Page 114 of Forty, Flirty & Framed

"That's different.You were already a doctor."

"And you were already a marketing expert.The principle remains the same."

Mom slides a tray of rolled dolma into the oven, then turns to face me fully."Karina, all your life you carry shame for things not your fault.You think you must be perfect because your father left.You think you must never fail because I was sick.You think you must never ask for help because Viktoria and Susanna needed you."

Her words hit with unexpected force, bringing tears to my eyes.

"You make walls of paper," she continues, gesturing to my professional deception, "because you afraid to be seen as you are.Because when your father left, you learned that people only stay if you are useful, if you are what they need.This is the lie you tell yourself, kheegees.That you must be perfect or you will be abandoned again.”She flashes me a watery smile.“But paper walls burn easily."

"So what am I supposed to do?"I ask, my voice cracking with every syllable."My career is over.Callum hates me.The internet is having a field day with my humiliation."

"First, you check your phone," Seamus suggests."Knowledge is power, even when it's unpleasant."

With reluctance, I retrieve my phone from my purse.

The screen lights up with hundreds of notifications—missed calls, texts, emails, social media alerts.

I brace myself and open the most recent one from Viktoria.

"Oh my god," I breathe.

"What is it?"Mom asks, alarmed.

"It's...not what I expected."I scroll through the feed, disbelief growing."People are defending me.There's a new hashtag—#BeyondYourLabel.People are sharing their own stories about credential gatekeeping and career struggles."

I show them the screen, where testimonials are pouring in:

@TechMomof3: Had to lie about my "gap years" (raising kids) to get interviews.Once hired, consistently outperformed colleagues.System is broken.#BeyondYourLabel

@CodeSwitcher: Changed my "ethnic" name on résumés after 200+ rejections.Same qualifications, different name = immediate callbacks.#BeyondYourLabel

@LateBloomingDev: Started coding at 50 after factory closed.Created fake projects to build portfolio because "real experience" was catch-22.Now lead developer.#BeyondYourLabel

"See?"Seamus says triumphantly."You're not alone."

"This doesn't fix anything with Callum," I point out.

"No," Mom agrees, wiping her hands on her apron."But maybe it helps you fix things with yourself first."

She reaches for my hand, her soft fingers wrapping around mine with surprising strength."All these years, you take care of everyone.Me, your sisters, even Richard.Who takes care of Karina?"

The simple question undoes me.

Tears I've been holding back spill over as Mom pulls me into another embrace.

"I'm so tired," I whisper against her shoulder.

"I know, kheegees," she soothes, using the Armenian endearment from my childhood."Rest now.Tomorrow, you fight again."

"What if I don't want to fight anymore?"

"Then don't fight," Seamus suggests."Transform instead."

I pull back, wiping my eyes."What does that even mean?"

"It means," he says, refilling my coffee cup, "that sometimes the greatest victory comes not from winning the old battle, but from changing the battlefield entirely."

Mom nods."Good doctor makes good point.Sometimes best way forward is not through wall, but around it.Or by building door."