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.

We love stories of survival—but only when they end in strength. Nobody wants to talk about the in-between. The days when you’re still grieving something you ‘should be over,’ still angry about things the world expects you to forgive. Survivor’s guilt is quiet, but it cuts deep. It’s the weight of being alive when others didn’t make it. It’s the pressure to inspire when you’re still hurting. Healing isn’t always beautiful. Sometimes it’s just breathing through the ache and trying again tomorrow.