Nobody Like You

Thank You, Ophelia

Yeju

Tears fill my eyes. I blink them away before giving Lia her letter back.

The words are raw and heavy with emotions. I knew about Eunice and what she did to Lia, but this letter shows just how much Lia has been affected—and how much she has been hiding from everyone.

"You're very brave," I croak.

Lia's lips curl. "Not really. It's just a letter."

"Yes, you are. I would've never been able to write something like this." And I would've cussed the hell out of that woman too.

Lia tucks the letter gently back into the envelope. "Thank you for doing this," she whispers.

"Of course. So, you ready?"

"Yes."

I drive to the address Lia provided me with and watch her hop out of the car. After she drops the letter off, we head back to the apartment.

"How are you feeling?" I ask.

Lia lets out a long sigh. "Good. It's like... another load off my chest. No matter what happens after, I'm glad I did this."

I hold out my hand. She clasps it. Her fingers tremble against my skin, and I cast her a quick glance.

She's biting her lips as tears wash her face.

I turn my gaze back to the road, but the sight has already seared into my brain and pierced a million knives into my heart. I squeeze her hand, and we remain like this the entire drive back.

***

"Hi everyone, thank you for coming to my thesis defense," I say, putting on the biggest smile I can manage without falling apart. My heart is thumping so loudly in my ears that I can barely hear myself speak.

The lecture hall is a lot more crowded than I expected it to be. There are a lot of strangers in the audience, and I am too nervous to figure out who everyone is. I know the most important people in my life are here though, and that is enough for me.

Inhale. Exhale.

Let's do this.

"Today, I will be telling you about what I've been doing for the past five years in the Song lab. The development of an inhibitor against a gut genotoxin, colibactin."

I click the remote for the next slide. "There are trillions of bacteria living in and on the human body, far outnumbering the number of cells we actually have. And they have a significant impact on human health..."

The rest of the presentation flows smoothly. It's not difficult; I've practiced this talk about a dozen times, and I've spent five years of my life studying the information on every slide. Keeping my voice steady is the toughest part of the talk, but the more I speak, the easier it gets.

And it gets even easier when my eyes land on Lia. She is staring intently at my slides, nodding along every so often. It makes me feel like I'm doing a good job presenting, and it keeps me going.

When I am done with the conclusion slide, relief floods through me. I click the remote for my very last deck of slides: the acknowledgments.

"And now, I'd like to thank everyone who's been with me during these five long years." I glance at the screen, and my smile widens. The long list of names on the slide fills my heart with gratitude. "This degree is really a team effort from everyone here. First of all, Victoria. Thank you for accepting me into your lab and then mentoring me painstakingly. I know I've not been the easiest student you had, but you had my back every step of the way. Thank you for believing in me."