Chapter 29: Self-Doubt
Self-doubt didn’t announce itself. It didn’t arrive like fear—sudden and sharp. It grew quietly. Slowly. Like a question that repeated itself until it no longer sounded like a question… but a possibility. For Elena, it began with hesitation. Small at first. Almost unnoticeable. In class, when Ms. Carter asked a question she knew the answer to, Elena paused. Not because she didn’t know. But because she wondered— What if I’m wrong? Her hand, once quick to rise, now stayed still a little longer. “Elena?” Ms. Carter called gently. Elena looked up. “Yes?” “Do you have an answer?” Elena hesitated. Then nodded. “Yes.” She gave the correct response. As always. But the confidence wasn’t the same. At lunch, Lily noticed again. “You knew that,” she said. “Why didn’t you just s
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