Chapter 11

Mirabel's pen scratched out the words, her hand moving with a newfound sense of liberation.

"I was just a child when my mother left me, abandoned and alone. My father waas absent, both physically and emotionally. He didn't raise me, I raised myself, navigating the dark waters of childhood and adolescence without a guiding hand.

"I learned to rely only on myself, to trust no one, and to never let anyone in. The scars of my past run deep, a latticework of pain and betrayal that I thought would never heal.

"I thought I had found love with Andrew, but his infidelity proved that I was wrong, again. And then, in a moment of weakness, I made the mistake that would haunt me forever - I slept with my ex-father, Doctor John. The shame and guilt are a constant reminder of my unworthiness, a burden I carry with each breath.

"But as I write these words, I realize that I am not defined by my past. I am not the sum of my mistakes. I am a survivor, a warrior, a woman who has faced the darkness and em