@bcrafts what a truly empowering story! Wow, I just love that you chose to face her TWICE. You are so damn courageous and that's really inspiring to me.
My personal motto is: follow the fear. Cuz when we follow the fear, we know we are growing. Another favorite quote of mine is "all fear is illusion, walk straight ahead." I always tell myself that when I'm afraid of something. It reminds me that the fear is only of my own creation.
Keep doing what you're doing my friend. You will get to grand places!
On another note, I actually wrote about the power of "NO" today and I believe that it indirectly relates to your story. Your "NO" helped you to gain the confidence that you might not have known you had. No is powerful when we use it ourselves, or are told it from another!
If you're interested in reading, the article is here. I'd love to hear your thoughts! 3 Inspiring Reasons Why You Should Say "No!" More Often