She Gave Up Everything for Me

On graduation day, the auditorium buzzed with applause. Claire sat in the back row, hair pulled into a neat bun, her face glowing with quiet pride. When I crossed the stage and held my diploma, I felt invincible.

And in a moment of arrogance—born not of truth, but of pride—I turned to her and said words that would scar us both:

“See? I climbed the ladder. You took the easy road and became a nobody.”

The words were sharp. Cruel. Unforgivable.