Chapter 1428

Watching Anastasia gulp down the herbal soup, Lily handed her a napkin and retrieved the empty bowl. "Can you handle the taste?"

Wiping her mouth, Anastasia nodded. "It's not bad!"

Lily frowned. "Not bad?" Even the smell had been pungent. Seeing Lily's doubt, Anastasia chuckled, took a sip of water, and said, "I've taken countless weird medicines that tasted far worse. The bitter ones were tolerable, but some were truly disgusting. I…" She paused, waving a hand. "I'd better stop, or I'll throw up."

"You ate them to lose weight?" Lily guessed.

Anastasia nodded. "What else? Looking back, I wonder why I wasted the effort. I might as well have eaten normally and become a 650-pound fatty. At least I wouldn't have gone through all that." She sighed.

The memory, though distant, still saddened her. Years of suffering, physical torment, and the shame of others' stares lingered, though lessened. Lily felt sympathy.

"You'll get well. I'm sure of it!"

"Yes! I believe it too."

Since meeting Lily, Anastasia felt a sense of renewal, a lifting of her depression. She felt reborn, a new person.

"Oh, yes, Lily, what was that?" she asked, realizing she hadn't inquired about the soup.

Lily chuckled. "You finished it without asking! What if it were poison?"

Anastasia shook her head confidently. "No way! You wouldn't poison me. If you wanted to harm me, you could have simply let me die believing my obesity was due to poisoning. Why go to all this trouble?" Her casual tone couldn't mask the underlying pain, making Lily feel terrible.

"Don't talk like that!"

"I'm telling the truth! What was it? Weight loss or detoxification?" she asked, laughing.

Lily shook her head. "It's a tonic to strengthen you. Just try to enjoy it."

"Okay!"

Since deciding to let go, Anastasia had visibly improved. She now enjoyed seeing her reflection, noticing a newfound vitality. Her self-acceptance grew daily.

"Tasia..." Galen tiptoed down the stairs.

"Hey, sweetie pie, be careful," Anastasia said happily, rising to meet him. Her gait was lighter, quicker. She even managed to hug him and carry him the rest of the way down. "You're awake!"

"I woke up ages ago!" he pouted.

"Then why didn't you come down and play?" she asked, smiling.

The boy was undeniably handsome, inheriting his father's features, softened and with lighter skin.

"Tasia…"