At first, I thought it was okay. I told myself, "Just quietly do my job." But as time passed, I felt like my insides were festering. Thoughts like, "Why do I have to do this?" and "Am I truly worthless?" kept coming back to me. The harder I tried, the more empty I felt, and I was overcome by a sense of self-loathing, as if my very existence was being denied. I belonged to this community, but I always felt like a shadow. Everyone laughed at me, but my heart was empty. Could I ever truly be a meaningful being like this?