Revenge is a dish best served now

Raul is sitting across from a woman who, to him, is simply irresistible. Her gaze has something hypnotic about it, and he finds himself lost in her presence. This woman is everything Raul has ever dreamed of: brunette, light-eyed, slim, with a body sculpted like an hourglass. She smiles in an almost mysterious way, and he feels a chill run down his spine.

He can hardly believe that his lips have just touched those full, well-shaped lips, as if they were sculpted to be irresistible. His breathing is rapid, his heart pounding, as he tries to process the intensity of the moment.

"I don't know how to explain it, but... I feel like I've known you for so long," he confesses, his voice breaking slightly. "It's like we were made for each other."

The woman gently squeezes his hands, leaning forward with a look that moves between sweet and predatory.

"Raul," she begins, her voice low and firm, "you've known me for much longer than you think."

Raul frowns in confusion, but doesn't take his eyes off her.

"What do you mean? We met a few months ago, when you showed up at that party. I remember everything." She lets out a soft, almost sad laugh as her fingers caress the back of Raul's hands. "No, Raul. You knew me long before that. When I didn't look like this... when I was Elliot." 

Raul's heart nearly stops. He pulls away quickly, his eyes wide, trying to process what she's said.

"Elliot? The... Elliot? The weird nerd from school? No... that can't be true!" 

She sighs and lets go of his hands, leaning back in her chair. The woman—Elliot—watches Raul, with the same calculated coldness that comes from years of torment and meticulous planning. "Yes, Raul. I was Elliot, that boy you tormented mercilessly for years. I grew up listening to your jokes, your comments about the 'perfect woman'. I found it ironic how your ideal was so... superficial. I decided that I would become that woman. Not for you. But for myself. To show that I can be whoever I want, while you remain stuck in what you desire on the surface."

Raul is in shock, his mind struggling to reconcile the past with the present. He doesn't know what to say. How to respond? The woman in front of him – Elliot – was so perfect, so attractive. And yet, at the same time, she was someone he had despised, underestimated.

"Why?" he manages to mumble, the words coming out almost lifelessly.

She smiles again, this time more warmly, but still with a hint of triumph.

Elliot held Raul’s gaze, the tension in the air almost palpable. A cold smile formed on his lips before he began to speak, his voice filled with a mix of triumph and bitterness.

“You have no idea what I’ve been through, Raul, but I’m going to tell you. And I’m going to make you understand every moment of this journey. Every pain, every sacrifice… it was all for you. I remember everything. Every time you laughed at me in the hallways at school, every joke about my effeminate ways, every time you put me down just to feel like a man.

But you know what’s funny? You always had a type. You always described, with that arrogance, what the ‘perfect woman’ should be like: dark-haired, light-eyed, body like a guitar. Oh, Raul… I heard every word. And that’s when I decided. I wasn’t going to run away from you anymore, I wasn’t going to hide anymore. I was going to become what you always wanted. But not for you, not for love or approval. I was going to do it so I could see your face at the exact moment you realized who I really am.”

Elliot paused, his gaze fixed on Raul, who remained silent, paralyzed by the revelation. He continued, his voice soft but sharp as a blade.

“I started with simple changes. Diet, exercise… that’s easy. But then came the painful parts. Do you have any idea what a rhinoplasty is like? The nose being broken and sculpted, every breath a torture. And then there was the jaw. They slimmed my face, made it delicate. Every time I tried to eat, pain radiated through my body. But I endured it. And do you know why? Because I imagined your face. Your face, Raul, when you realized that the woman of your dreams was actually the boy you spent years humiliating.

After that came the liposuction. They removed all the fat you thought was ugly from me. They molded my body to look exactly like what you wanted. The skin was so tight over the muscles that every movement hurt. I spent nights unable to sleep properly, my body throbbing, but all I could think about was how delighted you would be with what I had become. I would become the perfection you so desired, no matter the cost.

And then, Raul... came the hormones. The most profound surgeries. It wasn't just my body that changed, it was everything. Injections, cuts, implants... my breasts, my hips, my voice. Every detail was meticulously crafted. Every pain, every scar... every drop of blood I spilled was for one reason: revenge. I wanted you completely surrendered, in love, just to see the look on your face when I finally revealed the truth.

Do you remember the glazed look in your eyes when you looked at me at that party? I knew it. I knew you were falling. All your confidence, your arrogance... I destroyed it, Raul. I made you fall in love with the very person you despised for years.”

Elliot leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction as he watched Raul’s disbelief as he struggled to process the revelation. He was no longer in control of the situation.

“Do you understand now what I did? Every cut on my body was to mold the perfection you always wanted. And now, here I am. The woman you desire. But deep down, I was always Elliot. And you… you’re in love with me. With the boy you used to hate.”

Elliot sat back, savoring Raul’s silence.

“So, Raul… what’s it like knowing that your greatest desire, your ideal of perfection, is a lie I created just to watch you fall apart?”