I TESTIFIED WITH MY HANDS SHAKING

Dear Delyara, For eleven months, I avoided the hallway where my former supervisor’s office was. He had cornered me there twice. He touched me, threatened my job, and later told HR I had misunderstood “friendly behavior.” Three other women eventually came forward. Today, I testified at the employment hearing. I had prepared for weeks with an advocate. We organized messages, calendar entries, and the notes I had written immediately after each incident. Before entering the room, I vomited in the courthouse bathroom. Then I sat across from him and spoke. My voice shook during the first answer. By the fourth, it didn’t. The panel found that he had harassed me and that the company had failed to protect us. He was dismissed. We received compensation and a written apology. I thought victory would feel powerful. Mostly, it felt quiet. I walked back through that hallway afterward and noticed my hands were open instead of clenched. For the first time, the building felt smaller than me.