Lillyana returned home in an unusually excited mood, her mind swirling with thoughts about the strange glasses and the mysterious man. However, the moment she stepped into the living room, something felt off. Her parents sat at opposite ends of the sofa, their faces clouded with tension. Her father rested his elbows on his knees, staring blankly at the floor, while her mother sat stiffly, her hands tightly clasping a glass of water. Neither spoke.
The room was eerily still. Golden afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the floor. The ticking of the clock echoed in the silence like a countdown to something unseen. Confused by the heavy atmosphere, Lilly tilted her head.
"Why are you both still home?" she asked, breaking the silence. "I thought you'd already left for the beach. You said you were going swimming today."
At the sound of her voice, her parents seemed to snap out of their daze. Her mother forced a smile, but her eyes betrayed unease.
"Oh... I wasn't feeling well, so we decided to postpone," her mother said lightly, though her voice wavered slightly. "But why are you back so soon? I thought you were at the amusement park."
Lilly shrugged, trying to hide her disappointment. "It was boring," she muttered. "Nothing fun. I figured I'd just come home and get some sleep."
Her mother nodded, expression unreadable, and without another word, rose to her feet and headed upstairs. Her father remained on the couch, silent and distant, his gaze unfocused. Lilly hesitated, hand resting on the banister as she climbed the stairs. Something wasn't right. Her parents' behavior was unlike them—cold, distant, and off-key.
A strange unease settled in her chest. As she glanced back at her father, her fingers brushed against the glasses in her hand. The "glasses of truth," the man had called them. Her pulse quickened. Should I? she thought, hesitating.
Curiosity won. Slowly, she raised the glasses to her eyes and slipped them on.
The moment the glasses settled on her face, the air in the room shifted. The light dimmed, colors bled into shades of gray, and a suffocating heaviness seemed to press down on her. Then, like the crack of thunder, voices broke the silence—raw and full of anger.
"That's enough!" her mother's voice rang out, sharp and trembling. "I can't do this anymore. We should live apart—it's better for all of us."
Lilly froze, her heart pounding. Her mother's words were like shards of glass, sharp and cutting. She had never heard her speak this way. Her mother had always been soft-spoken, warm, and full of kindness. This version of her was unrecognizable.
"You think I'm happy being with you?" her father snapped, his tone harsh and bitter. "The only reason I stayed was because of Lilly."
Lilly's breath caught in her throat. Me?
Her mother's face twisted with pain, tears glistening in her eyes. "If you truly cared for Lilly, you wouldn't have done this! You lied to me. To her. All these years, while you searched for your own happiness somewhere else. Do you think I don't know about your affairs?"
Her father's expression hardened, his jaw tightening. "I told you—it was a mistake. A moment of weakness! But you—you never forgave me. You held onto it like a weapon, punishing me again and again. If you can't let it go, then maybe we should go our separate ways."
His voice cracked, but his eyes burned with frustration. He turned abruptly, heading toward the door. Her mother grabbed his arm, her voice breaking.
"Please, don't go!" she cried. "What do you want from me? How many times do I have to forgive you? What did I do wrong? Tell me!"
Lilly's knees buckled. Her entire body trembled as she stumbled back a few steps, gripping the banister for support. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. She bit down on her hand, the sharp pain grounding her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared, wide-eyed, at the scene unfolding before her.
Her parents' voices grew louder, overlapping, filled with years of pent-up resentment. The warmth and love she'd always known were gone, replaced by a storm of anger and heartbreak.
This isn't real. It can't be.
Desperate, Lilly tore the glasses off her face. The world returned to normal in an instant. The colors brightened, the air cleared, and the oppressive heaviness lifted. Her father sat on the couch, silent and contemplative, while her mother was nowhere to be seen, presumably upstairs. The house was quiet again, as if nothing had happened.
But the truth lingered, heavy and undeniable.
"What... was that?" Lilly whispered, her voice trembling. She stared down at the glasses in her hand, now gleaming innocently in the fading sunlight. Her chest heaved, her heart pounding wildly. The world she thought she knew had shattered in an instant, and she didn't know how to piece it back together.
Her hands trembled as she clutched the glasses tighter. With a choked sob, she ran to her room and locked the door. Sinking to the floor, she buried her face in her hands and cried, her sobs muffled by the quiet of the house.
"If only it weren't true..." she whispered through her tears. "If only..."
Her cries subsided into hiccups as she sat in silence, her thoughts churning. What if it wasn't true? she wondered desperately. What if someone is trying to deceive me?
Her eyes fell on the glasses lying on the floor where she had tossed them. Their innocent gleam seemed to mock her. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, "Why did I bring this cursed thing home?"
As night fell, exhaustion overcame her, and she drifted into a restless sleep. In her dreams, a shadowy figure loomed at the end of a dark street. The man in black stood silently, his wide-brimmed hat casting his face into shadow. He seemed to beckon her, though his lips didn't move.
When she woke, her cheeks were damp with tears, and the memory of the dream lingered like a cold chill.