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Chapter 46: The End of Her Beginning
Ju-kyoung's phone slipped from her trembling hand and hit the bed with a soft thud. The screen dimmed, but those words still burned in her mind like fire.
Let the game begin, Ju-kyoung.
She sat there frozen, her chest rising and falling sharply, every heartbeat echoing louder than the last. The room felt colder now, quieter — as if even the air was holding its breath.
Her fingers shook when she tried to pick the phone up again, but she couldn't. It wasn't just fear that stopped her. It was something else — something deeper.
Everything she had run from, everything she had tried to bury beneath makeup, laughter, and fragile smiles was finally catching up to her.
For the first time, Ju-kyoung didn't hide.
She stood up and walked to the mirror. The reflection that stared back wasn't the same girl who once hated her own face, who begged the universe to make her beautiful enough to be loved.
No, this Ju-kyoung had seen too much, felt too much, and learned the hard way that beauty could never hide pain forever.
Her eyes glistened under the dim light, not with tears, but with strength — quiet, stubborn strength.
"If this is a game," she whispered, her voice low but steady, "then I'll play."
A faint smile curved her lips, one filled with sadness and power all at once.
Outside, rain began to fall, washing the streets clean, whispering against her window like soft applause. Somewhere in the distance, thunder rolled — or maybe it was just the sound of something new beginning.
Ju-kyoung turned away from the mirror, her heart heavy but alive. Whatever came next — the truth, the lies, or the unknown waiting in the dark — she was ready.
Because this wasn't the end of her story.
It was just the end of her beginning.
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Author's Note
Dear readers,
This marks the official ending of True Beauty. ◇
Thank you for every like, every comment, and every moment you shared with Ju-kyoung. Writing this story was a journey — one filled with emotions, lessons, and growth.
Even though this is the final chapter, Ju-kyoung's spirit will live on in every word written, and in every reader who believed in her story.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming this far with me.
— The Author ♡
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