She once saw nail polish as a harmless detail, a small ritual that made her feel polished and in control. The stronger smell, the extra layers, the faint discomfort—she dismissed them all as nothing. As her nails began to yellow and thin, she found darker shades and thicker coats, turning damage into something that looked like perfection from a distance. Each compliment became a reason to ignore the quiet signals her body was sending. When her nail finally split, she could no longer deny what was happening. The numbness that followed wasn’t just physical; it was emotional, too—a realization that...
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