Loading promotion info...

The Bald Girl Strikes Back

Novelix Completed

追妻火葬场、追悔莫及、打脸、背叛、出轨、前夫、大女主、女性力量/大女主、剧情/戏剧、现代/都市、现代

Chapters (3)

第1章

During our Thanksgiving trip, right as we were posing for a group photo, my best friend Chloe ripped the wig off my head in front of everyone. In that instant, even strangers' phones swung toward me like magnets. Chloe held up my wig, doubled over with laughter. "Life's big moments deserve photos with a little pizzazz, you know?" "Mia, your bald head is literally shinier than the moon!" I snatched my wig back and couldn't stop myself from snapping at her. But my husband Ethan just furrowed his brow and said, "It's just a joke. Do you really have to make a big deal out of it?" Ever since I'd started losing my hair from my illness, my wig had become Chloe's favorite toy. Freshman year of high school, I had the highest GPA in the entire school and was supposed to give a speech in the auditorium. Right before I went on stage, she hid my wig. I stood in front of the whole school with a bare head. After that, I was called "Baldy" for three straight years. Then last month, during the group photo at my wedding, she yanked off my wig again. There I was in my wedding dress, desperately clutching the top of my head, while everyone dubbed me "the bald bride." Every single time she humiliated me, Chloe would laugh and say she just wanted to make the highlights of my life a little more memorable. And Ethan always took her side. "Having a bald head on camera—that's pretty cool, honestly. Other people couldn't pull it off if they tried." This time, I didn't argue. A friend and a partner who refuse to take my pain seriously? I'm better off without them. … I ignored the stares around me, kept my face blank, and put the wig back on. Chloe sidled up to me, eyes rimmed with red, her voice going all soft like she was the one who'd been deeply wronged. "Mia, I'm sorry…" "I was just trying to joke around with you. I had no idea you'd get this upset." I stepped aside, looked her dead in the eye. "A joke is only a joke when I'm okay with it—when it makes me laugh too." "Otherwise, it's just an insult." Chloe's expression froze. The next second, she threw herself at Ethan's side, looking wounded, and latched onto his arm. "Mia, we're supposed to be like sisters…" "Is that really how you see me?" Ethan's brow creased with concern, right on cue, and he pulled her behind him. "Mia, enough." "It was just a prank. Why do you have to blow everything out of proportion?" "Blow everything out of proportion?" I stared into his eyes, then glanced at Chloe hiding behind him like a frightened deer, and suddenly I laughed. "Ethan, how many times has this happened now? Do you even remember?" "Our first date—do you remember what you promised me?" For our first date, Ethan had spent three months planning. He wanted to give me an unforgettable night at the most expensive restaurant in New York. But Chloe had wheedled and pestered until she tagged along. Ethan was holding nine hundred and ninety-nine roses. A violinist was playing beside us. Every guest in the restaurant stood and applauded. And then Chloe yanked off my wig, making a spectacle of me. Afterward, she'd teared up and claimed it wasn't on purpose—she was just "testing" whether Ethan truly loved me. Back then, Ethan still got angry. He still stepped in front of me and yelled at the people sneaking photos: "What are you looking at?" Then he took my hand and said, "Mia, from now on, if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you. If anyone hurts you, I'll stand up for you." But now, the man who once shielded me was standing on the other side. He was defending the person who had humiliated me again and again, asking me why I had to make such a scene. When I brought up the past, Ethan frowned. Whenever he got impatient, he'd unconsciously raise his voice. "We're out here trying to have a nice trip for once, and Chloe was just messing with you. What are you so mad about? Do you really have to make everyone uncomfortable?" Chloe panicked too, rushing forward to grab my hand. "Mia, it's all my fault." "I know you're sensitive about this. I shouldn't have joked about it…" She said the words, but the smile on her face was grating. "Oh, by the way—Ethan and I set up a surprise party for you back at the hotel. Considering how much thought we put into it, can you please stop being mad?" "I promise, this is absolutely the last time I'll joke like that." To get us back to the hotel for the party, Ethan went to buy shuttle tickets. When he returned, he was carrying two smoothies. Chloe took one and immediately broke into a sweet smile. "Ethan, you're so thoughtful—you even remember what your wife's best friend likes to drink." She glanced at the other cup in his hand and let out a little gasp, covering her lips. "Ethan, did you forget? Mia's allergic to mango smoothies." "Mango is only *my* favorite."

第2章

Ethan's hand went rigid. He avoided my gaze and mumbled something to cover it up: "The shop had a buy-one-get-one deal. I just didn't want it to go to waste." Then he dug the tickets out of his pocket, changing the subject. "Got the tickets, but there were only two left." "Three of us, two tickets. Someone's going to have to go to the visitor center and call an Uber." Chloe immediately pressed a hand to her forehead, her voice dripping with delicate exhaustion. "But I've been on my feet all day. I'm so hot and tired—not like Mia." She glanced over at me. "Mia's got it easy, actually. With a bald head, you don't have to worry about sweat making your hair stick to your face." "Having long hair like mine? Absolute torture." Ethan turned to me without a second thought. "You take the Uber." "It's not far anyway. Ten, fifteen minutes tops." I let out a cold laugh. "Ethan, why does it have to be me?" He frowned impatiently. "Mia, you just had a fight with Chloe. If I send her back with you, am I supposed to feel good about that?" I wanted to say more, but Ethan was already shepherding Chloe toward the shuttle. Chloe took a few steps, then turned back and winked at me. "Mia, when you're in the car, make sure you hold on tight to your wig, okay? If the wind blows it off, good luck getting it back." She laughed and ducked into the shuttle. I stood there and watched them leave. By the time my Uber pulled up to the party venue, the scene in front of me stopped me in my tracks. A banner was strung across the hotel lobby. *Bald Party.* Chloe's party friends were all wearing bald-cap wigs, standing around grinning. "Surprise!" Chloe bounced over to me. "Mia, we planned this whole party just for you! We were worried you'd feel awkward being the only bald one, so we had everyone put on bald caps. That way you won't feel like you stand out!" Just then, a guy walked up to Chloe holding a bald cap. "Chloe, we're all wearing them. You should try one too." "It's actually kinda fun." But Chloe giggled and hid behind Ethan. "No way." "It's way too ugly. I am *not* putting that thing on." The words left her mouth, and then she paused, as if suddenly realizing something. She bit her lip and turned to me, but her eyes were unmistakably amused. "Mia, I didn't mean to call you ugly." I looked at her, rage rising in my chest. "Chloe, you said back there that it was the last time you'd joke about this." The room went silent for a beat. Chloe's expression turned awkward. She lowered her head in a fluster, her voice thick with grievance. "Mia, what… what do you mean?" "Ethan and I planned this party for you. Aren't you happy? We did all of this *for* you." "I just wanted to show you that being bald isn't a big deal." "Honestly, I think you look cool and low-maintenance with a bald head. You know how much work long hair is to manage." Ethan frowned and stepped forward to pull me aside. "Mia, that's enough. Chloe means well." "Who knew you'd be this petty? You can't even take a little joke?" He lowered his voice, edged with warning. "Stop making a scene. Everyone's watching." Chloe sniffled, lifted her head, and forced a smile. "Mia, how about this." "I still haven't given you a wedding gift from your marriage to Ethan. Let me make up for it now—consider it my apology." She held out a gift box. I stared at it. I didn't move. Ethan nudged me. "Open it. See what Chloe got you." I took a deep breath, accepted the box, and unwrapped it. Inside lay a scalp-polishing kit.

第3章

The air went quiet for a beat. Chloe pressed her fingers to her red lips and let out a coy little giggle. "I was going to get you hair clips, but I figured you wouldn't really have a use for them." "This seemed much more fitting. Just give your head a little buff now and then—you'll shine even brighter on camera." The whole party erupted in piercing laughter. Ethan shook his head with a helpless, indulgent smile and tapped Chloe lightly on the head. "You're something else. Only you would come up with that." I stood there, hollow, unmoving. It wasn't until they sensed something was off and the laughter began to stiffen that I finally spoke. "Had your fun?" "Good. Then enjoy the rest of the party yourselves." "I'm tired. I'm going back to the room." I turned and left before any of them could react. Back in the hotel room, I lay on the bed and realized my eyes already burned with a raw, stinging ache. The room was quiet. Nothing but the low drone of the air conditioner. I stared at the ceiling, replaying the same images over and over—strangers' phones aimed at my bare head after Chloe snatched off my wig, the laughter ringing through the party. Ethan didn't come back until well past midnight. He reeked of alcohol and still had a grin on his face. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch my head. I turned away. He blinked, then sighed, softening his tone. "Mia, still upset?" He didn't wait for an answer before continuing on his own. "That's just who Chloe is—she's playful, she doesn't mean any harm. She put a lot of effort into planning that party, all because she wanted to make you happy." His voice gradually took on a note of reproach. "And what did you do? You stormed out in front of everyone. Do you know how embarrassing that was for her?" I finally opened my eyes and stared at him hard. "What about me?" "Did it ever cross your mind that *I* might be embarrassed?" Ethan frowned, looking exasperated. "She was trying to surprise you, to cheer you up." "You're just too sensitive. You always assume everyone's out to get you. Stop thinking the worst of people." "Surprise me?" "*I'm* the one who's too sensitive?" I scoffed, but my voice wouldn't stop shaking. "So surprising me means ripping open my wounds in front of the whole world, over and over? If you were the one who was bald, would you be fine with someone doing this to you? You're not me—what gives you the right to be forgiving on my behalf?" Ethan's face went completely dark. His lips parted as if to say something, but a knock at the door cut him off. "Ethan, Mia—are you guys asleep?" It was Chloe's voice, tentative and cautious. Ethan shot me a look and went to open the door. Chloe stood in the doorway wearing a thin nightgown, her hair loose around her shoulders, looking every bit the fragile damsel. The moment she stepped inside, she grabbed my hand, voice trembling on the verge of tears. "Mia, I'm sorry. I know I went too far today." "But I really didn't mean it. I just wanted to make you happy." She sniffled, looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Mia, I have a favor to ask." "I signed a deal to do a livestream endorsement for a shampoo brand. It goes live tomorrow. Could you… help me out?" I stared at her, a bad feeling crawling up my spine. "Help you how?" Chloe lowered her head. A smile flickered across her lips, quick as a flash, before her expression slid back into that wounded look. "So here's the thing. You know I'm a model—my figure and my hair have always been my biggest assets." "The brand's concept for the livestream is to have me walk the runway on camera and show off my hair." "And you'd stand in the background—as a bald contrast—to make the difference more striking." "The visual impact would be amazing for the stream." I wrenched my hand free, my voice turning cold. "And if I don't want to?"