Tiffani sat up and slowly slid out of bed. Another wonderful day in hell, she thought bitterly. Wonder how many times Mom will b***h at me about my weight, or lecture me on not being as successful as Nikki.


She selected an outfit and carefully brushed her hair and applied makeup to her face. She could hear her mother’s voice in her head, lecturing her: No man wants to look at an ugly woman. You must always make sure that your hair and makeup are perfect. People judge you based on how you look, not how you behave. If you don’t look good,, no one will want to associate with you. If you look good, people will flock to you, you’ll get into the right crowds, and men will want to date and marry you.

She turned away from the mirror, her cosmetic mask concealing her true self. Time to face the idiot squad, she thought bitterly. She smoothed her blonde hair back and stepped out of her bedroom, forcing a pleasant smile on her face.

Always smile, her mother had told her. Women look so horribly unattractive when they frown.


Tiffani cringed a little, but the smile did not leave her face. She walked into the living room, where the rest of her family was watching television while her mother cooked breakfast. Becky, her older sister, as usual, wore her makeup a bit too heavy and showed a bit too much skin. She had been kicked out of college for drinking while underage, as well as making poor grades. Not that you need an education, dear, her mother had said. If you’re lucky, you can get married, like Nikki did.

Tiffani frowned a little. Nikki was her oldest sister. She was twenty-three and had married straight out of high school. She already had two little girls and was trying to get pregnant again. She’s supposed to come eat lunch with us today, Tiffani thought, displeased. And that means having to hear about how many beauty pageants Nikki won by the time she was my age, and being told how fat I am, compared to how she was. Oh joy.

Emma, her little sister, looked up from the idiotic cartoon she was watching. “Mom’s making pancakes,” she announced. “But she told me to tell you to only eat one, ‘cause you’re already too fat.”

Tiffani scowled. “Thanks,” she said wryly. She eyed Becky. “Hey, Beck, you’re looking raccoony today,” she remarked. “Maybe you should go easy on the eyeshadow.”

“FYI, Tiff,” Becky shot back, “all my boyfriends think I look totally hot.”

“Sure, if they like women who look like they went ten rounds with Tyson,” Tiffani responded.


Her mother peeked her head out into the living room. “Tiffani Michelle Royale, you will speak like a polite young lady if you want to continue to live under my roof, missy. Also, as I’m sure Emma just told you, please have no more than one pancake-- you’re already far too fat for your own good, and as you are taking no initiative of your own to lose weight, I see no other choice than to make you lose weight.”

Tiffani sighed. “Yes, Mother,” she replied.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Mother, I will only take one pancake, and I will speak properly,” Tiffani responded.

“Good girl. Breakfast is going to be ready shortly,” her mother replied, bustling back to the kitchen.