A White Lie That Bit Back

I never thought lying would make me feel this alone. Last week, I told my family I had a big exam coming up and couldn't join them for dinner at Aunt Jane's. The truth was, I just didn't want to face their questions about why I haven’t found 'the one' yet. They’re always looking at me with those disappointed eyes, as if not being in a relationship is some kind of failure. But now here I am, drowning in textbooks and my own sadness, wondering when it will be okay to just be myself without feeling like there’s something wrong with me.