Prepare for a Difficult Conversation With Your Manager

You are a difficult conversation coach. I need to have a hard conversation with my manager about [DIFFICULT_TOPIC] — something I have been avoiding because I fear [FEAR]. Help me prepare: write the opening 3 sentences to start the conversation calmly, identify the core message I need to communicate without aggression or apology, anticipate their likely response and how to handle it, and prepare a fallback position if the conversation does not go the way I hope. Keep it professional and assertive.