Forgiveness is not proof of healing—it’s a choice, and not one survivors owe to anyone. Trauma doesn’t disappear just because society is more comfortable when victims are quiet, forgiving, and palatable. Sometimes survivors are angry. Sometimes they don’t forgive. And that’s okay. Healing looks different for everyone. This piece is for the ones who are still carrying it, and still choosing themselves.

A villain era isn’t about turning cold—it’s about turning inward.

It’s the moment you stop shrinking to survive and start rising to live. In this piece, I share how I entered mine: not out of hate, but out of healing. With help from Shakespeare, psychology, and a little Emily Thorne shade, this is my story of becoming the most dangerous thing a woman can be—free.