$2m. That's what the golden chance was. It was like a virtual wheel of fortune. I almost turned away. I'd lost nearly half the money I'd saved but somehow I got caught up in the huge crowd queuing up with their dollar bills. What the hell! The crowd just pushed me along till I reached the front. There were rows of keyboards and a giant wheel of fortune screen. I paid my dollar and was taken to a seat. You only had a couple of seconds to press a few buttons. I pressed. Then I stood up. Then it was like world war three had started. Somewhere a voice screamed 'jackpot'. Lucky bastard. I started to move away and then I was picked up off the ground by two security guys. It took a good couple of minutes for it to sink in. I'd won $2m. No one prepares you for something like this and even now it's a bit of a haze but I ended up on a small stage with a bunch of suits and cameras flashing every where. I didn't hear a word anyone said and was still trying to think when I was escorted to an elevator that whooshed up to a high floor and shown into the most fantastic suite - champagne, flowers, the works. And on a silver tray on a table in the centre of the room was a check made out in my name for $2m. I sank the champagne. I drowned myself in bubbly and took a huge bubble bath. A little later there as a knock on the door. I staggered to the door and saw a card pushed under. It belonged to The Surgeon and he wanted to talk to me. I was tipsy but not smashed and I opened the door. He was middle aged, greyish hair and very good looking. He was about to make me an offer I could not refuse. I did at first because I thought he had a screw loose but he told me how he had pioneered the most advanced cosmetic surgery procedures. He said it went way beyond ordinary plastic surgery. He told me he could transform me. He said he could make me beautiful and desirable.

And I believed him.

Ella