Chapter 2The Ugly Duckling's Revenge

I have a secret.

At sixteen, I bound a special system.

The "Roast Me" System.

Because I fainted on the first day of school, I missed orientation. By the time I returned, the title "Ugly Girl" had spread through the entire grade.

Bella and her "Makeup Squad" spread rumors across the whole school.

"Jane? I went to middle school with her. I heard she never takes off her hat or mask... Hee hee, probably too ugly to show her face."

Her simps laughed along.

"Right? My Bella is the campus goddess. That ugly freak was just lucky to be in the same school. Can't believe she followed you to high school, shameless!"

Ten years ago, the rumors would've been about me liking the bad boy or the jock.

But now, the vibe had shifted.

They decided spreading rumors about me liking Bella fit the current aesthetic better.

After all, lesbians were at the bottom of the social food chain in our class. Looked down upon.

But this was a "blessing in disguise."

On the first day of school, I stared blankly as my system account balance jumped by $20,000.

For someone who couldn't afford lunch, this was a fortune.

I counted. I'd been insulted four times.

Just four sentences, and I made $20,000!

So naturally...

I accepted it with open arms.

Being scolded doesn't make me lose a pound of flesh. I'm mentally tough; I don't care about their petty bullying.

Besides, the SATs were three months away. I was consistently top three in the class. Afterward, they'd go work in factories or fast food, and they wouldn't matter to me.

So.

High schoolers wake up at 6 AM.

I woke up at 4 AM. Thirty minutes of vocab, one hour of practice tests.

Then thirty minutes for special effects makeup.

"Ugly Girl FX Makeup."

Because of the stereotype Bella created, no one ever looked at me closely.

I fooled them for 964 days.

The balance in my bank account was terrifyingly high.

I swam in an ocean of money every day, forgetting the insults.

Let them scold me. Does it hurt?

This wasn't toxic trolls spewing hate; it was a golden toad spitting coins!

Every day.

Every moment.

As long as I breathed, I was making money.