No one knew what I was going through. I had learned to hide it too well. I was tired of pretending, tired of surviving. The weight of my thoughts was unbearable. Every day felt like a silent scream. I began to believe ending things was my only escape.

 

Out of desperation, I texted my cousin. I told her I was struggling, even though I was scared she’d see me differently. Instead, she hugged me, cried with me, and stayed on the phone for hours. That moment reminded me that people do care—sometimes we just have to speak the pain into the light.