THE PRICE OF inHERitance

**A Day Out: Fun and Reality Check**

Ellie hesitated before whispering, "My... you know, downstairs. It's still there, but it's like... not working. It's shrunk. I don't even know what it's supposed to be anymore."

Lizzie blinked, then burst out laughing, drawing a few curious glances from the nearby tables. Ellie turned red as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"Lizzie, I'm serious!" he hissed.

"I know! I know!" she wheezed between giggles. "It's just—oh my god, Ellie, when you put it like that, it's kind of hilarious. You sound like you're talking about a dying plant!"

Ellie crossed his arms, sulking. "Glad my identity crisis is so entertaining for you."

Lizzie composed herself, still chuckling but more sympathetic now. "Sorry, sorry. It's just—wow. I never thought we'd be having a conversation like this. But hey, look at it this way: at least you don't have to deal with... other girl problems."

Ellie narrowed his eyes. "Other girl problems?"

"You know, periods, cramps, mood swings? The whole package?" Lizzie grinned. "At least you're skipping that nightmare."

Ellie sighed, half-amused despite himself. "Great. I'm stuck with the boobs and the hips, but at least I dodged that bullet."

---

**Funny Moments at the Café**

Just as Ellie started to feel a little better, their food arrived. Lizzie immediately grabbed a handful of fries and popped them into her mouth, while Ellie took a bite of his milkshake straw.

"By the way," Lizzie said through a mouthful of fries, "You're doing the leg-crossing thing wrong."

Ellie frowned, looking down at his legs. "What do you mean?"

Lizzie grinned, reaching across the table to uncross his legs and recross them properly. "You've got to do it like this. If you're going to have hips like that, you've got to cross your legs the right way, or else you'll look like a confused giraffe."

Ellie rolled his eyes. "Oh, because that's *definitely* what's going to give me away."

As they continued eating, Ellie noticed a few guys at a nearby table sneaking glances at him, clearly checking out his newly developed curves. He groaned and leaned closer to Lizzie. "Okay, people are definitely staring. What do I do?"

Lizzie glanced over at the guys, then gave Ellie a mischievous smile. "You know what? Own it. Stand up, walk over there, and flaunt that ass. Make them regret staring."

Ellie nearly choked on his milkshake. "What? Are you insane?"

Lizzie laughed. "Come on! Just give them a little show. They'll be so confused when they realize you're not exactly what they think."

Ellie buried his face in his hands. "I hate you so much."

But despite his embarrassment, Lizzie's teasing was starting to help him relax. He still felt awkward and uncomfortable in his new body, but at least he had her support to keep him grounded.

---

**Back Home: Reality Sets In**

When they finally got home, Ellie was feeling more like himself, despite the strange day. But as soon as they walked through the front door, they were greeted by Vivian, his stepmother, who was lounging on the couch with a glass of wine in hand.

"Well, well, look who's back," Vivian said, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she looked Ellie up and down. "You're looking much more... comfortable, Ellie."

Ellie's stomach tightened at her tone, knowing that Vivian was about to drop some bad news. Lizzie shot him a look that said *brace yourself.*

Vivian set down her glass and stood up, walking over to him with that familiar smile—the one that always made him feel like a pawn in her game. "I hope you didn't forget, darling. You have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."

Ellie's heart sank. "Doctor's appointment?"

Vivian nodded, the smile never leaving her face. "Of course. We need to check on your progress, make sure everything is going as planned. It's important that we don't miss anything."

Ellie shifted uncomfortably, his hand instinctively tugging at the waistband of his pants. "I... I feel fine. Do we really need to do this?"

Vivian's smile widened. "Oh, darling, it's not about how you feel. It's about making sure everything is perfect. After all, Aunt Elanor's inheritance is on the line, and we wouldn't want anything to go wrong, now would we?"

Ellie glanced at Lizzie, who gave him an apologetic look. "Don't worry," Lizzie whispered. "We'll get through this together."

As Ellie headed upstairs to his room, he felt the weight of the situation settle back onto his shoulders. The day had been a strange mix of laughter and discomfort, but now the reality of his new life was sinking in all over again. Tomorrow's doctor's appointment was just another reminder that his body—and his future—was no longer his own.

---

In his room, Ellie collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His breasts shifted slightly under the bra, and he felt the tension in his hips and back. No matter how much fun he'd had with Lizzie at the café, there was no escaping the fact that his life was changing in ways he couldn't control.

And tomorrow, he'd have to face the next step of that reality.