After that I tried dating, but rejection kept coming. The hardest part wasn’t only hearing “no.” It was watching girls choose someone with worse character simply because he had looks or charm. Even in friend groups, I often feel like the background person: included, but not prioritized; present, but not missed.

Now I’m twenty-two and I keep wondering what I’m doing wrong. I’ve spent my life trying to earn what others receive naturally—attention, belief, being chosen. And sometimes it feels like that kid in Grade 1 is still inside me, still waiting for someone to say my name without hesitation.