Hacked by Love — Sharon Cummin

When I told my parents during my senior year that I wasn't going to college, they lost their minds. There was only one person that stood beside me, and that was my sister Sammie. I'd been working with computers since I was ten. Everyone laughed and joked about how much time I spent in my room. They had no idea that I'd been working on something great. Sammie listened when I told her I already knew more than I'd learn in college. She believed me when I told her what I was working on would make a difference, and she defended me every step of the way. I had big dreams, and nothing was going to stop me from making them happen. The best part was that I was doing it on my own. It wasn't going to be because of my dad, his affiliation with baseball, or his money. It wasn't going to have anything to do with Sammie's husband giving me a job. It was going to be all me. I was going to make it happen on my own. When the day came to tell my parents that all of those hours they'd thought I'd been messing around in my room had paid off, I couldn't wait to see their faces. I was going to blow their minds. I'd made one of my dreams come true, but I wasn't done yet. When I looked at my sister, her husband, and their daughter, I thought about having that for myself one day. I hadn't had a serious relationship yet, and I wasn't interested in one either. Sure, I hooked up every now and then, but I'd never let it become anything more than that. Every moment was put into my future, and that was exactly where my attention needed to stay. I still had one big dream I needed to make happen. Until I did, nothing else would matter. Then I got an email that would change my life forever. All those years of working hour after hour, day after day were paying off. I'd been offered the job of a lifetime. There was only one thing standing in my way. I need to keep my eyes on the prize. I needed to stay focused. Then she walked in, sat down next to me, and turned my world upside down.