eavier in my hands

he lette

a. Some victorie

rawled up

sent

out from the shadows. Nothing. Just the distant hum of the re

in my gut wou

t? A warning? Or

lue. No return address. No name. Just those om

led sh

s room and give her the

id this did not matter, we try h

t rel

And I wouldn't let some an

letter, I glanced at it once an

r things to

ind of winning this competit

Crown competition

n't sure I'd have the

I had ever stepped on. Contestants from all over the co

ad to b

ed myself harder

ized every possible interview question. I worked on my sm

ate. I ba

had

ime, failure w

petitio

d a lot, but my mum was so positive a

age with a confidence

as flashed. Judges watched. My

y mother's voi

ture, Lisa.

in the dressing room, my mom stepped in warning me to showcase

the talent showc

let know of that. She came looking happy. But she

und. The one that had

e

able. "Lisa, if you win this crown, wha

as my

culated. "I believe young women need to be seen, h

ould finish, I

e aud

suit. Watching

. Just for

y noticeable

udges

nnouncement came, I

lost.

en run

th p

feeling from my past fa

time, it

me, I had done

had I

Behind t

stage before I felt the s

I heard

ntestants whi

op until I heard a name t

an H

ri

l who beat m

fr

her," one of them scoffed

ammed again

mean?" the ot

supposed to w

a sharp brea

made se

. My past failures. The way I alway

s rigged fr

time, I h

oing to st

stimonies from other contestants who h

eant Ethics Commi

ed. They in

y they con

changed. The compe

es were fired. The pag

a small

the one

thing couldn

osit

ll not th

still wa

n I realized som

e truth, sometimes, it

rned home, exhaust

o my room, I no

er en

n't left on

on my

ad been i

I picked it up a

a single sh

ne sen

d have sta

llowe

wasn'

he note, my h

d have sta

sharp, like they had

g . Someone had

The door had been shut when I a

left

ing? A

that my batt