After I paid out of pocket for my little sister’s entire lavish wedding, I got a text from my mom: “Please don’t come. The family wants a drama-free wedding.” My sister quietly hit like. I replied, “Perfect. From now on, you can all enjoy your ‘financial freedom’ too.” On the other side of the screen, the group chat lit up with laughing reactions. What they didn’t realize was that this moment was the turning point.
My phone buzzed on the kitchen counter at exactly 9:12 a.m. in my small apartment in Charleston, South Carolina. Sunlight…