Lyra sat curled up on the far end of the couch, her legs tucked beneath her as the television droned softly in the background. She wasn't really watching it. The screen flickered with colors and movement, but her thoughts were elsewhere, drifting lazily between unfinished chores and half-formed plans for the rest of the day.
Her phone suddenly rang.
The sound cut sharply through the quiet room, making her glance down in surprise. She reached for the device resting beside her and immediately smiled when she saw the caller ID.
Lisa.
She swiped to answer. "Hey."
"Lyra," Lisa said, her voice buzzing with excitement. "Have you checked your admission yet?"
Lyra blinked. "Admission?"
"Yes," Lisa replied impatiently. "Haven University. They released another batch this morning."
Lyra's heart skipped, but she tried not to let hope rush in too quickly. She had learned the hard way how painful disappointment could be. This was her second time applying, and the first rejection had stung more than she cared to admit.
"No," she said carefully. "I haven't checked."
"Well, do it now," Lisa urged. "Don't keep me waiting."
Lyra chuckled softly. "Okay, okay. I will."
"Call me back once you've seen it."
The line went dead.
Lyra stared at her phone for a moment before unlocking it, her fingers suddenly feeling heavier than usual. She navigated to the admissions portal, her breath shallow as the page loaded. For a second, the screen froze, and her chest tightened.
Then the result appeared.
Congratulations.
She froze.
Her eyes scanned the words again, slowly this time, just to be sure she wasn't imagining them. She had been offered admission into Haven University.
For a heartbeat, the world stood still.
Then Lyra screamed.
The sound burst out of her before she could stop it, sharp and joyful, echoing through the sitting room. She sprang to her feet, spinning once in place, her hands flying to her mouth as laughter bubbled out of her. Haven University. Her dream school. One of the top three universities in the city.
And she had finally made it.
Tears blurred her vision as she hugged her phone to her chest, overwhelmed by relief and happiness. All those late nights studying. All the waiting. All the anxiety.
It had been worth it.
She rushed upstairs to her room, moving on pure adrenaline. Within seconds, she changed into something more presentable, barely caring what she grabbed as long as it looked decent. She snatched her purse from the dresser, slipped her phone inside, and hurried back down the stairs.
She needed to tell someone in person.
She needed to share this moment.
Outside, she flagged down a passing cab and climbed in, her smile still stretched wide across her face.
"Clinton Avenue," she told the driver.
The man glanced at her through the rearview mirror, noting her glowing expression. "You look happy," he said.
Lyra nodded eagerly. "I just got admitted into Haven University."
His eyebrows lifted. "That's impressive. Congratulations."
"Thank you," she replied, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.
He chuckled. "That's one of the best schools in the city. You must be proud."
"I really am."
The rest of the ride passed in a pleasant blur. When they finally arrived, Lyra reached for her purse, but the driver shook his head.
"Don't worry about it," he said. "Consider it a small celebration gift."
Lyra hesitated, then smiled warmly. "Thank you so much."
She stepped out of the cab, waved goodbye, and walked toward the apartment building ahead.
Her boyfriend's place.
She climbed the steps two at a time and knocked on the door, still buzzing with excitement.
There was no answer.
She knocked again, louder this time.
Still nothing.
Frowning slightly, she pulled out her phone and called him. It went straight to voicemail.
A flicker of worry crossed her face, but she quickly brushed it aside. He probably stepped out.
Then she remembered that she had a spare key.
Digging into her purse, she retrieved it and unlocked the door, stepping inside quietly. The apartment was dim and silent, the air strangely heavy. She closed the door behind her and set her purse down, intending to wait in the sitting room until he returned.
But halfway across the space, a sudden pressure hit her bladder.
She paused, sighing softly. There was only one bathroom in the apartment, and it was attached to the bedroom upstairs.
She headed up the stairs, her footsteps light.
As she approached the bedroom door, she slowed.
There were sounds coming from inside.
At first, she thought she was mistaken. The house had been locked, after all. No one should have been there.
She took another step closer, the noises became clearer. Soft voices and then something else...
Her stomach dropped.
Her heart began to pound as she pressed her ear lightly against the door, her pulse roaring in her ears.
She heard it then.
Moans.
Her breath caught.
For a few seconds, she stood frozen, unable to move, unable to think, her mind scrambling to make sense of what she was hearing. Every instinct told her to turn around, to leave, to pretend she had never come.
But her hand was already on the doorknob.
With trembling fingers, she pushed the door open.
The world shattered.
Her boyfriend was on the bed. And he wasn't alone. He was with someone who was far from being familiar to Lyra.
Her mother.
"Mother?" Lyra's scream tore through the room as her mother's name fell from her lips. Both figures jerked in shock, scrambling to separate as they turned toward the door.
Her boyfriend went pale while her mother tried to cover her face with the blanket.
For a long, unbearable moment, no one spoke.
Finally, Lyra felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room.
Her mouth opened, but no sound came out this time. Her heart pounded so loudly that it drowned out everything else. The sight before her refused to make sense, as though her mind was desperately trying to rewrite reality into something less cruel.
Joseph was the first to find his voice.
"Lyra, wait," he said quickly, scrambling off the bed as he reached for the sheets to cover himself. His movements were frantic, clumsy. "This isn't what it looks like."
She let out a hollow laugh that surprised even her.
"Isn't what it looks like?" she repeated, her voice trembling despite her effort to keep it steady. Her eyes never left him. "Then tell me, Joseph. Tell me what it looks like."
He swallowed hard, unable to meet her gaze.
Her mother finally spoke, her voice shaking. "Lyra, please dear. Let me explain."
Lyra turned slowly toward her, disbelief etched into every feature. "Explain?" she whispered. "Explain what? That you're sleeping with my boyfriend? Or that you've been lying to my face every day?"
Her mother slid off the bed, pulling on a robe with trembling hands. "It wasn't planned," she said weakly. "It just… happened."
Lyra felt a bitter smile tug at her lips. "That's funny," she said softly. "Because things like this don't just happen."
Joseph stepped closer. "Lyra, I swear, it started recently. I was confused. Your mom was there for me when you were busy with applications and studying and—"
She raised a hand, stopping him.
"Don't even dare," she said quietly. "Don't try to blame me for this."
Her chest tightened as tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them.
"So how long?" she asked.
Neither of them answered.
Her gaze moved between their faces, taking in their silence, the guilt written clearly across their expressions.
Lyra nodded slowly. "That long," she murmured.
Her mother stepped forward. "Lyra, please. I know this looks terrible, but I never meant to hurt you."
Lyra finally broke.
A sharp laugh escaped her, followed by a shaky breath. "You never meant to hurt me?" she repeated. Her voice rose despite herself. "You're my mother. You watched me fall in love with him. You smiled at us. You asked me how he was doing. And all this time, you were sleeping with him."
Her mother's eyes filled with tears.
Joseph reached out as if to touch Lyra's arm, but she stepped back immediately.
"Don't touch me."
The words came out cold, final.
Lyra felt her heart splitting in two, every memory she had of him suddenly poisoned. All the late-night calls, the promises, the plans they had made. She had imagined a future with him.
Now she could barely stand to look at him.
"You knew," Lyra said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You knew how much I trusted you."
Joseph's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry."
She stared at him in disbelief. "Sorry?"
Her lips trembled. "You don't get to say that."
Silence fell over the room, thick and suffocating.
Lyra took a slow breath, forcing herself to stay upright. She refused to let them see her collapse.
"We're done," she said.
Joseph looked up sharply. "Lyra—"
"No," she interrupted. "There is no conversation. There is no fixing this. You don't come back from something like this."
She turned toward her mother.
"And you," Lyra said quietly. "I don't even know what to call you right now."
Her mother's face crumpled. "Lyra, I love you."
Lyra shook her head. "lovve me?" She asked. "I don't want to ever hear that word from you."
She turned and walked out of the room.
Her legs felt unsteady as she descended the stairs, but she didn't stop. She grabbed her purse from the table with shaking hands and headed for the door. Her vision blurred as tears finally spilled over, streaking down her cheeks.
Joseph followed her into the hallway.
"Lyra, please," he begged. "Don't leave like this."
She paused with her hand on the doorknob and looked back at him one last time.
"You lost me the moment you climbed into that bed with my mother."
Her voice didn't shake this time.
She opened the door and stepped outside.
The cool air hit her face, making her gasp. She walked blindly down the steps, barely aware of where she was going, her chest aching as sobs finally tore free. She kept walking until her legs began to burn, until the world around her faded into nothing but noise and motion.
Her phone buzzed in her purse but she didn't check it. She didn't care who it was.
All she knew was that in the same day she had achieved her greatest dream, she had lost the two people she trusted most.