I’m writing this with a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. My body is aching, but my mind is racing a mile a minute. I don’t even know why I’m posting this publicly. Maybe because I’m too stunned to keep it to myself. Maybe because the shame I expected to feel never actually came. Or maybe, just maybe, I want to relive it all over again. The man counted out the bills in front of me, his movements slow and deliberate, making sure I saw every single dollar before he shoved the thick envelope across the table. "Yours," he said, gesturing to the small, sturdy table set up in the center o… Read more

I’m writing this with tears in my eyes and a pit in my stomach so big I feel like I might be sick. I don’t even know why I’m posting this publicly. Maybe because I’m too ashamed to tell my friends or my family back home. Maybe because if I keep it inside, I’m going to explode. Or maybe, just maybe, this will stop someone else from making the same mistake I did. It started three months ago, right around the time I realized my salary as a teacher wouldn't cover the hike in my rent. I was lonely, stressed, and scrolling through… Read more