,

I don’t feel pretty…

I don’t know why people have told me that in my adult life. That I’m “pretty”…

Sometimes, when I have a really cute dress on, some makeup, and I actually bothered to contour and blush and a bit of mascara — okay, I feel a little pretty…

Most of the time… no. I don’t feel pretty.

In my childhood, I felt like the ugly duckling.

I felt like… a piece of cardboard.

Not very special at all. Just existing.