The most ridiculous part? Back then, I had actually felt proud of my sacrifice.
With Lily living halfway across the world, I'd let myself believe the distance had healed something. That I'd finally gotten my family back.
But I'd only been surviving on scraps—the overflow of love Mom and Dad saved for her.
Now the truth was out, and I was the punchline. The humiliation burned hollow in my chest.
I closed the app and locked my phone, watching the screen go dark. Then I flipped open my laptop.
There it was—an email I'd saved for a moment exactly like this. A job offer from my undergraduate professor, one of the few people who'd ever seen my worth.
Tessa Fox's email was brief, but it offered a lifeline. She had officially retired from the university and launched her own startup in Washington D.C.
"The company is young, but the potential is limitless," she wrote. "Are you interested in joining the team?"
I'd been tempted from her first message. But hesitation had anchored me then—my parents were aging, and D.C. felt like a world away. I'd convinced myself I couldn't leave.
Now, the decision was easy.
I hit send, and Tessa responded almost immediately.