The Lies We Live

The rain tapped softly against the window as Sam sat in the dimly lit living room, cradling a cup of cold coffee. The world outside was a blur of gray, the streets empty, the trees heavy with water. It had been two months since Jack had died, two months since everything had changed. The house felt colder now, emptier, as if Jack's absence had stretched the silence even further.Sam stared at the envelope in their hands, its edges frayed from being handled too many times. They had found it buried under a pile of old books on Jack's desk. The letter was unsigned, no name on the return address. The handwriting was unfamiliar, slanting across the page in a hurried scrawl. Sam had read it over and over, hoping for a different meaning each time, hoping it would explain itself.It didn't.Sam,If you're reading this, I'm gone. Jack isn't who you think he is. I don't know if you'll understand, but you need to know. The truth will destroy you, but you have to face it.You're not the only one who's been lied to. He's been lying to all of us. Start looking at what he left behind.Don't trust anyone. Not even me.Ren.The room felt heavier as the last words settled in. Ren. The name that had haunted Sam's thoughts since the funeral, since everything had fallen apart. Ren, who had been Jack's closest friend — maybe even more than that, though Sam couldn't ever bring themselves to ask. Ren was always there, always in the background, always too close, too quiet, too elusive. But Jack's death had pulled them all apart. Now Sam was left holding a letter from Ren, one that felt like it was part of a riddle, a puzzle too dark to solve.Sam set the letter down, fingers trembling, unsure of what to do next. The truth? What truth? Jack had been the one constant in their life, the one person Sam had trusted above all others. He couldn't have been hiding something — could he? Sam shook their head, as if that would clear the thoughts swirling in their mind. But the letter was clear, and the doubt gnawed at their chest.They looked over at the picture on the mantel — Jack's smiling face, arms around Sam and Ren, all three of them so carefree. It was taken years ago, back when things were simpler. Before the secrets. Before the lies.Sam glanced down at the letter again. There had to be something more. If Ren knew something, if Ren had been keeping secrets too, then they needed to talk. The letter was just the beginning. There had to be more. Sam's heart thudded painfully in their chest as the gravity of the situation started to sink in. They needed to find answers. They had to know what Jack had been hiding, even if it meant facing things they weren't ready for.With a shaky breath, Sam stood up and moved toward the door. The rain had picked up, but that didn't matter now. They had no choice. The journey ahead would be dangerous, painful, and maybe even deadly. But it was the only way to uncover the truth.And Sam couldn't go on living in the dark anymore.