Chapter 2: Holy Water and Hidden Scars

Late at night, once my husband was snoring, I’d tiptoe to the bathroom to take off my makeup.

The house would be quiet, shadows stretching long across the hallway. I’d close the door softly, lock it twice, and set out my arsenal of creams and powders. I took a deep breath, savoring the moment.

A girl’s gotta look good—even in death. Ha.

It’s a small comfort, the ritual of beauty. Something to remind me that I still have a choice, even if it’s only skin deep. A tiny rebellion.

My makeup routine was long. After removing the caked foundation, fake lashes, and colored contacts, I’d do all the basic moisturizing to make the next layer last longer. The process soothed me.

The process was almost meditative—cotton pads, cool water, the gentle pat of serum on my cheeks. Each step a barrier, a shield against the world. I lost myself in it.

After covering the bite marks, I’d set it all with a sandwich method of layering.

Layer after layer, like armor. The final spritz of setting spray, the gentle tap of powder. By morning, I’d be perfect again. Untouchable.

But the moment the remover wipe touched my face, a burning sensation hit me.

It was sudden, sharp—a sting that made my eyes water. I froze, heart thudding in my chest, every instinct screaming that something was wrong. My breath caught.

Right then, I felt a chilling stare from behind.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I turned slowly, dread coiling in my stomach. My hands went clammy.

I whipped around. At some point, the locked door had been pushed open.

The lock hung loose, swinging from the knob. Carter stood in the doorway, face dark as a storm, arms crossed over his chest. The air felt charged.

His eyes were wild, pupils blown wide. He looked like a man who’d seen a ghost—or maybe, for the first time, believed in monsters. I held my breath.

“Lila, turn around. Let me see your face.”

His voice was low, commanding. There was no room for argument. I braced myself.

Vampires have no pulse.

But right then, I felt a cold sweat prickle from every pore. My hands shook.

Before coming in, the ghost hunter had messaged Carter privately:

[Wipe grave dirt on your phone camera. That way, everyone can see monsters—she’ll show her true form, no place to hide!]

The absurdity of it almost made me laugh, but the look on Carter’s face killed any urge for humor. I swallowed hard.

Carter wasn’t really superstitious, but when he saw the Twitch viewers shooting up, and the donations pouring in, he moved in on me, raising his voice. “Why do you always fuss around at night? Is your bare face really that scary?”

He held his phone out, camera lens smeared with something dark, the live chat exploding with speculation. He was playing it up for the viewers, but I could see the fear lurking beneath the bravado. My skin crawled.

I covered my face and sobbed, playing the helpless wife.

My shoulders shook, tears slipping down my cheeks. The chat was divided—some calling for mercy, others demanding the truth. My heart pounded.

A lot of people in the chat said to let it go—it was just the ghost hunter trying to stir up drama for views.

[Leave her alone, man. She’s been through enough.]

[This is just for content, right?]

Carter grabbed my cold wrist and forced my chin up. “The viewers paid for this—they want you to wipe it all off, so you have to! Don’t listen, and I’ll throw you out right now!”

His grip was iron, fingers digging into my skin. I had no choice but to comply. My throat tightened.

Helpless, I slowly poured out the makeup remover.

The liquid shimmered on the cotton pad, catching the harsh bathroom light. I took a deep breath and pressed it to my cheek. My fingers shook.

The moment the makeup came off, Carter and everyone watching held their breath.

The silence was thick, electric. Even the chat seemed to freeze, waiting for the reveal. My heart hammered.

But the skin beneath was still flawless, smooth as silk.

I met Carter’s gaze, daring him to find a flaw. There was nothing to see—no monsters here. I almost smiled.

Carter’s tense face instantly relaxed. He cursed the ghost hunter for being a fraud, and the chat joined in. Relief washed over him.

He rolled his eyes, muttered something about trolls, and the tension in the room dissipated like steam. I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

[Dragging people into this in the middle of the night, like she isn’t miserable enough!]

[Looks like the three of them are in on it. The 3 a.m. views are higher than daytime!]

The chat moved on, attention shifting to the next drama. But I could feel Carter watching me, suspicion still simmering beneath the surface. I kept my expression blank.

The ghost hunter paused, then suddenly posted:

[I get it! Today’s February 29th—a leap year! Tonight, the veil between worlds is thin, so a vampire’s body looks just like a normal person’s!]

The message hung in the air, a ripple of unease spreading through the chat. I almost laughed—he was closer to the truth than he knew. My lips twitched.

I was a little surprised. I didn’t know where this young ghost hunter learned his craft, but he actually had some skill—he could see what I was. I’d have to watch him.

I made a mental note to keep an eye on him. Not many people could read the signs. A chill ran down my spine.

[She’s not an ordinary vampire. She’s a vengeful one, filled with deadly resentment. That’s why regular holy water won’t work on her.]

His tone grew very serious:

[What exactly did you do to her, to make her so full of rage?]

The words cut deeper than I expected. Carter bristled, defensive, lashing out at the screen. My jaw clenched.

Carter, furious, blocked the ghost hunter.

He slammed his phone down, muttering curses. The show was over, but the damage lingered. My stomach twisted.

Trying to cover his embarrassment, he sneered that I was ugly without makeup and warned me not to go out bare-faced and scare people. I smiled and agreed, of course. My smile was all teeth.

I nodded, eyes downcast, playing the part he’d written for me. But inside, I was already planning my next move. My mind raced.