My Only Crime Was Being a Slim Girl Sitting beneath the silver glow of the moon, Anita exhaled softly, fighting back the tears swelling in her eyes. She ran a hand through her thick, curly hair as her mind drifted back to the events of the day. The morning had started with a wave of nausea—it felt like her period was around the corner. “Ugh,” she groaned, stepping carefully down the brown wooden staircase. Her family was already seated at the breakfast table. “Good morning, everyone,” she greeted quietly, sliding into the seat beside her father. “I feel sick,” she muttered. “Well, if you ate more, maybe you wouldn’t feel that way. Look at you—you’re all bones and skeleton,” her sister Janice said, casually. The room fell silent. “Janice!” their mother snapped, eyes wide. “That’s a very rude thing to say to your younger sister. Apologize now.” She passed the golden Penny butter to Anita, whose face had already fallen. “I’m sorry. I was only joking. Anita knows that,” Janice mumbled with a nervous chuckle. Anita forced a smile and shrugged, but those words clung to her like a shadow. The rest of the day dragged by. She kept to herself, brushing off her friends’ attempts to cheer her up. At school, things only got worse. Amarachi, the class bully, didn’t hold back. “Anita, this your cloth no fit you at all. You be like broom wey dem dress up. You sure say breeze no go carry you one day?” she sneered. Laughter exploded around her. Anita didn’t flinch, but her heart did. Now, under the calm night sky, Anita sat in silence. She licked her lips, wondering why the world could be so cruel to someone who had done nothing wrong—except exist in her own skin. But as the breeze touched her cheek, she made a silent vow: she would no longer give anyone the power to define her worth. No more shrinking back. No more tears. No more allowing people to body-shame her into silence. She would love herself—slim body and all. Her only crime was being a slim girl. And that was no crime at all. --- Dear Reader, Have you ever been judged or body-shamed for being too slim, too fat, too short, too tall—just too something? You're not alone. Let’s speak up and lift each other. Drop a comment below if you've ever experienced body shaming and how you overcame it. Tag someone who needs to hear this. Share to spread love, not judgment. © Juliet Chinenyenwa Alex #grace #julietchinenyenwaalex