Chapter 8- The reckoning

The comments came in fast, faster than I expected. At first, they were small—positive, encouraging even. People were complimenting my voice, sharing their love for my song. But then, as more people saw it, there were others who didn't hold back.

"Stick to school, Amara. You'll never make it in music."

"You're wasting your time. Just like your mother said."

The criticisms stung, but I refused to let them break me. For every negative comment, there was a positive one, and the positive ones were louder now. They were growing. And so was I.

It was then I saw another message from Echo.

"You're doing it. Don't let them drag you down. You're on the right path. Keep pushing forward."

His support was the only thing keeping me grounded. I wanted to respond, to share my gratitude with him, but I couldn't. I didn't want to risk losing the one person who believed in me, the one person who saw me for who I truly was.

But deep down, I knew—no matter what happened, I wasn't going to stop. I couldn't stop. This was the black girl in me—the girl who refused to be silenced.