She Was Never Your Joke

Summary

Move-in day was supposed to be the first morning of the rest of my life.

I stood at the university gates with my official admission packet clutched in hand, thirty kilos of my worldly possessions wedged between my feet. But before I could cross the threshold, the campus security officer stepped into my path, a heavy steel barrier swung shut, and his hand resting firmly on his utility belt.

"Step back, miss," he said, voice flat and sharp. "Step behind the yellow line right now."