L1va

I hated my own reflection with such quiet intensity that I began to erase it from my world. Turning away from mirrors, dimming lights, avoiding windows that might betray me. I treated my face like something forbidden, something unworthy of being seen, even by myself. And slowly, without noticing, the details began to blur, the curve of my smile, the shape of my eyes, the familiar lines that once made me me. Until one day, I stood in front of a mirror and felt nothing but distance, because the face staring back was no longer mine, but a stranger I had spent so long trying to forget that I finally did.

Everyone adored the softness, the gentle smiles, the sweetness that felt like sunlight, but no one noticed how carefully it was stitched together. Beneath the delicate laughter and bright eyes, something quieter lingered, something heavy and unseen. The cuteness was never a lie, just a mask polished to perfection, hiding shadows that learned to sit still and behave. Because it’s easier to be loved as something light, even when there’s a darkness underneath that no one ever thinks to look for.