The New Colleague
The new colleague immediately caught Anna’s interest. Unlike everyone else, she stayed distant from the rest of the team, never joining them for a break at the office café, and would leave right after work, quickly grabbing her bag, pulling a cap over her head, and heading straight to her car without speaking to anyone. Her workspace was set up right next to Anna’s. Anna often overheard her taking calls; she had a pleasant voice.
“Anna, you haven’t chatted with the newbie yet?” asked Molly, the senior manager. “By all accounts, she’s fine and her work metrics are top-notch… But she’s just incredibly reserved. She’s been here for over a month and hasn’t made a single friend. We barely remember her face.”
Anna shrugged, “No, we haven’t talked. Once, I asked her to pass me a pencil, and she just tossed it without even looking at me… It was a bit upsetting.”
“Well, maybe she’ll open up eventually.”
Anna soon found out the new girl’s education didn’t match their workplace. Apparently, Victoria (as she was called) had completed a biology degree and even held a doctorate. What was she doing in a basic call center then, working alongside mostly students and recent graduates?
Curiosity got the better of Anna, so she approached Victoria during a break and asked about something work-related. Victoria kept her head down, responding quietly without making eye contact, seemingly letting her hair cover her face intentionally.
“Maybe she’s not well?” the call center folks speculated.
“Nah, it’s just acne, and she’s hiding it,” joked Oliver, the sarcastic system administrator.
One evening, Anna found herself staying late to finish a report. The office was empty, and after sending the report, she checked the time. Almost nine! She sighed, thinking of the hour-long journey home and scolded herself for not finishing earlier.
Anna sighed, turned off the computer, grabbed her coat, locked up, and headed out. It was raining, and typical of her luck, she’d left her umbrella at home. Great, soaked by the time she reaches the tube.
“Need a lift?” a familiar voice asked.
Anna turned to see a tall girl in a cap and hoodie at the side entrance. It was Victoria!
“Is that you, Victoria?” Anna asked, surprised.
“Yeah, I left my phone at the office and had to come back. Saw you and thought I could give you a ride. It’s going to pour, and I’ve got a car.”
“Thanks, I’d really appreciate it,” Anna replied with a smile.
Ten minutes later, they were in Victoria’s car. Anna finally got a good look at her face and was shocked. Victoria had a scar on her cheek, a nose slightly sunken, and one eyelid drooped halfway down.
Sensing Anna’s gaze, Victoria smirked. “Go on, ask if you’re curious.”
Anna shook her head, “No, it’s fine.”
“Ah, don’t be silly, it’s not fine,” sighed Victoria. “I’ve got some serious issues. I wasn’t always like this. Where do you live, by the way?”
Anna gave her address.
“Care to hear the full story? It’s quite a drive, and I feel like talking… It’s heavy keeping it all in.”
“Sure, if you want to share. But you don’t have to. Really,” Anna smiled. “I’m not nosy. And I promise I won’t tell anyone if it matters.”
Victoria started her tale.
Victoria was a late child. Her mother, a university botany lecturer, was over forty, and her father had just turned fifty. They had long given up on starting a family, so her arrival was a miracle.
“We’ve beaten nature,” her mother used to say, smiling.
“And of course, she’ll be called Victoria,” joked her father, playing on the name’s meaning.
It quickly became apparent Victoria was exceptionally gifted. By three, she was flipping through nature encyclopedias, started school at six, and graduated with honors. She went on to study biology at university.
Her parents basked in her achievements, sure she’d go far. But they overlooked one thing: dedicating all her time to studies, Victoria barely socialized. Surrounded by books, infatuated with science theories, her walls adorned with portraits of notable scientists instead of pop stars, she became reclusive.
This lack of social interaction shaped her character. Victoria grew up reserved and uncomfortable around peers, who often found her aloof and unapproachable. Her solitary world didn’t seem to bother her until she matured into a young woman.
She began to crave more than academic papers, hiding romance novels under her mattress to avoid discovery by her academic mother.
Victoria battled her insecurities, particularly convinced of her lack of attractiveness: too tall, small-chested, disproportionately long and skinny legs, plain face with a tip-tilted nose… Everything seemed off to her, invoking nothing but pity.
After earning her PhD and teaching genetics, she eagerly awaited love, dreaming of a man who’d accept her as she was. She saw many flaws in herself.
And then she met HIM. Dan. And fell completely.
At a posh gym—thanks to her decent salary—she encountered Dan, the son of wealthy parents, accustomed to getting everything effortlessly. Spotting Victoria on the exercise bike, he decided to play his charm card. For Victoria, having never been wooed before, his charisma was spellbinding.
Dan took her number, ringing the next day. For him, she was a quirky novelty; for her, he was an epic love story, a man she’d do anything for. Dan quickly grasped her willingness to please.
Initially, he asked her to skip lectures for him, then policed her wardrobe. Trading jeans and hoodies for mini-skirts and heels pleased him—controlling this smart, unique girl was a thrill. He wanted more and more.
“You’re stunning, kitten, but I fancy bigger-chested girls. Just a bit more, and you’d be perfect.”
Assessing the risks, Victoria went for her first cosmetic surgery. Dan was thrilled, boasting to friends about the “academic” who got surgery for him.
Dan pushed for more. She tweaked her lips, cheekbones, even eyelids. Her work suffered. Colleagues questioned the sudden change in the once scientific-driven girl. Victoria increasingly missed lectures, creating frustration among peers covering for her.
She believed it was all for a greater cause—sacrificing self for him. Surely he’d propose soon, granting her fairy-tale dreams: a seaside home, a few kids, serene old age. The reality was Dan immersed in hedonism, suggesting further painful alterations.
Without close friends to caution her, Victoria’s mom ignored the situation, caring more for tranquility than her daughter’s well-being.
It all ended tragically. Pursuing a brow lift, low funds pushed her to a cheap surgeon—an infection ensued. Months in the hospital followed, numerous procedures later, she was altered beyond recognition.
Dan visited once. Seeing her swollen, stitched face, he vanished from her life. Refusing calls, ignoring her, he soon flaunted another girl online, calling the new one his fiancée.
The shock froze Victoria. Gathering herself for science, teaching, and returning to academia became her sole focus, needing a fresh start after resigning due to health reasons.
Half a year on, released from the hospital, she faced cosmetic restoration. Unfit to teach with her current appearance, embarrassed by her looks, she needed funds for a comprehensive, costly procedure.
“So now I work here and elsewhere… and write essays for extra money,” Victoria concluded her story.
The car sat idle in front of Anna’s building. Tears shimmered in Anna’s eyes.
“How could he do that? What a… ?” Her voice trembled.
Victoria brushed her face with her hands, gazing at the rain-splattered window.
“You know, I’ve learned something crucial: change only for yourself. Never sacrifice for anyone. Not for love, not for friendship.”
