He Called Me Ugly Until I Turned Off The Filter Chapter 02
Ethan sat in his gaming chair in a black button-down. Tara sat sideways in his lap, touching up her lipstick for the camera.
She spotted my username first. Her eyes lit up.
“Babe. Isn’t that your ex? The one who wouldn’t show her face for three years?”
Ethan leaned toward his screen.
Studied me for two seconds.
Then burst out laughing.
“Willow? You finally worked up the nerve to show your face?”
My finger froze over the disconnect button.
He read me like a book.
“Don’t run. Come on. For old times’ sake.”
Tara smiled, all sweetness.
“Don’t be shy, hon. We won’t bite.”
She nestled deeper into his chest.
“I’ve always wondered — Ethan defended you so hard, why wouldn’t you show your face? I think… I get it now.”
Chat surged. My viewer count jumped from twelve to a few thousand — then tens of thousands. The reactions came in like a wave: Holy sh*t, THIS is Ethan’s ex?? Filter maxed and still looks like that. Tara looks like a goddess next to her.
“I never lied to him.” I bit my lip, watching chat scroll.
Ethan snorted.
“You didn’t lie? Willow, three years of no video. Every time I asked, you said you were shy. I used to feel bad for you. Now? It’s kind of hilarious.”
Tara tugged at his sleeve.
“Babe, don’t be like that. Maybe she had her reasons.”
She batted her lashes at the camera.
“Hon, why don’t you just… turn the filter off? Maybe you don’t look that bad in real life.”
I shook my head. “No.”
Ethan stared at me. Then smiled — slow, mean.
“Aren’t you broke?”
My stomach dropped.
“Isn’t your grandma still in the hospital?”
My head snapped up.
His smile widened.
“Don’t look at me like that. You told me once — sobbing — that your grandma raised you. That your worst nightmare was something happening to her.”
He leaned into the camera and spoke every word slowly.
“You turn off that filter, I’ll drop twenty Golden Waves on you. That’s this month’s copay covered.”
Tara pressed her hand to her chest like she was moved.
“Babe, you’re too kind. Hon — twenty Golden Waves. Thirty seconds of humiliation for another two weeks without medical bills crushing you. Sounds like a good trade, doesn’t it?”
Chat went feral: Do it. Ugly girl turn it off. Thought you loved your grandma — swallow your pride.
I checked the gift total in my creator dashboard.
Twenty Golden Waves. Another week off the collections agency’s radar. A breath of air for me.
I moved my finger to the filter toggle.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“Come on. Give us all a show.”
I gritted my teeth. Opened the panel.
About to hit Off.