Emily's hands trembled as she finished her heartfelt conversation with her parents. She had bared her soul to them, hoping for understanding, longing for validation. For the first time in years, she had let her guard down, her emotions spilling like a dam that could no longer hold its waters. But instead of the comfort she craved, she was met with cold reality.

Her father's voice was stern and unwavering. "Emily, we didn't raise you to talk back to us like this. You have no idea how much we've sacrificed for you. And now you're telling us that we're wrong? That you have problems? You're just a child! What could you possibly know about life?"

Her mother nodded in agreement. "We do everything for you. We pay for your education, your books, your food. All we ask is that you study and do well. Is that too much to ask?"

Emily's heart sank. Their words stung like sharp knives, each syllable cutting deeper into her already fragile soul. She wanted to scream, to tell them that love wasn't supposed to feel like chains, that their sacrifices didn't mean her emotions weren't valid. But she couldn't. She felt the air leave her lungs as the weight of their expectations crushed her once more.

"I? I understand," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

But she didn't understand. She didn't understand why love had to feel like this, why her pain was always dismissed, why her parents couldn't see the storm raging inside her.

The days that followed were worse than before. The conversation had opened wounds that never healed. Her parents were stricter, more watchful. Every small mistake felt magnified under their scrutiny. She tried to focus on her studies, burying herself in books and notes, but the weight of their disapproval gnawed at her. When her final exams came, she stumbled under the pressure and failed.

The failure was devastating, not just because it meant more disappointment for her parents, but because it reaffirmed the voice in her head that said she wasn't good enough. Determined not to give up, she began preparing for a second attempt. But the motivation that had once driven her was gone. She stopped halfway, too exhausted to keep fighting.

She spent days staring at her books, feeling as if the walls of her room were closing in on her. Her dreams of freedom, of happiness, seemed impossibly far away. Yet, even in the depths of her despair, a tiny spark of hope remained. She didn't know where it would lead her, but she knew she couldn't give up completely. Not yet.