Chapter 1

The day before the start of a new semester, Gianna Sutton, my online girlfriend, tells me she lost me to her best friend in a dice game. I haven't even figured out what's going on when she suddenly adds me to the group chat with more than a hundred people.

I notice the newly made announcement pinned to the top. "Congratulations to Natalia, our campus belle, for winning herself a 220-pound boyfriend!"

Just then, someone posts a photo of me from high school. I am wearing an oversized uniform in the photo, my stomach pushing against the desk before me. I am so overweight that my eyes are barely visible.

Those in the group chat immediately go wild.

"That thing can't be human! It's clearly a pig in disguise!"

"I actually feel kind of bad for Natalia. I mean, imagine having to complete couple tasks with a pig like him."

"It's a total mismatch between a total knockout and an absolute beast!"

It doesn't take long before someone sets up a betting pool over whether I'll show up tomorrow night.

Gianna drops 4,500 dollars, betting that I won't show up. "I hope you won't blame me for this, Natalia. You're the one who rolled a six and won him in the game."

Natalia Dafforn, the campus belle, remains completely silent.

Cameron Gunter, the acknowledged scion in the freshman group chat, suddenly tags me. "You're definitely showing up tomorrow, right, Zachary?"

I look at the messages piling up in the group chat and smile. I have already lost 145 pounds—from 275 to 130—just to meet Gianna in real life, something no one is aware of. In the past two months alone, I have been asked for my contact info more times than in my past 18 years combined.

I quietly throw down 450 dollars, betting that I'll show up on time. Then, surrounded by everyone egging me on, I simply send one message. "A bet is a bet."

Chapter 1

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

In the meantime, with over a hundred people in the group chat, the messages were coming in too fast to keep up with.

"You rolled a six—a clean sweep! You're making a bank off this one, Gianna!"

"I know, right? Gianna managed to ditch that fat one and score major brownie points with Cameron!"

"You should step right up and give us your acceptance speech, Natalia!"

In the very next moment, someone posted a photo of me from my high school sports day in the group chat.

I was around 265 pounds back then, so my uniform was stretched tight around me. I was sitting in the very back row of the classroom, my head down as I ate a piece of bread, my stomach almost pushing against the desk in front of me.

Even though whoever took the photo was standing pretty far away, the blur couldn't hide my huge build back then.

Gianna Sutton, my online girlfriend, was the one who posted the photo in the group chat.

She was still reassuring me in our private chat just a minute earlier, saying, "I just lost a game with some of the women earlier, Zachy. I temporarily lost you to Natalia. It'll all be over once you complete the three couple tasks with Natalia tomorrow, so don't worry about it!"

I didn't bother replying to her message.

In the meantime, everyone in the group chat was dying of laughter.

"Damn! That kind of build would require the restaurant to set out two chairs—side by side—just for him!"

"Isn't there a bridal carry in one of the couple tasks? How is he going to bend at the waist with that kind of belly?"

"I suggest changing the task directly to 'feeding the pig'. It'd be more appropriate!"

Gianna sent a facepalm emoji before adding, "That's enough, guys. Don't make Zachary shut down completely."

She made it look like she was helping me, but in reality, she had just kicked me while I was down.

Gianna and I had been in an online relationship for 11 months. She had trouble sleeping, so I stayed awake all night to keep her company. She bombed an exam, so I stayed up coaxing her until sunrise. She got anxious before the SAT, so I put together study guides every single day and sent her encouraging voice messages.

I even applied to attend Halport University because of what she said to me. "We should go to the same university! I'll definitely be the very first one to hug you once the semester starts, Zachary!"

Yet, the day before the semester started, Gianna put me up as a wager and lost me to Natalia Dafforn, the campus belle.

It wasn't long before someone in the group chat started a betting pool. "Come place your bets on whether Zachary will show up at the freshman gathering tomorrow night!"

In that instant, the pool kept growing as more people bet that I wouldn't show up.

Gianna dropped 4,500 dollars on the bet. "He's definitely not coming. He's a coward, so as soon as people say anything, he shuts down."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Gianna knew that I'd be upset over this, yet she still gathered a group of over a hundred people to watch me get humiliated.

Just then, Cameron Gunter sent a message in the group chat. "You guys should really cut it out. I mean, there's nothing wrong with being a little overweight, as long as Zachary is an honest and decent guy."

Cameron was known as the loaded trust-fund scion in the Halport University freshman group chat. His profile picture featured a supercar, and his social media feed was full of yachts and luxury watches.

There were quite a few people in the group chat who were constantly kissing up to him.

Cameron had apparently been trying to win Natalia over, but for the past couple of days, he had been spending a lot of time with Gianna too. They were always joking with each other in the group chat, even changing their profile pictures to matching ones.

He made a point of tagging me in the group chat, asking, "You're going to show up tomorrow, right, Zachary?"

He seemed to be coming to my defense, but he suddenly added, "I'm sure everyone means well, so don't feel insecure just because of your appearance, Zachary."

Those in the group chat instantly praised Cameron for being such a class act. Gianna even responded with a heart emoji.

I was in no rush to reply. I just opened the betting link and put down 450 dollars, betting on myself to show up on time tomorrow.

Those in the group chat fell silent for a moment before a flood of question marks appeared.

Gianna instantly sent me a private message. "Have you lost your mind? Cameron and Natalia are going to be there? What are you trying to do by showing up, Zachary?"

I checked myself out in the mirror. I was six feet and two inches tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. I had sharp facial features after losing the baby fat I had during high school.

In the last two months alone, people had asked for my contact info—more than 30 times—at malls, on the subway, and at the gym. I even got approached by an agent from a modeling agency who contacted me repeatedly to ask if I had any interest in doing commercial shoots.

Gianna had no idea about any of this.

I had saved the absolute best version of myself for the day we would meet up in person, but as it turned out, she wasn't worthy of that surprise at all.

I closed our private chat and replied in the group chat, "A bet is a bet."

Chapter 2

I received a call from Gianna a moment later, but I ignored it.

Gianna called me three times in a row before sending me several voice messages. "Can you please stop acting out? That's just how the game works, Zachary.

"I lost, which means that you need to pair up as a couple with Natalia for now, and it ends once you finish the three tasks tomorrow night. We're all going to be in the same university going forward, so please don't embarrass me like this, Zachary."

I laughed out of sheer exasperation. I couldn't believe that Gianna actually handed me off to someone else like an object, yet she had the nerve to blame me for embarrassing her in front of others.

I opened the group chat and checked the documents sent. I found out that the so-called couple tasks came down to three things. First, Natalia and I had to feed each other cake. Second, we had to take a photo holding hands and post it in the freshman chat group. Third, the man had to bridal-carry the woman for ten seconds.

Those in the group chat had already started feeling bad for Natalia.

"Who came up with the third task? Is he even capable of bending over with that big belly of his?"

"He weighs more than 220 pounds, for goodness' sake! He should pray that his pants don't rip before he even gets Natalia off the ground!"

"If all else fails, Natalia can just jump into his arms herself to spare him the effort."

Natalia remained completely silent in the group chat the whole time. She used a blurry photo of her back facing the sea as her profile picture. She also didn't post much on her social media, with only one of her posts visible to the public.

Yet, everyone in the group chat seemed really hung up on her.

Cameron was the most obvious about it. He acted like a mediator whenever people threw shade at me, but every time someone tagged Natalia, he was the first to speak up on her behalf. "Nat doesn't like messaging in group chats. We'll figure out the tasks later, so stop pushing her."

That overly familiar tone of his made it seem like Natalia was already his girlfriend.

Gianna chimed in. "You seem pretty familiar with Natalia, Cameron."

Cameron replied, "Is someone getting jealous?"

Gianna instantly retorted. "As if!"

She topped it off with a blushing emoji.

I felt sick to my stomach as I looked at those messages. I couldn't believe that she was flirting with Cameron while keeping me tied to her as her online boyfriend in-game. What was I supposed to be? Could it be that I was just a side option or just some virtual pet she could pull out to entertain the crowd?

I was about to leave the group chat when my childhood friend, Keith Tanner, suddenly video-called me.

Keith went off the moment I answered the call. "Has Gianna lost her mind, Zachary? How could she hand over her own boyfriend to her best friend? Is Gianna really treating this like some kind of game?"

I was stunned. "How did you find out about this?"

Keith angrily smacked the desk on his end of the call. "Those screenshots are already all over our high school group chat! Gianna posted your photo, right? You used to go on about how gentle and sweet she was, but she's clearly not like how you described!

"Cameron, on the other hand, is acting like a saint while throwing passive-aggressive shade at you with every sentence!"

I laughed in response.

Keith looked even more worried when he saw me laughing. "What are you planning to do, Zachary? You should just post a photo of what you look like now and completely shut them down!"

"I won't send it."

"Why not?"

I opened my closet and glanced over the clothes hanging inside. "What's the fun in just sending a photo?"

They could say the photo was photoshopped, stolen, or face-swapped. They would find a hundred ways to explain it away if they didn't want to believe me.

I wanted them to see me in person. I wanted them to regret it firsthand.

Keith immediately understood my intention and slapped his thigh in pure excitement. "You're actually going to the gathering, Zachary?"

"Of course I am. I'm already in for 450 dollars."

"You definitely have to go then! Didn't Gianna drop 4,500 dollars on you not showing up? You should take her money, then show that she was never good enough for you, Zachary!"

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Mom walked in with a cup of hot chamomile tea. She briefly paused when she spotted the new shirt laid out on my bed. "You're going to the gathering tomorrow?"

I hummed in assent.

Mom hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Are you going to meet that young woman you met online, Zachary?"

I fell silent. I had put myself through a year-long weight loss journey all for Gianna. I was living on a few salad leaves a day when things got really bad, tossing and turning with stomach cramps and relying on hot compresses just to fall asleep.

It wasn't until my checkup results came back alarming that the doctor forced me to quit dieting.

That was when I started controlling my sugar intake and doing weight training. I went from around 275 pounds to 220, then 175, and finally 130.

Mom had watched me go through eight different clothing sizes. She had also watched me step on the scale countless times, completely exhausted with bloodshot eyes, but still refusing to quit.

She knew how much I had been looking forward to meeting Giana. She didn't know that all of that excitement had already disappeared, though. She set down the cup and patted my shoulder before leaving.

"You're still my son, whether you're fat or thin, handsome or not, Zachary. You shouldn't make yourself miserable trying to please anyone."

I felt a sudden lump in my throat the moment the door closed.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification. Natalia, who'd been quiet the whole time, finally stepped in. She ignored all the peanut gallery banter and just sent one simple message. "Zachary isn't something to bet on."

In that instant, everyone in the group chat fell completely silent.

Natalia tagged me again just a few seconds later. "You don't have to show up if you don't feel like coming tomorrow."

Gianna chimed in instantly. "It's just a game, so don't take it so seriously, Nat."

Cameron jumped in too. "It's all just for fun, Nat. If you don't want to do the tasks with him, I'll do them with you instead."

Natalia ignored them completely.

I stared at her message saying that I wasn't something to bet on, then tapped into her profile for the very first time. I couldn't explain it, but something about her felt familiar.

Chapter 3

Gianna and I had originally met through an online game.

I was a senior in high school back then, weighing around 275 pounds. I was given the nickname "Porky" by the guys in my class, and while the girls didn't join in out in the open, whenever I walked past them, they'd whisper under their breath and burst out laughing together.

I remembered one P.E. class where we had a 1,000-meter run. I came in dead last, gasping so heavily that I felt like I was going to pass out.

I then recalled the girl I used to have a crush on, who was standing at the finish line, taking several steps back in horror as I staggered up to her. "You'd better stay away from me! You'll literally crush me to death with your weight!"

In that instant, the entire class roared with laughter.

I sought refuge in the online game that evening, having zero desire to talk to anyone.

That was when Gianna sent me an in-game friend request. She had heard my voice back then and kept pressing me. "Your voice sounds incredible! There's no way you're not a voice actor!"

Gianna and I ended up becoming regular gaming partners from that point onward.

If our teammates flamed me, Gianna would turn on her mic to back me up. "Isn't this just a game? Why are you snapping at my boyfriend?"

She would also keep me company and talk to me when I was feeling down. "Who says being fat makes you unattractive? Your chubby physique actually gives off such a comforting feeling! I like you regardless of how you look, Zachary!"

I genuinely believed her. I thought I might actually deserve to be loved for the very first time after hearing her "regardless of how you look" comment.

But that all changed six months ago when Gianna stumbled across my old social media profile linked to my gaming account, which listed my real name and high school name.

She started acting distant after that. She went from exchanging dozens of messages with me in one day to just sending me "good morning" and "good night" messages.

I asked her if something was bothering her, and she only said she was feeling a lot of pressure because of her exams.

I realized then that it was never about the exams. Gianna had obviously found out what I looked like in real life.

She didn't break up with me right away, though, since I could help her rank up in her games, sort out her study notes, and comfort her when she was upset.

She didn't want to lose a convenient emotional punching bag, so she waited until the day before the new semester started and used a dice game to pass me off to someone else while keeping her hands clean.

I suddenly heard my phone ring, and instead of ignoring it, I picked it up.

Gianna's voice was sharp with impatience. "What's up with you and Natalia tag-teaming in the group chat?"

"Natalia is just speaking up for me. How are we 'tag-teaming'?"

Gianna scoffed. "Do you really think someone like Natalia would ever stick up for a guy for no good reason? You'd better not think she's into you just because you have a nice voice. Natalia has ridiculously high standards. Cameron's been pursuing her for ages, and she still hasn't given him the time of day."

I fell silent for a moment before saying, "You seem to know Cameron pretty well."

Gianna paused momentarily, then said, "Cameron and I are in the same group chat. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to be acquainted with Cameron?"

"Is it to the point where you used matching profile pictures with him?"

Gianna was clearly caught off guard for a second. "Cameron was the one who insisted on doing it! We were just messing around, Zachary!"

"Isn't he interested in Natalia?"

"Just because Cameron likes Natalia doesn't mean they're an item."

Gianna froze the second she said that.

I chuckled to myself. It seemed like they talked to each other in private more than I had expected.

Gianna lost her temper. "You'd better stop shifting the blame to other people, Zachary! You're really going to force my hand here, aren't you? I've seen what you actually look like, so even though I'm fine with an online relationship, we'd never work out in real life.

"You can't really blame me for it. It's totally normal for women to like attractive men. I'm already being nice to you by not blocking you outright, Zachary."

I held my phone tightly as the dull ache in my chest finally faded completely. "I should really thank you for being so considerate, then."

Gianna completely missed the sarcastic note in my voice, her tone taking on a gentler edge as she said, "You shouldn't attend the gathering tomorrow. I'll pay you back the 450 dollars.

"Natalia will be attending as well. She's the undisputed beauty in the group chat, so you're just going to humiliate yourself even more by standing next to her."

I asked nonchalantly, "How about Cameron?"

Gianna sounded slightly uneasy as she replied, "Cameron will be attending as well. You shouldn't overthink it, Zachary. Nothing is going on between Cameron and me."

I hung up the phone. It seemed like tomorrow's gathering would be even livelier than I had anticipated.

Chapter 4

I slept in until noon on the day of the gathering. I checked my phone only to find that there were more than 99 unread notifications, with everyone in the group chat arguing over seating for that night.

I noticed someone even deliberately shared a photo of a wide two-seater. "I prepared this one for Zachary! I don't think a regular chair can hold his weight!"

"You're so thoughtful! You deserve an award for that!"

Gianna chimed in. "He's not going to show up, so stop wasting your efforts."

Cameron instantly followed up. "What if he actually shows up tonight? You guys should stop making fun of him if he does."

Those in the group chat laughed harder the more Cameron tried to get them to stop.

Then, someone jumped at the chance to suck up to him. "You're just too kind-hearted, Cameron!"

"It's no wonder Gianna is always texting Cameron!"

Gianna responded with an embarrassed emoji.

Cameron immediately tagged Natalia in the group chat. "Do you want me to give you a ride later tonight, Natalia?"

Natalia didn't respond to him.

I had second-hand embarrassment for Gianna just watching this play out. Cameron obviously wanted Natalia, but when Natalia paid him no mind, he moved on to flirting with Gianna. They were basically each other's backup plan, and somehow they both thought they were playing it smart.

I said nothing as I got out of bed and went to clean myself up.

Keith came barging into my house at 2:00 pm, carrying a heap of clothes. "I'm going to give you a full revenge glow-up, Zachary!"

I cocked my brow at him and asked, "What do you mean by 'revenge glow-up'?"

"You show up looking better than ever, while your ex gets destroyed the second she sees you."

Keith ended up picking a simple black shirt for me.

It was a minimal cut—sleeves cuffed at the elbows and a crisp shoulder line—and with slim-fit pants, it gave me a really lean, long-legged silhouette.

Keith was rendered speechless for a solid 30 seconds by the time I stepped out in the outfit. He clutched his chest and exclaimed, "It's so over!"

"What's the matter?"

"If I were a chick, I'd definitely try to seduce you tonight!"

"Scram!"

"I'm being serious here!" Keith exclaimed before he paced around me twice, getting more hyped by the second. "Isn't Cameron supposed to be the group chat's heartthrob and scion? He might look decent on his own, but standing next to you, he'll look like your personal assistant!"

It was around 5:00 pm when someone suddenly posted a video of the scene at the gathering in the group chat. There was a white cake right in the middle of the private room, with a few words written in red icing. "Welcome, Zachary—Our 220lb Buddy!"

In the video, the entire room echoed with harsh, mean-spirited laughter.

It was then that some guy with a buzz cut yelled into the camera. "If you don't show up soon, we're doing the couple tasks in your place, Zachary!"

Gianna, who was sitting on the couch, scoffed. "He wouldn't dare show up. He wouldn't even hop on a video call back then, so he couldn't possibly show up here in person."

Cameron was sitting beside her.

Gianna reached out to fix the collar for Cameron, who didn't even pull away.

Just then, Natalia passed by the doorway.

Cameron immediately got to his feet. "You're finally here, Natalia!"

He immediately moved toward Natalia, totally unbothered by Gianna's hand still resting on his arm.

Gianna's smile froze for a quick second before she played it cool again. "I doubt Zachary is going to show up, so you have nothing to worry about, Natalia."

Natalia glanced at Gianna and said, "You seem to know him pretty well."

Gianna was caught off guard by Natalia's words.

Cameron quickly stepped in to defuse the moment. "You should come in first, Natalia. Everyone's already waiting inside."

That was where the video ended.

Keith grabbed his car keys in a fit of rage. "Come on, Zachary! I haven't torn into anyone in a while. Let's see if I've still got it!"

Just as I crossed the doorway, a notification flashed on my screen for a friend request—from Natalia Dafforn. She messaged me the moment I accepted the request. "I'm so sorry. This all started because I agreed to play that stupid game. I'll sort this out."

She sent another message a few seconds later. "Do you want me to pick you up?"

I stared at her apology message and found myself liking her a little more. "It's alright. I'm already on my way. I'll also go along with the tasks tonight."

I noticed that she had been typing for quite some time, but after a while, all she sent was a simple message. "You shouldn't push yourself if you don't want to."

We pulled up outside the restaurant half an hour later.

Keith planned to head up with me, but a call from his father ruined that. He placed his hands on my shoulders before leaving and said, "You can call me right away if anyone tries to give you any trouble. I'll blast them on the uni confession page overnight. I've even thought of the headline—'Peak Modern Idiocy.'"

I chuckled as I nodded.

I walked through the lobby and noticed the receptionist sneaking looks at me, and by the time I stepped inside the elevator, she was already leaning in to whisper to her colleague.

I had to walk quite a while since the private room was tucked away at the back of the third floor. I could actually hear the laughter inside through the thick door.

"It's already 6:00 pm. Zachary is actually a no-show."

"Gianna's definitely taking home that 4,500 dollars."

"I called it—with that kind of weight, walking to this place would end in an ambulance ride."

"Natalia isn't here either. Do you think she got scared off?"

Gianna spoke next, sounding completely unconcerned. "I warned him not to come. I mean, people like him can pretend all they want online, but showing up in real life is basically public humiliation."

Cameron laughed and chimed in. "You should go easy on him. He's probably just desperate for people to like him."

In that instant, another wave of laughter broke out inside the room.

Standing right outside the door, I slowly reached for the handle when I suddenly heard a calm female voice behind me. "Z-Zachary?"

I turned around, and under the dim hallway lights, I noticed a woman in a long black dress with her hair up. She had striking features, but her entire demeanor was cold. She looked completely taken aback when she caught sight of me.

I smiled faintly and asked, "You're Natalia, right?"

In the meantime, someone in the private room had already kicked off a countdown. "It's the final ten seconds! If Zachary doesn't show up, we're closing the bet! Ten! Nine! Eight!"

Natalia didn't take her eyes off me.

I turned back around, reached for the door handle, and gently pushed it open just one second before the countdown ended.