Wingless;

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fend, but to shed light on how cruel societal standards can be. I have personally experienced the agony of being compared to others, and I am staunchly opposed to it. Every person carries their

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falling apart under pressure. The tight dress her mother had chosen for her hugged every curve of her body,

night at her parents' hou

a wealthy gray-haired suitor, whose hungry gaze had made Ximara's skin crawl earlier that afternoon

ike that," Carin had sneered earlier, h

n windows, a building she envisioned as her sanctuary. Her designs had always been her rebellion agains

she plann

oved fast, heart pounding, stuffing clothes, papers, and her sketchbo

the glass, as though urging her to step through. She pushed the sash open,

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ove. His silver hair glistened under the chandelier as h

eel. "Also talented. She has an incredible talent for drawing building interiors. She

said slowly, the condescension dripping from his vo

y behind his back. "She's a gem, alright. "Sh

daughter's to own; it was a problem to be solved, a bar

er, her heels clicked like gunfire on the

mar

curtains fluttered mocki

wed. "That ung

ssing to Ryan, "She's gone. Pac

. "She will crawl back when she r

wasn't co

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s on Ximara, who sat on a cold metal bench, clutching her duffel to her chest. She w

her. She scanned the platform: a half-asleep ticket clerk, a lone

her chest. Her curves and softness had become their favorite weapon. They ignored a rare medical

to shrink. She

g, and settled into a window seat. Pines and shadows blurred past as the trai

ng her that she wasn't just running; she was

ve had a silly crush, but he had demonstrated that passion could overcome any obstacle. His success stories insp

urage at its core. She knew she was way out of Arthur's league, but she admired him nonetheless

rhythmic clatter soothed her nerves. For the first ti

sting and forgotten, and she

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