By the time I reached home, I felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The evening that had started with humiliation had ended with empowerment. It was a beginning, a turning point. As I closed the door behind me, I realized that the silence that had followed my actions in the restaurant was not just theirs—it was my own newfound peace.

And so, with a smile, I stepped forward into the unknown, ready to embrace whatever came next.