iMessage Activation Error PLEASE HELP

Hello, this will be a bit of a long post but I have nowhere else to turn.

I purchased an iPhone 13 Pro Max from Verizon 3 days ago, I ported my number over from T-Mobile. Immediately after activating my new device, I was not able to use iMessage with my phone number, only my Apple ID email address can send iMessages. I waited some time to see if it would work itself out, it didn’t. I changed my number to one from Verizon hoping that would fix it, it didn’t. I reached out to both Apple and Verizon support, who both walked me through troubleshooting steps. I have done the following:

1) reset network settings

2) turned iMessage on and off

3) ensured the correct phone number was attached to my Apple ID

4) completed a complete factory reset 3 separate times

Apple and Verizon both basically said they have no idea how to fix it. I took it to a Genius Bar at an Apple store, and they couldn’t fix it either. I’m basically SOL. Does ANYONE know how to ACTUALLY fix this. Thank you in advance.