The Party Where I Took Back My Power I stood in the middle of the party room, still in my scrubs, hands dry from hours of cleaning, the scent of disinfectant stuck to my skin. My daughter’s birthday was supposed to be our day. But instead, my ex and his mistress were laughing, mocking me like I was invisible. They had no idea I was about to destroy everything they secretly planned. I’ve always known the kind of woman I am. Fourteen-hour shifts on my feet, then straight to the

“Grind Now, Shine Later?” Nah, Kyle. Grind Always. Shine Forever.” I never thought I’d have to learn the hard way that even your best friend can stab you in the back with a smile. But that’s exactly what Kyle did. I loaned Kyle $6,400 when he said he was drowning. Money I had scraped together for my future — to get out of my moldy basement apartment, fix my life, and start over. He promised he’d pay it back in three months. Then he disappeared. Ghosted me. Like I was