The world blurred as rage consumed me. My mother's ashes—in the pie? The room spun as I lunged toward Mira, my hands outstretched to grab her, to shake her, to make her understand the horror of what she'd done.
"You sick, twisted bitch!" I screamed, my voice unrecognizable even to myself.
I didn't make it three steps before Desmond's arms wrapped around me from behind, his grip painfully tight against my ribs.
"Lyric, stop!" he hissed in my ear. "You're making a scene!"
"A scene?" I twisted in his arms, trying to break free. "She put my mother's remains in our food! My mother, Desmond!"
His grip tightened. "It was just a joke," he said, but his voice wavered. "Mira didn't mean any harm."
I fought harder, desperation giving me strength. "Let go of me!"
Mira stood across the table, tears streaming down her face in a perfect performance. "I just wanted to honor her memory," she sobbed. "I thought it would be beautiful to include her in your engagement."
The guests murmured, some looking horrified, others confused. Rebecca, my best friend, pushed through the crowd toward me.
"Desmond, you're hurting her," she said sharply.
"Stay out of this," he snapped, his face darkening with an anger I'd rarely seen.
I wrenched one arm free and swung at Mira, but Desmond yanked me back so hard I lost my balance. We crashed backward, my hip hitting the edge of the dining table. Pain shot through me as my head struck the corner with a sickening crack.
The room went silent except for the ringing in my ears. I tasted blood where I'd bitten my lip. Warm wetness trickled down my temple.
"Oh my God," someone whispered.
Through blurring vision, I saw Mira's face transform from fake tears to genuine alarm. "Someone call an ambulance!"
Desmond knelt beside me, his hands shaking as he touched my bleeding head. "Lyric, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
"Don't touch me," I whispered, my voice breaking.
---
The hospital room smelled of antiseptic and despair. The doctor had just left after explaining the concussion protocol. I stared at the ceiling, counting the tiles to avoid thinking about what had happened.
My phone buzzed with messages from concerned guests, but nothing from Desmond. Not even an apology.
"He's probably comforting her," I whispered to the empty room.
---
Across town, in the house Desmond and I shared, Mira sat cross-legged on his couch, her wet bathing suit dripping onto the leather.
"That went horribly wrong," she said, sipping his whiskey. "I never thought she'd react like that."
Desmond paced the living room, running his hands through his hair. "She hit her head pretty bad. What if she has brain damage?"
Mira rolled her eyes. "Don't be dramatic. She'll be fine."
"She needs to understand it was just a joke," he muttered. "You were trying to be nice."
"Exactly." Mira set down her glass and stood, moving to him with practiced grace. "Des, I'm worried about her. That reaction was... unhinged. She might need professional help."
He nodded slowly, his expression troubled.
"I'll clean up the mess while you shower," she offered sweetly. "The remaining ashes need to be taken care of."
Desmond sighed. "Thank you, Mira. I don't know what I'd do without you."
She smiled, watching him trudge upstairs before she moved to the dining room where the urn still sat on the counter. With deliberate slowness, she carried it outside to the swimming pool, unscrewed the lid, and poured the remaining ashes into the water.
"Cleaning up the mess Lyric made," she whispered to herself, watching the gray particles swirl in the blue water before disappearing.
---
Three days later, the doctor discharged me with strict instructions to rest. Rebecca drove me home, her face tight with concern.
"Are you sure you want to go back there?" she asked. "You could stay with me."
"I need to get my things," I said quietly. "And figure out what happens next."
The house was quiet when we arrived. Rebecca followed me inside, carrying my small overnight bag.
"I'm going to pack some more clothes," I said, heading upstairs.
As we passed the French doors leading to the backyard pool, movement caught my eye. Two figures entwined in the water, their heads above the surface, bodies pressed together in the shallow end.
Desmond and Mira.
I froze, unable to process what I was seeing. Mira's eyes met mine through the glass, and a slow, triumphant smile spread across her face. She pressed herself closer to Desmond, who seemed oblivious to my presence until Mira whispered something in his ear.
He turned, his eyes widening as they met mine.
The scream that tore from my throat didn't sound human.
