A United States Navy officer, after more than 20 years of service, chose to wear her immaculate white uniform on the most important day of her life. But just when everything seemed perfect, the person who should have been proudest—her father—sent her a message colder than any battlefield wind: “Don’t embarrass us by wearing that ridiculous outfit.” In that moment, every old wound reopened: the favoritism, the comparisons, the countless family dinners where she was treated like she didn’t exist.