Chapter 8 – Reaching the Edge
March 17
"You're too sensitive."
That's what Dad said to Kuya today when I told them I was tired.
Too sensitive. Too dramatic. Too much.
Or worse—not enough.
I held my breath in the bathroom until the sting in my chest dulled. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw all the parts of me I've had to quiet just to keep this house functioning.
My joy? Sacrificed.
My passions? Buried.
My voice? Stolen.
I don't think they even know me. I don't think they ever wanted to.
March 18
I didn't go home. I sat by the river alone. The night wind brushing against my skin felt more comforting than any embrace I've had in years.
I imagined a life where no one depends on me to survive.
What if I stopped trying to prove I'm good? What if I stopped trying to be the "good daughter" altogether?
What would that make me?
Maybe... free.
Lesson: Some walls you hit aren't meant to be climbed. They're meant to remind you it's time to leave.
YOU ARE READING
Buds of a Flower : SELF-FORGIVENESS
General FictionIn a world where silence is mistaken for strength, The Quiet War Inside follows the raw, intimate journey of Mara, a young woman burdened with the weight of being her family's sole provider. From the outside, she's the reliable one - stoic, selfless...
