Ben's Gift, Genoveva's Curse

a history of genoveva's love affairs

My real name is Genivive. I used Genoveva as a pun for my name when I became so fuckin ugly. Yes. I wasn’t actually born fugly. I was pretty once. Fabulous. Ferocious. 

How I became Genoveva, wasn’t because of an unfortunate event but rather because of a wise decision. Yes. A decision to change my life and to discover the truth about the four letter word: L-O-V-E. I hope that answers the question in your mind.

My first boyfriend wanted to eat me. Yes, he told me. He said he wanted to own every part of me...my eyes, my hair, my neck, my fingers, my legs, my vagina. We were 14 years old and he coerced me to have sex with him. We did, in his parent’s room. I broke up with him the next day.

My second boyfriend was extremely handsome. Yes, like Enchong Dee. We lasted two years. He was so vain and I dunno if he loved himself more that he loved me. He liked combing my hair and comparing me to some fashion models in the magazines that he read. No wonder he’s a beautician in Manila right now.

My third boyfriend was a member of the basketball varsity team. Yes, muscles and power and all that. We met on a blind date and we had sex on the same date. He always said that he loves me and I always believed him. Until some prettier bitch transferred in our school and seduced that motherfucker. I was bitter about him even though our goodbye sex was the sweetest ever.

My fourth boyfriend made me realize that true love doesn’t exist. Yes, he’s a pile of shit and I won’t ever tell anything about him except that he made me realize that true love doesn't exist and he’s a pile of shit.

And so I realized that my beauty is not a gift but a curse. Those boys I loved before were never in love with me. They were infatuated. They all have one thing in common: they find me pretty. Fucktards! 

Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't entirely their fault. Boys will be boys and their sight will always be their weakness. It’s beauty’s fault. Beauty. Isn't beauty the main cause of The Trojan War? Beauty. Will someone be attracted to me if I don’t have any? Beauty. I hate beauty. Period.

I DECIDED TO BE UGLY. Or fugly because it sounds worse. I was 18 years old and loathed my beauty. No, I didn't pour acid on my face. Or brushed something rough. Or gave multiple slashes of razor blade. I loathe pain more. What I did was something natural and supernatural at the same time.

I simply went downtown and tried to look for some old woman, either begging or just homeless. I found 17 of them and they looked so perfect. I mocked them, spat at them, kicked their weak legs and pulled their gray hair. That night, my plan succeeded. One among those 17 old women was a witch or something and I finally received my curse. A huge mole the size of a regular raisin erupted at the tip of my nose. Pimples appeared on my face one by one until I lost count. And they’re not your ordinary pimples. They’re huge and pink and filled with luscious pus. My skin tone darkened like I bathed in UV rays for a month. There. I successfully transformed from pretty to ugly. Yes, fuckin ugly.

I quit school and ran away from home. I needed to find myself, and true love. I worked in two call centers before I was hired in TeleMarket Inc. Seems like it’s my only way to survive. And thank God for my friends Divina, Elena, and Nang Carlota. Somehow, I feel like I’m not alone.

When Ben de Guzman from the other account offered me smoke one night, I was shocked. No guy ever talked to me since I got the curse. “Can I prick one of your pimples?” he asked. I dunno if it was a pick-up line or something but we didn’t stop chatting after that. He became my friend. Then boyfriend. Then fiancé.

I believed in true love once more. YES! We’re getting married.