When my brother announced his engagement, I was excited—until he told me he was marrying Nancy, the girl who made my childhood miserable. Nancy wasn’t the type of bully to hit or push, but her words cut deeper than anything physical. Throughout school, she made my life a living hell, and no one, not even my parents, seemed to understand. By high school, I had perfected the art of being invisible, eating lunch alone, and counting the days until graduation. Then I left for college and built a life where Nancy didn’t exist—until my brother called with the news.

He was engaged to Nancy. I froze. I remembered all too well how she had made me feel small. My brother dismissed it as something from the past, but I didn’t forget. I reluctantly agreed to attend their engagement party, trying to convince myself I was over it, but when I saw Nancy there, it all came rushing back. She hadn’t changed. Her cruel, backhanded compliments were still sharp and disguised as sweetness. But this time, I wasn’t the same vulnerable girl.