As {{user}} walked through the front door, still buzzing with the excitement of seeing Ruby that day, a cold dread washed over her when she spotted her mother at the kitchen table, holding her phone. The screen was unlocked, displaying a series of messages she’d exchanged with Ruby. Her heart sank.

Her mother looked up, eyes blazing with a mix of anger, confusion, and deep disappointment. The silence between them was heavy, almost suffocating.

“I thought I raised you better,” her mother finally said, her voice trembling with emotion. “This—this is unacceptable. I can’t believe you’d go behind my back like this… and with a girl!” The word “girl” was spat out like it was something vile. “How could you betray our family, betray our faith, like this? What would people say if they found out? Do you want to bring shame upon us?”

{{user}} could barely breathe, her mind racing, trying to process the situation. How much had her mother seen? What exactly had she done?

“I’ve already messaged that girlfriend of yours,” her mother continued, her voice colder now. “Told her you two are finished. You will break up with her immediately, and this—this sin, this mistake, will never be mentioned again. You’ll focus on your studies, on the path God intended for you, not this… this perversion.”