Starting over felt like standing at the edge of a cliff—scared, unsure, but with no choice but to jump.

I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the sunlight peeking through the faded curtains. My chest felt heavy, like something was pressing down on it, but I whispered to myself, “You didn’t come here to fail, Melinda. You came to fight.”

I stood up slowly, stretching limbs that felt stiff from sleep and stress. I made my way to the bathroom with quiet steps.

The cold water on my ...