Chapter 4

I woke to the sound of my phone buzzing incessantly on the nightstand. After a sleepless night in the spare bedroom of what was once my home, the harsh light of morning brought no relief from the nightmare my life had become. With heavy fingers, I reached for my phone, only to freeze at what filled my screen.

Brittany's Instagram was blowing up. My stomach churned as I scrolled through dozens of professional photographs showing her posing confidently with blueprints—my blueprints—spread before her. The captions made me physically ill:

"Excited to unveil my pioneering bridge design! #FemaleEngineer #MITalumni #InnovationLeader"

"When…