Chapter 1

At 3 AM, inside a high-end beauty livestream, Viviene Vance was slicing open her own cheek with a surgical blade.

The camera was zoomed in so close that her followers could see the raw edges of her flesh curling back.

Instead of panic, the comment section was flooded with worship.

"Vivi's painless face-lift is literally magic!" one fan commented.

"No swelling right after a cut? This technique is insane!" another chimed in.

I stared at the screen as the wound healed instantly. Then, I touched the scar that had just appeared on my own right cheek.

Beads of blood seeped through my bandage. It was in the exact same spot where Viviene had just cut herself.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a frantic video from my best friend, Piper Reed.

She was collapsed on her apartment floor, her left cheek rotting like spoiled meat.

Meanwhile, on Viviene's stream, a fan who just finished a jawline procedure was flaunting her perfect face.

At the end of the video, Piper's shaking finger pointed at the corner of her vanity.

The anniversary perfume I gave her, etched with a coiled snake pattern, was leaking a thick, black mist.

01

"One million dollars!"

The auctioneer's gavel fell. I gripped the bank card I got from mortgaging my house, my fingertips trembling.

Under the spotlight, Viviene Vance wore a couture gown and a serpent necklace. The ruby in the snake's eye seemed to be staring directly at me.

"Congratulations to Mrs. Sterling for winning the exclusive face-transformation slot," she said, winking at the camera.

The snake's eye on her neck suddenly flashed red. "See you in the livestream tomorrow at the same time."

The chat box exploded instantly.

"Who is this old woman? How dare she steal Vivi's debut slot!"

"I heard she used to run a plastic surgery clinic. She went bankrupt after Vivi took all her business."

"Look at how her face is sagging. Giving her the slot is a total waste."

I touched the scar on my cheek. Just last week, Viviene performed a live face-lift on an influencer.

At that exact moment, my skin felt like it was being tightened by invisible wires. It felt like half of my face was being ripped off.

Now, that influencer was signing brand deals with a face that looked exactly like mine did five years ago.

Piper's call came through as I stepped into the elevator.

Her voice was distorted by static. "Don't go… her vanity drawer… it's full of human skin…"

The signal cut out. The elevator mirror showed Viviene standing right behind me.

She was playing with the snake-etched perfume bottle. When she smiled, the corners of her mouth reached her earlobes.

That was the exact signature expression of a fan who had a "smile lift" procedure last week.

The elevator suddenly plummeted. As my heart leaped into my throat, I saw the snake on her necklace come to life.

It flicked its forked tongue and started crawling toward my neck.