My Stepmom Thought That Breaking My Laptop Would Ruin My Future-The Next Morning, Everything Backfired

held tightly against my chest.

My voice shook at first.

Then I looked at the first page of my thesis.

The dedication read:

For my mother, who taught me that quiet strength is still strength.

And I kept going.

I defended every chapter. I answered every question. I stood in front of that committee not as the girl Karen had tried to break, but as the woman continue reading …