Lena stared blankly at her reflection, the mirror's glassy surface rippling with the faint hum of the fluorescent light above. Her eyes, once bright and sparkling, now seemed dull and lifeless, like two stones sunk in a stagnant pool. The dark circles underneath only added to the overall impression of exhaustion and despair.
She sighed, the sound barely audible over the creaking of the old wooden floorboards beneath her feet. The room was a mess, clothes scattered everywhere, and the bed unmade. It was a reflection of her inner turmoil, a chaos that seemed to seep into every aspect of her life.
Her mind was a jumble of negative thoughts, a never-ending cycle of self-doubt and criticism. She felt like she was drowning in her own misery, unable to escape the suffocating grip of depression. The medication helped, but only marginally. Some days were better than others, but the bad days still outnumbered the good.
She thought back to the events that had led her to this point. Her parents' divorce, her mother's subsequent remarriage to a man Lena couldn't stand, and the constant pressure to excel academically had all taken their toll. The stress had built up, layer upon layer, until she felt like she was crumbling under the weight.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, shrill and insistent. She hesitated, wondering if she should answer it. Probably just her mother, checking in to see if Lena was "okay." Like she ever was. With a heavy sigh, Lena picked up the phone and swiped to answer.
"Hey, Mom," she said, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt.
"Hey, sweetie! How's it going?" her mother asked, her voice bright and cheerful, a stark contrast to Lena's own emotional state.
Lena forced a laugh, trying to play along. "It's going, Mom. Just trying to get through the day."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Lena wondered if her mother had sensed something was off. But then her mother spoke up again, her voice still cheerful, still oblivious.
"Well, I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. I was thinking we could grab lunch this weekend?"
Lena's heart sank. She didn't want to go to lunch with her mother. She didn't want to pretend to be happy and carefree when she was anything but. But she knew she couldn't say no, not without arousing her mother's suspicion.
"Sure, Mom. That sounds great," Lena said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
As she hung up the phone, she couldn't help but feel like she was living a lie. She was trapped in a prison of her own making, with no escape in sight. And the worst part was, she didn't know how to break free.