Hope Design Warhammer Fantasy

My mom Tammy Cox was an internet celebrity.

She constantly took candid photos of me without makeup and compares them to her meticulously edited pictures to generate a lot of discussion on the internet.

Even if I casually do some stretching exercises, she posts it online with captions like, "What does this pose mean for?"

Even when she was pregnant, she took pictures of the pregnancy test. "Two lines mean pregnant, right? Once my baby boy arrives, I'll be done having kids! But just thinking about my precious son being tricked by some bad woman in the future makes me so jealous!"

However, she didn't expect that this time, the netizens wouldn't indulge her anymore.

——

1.

Tammy first tasted the sweet allure of online fame during my first year of high school.

It was a time when I was deep in the throes of adolescence, my face dotted with pimples and my hair chopped into a boyish cut by the school's strict rules. Not exactly a picture of beauty.

Back then, she couldn't get enough of taking photos with me.

At first, I found it odd. Growing up, she'd rarely spared me a kind word, so why the sudden closeness?

It didn't take long for me to figure it out—she was posting every single one of those photos online.

In the pictures, I was bare-faced, awkward, and stiff, unused to being in front of the camera.

Meanwhile, Tammy was the picture of perfection—flawless makeup, slimmed face, widened eyes, and skin so white it practically glowed. Next to her, I looked like a frumpy schoolgirl in my uniform. Unsurprisingly, the post blew up. The comments section was flooded with praise for Tammy's beauty and how well she'd aged. She was glowing, and I was just the awkward backdrop. For a while, she couldn't stop smiling, dragging me into every photo op. But when I started refusing, her mood soured. She called me ungrateful, a "heartless wolf," and even called Rick, who was always away on business, to complain about how disobedient I was.

Her caption? "My daughter's all grown up, almost ready to leave the nest. Guess I'm getting old."

Unsurprisingly, the post blew up.

The comments section was flooded with praise for Tammy's beauty and how well she'd aged. She was glowing, and I was just the awkward backdrop.

For a while, she couldn't stop smiling, dragging me into every photo op.

But when I started refusing, her mood soured. She called me ungrateful, a "heartless wolf," and even called my father Rick Cox, who was always away on business, to complain about how disobedient I was.

She never stopped to think about how those posts made me feel—how I was mocked and pointed at in school, how helpless and exposed I felt.

I thought she'd let it go after that, but I was wrong.

A friend showed me her latest post, and she was still updating.

2.

There I was, caught in a candid shot, fresh out of bed, toothbrush in mouth, hair a mess.

It was summer, and I was in a low-cut nightgown, the angle dangerously close to revealing my bosom.

Meanwhile, Tammy had posted a perfectly edited photo of herself in lace pajamas, captioning it, "Morning comparison with my daughter. Should I remind her to pay attention to her appearance?"

The comments were brutal.

"Sis, you are so beautiful! What's wrong with the daughter? If I had a mom like that, I'd be learning everything from her!"

"Honestly, the daughter's flaws are glaring."

What the hell?

And then, the kicker asked, "Do you have plans for a second child? Daughters grow up and leave, but a son stays close. Just saying!"

Tammy's reply really enraged me, "Of course! Not that I'm favoring boys, but a son is like a nuclear weapon—better to have one and not need it than need it and not have it!"

I didn't want to read any further.

I was angry. But what could I do?

Tammy controlled the purse strings. If I upset her, she'd cut off my allowance for weeks.

Even if I was starving at school, she wouldn't budge until I groveled and apologized.

I tried talking to Rick, but Tammy always twisted the story, painting me as the rebellious child who needed to be put in her place.

She cried about my disobedience, claiming I had grown wings and needed a lesson to understand that a mother's orders cannot be defied.

Rick, who was rarely home, didn't know the situation and chose to believe her, often reminding me, "Your mom is just childish; go along with her and don't make her angry."

Later, I just wanted to use the college entrance exam to get away from Tammy and this home.

I threw myself into studying and even started working out, shedding the awkwardness of puberty.

Tammy's mood darkened—she wasn't getting the same satisfaction from comparing herself to me anymore.

I knew she resented me for not providing her with material anymore.

Because in the comment section, there were already a few people began to notice my transformation, and Tammy couldn't experience the satisfaction of comparing herself to her daughter, which naturally made her mood irritable.

I didn't care about her feelings; I just wanted to improve myself.

Unexpectedly, this time Tammy stopped updating the daily comparisons with me.

She found a new path.

3.

Since my senior year, after Rick returned, Tammy suddenly treated me very well.

She used to never prepare lavish meals every day, constantly adding food and urging me to eat more.

I knew she was trying to fatten me up, yet Rick thought Tammy was being considerate and loving, often advising me not to disappoint her.

To avoid fulfilling her wishes, I paid more attention to exercise, often locking myself in my room.

A few days later, I suddenly saw Tammy, who hadn't updated for a while, posting a new video.

The post included a photo, clearly taken from the crack of the door.

In the photo, I was doing a stretching exercise, with a slightly grimacing expression due to the pain.

This time, Tammy's caption read, "My daughter started doing this move, is it a sign that my second baby is on the way? I have learnt some mysticism."

The replies below came in waves.

"Yes. Last time my daughter tucked in her teddy bear, and the next day I found out I was pregnant."

"No offense but your daughter is really not a pretty girl. You have such excellent genes, better start working on a new one, looking forward to the baby's arrival!"