A RANT AND DECLARATION

I drove to my apartment like a man and when I got in, I slammed the apartment door behind me, the force of it echoing through the quiet space. The sound seemed to match the tumult inside me, a sharp reminder of the confrontation I'd just walked away from. I didn't bother with formalities; I just needed to be alone, to let my thoughts settle.

I walked through the dimly lit living room, my movements almost mechanical. I could still feel the weight of my father's disapproval, the pressure of his expectations pressing down on me. But now, in the solitude of my apartment, the anger I'd felt earlier began to crystallize into something more focused.