“Corinne, listen to me,” she says, her voice firm yet gentle. “You’ve been through hell. I know this. But you are not defined by what happened to you. You are not defined by Allen, or by your past. You are not the pain that you feel inside. You are strong, and I’m here with you, every step of the way.” Her words cut through the chaos in my mind like a blade. I want to believe her, I do, but I don’t know how.
