Chapter 1: The Divorce Glow-Up System
I caught my husband in bed with my best friend.
Instead of crying, I heard a robotic voice in my head.
"Betrayal detected. Glow-Up System activated. Host's physical attractiveness increased by 15%. $10,000 deposited into account ending in 7732."
I looked in the hallway mirror.
My dull skin was glowing. My limp hair was suddenly thick and shiny. My waist looked two inches smaller.
I almost screamed—not from pain, but from excitement.
My husband, Derek Marshall, scrambled out of bed, barely wrapped in a sheet. "Sophia! This isn't what it looks like!"
Behind him, my so-called best friend, Amber, didn't even bother covering up. She smirked. "Oh, come on, Derek. She was bound to find out eventually."
Normally, this would've destroyed me.
I was the type who apologized when someone stepped on MY foot. I'd spent six years of marriage shrinking myself to fit Derek's ego.
But right now? I felt incredible.
The system chimed again. "Emotional humiliation bonus detected. Additional $5,000 deposited."
Amber stretched lazily on MY bed, on MY sheets. "Sophia, sweetie, don't look so shocked. Derek told me you haven't slept together in months. Can you blame him?"
Every word she said was a knife. But every knife meant more money and a hotter body.
So I let her talk.
"Keep going," I said calmly.
Amber blinked, confused. "What?"
"I said keep going. Tell me more about how inadequate I am."
Derek grabbed my arm. "Sophia, are you okay? You're acting weird."
I shook him off and caught my reflection again. My jawline was sharper. My eyes looked bigger, brighter.
I was literally getting prettier in real time.
The system helpfully added, "Host has accumulated $15,000 and a 15% attractiveness boost in the past three minutes. Current beauty rating: 7.2 out of 10. Previous rating: 5.8."
From a 5.8 to a 7.2 in three minutes?
I needed MORE humiliation.
I turned back to Amber with a sweet smile. "So, how long has this been going on?"
Amber exchanged a look with Derek—one that told me everything.
"Eight months," she said, flipping her hair. "He said you were boring. Predictable. That being with you felt like being with a piece of furniture."
"$3,000 deposited."
I almost laughed out loud.
Derek finally snapped. "Why are you just standing there smiling?! Scream! Cry! Do something normal!"
"Why would I cry?" I tilted my head. "You just gave me the best gift of my life."
I walked to the closet, grabbed a suitcase, and started packing.
Derek sputtered. "W-Where are you going?!"
"Away from you. Obviously."
"You can't just leave! We need to talk about this!"
I zipped the suitcase shut and looked him dead in the eye. "We'll talk through lawyers."
Amber called after me, "Don't worry, Sophia. I'll take good care of him!"
"$2,000 deposited. Cumulative total: $20,000."
As I stepped out of that apartment, dragging my suitcase behind me, I felt lighter than I had in six years.
The elevator doors opened—and there stood my upstairs neighbor, Ethan Cross.
Six-foot-three. Jaw sharp enough to cut glass. Arms that strained against his t-shirt.
He looked at my suitcase, then at my face, and his eyes went slightly wide.
"Sophia?" He sounded unsure. "You look... different."
I grinned. "Good different or bad different?"
His ears turned red. "Good. Definitely good."
The system chimed one final time for the night. "Proximity to high-value male detected. Glow maintained. Have a good evening, Host."
Oh, I intended to.
Instead of crying, I heard a robotic voice in my head.
"Betrayal detected. Glow-Up System activated. Host's physical attractiveness increased by 15%. $10,000 deposited into account ending in 7732."
I looked in the hallway mirror.
My dull skin was glowing. My limp hair was suddenly thick and shiny. My waist looked two inches smaller.
I almost screamed—not from pain, but from excitement.
My husband, Derek Marshall, scrambled out of bed, barely wrapped in a sheet. "Sophia! This isn't what it looks like!"
Behind him, my so-called best friend, Amber, didn't even bother covering up. She smirked. "Oh, come on, Derek. She was bound to find out eventually."
Normally, this would've destroyed me.
I was the type who apologized when someone stepped on MY foot. I'd spent six years of marriage shrinking myself to fit Derek's ego.
But right now? I felt incredible.
The system chimed again. "Emotional humiliation bonus detected. Additional $5,000 deposited."
Amber stretched lazily on MY bed, on MY sheets. "Sophia, sweetie, don't look so shocked. Derek told me you haven't slept together in months. Can you blame him?"
Every word she said was a knife. But every knife meant more money and a hotter body.
So I let her talk.
"Keep going," I said calmly.
Amber blinked, confused. "What?"
"I said keep going. Tell me more about how inadequate I am."
Derek grabbed my arm. "Sophia, are you okay? You're acting weird."
I shook him off and caught my reflection again. My jawline was sharper. My eyes looked bigger, brighter.
I was literally getting prettier in real time.
The system helpfully added, "Host has accumulated $15,000 and a 15% attractiveness boost in the past three minutes. Current beauty rating: 7.2 out of 10. Previous rating: 5.8."
From a 5.8 to a 7.2 in three minutes?
I needed MORE humiliation.
I turned back to Amber with a sweet smile. "So, how long has this been going on?"
Amber exchanged a look with Derek—one that told me everything.
"Eight months," she said, flipping her hair. "He said you were boring. Predictable. That being with you felt like being with a piece of furniture."
"$3,000 deposited."
I almost laughed out loud.
Derek finally snapped. "Why are you just standing there smiling?! Scream! Cry! Do something normal!"
"Why would I cry?" I tilted my head. "You just gave me the best gift of my life."
I walked to the closet, grabbed a suitcase, and started packing.
Derek sputtered. "W-Where are you going?!"
"Away from you. Obviously."
"You can't just leave! We need to talk about this!"
I zipped the suitcase shut and looked him dead in the eye. "We'll talk through lawyers."
Amber called after me, "Don't worry, Sophia. I'll take good care of him!"
"$2,000 deposited. Cumulative total: $20,000."
As I stepped out of that apartment, dragging my suitcase behind me, I felt lighter than I had in six years.
The elevator doors opened—and there stood my upstairs neighbor, Ethan Cross.
Six-foot-three. Jaw sharp enough to cut glass. Arms that strained against his t-shirt.
He looked at my suitcase, then at my face, and his eyes went slightly wide.
"Sophia?" He sounded unsure. "You look... different."
I grinned. "Good different or bad different?"
His ears turned red. "Good. Definitely good."
The system chimed one final time for the night. "Proximity to high-value male detected. Glow maintained. Have a good evening, Host."
Oh, I intended to.