Suddenly, the door to my bedroom opened, and my mother walked in.

She held a piece of paper in her hand, with a joyful expression on her face.

I watched as she walked towards me step by step, my heart pounding in my throat.

I forced a smile and asked, "Mom, what are you doing? Why are you so happy?"

She sat down next to me and waved the paper in her hand in front of my eyes.

"Yingying, Mom saw this. Look, the people dancing on it are so beautiful," she said with delight.

I looked at the paper, which showed a girl dancing. She stood on tiptoe, her eyes full of confidence.

Next to her were the words "Ballet Dance."

My heart froze for a moment, and the shadow in my heart grew larger.

My face turned pale, and I could no longer maintain a fake smile.

But my mom, as if she hadn't heard me, said happily, "Yingying, you should also learn to dance. Mom supports you."

Dance?

No, I don't want to dance.

People there will mock me and call me an ugly duckling. Even though I wear the clothes of a swan, the blood that flows through me is still lowly.

I couldn't control myself and shook my head vigorously.

I had forgotten the rule of not defying my mom during the day.

As expected, my mom's face instantly changed.

The smile on her face disappeared completely, and the corners of her mouth straightened, showing signs of anger.

She held my face and stared at me:

"Yingying, isn't dancing great? Shouldn't girls learn to dance?"

"Look at what you secretly learned before, Taekwondo. You've made yourself neither fully male nor fully female. What kind of person are you?"

She touched my long hair, her tone softened a bit.

"You see, you look so beautiful with long hair, just listen to Mom, okay?"

I looked at my hair, which reached my waist, and felt bitter inside.

My mom forced me to keep this long hair.

If I didn't obey her, she would hit me, grab my hair, and angrily say, "Fine, if you don't keep your long hair, then you might as well shave your head bald."

I believed what my mom said wholeheartedly. If I didn't listen to her, I would become bald.

I looked at my mom's face, her eyes emitting a strange light.

It's ridiculous!

Even though she's not my real mom, she inherited my mom's terrifying desire for control.

And what can I do?

Other than accepting it, I have no other choice.

I suppressed the discomfort in my heart and agreed, "Okay, Mom, I'll learn to dance."

As expected, when my mom heard that, a smile immediately appeared on her face.

She gently touched my face and looked at me as if I were a doll:

"That's right, listen to Mom's words, it's guaranteed to be right. Your mom won't harm you."

I nodded stiffly, feeling numb inside.

My mom was happy to see me like this. She put the paper on my desk and was about to leave when she suddenly caught sight of a note my brother had given me.

Because I was in a hurry, I had pressed the note under a book on my desk, but a corner of it was exposed.

She looked puzzled and asked, "What's this?"

As she spoke, she reached out to take it.

My heart leaped into my throat as I watched her slowly reach out her hand, thinking to myself:

"I'm done now. She's going to see it, and she'll reveal her true self and kill me."

I closed my eyes in fear, but what I heard was my mom's strange voice:

"What are you drawing on it? If you want to learn drawing, Mom can enroll you in a class. What you drew has no artistic sense at all."

Drawing?

Weren't there words on it?

I suddenly opened my eyes and looked at the note in my mom's hand. It wasa note from my brother, but she had mistaken it for a drawing. I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that she hadn't discovered the true contents of the note.

I quickly took the note from her hand and replied, "Oh, Mom, it's just a note from my brother. He wanted to remind me about something."

My mom looked at me suspiciously, but her attention quickly shifted to something else.

"Well, alright then. Just make sure to pay attention to your studies. Mom wants you to be successful," she said, her voice filled with a mix of concern and expectation.

I nodded, trying to hide my inner turmoil and keep up the facade of being the obedient daughter she expected.

As she left the room, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. The constant pressure and control from my mom had taken its toll on my spirit.

I sat on my bed, clutching the note tightly in my hand. It was a lifeline, a connection to a world where I could be myself.

Unfolding the note, I read the words written by my brother:

"Yingying, I know it's tough for you, but don't give up. Stay strong and true to yourself. I believe in you."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read those words. My brother was the only one who understood the struggle I faced, the battle between my true identity and the expectations imposed upon me.

In that moment, I made a silent promise to myself. I would find the strength to break free from the constraints that held me back.

Learning to dance might not be my passion, but it could be a stepping stone towards discovering my own path. I would use every opportunity to explore my true self, even in the face of adversity.

The journey wouldn't be easy, but I knew I had the support of my brother and the strength within me to overcome the challenges ahead.

With renewed determination, I wiped away my tears and stood up from the bed. It was time to face the world, embrace my true identity, and dance to the rhythm of my own heart.