Made in Taiwan 25

Day 228

With the weather warming up again, I had settled into a routine of sorts. Not that it made things any better. I hated my life and was wishing away the days until I could jump on a plane and get away from the girly prison I found myself trapped in. But with only two months to go until the end of the school year, the end was in sight. It just seemed so far away.

So what had happened over the last three months? Nothing good, to be honest. My hair was now some shade of purply pink and extremely long. Oh, and I had been forced to have my breasts enlarged with the skin having stretched enough to add more saline solution to the implanted bags. When I look down now, I can’t even see my feet. Oh, and the weight of them! I’d heard women with large breasts on TV, complain about them being heavy. Let me tell you, they aren’t just complaining for the sake of it. There are days when I wake up with such a bad back, I don’t want to get out of bed, especially after a shift sat on the uncomfortable stool at the Betel nut stall.

Talking of the Betel nut stand, that’s where I seem to spend most of my time these days. As time has gone on, my shifts have steadily increased in number. I’m not sure if it was just a consequence of that time of year or if it was Simona messing with me. Either way, as much as I hated being there, it was better than being sat at home alone, feeling sorry for myself.

Well, hate is a strong word. There were parts of being there I quite liked. For example, chatting with Mei, my partner in the booth. Over time we’d become quite close. She was really easy to talk to, and it definitely helped that she knew who I really was, with Simona having told her about the crazy plan, back in the beginning, when I first started working there.

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Shifting my body to try and find a more comfortable position. I felt my slick, smooth legs, slide effortlessly over each other as I fidgeted around on my plastic stool, clawing at my tiny skirt with my long pink nails.

“Baby, your turn”, Mei announced from the seat opposite, using the nickname she always used when referring to me.

“No way”, I shot back, “this one’s yours. I’ve just been out. Look at my legs! They're still wet from the rain. It's your turn".

Groaning, Mei slowly got down from her stool and straightened her short black skirt. “I know, but I thought you loved me, Baby”, she replied with a smile, “besides you’re already wet”.

“Go”, I replied, chuckling, “the customer is waiting, and who knows, you might meet your dream man”.

“Driving an old van like that, not likely”, Mei responded with a giggle, before strutting over to fetch her little red jacket.

“Don’t forget your umbrella”, I reminded her as she crossed the room.

Mei stuck out her tongue and pulled a face making me giggled for a second. That is until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the back wall. A little pink princess in a little pink dress and high-heeled shoes. My lips pouted, and my mood instantly changed as I remembered where I was and who I was supposed to be.

(See image 35)

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“Baby, try this”, Mei said, holding out her hand.

Looking across I shook my head, “No way, my lips are bad enough as they are. I want them smaller, not bigger.

Mei looked disappointed for a second before laughing. She was testing out some makeup samples given to her by her sister Lin. Yes, the same, Lin who had given me the makeover at the university that fateful day, forcing me to swap lives with Simona.

“You’re no fun”, Mei replied, frowning, “you always say no to me”!

Laughing, I looked away. I knew she was just joking around. As I said, by this point, we knew each other pretty well. And if you’re wondering, we talked almost exclusively in Chinese. It’s true what they say, if you want to learn a language, it’s best to immerse yourself in it. These days, I could chat about almost anything and not even have to think about it.

“Fine, I’ll just look through a few pictures on my phone, then”, Mei said, acting like she was upset.

I knew what she was doing, and I ignored her.

“Oh, this one is so sexy”, she announced loudly, “The model is a beautiful girl but looks so unhappy”.

Again, I resisted the bait.

Mei leaned in a little. “It’s such a shame because I’m sure she’s a great person. If only she’d learn to enjoy life a little more and listen to her best friend Mei. I’m sure she’d be a much happier girl if she did”.

“Are you looking at pictures of me”? I asked in surprise while screwing up my face.

Mei giggled, “You? No, this is Harley Quinn”.

“Let me see”, I declared, swiping the phone from her hand. “Where did you get this”? I added with a sigh, looking down at the embarrassing picture from a recent photoshoot.

(See image 36)

“I guess, you’re famous now, Baby”, Mei answered happily. “This one was sent to me, but I’ve heard this picture is on a few billboards around the city.

Looking down again, I shook my head, not wanting to believe the girl in the picture was actually me. And even worse, that it was being displayed around the city where people could see me wearing that ridiculous outfit as they went about their daily lives.

“Oh, come on Baby, I’m only joking around”, Mei said, tilting her head to one side, “What is up with you today? You look even more miserable than usual”!