instead, he frowned.

"Can I help you?" he asked coldly.

I tilted my head, pulling out my phone. "Who are you waiting for? Want to exchange Snapchats?"

He looked even more annoyed now.

"I'm waiting for my girlfriend. No."

I was stunned.

Ever since I lost weight, no guy had ever treated me with such icy indifference.

Wait... does he actually have a fat fetish and hate pretty girls?

Seeing that I wasn't leaving, he sighed impatiently.

"Could you please move? My girlfriend is going to be here any minute."

I let out a helpless laugh.

"Nugget, it's me. Pumpkin."

"What Nugget, Pump..." He choked on his words, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"You? Pumpkin?"

"No way! Absolutely no way! Don't you look like... aren't you..."

"Weren't I super fat and ugly?" I finished his sentence for him, explaining, "I lost weight."

"Or do you actually have a fat fetish and only like ugly girls?"

The guy who had been cold and annoyed a second ago turned bright red in an instant!

"No! I don't! I mean...you were really cute before too, you weren't ugly! I just..."

"So am I cute now?" I suddenly found his flustered reaction adorable.

"Yes! I mean, you're cute now too! You're gorgeous! I just didn't expect this!"

He frantically shoved the massive bouquet into my arms.

It was so heavy that I stumbled back a step. He panicked and immediately reached out to steady me.

"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!"

I burst out laughing.

"Didn't you say you were going to take me out for good food when we met?"

"Let's go."

Ethan was exactly like his online persona. Despite being ridiculously handsome, he didn't have any of the typical arrogant "pretty boy" attitude.

He was incredibly sweet, gentle, and attentive the entire day.

I found out his real name was Ethan Brooks, and he was also an incoming freshman at our university. Although we had different majors, we were on the same campus.

He took me to an upscale restaurant, pulling out my chair and cutting my steak for me, blushing so hard he barely dared to look me in the eye.

He spent the whole afternoon taking me around the city, and when he finally dropped me off at the restaurant for the freshman pre-party, he looked at me reluctantly.

"Text me when it's over. I'll come pick you up."

...

The restaurant they chose was packed. As I approached the private dining room, I could hear voices echoing from inside.

"Is everyone here?"

"Not yet, Chloe Sterling hasn't shown up."

"Chloe? You mean the fat girl who catfished Carter?" someone sneered. "She's probably too chicken to show up."

"Duh! If she saw our queen Haley, she'd die of embarrassment. Girls like her only dare to catfish guys online. Nobody would look at her twice."

Haley joined in the laughter, leaning her head against Carter's shoulder.

"Don't be so mean, guys. Being ugly isn't her fault."

Just as I was about to walk in, a slightly plump girl beat me to it and stepped into the room.

The room went dead silent for a second, and then everyone started exchanging smirks.

"Well, if it isn't Chloe. You sure take your sweet time making an entrance."

"You look exactly like Carter described."

"Have a seat. Wait, do we need to pull up two chairs for you? Will one be enough?"

The room erupted into loud laughter.

Carter draped his arm around Haley's shoulders, a smug, mocking smirk playing on his lips.

The girl looked at them like they were crazy, then calmly started unloading dishes from the food cart outside onto the table. She was just a waitress.

The laughter in the room instantly died, replaced by awkward silence.

That was when I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

Every single eye locked onto me.

A guy with a buzz cut froze, his beer glass suspended in mid-air. The yellow liquid spilled over the rim, dripping onto his pants before he snapped out of it, frantically wiping himself.

The girl across from him, who had been laughing the loudest a moment ago, now had her mouth open in a perfect 'O' shape.

Haley, who had been lazily leaning on Carter's shoulder, sat up straight in an instant. Her smug smile vanished, and she unconsciously began fixing her hair.

And Carter? He was staring at me, completely paralyzed.

"Holy shit..." I heard someone whisper.

Someone finally broke the silence.

"Hey, gorgeous... are you in the wrong room? This is a freshman pre-party."

The buzz-cut guy who had mocked me earlier quickly chimed in, "Even if she's in the wrong room, it's fine! She looks like a freshman too. She can eat with us!"

I smiled.

"Hi everyone. I'm Chloe Sterling."

The room practically exploded with shock.

The buzz-cut guy stuttered, his jaw dropping.

"You're Chloe? No way!"

"But Carter said you were..."

I smiled sweetly. "Said I was what?"

My eyes swept over Carter, whose face had turned completely pale and rigid.

He looked pretty much like I expected.

Objectively speaking, he was very handsome. But it was a flashy, player kind of handsome.

His bleached blonde hair was perfectly styled, and he had a pair of flirtatious eyes that made him look like a textbook playboy.

"Who's Carter? I don't think I know anyone named Carter," I said flatly.

Carter froze in his seat, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

Unconsciously, his arm slipped off Haley's shoulder.

Haley bit her lower lip, her face darkening.

I found the whole scene hilarious.

I knew that look in Carter's eyes. I had seen it on countless faces over the past few months. It was pure awe.

But in Carter's eyes, there was also something else. Regret.

"Chloe?" he finally spoke, his voice hoarse.