She Asked the Star Athlete to Make Her Beautiful — But He Taught Her Something Better

Chapter 13

At the end-of-year school celebration, Lily stood on stage with the photography club.

Months earlier, she would have hidden behind someone else.

Now she spoke confidently about their project.

When she finished, the room applauded.

She looked into the crowd.

She saw her mother.

Her brother.

Chloe.

And Ethan.

Ethan was smiling.

Lily smiled back.

For years, she had thought beauty was something other people decided you possessed.

Now she understood.

Beauty was not a ranking.

It wasn’t a competition.

It wasn’t a number.

And it certainly wasn’t a role assigned by a popular girl.

She wasn’t the background girl.

She never had been.

She had simply spent too much time standing behind people who convinced her she belonged there.