Introduction

As a beautiful woman who hated real-life objectification, I found freedom in "Legends of Aethelgard," the top VRMMO.

I played Nyx, a Shadow-Priestess with -100% beauty, seeking genuine connection.

For three years, I was happily partnered with Kael, a Paladin who was secretly Ethan Thorne, my real-life tech CEO boss I loved in-game.

Our peace shattered when Kael grew distant, then appeared with Twitch streamer Seraphina, both wearing the rare gear we'd planned.

She brazenly claimed "Stardust_Angel," my old online identity, a viral photo Ethan had obsessed over.

The gear, meant for 'us,' was for 'her,' his new muse.

This betrayal turned my sanctuary into a battlefield.

He swiftly replaced Nyx as co-leader and publicly dismissed our bond as "just a game," showering Seraphina with affection as forums mocked my "ugly" avatar.

I discovered Ethan, my boss, was dedicating his new game to this imposter, forcing me to work masked.

The ultimate humiliation: Kael placed a million-gold bounty on Nyx, sparking relentless in-game persecution.

How could three years of loyalty dissolve into nothing?

How could he believe her blatant lies over our shared history?

This public torment, simply for seeking anonymity, felt impossibly cruel and suffocating.

Pushed to the brink by constant abuse and Skyler's career-destroying public doxxing, I broke.

Confronting Ethan, I ripped off my mask.

"Because I' m Nyx," I declared, my stunning real face revealed, "the 'ugly' one. The 'scammer.' The one you put a bounty on."

The truth was out, and my fight for total redemption began.