Short stories

Doll face

Xenia pushed the door of the clinic and was instantly attacked by the smell of medical products and detergent. Repressing her disgust, she signalled her presence at the front office, marched towards Dr. Scott's office and plopped on the chair in front of the door. While waiting for what felt like hours, huffing and puffing, she thought of the surprise Ivan would have when coming back home next week. She smiled devilishly and gave herself a mental pat on the shoulder for having had this wonderful idea: surely, he would never want to look at another woman after seeing her so transformed.

"Miss ? You're next."

She lifted her head to look at the nurse who spoke to her. She was a beauty, but Xenia wasn't impressed: wasn't it a requirement when you worked for a famous cosmetic surgeon? Besides, she would look even more entrancing after her operation, she was sure of it. She rose from her chair and followed the cute nurse through the door labelled with Dr Scott's name.

. . .

"Daragaya, I'm home!" Ivan yelled when finally arriving at his apartment. He spent most of the day in an airplane and was exhausted. He frowned when he didn't hear a response nor smelled the delicious cooking of Xenia. Where was she? Ivan crouched so as to get his luggage when suddenly the door was painfully projected in his side.

"Oh, I'm sorry honey, I didn't know you would be back so soon!" he heard Xenia squeal with happiness and before he could even realize what was happening, she jumped into his arms. He was embraced with a cloud of brown voluminous curls and the smell of her fruity shampoo but just as he was going in for a kiss, he froze. Something was different. Eyes, smile, nose, something had changed in the dynamic of her face and it took him a few seconds to realize what it was. She was simply breath-taking. Well, even more now, of course she always was beautiful, but now, now she was almost painful to look at.

"Well don't you like it? She asked timidly, fluttering her lashes and dreading his reaction. I know I should have told you before, but I wanted to surprise you."

While his stunned silence went on, making the reunion even more awkward, she bit her lip in unease. It was all it took as he finally kissed her hello.

"You're, you're, ugh, I don't even have words for it. I'm too shocked to be truthful. Was it on the spur of a moment or had you planned it long ago? I hope you didn't feel obliged to go under the knife because of something I said, you already were perfect before he rambled on."

"Well, I wanted a bit of a change, so I figured why the hell not?"

She bit her lip again, she hated lying to him, but she had seen the looks he exchanged with their busted neighbour and the way he checked out other girls in the Nevsky perspective. She ought to do something, anything to keep him, even if it meant resorting to cosmetic surgery. But now she was happy; he looked at her with awe, she was beautiful again in his eyes and he would never leave her for that tease of a neighbour!

"I'm glad you like it. Now let's eat, shall we? She smiled while showing him to the kitchen.

. . .

Days and weeks went by, and Xenia's mood went down. When she had decided to go under the knife, she only thought of how it could improve her relationship with Ivan by making him even more in love with her, but she hadn't considered it might change the nature of their relationship. She didn't know if this was just an impression, but she felt since her operation, Ivan only complimented her on her looks and was eager to show her off to his friends. It wasn't just that. He only talked to her of her looks, giving her advice on what she should wear to compliment her figure, and he stopped asking her advice about important subject like his job or his relationship with his family. She felt useless, empty, like a china doll left alone exposed in a window display.

She regretted it now. She was much happier when she feared he would go after other women but came back every day complimenting her on her cooking, asking her about her day and simply listening to her. Now, she was no better than a trophy wife, destined to be loved in front of everyone and adored in his eyes but truly lonely. And as she wished and wished she hadn't made that rash decision, she looked at herself in the mirror of her vanity and shattered it with her fist in pure rage. But as she expected the pieces of glass to fall on the ground, she felt something fall in her lap ins, little shards of glass crumbling one after the other from her face and when she looked up, she brushed the remnant pieces from her face, only to discover she was herself again.