Shattered Reflection

he wooden chair. Across from me, my mother, Margaret Throng, sipped

ce your walk enoug

er the table. Nothing w

eeping my voice low. "I barely got any sleep l

eacup down. "Excuses won't

always been. I wasn't just competing for myself, I

uty pageants, convinced that winning a title would open doors for us. I

later, all I

test was just a

en, eager, and foolishly confident. I had spent months preparing and practicing my walk, perfe

ttered when I sto

azes so much at me, and the other conte

hand, felt lik

were announced, my name w

ad

age afterward, my crownless refl

came my

. She didn't say anything at first. She just looked at me,

aid, "Do you u

hard. "Under

weren't go

rt more was that I had said

t good

r the

r my m

or an

I made myself a promise:

s my secon

National Beauty Competition at s

e limit. I practiced my walk until my feet gusted, re

be the girl w

seemed like things

on. My interview was flawless.

e the fi

nother contestant, a g

h effortless charm. But I refused

dramatic pause before

n goes to...

art d

hat you're supposed to do

. Another di

age, I spotted my

apping. She w

ply tur

rt more tha

d not say anything , she just told me to be

ide home

eel like it was the only thing anchoring him to this family. My

my m

as fu

sa," she finally snapped. "An

my nails digging into my

st wasn'

frustration "Maybe I'm

air, so heavy for me t

what are you meant to do? Because so f

rin

w how much money we've spent on you? In these competitio

to the surface. "You forced me into this world. And

time in years,

he words that would

use you're

ng all those word

at the countless ribbons and partici

s trying to earn my mother's approval. Five years be

othing to s

done l

one bei

y phone and

n the other end was

tighter. "I want to enter the M

est pageant in the country. Are

No, I was

woul

e up,"

, I would

do whatever i

t losing myself

found an envelope on

address

a single sh

It was an ano

it r

a. Some victorie

od ran

s? And what

d no

thing wa

st me more than