I did everything right:
I followed the steps.
Paid on time.
Chose restraint.
Avoided conflict.
Bit my tongue until it learned silence.
All while smiling.
They said this was how you avoid damage.
Still, something broke.
No one warns you that doing things “right”
doesn’t come with a receipt.
No return window for trying.
No proof you can hand over
to explain the loss.
It turns out doing everything right
doesn’t stop things from going wrong,
I watched shortcuts get rewarded.
Watched care look optional.
Watched rules bend for people
who never learned to fear them.
Meanwhile, I stayed good
and called it patience.
I am not bitter.
I am aware.
Aware that discipline doesn’t guarantee mercy.
That goodness isn’t a shield.
That effort is not a magic spell.
But still tomorrow,
I will get up.
I will do the next right thing.
Not because it always works,
but because it’s the only way
I know how to stay human.