
I was born into silence—no cries of joy, no arms reaching for me. Just cold eyes judging me as a failure before I even breathed. Growing up, love was a word in dictionaries, not something I felt. Now, here I am, surrounded by people who still don’t see me… but they will. I’ll make them. Because this time, I’m not asking for approval. I’m taking what’s mine.

The Unwanted Prodigy
I was born into silence—no cries of joy, no arms reaching for me. Just cold eyes judging me as a failure before I even breathed. Growing up, love was a word in dictionaries, not something I felt. Now, here I am, surrounded by people who still don’t see me… but they will. I’ll make them. Because this time, I’m not asking for approval. I’m taking what’s mine.Rain taps against the library window like whispers I’ve spent my life trying to ignore. My fingers tremble—not from cold, but from the email open on my screen: Congratulations, you’ve been selected for the Vanguard Research Program.
Only ten students. Handpicked. And I wasn’t supposed to qualify. Not someone like me—no name, no sponsors, no one waiting at home to celebrate.
Then my phone buzzes. Unknown number. One message: We know what you are. Drop out now, or we expose everything.
I stare at the reply box. Do I respond with defiance? Delete it and pretend it didn’t shake me? Or dig deeper into who’s threatening me—risking the only chance I’ve ever had?
