Page 29 of The Humiliated Wife

She paused with her finger hovering over the bio section, then typed:

It’s not a flaw, it’s a gift

5th grade teacher, recovering people-pleaser, rebranding kindness as strength.

Her heart beat a little faster as she clicked through setup. She chose a profile picture—a selfie from last fall, sunlight in her hair, her eyes squinting but happy. She looked like someone she almost recognized. Someone who believed in good things.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a second before she began to type.

You don’t have to be perfect to be proud of yourself.

Trying again after something felt hard?

That’s brave. That counts.

Her finger hovered. A dozen worst-case scenarios skittered through her head—Dean seeing it. His friends. Those awful coworkers from countless events. But this wasn’t for them.

This was for Rae. For her students. For herself.

She tapped Post.

Then sat back.

She waited for… something.

Nothing exploded. No cruel comments. No snickering audience. Just a little spinning wheel, and then:Post uploaded.

Fiona exhaled.

She closed her laptop and slid under the covers.

The old shame was still there, curled in her chest like a bruise. But this time, it had something new beside it.

A flicker of pride. A beginning.

CHAPTER 15

Fiona

The familiar terrain grounded her.Every echo of a locker slamming shut or a student's sneaker squeaking across the tile reminded her:This is where I matter.

She had almost reached her classroom door when she remembered posting last night, and she almost missed a step.

She paused outside the door and glanced down at her phone. Her finger hovered over the icon. Then, heart kicking against her ribs, she tapped it.

Part of her was sure she’d open the app and find nothing. Or worse—mockery. She wasn’t sure which would hurt more: silence or scorn.

The feed blinked open.

@missfionasays

1 post. 8 followers.

She recognized most of the names—Emma, her cousin, a couple coworkers from the school. Probably people who’d followed back without really looking. She scrolled down to the post.

There was one comment from a username she didn’t recognize. It said simply:

“Needed this today. Thank you.”