Xanqer was momentarily stunned, his eyes widening in surprise. He rubbed his arm, a smile spreading across his face. He turned Meesha's seat towards him, his eyes locking onto hers. "Meesha, are you feeling insecure?" he asked, his voice husky and gentle.

  Meesha didn't reply, her face still turned away, her lips pouting in annoyance. Xanqer's lips curved upwards, his voice filled with amusement. He reached out and held her chin, turning her face towards his.

  Xanqer raised an eyebrow. "Meesha, do you know you're the first person I've ever loved?" he asked, his voice sincere and heartfelt. His eyes locked onto hers, burning with intensity.

  Meesha's eyes widened in surprise, her face questioning. She looked at Xanqer, searching for any sign of deception, but all she saw was sincerity. Her face softened, her expression melting into a warm smile.

  Xanqer's eyes never left hers, his voice filled with emotion. "I never believed in love until I met you, Meesha. You taught me the true definition of love."

  Meesha's heart swelled with emotion, her eyes locked onto Xanqer's. She felt a deep connection to him, a sense of belonging that she had never felt before.

  Xanqer's voice dropped to a whisper, his words sending shivers down Meesha's spine. "I've never loved anyone else except for you. And I don't think I'll ever love anyone else apart from you."

  Meesha felt touched, her heart overflowing with emotion. She had never known that she was Xanqer's first love, and the knowledge made her feel special, cherished. She smiled, her eyes shining with happiness, and Xanqer's lips curled up in response.

  ********

  [TWO DAYS LATER]

  Finally, the day of Meesha's beauty contest audition came by. Meesha sat in front of the mirror, determined to enhance her natural beauty for the audition. She began by applying a thick, gloopy mascara that clumped her eyelashes together, making them look stubby and unnatural. Next, she swept a bright, shimmering eyeshadow across her eyelids, but it clashed with her skin tone, making her eyes look sunken and tired.

  Meesha then dabbed a vibrant pink blush onto her cheeks, but it was applied unevenly, giving her a lopsided, flushed appearance. The color was too harsh, making her skin appear sallow and unhealthy. To complete her look, she applied a thick, cakey foundation that accentuated her pores and fine lines, making her skin appear dull and rough. The overall effect was unflattering, making Meesha look almost unrecognizable.

  After finishing her makeup, Meesha gazed at her reflection, oblivious to the fact that she looked more like a clown than a beauty queen. She looked...different, but she was convinced she looked beautiful.

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  Despite her questionable makeup skills, Meesha beamed with confidence as she ran downstairs to Xanqer. "Xanqer! I'm leaving for my audition! How do I look?"

  Xanqer's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Meesha's unusual makeup. Her features seemed distorted, and her skin tone appeared unhealthy. However, his expression quickly softened, as he realized she must have tried hard to apply it. Moreover, he could still see her beauty beyond her horrible makeup. "You look perfect," he praised, his voice sincere

  Meesha's face lit up with joy, and she leaned in to kiss Xanqer's cheek. As she waved goodbye, Xanqer watched her go, a mixture of amusement and affection on his face.

  He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his voice low as he ordered, "Make sure she gets selected."

  *********

  Thirty minutes later~

  Davis stood at the front of the audition venue, his phone pressed to his ear as he spoke with Xanqer. "Sir, I'm not seeing her anywhere," he said, scanning the crowd. Xanqer's voice was cold and harsh, sending a shiver down Davis's spine. "Are you blind? She should be there by now."

  Davis searched the passing crowd, his eyes darting back and forth, but there was no sign of Meesha. Xanqer's voice came through the phone again, laced with intimidation. "You still haven't seen her yet?"

  Davis hesitated, feeling the weight of Xanqer's displeasure. "I-I'm still looking...I'll find her soon."

  As soon as the call ended, Davis breathed a sigh of relief, his nerves calming slightly. He continued his search, wondering why a celebrity like Meesha could be so hard to find.

  Meanwhile, Meesha hopped out of her car, waving to the driver before heading toward the venue. As she approached the door, she spotted Davis and called out to him. "Davis!"

  Davis spun around, expecting to see the beautiful Meesha he knew. Instead, he was confronted with a woman who looked horrible. Her makeup was heavy and poorly applied, making her look like a clown. Davis's body trembled as he took in her frightening appearance. "Who are you?" he asked, taking a step back.

  Meesha chuckled, seemingly oblivious to her altered appearance. "Davis, don't pretend like you don't know me?" But Davis was genuinely confused, and he took another step back, his face contorted in fear and disgust. "No, I don't know you at all."

  Meesha's chuckle turned into a laugh, and she batted her eyelashes cutely, though the gesture only made her look uglier. "It's me, your boss's girlfriend, Meesha." Davis's eyes widened in surprise as he struggled to reconcile the woman before him with the beautiful Meesha he knew.

  "Miss Dasilva? Is that really you?" he asked, his voice laced with incredulity.

  Meesha nodded enthusiastically, her makeup making her look like a caricature of herself. "Yes, it's me," she replied, her voice affirmative. "Or am I too pretty that you can't even recognize me?"

  Davis's eyes widened, and he struggled to find a diplomatic response. "You look...stunning, Miss Dasilva," he said finally, trying to hide his true reaction. "I'll escort you inside."

  As they entered the venue, Davis couldn't help but comment, "Miss, I think you don't really need to wear makeup."

  Meesha brushed off his remark with a smile, saying, "No, Xanqer said I look perfect."

  Davis's expression changed, and he thought to himself, "It was Xanqer who deceived her. How cruel!" But he kept his thoughts to himself and didn't say anything else.

  After escorting Meesha to her seat, Davis excused himself and went to find the manager, leaving Meesha alone. Meesha was taken aback by the long rows of seats in the venue. She chose an empty seat and sat down, fidgeting nervously with her hands.

  As Meesha sat alone, a commotion erupted when Hazel, a famous social media influencer, confidently walked into the venue, taking selfies and twirling her hair around her finger. She was accompanied by four ladies. Everyone recognized Hazel from Instagram, and were shocked and thrilled by her presence.

  Everyone murmured in surprise, thrilled that the famous and beautiful Hazel would be participating in the competition alongside them. They rushed to her side, clamoring for photos. Hazel obliged, taking pictures with some of them, her pride and confidence radiating from every pose.

  Meesha, however, remained seated, observing the commotion with a mixture of fascination, her thoughts drifting to how the crowd would react if they knew she was Meesha. She was glad the makeup changed her looks and made her beautiful and different. She wanted to win the competition by her talent, not by her name.

  Hazel's gaze swept the room, and her eyes landed on Meesha, the only one who hadn't approached her for a photo. With a dismissive wave of her hand, Hazel sent the crowd back to their seats.

  As returned to their seats, Hazel strode over to Meesha, her entourage following closely behind. Meesha looked up, her eyes meeting Hazel's condescending gaze. Hazel stood before her, hands folded across her chest, and let out a slight laugh at her appearance.