The Wrong Daughter

by Dandy Smith

bonding over our love of Gilmore Girls and our hatred for the emotionally abusive pinnacle of toxic masculinity that is Jess Mariano.

‘I can’t believe you’ve done this for me.’ ‘It’s just crème brûlée.’ ‘No.’ Her eyes glisten. ‘No. It’s so much more than that. You’re the only one who really listens to me. I thought about you every day. Every. Day.’ There’s a fierceness to her expression. A rawness. ‘We’ll never be apart again,’ she tells me earnestly. ‘I promise.’ And I believe her.

Wanting to please your parents is one of those universal instincts, like opening your mouth to apply mascara.

The only thing more valuable than being loved is being known by someone. Truly known.

‘Don’t be afraid to play the main character in your own life. Don’t be a person that things just happen to because it’s easier than being a person who makes things happen.’

This is an uncomfortable reality that women in the company of men must face. Men can hurt us if they really want to.

He is offering me everything I’ve ever dreamed of. But at what cost? I’ll never trust him again. I’ll never know if we’re together because he loves me