I honestly don't even know why I’m typing this, like who cares, right? But it’s 2 AM and my mom called again, asking if I remembered to water her philodendron. She lives, like, a thousand miles away, maybe more, and it’s just… a lot, every call is a new guilt trip disguised as a chore list. But that’s not really what I wanted to say. It’s about work. My promotion. I got the executive VP gig, which, yay me, was supposed to be the big dream, the brass ring, all that jazz. And for a second, it felt good, you know? Like, finally, all those late nights, all the sacrifices – they paid off. But then… it’s like a switch flipped. The people I used to grab lunch with, the ones I'd bitch about the CEO with over happy hour margaritas? Gone. Poof. Now it’s all, "Oh, *she’s* management," or whispered comments about me being “upstairs” now. Like, did I suddenly sprout a third eye and a suit of armor? I still like terrible reality TV and complain about my landlord! And the worst part is, they don't even *try* to hide it. I saw Sarah, who used to be my office bestie, organizing a lunch in the kitchen and she literally turned her back to me when I walked in. Is that normal? Do people just… abandon you when you get a promotion? I thought we were friends, like real ones. And the thing is, I thought this job, this title, would make me feel… something. Like, accomplished, maybe less alone. But I just feel… flat. Like watching a movie in black and white. And then Mom calls again, asking about the lawnmower. And I just think, what was the point of all this? What am I even doing? Is everyone just faking it till they make it, and I'm just finally seeing behind the curtain?