A Lie That Stings

I feel like such an idiot. I've been in this open relationship for a few months now and everything was going well until recently. Last week, my partner Alex asked me about some emails I supposedly received from a lawyer internship program at a firm I really wanted to work with. The truth is, the emails never existed, I hadn't even applied yet because I still wasn’t sure if this was the path for me. But the idea of disappointing Alex, of not living up to their dreams for me, felt too much to bear, so I fibbed and said they were there in my inbox. Now every time we talk about the internship or any opportunities coming up at that firm, I feel like I’m a fraud, waiting for it all to come crashing down. It’s a small lie, but it feels huge. What if this ruins everything?