b' Caoa Christian and lived just likedrowning, sinking in endless any other. I used to believewatersofstressandpain. the fate of my life would beIwasinabadrelationship in my own hands, and I arro- withmyparent s,andwe gantly believed I could havewouldargueallthetime.I complete power to determinewas also in an abusive rela-thepersonIcouldbecome.tionshipatthetime,where Itwasapathgoingfurthermy then boyfriend would call and further away from Christ,mefat,ugly,stupidevery and clearly a very wrong pathday,orcompletelyneglect to take. I turned my back tome by not responding to my Christ and walked down thistexts or phone calls for days. dark road.Iwasseverelydepressed,I Growing up in Hong Kong andsuffered from anxiety. There going to public schools meanweredayswhenIfeltcom-youre always in an extreme- pletely okay, but some days I ly stressful and competitive environment. I was sixteen, studying six subjects, failing four of them. The pandemic hit, and we were stuck in our houses,Ilosttheconnec-tion and social circle I need-ed at church and at school. Thedauntingpublicexam thatyourlifedependson wascreepingincloserand closer,andIfeltlikeIwas 55'