I stood in front of the mirror, the girl staring back had red, puffy eyes that no makeup could cover. Her lips were sore and bitten from too many days of silence. There was something empty in her eyes, something I hadn't seen before.

But deep down, I could still feel a small part of me. A version of me that wasn't ready to give up. Someone trying to break through the sadness, if only for one night.

The black leather dress hugged my body tightly, short and sleeveless, with no back. It wasn't the kind of thing l usually wore. I was always in soft, simple colors. This wasn't...